Theo Papenfus, founder of Stage Effects Group purchased 24 of each TetraXs, and 24 Tetra2s from DWR Distribution. This makes him the first in South Africa to own TetraX.
“We’ve been in the market for a linear fixture,” explained Papenfus. He was familiar with Robe Lighting’s Tetra2 and was impressed with the units, but it was the TetraX that grabbed his attention.
Developed from the Tetra1, the TetraX adds pan movement with high-speed continuous rotation, increasing sweeping effect possibilities of the fixture. Generating an 4° beam from each of the 9 evenly spaced pixels, they combine to produce a bright, defined “sheet” of light. The homogenised beams and smooth 11:1 motorised zoom provide ultra-smooth washes out to 45°.
“I started talking to Duncan Riley of DWR and I was actually motivated to just get the TetraX fixtures, but I knew these were fairly new to our market,” Papenfus said. “I also knew that the Tetra2 was a workhorse. It has proved itself over time and on riders, and it was a no-brainer to buy them and get into the market. We’ve had many requests for Tetra2s but have never been able to supply them. We believed that introducing the TetraX would bring something new to the market. There’s simply nothing else like it available, making it the winner for us among all linear fixtures.”
Duncan Riley of DWR said the sale was a true honour: “Stage Effects was one of our earliest clients when we first launched DWR. Many other rental companies also rely on Stage Effects for their gear rentals. They have a deep trust in Theo and his work ethic.”
An unexpected bonus was that not long after the lights were ordered, Papenfus received an inquiry to hire them for a long-term theatre rental. Papenfus explained, “I always phone Duncan and he did the costing and put the whole gear together and the sale just went smoothly. Buying the kit and getting it out on a theatre show for three months is amazing, and that’s why we went for these fixtures. We had nothing on the board and I was more than willing to send it out to cover the first two months.”
Another perk is the neatly packed flight cases the fixtures arrive in. “Our warehouse team was asking about when we would arrange new flight cases, and I told them, no need to—the lights already come in flightcases. It’s easy to overlook because it’s become common to ship lights in cardboard. But having everything pre-packed is a luxury. The units will go straight onto the truck, then onto the next one, and off to work,” Papenfus concluded.
