Moving Heads and Scanners90 Product

A major advantage is their ability to move smoothly and continuously — side to side (Pan) and up and down (Tilt). That lets you hit precise focus points or build fast, dynamic effects. With DMX control, programming and operation are efficient and show-ready.

Most rigs use moving heads to complement static lighting like spots and flood fixtures.

Common applications include:

• Live shows and stages
• Clubs and venues
• Theater productions
• Film and TV sets
• Events and entertainment

There are several moving head types—your best choice depends on what you need from your rig.

• Spot head: a spot produces a crisp, hard-edged beam—great for tight accents and gobo projection. Also commonly called a “Profiler.”
• Wash head: also known as wash lights. Softer edges and wider coverage make them ideal for big stage washes and atmosphere.
• Beam head: beams have an even narrower beam angle than spots, creating an intensely focused shaft of light—excellent with haze.
• Hybrid head: hybrids combine features from multiple categories (sometimes spot, wash, and beam) in one fixture.

Today, LED light engines are the go-to choice for moving heads—and they bring some real advantages:

• Energy efficiency
• Long lifespan
• Often direct color mixing (no color wheels required)

That said, some users still prefer discharge lamps for high output and certain strengths in color rendering—especially for mixed colors and clean white.

• Operating modes

  • Standalone: run one fixture on its own.
  • Master/Slave: link multiple fixtures and run them synced together.
  • Sound-to-light: automatic shows that react to music and handle movement for you.
• Strobe: a classic flash effect that’s at home in clubs, on stages, and at festivals.
• Dimmer: smooth brightness control—simple and extremely useful.
• Shutter: blocks parts of the beam to narrow coverage—handy when you want to light a specific area. In some fixtures, the shutter can also act as a dimmer.