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Expanding lighting...next best step?


sbrett

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Right now we're running 4 Blizzard Q12As (2 on a tree, one tree per side) to light the band.  We use freestyler for our dmx controller.  Works great, plenty bright.  Looking to add something more to the show, but I want to keep it clean and well planned--not buy random fixtures here and there just because.  I'm at option overload for what to do next.  Here are a few of the ideas we've had so far (trying to keep upgrades in $1000 or less increments):

  • Add poles to our JBL PRX setup, buy some colorstrips (1 per pole) to light the band, then move our Q12As to the back (either on trees or the floor).  
  • Leave the Q12As in the front, buy two Chauvet Spot LED 250s (or similar) that we can place either in the front or in the back depending on venue.
  • Same as above, but get something like a Flurry 5 (moving wash) instead of the moving spots.  Not as reliant on haze/fog for good effect.
  • Get four Fab 5 (or similar) to use in the front, and move the Q12As to the back (or vice versa)
  • Buy some more Q12As to use wherever and as backup

I think the long term plan to keep things clean is to not go with a truss over the back of the band, and instead opt for 2 to 4 of the truss towers (like the odyssey scrim werks towers) with a moving head on top of each.  I've been in bands that did the full wraparound truss thing and we just don't want to do anything that extravagant.  If it takes longer to setup/teardown the lights than the rest of the PA, then we've gone too far.

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I've built a compact system based on 4 trees. I think that's less hassle than truss towers. I use 2 Q12+ fixtures per side in front, similar to you. These could be placed on PA stacks instead of trees too.

 In back I have 2 light crank up trees with 2 more Q12+ and 2 Intimidator Scan 300s per tree. It's compact and powerful. You could add 2 Scan 300s for about $1000, and 4 of the wash fixtures for less than $1000.

See this thread for pics and details: http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Lighting-Effects/My-little-ole-light-system/td-p/35313161/page/2

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Wow.  How did I miss that thread?  Awesome.  What kind of trees do you have?  Mind don't just lift off the top, but when I get the next pair I'd like them to work that way so I can do prewiring.  Also--do you have a case built for the top tree bars w/washes?

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I was checking out some light options at the local dealer the other day and wow....compared to the 350s the 250s just look like toys.  

They'd probably be fine in small rooms, but you get much beyond that and I'd seriously be concerned about their output.   I'm going to go with the 350s even if it means we can't get as many as we want all at once.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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So, just an update...

 

Went with a pair of Chauvet LED Spot 250s mainly because I got what I think is a pretty decent deal on them.  Tried em out at the show this past Saturday and they are just about the perfect brightness for the stages we play.  Pretty similar in output to our Q12As and didn't wash out.  I still may pick up the 350s down the road, but for the price/weight/brightness the 250s are great.

Guess the next step is an upgrade to our fogger, wireless DMX, and/or some quality cases for what we have. 

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I'm a bit confused about the Intimidator LED 250 specs. A lot of sites have it as a 40W light, but Chauvet says it is 50W. They also claim it is way brighter than the 60W Scan 300s, but the beam is only slightly narrower.

Also, some reviews say it has a rotating prism when the docs and dmx chart doesn't show that. I'm confused!

Any insights?

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