Moving Light noise; where's the data??

[Allana]

Trying to compare the noise levels of a HES SolaSpot vs. a MAC Encore and there is just NO INFO.
The boss wants db measurements and I found 1 article
http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/reprint/HESSolaFrameTheatre.pdf
for the SolaSpot Theater which actually gives measurements from S&V Solutions Inc for base level noise, zoom noise, and pan/tilt noise. Great!
But other than the MAC Encore claiming it's got "a record-breaking, low noise engine" the internet can't seem to back this claim up with anything tangible.

Of course, yes, I can do a demo. But also - come on internet! Why is this so hard?


Tangent: What happened to the SolaSpot Theater and SolaSpot Pro? They aren't listed on the HES website anymore under those names. Are they discontinued already?

 

[cbrandt]

The HES Theater line is represented in the SolaFrame line. Your best bet is to hit up your local reps for those companies and have them bother the companies about it. I've found most of them don't do accurate enough testing to give you a real db measurement, and thus don't post it. They usually have anecdotal or reasonably accurate readings if you bother the reps about it.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Its expensive to measure the noise level that gives meaningful and comparable data. A lot trickier than measuring, say, illuminance. You really need an anechoic room and calibrated instruments and I'd guess not enough of this gear sold to noise sensitive markets to justify the expense.

Ditto for follow spots. The reason I sole source Robert Juliat - they are quiet. Just got a call from someone that bought follow spots on their own after construction and now have a noise problem. They wouldn't say what they bought, but not Juliat, I'm sure.

I'm sure if you were willing to work on it, ESTA standards would welcome a proposal for a standard for measuring the noise of movers and spots - assuming you would be the force behind it. It would be useful if enough folks required the data.

 

[Allana]

@cbrandt
Which one of these is the Theater and which one is the "Pro"?
https://www.highend.com/solaspot

 

[Lextech]

Try this https://www.highend.com/products/lighting/solaframe

 

[MNicolai]

Think you'll find what you're looking for in this Mike Wood article about the Mac Encores, at least the Performance versions. This data does not appear to be laboratory tested by Martin so take it with a grain of salt. Seems like Mike Wood did this on his own in a quiet room.

The Mike Wood article doesn't say much about the test conditions in place, whereas the S&V solutions data is laboratory-grade. If "Ambient" refers to the background noise, then these were measured in very different conditions because the Encores were measured in a room with 35dBA background noise and the SolaFrames were measured in an anechoic chamber with 1dBA background noise, but the Mike Wood article is more specific about the noise of each individual function of the Encores.

Like Bill said, without a standard for how these measurements are performed and transparency about the actual test conditions and results, it's a guessing game when you try to compare the data in any meaningful way.

 

[cbrandt]

Try this https://www.highend.com/products/lighting/solaframe

This right here.

 

[Allana]

Well, here's one.

 

[Nick Veenstra]

Speaking on behalf of ETC and HES, we do often take those measurements for new products, however we don't usually publish them in detail. It looks like you now probably have what you need, but if you are looking for more, feel free to reach out.

 

[TimMc]

My little Rant -

Fans and motors in LX fixtures have significantly raised the noise floor on stage and in the audience. The audio dept gets to amplify that racket along with the desired signals (usually actors voices). Multiply by the number of open mics.

When I started mixing musical theater I could leave open the ensemble mics on stage during star dialog in a number. Now I can't because of the amplified fan noise.

 

[Smatticus]

My little Rant -

Fans and motors in LX fixtures have significantly raised the noise floor on stage and in the audience. The audio dept gets to amplify that racket along with the desired signals (usually actors voices). Multiply by the number of open mics.

When I started mixing musical theater I could leave open the ensemble mics on stage during star dialog in a number. Now I can't because of the amplified fan noise.

I hate fan noise, especially from cheap LED fixtures. One venue I know of has a ton of them and they are powered on 100% of the time. We were doing a play where we were not using their fixtures. I shut them all down and it was like a miracle... so much quieter. Much easier to focus on the actors and their dialog.