$4000 for new lighting system

[Koopdaddy]

What would you recommend getting for a dj and small band setup for lighting (can it be done)? I have no lighting gear so I am assuming I would need:

 

• Truss
• DMX controller
• Wash Lights
• Special effects
• fogger/hazer

Anything I am missing? 

[nchangin]

Design a truss around what you will need the most often, if you have a 10 ft DJ table you need a 10 foot truss, 5 foot dj table 5 foot truss, etc. Then think about what you'll need for bands. Obviously you want to mix and match. Best truss is Global Truss. http://www.globaltruss.com/

2nd runner up probably going to be duratruss but appears they are the same entity.(see web page) 

Do not get a the $249.99 crank truss special from GC, you won't be happy. I have one and I'm not happy even after I modified it to work for my setup. Welds crack, holes are drilled crooked from factory, etc.

Re lights, depends on what you want, scanners, or lasers, or moving head or just wash? Gobo's or non gobo's? List what your looking for there are some very smart lighting folks on this forum!

Dedicated light guy? If so go controller route, if a player is going to have to change the scenes, you will have to go midi switchfoot controller.

[Koopdaddy]

 

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nchangin wrote:

 

 

Design a truss around what you will need the most often, if you have a 10 ft DJ table you need a 10 foot truss, 5 foot dj table 5 foot truss, etc. Then think about what you'll need for bands. Obviously you want to mix and match. Best truss is Global Truss.

http://www.globaltruss.com/

 

2nd runner up probably going to be duratruss but appears they are the same entity.(see web page) 

 

Do not get a the $249.99 crank truss special from GC, you won't be happy. I have one and I'm not happy even after I modified it to work for my setup. Welds crack, holes are drilled crooked from factory, etc.

 

Re lights, depends on what you want, scanners, or lasers, or moving head or just wash? Gobo's or non gobo's? List what your looking for there are some very smart lighting folks on this forum!

 

Dedicated light guy? If so go controller route, if a player is going to have to change the scenes, you will have to go midi switchfoot controller.

---

 

Good to know on the crank truss.

 

I really have no experience with lighting (other than I know and understand dmx addressing). So I really dont know how to answer that question. I know moving heads cost more so does it make sense to skip the moving heads which this budget and get better/more of the other stuff. Maybe add in movers down the road when budget allows?

 

Thanks,

Jared

[Koopdaddy]

 

Thanks Mutha goose.

 

I'd like to think I didn't randomly pick stuff but perhaps I did. The problem is that while I think your idea is great and probably the best way to go about it, I am not sure how to design a system without really knowing what these things do or how they interact with each other.

 

@Chirovette I am not opposed to going at this slowly. But even if I don't get everything at once I do want to have a "master plan" of sorts. I all I start off with is a tree if par cans great. I just want to make sure the plan is cohesive . Does that make sense?

 

Thanks for your insight

 

Jared

[mate_stubb]

Koop, take a look at my thread about the system I recently put together. It's more set up for a band, but a few substitutions or additions could make it more suitable.

 

I have more like $5000 in it. The scanners are the best mid level for the buck IMO.

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Lighting-Effects/My-little-ole-light-system/td-p/35313161/page/2

[ChiroVette]

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Koopdaddy wrote:

 

 

@Chirovette I am not opposed to going at this slowly. But even if I don't get everything at once I do want to have a "master plan" of sorts. I all I start off with is a tree if par cans great. I just want to make sure the plan is cohesive . Does that make sense?

 

Thanks for your insight

 

Jared

---

It makes perfect sense, and I think that is kind of what I am doing, to be honest. I don't know how much you know about lighting. If you know more than I do, or did when I bought the original lights a couple of months back, then a "master plan" is a great idea. My point was that I didn't have the knowledge to even have or formulate a master plan, so my "master plan" was basically to buy some nice, high quality, safe fixtures that I know I couldn't go wrong with and then see what else I might need as I got my feet wet with them.

Now that I know what I have, how my stage looks fully lit with everything, I have a much better idea of what seems "missing" now than I would have if I even attempted a "master plan" back then,

See my point?

[Voltage55]

Chauvet is as capable of putting crap out there as anybody. But their products have become way more reliable than they used to be.

 

Elation has always been the most solid in my experience. But that is a bit pricey if you are just starting out. So I agree that starting with Chauvet fixtures is a great idea.

[Koopdaddy]

Question for those of you that have totem setups.

I understand that taller is generally better to get the lights abouve the crowd/stage. Do you ever run into situations where the 8-10ft truss sections are too tall for low ceiling applications? Is it better to get maybe a 7 foot section to leave room for a moving light on top and clearance for a moving fixture for example? But then is that too low for other applications?

 

Am I just over thinking this hah!?

 

So I am looking at something like these....

http://www.kpodj.com/2-global-truss-8-2ft-square-trussing-package-p-102964/

 

This package has the the truss total length at 7 feet, but in two smaller sections of truss put together, which would offer additional flexibility of splitting them up if wanted. Is that worth considering or just keep it simple wiith the single truss options?

http://www.kpodj.com/2-global-truss-7-4ft-sectional-square-trussing-package-p-102790/

 

Thanks,

Jared

[StratGuy22]

Here's what I have for my DJ setup, ballpark prices.

 

 

 

Lights

8 - Fab5's = $2000

2 - Spot Duos = $1000

2 - Jellydomes = $280

3 - Mini Kintas = $270

2 - Stands = $600

1 - 8' truss = $200

DMXIs = $260

---------------------------

$4,610 + tax

 

In this video, on one speaker I have a fab5 and the other one I have 2 fab5's all pointed at the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

[Koopdaddy]

 

 

---

StratGuy22 wrote:

 

Here's what I have for my DJ setup, ballpark prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lights

 

8 - Fab5's = $2000

 

2 - Spot Duos = $1000

 

2 - Jellydomes = $280

 

3 - Mini Kintas = $270

 

2 - Stands = $600

 

1 - 8' truss = $200

 

DMXIs = $260

 

---------------------------

 

$4,610 + tax

 

 

 

In this video, on one speaker I have a fab5 and the other one I have 2 fab5's all pointed at the ceiling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

Thanks Strat.

 

What is being used as the uplighting in the background behind the table?

[StratGuy22]

6 - Microh Slimpar P7 Tri. I have a dozen of those that I picked up used for Uplighting. I like then because they don't have fans so they are nice and quiet.

 

They are RGB, and run around $200 new. I bought a dozen used for $100 each.

[Koopdaddy]

Which rack mounted dmx controller should I get? The Obey 70 or I see they have an Oeby 40 with wireless. Plan on getting a couple freedom units so perhaps its worth it to get the controller with the wifi built in?

 

http://www.chauvetlighting.com/obey-40-d-fi-2-4.html

[StratGuy22]

If the lights are all on a truss, do they need to be battery operated and wireless? Link them all together, both power & DMX. That makes the fixtures probably half price.

 

And definetky get a software solution like DMXIS over an obey 40 or 70. Those give you static scenes. The heads will go from one position to the next.

 

With DMXIS you can set ranges of motion, that makes for movement within the scene.

[Koopdaddy]

Hi

 

The wireless lighting is simply to do environmental lighting without being tethered by wires. We just want it for the flexibility for different situations. We may not use every light for all events but at least have the capability to offer to our clients.

 

Does that make sense?

[StratGuy22]

Gotcha

[Koopdaddy]

So I know I had mentioned the Chauvet Obey 40D WIFI214 to use as a controller. As mentioned before lighting is a new thing for me so I have been looking at software control as well.

 

Those of yo uthat have the experience of both, what are the pros and cons of using software vs hardware control?

 

I have been reading up on CHauvets Xpress and ShowXpress and it seems like a good combo, albeit a bit more expensive than the Obey40. Given the number of lights we are planning to use starting off, is that Obey40 enough and would it make sense to spend the extra for computer controller...or a better hardware one?

 

8 x par64 led

3 x Intimidator Spot/Beam LED 350 (not sure if we should do all spot or beam, or mix and match)

2 x mini kintas

1 x hazer

4 x wireless strips

 

That is what we would like to start with and perhaps add some more down the road. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

Thanks

Jared

[StratGuy22]

Nice! Those 350's are pretty sweet! Any way to squeeze a fourth into the budget?

 

Like I said, I think you'd like a software solution. Especially if you're in a band, and want to use a foot controller. I couldn't get ANYWHERE trying to hook up a Behringer FCB1010 to an obey70. It hooked up up DMXIS right out of the box and works really good!

[Voltage55]

I use Compu Show and absolutely love it. Very user friendly and powerful.

[Koopdaddy]

 

Thanks

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Voltage55 wrote:

 

I use Compu Show and absolutely love it. Very user friendly and powerful.

---

 

 

 

Have any of you used Blizzard Lighting Puck 3NX?

vs the Chauvet Slimpar 64 LED what would you recommend?

[StratGuy22]

Deep breath....

 

Lighting choice

 

I debated quite a bit when I moved into LED lighting.

 

The first plan was to buy a dozen Slimpar 64's and that would be a good starting point. They were roughly $100/fixture plus shipping. A cheap entry into DMX.

 

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/04CC5C7D-2DD3-47F8-93CC-60A57FE7B016-2747-0000028EBB957577.jpg

 

But the more I seen this style of light in person, the more I began to dislike the "lite-brite" look of the fixtures. When use use blue red or green on their own, the respective LED's light up and it looks a bit like a pinwheel.

 

Colors like purple, would have the red and blue lit up. White has them all lit up. While the light coming off is white, the actual face of the fixture, has what I again call the "lite-brite" look. On video they look fine. The fixture looks all white. But it doesn't appear that way in real life.

 

Looking more, I started to like the multi-LED fixture. They have a set of lenses, and behind each lens is a red, green, and blue LED they can also be RGBW, RGBA, or RGBAW as well. The nice thing about this, is when you choose purple, the lenses themselves light up purple, instead of the red and blue.

 

(This fixture is a Blizzard Fab5 RGBAW)

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/CB3B0B57-0803-42B4-8AB4-087392E1517B-2817-000002A0438A1D54.jpg

 

Now if we are going to nitpick, you can kinda see the red and blue if you really look, but that's if you are splitting hairs. The different fixtures have different patterns for the lenses. Some are a star pattern, some are a 9 lend 3x3 block etc.

 

Some examples of the different patterns:

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/365AE224-5574-434D-BA73-77121B9EFD47-2747-00000298887AA82F.jpg

 

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/B413C052-A539-4A7C-8477-A62BB903828F-2747-000002988E07331C.jpg

 

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/E6C008D4-02B5-4A07-AA34-03458BA9444F-2747-0000029893B422E4.jpg

 

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/3C83221A-1DAF-4FCB-9765-F8BFEEC6420B-2747-000002989A4EF75E.jpg

 

 

I looked at the different lens configurations, and decided on the Blizzard 3NX fixture for my back truss. I liked the layout of the lenses, which are basically in a round pattern. They are only an RGB fixture, but for rear truss lighting, I wasn't real concerned.

 

http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z398/robare99/32F9695E-E2DF-4665-A73F-5C8FDFB5C536-2817-000002A039CEF7F9.jpg

 

They've worked out well. I picked up 8 of the Blizzard Fab5's to light the band and the additional amber and white LED's make a noticeable difference. When I bought my 3NX's the Fab5's weren't out and commonplace yet, and I couldn't afford to wait. If I were to do it again, I think I would go with Fab5's across the board. Another thing, both the 3NX & the Fab5 have a protective piece of plexiglass(?) covering the lenses. Some of the other ones don't. I thing you can tell in the "different lens pattern" pics.

 

I'm really happy with them. For small "non-light rig" gigs, I attach a single Fab5 to each FOH stack and aim them at the band. This is a video of one Fab5 per side set to sound, to show you how much light they put out.

 

If I have to choose just a couple fixtures, lighting the band is more important than any rear lighting.

 

Here's that video.

 

 

Keeping your eyes on eBay, I picked up four Fab5's for $160 a piece + shipping, a "used a couple times" kinda thing. The 3NX I believe I paid $1200 for 8, shipping included, which works out to $150/fixture.

 

Hope this helps. These are on the lower end as stated, a little more than the slimpars, they are metal enclosures instead of plastic like the Slimpars. These days I'm more of a buy once cry once kinda guy. I realized if I went with the slimpars I know I'd want to move up from them. The 3NX's and Fab5's really didn't end up being much more in the end, and a much better look. For my market they are a good fit. I'm not going to be lighting up Madison Square Garden anytime soon.

 

[StratGuy22]

Videos of the 3NX on the rear truss:

 

 

 

 

 

And with some fog:

 

 

 

 

 

[BillESC]

LED fixtures with lenses are your best option.

[Koopdaddy]

Thanks Bill and Strat.

 

I know I want at least rgba. I have heard that the wiscicle feature on the Blizzards can be problematic if you aren't careful especially mixing fixtures with other brands. Is that just isolated "stupid does" incidents or truly something to consider?

 

Thanks

[StratGuy22]

I'm not sure. I don't use wicicles. I have used Chinese no-name wireless to different degrees of success

[BillESC]

You can't mix brands of wireless DMX transmitters and receivers.  I know of hundreds of lighting systems using the Wicicles without issue.