My high school has just rectally built a new performing arts center. We have the ETC Element and only use conventional fixtures and some LED's. Our choir director is interested in investing in some moving lights and put me on the task. I did some research, but have no clue where to start with moving lights. We are of course on a tight high school budget. The Chauvet Q-Spot 560-LED for $1,799 caught my eye. For a starting point we are only looking to get two and hang them right FOH and left FOH. Can anyone suggest a different moving light that would be better than this one, but stays in that price range? We are not looking for something too too too too fancy, but it has to be something worth putting in the effort for. Thanks!
Automated Fixtures Recommendations - Moving Lights - High School Auditorium
- Thread startertaylors
- Start date
You should think about renting them on an as needed basis. Quality moving lights (the only ones worth getting) are expensive to purchase and maintain, and it's much easier to rent them for the one or two times a year you need them than to buy them and keep them running. Also take a look at the Gafftaper Method
epimetheus
Well-Known Member
Depending on the size of your stage and your existing lighting system, any LED mover is likely to be washed out by your stage wash. By renting you can get access to a much better fixture without having to deal with the upfront cost. And, if you find that you don't like the fixtures you've rented, you can just rent something different the next time. If you buy, you're locked into what you've got long term.
For the same price range I'd move to the Elation Platinum Spot 5R for about $1,800. Good mix of quality, features, and price.
I'm in a similar situation, and work for a school that only wants to purchase, not rent. They're all about investing in the future. I've had my eye on a set of 8 of the 5R's, just building up my budget a little more.
I'm in a similar situation, and work for a school that only wants to purchase, not rent. They're all about investing in the future. I've had my eye on a set of 8 of the 5R's, just building up my budget a little more.
techieman33
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't touch those things, way to many bad stories going around. A light with known reliability problems isn't what you want in an educational setting. I've only seen them once in person and wasn't impressed, the road LD that had them hated them. He liked the American DJ vizi spot 5r's that he also had a lot better. They were also noticeably brighter with the same lamp as the elation units.
Renting is better.
When you rent, if things break you can take them back to the shop and get the fixture swapped out that day. If your rental shop is especially kind, they may even drive to your venue and swap the fixture out for you. You also don't have to pay $200 per new lamp when they need replacing.
Moving lights break. Frequently. If there isn't a budget allocated for maintaining them, repairing them, and purchasing new lamps regularly, don't buy them. I know places that have purchased them, and they have fallen into such disrepair that they are unusable. If you think you're school is unique and they'll take extra special care of them and they'll last for at least a decade, you're wrong. Extra special care may last for a year, at best, but in the long term they'll end up being a very poor purchasing decision.
I'd also argue that four movers isn't a lot to do much of anything. What are you hoping to gain by having these four?
When I spec movers for theatre, it's so I can avoid hanging a couple dozen extra specials, get colors I cannot get out of conventionals, and to get flexibility in the lighting design by being able to add or adjust any special at any time without needing to get in a lift and refocus (which if there's a dance floor down, getting in a scissor lift for focus is out of the question).
If all you'll be able to use them for is eye candy, you can make that $7000 go a lot further in other purchases than to buy four lights that will never pay for themselves.
Last edited:
I'm with Call911. If they insist on buying, go with Elations. Remember there is a reason many professional theaters rent movers as needed. They are expensive, the inexpensive ones are limited, and all need maintenance... Regardless, try to rent the units you're considering for purchase to make sure they meet your expectations.
~Alden
~Alden
Sayen
Active Member
I'm going to disagree on renting - If and ONLY if your school has enough conventionals already, and you have a dedicated staff member who will make sure they are maintained and repaired, then go ahead and explore buying at least a pair of moving lights. The training advantage of having them on site at all times is invaluable. Students don't learn enough when you only have them out twice a year to rent. I have four movers and four I-Cues, and while it isn't enough for a big touring Broadway musical, on a high school budget they look pretty impressive and allow for programming opportunities students wouldn't normally have. If we need more, we rent. But - only buy them if someone on staff will take responsibility for them, and only if you have a regular use for them.
I would recommend spending the extra cash on a high brand name. I've heard horror stories about the Elations. Martin's MAC250 is small, and common in high schools. You should be able to demo a couple before you buy, make sure you like the look in your space.
I would recommend spending the extra cash on a high brand name. I've heard horror stories about the Elations. Martin's MAC250 is small, and common in high schools. You should be able to demo a couple before you buy, make sure you like the look in your space.
We picked up a pair of Martin MAC 350 Entours at the end of the last year school year at the high school I work at. So far they've been great to us. We've used them in a handful of shows so far this year and knock on wood, I have no complaints about them. Plenty strong to cut through all of our conventionals. I don't remember the exact price, but it was somewhere in the ballpark of $2k each (granted they were on sale at the time).
Just to save you a bit of a headache, don't go with Martin SmartMACs. We made that mistake a few years back. Don't get me wrong, they're a great light, but in a theater setting they don't quite cut it solely due to the fact that when you attempt to dim the fixture the beam simply "eclipses" (for lack of a better word), it doesn't actually dim. That's just the way the fixture is designed. It's been a major headache for us, and had we looked a little deeper we would've known that was the case before we purchased them.
Just to save you a bit of a headache, don't go with Martin SmartMACs. We made that mistake a few years back. Don't get me wrong, they're a great light, but in a theater setting they don't quite cut it solely due to the fact that when you attempt to dim the fixture the beam simply "eclipses" (for lack of a better word), it doesn't actually dim. That's just the way the fixture is designed. It's been a major headache for us, and had we looked a little deeper we would've known that was the case before we purchased them.
We are defiantly looking to buy the two fixtures, renting is not a consideration. While I know the maintenance of them will be challenging, the use of them will be serendipitous eye candy for certain things that go on at school. I am worried about the up keep of them though. Has anyone personally or know of stories of the Chauvet Q-Spot 560-LED fixture? I have no clue how often the bulbs will have to be replaces, and no clue on what that would cost. Thanks.
That is great about the diodes! Just one less thing to have to worry about. How can I do better than the $1,799?
Chauvet, Elation, and similar brands are not going to stand the test of time. I'm going to guarantee that. They also are much less repair friendly than the bigger name brands. You are welcome to get them, but realize that you will be needing to spend more money not that long down the road. The diodes good for 14+years are probably the only part of the light that will last that long.
What everyone seems to be forgetting is the OP asked a question, an would like an answer. It doesn't matter if you think the money should go elsewhere. Answer the question, or don't answer it. But please do not try to change the topic.
In high school, there are budgets. There are also administration. If the budget isn't spent, it's gone. If the administration says to spend it on moving lights for eye candy, then you spend it on moving lights for eye candy. This is the fact of life for working in a public school. The teachers don't have much of a say where the money gets spent, and students never have a say.
All we can do is try to help the OP the best we can with his question, and try to not question the politics or reasoning behind it.
In high school, there are budgets. There are also administration. If the budget isn't spent, it's gone. If the administration says to spend it on moving lights for eye candy, then you spend it on moving lights for eye candy. This is the fact of life for working in a public school. The teachers don't have much of a say where the money gets spent, and students never have a say.
All we can do is try to help the OP the best we can with his question, and try to not question the politics or reasoning behind it.
Les
Well-Known Member
I doubt any administration has ever instructed anyone to buy moving lights for eye candy. Ever.
So here's my short and to the point answer. None. You can't afford a good light, so don't buy any light. I am speaking from experience here. When I was in high school, I decided to push really hard to buy a pair of Chauvet Legend 150R's, and I got them. They worked fine for the show we were doing at the time, but a pair of gobo rotators would have worked just as well. We also had to rush ship a new lamp because someone tried to hot-restrike. Essentially, none of us knew what we were doing, and we didn't get a lot of learning done with those two toys connected to a non-moving-light board.
We would have been a lot better served by spending that money on gobo rotators, scrollers, etc. Sure, there may be people on-hand to take care of the lights and who know what they are doing, but the student body tends to turn over fast and even the staff can change in a heartbeat. I just don't think buying fickle equipment is a great idea. Heck, I contract for a huge church that has five Robe's. There is always one at the shop for something and it costs $100/hr in just bench time to get them fixed.
So here's my short and to the point answer. None. You can't afford a good light, so don't buy any light. I am speaking from experience here. When I was in high school, I decided to push really hard to buy a pair of Chauvet Legend 150R's, and I got them. They worked fine for the show we were doing at the time, but a pair of gobo rotators would have worked just as well. We also had to rush ship a new lamp because someone tried to hot-restrike. Essentially, none of us knew what we were doing, and we didn't get a lot of learning done with those two toys connected to a non-moving-light board.
We would have been a lot better served by spending that money on gobo rotators, scrollers, etc. Sure, there may be people on-hand to take care of the lights and who know what they are doing, but the student body tends to turn over fast and even the staff can change in a heartbeat. I just don't think buying fickle equipment is a great idea. Heck, I contract for a huge church that has five Robe's. There is always one at the shop for something and it costs $100/hr in just bench time to get them fixed.
Last edited:
Similar threads
