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Well, that's a bunch of "it depends".

What are you into? What sort of lights do you want to provide for your clients? Do you want to do a full on light show or the typical DJ "high-tech FX" stuff? What sort of rooms are using "playing"? How big, what type of crowds, what type of music?

Easily set-up? What do you mean? I find a 10-foot truss easy to set up, but LTS-2 stands are easy too. Or you you want stuff you can just mount on a speaker stack or on the floor or a raised surface?

I do concerts and events, so what works for me probably would not do what you would need. DJ needs and event/concert needs don't tend to ovelap too much.

Here's my suggestions:

Get a couple of LED scanners and an LED centerpeice like the LED Mystic DMX, or Starball DMX or Sunray Tri-LED DMX.

There are so many choices that could be either good or bad depending on how you want to use it and what you want to use it for. I'd say cruise the ADJ site really fast and watch the videos to get ideas. Start budgetting IMMEDIATELY because it's super easy to get over-budget. Download the latest MyDMX from the ADJ web site and install that. Test RIGHT AWAY with your hardware to ensure all is well. Then, get out the house and start gigging. Also, PLEASE ensure you get some Accucable for your DMX wiring and buy or build a DMX terminator. These are also things you're going to need.

In the near future, as your lighting rig grows, consider an Elation OptoBranch/4 DMX repeater.
I will use a simple t-bar stand with 3 lights. I do mobile discos and karaoke so ideally I want lights that have the ability to run to the beat of the music and also be used for stahe lighting when I am doing a karaoke spot. I see that mydmx can not switch on and off the sound activate feature but I read in a post that there are lights available that have a dmx channel to turn this on and off. Anybody know which these lights are ?

Thanks for the help
If all you're running is 3 lights on a tree, then perhaps MyDMX is over-kill for now. Just use a cheap controller and a dimmer pack and power them on/off via setting the dimmer pack channels to switcher mode.

But if you stick with MyDMX, then on the plus side, it will grow with you. Also, for those who don't mind a bit of a learning curve, the work you put into MyDMX makes it easier on you later on, so for the price, it's in my opinion a better way to go anyways.

As far as your valid issue about "what lights have sound active in DMX mode" query, the best way to answer that question is for you to cruise the ADJ web site, find the fixtures you're looking at and then download manuals. Inside the manual is a listing of DMX attributes. That listing will show the fixtures in various channel modes(if they have multiple modes) and what features are available. Not all lights that can do sound active in stand-alone mode have had sound active implemented into their DMX attributes.

MyDMX can shut off a feature if your fixture is in DMX mode, AND IF the feature exists in DMX mode that you are trying to enable/disable.

Now, since you're into stage lighting that can be used in sound active mode, let me give you a fixture that I have: the 64 LED Pro. This fixture is a Parcan 64-style light with RGB color mixing(no gels needed, make any color you want). The fixture also supports strobing and also sound active, although I'm still playing with the sound active mode stuff to refine it, especially since I am using that in part of a show I am working on.

But, even though you are doing a "karaoke spot"(my live sound production company offers karaoke services), you might want to see about a bigger area wash light, such as the Mega Panel or Punch Pro, so download those manuals as well. I think the wider area coverage will benefit you better.

As far as other lights, are you intending to shoot stuff into the audience or keep it on the stage/performer? The reason I ask is because you may want to consider a pair of centerpieces, or a centerpiece and a scanner perhaps.

I find the combination of videos and manuals really helps me start the decision making process. However, in my case, my needs have become more and more complex and demanding, so I have to rely on additional help to ensure I'm going down the right path.

One thing you do want to do is evenly load your t-bar and stand. You can also mount 1 fixture on the stand itself in order to keep the T-bar itself reasonably balanced. You're also going to want to invest in some safety cables and come up with a way to ensure your lights don't slip off the T-bar. You also have other choices to make. You can use the included bolts to secure lights to the T-Bar, but use your own judgment if you're going to do this or not, which comes down to safe transport. You can get Super Clamps or C or S clamps to secure your lights as well. For me, I prefer the ADJ O-Clamps, as they are non-marking and I leave them on the fixtures. If you plan on mounting something on the stand itself, DO get the o-clamps so you don't mark up the finish. They aren't that much if you buy them for the amount of lights you have.

In short, you have a lot of research and work to do. I also don't think you're done asking questions either. My suggestion now is to check out lights that you think look cool or address your application needs and then download and read the PDF file for those products. After you've narrowed it down for a bit, chances are you're going to have questions again, which would be the right time to ask questions in regards to fixtures.

In the meantime, since it appears you're going down the MyDMX route, you'll no doubt have questions about that as well. Those questions you shouldn't wait for.
A lot rotating gobos for one. higher quality lamp source and output. prism wheel. Two gobo wheels. I would say better colors but that is my opinion. all this is have mentioned is a feature not found on the x move but on the vizi spot LED. In fact if you watch both videos i believe you should see the differences yourself.
Sincerely,
Going back to your original question, Chris is right with suggesting LED. Don't forget that any lamp over 100w has been/will be taken out of production, plus they are alot more versitile(sp?). I didn't read his second post in full, but did catch the suggetion that mydmx is big for 3 fixtures. Correct. To get a controller? Would sound to light be a good way to go? That's really your call.

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