well, last night I had a gig, one of my simpler ones, except this time I had quite a bit of LED lighting:
8 64 LED Pros
4 Mega Bar 50's
4 Mega Panels
All controlled via DMX.
Show went off well. Initial problems were that MyDMX didn't launch properly so I had to reboot. After reboot, all was well, things went great. I was also redoing some of my scenes on site because I hadn't fully incorporated the new fixtures into the mix yet. Sure, there were some down times, but that was me mainly tweaking some scenes. I didn't get them all done, but I got a few done.
Now, onto bigger news:
Amber's Sweets, February 27, 2010
This is the big show I work on, at least one of them.
The show is getting RAVE reviews. It is largely due in part to ADJ lighting. With 8 64 LED Pros, 4 Mega Panel 50's, and only 2 Mega Panels(the other two came in a few days later), 4 non-ADJ fixtures that have now been retired, 2 movers(same brand, not retired) and 2 follow spots(also not retire, and same non-ADJ brand), it was one hell of a show. Reviewers are LOVING this show. Of course, being a fan of Repo! The Genetic Opera helps a lot too. I'm not fan of this movie, but I enjoy the work and challenge. For a simple lighting design, I have managed to get quite a lot done.
Right now I'm researching mainly LED options to replace all the non ADJ fixtures with ADJ equivalents. My biggest issue is the follow spot, which Jingles is helping me with, as I'm trying to go with a DMX controlled follow spot(dimmer and color wheel). I'm worried about brightness. Although, this may vanish as I had good luck running them manually at the last show using the intercom system I developed using my wireless in-ears and headset mics. Hey, why have the stuff if you won't use it, right? This may give me many more options, as well as higher output. One of my issues with my existing spots is the relatively low output, despite the rating. I need higher output but lowest draw possible, so I'll be definately investigating things. But, having DMX is a major plus. Perhaps offline, ADJ might recommend better bulbs that are within spec and safety parameters.
MyDMX has proven that despite limitations, it can be a quite suitable product for a live show, including a production that is more of a theatrical nature but has hard timelines.
A note about the Mega Panel 50's: Liking these, that's for sure. But, be careful how to aim them, so take your time and do it right. I was using them for supplemental fill in a foot-light sort of position and I had to aimed them at a very low angle. This is not a problem, just was something I noted for my big event. Second, the IEC pass-thru is just fantastic. It even helps me set the lights since that spread works with the 6-foot pass-thru cables I bought. Third, I had a problem with an end-cap, so Support sent me out a replacement, which arrived just in time. These guys kick serious butt! ADJ support is fantastic!
The Mega Panels: I have them in a tight cluster, all mounted to a floor-mounted i-beam truss. Wish they had the IEC pass-thru, but they're all connected to a power strip on there, so it's all good. I'm going to leave them on there like that for fast set and strike. I keep them pre-wired for DMX and power.
My 8 64 LED Pros are permanently on a T-bar. While they don't fit great in the Arriba case I have for them, it's OK. Pre-wired for DMX and power, with all positions channel labeled, stage side labeled and DMX in/out sides labelled, they go up fast and down fast on the LTS-2 stand they go up on. Lighting set takes 15 minutes now, this is a massive improvement. I am still looking for better power cable management, but that will come in time.
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