Help identifying a fixture & recreating that look

[loneinsider]

For starters, if there's a more appropriate place to post this or any other lighting forums out there that may be helpful for what I'm asking here, please let me know.

I'm seeking advice, feedback and direction on two things.

1) I'm trying to confirm, if possible, what type of lighting fixture is being used in the video & photo links that follow. Would that be a Studio Spot 250 by High End Systems? or maybe something else?
Here's the video:

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and the photos:
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/loneinsider/SarcasticParty-StudioSpot_zps4c9fd4f1.jpeg
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc455/loneinsider/SarcasticParty-Light_zpsb9126c53.jpeg

2) How to recreate the effect, probably best seen in the photos or toward the end of that video clip where there are mulitple beams reflecting off the mirror ball, when I may not have the budget for a Studio Spot 250 unless they sell used for a bit less than I'm thinking they do....any suggestions on other less expensive or feature packed fixtures by someone like Chauvet or ADJ (Inno Spot, etc) would be highly appreciated. The main thing I'm going for is using just one main fixture to create a mood & vibe like they did in the video, through multiple color options & the multiple beams of light reflecting off the mirror ball. So color changing ability and a bright focused beam with tight beam angle are what I'm assuming would be the most important features I require, and the ability to control those remotely via DMX, software or some other control (suggestions, pros/cons appreciated)...all taking a limited budget into account. Oh, and the strobe feature would be nice as well. I believe those are the key things I'm looking for within the limitations of my particular situation (of which I'm happy to provide further detail if you need it.) The simplified version of those limitations being a small space/short throw from fixture to mirror ball, and a budget that likely won't allow for a high end pro fixture. That's the quick version. Taking it a bit further, beyond the color changing ability, bright/tight beam of light, and the strobe, things like moving head/motion control, triple prism, etc would be nice, but aren't a requirement, and things like gobos are even further down the list & probably not needed at all. I gather there may not be a fixture that offers that type of high level lighting beam, color choices/quality, strobing effects, and remote control of those elements, while sacrificing all the other features I don't need, at least not as much as I need a better price point than say a Studio Spot 250, but that's what I'm hoping you guys may be able to confirm, deny or help point me toward.

Finally, if anyone is inclined to help out with very specific advice, but would like more details on the situation, such as info on the size of the space, the exact distance from fixture to mirror ball, the budget parameters, the desired effect, or anything else that helps explain why, where and what I'm trying to achieve here, I'm happy to provide all of that, but I thought for a first post here, this was already pushing it for length.

 

[AppollSauce]

It is hard for me to say what the fixture is in the video. I noticed one of the pictures does have Studio Spot in the name, so that would likely be a good guess. The company I work with has Studio Spot 575 fixtures. Based on my experience with the 575 I don't know if the 250 would be as bright as the light in the video, but video can be deceiving when it comes to lights. The beam angle in the video seems tighter than that of a studio spot 575, but I suppose you could use the iris to tighten it up.

I do believe you could find a good product from either ADJ or Chauvet that could accomplish the look you are going for at a more reasonable budget. If you mainly want color, dimming and strobing you could consider ADJ's Micro Wash RGBW. I have four of these fixtures. They are very compact and offer a small beam angle. They are a wash, not a spot, so they have a very soft edge. They should give you nice beams off of the mirror ball, but the beams in the air from the fixture to the mirror ball would be much less noticable than a sharp edged spot-type fixture. I haven't got to see the Inno series in action yet, but I would believe the Inno Spot LED would be more than bright enough for a small to mid size room. Scanners could be a good option as they tend to have a similar beam look as the moving heads but at a more affordable price. The mirrors offer very quick movement, but they are limited in range compared to a moving head. I have some Chauvet Intimidator Scan LED 300 fixtures that work great in small to mid size clubs. They have a 60 watt LED which by my eye appear to be comparable to that of a 250w fixture. The only drawback to most of the ADJ and Chauvet options is most of their affordable fixtures don't offer zoom or iris options. This means that if you don't want the beam of light to exceed the width of the mirror ball you will need to place them in a very specific location depending on their set beam angle. I hope I helped give you some ideas as to what can work for you.

 

[loneinsider]

Sorry for the delayed reply, but I was traveling and have been in the middle of a remodel since I returned. I did want to say thanks though for your suggestions and feedback though. It was helpful and I'll be looking into them now that I have some time.

 

[wolfman005]

I'd stay away from the Intimidators...I have a few and on some the mirrors don't line up. The others there is a firmware glitch that doesn't allow the mirrors to track right. They all move at varying speeds. Plus the beam angle is 21* which means you'd have to place it like maybe 2-3 feet away from the disco ball (based on from what I'm picturing in my head. I have no math to back that up).

I'd check out the Inno Scans by ADJ. I've actually had more reliability from ADJ than Chauvet.

 

[loneinsider]

Thank you for the input Wolfman. I'm now looking at a range of ADJ lights for this purpose. From the lower level like the LED Trispot to something a bit more like the ADJ Inno Pocket Spot or maybe even the ADJ Vizi LED Spot. If you have any thoughts on those, let me know. I'm trying to balance those features I'm looking for with a bright, sharp edged beam that produces a lot of distinct reflective beams off the mirror ball, but also not overwhelm such a small space and have it lit up like a library. The whole point of a single light doing the job is to keep it fairly dark, afterhours and underground feeling and the room is only about 15 x 15 so the throw from the fixture hung in one corner to the mirror ball in the center of the room is only about 7 feet.

 

[wolfman005]

Is this light strictly for the disco ball or is it gonna be a multipurpose light? Ex, a mover that just spots the disco ball in certain scenes and than does other stuff or is it just gonna be for the disco ball?

I would use a good old fashion pin-spot for this. I come from a DJ background and still do a fair amount of lighting for DJs. While it is rare that I take a disco ball out, (Usually just use the Chauvet LXWs (get something DMX controlled...So tired of bringing switch packs along and running extension cords all over the place.) when I do take it out I use halogen pin spots. I can put colored plastic gel like things in front of the lamp if I need color. The biggest thing I like about this is the beam angle hits the disco ball and fills it perfectly without a lot of spill into the rest of the room and the color temperature. It looks very warm and inviting. Where as those 6K LED pin spots look cold and harsh to my eyes. I have a friend who has a pair of those and they don't seem to have the same punch to me.

Anyways getting back on subject, ADJ offers a few different items that are designed just for disco balls. I don't know which one I would go with but it sounds like you have a smaller room so find a target brightness that you wanna achieve and see which product meets that requirement the closest.

Do you have a budget for this?

For a room that size, I would add a pair of Com Scans with a UC3 Remote (unless you run DMX which in that case by all means use DMX), and maybe 4 mega par profiles, 1 for each corner of the room. Expecting a disco ball to add enough ambient light to the room to see and dance by is something I wouldn't do...People won't be able to see that well and than they will fall...

I just thought of another product you might be able to try.

1) Would be Dark light. They have handheld color changing LED lights designed for museum installs.

2) Would be the Source 4 Mini. I think they have LED color changing lamps you could fit in there although I'm not sure how well the reflectors/lens (if there are any) would work. Might be good for just reducing spill by using the shutters.

 

[wolfman005]

Sunday I saw Paramore and Fall Out Boy. At the end of Paramore's set they had 6 columns of disco balls lite by Sharpies. If you have the money for it, that would be my choice of light. I can't put into words how amazing it looked. Sadly I didn't get any pictures, but a google might be able to find some.