Needing LED Solutions for big area!

Hey Chris, good to hear you are keeping busy.

Anyway, if you are looking to double your budget to around 2 grand, I would seriously look at the Elation Design Brick 36. For 2 grand, you can get around 5 of them, meaning one every 10' with a 5' buffer on the ends of your coverage area. They can be hung or have a stand, 3 pin or 5 pin DMX, power in and thru, and 3 different beam angles (28 degree standard, 40 and 60 degree optional). Only a 59w max power draw as well. And with 12x3w LEDs a piece, they will blow away anything AMDJ has (minus the Theatrix Pro 48 LED and even then, only in white and some pastels). Plus they have 5 channel modes as well for a bunch of different control options (3, 4, 6, 12, and 15).

Great lights. I have wanted to grab some for myself, just nothing that has come up yet for a excuse for me to buy them lol. Probably the best bang for the buck you are going to get with how much you are looking to spend.

Well, my mounting options are going to be:
T-stands on sides of area or ground/floor mounting. If I mount on the ground, I use i-beam sections for that(I have 2 spare 5-foot i-beam sections) to help ensure things stay put and don't tip over! Power draw is well within acceptable limits. Going LED gives me all sorts of wiggle room as far as power is concerned. The 4,6 and 15 channel mode gives me the functionality I ideally need, with the 15 channel being a front-runner, but ideally I'd like to see the 15 channel mode include 3 more channels for a per bank dimming, which would be absolutely perfect.

The Theatrix48 is way out of my budget as I have to hit too many angles.

One thing I like about the ADJ product with the Mega Pixel is that I can have them chase within themselves, which is a handy feature my clients want. I can easily see the Brick doing the same thing, or at least a similar function. With the linking mode, that would seem to open up a few more options as well.

But the immediate application is wash, which any of the lights you mentioned can do. I have to think a few steps forward. Clearly, you're on that same page too.

My budget issues are unclear. I know what I can spend, but I also need to get a hazer, and that is gonna kick my butt around too.

I think I would be foolish to go with the Punch Pros. I think the light is great, but it's too limited as far as future and functionality as it's just a wash light.

I really have two self imposed restrictions. 1 is budget, and I can definately spend around $1000 to $1500. Issue 2 is that any products I see must be ADJ or Elation products as much as possible. The hazer is an optional purchase but I really want to get that because I know it will enhance the look of the show. I really don't care about showing light beams, I like how it will help give the entire performance area more of a "film look", which is the effect I'm after. As such, the lighting will benefit anyways.

I'm still open to suggestions. I know I have the event December 12th, and everything is crunch time right now. I just got a 1.5 day video shoot, so I gotta deal with that festival of fun as well now too. But I don't see that being a big problem.

I should draw a picture.

Unless someone is going to show me some serious love on pricing, I don't think getting 4 of the Bricks will work out. I also see some shortcomings in the features based on how I'd use them outside of this event. Fantastic fixture though.

Hmmmm. Then maybe some Opti 30 RGBs or Opti 30 Tri's. Opti 30 Tri's are about $20 less a fixture and Opti 30 RGBs about $100 less a fixture then a DB 36.

Can also check out some 46HP LED Pro's. Those are going for around $300 a piece. 18x1w LEDs, they are really good in terms of wattage per dollar. Not as many features as the Elations, but cheaper. Also note that it doesn't say if they are flicker free for video (all Elation LED fixtures are flicker free).

Few more options to weigh.

I'll keep that in mind as well. I just wonder about the spread because since I won't have over-head lighting as an option, I have less throw and angle.

The Mega Pixel, I like the internal chasing and the grouping functionality. The price is within the same ballpark. Just wish I had stuff to mess with. This is stuff I can only really know if my gamble works is by others saying "yup, acceptable".

Chris post your questions about the elation gear you have in the elation forums and i will have my boss answer your questions.
Sincerely,

Spread on the Opti 30s is 25 degree angle, much bigger then the P64's you are use to which have like a 10 degree angle.


Also, sorry about the price on the 46HP. Might want to have some people from AMDJ call a few people Jim. I just did a quick google shopping search when I entered the price.

quote:

Originally posted by SerraAva:
Also, sorry about the price on the 46HP. Might want to have some people from AMDJ call a few people Jim. I just did a quick google shopping search when I entered the price.

I'm not sure I understand.
Sincerely,

I will email you about it tomorrow.

Ok.

Serra Ava posted a price, I edited the price off his posting just to resolve policy issues. Easy mistake.

I think because of budgetting, I'm going to have to stick with ADJ products. Not that that is a bad thing, mind you, just, budgetting is tight and my outstanding clients are slow to pay, so it really hoses things up.

Better than a client who makes me pay for their maintenance up front, then turns around on me and says "Oh, and by the way, we're gonna pay monthly, and on top of that, you'll have to bill us monthly in the rear AND wait 45 days after that to get paid", so I'm eating it 6 ways from Sunday, and all they are serving are poop sandwiches.

I'm not ruling out Elation, but I am thinking 2 things: Short term application is wide area wash, plus I'll be doing more of these shows, so it's not like this is a one-off purchase. But 2, I want a more "feature laden" product that gives me more options after the fact.

For example, assuming Serra Ava is dead on with the 64 LED Pros being a 10-degree spread, that means I gotta put some distance between mounting position and stage to get decent coverage. Typically, I gotta put the stands ON the stage and throw right now. This is more of a Mega Panel, Power Shot or Mega Pixel application. 2 lights per side, and boom: I'm done, leave the 64 LED Pros in the truck. Strike and set goes super fast as they are already mounted to T-Bars and pre-wired as much as possible.

But I'm also listening/reading as to what Serra Ava is saying and taking his input into consideration as well. As I've said, a built in restriction is to stick with Elation or ADJ products, which I don't see as being a fault.

One thing I saw a band do was with the Chauvet equivalent of the Mega Pixel and I really liked that: the internal chasing stuff. I may have that being shown in some video from May of 2009 on my pictures page. Bands really like me doing the chase stuff, so if I can use fewer fixtures and do the same thing.... well, that just makes good business sense.

The biggest concern is "how much spread do I get out of a Mega Pixel" and how deep will it effectively penetrate. I'm fairly sold on it and at the retail price I've seen it at, but honestly, is it the best I should get? Maybe I am better off looking at some 56 LED Pro's instead?

It takes me a while to wrap my head around new products that I'm not familiar with when it comes to lighting. The ADJ videos are great, but the manuals and videos and online descriptions simply fail in providing me the information I need.

I have to cover an area an estimated 50 feet wide by 20 feet deep, and will be using 2 Color Fusions as center up/footlight wash/fill to augment whatever 4 fixtures I purchase. Movers will cover back area fill. Spots are unclear what the hell is going on with those. Existing lights will continue to cover the stage.

If I gotta use the Par38's, I will. If getting LED replacement bulbs(screw-in dimmable replacements, 32 of these and can be gel'ed and not give problems, or RGB+white bulbs, 8 of each) can be done in a cost effective manner, that's another option to explore. I'm looking at like a re-fit, making my own LS70 LED system by simply buying new screw-in bulbs for my existing Par38's and re-using my DP-DMX20L's. THe bulbs are all I need, and I'm find with ADJ using RGB+Yellow, as that's what I've been gel'ing my Par38's for 7 years anyways. But the per bulb price becomes cost probitive at the MSRP price.

So many things to think about. I mean, I can compromise and go strictly with wash lights and work around any limitations they have.

The immediate sitation is difficult because I don't have many options without blocking sightlines and a wide area.

If I go with more of a spot/beam, I want to have 8, so I can have somewhat over-lapping zones, and with a wide beam, I can cover more areas easier. I'll have time to focus because I can boot the cast during one of their many smoke breaks.

I dislike following up my own posts:

Director is waffling over the floor area. The good news it that it may save me money NOW, and I can re-allocate funds to a Mr. Cool or similar type device and a hazer. We'll see. I have some invoicing to take care of, some funds to flow in. Might help me take some the the financial stress off this whole situation.

Now I'm off to find an affordable snow machine and a Mr. Cool type device, both being DMX capable(I hope).