Just a live recording played to the click track, yes. The purpose of that is just to make it easier to set the light cues in show buddy.
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Weekend Warrior Stage Lighting Discussion
- Thread starter Stinsok
- Start date
Just a live recording played to the click track, yes. The purpose of that is just to make it easier to set the light cues in show buddy.
for me it was the output level. The just don't have the guts to throw light. The new ones I have seen are also kinda back yard party oriented. Lot's of blinky stuff you will not see on a semi-pro stage. That stuff get's old fast... In my opinion, if you are running lights from stage you are better off choosing a few simple classy looks and fading between them.
As for controllers, I'm still using a simple but midi controllable Chauvet Obey 70 clone from Stellar Labs. Similar are available for like 40-50 bucks. My plan for midi is a simple controller like the DMC micro, Morningstar Mc3 etc. That will just make it easier to locate the controller in the back line and not next to me.
I do have an eDmxKing ethernet to DMX interface laying about. It is an Enttec clone. Widely supported. Bought it for luminaire but disliked the company and early versions of the software. I gather it has gotten better but not somebody i'll deal with again. will list that in the GFS shortly.
When you have some spare time, it is not hard at all. It took me longer to program all the light settings in the controller. Hooking up the FCB1010 was easy.
Yep. My experience as well. Programming the Chauvet controller is counter intuitive at best. The midi part is easy.
Counter intuitive is putting it mildly. Once I figured out a system (the system?) I can pretty much just run through setting up a bank pretty quickly. Only took me about 6 months to finally get it down...
I'm just getting started on this for my bar band and will have to buy one light at a time, as budget allows. I got a Chauvet EZpar 64RGBA, and will eventually have 4, I think. Went with this one because it is rechargeable so there are no cables to run at all. Will probably run it in an auto-fading mode. It will look better when I have a few more, but just have the one to start with. I was thinking of placing it on the floor by singer's monitor and shining it up on ceiling so it will give a glow to the whole stage but mostly the singer. Any advice on best placement for this one light?
Whenever possible it is best to get the front light up and above and shining down on the lead singer and band, but when not possible, you can do "up lighting", it just makes a very different effect. Careful of color choices
In places where we can hang a truss across the front, sure, but for the last many years, we don't places like that often enough (or want the hassle/unkown of points) The two trees on either side shining on the band's faces, with one on each tree pointing right at the lead singer (the closest to them) and never had a problem with their not being enough light.
When I do a 4 piece band each front tree gets 4 lights. 4,2,3,1 and other side 1,2,3,4
1 - Singer center (me)
2 - Guitar Right
3 - Guitar Left
4 - Drums
When I did tech for 5 piece bands it was a similar set up with 4 going to the drummer and 1 to center stage singer. Then 2 on the lead guitarist (or more predominant lead) and the two 3's split between other guitarist (or keys) and bass. At that point I would program a 5 light for the bass so front lights 4,2,3,1 and 1,2,5,4 (of course dependent on stage side for bass.)
If I am looking at the stage (as if in the audience when I run lights for other bands) I program across the front
4,3,2,1 on the left and 1,2,3,4 on the right. Facing the band or at a 45 angle depending on the staging I am using. Lights 1 would be closest to the center stage. I get my lighting in front of the stage for the front lights (or at least inline with the front PA.
If I have to set them at an angle, Light one is closest to front and light 4 (drums) to the back
4,3,2,1 on the left and 1,2,3,4 on the right. Facing the band or at a 45 angle depending on the staging I am using. Lights 1 would be closest to the center stage. I get my lighting in front of the stage for the front lights (or at least inline with the front PA.
If I have to set them at an angle, Light one is closest to front and light 4 (drums) to the back
The FCB1010 runs out the MIDI out, so you would need MIDI in to your DMXIS hub (as I have never used DMXIS I think someone else can answer this better or tell me I am wrong, I just know I use midi out to midi in on my DMX operator)
I'll agree with that.
I had a multi light setup - not light bars but similar (Chauvet Wash FX I mounted on my main speakers - you can just make out one of them below) and some PAR puck lights for uplighting behind the drums. I used two scenes - one bastard amber for play time and one mellow blue for dwell time between sets - I could control the relative levels of both using my Chauvet Obey 40. I tried using a smaller controller but I needed the ability to control 7 DMX channels minimum.
I found that the blue "dwell" scene heightened the impact of the bastard amber "play" scene. I didn't bother with chases, fades or other distracting stuff. We were a no-frills country band...but had pretty good production. Here's a shot of the "dwell" setting. Simple, easy to set up, easy to run, worked well.
well in looking quickly on the DMXis forum, lots of guys are using it so there has to be a way.
