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Author Topic: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre  (Read 7264 times)

John Fruits

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #20 on: June 21, 2018, 10:13:04 AM »

As is often said, always get a demo of any fixtures you are considering, see what they look like in your space.  Also, just for giggles, see if you can get a Chauvet Ovation F-55FC It's very likely not bright enough, but has great color(due to the lime emitters, just like ETC colorsource).
In addition to the Jands CL, also take a look at the Colorsource 20, It should be only a bit more expensive.  The Jands is quite limited compared to the Colorsource.
Traditionally your light in the FOH position would be ERS spots (Leko's) but they are very likely outside your budget for now.  The major advantage is they have framing shutters so you can keep light off the ceiling, stage apron and side walls.  They can also project gobos.  In addition to the par type fixtures you are considering, take a look at the ETC colorsource Pars,  they are a fixed beam angle so you have to use the ETC beam shaping filters,  they come in oval, round and linear.  This is where buying from a local dealer in important, They should be able to let you try several filters to get just the spread you need. (they are kind of spendy).
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Rob Enders

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #21 on: June 21, 2018, 10:54:12 AM »

As is often said, always get a demo of any fixtures you are considering, see what they look like in your space.  Also, just for giggles, see if you can get a Chauvet Ovation F-55FC It's very likely not bright enough, but has great color(due to the lime emitters, just like ETC colorsource).
In addition to the Jands CL, also take a look at the Colorsource 20, It should be only a bit more expensive.  The Jands is quite limited compared to the Colorsource.
Traditionally your light in the FOH position would be ERS spots (Leko's) but they are very likely outside your budget for now.  The major advantage is they have framing shutters so you can keep light off the ceiling, stage apron and side walls.  They can also project gobos.  In addition to the par type fixtures you are considering, take a look at the ETC colorsource Pars,  they are a fixed beam angle so you have to use the ETC beam shaping filters,  they come in oval, round and linear.  This is where buying from a local dealer in important, They should be able to let you try several filters to get just the spread you need. (they are kind of spendy).

I like the idea of the Ovation F-55RC on the mid stage bar. Better field width than the others and with the low ceiling, the smaller form factor should be helpful. Price is less as well.
You are right about the Lekos and my lack of budget. .

Thanks John..

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Nathan Riddle

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2018, 03:26:41 PM »

Also considering the Jands Stage CL console ($2000CAD).  I need to keep the show operation as simple as pressing one button to change the scene. This unit looks promising.

I have and love Jands, though I'd suggest getting Vista, not the CL and running it off of a computer with an Art-Net (or sACN) dongle for DMX connectivity.

You don't absolutely need a console to program/run a show, it can all be done from the computer.

The software is free to download and try. Give it a whirl.

---

The rest, I wouldn't have more to say than the others.

S4's on the front and some cheaper* (within reason) RGBWA+UV lights for CYC & adding color on the overhead battens.

S4 Pars/Parnels on the battens for overhead white/colored (high CRI) on the battens.

You should be able to do that reasonably well within 10k.

Talk to a dealer on the forums (Mike Pyle, amongst others) for some good pricing on equipment (unless you have a local company you know/trust, then go through them).
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Tim Weaver

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #23 on: June 22, 2018, 12:10:26 PM »

I wouldn't be inclined to use any of those "par can" style fixtures for front washes. They offer the least amount of beam shaping there is.

I use a pile of Elation Fuze wash fixtures. The z60's won't be bright enough. I have 10 of the z175's and they aren't as bright as my actual front washes (Ovation 260's). The Fuze Washes are excellent lights, and the skin tones can be "OK" but the barn doors don't work that well for beam shaping. You will have lighting spill all over the place. Also the zoom never puts the light where you really want it. It either lights up the actor's face AND too much left and right, or no face and perfect left and right. You don't get both.

What you really, really need is Ellipsoidals up front. This will let you frame in the areas you really want the light, and exclude light from the places you want dark.

12 old school lekos and a dimmer is a cheap and reliable option. Save the LED for colors. Using LED pars (even zoomable) up front will be dissapointing in almost every single way. If you really need LED front washes, I highly recomend the Chauvet Ovation series. The 160's would be brighter than you can even imagine at 6 feet. I'm using 160's with a 26degree lens for a 25' throw. I'm using the 260's for over 30' throws with 26 and 36 degree lenses.

You can see the 160's on the upper band stand. The 260's cover the pastor and singer areas. All the color comes from Elation Fuze fixtures. Z175's fixed on the stage and 4 Z350's out in the house to cover different areas. I have Altman SpectraStrips on the background.

The singers have 2 lights at some angle left and right covering their front wash. The Musicians on the bandstand each have 1 "special" which is a Ovation 160WW pointed at them from the down center area. You can see the difference 2 angled lights make over one light in front of the subject. 


You can see some of this here.
https://youtu.be/KdCNqlOiIkc
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Tim Weaver

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #24 on: June 22, 2018, 12:17:53 PM »

If you go back and see our videos from even just 6 months ago you can see what crappy par can lighting looks like. This is what I walked in to when I got to this job.

I spent 40 grand buying 15 Ovation Leko's, 10 Fuze Z175's, 4 Fuze Z350's and 8 Fuze 120's. I still haven't put the 120's up yet. The only thing I kept was the SpectraStrips we already had.

I already had a console. It's a MagicQ wing on a touchscreen computer. I have volunteers run it and all they do is punch a go button.

Compare the above video to this one which is "par cans in the face".
https://youtu.be/sIcGavnUlX8
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Rob Enders

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #25 on: June 22, 2018, 04:53:01 PM »

I like the idea of the Ovation F-55RC on the mid stage bar. Better field width than the others and with the low ceiling, the smaller form factor should be helpful. Price is less as well.
You are right about the Lekos and my lack of budget. .

Thanks John..

Here is the stage and view of the existing fixtures and bars.
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Scott Holtzman

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #26 on: June 22, 2018, 07:19:59 PM »

If you go back and see our videos from even just 6 months ago you can see what crappy par can lighting looks like. This is what I walked in to when I got to this job.

I spent 40 grand buying 15 Ovation Leko's, 10 Fuze Z175's, 4 Fuze Z350's and 8 Fuze 120's. I still haven't put the 120's up yet. The only thing I kept was the SpectraStrips we already had.

I already had a console. It's a MagicQ wing on a touchscreen computer. I have volunteers run it and all they do is punch a go button.

Compare the above video to this one which is "par cans in the face".
https://youtu.be/sIcGavnUlX8

That's a heck of praise band you got there Tim.    Our fellowship is AoG also, I don't get involved in production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpntec-rtTo



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Mark Cadwallader

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #27 on: June 22, 2018, 09:05:43 PM »

Here is the stage and view of the existing fixtures and bars.

With such a short distance from the battens to the stage, cross lighting also has the effect of providing a longer optical focus distance. If you have enough lumens, you can use that to your advantage by needing a smaller beam and field angle.

As mentioned in the posts above, being able to shape and control the beam through the use of the shutters in a leko/source 4 type instrument provides a great advantage in theater work and lighting design. Since you already have installed circuits and dimmers, I second the suggestions about finding used leko/S4 instruments for FOH and "specials" useage.

Study up on the theater lighting textbooks before you start spending money. You will be able to make wiser decisions if you learn some design basics first.  Best wishes.
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Tim Weaver

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #28 on: June 23, 2018, 02:33:54 PM »

That's a heck of praise band you got there Tim.    Our fellowship is AoG also, I don't get involved in production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpntec-rtTo

Lol, yeah they are all old pros up there on the bandstand. Thats one of the things that lured me away from touring to being a Church tech. This Church gets it. They pay for the musicians and the techs, and they are great about letting us decide what to do and how to do it. Hence getting to spend 40 large on new lights! It makes a huge difference.
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Dave Garoutte

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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #29 on: June 23, 2018, 03:02:26 PM »

For a small local stage, I set up a few Colorado Solo1 RGBWs.
What I like about them is the zoomability, and thier homogenized beam. 
I added masks in the gel frames to shape the wide beam stage wash, but when zoomed down, it misses the mask and becomes a soft edge spot.
PM me for Chauvet pricing.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2018, 05:33:30 PM by Dave Garoutte »
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Re: New LED lighting system for small amateur theatre
« Reply #29 on: June 23, 2018, 03:02:26 PM »


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