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Author Topic: Aiming Movers  (Read 14299 times)

Jeff Lelko

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #40 on: April 08, 2020, 06:53:00 PM »


Thanks, a little bit of digging, I have the manual and latest code now.  It was updated in 2017.    They were made my Lt-light out of Spain who is still in business.


I would never buy one new.  There is one for sale, in road case, looks really nice for next to nothing.  Might be fun to play with, learn big boy consoles.  I was hoping someone had some experience.  I am going to keep digging.

I'm glad to hear that these boards are still supported nonetheless!  I don't blame you on not wanting to buy one of these new - I probably wouldn't.  For the used price it might be worth it as you mentioned.  The syntax on the Innovator was very close to ETC, so if this series at least uses somewhat standard syntax as well it probably can't hurt to play with!  If it were me I don't think I'd pay more than $500 for this, understanding that it'd be mostly a shop board until if/when I trust it enough to take on paying work that matters, but the education alone definitely has some value to it...much like how buying an old High End Studio Beam/Spot/Color or Martin Mac for nearly nothing can be a great experience to poke around the guts of a "real" moving light and learn how they work.  Keep us posted! 
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Scott Holtzman

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #41 on: April 08, 2020, 10:54:17 PM »

I'm glad to hear that these boards are still supported nonetheless!  I don't blame you on not wanting to buy one of these new - I probably wouldn't.  For the used price it might be worth it as you mentioned.  The syntax on the Innovator was very close to ETC, so if this series at least uses somewhat standard syntax as well it probably can't hurt to play with!  If it were me I don't think I'd pay more than $500 for this, understanding that it'd be mostly a shop board until if/when I trust it enough to take on paying work that matters, but the education alone definitely has some value to it...much like how buying an old High End Studio Beam/Spot/Color or Martin Mac for nearly nothing can be a great experience to poke around the guts of a "real" moving light and learn how they work.  Keep us posted!


Check your PM
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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

Ghost Audio Visual Solutions, LLC
Cleveland OH
www.ghostav.rocks

Scott Holtzman

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #42 on: April 09, 2020, 01:44:49 AM »


Check your PM


Hi Jeff - Are you getting PM notifications?  I replied again.



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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

Ghost Audio Visual Solutions, LLC
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Jeff Lelko

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #43 on: April 09, 2020, 07:05:50 AM »

Hi Jeff - Are you getting PM notifications?  I replied again.

No...I don't think this site has sent PM notifications since probably 2017 or so...  I just wrote back (called it a night after my first response), but you're also certainly welcome to email me.  I check that far more often and know it to be far more reliable.  Glad to help and hope this all works out!
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Jeremy Young

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #44 on: April 17, 2020, 07:41:21 PM »

I'm in the small-time operator camp, and am still getting my feet wet in lighting.  I don't have the experience you guys do, but I wanted to toss in my recent (albeit limited) experiences with the Lightshark LS-1. 

I do small events (tiny to some on this forum) and am usually working alone.  My expertise is the audio side, but my clients kept asking for lighting and were willing to open their wallets faster for a good solid wash than any changes to my audio system seemed to instigate.  I started with a bunch of LED "DJ party lights" I'll call them and a Chauvet Obey 40 DMX controller, which were fine for small spaces (50 or less people) but I learned quickly that they were nearly useless in larger or outdoor environments and sold them to a happy bar-band.  I was primarily using sound-activated looks at that time, so my programming needs were minimal.

I stepped up to some COB LED par cans and went from a Chauvet Obey 40 to Luminaire and some ArtNet nodes.  I could get a good wash for small stages, but it still lacked for my version of larger stages (still tiny to some of you).  I picked up 8 higher output LED par cans to use as front wash and I've been very very happy with them, but they are a 7-in-1 diode and I struggled to get the colours to match my 3in1 LED pars with Luminaire.  Programming was getting cumbersome, and the odd time one of the acts had their own sound tech I couldn't do much in the way of "busking" with it.  Considering I'm also running FOH/MON, picking up mic stands and explaining to people that I'm not the bartender, I longed for a more intuitive and tactile (IE: I can make changes with one hand without taking my eyes off the stage) lighting control solution but did not have the clients nor experience (nor 60-fixture rig or any movers) to get any meaningful ROI from a big boy console.

I tend to analyze things to death, and explored every option I could find including many of the boards listed in this thread, PC options, etc.  I joined every FB users group of every brand I could think of and watched for patterns of issues/support/resolution.  I read every manual and made SWOT analysis of each.  I kept coming back to the LS-1 because I wanted physical faders for when I'm at FOH position, as well as a remote control option (iPad) when I was mixing on glass.  The Onyx platform and touch control was a contender, but I decided I didn't want a computer based rig if only for not wanting to have to stay on top of updates etc.  My options at that point were the QuickQ series (which do not run the full version of MagicQ, which means some features of MagicQ show files will be lost when imported), the ETC Colorsource series, and a few others.  Since my busy season was approaching I forced myself into a decision and ordered an LS-1.

Now, my LS-1 arrived mid-March, and thanks to this global pandemic we're calling reality I have no shows on it yet (nor do I even have any shows anymore, sigh).  However, not including the time it took to read the manual start to finish (which I'd done long before it arrived), I had my 16 par cans and two geysers patched (including making all three fixture profiles from scratch), and had about 10 looks programmed in less than an hour.  I immediately realized that things like fixture groups and palettes were going to be a big time saver for me.  I know the LightShark doesn't get the love of the bigger brands but for my needs my first impression has been fantastic.  I really like that the remote control is browser based, so it's not going to require constant updates with every new Apple IOS update like my app-driven stuff, which in my mind gives it more shelf life. 

Is it the X32 of lighting?  Probably not.  However, it's worth consideration for those coming from Luminaire or older hardware looking for tactile control and a hardware-centric solution, especially those on a budget.  WorkPro has a solid library of tutorial videos now, and have also launched a "Wing" for expanded hardware control possibilities, which helped ease my decision that this would be a one-trick pony for the manufacturer.  YMMV and all that.
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Brown Bear Sound
Victoria BC Canada
Live Events - Life Events - Corporate Events

Scott Holtzman

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #45 on: April 18, 2020, 02:00:01 AM »

I'm in the small-time operator camp, and am still getting my feet wet in lighting.  I don't have the experience you guys do, but I wanted to toss in my recent (albeit limited) experiences with the Lightshark LS-1. 

I do small events (tiny to some on this forum) and am usually working alone.  My expertise is the audio side, but my clients kept asking for lighting and were willing to open their wallets faster for a good solid wash than any changes to my audio system seemed to instigate.  I started with a bunch of LED "DJ party lights" I'll call them and a Chauvet Obey 40 DMX controller, which were fine for small spaces (50 or less people) but I learned quickly that they were nearly useless in larger or outdoor environments and sold them to a happy bar-band.  I was primarily using sound-activated looks at that time, so my programming needs were minimal.

I stepped up to some COB LED par cans and went from a Chauvet Obey 40 to Luminaire and some ArtNet nodes.  I could get a good wash for small stages, but it still lacked for my version of larger stages (still tiny to some of you).  I picked up 8 higher output LED par cans to use as front wash and I've been very very happy with them, but they are a 7-in-1 diode and I struggled to get the colours to match my 3in1 LED pars with Luminaire.  Programming was getting cumbersome, and the odd time one of the acts had their own sound tech I couldn't do much in the way of "busking" with it.  Considering I'm also running FOH/MON, picking up mic stands and explaining to people that I'm not the bartender, I longed for a more intuitive and tactile (IE: I can make changes with one hand without taking my eyes off the stage) lighting control solution but did not have the clients nor experience (nor 60-fixture rig or any movers) to get any meaningful ROI from a big boy console.

I tend to analyze things to death, and explored every option I could find including many of the boards listed in this thread, PC options, etc.  I joined every FB users group of every brand I could think of and watched for patterns of issues/support/resolution.  I read every manual and made SWOT analysis of each.  I kept coming back to the LS-1 because I wanted physical faders for when I'm at FOH position, as well as a remote control option (iPad) when I was mixing on glass.  The Onyx platform and touch control was a contender, but I decided I didn't want a computer based rig if only for not wanting to have to stay on top of updates etc.  My options at that point were the QuickQ series (which do not run the full version of MagicQ, which means some features of MagicQ show files will be lost when imported), the ETC Colorsource series, and a few others.  Since my busy season was approaching I forced myself into a decision and ordered an LS-1.

Now, my LS-1 arrived mid-March, and thanks to this global pandemic we're calling reality I have no shows on it yet (nor do I even have any shows anymore, sigh).  However, not including the time it took to read the manual start to finish (which I'd done long before it arrived), I had my 16 par cans and two geysers patched (including making all three fixture profiles from scratch), and had about 10 looks programmed in less than an hour.  I immediately realized that things like fixture groups and palettes were going to be a big time saver for me.  I know the LightShark doesn't get the love of the bigger brands but for my needs my first impression has been fantastic.  I really like that the remote control is browser based, so it's not going to require constant updates with every new Apple IOS update like my app-driven stuff, which in my mind gives it more shelf life. 

Is it the X32 of lighting?  Probably not.  However, it's worth consideration for those coming from Luminaire or older hardware looking for tactile control and a hardware-centric solution, especially those on a budget.  WorkPro has a solid library of tutorial videos now, and have also launched a "Wing" for expanded hardware control possibilities, which helped ease my decision that this would be a one-trick pony for the manufacturer.  YMMV and all that.


I don't have particularly good news.  Our LS-1 arrived DOA.  We are a Blizzard dealer and it came from them.  Blizzard could not send a replacement and informed us they are not selling them anymore.


I find it somewhat good luck because after all the discussion here the LS-1 doesn't have focus palettes so if you are going to do movers getting them focused is going to be the same workflow I was stuck with in the Chauvet Showxpress. 


If a used Congo Kid shows up I would grab it although at this point I think I want a Road Hog because the LD we use most often uses Hog on PC.

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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

Ghost Audio Visual Solutions, LLC
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Jeff Lelko

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #46 on: April 18, 2020, 11:46:01 PM »

Jeremy, I'm glad to hear you've found something that's a good fit for you.  There are definitely many trade-offs to consider when buying a light board, and mostly unlike the digital mixer industry in general, they can vary wildly in terms of features, capabilities, and workflow.  Let us know how it all turns out when you have a chance to finally use it!

Scott, that's really unfortunate to hear about your experience with the LS-1, even more so that Blizzard doesn't sell them anymore.  I take it that's a permanent status too?  If so that's surprising - I thought this was a viable competitor to Luminair.  Although still limited in horsepower, it was a step in the right direction.  I'm sure the R&D on this product wasn't all that cheap, so I'd be curious to hear why the board was shelved so soon before really penetrating the market...

I do have to agree with your disposition as well Scott.  While I still feel that my Congo Kid was a great choice when I bought it in 2014, the fact that it never gained much of a market presence along with it now being a discontinued series would make me think twice in 2020.  Believe me, when the day comes that I'm ready to switch boards for personal use you'll be the first one I call when looking for a buyer!  Especially since you see many guest LDs in your line of work, I really think something from MA, Hog, or ChamSys would be your best investment.  While I love my Kid for personal use as a travelling LD, putting myself in someone else's shoes if I didn't know the board I'd probably frown on it and either request a tech to program it for me or just ask for a mainstream desk if I didn't have my own to bring...much like how I'd respond to coming across the Leviton board you mentioned above in the wild.

Speaking of which, I keep getting the "are you still interested in..." emails - I take it you walked away on this one?   
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Scott Holtzman

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #47 on: April 19, 2020, 05:30:49 AM »

Jeremy, I'm glad to hear you've found something that's a good fit for you.  There are definitely many trade-offs to consider when buying a light board, and mostly unlike the digital mixer industry in general, they can vary wildly in terms of features, capabilities, and workflow.  Let us know how it all turns out when you have a chance to finally use it!

Scott, that's really unfortunate to hear about your experience with the LS-1, even more so that Blizzard doesn't sell them anymore.  I take it that's a permanent status too?  If so that's surprising - I thought this was a viable competitor to Luminair.  Although still limited in horsepower, it was a step in the right direction.  I'm sure the R&D on this product wasn't all that cheap, so I'd be curious to hear why the board was shelved so soon before really penetrating the market...

I do have to agree with your disposition as well Scott.  While I still feel that my Congo Kid was a great choice when I bought it in 2014, the fact that it never gained much of a market presence along with it now being a discontinued series would make me think twice in 2020.  Believe me, when the day comes that I'm ready to switch boards for personal use you'll be the first one I call when looking for a buyer!  Especially since you see many guest LDs in your line of work, I really think something from MA, Hog, or ChamSys would be your best investment.  While I love my Kid for personal use as a travelling LD, putting myself in someone else's shoes if I didn't know the board I'd probably frown on it and either request a tech to program it for me or just ask for a mainstream desk if I didn't have my own to bring...much like how I'd respond to coming across the Leviton board you mentioned above in the wild.

Speaking of which, I keep getting the "are you still interested in..." emails - I take it you walked away on this one?


I think we miscomunicated I don't have visiting LD's.  While Blizzard is not selling the LS, Work Pro the makers of it still is. 
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Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

Ghost Audio Visual Solutions, LLC
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John Fruits

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #48 on: April 19, 2020, 08:12:49 AM »

I have to wonder about the LightShark shortage.  Spain has just allowed manufacturing to reopen after a total shutdown.  That may be why there is a shortage here.  Fullcompass used to list the LS-1 and the LS-core but they don't now.  They do list a couple of the nodes.  Another online seller, IDJNOW still has the LS-core on Ebay but not the LS-1.  I also wonder if they are also facing a component shortage.  That was the reason given for MA Lighting dropping the Dot 2 range. 
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"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.  There's also a negative side."-Hunter S. Thompson

Jeff Lelko

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Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #49 on: April 19, 2020, 09:02:38 PM »

I think we miscomunicated I don't have visiting LD's.  While Blizzard is not selling the LS, Work Pro the makers of it still is.

Ah, no worries.  When you mentioned that your regular LD uses Hog I implied that you had other LDs crewing your events as well.  That's interesting to hear about the LS still being produced but not under the Blizzard name.  You and John seem to know more about the production side of the industry than I do - I'm just a consumer/user and not a dealer.  You bring up an interesting point about a component shortage though John - I just don't understand how that would happen unless Blizzard was essentially paid a cut of each sale to act as the distributor. 

While I don't own any Blizzard inventory I've had a number of delays in getting product delivered over the past year too.  My latest order from Prolyte got hung up in their bankruptcy/restructuring issue that happened late last year (mostly fulfilled now, but still waiting on some couplers), and then I have a handful of Chauvet Epix products still awaiting delivery as well (2 months and counting).  My purchases are through reputable dealers with significant buying power, so I know that's not to blame - it's just a trend I'm seeing more and more of.  At least the silver lining to all this is that I'm not losing money or business from unfulfilled orders, given that there's no business to be had at the moment!
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Aiming Movers
« Reply #49 on: April 19, 2020, 09:02:38 PM »


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