Moving head for HS

C

Contrails

Member
I am a Technical Director for a high school theater. I am looking to purchase a moving head intelligent light and want to know what you recommend for a high school setting. The main thing I need is the ability to adjust the size of the light and to hold gobos, and chenge colors which most all do. Can you please recommend a high end light and a most cost friendly light that would work for our stage. Lights are 15 to 20 feet above the stage and the stage is about 50 wide and 40 deep.

Thanks
 
Re: High school tech-- help me out?

The couple I found are the Martin 250 Krypton, Chauvelt Intimidator Spot 250, and the NW Lighting moving head spot light w/ iris... And suggestions for a Theater stage.
 
Re: High school tech-- help me out?

Contrails said:
The couple I found are the Martin 250 Krypton, Chauvelt Intimidator Spot 250, and the NW Lighting moving head spot light w/ iris... And suggestions for a Theater stage.
Click to expand...

Well the one you want to look at is the Martin MAC250 Krypton. Not sure about the quality of the rest. Now, How much do you want to spend? If your going to buy a moving head, you will want at LEAST 2, and more like 4-6. One is just not going to do anythin fun for you.
 
Re: High school tech-- help me out?

Contrails said:
The couple I found are the Martin 250 Krypton, Chauvelt Intimidator Spot 250, and the NW Lighting moving head spot light w/ iris... And suggestions for a Theater stage.
Click to expand...

Those will all be dramtically underpowered for what you will need. If you are looking for moving lights for theatrical use you should look at something like the Vari*Lite VL1000T, and it will run you about $5,000 a head.
 
Contrails said:
... The main thing I need is the ability to adjust the size of the light and to hold gobos, and chenge colors which most all do. ...
Click to expand...
All the ones so far mentioned will change colors, but I don't think any of them are CMY color mixing fixtures, except for the VL1000. Do you want to crossfade from one color to another, or just clunk through a bunch of random colors to change from one to another? Will you be content to chose from the seven or eight garish, disco colors, or would you rather have pale tints more similar to most theatrical gels?

Contrails said:
I am a Technical Director for a high school theater. I am looking to purchase a moving head intelligent light and want to know what you recommend for a high school setting. ...
Click to expand...
WHY do you want to purchase "a moving head intelligent light"?

What most of us recommend for an educational setting is The Gafftaper Method.
 
Last edited:
derekleffew said:
What most of us recommend for an educational setting is The Gafftaper Method.
Click to expand...

And its fabulous. You get pretty much everything you need for so much less money. And you can have 4 or 5 movable specials for well under the cost of a single moving head, and for the price of 2, you can have them change color, have a gobo that rotates, etc. We are specing new gear for a college right now based on this method.
 
Thanks for the help, I really like the Gafftapper method and I am going to try to go that route. I agree that it would be much better to have more fixtures with flexibility for the price of one of the moving heads.
 
My suggestion would be looking into the High End Studio Spot 575. Very easy to work with, and can hold any GOBOs you like. I have two myself. They're a great wash instrument, and even have great distro. And looking for good buys, take a look at gearsource.com. That's where I like to get all of my equipment.
 
Great Thanks for the help...

My next question is about running the DMX cable. right now our system is all patched into a dimmer rack which is DMX controlled. We have two places which the light board can be plugged into a DMX port. We currently have the board in the back of the auditorium but there also is a part right off stage left which has the DMX port for the board. If I hook up the DMX lights can I plug the DMX cable from the DMX light into the light board port and have it go to the light board in the back. Trying to save money and not run a DMX cable 200 feet to the back of our auditorium. Our system is an ETC Dimmer Rack and an Express 24/48 Light Board.

When the system was installed 6 years ago the guy doing the installation said it was possible I think but we would have needed some kind of box for the single to go into before going into the DMX wall port.
 
Depending on what moving heads you get, you can use 3 pin, or microphone cable(xlr) and just get the 5 pin adapter. However knowing that you're system was installed 6 years ago you need to check the dmx cable for the different pin. The best for all of this is trying to use all 5 pin though. You'll have better control over the moving heads. I learned on the Express model, actually the same exact model. The board we had was the 8th one ever made. Do you know how to use the tracking mode in the console? and do you know how to use to tracking pad? And are the dimmers a Sensor rack?
 
Contrails said:
...My next question is about running the DMX cable. right now our system is all patched into a dimmer rack which is DMX controlled. We have two places which the light board can be plugged into a DMX port. We currently have the board in the back of the auditorium but there also is a part right off stage left which has the DMX port for the board. If I hook up the DMX lights can I plug the DMX cable from the DMX light into the light board port and have it go to the light board in the back. Trying to save money and not run a DMX cable 200 feet to the back of our auditorium. Our system is an ETC Dimmer Rack and an Express 24/48 Light Board. ...
Click to expand...
Your DMX wiring is currently done one of three ways (in order or probability):
1. The wiring goes from "back of the auditorium", loops through the "port right off stage left", then on to the dimmer rack(s).
2. One wire goes from "back of the auditorium" to the dimmer rack(s); another wire goes from the "port right off stage left" to the dimmer rack(s); and wires from both locations are joined on the same terminals at the dimmer rack(s). (Less likely than scenario #1.)
3. One wire goes from "back of the auditorium" to the dimmer rack(s) and is landed on Input A, another wire goes from the "port right off stage left" to the dimmer rack(s) and is landed on Input B. (Even less likely than scenario #2.)

Contrails said:
...When the system was installed 6 years ago the guy doing the installation said it was possible I think but we would have needed some kind of box for the single to go into before going into the DMX wall port.
Click to expand...
If the scenario is #1 or #2 above, you can (but it's not recommended) use the "port right off stage left" as a dmx output. However:
A. You'll need to build or acquire an A5F-to-A5F adapter cable (as the DMX jack for the console is male, and DMX outputs are female), AND
B. You should put an opto-splitter (this was likely the "some kind of box" to which the install guy was refering) at the end of your A5F-to-A5F adapter, then plug your DMX devices into the opto-isolator.

Personally, I'd rather run the 200' of DMX cable out of "DMX Out#2" on the Express. You said it was an Express 24/48, right? That console is limited to 96 channels. How many dimmers do you have?

Andy8967 said:
Depending on what moving heads you get, you can use 3 pin, or microphone cable(xlr) and just get the 5 pin adapter. ...
Click to expand...
Most folks around here NEVER recommend using microphone cable for DMX512. Proper data cable with 3pin XLRs is a different matter.
 
Last edited:
It is an ETC Sensor Rack. I am not sure about how the two DMX ports for the light board are contacted, they may be on separate ports. The back auditorium on the floor level and the spotlight room ports run off of DMX A, and the second DMX B blinks because nothing is connected to it. When I have plugged it in on stage can't remember which one of the 2 is solid. If I have the Express 24/48 so I have 72 dimmers of the rack so I should be able to use a few movers without maxing the board out correct? Have to look into how to have all 96 dimmers in use on the board at the same time because I was under the impression that I could only have 48 dimmers in use on the board at one time.

Thanks to everyone for all your help it has been great to get some professional help for someone who is only doing this as a hobby.

Thanks again...
 
So if the two ports are on the same DMX port then I will need an opti-splitter. Is this so the single keeps going in the correct direction towards the dimmer rack since I am introducing a single in mid stream?
 
Re: Moving head for HS-Using the Express

Contrails said:
It is ... If I have the Express 24/48 so I have 72 dimmers of the rack so I should be able to use a few movers without maxing the board out correct? Have to look into how to have all 96 dimmers in use on the board at the same time because I was under the impression that I could only have 48 dimmers in use on the board at one time.
Click to expand...
About using the Express
With the Express 24/48, you can control 96 dimmers on it with 96 channels. Channels 49-96 on the express can be used either with A) the number keypad ie. [CH]49[AT]50[ENTER] for example. Or, B) by assigning certain channels to submasters and then possibly using submaster pages for different things.

(And I'm sure Derek will pop in with links to different threads about using moving lights on an express were they have said everything I just said, albeit much more spread out. Because thats what he does! :))
 
Most folks around here NEVER recommend using microphone cable for DMX512. Proper data cable with 3pin XLRs is a different matter.[/QUOTE]\

Ha ha well I've been in HS situations where I've had to use them, or moreless xlr to run the show due to money issues. However I wouldn't recommend running any moving lights off an Express board. You'll pull your hair out
 
Andy8967 said:
However I wouldn't recommend running any moving lights off an Express board. You'll pull your hair out
Click to expand...

Having programmed my first show with moving lights on an express 48/96 I feel like I benefited because A) I apreaciate the Ion we use on our mainstage so much more and B) I was substantially more familar with the actual workings of the light from a control standpoint afterwords.
 
Re: Moving head for HS-Using the Express

Contrails said:
So if the two ports are on the same DMX port then I will need an opti-splitter. Is this so the single keeps going in the correct direction towards the dimmer rack since I am introducing a single in mid stream?
Click to expand...
With the board at the back of the auditorium and using the stage input as an output, the signal is only going in one direction, but DMX does not permit Y's or T's, thus the requirement for an opto-splitter.

chausman said:
...(And I'm sure Derek will pop in with links to different threads about using moving lights on an express were they have said everything I just said, albeit much more spread out. Because thats what he does! :))
Click to expand...
Um, okay. See the collaborative article: Programming Moving Lights on an ETC Express(ion) - ControlBooth .

skienblack said:
Having programmed my first show with moving lights on an express 48/96 I feel like I benefited because A) I apreaciate the Ion we use on our mainstage so much more and B) I was substantially more familar with the actual workings of the light from a control standpoint afterwords.
Click to expand...
Hear, hear!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

kenact
Tomshine Moving Head Replacement Fan
Replies
16
Views
1K
kenact
kenact
Rip Van Winkle
Projected backdrops on a multipurpose stage
Replies
2
Views
1K
ship
S
A
Colorsource Spot Jr. at ~20ft throw?
Replies
6
Views
2K
almorton
A
Kyla Werrett
PROLIGHTS Astra Hybrid330: the new LED hybrid moving head
Replies
0
Views
760
Kyla Werrett
Kyla Werrett
J
LED Stage Light Options for High School Theater
2
Replies
27
Views
9K
jbogner
J

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back