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help spice up lighting setup

officespace2

officespace2

Apr 4, 2006
65
7
Sacramento, CA
#1
I manage and play in a top 40 cover band. Out lighting setup is woefully lame right now and I am trying to spice things up. Currently we have two [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] systems (one on each side of the stage) and operate them with a footswitch. (Yeah... I know... It's not in the league with what you guys normally run but I am hoping to slowly build something cool).

I recently purchased a DMXIS "Show Buddy" set up to automate our light show via midi and will be programming the show to run from my laptop. It won't be much of a show, however, if I don't buy some more interesting lights. I have a limited budget (~$3000) and want to buy some cool lights. What should I buy? Cheap moving heads? Strobes?

Also, I am wondering if there is anyone out there that can be hired to help me program a cool show. Where would I look to hire such a person?

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2
Hi.

How's Your smoke/haze?

While I do prefer haze the price of the machines have made me to trust the old Red Devil I have.
Smoke is all right if You don't mind the amateurishness of it and the haze is out of the budget.

How's Your back-drop?
If You don't have anything else than the musicians to illuminate, you have to have a lot of light-power to make it look good.

For moving lights I still use the ancient Martin PRO518 mirror scanners, PITA to move, tiny gobo's, next to impossible to fly on anything but pro trusses, rather expensive bulb. On the other side of the coin they are very cheap, reasonably powerful, reasonably long lamp life.

Everyone I know have told to stay away from the cheap moving lights, the failure rate is too great.


The best way IMO to start programming the lights is to study it from videos and simply copy what the professionals do.

Most PC light programming software also let You to build a 3D "stage" and you can then see what it will look like ;).

Regards
Sam
 
#3
T-Bird said:
Hi.

How's Your smoke/haze?

While I do prefer haze the price of the machines have made me to trust the old Red Devil I have.
Smoke is all right if You don't mind the amateurishness of it and the haze is out of the budget.

Sam
Click to expand...

+1 on getting a hazer. We had a decent light show, better than most club bands that I've seen but nothing spectacular by any means. Once I added the Neutron Hazer it was like magic how much difference it made. It makes an inexpensive setup look much more impressive and professional. I bought my Neutron used on eBay many years ago for about $300 IIRC but it is worth every cent and then some if having a good looking light show is important to you. New hazers of this quality are unfortunately quite expensive. I think a new LeMaitre Neutron is upwards of $800-900 but I'm sure less expensive options are out there that will still make a marked improvement.

Invalid Link Removed
 
#6
A simple, highly effective and versatile thing is a white or light colored backdrop that's evenly lit with RGB LED fixtures. A series of 4' wide panels of screen door mesh off the roll at the building supply store is a cheap and incredibly durable backdrop that lights amazingly well. To light it I'd go with bars on the ground. The drop itself is not only visually powerful but it reflects a very even diffused back light onto the stage which adds huge depth to your looks. You can also add patterns by programming the lights in contrasting colors or by projecting a pattern with a gobo in a leko or with any number of other fixtures.

Avoid moving lights. Cheap ones are crap and good ones aren't even close to being a financially sound investment for a bar band. Seriously.

Strobes can be a cool effect in bigger rigs but you can only use them once or maybe twice before the novelty and surprise element wears off. Use them more and they become very irritating.....again not a very cost effective item.

Hazers are often noisy, always messy and not everyone you work for will appreciate them. Yes haze is absolutely essential for a traditional (yawn) beam type rock show but that's not the only way to light a stage.

The best thing you can do is learn the fundamentals of stage lighting. Color mixing, different effects on faces, how to create depth with multiple sources, how to create mood and surprise. It's pretty simple and really doesn't take a bunch of gear. With six RGB LED front washes/specials, another six for side or back fill and the lit white scrim I can do a show that will make you think there are three times that many lights...if you even think about it at all. Good stage lighting is like a good bass part, simple and well crafted are what serve you best most of the time.

You have to make an honest assessment financial outlay vs return. Having made my living for many years as an LD I gotta say that past a basic wash lights are never a sound investment for a band. Nobody will ever pay you more for having them and if you rent them to others they get ****kicked fast. Honestly I'm inclined to take a small bar rig and do one really great set-and-forget look and just get to the music.
 
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#7
i dont know your music but anwya get a projector and show old horror films or childhood footage whatever but you have to put the projector off to the side and project it onto you & band members only dont let it hit the back wall it should only project on to people get it
 
#9
or like sculpture
voge_4505.jpg
 
#10
chuck norriss said:
i dont know your music but anwya get a projector and show old horror films or childhood footage whatever but you have to put the projector off to the side and project it onto you & band members only dont let it hit the back wall it should only project on to people get it
Click to expand...

A projector is a killer idea. You can also use it to play block color, still image and video content on the backdrop while avoiding hitting the band with it. Possibilities for simple cool stuff are endless. I've done some of my best shows when the headliner's LD held back most of the rig and I got pissed and showed 'em what I could do with shag all.
 
#11
Depending on the size rooms you are in, a couple more four bars and stands to get them up high in front. Then 4 or 8 slim pars for use as up light. Backdrop would be sweet - the places I go are too varied to count on being able to set it up it though...

Scene programming is what it is. You just have to get through it. Unless you are really going for it and programming each tune of your set list, I would avoid movers, scanners, moon flowers etc. They get really old in a hurry unlesss they are used very sparingly... I like the sound of a Strat. I like the sound of Chorus. I like the sound of a Strat with Chorus... But not all night long... After 3 songs I'm like, you sir are no Mark Knofler...

If you haven't gotten there yet, treat the 4 bars as 14 ch dmx devices to get independent control of each light. So 4 Led color changers as opposed to 1 fixture with 4 lights. You are probably ahead on that one I would bet...

I'm using Luminiar from an iPad 1, net gear router and eDmxKing e-net to DMX setup. Small and effective.

I'm using generic Stellar Labs 4-bar clones, a mix of chauvet and Pulse labs Slim Par type fixtures.

Pulse and Stellar Labs are generics I pirchase from MCM Electronics. My expereince with the stuff is, so far, so good.
 

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