Converting to LED

Apmccandless

Active Member
As the space I work in has transitioned to LED's (Rogue R2 wash, colordash par hex 12, and ovation 910FC) I have noticed that I can't get the intense colors from LED's I could get from gel. The colors I am talking about are the deep blues and purples, the dark reds, and the greens that don't look like a traffic light. For shows I keep renting color scrollers for the old pars. As more spaces transition to LED I was just wondering what others who are faced with this issue are doing.
 
Some LEDs are better at reaching the far ends of the spectrum, particularly the violet end.

Intensity is still a variable so running things at lower intensities still works but you can't get all the frequencies using narrow-band emitters.

Mixing in other colors can be effective in altering the perception of the color, so add a highlight from the opposite side of the color wheel to keep the brain from trying to white-balance the dominant color. Everything is relative.
 
Typically RGB's don't have that large of a spectrum. That's why ETC introduced a Lime emitter in their Colorsourse, those can hit some deep blues and reds but they aren't cheap.

Sadly with LED fixtures, there is always a fight between affordabitlity, lux, and spectrum. A good alternative, in my opinion, is an RGBAW or RGBUV, they give you a slightly larger spectrum. But like @sk8rsdad said, it's all relative and everyone sees color differently. Hopefully, we'll start to see more base model LED's with bright lux and larger spectrums soon. But I doubt it.
 
What color is the dress?

Don't make me cut you.

Talk like that is how someone assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and suddenly it's WWI again.
 
A goodalternative, in my opinion, is an RGBAW or RGBUV, they give you a slightly larger spectrum.
As I noted in my post, most of the lights I am using are either RGBAL or RGBAWUV. My issues with this are that a pure blue is about R80 if I want R382 the various calculators tell me to add red. The issue is that this makes magenta instead of darker blue. I have expirmented with adding UV but there isn't enough punch in the UV circuit to show up.

Sk8rsdad I will definitely expirment with the complimentary color. Do you have an angle that you find works well with this method. I am thinking high side but would love to hear about your experience.

As to the dress issue yes lighting and white balance do affect color, but I have yet to have a scenic designer agree to repaint a set so that my lights look the way I want. Perception is what I am trying to create. R27 in an 8" fresnel has a blood quality that is nuanced. I have tried adding amber or lime to the colordash par red it just looks muddy. I don't want bright happy red I want menacing red.

Thanks for everyone's input.
 
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