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Author Topic: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights  (Read 5191 times)

Mike Karseboom

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Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« on: November 15, 2016, 09:55:06 AM »

I am wondering what kind of beam angle people are using for LED par cans used for front lighting.  The reason I ask is the lights I mostly use seem to have too wide of a coverage area with no real isolation of the performer.  What I seem to get instead is too wide of a wash of light.  Fixtures that are set to different colors and pointed to separate performers also seem to overlap too much and the colors sort of blend together in a nondescript way.  I have back/side lighting for doing stage wash so would like the front lights to be more able to just highlight individual performers.


I know this all depends on the distance between the fixture and the performer but I would say that typically the fixtures are 15-20 feet from the front lip of the stage.  The stage will often be around 15 x 15 feet - so fairly small resulting in performers being packed together.


The main front lights I use are Chauvet slimpar pro tri.  These are typically set up with 4x on each side of the stage and I try to get them high and wide so they give the approximate 45 degrees above / to the side angles.  Typically though they end up being more like 30 degrees either way.  Also, I usually point one fixture from each side on each performer.


The slimpar tri pro is supposed to have a 21 degree beam angle with a 42 degree field angle.  That seems like a pretty big field angle in relation to the beam angle so perhaps these fixtures don't have very good beam control?


Anyway - do any of you have thoughts on bringing more "focus" to the individual performers given my typical situation?  If I were looking for new lights is there a certain type or beam angle I should be looking for?
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Tim Weaver

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2016, 10:29:09 AM »

Led's in general don't have very good beam control. Until you start spending real money anyways...


You'd be better off getting some source4's for what you want to do.
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Don T. Williams

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2016, 10:51:20 AM »

With a stage that small, you will need much tighter beam angles to do what you want. I'm not sure what to recommend, but look for a field angle closer to 20 degrees.  Blizzard has some narrow angle LED offerings, but they may be a little pricey.

The "old standard conventional 120 PAR can" set up with 60 cans front and 60 can in back uses MFL's for front color wash (with a few profile spots thrown in to highlight band members) and NSP or VNSP's for the rear "show".  This was for mid size shows with typical 40' - 50' wide stages.

"Movers" and LED lighting has changed that a lot!  Now zoom wash lights provide narrow to wide beams and almost any color, with moving profile spots for patterns, texture, and aerial effects.  I have seen several videos from forum members with just a few lower cost movers and a few wash LED's that looked really good on the smaller size stages you work with.  Look for them in the lighting forum and on YouTube.  What you want can be achieved.  Have fun!
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Nathan Riddle

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2016, 12:10:26 PM »

What comes to mind that's cheap and you could try is Matte Black Cinefoil to help control the field angle.

10-15* spots/LED's would probably work.

Some sort of mover spot like the 355 IRC is an idea.

For longer distances (50-75') a beam (3-5*) fixture would work well.

Lots of options/ideas.
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Mike Karseboom

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2016, 03:26:08 PM »

What comes to mind that's cheap and you could try is Matte Black Cinefoil to help control the field angle.


I do, in general, have plenty of lumens left over so could afford to block out some of them with foil.  But would this actually change the angles?  These fixtures have 18 lenses under the glass with 3 colors under each lens.  If I put the foil right on the glass and cut some sort of hole out of the middle, wouldn't the lenses that are within the hole area still just put out a beam with the same beam and spread angles?


Or is there another technique to use the foil?


Also - I do have incandescent Par56 cans with NSP lamps and those work a little better to pinpoint individuals.  But I am trying to move away from those due to the power restrictions I typically face at the lounge level. Also, I can't do too much with them other than dim them.  That is, not dramatic color washes.

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--Mike
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Tim Weaver

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2016, 03:35:10 PM »

DO the fixtures have gel holders?

To reduce the field, or hialation of the light, you really need a top hat or a snoot.
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Mike Karseboom

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2016, 04:10:06 PM »

DO the fixtures have gel holders?

To reduce the field, or hialation of the light, you really need a top hat or a snoot.


About 1/2 of them have gel holders

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--Mike
"If you're not confused, you don't know what is going on"

Live Sound for the Mt. Shasta area
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Nathan Riddle

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2016, 04:53:03 PM »

If I put the foil right on the glass and cut some sort of hole out of the middle, wouldn't the lenses that are within the hole area still just put out a beam with the same beam and spread angles?

Or is there another technique to use the foil?

To reduce the field, or hialation of the light, you really need a top hat or a snoot.

My suggestion is to use the foil to create a snoot.

Kind of like this:
https://cdn.instructables.com/F4E/O9HM/FAWRI4U6/F4EO9HMFAWRI4U6.MEDIUM.jpg

I had to do this for some slimPar 64's I had in a top batten above a projector screen rear washing the band. There was too much bleed onto the screen colorizing it. After adding a 4-6" top hat (really a rear hat) the field angle was reduced to not hit the projector screen as much. Worked like a charm!
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Mark Cadwallader

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Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2016, 07:10:09 PM »

A fixed focus wash light isn't the right tool for the job. A zoom wash would be better. Shutters on a Source4 type fixture let you crop exactly. There is an LED S4 clone in warm white that might work well for you, if you are willing to have dedicated fixtures for faces.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Beam Angle for Front LED Lights
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2016, 07:10:09 PM »


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