Lighter, brighter Merlins for Gearhouse

Gearhouse Merlins

Gearhouse South Africa’s Pierre Huskisson and Adrian Skinner with their new Merlins.

 

Gearhouse South Africa, Leading Technical Supplier to the Live Event Industry, have taken stock of two Robert Juliat Merlins purchased from DWR Distribution.

“It’s a pleasure for the crew to work with the Merlins,” commented Peter Abrahamse, Acting Lighting Workshop Manager. “No longer do you need four people to lift a big, bulky followspot as it is totally possible to move it around with only two people, saving us time on load in and load out. I have also had numerous reports from our crew saying they had to run the spots at a lower intensity as they were just too bright. This is unbelievable as we generally struggle in some venues to throw over 100 meters. While the Merlins cover the distance, they still deliver a bright output on stage.”

Adrian Skinner is the Lighting Operations Manager at Gearhouse South Africa. “I really like the new units,” he said. “The Merlin is a decent light and is well made.”

“Actually, the shift to Robert Juliat followspots is a move we have been eyeing for some time now, the Merlin is a perfect product for us as it is a robust touring unit” comments Branch Operations Manager, Stuart Andrews. “This is a quantum leap in terms of followspot technology for us and we are thrilled to take this step.”

Designed by Robert Juliat with touring in mind, these compact fixtures have been a pleasing addition for Gearhouse. “In the past, we would have had to allocate a minimum of two meters of truck space for the followspots, but we now only need half,” says Peter. “The flight case is also impressive and has everything you need in one box. The Merlins are remarkable, they are lighter, brighter, really easy to use with low power consumption. We no longer need to remove dangerous xenon lamps, and my favourite point is the hot restrike functionality and the fact that there is no ballast.”

DWR Distribution will back up Gearhouse’s investment with service and support. “Thank you to Ofer Lapid, Peter Abrahamse, Adrian Skinner and Stuart Andrews for your valued support,” said Duncan Riley of DWR. “We trust the Merlins will work hard for you.”