Which Hazer?

[BKS8]

I would love to hear what hazer you are using and what things are good about it and which are bad.

Which hazer would you choose for the money and function?

[icewolf08]

Originally Posted by BKS8

I would love to hear what hazer you are using and what things are good about it and which are bad.

Which hazer would you choose for the money and function?

This is an amazingly broad question. "Which hazer would you choose for the money and function?" Well, what do you need it to do? What kind of space/venue are you working in? What kind of haze effect are you looking for? What is your budget? Do you have any concerns about following AEA smoke and haze guidelines?

We own two different hazers, an MDG Atmosphere and a Look Solutions Unique2. Both are good machines, and both are very different in how they operate. I have also worked with the DF-50 and one of the Le Maitre units. The Unique2 is great because we can stick AEA actors right in front of it while it is running while with the MDG there are stricter T/D guidelines. Both units can kick out a lot of haze, in fact on full the Unique2 is almost like a fogger. The MDG runs a little quieter, but it requires CO2 in addition to fluid to operate. The Unique take about 60 seconds to warm up and be ready to use. The Unique2 has onboard DMX control while the MDG requires a DMX adapter.

As for the haze itself, both machines have no problem filling our space. The MDG haze has a longer hangtime I think, but the Unique2 does very well keeping the volume of haze up and is very fluid efficient.

If you are looking for reviews such that you can make a purchase I would suggest calling your local dealers and setting up demos of whatever units they have or can get for you. Your venue makes a big impact on what will look good. Not to mention the fact that it will vary from day to day. However, seeing is the best way to figure out what will work.

[derekleffew]

Ninety-five percent of the shows coming into my building use the Reel EFX DF-50; two to eight units. It is very noisy and fairly expensive, so I would not recommend it for theatre use, but it IS the industry-standard for concerts and corporate shows.

[TimMiller]

I like my MDG atmospheres, but around 4000-5000 if i remember correctly is a bit out of peoples price range though it is well worth it. For a lot of shows i use my atari fazer, it works really well, it is water based unlike the MDG which is oil based and does require CO2 (you always have to be sure to have a spare tank around). Also antari's fluid runs about 20-30 bucks a gallon, and MDG's will run you around 80 for a quart.

[BillESC]

Personally regarding price vs. performance, the Le Maitre Radiance at just over a grand would be my recommendation. On board DMX, quiet and sips fluid.

[Sayen]

I have a single Radiance, in a fairly large theater, and have been very happy with the performance. Reliable, variable levels, and reasonably quiet when placed backstage. Two would be nice, but for my budget one cuts it very nicely.

My one thought is to make sure you can adjust the level of the unit. I've seen a couple of hazers come through with rentals that had great output but no control, so instead of leaving them on low we had to constantly power cycle to keep the haze at an acceptable level.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by Sayen

...My one thought is to make sure you can adjust the level of the unit. I've seen a couple of hazers come through with rentals that had great output but no control, so instead of leaving them on low we had to constantly power cycle to keep the haze at an acceptable level.

The DF-50 I referenced above falls into this category, which is why it gets its own cuelist on a virtual fader, executor button, or macro. Or, it runs from half-hour until show, and, depending on the HVAC's ability to turn over the room, the haze will hang the entire show.

At one theme park, since I was running another show in a theatre next door, I used the Expression3's Real Time Clock to start the hazer and do House Preset, at half hour. I then went next door at 10 minutes to curtain. The previous theatre had a 15 minute delayed cue after curtain call to take out stage lights and bring up works. The joys of theme parks!

[lightman02]

I have the Martin Magnum and have been happy with it. In my opionion it is the same performance if not better as the Le Maitre Radiance. However the older Le Maitre Neutron seem like a much better hazer then the Radiance that they are selling now. I wasn't very impressed with the radiance they are selling now at all.

[quarterfront]

+1 for the LeMaitre Radiance. Small theatre, 436 seats, works well, runs quiet, DMX control, goes through very little fluid.

[len]

I prefer the Radiance over the Neutron, not that it matters since the Neutron is discontinued. Never used the Magnum.