Weekend Warrior Stage Lighting Discussion

[JohnMCA72]

I generally prefer the secondary colors (cyan, magenta, & yellow) over primary (red, green, blue). Not to mention, with (most) LED lights the secondary colors use 2/3 of the LEDs vs. 1/3 of them for a primary. White uses all of the individual LEDs & can be the brightest of all.

I almost never use green; red & blue usually just for background washes. Most of the bajillion intermediate colors available aren't terribly useful.

 

[SuperK]

I generally prefer the secondary colors (cyan, magenta, & yellow) over primary (red, green, blue). Not to mention, with (most) LED lights the secondary colors use 2/3 of the LEDs vs. 1/3 of them for a primary. White uses all of the individual LEDs & can be the brightest of all.

I almost never use green; red & blue usually just for background washes. Most of the bajillion intermediate colors available aren't terribly useful.

I never use green either. I typically stick to red, blue, and lavender with the occasional pink. Here's a shot in mostly lavender and blue:

 

[maxmaroon]

Took a video of our show on Saturday (there is a small section with no audio)...recorded with a Kodak zi8...video and audio quality is meh but there are some cool scenes in here.

Since April I've switched from an Obey 40 to software and added the movers and rezo tubes. I programmed in 200 gifs for the tubes and I have 2 separate light shows so I switch between sets and use 100 completely different gifs for each set we play...I also swap out some strobes and special scenes for each set to mix it up. Watching the video I know I need to refine some of the scenes quite a bit but I'm done adding lights so now I can take my time and program some cool stuff.

 

[Stinsok]

Here is a shot from last night. We opted to use only the Chauvet Wash FX lights mounted in the corners of the roof line for front of the stage. They are super bright!

 

[DirtDog]

Here is a shot from last night. We opted to use only the Chauvet Wash FX lights mounted in the corners of the roof line for front of the stage. They are super bright!View attachment 1188786

Looks great!

 

[superflybass]

Heads up I am trying a interesting experiment

Usually I use a obey 40 controller for my lighting.
I just bought a Sushi-ds from parts express ($39 bucks) and I have a cheep fire tablet ($49 bucks) with a other cable ($4 bucks) I got this app to work Link Removed it really new but is really simple so far. I will try to make a video of how it works after my vacation.

 

[superflybass]

Here is a basic video of the light rider app I was talking about. I am using the cheapest fire tablet and a sushi-ds USB to Dmx interface. If the works for a while I will probably upgrade to wireless Dmx

It can't do every thing but for a bar band that dose most of the sound and light from stage it makes it very easy

 

[FuturePrimitive]

Here is a basic video of the light rider app I was talking about.

That looks very interesting, thanks for posting! I just ordered a Fire 8 to control my XR18 mixer but I might try this to control our lights as well.

 

[superflybass]

That looks very interesting, thanks for posting! I just ordered a Fire 8 to control my XR18 mixer but I might try this to control our lights as well.

here is the link to the interface I am using you get 129 channels of dmx with this and you can upgrade to 512 dmx channels for $29 more bucks
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you will also need one of these
Amazon.com: UGREEN Micro USB 2.0 OTG Cable On The Go Adapter Male Micro USB to Female USB for Samsung S7 S6 Edge S4 S3 Android or Windows Smart Phones Tablets with OTG Function 6 Inch (Black): Computers & Accessories

I am using the fire 7 on it it works as expected the resolution of the touch interface is not as good on ipad but it works

for under $100 total I dont know what I could complain about.

 

[Big Hoss]

BIG changes to our rig coming. I've got a DJ friend that has decided he hates is On Stage Stands LS7730 lighting stands with truss. He's setting me up with them dirt cheap ($40.00).

We now have a dozen of the CBGS LED PAR cans. They are dirt cheap, and work great. We set them for Sound Active mode and just let them go.

The big question now is, not the lights, but the fog effect. It is safe / a good idea to hang the fogger from the lighting truss so that the fog pours down, and through the light?

We do need a new fog machine. Our old one died a miserable death...
For that function, we are looking into a Chauvet DJ Hurricane 1000.

That brings out lighting bag of tricks up to...

12 LED PAR cans, 4 on each side, and we will go 4 across the truss.
2 Gemmy Lightshow kaleidoscope projectors in blue. (These produce a rippling water effect)
1 Gemmy lightshow kaleidoscope projector in red. (Same as above, but in red)
1 brand unknown, LED kaleidoscope projector. Actual kaleidoscope effect.
2 @ Generic Halloween lightning "flicker strobe" lights.

Now I need to get with my bandmates and start digging into getting a banner done...

 

[Big Hoss]

Okay, so no DMX controller yet. Here's how we have it rigged...

12 LED PAR cans, 4 on each side, and we will go 4 across the truss. These are daisy chained together, and right now, we are using the sound triggered mode. Effective enough. These are honestly massively overkill for us. We typically never use more than 6 of them at a time.

2 Gemmy Lightshow kaleidoscope projectors in blue. These produce a rippling water effect. Switched with a switched extension cord on my board.

1 Gemmy lightshow kaleidoscope projector in red. (Same as above, but in red)
1 brand unknown, LED kaleidoscope projector. Actual kaleidoscope effect. This gets triggered with a 110V dust collector remote control power switch.

2 @ Generic Halloween lightning "flicker strobe" lights. This gets triggered with a switched extension cord off the guitarists pedalboard. The effect is somewhat hit or miss depending on what shoes he's wearing...

Took a video of our show on Saturday (there is a small section with no audio)...recorded with a Kodak zi8...video and audio quality is meh but there are some cool scenes in here.

Since April I've switched from an Obey 40 to software and added the movers and rezo tubes. I programmed in 200 gifs for the tubes and I have 2 separate light shows so I switch between sets and use 100 completely different gifs for each set we play...I also swap out some strobes and special scenes for each set to mix it up. Watching the video I know I need to refine some of the scenes quite a bit but I'm done adding lights so now I can take my time and program some cool stuff.

We are still learning, but absolutely would LOVE to add lights with those movers to the mix. Man those things are steep though! Even through monoprice they are a couple of hundred a piece!

 

[maxmaroon]

snip

Yeah, I ended up getting the duo spots (2 movers per head) for about $550/piece. This allowed us to get 4 movers for a little over a grand. If you aren't playing large rooms then the moving pin spots and stuff are great; one of the clubs we play has mac 300's but they are way overkill for the size of the room/stage and you can't really create the cool looks that the smaller heads can.

 

[SuperK]

Okay, so no DMX controller yet.

You've already said that what you have now is overkill. Before you think about adding more lights, look into a decent DMX controller; especially if you are going to add movers. Putting LED Pars into sound active mode will get you by in a pinch but you're still not getting the most out of your lights. Adding movers to the mix without a way to control them would be a waste of money in my opinion.

Are you looking to control the lights while playing bass? For less than $200 you can pick up a used Obey 40 controller and a Behringer FCB-1010 MIDI footswitch. These will allow you to program your lights exactly the way you want and easily move through scenes with the footswitch. You can add the movers later. If you want to really customize your lights look into a software based DMX controller.

 

[Big Hoss]

You've already said that what you have now is overkill. Before you think about adding more lights, look into a decent DMX controller; especially if you are going to add movers. Putting LED Pars into sound active mode will get you by in a pinch but you're still not getting the most out of your lights. Adding movers to the mix without a way to control them would be a waste of money in my opinion.

Are you looking to control the lights while playing bass? For less than $200 you can pick up a used Obey 40 controller and a Behringer FCB-1010 MIDI footswitch. These will allow you to program your lights exactly the way you want and easily move through scenes with the footswitch. You can add the movers later. If you want to really customize your lights look into a software based DMX controller.

I just saw that used MIDI controller but I'm not sure how it would interface with the DMX controller. Any pointers?

 

[SuperK]

I just saw that used MIDI controller but I'm not sure how it would interface with the DMX controller. Any pointers?

The Obey 40 is a basic DMX control console that can be programmed and used in stand alone. You program scenes and chases and then select the scenes/chases by pushing the buttons on the console. The MIDI foot controller plugs into the Obey 40 via a MIDI interface cable. You can then use the foot pedals to change scenes/chases instead of your hands (which is hard to do while playing the bass ).

This is an over-simplification of the process but you can read the manuals here: https://www.chauvetdj.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Obey_40_UM_Rev7_ML5_WO-1.pdf and here: Invalid Link Removed

Don't let the FCB1010 overwhelm you. It does a lot but you won't use most of the features. You can reset it to factory defaults if you buy it used and it should be plug n play. You're not going to be able to create complex light shows with this setup though. That's going to require a laptop and some DMX software. But you can at least have some control over what your lights look like and when you want them to change. With Sound Active mode you're at the mercy of the lights!

 

[Big Hoss]

For what it's worth, I have access to a used, and presently orphaned Obey40 (same DJ friend that is selling me the light stand)... He upgraded to a much bigger rig...

Can you recommend any tutorials on how to run this thing? I know in my head what I would like the lights to do and when, just not sure how to pull it off...

 

[Big Hoss]

Correction. Just got off the phone. The DMX controller offered up is the Monoprice Stage Right 16 channel DMX controller. He upgraded TO an Oey 40....

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It is in working order, I've seen him use it very recently. For the $30.00 asking price, is it worth a shot?

 

[SuperK]

Correction. Just got off the phone. The DMX controller offered up is the Monoprice Stage Right 16 channel DMX controller. He upgraded TO an Oey 40....

Invalid Link Removed

It is in working order, I've seen him use it very recently. For the $30.00 asking price, is it worth a shot?

I'm not familiar with that console but it does have a MIDI input so it might work.

Here is a video on DMX basics. The guy uses an Obey 40 in the video.

 

[bound'n'blocked]

LOL. I used to do lighting, the company I worked for had a 60K rig with moving lights and moles and spots and all that stuff. I hate having to set up four LED fixtures now so much that I make the singer do it. We have two old On Stage stands that we raise as high as they go, and then hold te two light frames up against the pole and put a bolt through the holes and then a wingnut. That and a fog machine are "our show"!

BnB

 

[Big Hoss]

LOL. I used to do lighting, the company I worked for had a 60K rig with moving lights and moles and spots and all that stuff. I hate having to set up four LED fixtures now so much that I make the singer do it. We have two old On Stage stands that we raise as high as they go, and then hold te two light frames up against the pole and put a bolt through the holes and then a wingnut. That and a fog machine are "our show"!

BnB

You are keyed on to something that is important to me (cost, and simplicity) So let's lay out what i have / will have in my rig...

12 LED PAR cans, 4 on each side, and we will go 4 across the truss. $16.99 each on Amazon. $203.88 total.
2 Gemmy Lightshow kaleidoscope projectors in blue. (These produce a rippling water effect) $7.99 each on post Christmas clearance at Home Depot.
1 Gemmy lightshow kaleidoscope projector in red. (Same as above, but in red) $7.99 on post Christmas clearance at Home Depot.
1 brand unknown, LED kaleidoscope projector. Actual kaleidoscope / moonflower effect. $7.99 on post Halloween sale at Kroger
2 @ Generic Halloween lightning "flicker strobe" lights. Either free, or $110,000.00 twenty years ago when I bought my house. They were in the attic... They work, they are simple...

For what we have NOW. $235.44

What we are adding....

On Stage Stands LS7730 lighting stands with truss $40.00
Monoprice Stage Right 16 channel DMX controller. $30.00

Total $305.44

I still need to figure out the power and XLR to the lights, but I'm getting there... I figure between that, the MIDI controller and cable, I will probably be in another $200.00 (I already have a mess of XLR cables, I just need to grab a couple of 25 footers...

I am still investigating fog machines. My old Halloween fog machine died a miserable death as it had no run dry detection and I did just that... I am seeing there are models that do include DMX control, so I am open to budget friendly suggestions. My requirements are...

#1. Reliable. (Will not kill itself if I run it dry).
#2. Fast pre heat if not instant fog.
#3. DMX controllable.
#4. Capacity. I don't want to be refilling the tank between sets.
#5. Output. LOTS of fog.
#6. Cost. Notice this is at the bottom of the list, but it IS here. I am no respecter of name brands if you haven't noticed by now. I'm just not impressed by marketing hype. I need to keep the budget on the fogger under $200.00 and it MUST perform, and do so for years to come...

So what can you suggest?