Building a start up light show?

[servoskull]

If any of you have read my newbie post, i'll shall go a bit more in depth here for a bit of advice on our lighting.

We have at the moment 2 t-bars each holding 4 halogen par cans with various colour filters, connected to a sound to light chaser unit. We also have two large strobe lights and a pro sound smoke machine. This set up was originally for gigs with my band, but obviously we're going to incorporate it into a dj rig.

Speaking to peeps at Hard To Find Records in brum, and doing some of our own research, we thought the following lights would give us a good basic light show.

- American DJ Mystic LED
- 2X AMERICAN DJ ROVER LED BARREL (or something similar, anything better for same price?)
- EQUINOX ORION 30MW GREEN SCANNING LASER.
- Goalpost rig

The above kind of well and truly covers our budget really but we were also 'told' to get something like 'PROLIGHT SPARTAN PACK
FOUR HEAD 100 WATT LIGHTING PACK' for an extra £129, although this was just a sales pitch.


So, any thoughts, suggestions, advice???

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Right then:

First thing to note is that the Mystic and Rover are both just LED coloured dts, which gets boring after a while IMO.

Moving on

American DJ Rover LED Barrel x2 -Persoally i hate seing barrel/scanner effects in pairs that cannot be linked so as to do the same thing. Having two doing their own thing just looks messy.

American DJ Mystic LED. Not a bad light, but lots of people seem to be saying thay are big and ugly looking. I know a few people who have swapped the Mystic for an ImpossibLED (they are different style effcts though).

Equinox Orion 30mW Green Scanning Lar - general consensus with these lasers is that you need to have plenyt of head rom to ensure it cant shine in peoples eyes. Also, with a scanning laser, your looking at, ideally, needing haze/smoke to get the best effect.

Golapost Rig. - Depending on which one you get, they can be a bloody nightmare to erect and take down.

What sort of budget are you looking at, and ill give you some ideas :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

If you are just starting out, then I wouldn't waste money on a laser.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

If you are just starting out, then I wouldn't waste money on a laser.

I was gonna wait and see what sort of budge, tehn suggest a clust laser (if they insised on wanting a laser) :)

[Excalibur]

Right then:

First thing to note is that the Mystic and Rover are both just LED coloured dts, which gets boring after a while IMO.

Moving on

American DJ Rover LED Barrel x2 -Persoally i hate seing barrel/scanner effects in pairs that cannot be linked so as to do the same thing. Having two doing their own thing just looks messy.

What sort of budget are you looking at, and ill give you some ideas :)
Is that the same as my ADJ Revo rolls? Not blindingly bright, but you can master/slave them. ;)


If you are just starting out, then I wouldn't waste money on a laser.
Hmmmm, care to elaborate? Are you saying lasers are the end of the buying process, rather than the beginning? In certain cases they're popular, but perhaps not the most universal light.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I was gonna wait and see what sort of budge, tehn suggest a clust laser (if they insised on wanting a laser) :)

Yeah, sorry, I meant a scanning laser. A cluster laser is usable in a lot more situations.

[OllieJames]

My advice?

An ultimax style deckstand, with an Impossibled centrepiece and 2 halogen barrels.

[Excalibur]

Not a bad suggestion Ollie, I wish I could type faster. :o :o

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Is that the same as my ADJ Revo rolls? Not blindingly bright, but you can master/slave them. ;)


Its not the same light Peter. The DJ Rover LED Barral is pictured below.


Yeah, sorry, I meant a scanning laser. A cluster laser is usable in a lot more situations.

I agree


My advice?

An ultimax style deckstand, with an Impossibled centrepiece and 2 halogen barrels.

Yep. If budget doesnt stretch to Ultimax, en there are cheaper ones (granted not the same build quality).

[Pe7e]

The above kind of well and truly covers our budget really but we were also 'told' to get something like 'PROLIGHT SPARTAN PACK
FOUR HEAD 100 WATT LIGHTING PACK' for an extra £129, although this was just a sales pitch.


So, any thoughts, suggestions, advice???

Yes, Ignore the sales pitch

Don't bother with a 'goalpost' set up, get a ultimax stand or similar with an overhead bar, there's one for sale on the forum at the moment (less the overhead)

A starcluster type laser would be a better choice for general use

[Dynamic Entertainment]

Yes, Ignore the sales pitch

Don't bother with a 'goalpost' set up, get a ultimax stand or similar with an overhead bar, there's one for sale on the forum at the moment (less the overhead)

A starcluster type laser would be a better choice for general use

I did notice the ultimax for sale. Its got all the extras, wheel base, carry bag, extension arms. But like you say, ooverhead gantry. If you dont want the extras (bag, extension arms, wheels) then you can pick the 1.2m trusslight versio up (brand new) for £184.99. Your looking at £100 (ish) just for the poles and trusslight so you do the maths ;)

[servoskull]

Thanks for all your suggestions so far, don't know what to do now!

Like i said, we have the two sets of four lights, you can see one of the rigs in the back ground here.... (just about)

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=7773643&albumID=824607&imageID=13937406

So we have two sets of those, each on there own t-bars, 2 strobes and one smoke machine.

We are looking to spend about £400, thats on as many lights as we need for a good show, as well as the stand to take these new lights. Currently we just sit the equipment racks on a foldable table.

We wanted a laser for teen parties mainly, as well as possibly for our promotions work.

[Excalibur]

IMHO your first £200 goes on an Ultimax.

Acme LED Dynamo £75 each, Acme boogie £60, Invincibled £100, Miracled £120, Equinox triclops £110. Loads of choice. You could get two Dynamos and a Boogie for just over £200, that would be a good starting point.

From here, plenty other places as well.
http://www.ukdj.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=991&Page=1

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I agree with Peter, but £400 isnt a huge amount to play with.

1x Ultimax 1.2m Stand with single overhead bar. £156.99 from http://www.djkit.co.uk/product.php?id=2237&highlight= If you can stretch to it they have an offer where you can get the LEDJ skirt (not the best brand mind) for £132.99. If you cant stretch to the LED skirt, the curtain kit is £49.99 (http://www.djkit.co.uk/product.php?id=2269&highlight= )

Pack of 2x Acme Puma's. £219.00 also from http://www.djkit.co.uk/product.php?id=1805&highlight=puma

An Acme MiracLED. £129.00 also from http://www.djkit.co.uk/product.php?id=3941&highlight=miracled

2x Acme Dynamo LED A pair for £149.00, again from http://www.djkit.co.uk/search.php?manufacturer=&needle=dynamo

Working on the whole works (with the LEDJ skirt) your looking at £786.89. Without the LED skirt its: £703.89

Granted its a bit more than your wanting to spend all told, but if you know exactly what your wanting you can buy as you can, instead of buying stuff that your not going to keep (and spending a lot more in the long run as you work to your goal).

Have a look at this thread for a good laser; http://www.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=20882

The pic below is how the set-up described looks :)

[Excalibur]

The only major disagreement I'd have with Steve is that I'd recommend a stand with dual bar.
http://www.djkit.co.uk/product.php?id=2238&highlight=
The single really isn't up to the job.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

I picked the single bar over the dual Trusslite because i dont think it justifies the extra £30, and you loose an extra 4 inches on the hanging height for the fixutres, plus the single bar is sturdy enough for the weight hangingh off it. The only advantage to the trusslite that i can think of is that it makes life easy if you want to prewire it (a bit harder with the single bar) :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I picked the single bar over the dual Trusslite because i dont think it justifies the extra £30, and you loose an extra 4 inches on the hanging height for the fixutres, plus the single bar is sturdy enough for the weight hangingh off it. The only advantage to the trusslite that i can think of is that it makes life easy if you want to prewire it (a bit harder with the single bar) :)

The double bar is a lot more sturdy and takes more weight. I'd go for the double every time.

[Dynamic Entertainment]

The double bar is a lot more sturdy and takes more weight. I'd go for the double every time.

I get what you mean about sturdiness, but both the trusslite and single bar take the same weight, according to djkit. Mix load 80kg (40kg of that being on the top par of each type).

Do you not think those extra few inches makes all the difference though Darren ;)

Ive seen alot of the set-ups with the dual bar and always think that the effects are hanging a bit low. It would be nicer to be able to get even longer poles, that way it wouldnt matter. I know the maximum height for the normal poles is 2.55m. Does the winch pods go higher?

Edit - Answered my own question. The winches go to 3m. :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Do you not think those extra few inches makes all the difference though Darren ;)

Ive seen alot of the set-ups with the dual bar and always think that the effects are hanging a bit low. It would be nicer to be able to get even longer poles, that way it wouldnt matter. I know the maximum height for the normal poles is 2.55m. Does the winch pods go higher?

Edit - Answered my own question. The winches go to 3m. :)

A lot higher, so the 4 inches isn't a problem. It also depends on the lighting you are using and where the brackets are.

[servoskull]

How about an impossibled, 2x dynamo led with controller, star cluster laser, and an ultimax stand?

Would that be good spending?

[servoskull]

Ok, what if we dropped the laser for now, and got another light, so the two dynamos, impossibled, ultimax and something else to perhaps show off a bit more than the dots.

Alot of people on here seem to have said forget lasers for now, so what light would be a recommended replacement?

[servoskull]

Erm post disappeared.....

I was wondering, alot of people have said to forget the laser, would it be better to get another light instead of the laser?

It would be as above, (impossibled, dynamos and stand) but with about £100 for another light (or if someone does recommend a laser?)

Any suggestions?