Color blending on low end LEDs?

tgates

Member
I brought this up in another thread, but thought I might bring it into it's own topic to avoid getting things too far off topic. Recently, a client brought in a ADJ LED fixture with a problem. It seems that the different colored LEDs each have different beam angles, and so, causes 'halos' of colors. The particularly bad one is mixing amber you end up with this sickish looking green halo without a rather heavy defuision.

My question is, is this something anyone has noticed in other instruments? Our shop uses Colorblasts/Blazes and we've not ever noticed anything like this. Is this common or was this just this particular light?
 
I believe it's very common with low end LED's... and one of the key reasons you pay the big bucks for the good stuff.
 
I have three Chauvet Colorado 1s that I haven't seen too much of that with. The only time I have seen it is at really close range. Once you get about ten feet away the blending problems go away. Put something within a couple of feet and nothing blends.
 
Chauvet seems to do a respectable job concerning variable beam spread of their LED's. This is really where it counts. Sure, a company like American DJ can churn out dozens of various models of LED kit, but with LED it's the design that matters. The better companies spend the time to not only design fixtures but take things like the individual diodes into consideration. I swear AMDJ is just sticking random LED's on a circuit board, stuffing them in a black plastic box and calling it "the greatest LED thing ever". The cheap chinese cans are just that. Tape some diffusion to them.

I respect Chauvet. They are easily on the upper crust of the DJ market.
 
Since many members of CB are ordering or have LED kit already, I suggest that after this most recent round of purchases comes in (mostly the (in)famous colorsplash jrs), we create a thread where everyone gives their review of their fixture, takes pictures, and does a shootout against the closest matched incandescent fixture. For those of us with Jrs, this may very well end up being inkies or even birdies.
 
The cheapest LED fixture I have in stock is an Opti 30 RGB (just ordered some more :grin:). Those bend very nicely for the price. If you are up on the fixture, you might notice a halo, mainly for green blue combinations, since blues are in the middle and green the outside. Red blue combinations seem fine. DLED 36s, no problem at all. Opti RGBs, no problem over distance, didn't try them as up light. I ended up with them by mistake, so I tried them out before sending them back :lol:.

Just a quick note about Opti RGB vs DLED 36. The Opti is actually brighter then the DLED thanks to its 10 degree beam angle. However, the DLED has a 39 degree beam angle and almost manages to keep up with a 750w S4 Parnel at the same size and color. See here.

The AMDJ stuff I have seen always has halo problems. Like what gaff said, you get what you pay for. LEDs aren't really main stream yet, so cheaper fixtures will have their problems.
 
Since many members of CB are ordering or have LED kit already, I suggest that after this most recent round of purchases comes in (mostly the (in)famous colorsplash jrs), we create a thread where everyone gives their review of their fixture, takes pictures, and does a shootout against the closest matched incandescent fixture. For those of us with Jrs, this may very well end up being inkies or even birdies.
Hey, what a great idea! Let's use this thread!

BTT: I am not at all happy with the beam of the COLORsplash Jr. The RED has a hole smack in the middle, and when trying to mix "white," every color imaginable is visible in different parts of the beam. The RED is not very deep, and the GRN is too cyan, but the BLU is a nice deep, rich blue, but it will only be seen if no other light in the room is lit. YMMV.
 
I have three Chauvet Colorado 1s that I haven't seen too much of that with. The only time I have seen it is at really close range. Once you get about ten feet away the blending problems go away. Put something within a couple of feet and nothing blends.

Is it the scalloping from the multiple LEDs that is the problem? Or is it the halo like on the ADJ fixture I saw? For me, at least, less then 10 feet is the biggest use of LEDs for lighting walls, props, scenery, etc. I would never do a wash on a stage with any RGB LED fixture except for effects and other special circumstances.
 
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In my tests of them, the COLORado 1s seem to have quite a nice wash beam. It must be taken into account that I am working mostly in a blackbox setting, so I don't have incredibly long throws. From my experience so far, they give a very nice, even color wash in a blackbox with no gel purchase required. I've been rather impressed, really.
 
... The cheap chinese cans are just that. Tape some diffusion to them.

I respect Chauvet. They are easily on the upper crust of the DJ market.
My COLORsplash Jr. box has a sticker that says "Made in P.R.O.C." I wonder what it is covering?

It does have a "CE" logo on the fixture, however.
 

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