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Recommendation on my lighting setup

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Mike Deey:
Hi, this is my first post on this forum. 

I am looking for some recommendations regarding my basic lighting setup and how I can BEST use it for my situation (in regards to color/settings, etc.) 

Here's my situation.  I am a drummer in a 3 piece rock cover band.  Most places where we perform, we bring the lighting and space is somewhat limited depending on the venue size.  Time is also somewhat limited, as I have to set up/break down drums AND lights pre/post show. 

Here's my gear:

2 T-bars.  I usually set one T-Bar on each side of the stage.  (Very small venues, I only bring one T-Bar.)
8 Venue ThinPar 64 lights ( 4 on each T-Bar).  Pointed at band members, banner, bass drum logo, dance floor, etc.. Set on a color fade, or auto color switch.   Including DMX cables to master/slave.
2 Venue ThinPar64 that I set on floor, near my drums to light the drums with a static color (aka ego lights..haha)
2 cheap moving heads that I set on floor, connected Master/Slave mode so they mirror each other in an auto mode.
2 Chauvet Shocker 90 Strobes.  Attached to vertical post on T-Bar, pointed at Dance floor, in sound active mode.
Assorted DMX Cables of various length including one 50ft, to Master/Slave both t-Bars.



OK....I know there's only so much I can do on a limited amount of gear and I think using a DMX controller/software is overkill for a band that plays twice a month.  SO my main question is color suggestions for the ThinPars on my T-Bars. 

1) Should I have all 8 ThinPars the same color at any given time, via DMX Master/Slave so they all show the same color when they switch colors?  I would use my 50ft cable to accomplish this.
2) Chain only 2 together, so there are different colors at any given time?  I currently do this and occasionally it gives some funky blends....
3) Any other suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time for taking the time to respond and I look forward to interacting with the responses.

---Mike

Paul G. OBrien:

--- Quote from: Mike Deey on March 10, 2019, 04:51:57 PM ---3) Any other suggestions?
--- End quote ---
Get a DMX controller. The amount you play has nothing to do with it and you're running DMX cable anyway so why not take full advantage.

The reason is so that you can get different looks and not the same old thing all night.. and yes a random mix of colors running sound active all night qualifies as "the same thing".
Yes having all fixtures on the same color at the same looks good, and having the movers execute some pre programmed moves and scenes looks a lot more pro even if it's not sync'd to the beat.. which of course is the next step up.
There are hardware controllers that can do a good job and some are also midi controllable but if you want something you probably won't outgrow the obvious choice is to start with software where you can eventually build up to custom shows that are sync'd with individual songs.

Mal Brown:
One suggestion I can make...  less light up front and more backlighting.  Use darker washes up from and lighter from the back to create a look.

I have a cheap Chauvet clone controller from stellar labs that lasts me pretty easily create and trigger scenes.  I think Mono price has something similar for about $100.

Highly recommend that you look at Donner wireless dmx devices.  Last season I ran 6 or them 1 per tree.  I put 6 led pars on front corners, 4 on the band, 2 on the audience per side.  Two in the back with 4 led pars per.  Two that each supported 1 mover - I was experimenting ...  the first fixture on each tree got a Donner receiver and the transmitter plugged into the controller.

That save a boat load of cable string between the trees.  Do this sooner rather than later...

Jason Fultz:

--- Quote from: Mike Deey on March 10, 2019, 04:51:57 PM ---Hi, this is my first post on this forum. 

I am looking for some recommendations regarding my basic lighting setup and how I can BEST use it for my situation (in regards to color/settings, etc.) 

Here's my situation.  I am a drummer in a 3 piece rock cover band.  Most places where we perform, we bring the lighting and space is somewhat limited depending on the venue size.  Time is also somewhat limited, as I have to set up/break down drums AND lights pre/post show. 

Here's my gear:

2 T-bars.  I usually set one T-Bar on each side of the stage.  (Very small venues, I only bring one T-Bar.)
8 Venue ThinPar 64 lights ( 4 on each T-Bar).  Pointed at band members, banner, bass drum logo, dance floor, etc.. Set on a color fade, or auto color switch.   Including DMX cables to master/slave.
2 Venue ThinPar64 that I set on floor, near my drums to light the drums with a static color (aka ego lights..haha)
2 cheap moving heads that I set on floor, connected Master/Slave mode so they mirror each other in an auto mode.
2 Chauvet Shocker 90 Strobes.  Attached to vertical post on T-Bar, pointed at Dance floor, in sound active mode.
Assorted DMX Cables of various length including one 50ft, to Master/Slave both t-Bars.



OK....I know there's only so much I can do on a limited amount of gear and I think using a DMX controller/software is overkill for a band that plays twice a month.  SO my main question is color suggestions for the ThinPars on my T-Bars. 

1) Should I have all 8 ThinPars the same color at any given time, via DMX Master/Slave so they all show the same color when they switch colors?  I would use my 50ft cable to accomplish this.
2) Chain only 2 together, so there are different colors at any given time?  I currently do this and occasionally it gives some funky blends....
3) Any other suggestions?

Thanks ahead of time for taking the time to respond and I look forward to interacting with the responses.

---Mike

--- End quote ---

You're the drummer? Are you using a Roland XPDs or other electronic devices in your set?
A lot of those devices will send a midi message. You could use a controller that will accept midi commands and pre program a ton of scenes/presets that you can trigger through your kit. You would have control of your show.
A lot of bands that I've worked with that use backing tracks and some of their own effect lighting will have the midi command synced up with backing tracks sending info out to a software controller.

Mike Deey:

--- Quote from: Jason Fultz on March 10, 2019, 07:27:43 PM ---You're the drummer? Are you using a Roland XPDs or other electronic devices in your set?
A lot of those devices will send a midi message. You could use a controller that will accept midi commands and pre program a ton of scenes/presets that you can trigger through your kit. You would have control of your show.
A lot of bands that I've worked with that use backing tracks and some of their own effect lighting will have the midi command synced up with backing tracks sending info out to a software controller.

--- End quote ---

I have an acoustic set....definitely not an electronic set guy. 

Thanks for replies.  I have tossed around the idea of DMX Controller in the past.  I understand the addressing of fixtures, channels, etc....It's just a matter of deciding whether to go with an actual physical controller or something like DMXis. 

Also, I don't see myself buying new fixtures anytime soon....BUT if I ever do upgrade, I will go wireless.  The guys in my band don't like ANY lighting at all (I feel it's a necessity to SEE the band), and they hate the extra cables that are ran for it. 

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