You have $500....

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To spend on lighting alone (this is just for the lights themselves, stands and t-bars will not be counted in the budget). Mostly weddings with an occasional school event mixed in.

What do you get?
 
Get the ADJ Megapixel LED...with a controller you can dim it globally on the fly....You'll appreciate the capability...

I'd go with a 12" mirror ball with to ADJ or Chauvet LED pinspots....you're at about $300.

All you need now is some sort of effect....A Chauvet Swarm or even a Mushroom LED will get you started....

If shipping wasn't a [email protected] could sell you 2 Starball II's a Chauvet Kinta, Chauvet Elan, Chauvet Vue 3, and AN ADJ H20 (halogen) in the range of your budget
 
Well lets see. Someone loaned me a computer not to long ago. I have a Martin Raptor and T-Rex I can let ya borrow for a bit if you want to go sound active. Maybe even trade for the computer if you think it's fair. I don't really use them now that I have an Acrobat.
 
I would get 2 mini color strips and a Martin SCX 500 scanner. Enough lighting to give you coverage of the dance floor and the scanner to give some movement to the area.

Or you can go with the color strips, a ADJ or Chauvet Derby and a Revo Rave. I think that may come out to be a little over the $500 but email Ben. I am sure he has some sort of deal going right now that you can get some lights on the cheap
 
What do you already have?

Without knowing what you already have, it's hard to make a recommendation.

The basics are:

1. Color fill (pars/wash).

2. Moonflowers.

3. Scanners.

4. Other effects (lasers, etc).

The biggest problem I see is people overdoing things. More than once I've seen people with lots of moonflower effects buy even more of the same thing without giving any thought to what they have, or need.

With only $500 - and starting from scratch though?

1. LED panels or a couple LED par cans - possibly with diffusers on them. These make great color fill and I'd be sure to get those that are DMX controllable and also provide for a 'sound active'. Start with sound active, and then move to DMX as your budget allows.

2. Moonflower - I'm a fan of the American DJ LED Reflex. It's a dual head scanning moonflower effect. With your budget I'd consider 2 if you already have the wash. They make a version that DMX controllable which is the route I'd go. These provide LOTS of color and movement.

3. Scanners - I'd consider going with an SCX500 - but they're halogen fixtures. If you can find a comparable product in LED that would be the way to go - but good luck with that. ;)

I can go on, but like I said, without know what you have, it's hard to say where to start.
 
MusicMeister,

I have nothing right now, so it will be starting at a base of zero
 
Then the process I outlined above would give you a good start.

I'd pick up some par cans or something similar for the color wash - and then an LED Reflex or two depending on what you have left.

I'll be real honest - I use a pair of the reflexes and they're a great basic light and it's often enough for most of the weddings I do.
 
Patrick,

If you are working with a lighting budget of $500 you need to keep it very simple with the most effect possible within that budget.

Par 38 cans and bulbs are relatively cheap and a simple DMX controller and a couple of dimmer packs you should be ok for starters! The problem is Dimmer packs and DMX controllers are going to eat up you money pretty fast as about the lowest priced gear you are going to find is still going to run you about a bill each so you are already down to $200 for par cans and you still don't have a truss or T-bar, a single T-bar is going to run you about another bill so now you are down to $100 for pars! If you do some serious e-bay shopping you can get then very reasonable though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Par-38-cans-Bla...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3efe7b2a1f

Now you have your 8 par cans with bulbs for $17 each two gel packs will hit you for another $30.

http://cgi.ebay.com/24-x-Lee-Lighti...ec_LightingLEDsStrobes_RL&hash=item22f9882b68

Get two T-bars for another $140.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Odyssey-12-...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eac3f611e

Now this leaves you with $140 not enough to buy a full blown DMX controller and two Dimmer packs but you can go this route for the time being!

http://cgi.ebay.com/MBT-RSP844-8-Ch...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bbe1a15e

Now for under $500 you have a good useable lighting system that will last you for several years and can be added onto as money permits. I am still using par 38 cans that have been in use 10+ years, I have just added LED Pars to my setups but still drag those par 38s out from time to time!
 
Thunder said:
Patrick,

If you are working with a lighting budget of $500 you need to keep it very simple with the most effect possible within that budget.

Par 38 cans and bulbs are relatively cheap and a simple DMX controller and a couple of dimmer packs you should be ok for starters! The problem is Dimmer packs and DMX controllers are going to eat up you money pretty fast as about the lowest priced gear you are going to find is still going to run you about a bill each so you are already down to $200 for par cans and you still don't have a truss or T-bar, a single T-bar is going to run you about another bill so now you are down to $100 for pars! If you do some serious e-bay shopping you can get then very reasonable though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Par-38-cans-Bla...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3efe7b2a1f

Now you have your 8 par cans with bulbs for $17 each two gel packs will hit you for another $30.

http://cgi.ebay.com/24-x-Lee-Lighti...ec_LightingLEDsStrobes_RL&hash=item22f9882b68

Get two T-bars for another $140.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Odyssey-12-...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2eac3f611e

Now this leaves you with $140 not enough to buy a full blown DMX controller and two Dimmer packs but you can go this route for the time being!

http://cgi.ebay.com/MBT-RSP844-8-Ch...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19bbe1a15e

Now for under $500 you have a good useable lighting system that will last you for several years and can be added onto as money permits. I am still using par 38 cans that have been in use 10+ years, I have just added LED Pars to my setups but still drag those par 38s out from time to time!
Click to expand...

Not sure if you saw this part of the post. But he said he isn't including the stand or T-Bar into the $500 price limit. "(this is just for the lights themselves, stands and t-bars will not be counted in the budget)"
 
atomicfission92 said:
Not sure if you saw this part of the post. But he said he isn't including the stand or T-Bar into the $500 price limit. "(this is just for the lights themselves, stands and t-bars will not be counted in the budget)"
Click to expand...


In that case you go ahead and get a DMX controller and dimmer packs (much more flexability!
 
You may as well buy some stuff at spencers gifts if your going to resort to par can effects. Dimmer shmimmer Packs fades whatever. Buy a 4bar and a Chauvet effect. Buy the Q Beast simply the best single unit available to date. If I didnt have two Martin Acrobats I would simply use this with my 4Bar.
 
Jon properly used par cans do cover an open venue nicely and if you think that an LED light bar can even come close you must have a very special LED light system, I have four LED 80s and they don't even come close to the brightness of a 150 watt par 38.

I like the LEDs for their ease of use and color versatility, but for output and brightness I am going to pull out the Par cans everytime. I noticed even at the big concerts where they are using 100 huge moving head lights they also have a tremendous number of regular par cans setup as well! LEDs are nice don't get me wrong but certain applications they are useless for over conventional bulb systems (like for lighting a mirror ball)
 
Or, you could find somebody in your area that already does lighting and use them. Pass the cost along in your fee.

That's what I do. Most of the time my clients don't want lights. All of the time I don't want to haul them, set them up, take them down, or be responsible for them. So, I have several folks I work with. I tell the clients that want lights just that.
 
I'm a firm believer in what I said earlier.

Color wash - par cans - are the core effect needed for a dance floor. Anything else is an add on above that. Properly handled color wash can be sufficient for a basic dance.

Add in a moonflower with movement (like the relfex I mentioned) and you have enough lighting for 90% of the events that most people do.

There isn't any reason to make this complicated.


As for the traditional vs. led route, I 'sort of' agree with Thunder. Without going to a very large LED fixture, you simply aren't going to get the same amount of light out of an LED fixture that you will out of a traditional PAR 38.

But you don't have to use 150 watt floods. I've scaled back to a 90 watt energy efficient bulb that only draws 70 watts and puts out 1550 lumens of light. That is a LOT of light. Gels are cheap - I buy sheets for under $7 and just cut what I need. BTW, I get 18 gels to a sheet. ;)

When you use traditional par cans you'll need electronics to handle the chase sequences and to shut them off. There are a couples way to make this happen, but all of them use a dimmer pack - either DMX or proprietary.

LED's are catching up and are good for basic moonflower effects, but color wash would take a larger LED par can to get the same amount of light as a traditional fixture. But if you're able to find an inexpensive LED par 64 then it might make sense to go that route.

There are some people using LED fixtures with decent results, but they tend to be more expensive than the traditional fixtures.



But I should add this. Having a fixture or two for lighting is one thing. If you want to do 'big' lighting shows, then TommyO has a great recommendation. Hire it done. Lighting is a LOT of work. I have a lot going on and lighting would just be another thing I have to worry about. I'd hire it done if I could (but I can't because there isn't a decent lighting company near me - so I'm doing it myself).
 
Two Led washes..either cans or the bars.


And one movement light..to fill the room. The mushroom is a great cheap effect. Compared to all the other cool lights...the mushroom is pretty simple. But it does fill a medium sized room just fine..and it at least gets movement into your show.

This would be a simple light show..that is simple, and not over the top.


You could easily score this for under $500.
 
DJMN said:
Two Led washes..either cans or the bars.


And one movement light..to fill the room. The mushroom is a great cheap effect. Compared to all the other cool lights...the mushroom is pretty simple. But it does fill a medium sized room just fine..and it at least gets movement into your show.

This would be a simple light show..that is simple, and not over the top.


You could easily score this for under $500.
Click to expand...

And scanners....eh you don't need them just yet. For $500 you are trying to get a basic light show. Don't kill your budget on a scanner. I have 6 2.0 Intimdators that I do not use at all anymore...and they were a great lighting effect in their day.

I did a wedding last night...three pro 64 Leds....and two dual gems...not one complaint.


This light show..(in my area) is more than enough to satisfy most nights of dj work that I do.
 
(1) Martin Mania EFX 600 (for effects)
(2) Chauvet Techno Strobe RGB's (for fill)

You would have to find a killer deal on EBAY for the EFX. Anything under $400 is a good deal IMO. The techno strobes are a good buy if they are under $120 including shipping.
 
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