Mac Cases

[Footer]

So before I started work here, the facility bought 4 mac250's. Unfortunately, they bought just the lights, no cases, no clamps, nothing. I am going to go with mega clamps of course, but I just wanted to get some opinions on what type of case to get. I am not the biggest fan of the drawer type case that it seams almost all Mac2ks are in. I know where to get the best case possible, but I don't think I need that. These things will only see a back of a truck maybe 6 times a year, other then that they will be hanging or sitting in the light shop in their cases. So, give me a mid range case, don't need a 365 day a year truck pack but also don't want an ebay special.

 

[soundlight]

What flavor of MAC250? The originals, krypton, or entour? If you can afford 'em, Martin makes killer cases for the current 250 line that are the standard nose-down in the case kind of deal, not the drawer-style cases unless they've changed the design in the past 6 months or so.

 

[Footer]

What flavor of MAC250? The originals, krypton, or entour? If you can afford 'em, Martin makes killer cases for the current 250 line that are the standard nose-down in the case kind of deal, not the drawer-style cases unless they've changed the design in the past 6 months or so.

They are the Kryptons. I'll take a look at Martin's new cases.

Why they bought a 17 deg fixture for spaces with 20' trims is beyond me. No iris, bad colors in the wheel (that'll change), and a tight fixture makes this thing so wonderful for theatre....

 

[soundlight]

Ugh...kryptons for theatre...please tell me you're switching out almost all of the gobos as well? We have some nice new Entours at the place that I worked this summer, and those have a decent gobo selection even if they've still got the lousy beam angle and are missing the all-important iris...and even the Entours only have an 18 degree beam angle. Sounds like 2 MAC 550s would've been a better choice...oh well, you have what you have, the Martin cases should do just fine.

 

[Footer]

Gobos are next. We also have 4 techno-iris's laying around. The sad thing is I don't have any scrollers what so ever. We could have used that money to buy 25 smart color scrollers, but I have what I have. I have a power supply issue with one... so hopefully I can get that cleared up.

 

[CavezziMagnum]

Yeah, our entire Intelligent lighting inventory is comprised of MAC 250, 700 and 2k Pro. We have the hanging cases you talk about for the 2k's, but the 250's and 700s have a nose down case, where you slide the fixture into the case. Each holds 2 fixtures. They're out there.

 

[TimMiller]

look around for some used ones. Try gear source and T2K

 

[toshiboy]

Even though the Entours don't have the best Gobo and Colour wheels in the world, the price you get them for is great, and they have lowered the prices again in the past 6 months. One great thing in the Entours is the Studio Mode, It is great for theatre application, but saying that, i love the noise it makes when set to default, wooooo!!!! To your question about the price, here in the UK, you can get a brand new flighting for the Martin Entour/Kryptop (as they use the same flightcase) for £743, price is from AC Lighting UK.

 

[ruinexplorer]

I can't vouch for them, but I just got a catalog from Hybrid Cases and they have the bottom tray style (I know you weren't looking for that in particular) but the price seems right up your alley. They also have this crazy Wrap-n-Roll bag case (Hybrid Cases) if you want to be extremely careful with shipping your gear.

 

[soundlight]

I can't vouch for them, but I just got a catalog from Hybrid Cases and they have the bottom tray style (I know you weren't looking for that in particular) but the price seems right up your alley. They also have this crazy Wrap-n-Roll bag case (Hybrid Cases) if you want to be extremely careful with shipping your gear.

I also got their catalog, a few weeks ago. Looks like decent stuff, not top-of-the line by any means, and I wouldn't put it up to the rigors of a rental/production house, but it seems all right for personal gigs and for applications such as this.

 

[DarSax]

I don't understand how the "wrap and roll" case is safer than a standard road/flightcase. I guess more padded for shock damage, but I'd imagine the lack of hard shell would still be better in most applications? (Not to mention, stackability?)

 

[soundlight]

Charc, you know very well how hard it is to move things financially in an educational setting.

 

[Footer]

Can you sell the lights? You've pointed out that you don't need them, and it seems that your designers will get more flexibility out of scroller systems than four sub-par movers.

I also have a pretty large schedule of flash and trash shows, so they will get used. I have about 10-15k to spend a year on large purchases, this year we bought a 30' genie and the 4 movers, next year I am aiming for 20-30 scrollers.

And no, after a school district owns something it is nearly impossible to rid yourself of it. There is a warehouse next to the district headquarters that is just full of stuff. We are apart of a district that has 14,000 employees and 15 high schools, 20 or so middle schools, and 40ish elementary schools. There is a bit of red tape.