Ravenbar
Active Member
Local HS's looking to upgrade their lighting system. Budget of ~$350,000 for "new LED stage lighting and console for the auditorium". Their idea is to replace everything, even to the point of adding in moving lights. I feel doing that's going to be streatching the budget extremely thin
I'll say first off that I have little say in the ultimate outcome, as that's up to the architect/school. However I was asked for my input and invited to the meeting with the architect/most likely contractor, as I'm one of 2 people who actually work with the system(I come in every year for the musical and also to do maintanence on things as needed, and one teacher(also musical director) handles it the rest of the year.) Had to work my dayjob that day so sent an email with my ideas.
Current system is as follows:
-ETC Expression 3.0(400ch)
-120 ETC Sensor 2.4k dimmers
-Raceways at all lighting positions, with a single relay power circuit shared between them all(originally had 2, lost one when they replaced the aisle lights) and single DMX out at some positions
-failing inventory of Altman Shakespeares(from ~2008), a handful of Colortran ERS zooms(from ~1991), and bunch of 6" fresnels,Starpars(~2008), Par 64's, (12) Zipstrips for stage downlight and cyc.
My idea is as follows:
-Swap dimmers 1-42(all FOH circuits) to 1.2k dimmers, utilize freed up power for a additional 24 or 48 rack for either dimmers or relays. Relays would be if Shakespeare replacements are DMX controlled, otherwise add additional 1.2k dimmer circuits to FOH. THis is because we never seen to have enough circuits FOH to light all the different zones the director likes to use. Keeping current dimmable circuits in place for current inventory and practicals
-Add additional DMX outputs/relay power outlets to all positions.
-New fixtures, in order of priority
"(40) Altman PHX(150/250?) LED RGB(A/W) zoom - Replacement for the Altman Shakespeares. 36 fixtures be would minimum for 5(currently 4) downstage and 4(currently 3) upstage zones x the 2 groups I've been using the last few years.
-A good size inventory of RGB LED Pars - Replacement for Altman Starpars and PAR 64's
-RGB LED Cyc lights
-RGB(A/W) LED zip strip replacement"
-Toys(moving lights, ect) as budget allows
Also introduced the idea of a new lighting position at the back of the house in a cove of the ceiling, as a means to solve lighting issues at the very front of the pit. Every year during the musical the stage gets built up out into the pit. The current lighting "grid" over this area doesn't extend far enough out from the stage to adequately cover this area. Extending the grid over the seating also wouldn't work as access would be nearly impossible sue to a sloping floor and seats in the way.
Input?
I've been been for the most part out of the indusrty for over a decade, so not sure on current tech. Last time I saw anything more than a cheap RGB par for LED lighting was at the 2005 USITT conference in Toronto. My thoughts then, and I'm sure everyone else there, was "wow, those are vibrant colors, but they have no punch"
My biggest concern with going to a full LED rig is longevity and maintainability. Looking at 10-15+ years until the next major upgrade. With the advances in LED technology in the past 15 years, and also the complexity of fixing them, along with the additional cost of purchase, I feel those concerns are more than justified.
I'll say first off that I have little say in the ultimate outcome, as that's up to the architect/school. However I was asked for my input and invited to the meeting with the architect/most likely contractor, as I'm one of 2 people who actually work with the system(I come in every year for the musical and also to do maintanence on things as needed, and one teacher(also musical director) handles it the rest of the year.) Had to work my dayjob that day so sent an email with my ideas.
Current system is as follows:
-ETC Expression 3.0(400ch)
-120 ETC Sensor 2.4k dimmers
-Raceways at all lighting positions, with a single relay power circuit shared between them all(originally had 2, lost one when they replaced the aisle lights) and single DMX out at some positions
-failing inventory of Altman Shakespeares(from ~2008), a handful of Colortran ERS zooms(from ~1991), and bunch of 6" fresnels,Starpars(~2008), Par 64's, (12) Zipstrips for stage downlight and cyc.
My idea is as follows:
-Swap dimmers 1-42(all FOH circuits) to 1.2k dimmers, utilize freed up power for a additional 24 or 48 rack for either dimmers or relays. Relays would be if Shakespeare replacements are DMX controlled, otherwise add additional 1.2k dimmer circuits to FOH. THis is because we never seen to have enough circuits FOH to light all the different zones the director likes to use. Keeping current dimmable circuits in place for current inventory and practicals
-Add additional DMX outputs/relay power outlets to all positions.
-New fixtures, in order of priority
"(40) Altman PHX(150/250?) LED RGB(A/W) zoom - Replacement for the Altman Shakespeares. 36 fixtures be would minimum for 5(currently 4) downstage and 4(currently 3) upstage zones x the 2 groups I've been using the last few years.
-A good size inventory of RGB LED Pars - Replacement for Altman Starpars and PAR 64's
-RGB LED Cyc lights
-RGB(A/W) LED zip strip replacement"
-Toys(moving lights, ect) as budget allows
Also introduced the idea of a new lighting position at the back of the house in a cove of the ceiling, as a means to solve lighting issues at the very front of the pit. Every year during the musical the stage gets built up out into the pit. The current lighting "grid" over this area doesn't extend far enough out from the stage to adequately cover this area. Extending the grid over the seating also wouldn't work as access would be nearly impossible sue to a sloping floor and seats in the way.
Input?
I've been been for the most part out of the indusrty for over a decade, so not sure on current tech. Last time I saw anything more than a cheap RGB par for LED lighting was at the 2005 USITT conference in Toronto. My thoughts then, and I'm sure everyone else there, was "wow, those are vibrant colors, but they have no punch"
My biggest concern with going to a full LED rig is longevity and maintainability. Looking at 10-15+ years until the next major upgrade. With the advances in LED technology in the past 15 years, and also the complexity of fixing them, along with the additional cost of purchase, I feel those concerns are more than justified.
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