S4 Par

[stantonsound]

How do you store Source Four Par lenses? This goes for in house usage as well as touring/taking on road.

[soundlight]

We have a rack on the wall that holds all five types (ACL, VNSP, NSP, MFL, and WFL. Yes, we got some of the early ones with the ACL's). The rack is 3/4 ply back board, and there are six 6" dividers that come off of that, with a bottom board. There are also two inch (or so) wide strips of 3/4 ply or 1x2 that ensure that the lenses won't come out. Hard to describe. If I was back at college, I could get a picture of it, because it's a great system. And, we always put the thin foam sheets between the lenses.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by stantonsound

How do you store Source Four Par lenses? This goes for in house usage as well as touring/taking on road.

Well, how many are we talking about here? And why do you need to tour with many?

We have ~100 of each type of lens. We store them in plastic bins with flapper lids. We have a random collection of either paper towels or the foam from the original packaging to use between lenses. Doesn't always happen though.

The lenses cost $4-6 (except the XWFL's), so for us the time you'd spend trying to be extra careful with them isn't warranted. We've probably killed 10-12 lenses in about seven years (and half of those were in one incident).

--Sean

[stantonsound]

Different spaces call for different lenses. Quite often, you don't know what you need until you get in the venue. If you are going to 30 different venues in three months, you really can't preplan each.

[wolf825]

Originally Posted by stantonsound

How do you store Source Four Par lenses? This goes for in house usage as well as touring/taking on road.

Most will have road cases with slots--and venues will often use road boxes or shelfs with the soft packing foam around them.. FWIW I did see one show use the Packing Boxes you buy at the Moving Supplies Stores that are designed with foam padded slots to hold Dinner Plates & China, used for S4 Par lenses.. Not sure how they fared on the road, but it was an interesting off the shelf idea and seemed pretty sturdy for general in-house use idea....

-w

[Lightingguy32]

The plastic Tupperware boxes are a good idea. Another not so smart way that I have seen lenses stored up as are in card board boxes about the size of the lenses. The lenses are just stacked on top of the next and that makes for a risky situation, if any sharp material is stuck in between 2 lenses, it will scratch them up both.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Lightingguy32

The plastic Tupperware boxes are a good idea. Another not so smart way that I have seen lenses stored up as are in card board boxes about the size of the lenses. The lenses are just stacked on top of the next and that makes for a risky situation, if any sharp material is stuck in between 2 lenses, it will scratch them up both.

Hmmm... Though remember that the lenses are MUCH more forgiving than say Leko lenses. These are floodlight lenses, not precision ground projection lenses. These are also probably the boxes in which the lenses were shipped.

Incidently, if you want to make cleaning them easy: Run them through the dishwasher. Works great. Don't, of course, do that with your leko lenses!!

--Sean

[stantonsound]

I figured that someone made raodcases for these, but I have never seen one, nor have I found one in my search. Anyone know of one?

[avkid]

Originally Posted by stantonsound

I figured that someone made raodcases for these, but I have never seen one, nor have I found one in my search. Anyone know of one?

I could tell you about a bunch of places that would gladly make one for you if you wish.

[stantonsound]

I know a bunch of case manufacturers, but was not looking to reinvent the wheel. If there is such a thing, I would like to see it. If not, no problem. I am ordering a workstation style roadcase now, with 2 sets of drawers and could come up with a drawer for one.