Nightowl Stage Lighting

Monoprice has what looks to be the same/similar fixture for $109. They're both just generic lights with someones name slapped on them at the factory. I highly doubt they will compare with an ETC color source par, but depending on what your doing that might not really matter. Plan on buying an extra 20% or more for spares. You might be able to get parts for them in the future, and your might not. You might be able to buy the "same" fixture in the future or you may not. And even if you can the quality and color output change all the time so they won't match the old ones. For DJ's, uplighting, etc they would be fine. But I wouldn't buy them for a permanent install in a performance space unless I had no other options.
 
I discovered this brand a few days ago and thought about inquiring here - I guess you beat me too it! I have no doubt that Source 4 LEDs will outperform these in every way imaginable, BUT, if you don't need that kind of performance and/or can't justify $1000+ per instrument, these might be a way to go. I still want to say they fall into the disposable fixture category, but for the price, they'll pay for themselves in no time so even if they start failing after a year you've already made your money back. I guess the only way to see if they live up to their manufacturer's promises is to buy one and play with it. I agree 100% though that the quality control between these fixtures is probably on par with the other generic LED lights, so buy as many as you'll ever need in one go because you probably can't get the exact same thing twice! I'll be curious to follow this and see where things go.
 
Nightowl State Lighting doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word "dealership", they list the suppliers that they a dealer for as "Nightowl Authorized Dealerships" on their sales page. A company claiming to have been in business but not being able to write competently on their website does not engender my confidence. They do state that they have a 1 year warranty on products that carry their brand name.
 
robartsd said:
Nightowl State Lighting doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word "dealership", they list the suppliers that they a dealer for as "Nightowl Authorized Dealerships" on their sales page. A company claiming to have been in business but not being able to write competently on their website does not engender my confidence. They do state that they have a 1 year warranty on products that carry their brand name.
Click to expand...

Respectfully, how would you know the status of our dealerships? Sometimes manufacturers only sell to wholesalers who can not in turn sell to the public as with High End, they must use retail dealers, and that is what we are. IN other cases we only deal with the factory.

Authorized Dealership Definition: Authorized dealer means that the factory recognizes the dealer as one of their dealers, and that dealer buys direct from the factory. The advantage is that all factory warranties apply at any authorized warranty service center. Another advantage is that you know that you are receiving factory fresh merchandise. You get both with all equipment purchased new from Nightowl.

That is exactly what we are. Anything bought from us has a full factory warranty that can be serviced by any other authorized dealer. That's what it means, not sure what you think it means...

techieman33 said:
Monoprice has what looks to be the same/similar fixture for $109. They're both just generic lights with someones name slapped on them at the factory. I highly doubt they will compare with an ETC color source par, but depending on what your doing that might not really matter. Plan on buying an extra 20% or more for spares. You might be able to get parts for them in the future, and your might not. You might be able to buy the "same" fixture in the future or you may not. And even if you can the quality and color output change all the time so they won't match the old ones. For DJ's, uplighting, etc they would be fine. But I wouldn't buy them for a permanent install in a performance space unless I had no other options.
Click to expand...

Again, respectfully, almost everything stated is not accurate.

1) We have a production share agreement with our factory in China that is the largest stage lighting manufacturer in China. They build lighitng for major btands such as Robe and Avolite.
2) We specify our own specifications and designs, we do not buy pallets of random lights.
3) We custom build every order to spec and keep those specs on file and can reproduce any previous order no matter what the software version or part numbers are used.
4) We only use Edison LED's for Pars, not Chinese knock offs, this requires a 65% import tariff imposed by the Chinese Government to encourage the use of the knock offs by Chinese manufacturers. This is why our costs are higher.
5) Most of our pars have master level settings so you can adjust newer pars to match older pars with lower output. This lets you adjust the maximum output per color changing what 100% means. We have never had anyone report a mismatch in output, even on pars bought years later.
6) We have permanent installs all over the country, Canada, and Central and South America, both architectural and performance, with excellent results. We also have many many touring companies using dozens of our lights at a time on tour, again with excellent results,
7) Because we build to order, we document every part number used in your lights and we can provide those parts long after the warranty is expired. Typically 5-7 years. We can even send PCB boards with the exact version of the software used when your order was manufactured.
8) The ETC ColorSource Par is an excellent fixture, we sell a lot of them despite the production delays. It is a 90 watt fixture, our 7X10 is obviously a 70 watt fixture, but comparing apples to apples (output) we have plenty of alternatives up to our 432 Watt 24X18 RGBWA-UV Par.

We do things a little differently, so I do understand where your assumptions are coming from, but times are changing, and the "generic par" is not always so generic anymore.

Scott Matarrese, Owner
Nightowl Stage Lighting, LLC
Lexington, KY
 
Last edited:
Jeff Lelko said:
I discovered this brand a few days ago and thought about inquiring here - I guess you beat me too it! I have no doubt that Source 4 LEDs will outperform these in every way imaginable, BUT, if you don't need that kind of performance and/or can't justify $1000+ per instrument, these might be a way to go. I still want to say they fall into the disposable fixture category, but for the price, they'll pay for themselves in no time so even if they start failing after a year you've already made your money back. I guess the only way to see if they live up to their manufacturer's promises is to buy one and play with it. I agree 100% though that the quality control between these fixtures is probably on par with the other generic LED lights, so buy as many as you'll ever need in one go because you probably can't get the exact same thing twice! I'll be curious to follow this and see where things go.
Click to expand...

Hello, we are happy to provide par sample singles or pairs that are fully refundable for 30 days. Contact us via the website or eBay.

Scott Matarrese
Owner, Nightowl Stage Lighting
Lexington, KY
 
nightowlstagelighting said:
Respectfully, how would you know the status of our dealerships? Sometimes manufacturers only sell to wholesalers who can not in turn sell to the public as with High End, they must use retail dealers, and that is what we are. IN other cases we only deal with the factory.

Authorized Dealership Definition: Authorized dealer means that the factory recognizes the dealer as one of their dealers, and that dealer buys direct from the factory. The advantage is that all factory warranties apply at any authorized warranty service center. Another advantage is that you know that you are receiving factory fresh merchandise. You get both with all equipment purchased new from Nightowl.

That is exactly what we are. Anything bought from us has a full factory warranty that can be serviced by any other authorized dealer. That's what it means, not sure what you think it means...



Again, respectfully, almost everything stated is not accurate.

1) We have a production share agreement with our factory in China that is the largest stage lighting manufacturer in China. They build lighitng for major btands such as Robe and Avolite.
2) We specify our own specifications and designs, we do not buy pallets of random lights.
3) We custom build every order to spec and keep those specs on file and can reproduce any previous order no matter what the software version or part numbers are used.
4) We only use Edison LED's for Pars, not Chinese knock offs, this requires a 65% import tariff imposed by the Chinese Government to encourage the use of the knock offs by Chinese manufacturers. This is why our costs are higher.
5) Most of our pars have master level settings so you can adjust newer pars to match older pars with lower output. This lets you adjust the maximum output per color changing what 100% means. We have never had anyone report a mismatch in output, even on pars bought years later.
6) We have permanent installs all over the country, Canada, and Central and South America, both architectural and performance, with excellent results. We also have many many touring companies using dozens of our lights at a time on tour, again with excellent results,
7) Because we build to order, we document every part number used in your lights and we can provide those parts long after the warranty is expired. Typically 5-7 years. We can even send PCB boards with the exact version of the software used when your order was manufactured.
8) The ETC ColorSource Par is an excellent fixture, we sell a lot of them despite the production delays. It is a 90 watt fixture, our 7X10 is obviously a 70 watt fixture, but comparing apples to apples (output) we have plenty of alternatives up to our 432 Watt 24X18 RGBWA-UV Par.

We do things a little differently, so I do understand where your assumptions are coming from, but times are changing, and the "generic par" is not always so generic anymore.

Scott Matarrese, Owner
Nightowl Stage Lighting, LLC
Lexington, KY
Click to expand...

Thanks for chiming in. I appreciate when manufacturers/dealers respond, even if its on the defense. It shows that you're actively protecting your brand, and usually speaks to the level of customer support provided (you care about your reputation).
 
Looking at purchases some lighting fixtures in the very near future. Ideally I'm thinking about layering in ETC color source pars over multiple years of purchasing. However, we have a surprise 3000 left over from some audio upgrades actually going as planned (no surprise "oh yeah, you need this too") so I'm trying to have a few options to consider.

With that being said; has anybody had any experience with these fixtures (or company in general)

http://www.nightowlstagelighting.com/led-pars.html

They have a few eBay listings that put me being able to get 12 of the 24X18 RGBAW-UV pars with flight cases for around the price I want to spend. That's pretty delicious, but I want to know how well these will color match, and if they truly dim like 16 bit capable fixtures should. Thanks for any information you can provide!
 
Thanks for the search. I did. that post contains no one who's ever used any of their instruments, and only gives speculative feedback.
 
What's interesting is that in the nearly two years since this thread has started, there have been a number of improvements in the world of LED lighting. This is to be expected, of course, and definitely works in our favor! More than likely I'll be shopping for some latest-model LED Pars before the years is out too, and the same question keeps coming to mind (Name Brand versus Artfox/NightOwl versus ebay). At this point in time, your best bet may in fact be going name brand unless you want a completely disposable $35 light fixture. It's impossible to say without seeing any kind of photometric data, but I'd expect the output of these fixtures to be right around the Chauvet SlimPar Pro Series level when comparing equivalent LED type and quantity. If you have a good relationship with a dealer and plan to buy enough fixtures, you might be surprised what kind of pricing you can get for the Chauvet product...and I say Chauvet because I'm very familiar with their products and actual pricing, but the same goes for ADJ, Blizzard, Elation, etc. A lot of the name brand products run silently too, if that's a point to consider as well. The decision is up to you, but at least in my case I'm happy to spend a little bit more money to get a real warranty and better product consistency.
 
Jeff Lelko said:
What's interesting is that in the nearly two years since this thread has started, there have been a number of improvements in the world of LED lighting. This is to be expected, of course, and definitely works in our favor! More than likely I'll be shopping for some latest-model LED Pars before the years is out too, and the same question keeps coming to mind (Name Brand versus Artfox/NightOwl versus ebay). At this point in time, your best bet may in fact be going name brand unless you want a completely disposable $35 light fixture. It's impossible to say without seeing any kind of photometric data, but I'd expect the output of these fixtures to be right around the Chauvet SlimPar Pro Series level when comparing equivalent LED type and quantity. If you have a good relationship with a dealer and plan to buy enough fixtures, you might be surprised what kind of pricing you can get for the Chauvet product...and I say Chauvet because I'm very familiar with their products and actual pricing, but the same goes for ADJ, Blizzard, Elation, etc. A lot of the name brand products run silently too, if that's a point to consider as well. The decision is up to you, but at least in my case I'm happy to spend a little bit more money to get a real warranty and better product consistency.
Click to expand...

Hello,

I thought I would take a few minutes and respond to your post, you made a lot of assertions and speculations without ever actually using our equipment.

1) "Real" Warranty, we service warranties out of our Kentucky location. Any light with any issue, unless it is very minor, is replaced for one year. Minor issues may be repaired, but only if it is one minor issue with the unit Even shipping damage is handled by us, we replace the damaged fixtures regardless of the status of the damage claim with the shipper so the lights can be used.

2) Support, while our current website does not allow for downloading of files, our next version will. Regardless, we are always available, 24/7 for customers with issues. We can email you anything you need including photometric data, manuals, photo comparisons, and even electronic schematics. You don't even have to be a customer, we had the LD for the band Styx email us recently because she went into a venue in Upstate New York that had all Nightowl LED Pars. They had lost the DMX mapping and we got them up and running with their Hog before sound check. That is the kind of support you can expect from us.

3) Consistency, we use Edison LEDs for our Pars and Cree or Osram for our Moving Heads. Year to year LED consistency is on them, but we do not use Chinese LEDs. As for the rest of the light, we have your specs when you buy from us and we can recreate your lights years later even with the same software version. We use only one factory, with dedicated suppliers that do not change. None of our competitors can really do much more than that. I had a recent customer that had recently done a large ADJ order and over 50% of the pars had issues, some never resolved. No one has ever had that kind of experience with us. Our defect rate is below 2%, which is a major reason we offer exceptional warranty service, we can afford to.

4) Silent Pars, Nightowl offers two lines of silent pars, full sized and compact, from 7X15 RGBWA-UV all the way to 18X18 RGBWA-UV. These pars are available with IP65 weatherproof connections or XLR and Edison indoor connections. These are our best selling pars, we have sold over 1000 of the 18X15/18 alone.

5) New Tech, Nightowl is always at the front of the pack introducing new tech like COB Ellipsoidals, Fresnels, Crowd Blinders, Footlights, Pars, and Strip lights introduced last year. Also introduced were 150, 200, and 300 watt Spot moving heads with single pure white LEDs that are attractively priced.

Everyone had a right to their opinion, but we certainly do not agree with yours. If a customer would rather spend $625 for an ETC ColorSource 7X10 par or a Nightowl 7X10 par for $139 we will sell them either. We sell most major brands, and we make money either way. Every situation is different, and you can not make blanket statements on what's best, it's different for everyone. Without ever using one of our products, I fail to see why you commented at all, especially knowing so little about us.

Give us a call, request info via our website, check out a fully refundable sample, THEN tell people what you think.

Thank you

Scott Matarrese, Owner
Nightowl Stage Lighting LLC
 
Scott,

I've called and left a message and reached out to you on via your website contact interface and have no responses. Could you guys get ahold of me, as I would like to place an order by this weekend if possible. Glad to see that you're an active part of this forum and I am glad to support your company.
 
RideTheSquirrel said:
Scott,

I've called and left a message and reached out to you on via your website contact interface and have no responses. Could you guys get ahold of me, as I would like to place an order by this weekend if possible. Glad to see that you're an active part of this forum and I am glad to support your company.
Click to expand...

Hello, I am responding to you right now, sorry for the delay, we had a death in the Nightowl family, one of the founders. You should see a reply in a few minutes.

Thanks

Scott
 
nightowlstagelighting said:
Hello, I am responding to you right now, sorry for the delay, we had a death in the Nightowl family, one of the founders. You should see a reply in a few minutes.

Thanks

Scott
Click to expand...
Hi Scott,

Thanks for coming back to defend your honor once more, and very sorry to hear of your loss.

nightowlstagelighting said:
2) Support, while our current website does not allow for downloading of files, our next version will.
Click to expand...

Have you considered just uploading the pdf's to google drive and linking to them on your webpage. Might be a decent way to get the info out while you wait for your new site to be ready. I personally know that I look through all the manuals and specs I can find on things before I make any purchasing decisions and the more readily available they are the better.
 
TheaterEd said:
Hi Scott,

Thanks for coming back to defend your honor once more, and very sorry to hear of your loss.



Have you considered just uploading the pdf's to google drive and linking to them on your webpage. Might be a decent way to get the info out while you wait for your new site to be ready. I personally know that I look through all the manuals and specs I can find on things before I make any purchasing decisions and the more readily available they are the better.
Click to expand...
Actually no, but that is a great suggestion, especially since we keep a Google account anyway for YouTube where we have video demos.
 
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