Jump to content

New(er) LED lighting types


vort

Recommended Posts

  • Members

Although this forum is essentially dead, I was hoping to spark a conversation on some of the newer LED technologies and effects. For example, how do the COB type LED's compare to the typical 3 in 1, 4 in 1 Leds?

 

It seems that new fixtures are coming out every month, it's almost hard to keep track. New types of Pars (dotz?), blinders (ADJ matrix quad), moving fixtures (ADJ event bar). I wish Soundlight or Bill would drop in to keep us all schooled from time to time.

 

So lets start out easy with the first question asked above. How to COB (dotz) compare with the # in 1 led fixtures? Advantages/Disadvantages? Anyone adopting them yet? Seen any out in the wild?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Less of a LiteBrite look for sure with the COB fixtures. They're supposed to eliminate the RGBAWUV shadowing or whatever when color mixing... which I've rarely run into since I use mostly multi-LED fixtures and at distance they color mix just fine, but for more powerful single emitter style fixtures this shadowing is problematic for some. I've only seen the Dotz 1.4 fixture in the wild so far. Dude was using it as an uplight on a retractable vertical banner. With 4 COB chips in the unit the benefits of COB and color mixing seemed like kind of a moot point... and the fixture was not really all that bright. I think a Colorstrip mini would probably have been brighter and way cheaper for his purpose. COBs are also supposed to be really efficient and handle a lot of heat which would imply that they might eventually hit high lumen output specs per COB chip/par. I haven't seen that yet.

 

EDIT: Oh, and they're supposed to support pixel-mapping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Technology is ramping up while cost per lumen of output is cascading down.

 

Only five years ago or so, a standard Par64 can loaded with 144 10mm diodes was selling for around $ 150. This 20w fixture boasted an output of 3,920 lumens at one meter.

 

Today, a fixture offering 7 15w diodes using 58w of power can give you 11,490 lumens at a meter for only $ 229

 

The future indeed looks bright.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Expanding on the above post, Blizzard is introducing several new fixtures at NAMM this week.

 

HotStick COB Mini - 6x 25w RGBAW COB half meter strip fixture with 45 degree beam spread MAP $ 399.99

 

LB Par Quad RGBA (or W) - 12x 10w 25 degree par with composite housing MAP $ 199.99

 

LB Par Hex - 12x 15w RGBAW+UV 25 degree par as above MAP $ 249.99

 

As you can see the power keeps going up while the cost per lumen keeps falling.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
  • Members

I am a little late to the party here but I have 12 of the Dotz PARs. With the lens on (narrowing the beam angle, to 25 degrees I think) they are nice and bright and can light up a good distance away. Take off the lens and make it 60 degree and they just dont throw light nearly as far. For $150 per fixture I dont think they can be beat. Great color mixing, but the blues are surprisingly dim. Has a decent amber color as well.

 

I definitely prefer them to the "lite brite" look as stated above.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Good point to clarify. Quick setup solution.

 

I guess what I'm really looking for is some quick setup front lighting. I realize these are only RGB, but isn't the color mixing better on Cob fixtures. There is surprisingly little info out on these fixtures. Based on their price point alone, I would assume they are bright enough to cover most stages or at least compete with the 4bar tri?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I've looked at the spec's for the ADJ Dotz (COB), and they are not as bright as many of their other products.

 

I'm in the process of putting a cheap but effective light show together for a rock cover band, and we just purchased a set of (8) quad color LED's. These lights, with (7) 5w led's are very bright and look fantastic. The brand is not well known, but I've purchased other products from the site (MCM) with excellent results. At this price, I recommend buying one extra. These lights will slaughter the "lite bright" looking lights, and are almost as bright as my Hotbox 5's, with a much better sound activated program. They through a nice, fat beam, and the color mixing is excellent. We purchased (4) RBGW and (4) RBGA. We are currently running them all slaved to one light that is set on the sound active program, but we are prepairing now to run them dmx off a light board.

 

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/555-27065

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Good point to clarify. Quick setup solution.

 

I guess what I'm really looking for is some quick setup front lighting. I realize these are only RGB, but isn't the color mixing better on Cob fixtures. There is surprisingly little info out on these fixtures. Based on their price point alone, I would assume they are bright enough to cover most stages or at least compete with the 4bar tri?

 

Color mixing is great. You can get very good pastels and ambers, but as I previously posted the blues are dimmer than expected for an LED. They are plenty bright unless you are hanging them 20'30' away. At that point you would need to keep the lens on and have more fixures. I think they are great lights, especially at the $150 price point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • Members

Stevegarris, thanks for the tip on mcmelectronics. Ordered 4 of the RBGA and have them permanetly mounted on t bars with wireless dmx. Add power and go. I agree with your assessments.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Stevegarris' date=' thanks for the tip on mcmelectronics. Ordered 4 of the RBGA and have them permanetly mounted on t bars with wireless dmx. Add power and go. I agree with your assessments. [/quote']

 

Awesome! We are still very pleased, but don't know yet if they'll hold up.

 

Here is a vid of the band playing. The MCM lights are on the bars - you can see them on the right side just behind the vocal mic. They are alternating RBGA and RBGW, and running on sound activation from the lights themselves. Sensitivity setting = 1 (lol).

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...