Members mstreck Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 Our drummer brings along a roadie friend of his that helps us load in/out and set up - and is willing to also run lights, so my next goal is to assemble a light rig that we can take out and help make us look more like a "real band". We have been hiring out for lights, but we can't find anyone with a light rig who will commit to us "full-time", so we might as well buy and run them ourselves. I've been lurking in the lighting forum, trying to figure out what I "need" vs. what I "want". I figure I might as well ask for advice here as well. So... what do you guys have in your lighting rigs? Thanks! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 two trees with 4 LED par cans each on either side of the stage. usually a couple of cans are turned around and pointed out at the crowd.we also have a truss bar across the back of the stage with 6 old-style par 56s pointing down at the band and a projector screen that hangs from the bar behind the drummer. We shoot projected images of different lighted patterns from a projector near the front of the stage.We also have a spinny light thingy that sits on the floor in front of us that usually is pointed to display moving lights on the ceiling. And a hazer to make all the beams from everything look cooler.We're planning on getting a couple of more special effects lights this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 Mutha Goose wrote: I run 15 feet of rear truss with: 4 Blizzard Q12s 2 Blizzard Fab5s 2 Chauvet 6Spots 4 Chauvet Intimidator 350 Scan LEDs. In front I run 2 T-bars with 4 Blizzard Q6s. Plus an Antari-350 hazer. I run the lights with a foot controller to DMXis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 8 - BlIzzard 3NX6 - Chauvet Pinspot 3604 - Chauvet Intimidator 1.04 - Blizzard Fab5Chauvet Hurricane 1800 Flex smoke machine On their way:8 - Martin MiniMac Profile Next upgrade4 more 3NX4 more Pinspot 360 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dan88z Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 we have a real simple setup. Mainly because 99% of the venues we do wouldn't like a fog machine burping smoke or seizure inducing lights when people are trying to eat. I have 2 color strips that I bungee to the top of the speaker stacks that light up the band, and some venues use a 1 Chauvet 4play clear light bar that we sit behind the band and set to the sound response setting, and aim a couple of the lights at the ceiling and a couple at the dance floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members n9ne Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 No hardware advice here, but a personal observation: do not underestimate the value of front lighting.One of the more popular regional bands in this area has an absolutely amazing light show, and every time I've seen them perform, they created a full-blown concert atmosphere.But last summer, I happened to see them in another city, playing a venue with a relatively shallow stage that allowed them to use much of their backlighting rig and all their specials, but a very limited the amount of frontlighting....and the presentation looked completely different. Instead of of creating their usual highly professional concert-level atmosphere, it looked like just your average bar band standing there playing while someone ran a fantastic light show in the background. I realized that it was the front lighting that really pulled everything together into one cohesive show.....and the lack of frontlighting made all the difference in the world.I've seen plenty of bands that have reasonably good backlighting, but will just throw a couple spare cans in the front to illuminate the performers.....which always strikes me as a bit ridiculous. I understand space considerations and all that, and I understand how critical lighting is for creating whatever ambiance you're going for. But the fact is, the primary job of any stage lighting is to illuminate and draw the audiences eyes to the performer. And it seems like a lot of bands get so caught up in creating scenes or whatever, they end up forgetting the whole reason for getting lighting in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TrickyBoy Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 I've got a 10' truss with 3 color strips, an american DJ fusion bar 3 and two other lights that I forget their name, but they are white lights that look really cool with fog. In general, moving lights, pin spots, etc really only look good when enhanced with fog IMO. where the colorstrips look great with or without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 Even if you JUST light the band. It makes a big difference. And +1 on the fog. My smoke machine died between sound check and show time so the light didn't look anywhere near as good as they should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted February 6, 2013 Members Share Posted February 6, 2013 Fog is better than nothing but fog has a few down-falls:It can set off smoke detectorsIt dries your throatsmells (some)looks all patchydissipates quickly....A Hazer on the other hand doesn't have any of these issues. They are more expensive though, but they work so much better. If you're going to spend good money on lights, don't get cheap on the fog/haze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 7, 2013 Members Share Posted February 7, 2013 True. I'm so torn between fog and haze. I said {censored} it and went with fog. I'll get an Antari HZ300 in the next 6 months but I needed my smoke machine yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 7, 2013 Members Share Posted February 7, 2013 I really like the smell of fog, but I'm old school. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted February 7, 2013 Members Share Posted February 7, 2013 LOL. Me too. When we were using a fogger everyone else in the band bitched about the smell and how it bothered their throats and waa waa waa. To me it smelled like the good old days. Oh well. Now we have a hazer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mutha Goose Posted February 7, 2013 Members Share Posted February 7, 2013 guido61 wrote: ... To me it smelled like the good old days... If I want that, I'll ask 50 people to exhale their cigarette smoke on me LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 8, 2013 Members Share Posted February 8, 2013 Pics!!!!???!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 8, 2013 Members Share Posted February 8, 2013 Actually, I'd like to get to the point where I can pre-program everything and control the lights via a foot controller (which is what StratGuy22 does, if I remember correctly). Lots of good info here. Thanks, guys!----------------------------------- My new hurricane 1800 flex arrived the other day. Man does it put out. Even just little puffs to bump up the smoke now and then will work out well. I am able to control my lights in banks of 10. I use the Behringer (forgive me for I have sinned) FCB1010. One volume pedal controls the dimmers for the lights on the band, I can knock them back to dim the band for effect, and the other volume pedal controls the smoke machine via DMX. Maybe I'll whip up another video showing the foot pedal working. It's fun playing around and creating scenes. Once my new trunks arrive between gigs, the lights can stay in the garage, ready to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members troyr_2000 Posted February 8, 2013 Members Share Posted February 8, 2013 10ft rear truss10ft front truss that can be split into to sections for T-bars4 Par 38 tri's4 par 38-184 200B's4 Puck RGB's2 diamond strips2 color strips4 - Martin SCX 500's2 ADJ Sparkle LED's1 Chauvet Motion Drape2 Vue 2.0Obey 40 controller, controlled by the drummer using electronic pads through a Alesis DM5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mstreck Posted February 9, 2013 Author Members Share Posted February 9, 2013 guido61 wrote: two trees with 4 LED par cans each on either side of the stage. usually a couple of cans are turned around and pointed out at the crowd. we also have a truss bar across the back of the stage with 6 old-style par 56s pointing down at the band and a projector screen that hangs from the bar behind the drummer. We shoot projected images of different lighted patterns from a projector near the front of the stage. We also have a spinny light thingy that sits on the floor in front of us that usually is pointed to display moving lights on the ceiling. And a hazer to make all the beams from everything look cooler. We're planning on getting a couple of more special effects lights this year. Any good pics of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 10, 2013 Members Share Posted February 10, 2013 Haha bit of a rant there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpaceNorman Posted February 10, 2013 Members Share Posted February 10, 2013 StratGuy22 wrote: Haha bit of a rant there. Michigan has a .08 BAC limit for "drunk driving" - and a .02 BAC threshold before the "zero tolerance" statutes for underaged drivers kick in. ...any thing between .02 and .08 can be a crapshoot. Fortunately, we do not have formal "checkpoint" type stops in Michigan (i.e., everybody who happens upon the checkpoint gets tested....) - so in theory, there needs to be something about your driving that provides "probable cause" for a stop. Of course, I have no doubt that more than a few members of the law enforcement community figure that the fact that you're on the road at after 2:00 am is "probable cause" in and of itself. But, in theory.......Personally, the whole drinking and driving thing is actually an impetus for me to tear down and load out after a gig. Few things help knock the edge off of a buzz than a hour of tearing down and loading out. Plus, I feel that the cops looking for potential stops by watching the bar parking lot are less likely to pull over the guy driving the band van that he just watched 4-5 guys spend 25 minutes loading ... (provided nobody was stumble drunk during loadout!) I make a point of not ordering anything alcoholic after our last break. The beer that I order on the last break is usually gone before the end of the last set. Between the "dry" part of the last set plus tear down and load out - there's usually 60-90 minutes between my last sip of beer and the moment I turn the key - 45 minutes of which include moderate physical exertion (which helps pull down BAC). I can't help but feel that by loading out at the end of the night - I'm actually reducing the likelihood of being popped for a DUI.Obviously everybody approaches it however it works best for them. This is just my strategy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 23, 2013 Members Share Posted February 23, 2013 4 Martin MiniMac Profiles to replace the Intimidator 1.0's. cut through way better, moving gobos, separate gobo wheel & color wheel, etc. Quick video. The end 3NX was misbehaving. It was late, didn't feel like working it out. There will be better videos, again, it was late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 24, 2013 Members Share Posted February 24, 2013 Our small club setup is one of these on top of each speaker stack http://www.amazon.com/MBT-Lighting-LED4X4PACK_130165-Light-System/dp/B00721DGTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361745815&sr=8-1&keywords=mbt+4x4one of these behind the drummer http://www.amazon.com/Chauvet-4BAR-Tri-LED-Lighting-Stand/dp/B007QBCYZ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1361745916&sr=1-2&keywords=chauvet+4bar+tri2 of these/side http://www.stageape.com/pages/miaby.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/American-Supply-Micro-Metal-Linkable/dp/B004STXXSU/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1361746422&sr=1-1&keywords=american+dj+micro+wash+rgbwand one of these set to an amber on each members face http://www.amazon.com/American-Supply-Micro-Metal-Linkable/dp/B004STXXSU/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1361746422&sr=1-1&keywords=american+dj+micro+wash+rgbw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted February 25, 2013 Members Share Posted February 25, 2013 Better video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wesg Posted February 25, 2013 Members Share Posted February 25, 2013 Holy Crap, that's awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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