Leaving Strand

[ATooker13]

Several years ago, my High School went through a half million dollar renovation. Now one may think that this would be a positive step for my school ;however, you would be sadly mistaken. For my school bought Strand, all Strand pars, fresnels, ellipsoidals, dimming racks(2), board...the works. So you can defiantly see our lighting crews frustration with these units. The Strand SL Coolbeams are just about the sloppiest, most unreliable, and overall cheap units to work with. We've had issues ranging from bad caps, sloppy/impossible cutting when soft focused, rough components, gels burning through like crazy, and (besides the 2 booms we have in the house).
Then recently after our Spring show under our new lighting designer, we were approached by our director with the new option to phase out our Strands with newer and better equipment. The talent we have in both our acting and technical departments is excellent, and as such, deserves excellent lighting. So i was wondering what we should replace our strand ellipsodials with? From what i understand ETC would be a reliable source and I was wondering if you all agreed?
Thanks- Austin[/FONT]

 

[gafftapegreenia]

So what's giving you trouble? Just the SL's?

 

[MNicolai]

To open up the floor for discussion on a topic like that, you first need to define the scope of your situation; are you talking about having a few hundred dollars now and then to spend on a new fixture or two, do you have a few thousand dollars for a new fixture package, or do you have the funding necessary to perform a larger overhaul of your systems?

Then you need to identify and delineate your needs from your wants. Do you need a brand new dimmer rack because your CD80 racks are toast, or would you just want a new dimmer rack? Do you need 50 new ERS fixtures because your SL's have broken reflectors and are missing parts, or do you just want new fixtures that you find easier to use? Do you need a new lighting console because your existing one crashes frequently, or do you just want something new and modern with all of the latest bells and whistles?

If your problem exists with fixtures, it's often cheaper to replace SL's than to bring them back to life. The costs for parts are steep. If your problem exists with dimmers or the console, have you contacted Strand's Tech Support to give them an opportunity to address your problems?

 

[venuetech]

a small bit of TLC would likely help. bashing things about does not.

 

[derekleffew]

...and due to our lack of leds, an inability to put various colors on cyc/actors (besides the 2 booms we have in the house). ...

While acquiring LED fixtures may be the best solution to this problem, the lack of LEDs in not the cause:
1. People have been "putting various colors on cyc/actors" for over a hundred years without LEDs, and
2. LEDs were likely not available or viable "several years ago" when your system was installed.

Austin, are you a student, teacher, or administrator at Pinewoods Regional HS? An occupation of "Slave to Theatre Dpt", while descriptive and accurate, is not terribly specific.

 

[xander]

I have no where near all of the information, but could it perhaps not be so much the equipment's fault, but rather the fact that you are in a high school where equipment is most likely treated poorly and gets zero to minimal maintenance? It probably wouldn't matter what brand equipment you got, after 5 or so years of use and abuse, it will be in rough shape. Perhaps another way to spend your money would be on spare parts and maybe bringing in a guy/gal from your local shop to train the students proper repair and maintenance? Turn this into a learning experience?

-Tim

 

[FMEng]

I could see updating and replacing some or even all of the instruments, and maybe the console if it has withstood a lot of use and abuse. But, it is hard to imagine any reason to replace a dimmer rack that is just a few years old unless it is having some kind of reliability problem that cannot be solved by competent tech support. As long as the dimmer rack is installed in good environmental conditions, and has been properly maintained, it should last a very long time.

 

[LXPlot]

I have no where near all of the information, but could it perhaps not be so much the equipment's fault, but rather the fact that you are in a high school where equipment is most likely treated poorly and gets zero to minimal maintenance? It probably wouldn't matter what brand equipment you got, after 5 or so years of use and abuse, it will be in rough shape. Perhaps another way to spend your money would be on spare parts and maybe bringing in a guy/gal from your local shop to train the students proper repair and maintenance? Turn this into a learning experience?

-Tim

I'm with you on this. In my experience, Strand makes pretty good products, the SLs shouldn't be giving you all that much trouble, and the PARs and Fresnels should at least be different. I'd also like to note that Strand dimmers are completely reliable for us and they make really excellent boards (depending on what you have). I'm really thinking that what you need is proper maintenance, training on how to do everything, and possibly Apollo Gel shields. No reason to spend a ton of money on whole new fixtures that won't be a huge step up.

As for the SLs being the sloppiest, most unreliable and cheapest feeling beams ever, I must disagree and say that Altman 1KLs can take them a hundred times over in that category.

 

[DuckJordan]

I can't talk on the fixtures bit we have an region cd 80 rack in our main space and it has never given us problems

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[xander]

[...]I must disagree and say that Altman 1KLs can take them a hundred times over in that category.

And weigh a hundred times more, too!

 

[LXPlot]

And weigh a hundred time more, too!

You know that's right.

 

[coldnorth57]

Aww I love my Altman doorstops..... as for the strand SL when looked after they are good units

 

[Lotos]

I wish I had the sort of funding to just start "phasing out" inventory that was ten years old...

In all reality, since you're in highschool, it's likely that a lot of problems with the inventory (fixtures, for the most part) arise from lack of proper maintenance... I'm not pointing the finger at you here, it's likely years prior that have been unkind, and you're just reaping the "benefits"...
No fixture, regardless of manufacturer, will withstand year after year of abuse with zero maintenance or cleaning, and keep working as if it were brand new.

In my space, we have a mixed inventory, dating all the way back to Altman 360's (Non-Axial Pre-Q Designation)... And they still work like a charm... Because every one in a while, they get taken down, have their lenses and reflector cleaned, have the yoke slightly greased, and have any bends in the shutters hammered out...

I've used some SL's that were among the best lights I've ever touched, and some Source 4's that I would have traded in in a heartbeat for a 1960's vintage 6x9...
I've also used some SL's that were in terrible shape with seized parts, and missing pieces... And some Source 4's that worked like new years after their install...

The difference every time? How much they were (or weren't) taken care of by the crew.

Before you write off a batch of fixtures that a large percentage of theatres would KILL to get their hands on... Consider finding out WHY they're in as rough shape as they are... And seeing if you can't fix it up.
Remember, Strand SL's were designed around the Philips GLC (At the time, two seperate companies... Ironic, no?), and were not designed to take a high-heat lamp like an FEL... If you're having gel burn issues, you might also want to look at lamp alignment and hotspotting... I have gel in some SL's in my home space that has been there for YEARS... Literally... They get checked every now and then for colour loss when the fixtures get cleaned, and then get put back...

Failing that, if you really don't want them? I'll take 'em!

 

[MPowers]

One thing no on has mentioned, but seems to be a possibility, is lack of "Proper Training" on the use if the equipment. One thing several people have mentioned is the possibility of poor or non-existent maintenance. Good and proper training on the use of the equipment should include maintenance and end user level repair.

Strand makes a good product and the troubles listed sound like a combination of a weak maintenance/training program and unrealistic expectations as evidenced by the LED thread. Color? You want Color?!? Designers like Jean Rosenthal could take a dozen bucket scoops, three 6K resistance plate dimmers and do more than most people today can imagine in their mind using Seladors and limitless #'s of dimmers. Lack of the latest, up-to-date equipment is not the cause of your problems. Lack of experience and training is the problem.

 

[MNicolai]

Could more advice and criticism possibly be given to less information?

You guys want to give the OP an opportunity to explain his situation before you tell him he's doing it wrong?

 

[Pie4Weebl]

Well Mike, anytime someone posts something like:

The talent we have in both our acting and technical departments is excellent, and as such, deserves excellent lighting.

I think the general assumption is that the poster has just a tad bit of a false sense of entitlement.

 

[LXPlot]

I think the general assumption is that the poster has just a tad bit of a false sense of entitlement.

Sure, but he's a HS Student. We all have that. To go with Mike's idea of answering his question, I'm going to recommend the new line of (Strand-) Selecon SPX if you really decide you want to get all new equipment. In my opinion, they're just as good if not better than Source Fours.

 

[epimetheus]

I'm going to go ahead and through out the idea that new equipment does not a better designer make. I'm generally of the opinion that you learn a lot more when you have to make the limited inventory that you have work for you, rather than just have all the newest equipment.

Creativity and resourcefulness can't be bought, they have to be learned.

 

[derekleffew]

... I'm going to recommend the new line of (Strand-) Selecon SPX if you really decide you want to get all new equipment. In my opinion, they're just as good if not better than Source Fours.

Have you compared the two, with like beamspreads, side by side?

 

[Dionysus]

I'm going to go ahead and through out the idea that new equipment does not a better designer make. I'm generally of the opinion that you learn a lot more when you have to make the limited inventory that you have work for you, rather than just have all the newest equipment.

Creativity and resourcefulness can't be bought, they have to be learned.

I have to agree with this absolutely 100%!

I also have to agree with the former statements that while the SL was not the best designed fixture, as long as they are maintained properly they will serve you fantastically for a very long time! I'd LOVE to have just a few of your SLs to add to my inventory.

One of the venues I work at still has a very large compliment of Strand-Century 6-by-'s (you know those old grey non-axial fixtures from a very long time ago (given that they are older than I am lol)), Patt-123s, Patt-743s, and Colortran mini-ellipses (which honestly I think are a cute little light). Not to mention a few colortrans, and a couple source-4s. They are kept fairly well maintained and still do the job. The only fixtures that really give us issues are the 6x's.