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Help with Lighting for a band
Mike Rein:
Starting from scratch and could use some recommendations, don’t have any lights now. Couple things to note: I play guitar for a rock cover band and plan on using a footswitch on stage to control things. I will be learning how to use DMXIS. Mainly playing smaller to medium indoor (bars) and outdoor gigs. No separate light guy, the band will need to setup and take down so portability and ease of setup is important. Unlimited budget so I want good stuff however we also only play a couple shows a month so no need to go overboard either. I have been doing some reading but could use specific suggestions of what to buy for lights and where relative to the stage they should go. Also i did look at for instance the Chauvet 4bar quad that retails about 600 bucks for one but I’ve seen posts also where some recommend getting separate pars instead. Also curious on using WiFi for less cables…I try to keep cables tidy and to a minimum when possible. Thanks and apologies as I know this is a bit general of a thread.
Mac Kerr:
--- Quote from: Mike7300 on May 27, 2021, 01:04:35 AM ---Starting from scratch and could use some recommendations, don’t have any lights now. Couple things to note: I play guitar for a rock cover band and plan on using a footswitch on stage to control things. I will be learning how to use DMXIS. Mainly playing smaller to medium indoor (bars) and outdoor gigs. No separate light guy, the band will need to setup and take down so portability and ease of setup is important. Unlimited budget so I want good stuff however we also only play a couple shows a month so no need to go overboard either. I have been doing some reading but could use specific suggestions of what to buy for lights and where relative to the stage they should go. Also i did look at for instance the Chauvet 4bar quad that retails about 600 bucks for one but I’ve seen posts also where some recommend getting separate pars instead. Also curious on using WiFi for less cables…I try to keep cables tidy and to a minimum when possible. Thanks and apologies as I know this is a bit general of a thread.
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Jeff Lelko:
Hi Mike, welcome to PSW.
If your budget is truly unlimited I'd say start with some ETC Source Four LED Series 3 product for key lighting, Mac Vipers for generic wash and texture, and few dozen of the Clay Paky Xtylos for effects. A grandMA3 Full should do nicely for control.
Being realistic now...
The ETC ColorSource series does nicely for facial washing and good color. The Elation Fuze Series can also work well. I'd aim for around 4 of these fixtures per side of your stage getting them as far downstage left/right as you can - ideally around 45 degrees up and out from the talent they're intending to light. I'd consider this the minimum "get lights on stage" setup you can plan for. Beyond that, adding cyc (back wall) lighting, eye candy effects, and moving lights are bonus that you can supplement to fit your tastes.
Footswitch control comes up here every so often and a quick search can show you a few workable solutions, though as I typically mention this is rarely a preferred choice in control compared to alternatives. I'm also in the minority of only using wireless control when absolutely necessary (such as controlling fixtures on multiple rooftops around a campus), but others here have had good results with it. A quick search will also reveal the usual solutions in that regard as well. Hope this helps!
Mike Rein:
Thanks! What would be like the next step down? Sorry I had only checked like guitar center for pricing so I didn’t realize things could be so much. My bad. As an example one of the more expensive things I saw on there was a chauvet 4 bar quad for 600 bucks so was trying to figure out for instance would be a step or could steps up from that.
Jeff Lelko:
--- Quote from: Mike Rein on May 27, 2021, 10:25:56 PM ---Thanks! What would be like the next step down? Sorry I had only checked like guitar center for pricing so I didn’t realize things could be so much. My bad. As an example one of the more expensive things I saw on there was a chauvet 4 bar quad for 600 bucks so was trying to figure out for instance would be a step or could steps up from that.
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No worries Mike. People of all skill sets and experience levels participate here so different budget levels mean different things to different people.
The Chauvet SlimPar Series is a very reasonable lower-budget alternative. I personally find the SlimPar Pro H to be a nice balance of output and budget, and while it's no pro-grade fixture I consider it acceptable for use in certain professional applications. I tend to find lesser fixtures too much lacking in either color quality or output...or both. The added UV is a fun addition that might work well your band too. Four of these per side should be a nice start to your system. Be sure to reach out to the Chauvet dealers here on PSW too - they tend to be much more reasonable with pricing compared to the outlets like Guitar Center. Good luck!
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