Following on from Jimbos' thread which I was going to hi jack but thought it would be better to start a new one!

At the moment I am happy with my sound system but am looking at lights now. I mainly use two Datamoons with two Acme Falcons but add a couple of scanners for teenage parties.

The problem I have which I am trying to find a solution to is for a smaller set up for small venues. One I done a couple of weeks ago was a local hall which in its self is quite large but when I arrived, it turned out that the client had booked the smaller hall which was added as an extension. Is was only about 45ft sq and the ceiling was about 8 ft. I couldn't get any height for the lighting stand to make the Datamoons and Falcons look any good. Aimed at the dance floor, the pattern looked about 3ft across. The Scanners helped fill it out a bit but what I would like is something that will fill a room with like a wide angle lens.

I have been considering par cans but see Jimbo already has some so perhaps they are not the answer. I've got two light boxes which help but get blocked when people stand in front of them. I've also been looking at the Dual Aligator and Mushroom lights, anyone know what they would be like in a small room? What I am basically looking for is something that will give a wide coverage in a small area. Maybe not being too high powered either - any suggestions?

Perhaps more on topic for a minimal light show is that I do some gigs for senior citizens (60+) and at the moment the most I do lighting wise is a mirror ball and a rope light. Its usually a mix of sequence dancing with some 60's/70's disco. I would like to put on something a bit more special but it can't be flashing or overpowering. It may be a case of they are happy with the lighting I do but I feel it would be nice to vary it a bit. I have a couple of the basic Soundlab Venus lights which are a slowly rotating white light. Something similar but changes colour as it rotates and a little more powerful (they are only 50W) would be good.

Any Ideas?

I used to use the mushroom lights, but found they were too powerfull for small and medium venues as the ones i used gave out 600 watts. They were quite good in large venues.I think you can get smaller ones of about 300 watts, but that still fairly bright!

I used to do a few giggs for elderly people and found that lights screens, a rope light and a couple of vasto's were fine. Otherwise you will blind them.

The abstract cyclone (source samauri) has a switch dimming it down to 100 watts, so looks ok in small to medium rooms and gives a large gobo type coverage.

For a small room such as you describe the LED par cans should fill the bill nicely. No heat to worry about so they can go close to the ceiling without any issues. I often use the LED par cans for the over sixties.

The ACME Firebird is good, non dmx and will fill a ceiling without being to flashy.

Jimbo

The Firebird & Cyclone are on my short list! Has anyone any experience with the Wildtech Fascination, Orbitor or Hallucination range? They look like they give a good spread of light and can be switched between sound to light, constant rotation or static.

I use the Fascination, and have to say it's probably the best light I've ever bought.

Excellent brightness, and it nearly always gets a comment from the punters who can't take their eyes of the projected pattern. Usually the comment is "That's fascinating". I mainly use it as a fill light without the mirror spinning, either projected onto the ceiling, the wall behind me, or the dancefloor for the first part of the evening.

I used a fairly minimal setup last night, 4 LED Par56's on a tripod behind me, and a Stairville MV250H on each pair of Bose B1's, pointing up. That's it.

Click to view attachment

Brian, the table(s) you use to put your slappa's on (watch it!), are they yours, or do you borrow them from the venue?

That's a grand piano which was lying around! I didn't bring it along

Normally, I ask for a 5ft trestle from the venue, but I also carry a fold out thing which the console flightcase lid fits to form a table if I can't get one.

What's the notice on your Bose base say Bri?

LADIES>>>>DO NOT POLE DANCE ON MY POLE!!!



Unless you meet me later after the gig??

Thanks for replies. Strangely the replies confirm what I was thinking anyway but I'm not sure which of the lights mentioned to go for. I can see I'm going to end up with a shed full of different lights!

That Fascination looks immense! How far is it from the wall its projecting on?

On this photo it was only about 6ft from the back wall, but it is bright enough to light up a wall or ceiling 30ft away.

The beauty of it is it's size & weight, it's so small and light.

it dose look a mint light

I was going to ask that.

As Brian is a way and I can answer this for him for you, just to put you out of your missery lol

Please do not put food or drink here thankyou.

When I am with Brian what am I doing all night long yup you know taking the drinks to a table.

Sorry a bit off topic


Pete