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[Steve Garris]

Luminair does all of that and then some. 

You can add dozens of scenes - there may not even be a limit, I'm not sure
Chases would be accomplished with 'stacks' mode.  You can add as many scenes as you'd like to a 'stack'.  Stacks can be sound active or time based chases with adjustable fade time as well. 
There is no slider for the fade rate of stacks, but you can tap the tempo in manually to change it, or you can build multiple versions of the same stack with different fade rates.
There is a master fader as well as a master blackout. 

In my opinion it doesn't get any simpler or better for under $400.  The app is $99 and the Enttec interface is about $260.

That's good to know. I've looked at dozens of videos on people using Luminaire but I don't fully understand a lot of the terminology used in the manual. The videos typically show someone changing colors of a single light, but I don't recall anyone running a band style light show.

[Steve Garris]

Oh yes….good idea on the remote switches….simple but effective !

I used them for the first time on Friday night. It worked surprisingly well, but I had some major disappointment with some of my new lights. I have Blizzard Hotboxes RGBAW, and the sound active mode is too sensitive, so they just flash white like a strobe. The lights produce beautiful full colors, but only when manually controlled. They are useless in sound mode for my application.

Here's what worked well:
For my front wash I have 2 Par 38 cans mounted on the fly points of my PRX tops. These have a 70w halogen bulb that is brighter than the stock 140w flood that came with them. They have a 60 deg beam spread, and I'm using a very light salmon colored gel (sorry, can't remember the Rosco color). They are on one circuit of the remote, and we're instantly on or off when I pushed the button.

We had 2 trees of 4 colored par 38's as a side wash. These were a nice splash of color for the stage. I had these on the 2nd circuit and they were on or off like the front wash.

The backlighting was a large tree with an ADJ mega bar RBGA, and 2 Blizzard Hotbox RBGAW. The mega bar worked great, and I have a remote for it that allows limited adjustments. I can change the sound active sensitivity, blackout, or solid colors, but to change the solid colors requires several button pushes and does not work on the fly. I found the best use of the mega bar was to just turn it off or on with my other remote and leave it on sound active mode.

I'll probably sell the Blizzards and get some ADJ lights to replace them. Once I have one bar figured out, I'll make a duplicate bar, and set them up in master/slave mode so that the show is symmetrical.

[Debbie Dunkley]

Good to hear - keep us posted. I'd be interested in hearing what lights you use as well.

Right now I am upgrading my lights and have some comments on a separate post. 

I have been using some Slimpar 64s but they do not really shed enough light for me - only on small stages. . I tried out a single ADJ Mega Par64 last night along with mine and it really shed a lot more light than mine did. I have a 15 day return policy on it so I will trying it out along with the 3 others I picked up yesterday (didn't have time to set the other 3 up for the gig last night)
However, I have ordered a Blizzard Q12 online because I cannot find one locally because I have read some amazing reviews on them and can get them at a decent price.
It is supposed to be extremely bright so I'll be testing it against the ADJ Mega par and my Slim par 64 to get a good idea of what I want. I only need a nice wash of lights to light up the stage for band use. Nothing fancy.

I use a Chauvet 4 bar behind the drummer for some color on stage and my 2 trees at the front to light up the band each one with the 4 slim pars. Like I say - really simple. I have a Chauvet 4 play which I sometimes use attached to one of the front light trees and aimed at the dance floor.  Nice to use as an effect and I picked it up cheap.

My problem is always time constraints and by the time I have my PA set up and the band is sound checked, the lights get very little prep time  so I have no choice but to keep things simple and find fast methods. I'd love a couple of moving heads but it would be overkill for my needs probably...

[Josh Daws]

debbie take a look at the Chauvet SlimPar QUAD6...these are amazing...bright, and you can diffuse it too if ya wanna get fancy....lol

[Debbie Dunkley]

debbie take a look at the Chauvet SlimPar QUAD6...these are amazing...bright, and you can diffuse it too if ya wanna get fancy....lol

Thanks Josh, I had read about the Chauvet Quads in my research travels recently and the reviews were good.

I'd love to be able to look at more options and compare them but it is so tough to get to check out even some of the more common models locally.
The ADJ's were about the best I could find round here and I have had to order the Blizzard online to get to check it out. That is why I only ordered the one for now due to the restocking fee ( and return shipping) if I decide I don't like it.

Unless I can find someone locally using some of these other models suggested, I have no choice but to decide on either keeping the ADJ's or returning and ordering 3 more Blizzards ( or settling on a combination of the 2 brands).
I am also considering only selling 4 of my Slim Pars and keeping 4 to use with those I upgrade to. Bit more light and wash effect overall.

[Josh Daws]

TBH i understand exactly where you're coming from...but in the abuse and travelling i have done with them, the 80 something i have have been super reliable and great color. and flicker free on video! , its worth the risk.

80 seems like a lot but when you build 16 4x4 cages and a bunch of 4 bars, it adds up really quickly.

[Debbie Dunkley]

I used them for the first time on Friday night. It worked surprisingly well, but I had some major disappointment with some of my new lights. I have Blizzard Hotboxes RGBAW, and the sound active mode is too sensitive, so they just flash white like a strobe. The lights produce beautiful full colors, but only when manually controlled. They are useless in sound mode for my application.

Here's what worked well:
For my front wash I have 2 Par 38 cans mounted on the fly points of my PRX tops. These have a 70w halogen bulb that is brighter than the stock 140w flood that came with them. They have a 60 deg beam spread, and I'm using a very light salmon colored gel (sorry, can't remember the Rosco color). They are on one circuit of the remote, and we're instantly on or off when I pushed the button.

We had 2 trees of 4 colored par 38's as a side wash. These were a nice splash of color for the stage. I had these on the 2nd circuit and they were on or off like the front wash.

The backlighting was a large tree with an ADJ mega bar RBGA, and 2 Blizzard Hotbox RBGAW. The mega bar worked great, and I have a remote for it that allows limited adjustments. I can change the sound active sensitivity, blackout, or solid colors, but to change the solid colors requires several button pushes and does not work on the fly. I found the best use of the mega bar was to just turn it off or on with my other remote and leave it on sound active mode.

I'll probably sell the Blizzards and get some ADJ lights to replace them. Once I have one bar figured out, I'll make a duplicate bar, and set them up in master/slave mode so that the show is symmetrical.

Sounds like you have a nice
 set up - not too much but enough to get a good show going….You have  more than I'll probably use though . I don't want to get too much into lights - they take far too long to set up with little prep time as it is. More power to you though - I am intrigued by moving heads though …..

[Josh Daws]

Sounds like you have a nice
 set up - not too much but enough to get a good show going….You have  more than I'll probably use though . I don't want to get too much into lights - they take far too long to set up with little prep time as it is. More power to you though - I am intrigued by moving heads though …..

moving heads are awesome...don't get the ADJ/Chauvet type quality fixtures...go with the Martin Rush, or some of the elation product...but for the same price for the ADJ/Chauvet equivalent you can get the Martin Rush Product..

however i know that you were looking at an ArtNET product specifically, but really IMO only really commonly used for video triggering. unless you are doing this its not really worth getting this. you can still get the ENTTEC OPEN DMX USB and then use MArtin MPC as control, and still use your iPAD/iPHONE as control using Touch OSC. obviously you would need a wireless router with this...

anyways just some other of my opinions and thoughts....

[Debbie Dunkley]

moving heads are awesome...don't get the ADJ/Chauvet type quality fixtures...go with the Martin Rush, or some of the elation product...but for the same price for the ADJ/Chauvet equivalent you can get the Martin Rush Product..

however i know that you were looking at an ArtNET product specifically, but really IMO only really commonly used for video triggering. unless you are doing this its not really worth getting this. you can still get the ENTTEC OPEN DMX USB and then use MArtin MPC as control, and still use your iPAD/iPHONE as control using Touch OSC. obviously you would need a wireless router with this...

anyways just some other of my opinions and thoughts....

Id really like a couple but not just yet…thanks for the heads-up on brand.

[Mike Karseboom]

Hey Debbie - Do you have any follow on thoughts with regard to your artnet deployment?  Some sort of an overview of how you have things set up and what the strengths and weaknesses are?  I am just starting down this path myself but believe others would be interested in your experienced based insights.

I would be in a similar situation as you- that is ugrading the lights to enhance  my basic  "lounge" level audio services.  I think I am constructing the same general setup you have:


iPad > dedicated cheap 5gHz router
  > cat5 ethernet cable  >  DMXKing artnet box
      > DMX cable to DMX LED fixtures and DMX dimmers (hybrid system)


In my case I am leaning towards Luninaire because the other offerings seem to be more limited and I only want to learn one software. 


There still seems to be not much "how to" info on this approach here in cyberspace.


Or if it is better for you just PM me.

[ProSoundWeb Community]