What lights do I buy?

[Tone]

Hello, I hope someone could help me with choosing some lights for my first gig which is an 18th Birthday party.

I was thinking a Pair of Chauvet Swarm Wash FX. Would this be enough for a venue and dance floor of the size in the photo?



I have seen that they are slightly brighter than the Swarm 5 FX however I was thinking maybe buying a pair of Swarm 5 FX and a Chauvet Wash FX as its cheaper. I was thinking having 3 lights may be better than 2 incase any of the lights were to fail.

I'm thinking of getting the ADJ myDMX Buddy to control the lights in order to turn all the crazyness off like the lazers and strobes at the end of the night incase I have to slow it down. I saw you can choose the moonflower colours with the DMX so maybe would be nice to just have 1 or 2 colours like white or white and blue etc for the slow dancers.

Would appreciate some help if anyone has the time.

Thanks.

[Excalibur]

Check out the ADJ Stinger 2. Very very similar to the Swarm. Also, I'm not sure about availability, but there's a newer model Swarm 5 with much improved performance. I can't find any info on it, so I'm guessing we saw an early model.

The Swarms will light that size of venue easily, but control is the key. I tend only to use mine for younger lively events. For those, they're near unbeatable. If you can't DMX them ( and I can't yet ) you need to select the most suitable programmes. Bit of trial and error there, because they have a strobe, a laser, and a powerful derby in there, and some permutations are more suited to certain moods than others.

If you're going that way, a Wash and two swarms is a workable idea. Alternatively, two washes, one Swarm. Six and two threes, but the second option might be more versatile.

[Nakatomi]

Even for that place you could do worse than buy a gigbar. Quick & easy setup and wireless remote control comes included. Now there's the version 2 with extra cluster laser colour & brighter all around effects. That's likely what I'd get. I've said before its not my cup of tea but for an 18th with a bit of haze it'll do the job.

[Excalibur]

I've said before its not my cup of tea but for an 18th with a bit of haze it'll do the job.

It'll do more than that. There are jobs it's perfect for, especially for the reasons you give. It is however an ugly blighter. I'll grant it's more versatile than Swarms, probably due to the greater wash effect.

Re the version 2 Gigbar, from the description I've heard from someone, it's been ruined.

[Nakatomi]

The vast majority of disco lights are darned ugly. There's only one type of light I wouldn't kick out of bed & that'd be moving heads. Even they look like purely functional machinery.

We buy lights for what they do not how they look

[Excalibur]

The vast majority of disco lights are darned ugly. There's only one type of light I wouldn't kick out of bed & that'd be moving heads. Even they look like purely functional machinery.

We buy lights for what they do not how they look

Justin, I feel we are on opposite sides of the fence. I find moving heads some of the ugliest fixtures, and I also feel that many other types are pretty, I love the look of my Equinox battens, for example.

Yes of course though, the bottom line is the effects they produce, and that is the only parameter of importance.

[Nakatomi]

Justin, I feel we are on opposite sides of the fence. I find moving heads some of the ugliest fixtures, and I also feel that many other types are pretty, I love the look of my Equinox battens, for example.

Yes of course though, the bottom line is the effects they produce, and that is the only parameter of importance.

I don't mind agreeing to differ Peter

A new light maybe worth considering is KAM's latest offering... The er. . gobo thingy. 300 a pair with padded bag from Phase One. Very good sound to light response by the look of Mike's demo video.

[rth_discos]

A new light maybe worth considering is KAM's latest offering... The er. . gobo thingy. 300 a pair with padded bag from Phase One. Very good sound to light response by the look of Mike's demo video.

Are 3 watt LEDs really going to be powerful enough?

I've steered away from anything that is low powered, it doesn't work, particularly in these summer months.

When you've got a pitch black room they look great - but how often does that really happen?

I have only 2 different fixtures now (2 x pairs of lights) and because they are high powered they more than do enough.

The pocket scans was the fixture I got rid of the quickest - the 10w LED just didn't cut through.

[Nakatomi]

Ah I didn't look at the power. Mind my crap £12 ebay light only has 3w leds & it cuts through even broad daylight just fine at the distances I use it most often - a room for up to 120 people. I tried it out the other night for a giggle - it usually only goes behind my lycra screen if I'm using that.

My 25 watt LED scanners spend most of their life dimmed down to DMX. 120 or so.

[Tone]

Thanks so far guys, do you think one Swarm 5 FX would cover the width of the dance floor?