Members Mutha Goose Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Woo hoo... it's lighting rig update time!!!! My Old RigBack Truss: OnStage LS77308 Blizzard RGB Pucks2 Chauvet 6Spots1 Chauvet 4PlayFront Lighting:4 Blizzard Q12As This rig has served me well for the last couple of years, but there is more I want to be able to do. So, I just placed my order for some new fixtures. My new rig:Back Truss: ADJ Light Bridge System with up to 15' of truss4 Intimidator Spot LED 350s4 Blizzard Q12As2 Blizzard Fab5s2 Chauvet 6Spots1 Chauvet 4PlayFront Lighting:4 Blizzard Q6As Side Lighting:8 Blizzard RGB Pucks This leaves me with 2 extra RGB Pucks that I can use to light backdrops or other specific items. I also have 2 additional 5' sections of truss that I will be mounting to plates to make 2 vertical trusses. I will be mounting 3-4 Par56s on each (left over from before the above "old rig") to be used as blinders. And depending on stage configurations, I could put Intimidators on top of these trusses (the other 2 mounted on the back truss). In general, I plan on using just the Back Truss and Front lighting for smaller stages, adding in Side Lighting for the next size up, and the vertical trusses for full sized gigs. I am really looking forward to getting the new fixtures. This will be a huge improvement for me, both in terms of quality & brightness, but also configurability. I will share some video of the new system, but probably not until January. I have a bunch of shows lined up before then, but I don't think any of them are in large enough rooms to break out the whole system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 That's awesome!! I love moving heads!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bigjd Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Do you use wireless DMX? Which one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted November 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 I do use wireless DMX, but I wouldn't recommend the ones I use. I have a bunch of these. I have had 2 power supply failures in 2 years and I know Johnny Lightboy bought some as well and he has experienced flickering issues with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sbrett Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 My Q12As will be moving to the back eventually also so that I can switch to the Q6As for the front.We ran a benefit show this past weekend and all I had was two Q12As, one per side. I got a few chuckles until I turned them on. That was the first time I got to use them, and wow...actually too bright at times. I had already ordered two more (should be in this week) thinking they weren't going to cut it. Oops. Then again they'll get put to use in the back so no big deal.I love those lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Johnny Lightboy Posted November 6, 2012 Members Share Posted November 6, 2012 Originally Posted by Mutha Goose Woo hoo... it's lighting rig update time!!!! My new rig:Back Truss: ADJ Light Bridge System with up to 15' of truss4 Intimidator Spot LED 350s4 Blizzard Q12As2 Blizzard Fab5s2 Chauvet 6Spots1 Chauvet 4PlayFront Lighting:4 Blizzard Q6As Side Lighting:8 Blizzard RGB Pucks Nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundlight Posted November 8, 2012 Members Share Posted November 8, 2012 I love that more and more people are getting the Intimidator Spot LED 350s. Completely awesome fixture for the money. They're definitely my top moving head recommendation for anyone on this forum right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted December 4, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 4, 2012 Well all of the new fixtures came in (I'm still waiting on the DMX cables though ) and I have had a chance to play a little with them so I thought I would share my initial impressions.The back truss is now configured:Fab5 -- Intimidator -- Q12A -- Intimidator -- Q12A -- Q12A -- Intimidator -- Q12A -- Intimidator -- Fab5In general the Fab5s and the Q12 are very similar in terms of color and output level. The blue is a little richer, and the Amber is a little darker (color tone) on the Fab5 vs. the Q12A. The Fab5 also has a VERY slight edge up in mixing quality. The beam edges are a little sharper and have less shadowing. But the Fab5 really begins to separate itself with the addition of the white. I didn't foresee this, but it greatly improves my pallet options. Getting a convincing Yellow and Orange is a breeze with the Fab5. I was worried that the Fab5 wouldn't play nice with the Q12As. It won't be an issue. They make a nice set.The Intimidator is a behemoth; heavy and power hungry. I cannot run the truss on a single power feed. The manual states that no more than 3 Intimidators should be power-linked together. I killed a couple of fuses before I realized this little nugget. These are also far slower than I expected. That said, boy do these things cut through. The beam is very sharp. The zoom allows for a very defined beam with an almost moon-flower effect (with the right gobo) at one extreme to a soft old-school spot at the other. I really like the Gobos that come with this. A few have stood out to me as being particularly useful, including one that, with the rotating prism, can make a really nice under-water effect. Now I am looking forward to getting to use these at a show. I could be ready to use this rig by the New Year's Eve gig, but will probably wait until mid-January or February to break 'em out. In the mean time, I think it's time to move my bed into my workshop because I have a lot of playing and programming ahead of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted December 4, 2012 Members Share Posted December 4, 2012 You're so correct that the addition of white diodes improves your color palette. Want a pastel...got a pastel. Can't wait to see pics and a video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skybluegary Posted December 4, 2012 Members Share Posted December 4, 2012 Congratulations on your new gear! Looking forward to vids/pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted December 5, 2012 Members Share Posted December 5, 2012 Nice!! My new lights should be here this week it next week. They just crossed the border. I'm hoping to be ready to use it for NYE. I have 20' with of triangle truss, and the stage is 18' wide, so I'll have a couple feet sticking out to the left, and no lights on it. It wil be a similar setup but I'll start with a scanner, then 2 3NX's, etc. Basically swapping the last 2 fixtures in your setup...My basement has the room and it's similar to the stage, so I'll be programming the lights. I took From the 21st off into the new year. So I'll be sitting there working and programming, getting it all together!!Quit teasing us an take a quick pic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skybluegary Posted December 5, 2012 Members Share Posted December 5, 2012 Originally Posted by skybluegary Congratulations on your new gear! Looking forward to vids/pics! ditto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members skybluegary Posted December 5, 2012 Members Share Posted December 5, 2012 Congratulations on your new gear! Looking forward to vids/pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members breunic Posted December 5, 2012 Members Share Posted December 5, 2012 How wide is the truss you have that stuff on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted December 5, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 5, 2012 Originally Posted by breunic How wide is the truss you have that stuff on? That's on 15 feet of truss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltage55 Posted December 6, 2012 Members Share Posted December 6, 2012 You are going to love the Intimidator Spot LED 350s. They are such a great light. I use them along with my Design Spot 250's all the time. The big difference is that they weigh about 40 lbs less than the Design Spots, so they are great for mounting. Perfect size for your truss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted December 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 6, 2012 After a little playing, I think I'm gonna put 2 Intimdators on the floor next to the drums and 2 on the truss. So here are some shots from my first tests. Unfortunately, I have a very low ceiling but this give a good idea on how things could work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted December 6, 2012 Members Share Posted December 6, 2012 Dave, consider something other than parallel focus of the upstage pars. A combination of straight and crossing beams will add visual excitement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundlight Posted December 6, 2012 Members Share Posted December 6, 2012 Sounds like it's going to be an awesome rig! I too am looking forward to pictures & video of the new setup. Originally Posted by Mutha Goose The Intimidator is a behemoth; heavy and power hungry. I cannot run the truss on a single power feed. The manual states that no more than 3 Intimidators should be power-linked together. I killed a couple of fuses before I realized this little nugget. I sometimes forget that what I consider a tiny fixture (most of the fixtures I work with are well over 20" high and weigh well over fifty pounds!) is considered rather large to some people! Those fixtures look to be nice, lightweight moving heads given the output and featureset. I would say about the truss power - to make sure to add up all of your fixture wattages and see what kind of power you are *actually* drawing. The Intimidator 350s are only blowing fuses because the fuses are there to protect the low-gauge wiring for the fixtures. You should very easily be able to run all of those fixtures off of one 15-amp circuit as long as you use a nice 12-gauge cable for the home run to the outlet to prevent the current from damaging the cable. Originally Posted by Mutha Goose These are also far slower than I expected. That said, boy do these things cut through. The beam is very sharp. The zoom allows for a very defined beam with an almost moon-flower effect (with the right gobo) at one extreme to a soft old-school spot at the other. I really like the Gobos that come with this. A few have stood out to me as being particularly useful, including one that, with the rotating prism, can make a really nice under-water effect. You can also use the focus to provide some interesting effects - that's one of the real benefits of higher-tier fixtures. You can focus them from your DMX controller/software, meaning that you can have razor-sharp beams or a nice soft stage texture just by changing the focus. The zoom is nice because it really allows you to decide whether you want to use your fixtures mainly for beamage or more for wide gobo looks. Both have their place, and you can change it up from venue to venue depending on the throw distance as well. Most of the gobos were taken (a Chauvet rep has admitted this to me) from one of the most popular and reliable moving head spot fixtures in the world, the Martin MAC700 Profile, so the gobo selection is definitely a lot better than most other fixtures out there. One of my favorite gobos in the fixture, though, is taken from a long-running High End Systems lithopattern - the classic Gatlin Gun gobo. The 350 has a magenta one rather than a red or an indigo like the HES stuff, which is actually almost even better - you can use yellow on the gatlin gun and get a yellow/red combo, or you can use light blue and get a light blue/saturated lavender combo. Works out great!As for your LED PAR focus - like Bill said, change it up a bit. A straight PAR focus is one of the most typical options out there. Point the Fab 5s at the front center position, point the 2 outer Q12As at the drummer, and point the 2 inner Q12As at the front corners of the stage. Mess around with options until you get something that looks good in haze and lights people with color in a way other than on their backs where the audience can't really see it. Really adds visual interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted December 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 6, 2012 All good stuff. Thanks for the ideas. I am still experimenting with various placements and aiming (part of the reason I don't plan on breaking this out for performances until Jan), but I do like the idea of mixing up the back line. I had a couple of ideas in mind to play with, but you have given me a few other to look at too. Originally Posted by soundlight I sometimes forget that what I consider a tiny fixture (most of the fixtures I work with are well over 20" high and weigh well over fifty pounds!) is considered rather large to some people! Yes, I am deffinately in the entry level of the performance lighting industry... But I'll be at the top of that peir (or near it anyway seeing as Johnny Lightboy is in my area) Originally Posted by soundlight You can focus them from your DMX controller/software, meaning that you can have razor-sharp beams or a nice soft stage texture just by changing the focus I have begun to play with this and I really like the options it gives me. Originally Posted by soundlight ...- the classic Gatlin Gun gobo...you can use light blue and get a light blue/saturated lavender combo. Works out great! Putting this in front of a steele blue background with a slow rotation creates a stunning effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltage55 Posted December 6, 2012 Members Share Posted December 6, 2012 Originally Posted by Mutha Goose The Intimidator is a behemoth; heavy and power hungry. I cannot run the truss on a single power feed. The manual states that no more than 3 Intimidators should be power-linked together. I killed a couple of fuses before I realized this little nugget. These are also far slower than I expected. That said, boy do these things cut through. The beam is very sharp. The zoom allows for a very defined beam with an almost moon-flower effect (with the right gobo) at one extreme to a soft old-school spot at the other. I really like the Gobos that come with this. A few have stood out to me as being particularly useful, including one that, with the rotating prism, can make a really nice under-water effect. Hey man, I don't mean to question you. I'm sure you know your rig. But are you sure that it is your Intimidators are blowing your fuses? Part of the Intimidator 350's is that they are LED, and low power consumption. I link 4 of those things with some other LED lights all the time. Are those maybe 250's? It's hard to tell by the pics but those seem a little bigger than the movers I have. Just wondering.All that said, the pictures look cool!! One suggestion I have is that if you are going to put your movers by the drums, maybe get a box or something just to get them off the ground. I learned that the hard way once when a fat bassist fell on one of my lights. Also sometimes if you stick them on road cases behind the drummer that can look really cool also.These boxes are what I use when I stick movers on either side of the bass drum. It's a long story as to why I actually have a picture of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Robsco Posted December 14, 2012 Members Share Posted December 14, 2012 This set up looks great. I'm in the middle of trying to build a small system and I would like to know where you got the truss system and what you are using to control these lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted December 14, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 14, 2012 My truss is the ADJ Light Bridge with an extra truss section added (15' total length). According to ADJ, with 3 sections of truss, max weight is 200lbs (evenly distributed). You can find these at many of the online music retailers. For control right now I am using DMXis, though I am looking to upgrade. I am looking heavily into D-Pro ("pro-version" of DMXis). It's showing some promise, but I have some support concerns and it is missing 1 make-or-break function for me (they tell me it will be in the next release). They are a small company and their user-community is very limited. I see many questions going unanswered on their forum (forums.dmxis.com) and that's typically not a good sign. It is a shame really as the SW is really good in general. It is just missing a few key items. It all depends on if they get the promised upgrades into the next release version and if that gets released soon as I need to get to work! I may just write some Python scripts for DMXis to expand the programming capabilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chaff67 Posted December 14, 2012 Members Share Posted December 14, 2012 Originally Posted by Mutha Goose ...I may just write some Python scripts for DMXis to expand the programming capabilities. What are you thinking of expanding Goose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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