Hi all! I am a big fan of this site! I have an odd question though. I do corporate event lighting and we often do pinspotting on centerpieces for evening events/weddings, although relatively simple they become a pain because of the constant shuffling of table placement, centerpiece selection, making it difficult to constantly re-focus 100 pinspot instruments multiple times! My question is: are there DMX controlled moving pinspots? Little moving light par 36 or 38's? I think if we could focus from the board it would be much easier! Any ideas?
Remote Pinspots?
- Thread starterBri
- Start date
NickJones
Active Member
Hi Bri,
Welcome to CB, introduce yourself over at the New Member Section.
The first moving light ever made was a PAR can that moves, so yes they are out there. Martin and Vari-Lite are two of the better moving light brands but will cost you. Chauvet used to make them, you can find a link to one here. and of course China makes ones like this.
Last week we discussed the Martin MiniMacs a discontinued small Moving Head fixture that would be perfect for you, you can read the thread here. They sell for around $500-1000 US depending on the condition and wheter it is Wash or Profile.
eBay turned up these two moving head PARs but they aren't cheap... So my advice to you is, if can afford it, do it, but the price it will cost you makes it WAAY more feesable just to keep re-focusing. Sorry.
Nick
Welcome to CB, introduce yourself over at the New Member Section.
The first moving light ever made was a PAR can that moves, so yes they are out there. Martin and Vari-Lite are two of the better moving light brands but will cost you. Chauvet used to make them, you can find a link to one here. and of course China makes ones like this.
Last week we discussed the Martin MiniMacs a discontinued small Moving Head fixture that would be perfect for you, you can read the thread here. They sell for around $500-1000 US depending on the condition and wheter it is Wash or Profile.
eBay turned up these two moving head PARs but they aren't cheap... So my advice to you is, if can afford it, do it, but the price it will cost you makes it WAAY more feesable just to keep re-focusing. Sorry.
Nick
I don't do automated luminaries, so take this for what it's worth.
The Chauvet MIN spot seems to be what you're looking for-
Products MiN? Spot | | CHAUVET Lighting
The Chauvet MIN spot seems to be what you're looking for-
Products MiN? Spot | | CHAUVET Lighting
Well Im sure what I'm asking for is going to cost too much... but it was worth the shot!
That is a pic of what we basically hang, 6 to a pipe for 70-100 tables whose configurations change. The way I envisioned it was a little motor on the yoke and tilt adjustment to assist in aiming them, all by dmx. But from the looks of things I better dream on!
Thanks for all the great info.
That is a pic of what we basically hang, 6 to a pipe for 70-100 tables whose configurations change. The way I envisioned it was a little motor on the yoke and tilt adjustment to assist in aiming them, all by dmx. But from the looks of things I better dream on!
Thanks for all the great info.
soundlight
Well-Known Member
If you don't need dimming and you're OK with a moving mirror, old Roboscan 812s are going up on sleazebay all the time, and are also available elsewhere fairly cheap. That would also afford you color and gobo options. It's a 150w fixture, too, which is nice for power consumption vs. a 250 watt halogen or discharge scanner.
Ahh...I know exactly what you want.
Unfortunately you could pay a Union Electrician for a week with the cash required.
Apollo Design | Right Arm
Unfortunately you could pay a Union Electrician for a week with the cash required.
Apollo Design | Right Arm
soundlight
Well-Known Member
the Min spot for 300 I think is your best option. An ellipscan costs more then 300. Now, have a hundred of those things in the air could be pretty cool later in the evening. A 30k investment might not be fun at first, but it could be pretty cool. If you want to push for these, thats the angle I would ride. They can do a lot more then just keep you from dragging out a ladder. If you want to buy them just from keeping you from doing actual work, I think you are working on a pipe dream.
Years ago I worked for a company that did the pinspot centerpiece. Frequently we would wait until the tables were placed before we would focus the lamps. A-Frame ladders are easy to move about short of chairs in the way and the goal is that center piece on the table which if done right a pinspot often does well and economically.
Not so sure about this moving light concept for each table, cost of fixture, time to focus each remotely from the light board which ain't local, and beyond that the pinspot has a certain beamspread and look to it. If mostly not right above the center piece or at desired angle to it, a table if moved and two feet away won't look the same short of moving that fixture no matter what you do to refocus that mirror as it were. Not my style of lighting but did about a year of such lighting and it did have its certain look to it.
In my experience, the table rental company or those setting up the tables set them up according to a plot that the lighting company also has in design. Pre-hang the lights according to the plot and during focus after the tables are in place and even after the center piece you are to light is in place, come back to focus those lights. At that point with out chairs or chairs moved out of the way it is easy enough to say move the table some or move the fixture but definately touch up that focus onto the focus. Following all set and ready, a broom handle is useful especially if say it is say a stage brace or double hook coat hanger on it's end so as to also move about the yoke if needed.
Such gigs not a hard thing and I don't think moving lights required for more than the flash and trash part of it. This much less just because you can refocus it remotely doesn't mean either from a remote position you can focus onto that location properly or that if the fixture is hung at the wrong angle, any ability to refocus it will help light what is a down light type lighting short of moving the fixture from its position.
Yea, typically we would have lamp bars of pinspots and they would be at angles, given that a moving light if also at an angle could do so, but so much more expensive, much less not able to side arm or rooster out towards that focus. In general one moving light per table I would think not needed and cost prohivivite.
Not so sure about this moving light concept for each table, cost of fixture, time to focus each remotely from the light board which ain't local, and beyond that the pinspot has a certain beamspread and look to it. If mostly not right above the center piece or at desired angle to it, a table if moved and two feet away won't look the same short of moving that fixture no matter what you do to refocus that mirror as it were. Not my style of lighting but did about a year of such lighting and it did have its certain look to it.
In my experience, the table rental company or those setting up the tables set them up according to a plot that the lighting company also has in design. Pre-hang the lights according to the plot and during focus after the tables are in place and even after the center piece you are to light is in place, come back to focus those lights. At that point with out chairs or chairs moved out of the way it is easy enough to say move the table some or move the fixture but definately touch up that focus onto the focus. Following all set and ready, a broom handle is useful especially if say it is say a stage brace or double hook coat hanger on it's end so as to also move about the yoke if needed.
Such gigs not a hard thing and I don't think moving lights required for more than the flash and trash part of it. This much less just because you can refocus it remotely doesn't mean either from a remote position you can focus onto that location properly or that if the fixture is hung at the wrong angle, any ability to refocus it will help light what is a down light type lighting short of moving the fixture from its position.
Yea, typically we would have lamp bars of pinspots and they would be at angles, given that a moving light if also at an angle could do so, but so much more expensive, much less not able to side arm or rooster out towards that focus. In general one moving light per table I would think not needed and cost prohivivite.
ship, thanks for the information. I work for the hotel industry, we have no say in the table placement, decisions of rearrangement, etc. We try to have them hold off on chairs but they have a seperate schedule to adhere to, as do the clients that provide the centerpeices... nothing is ever as planned on paper.. that is mainly why I was looking for an alternative to driving our lift in to focus them, our ceilings are 28'( we also have specific areas we can hang in, therefore the pinspots are not directly above the tables), I'm short, usually the only one doing pinspots and don't have a ladder to accomodate...Currently I move chairs, drive in, re-focus, move chairs back, and hope they stay that way haha! Just thought I would throw the idea out there see if they existed. From the looks of things I will be doing the same ol thing 
Thanks to everyone who answered. You all rock!
--Bri
Thanks to everyone who answered. You all rock!--Bri
willbb123
Active Member
Soundlight, I really thoroughly enjoyed your word "sleazebay." I plan on using it nowKinda like me calling the Home Depot the Home Despot
Totally unrelated, but I also work at a competitor of Home Depot. We've got plenty of names for them and the other stores, most of which I shouldn't post here.
David Ashton
Well-Known Member
A relatively low cost solution might be security camera pan and tilt mechanisms, in bulk, they may be low enough cost.
I think I found what I was looking for!
American DJ Homepage - American DJ Products Include Disco Lights, Music, Club Lighting, DJ Lights, Special Effects, Professional Lighting, & DJ Audio Gear. Quality, Affordable, & Reliable Special Effects Lighting & Audio Products. From A Company You
Going to do some more research, but thats basically it! Yay!
Ohhh and they are about $150 each, not too bad
American DJ Homepage - American DJ Products Include Disco Lights, Music, Club Lighting, DJ Lights, Special Effects, Professional Lighting, & DJ Audio Gear. Quality, Affordable, & Reliable Special Effects Lighting & Audio Products. From A Company You
Going to do some more research, but thats basically it!
Yay!Ohhh and they are about $150 each, not too bad
Last edited:
David Ashton
Well-Known Member
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