Renting/Purchasing LED Lights in an incandescent theater

[KBToys82]

Hi everyone,

So as I get more aware of the limitations of our theater (very small high school stage with not a lot of lights) I'm looking to maybe buying or renting a couple LED fixtures to place on the stage to wash the back and possibly overhead. I'm already looking to renting a Element 40/250 Board for the production since we currently only have 60 channels on our Lehigh board. We have almost no $ so trying to get some cheap options.


Anyway, so I was looking purchasing 2 of the American WiFly Transmission/Receiver to send the DMX signal from the booth which is in the balcony to the stage. Then maybe trying out the Chauvet DJ Colorstrip to light the back wall. Our border lights are currently way to high up (district won't move them, I tried) to do anything of real value to wash they wall.


Also, random question about the Element 40/250. I know DMX has 512 channels and you can have multiple universes even with the Element. But since it only has 250 channels, am I really cutting out 1/2 of the possible channels I can use? The reason I ask is because in the very near future, we are probably buying a new board and want to see the best option.

 

[BillESC]

The Chauvet ColorStrip will be disappointing at best. The segmented colors and limited output will not provide the look you desire.

You might be better served purchasing a real theatrical fixture designed for the task.

http://www.stagelightingstore.com/Altman-100W-LED-Spectra-Cyc-Black?sc=44&category=765907

 

[microstar]

The Colorstrip will be the worst light you can possibly pick for your application. Save your money and buy the real thing like Bill says. If you really think you need more than 250 channels, either think about the 500 channel version of the Element or consider the advantages/disadvantages in a high school setting of a software/dongle system with a high channel count.

 

[KBToys82]

I only asked about the channel thing because they MAY (HAHA) go to all LED's at some point in the auditorium but I really don't think that's coming until after I retire in 30 years or so.

 

[RickR]

The Element is one of the best for small rigs.

The over used word 'channel' is confusing you. In ETC speak it's a 'control channel' not a DMX address. The 250 is a channel count limit, but each fixture patched is a channel. So a mover in extended mode using 50ish addresses is one channel. The real limit is 1024 addresses, but they can be spread over many universes if you go network.

So I doubt you would ever have 250 fixtures, but if you do you can upgrade the console to 500 channels by buying a code from ETC.

 

[MikeJ]

The Element is one of the best for small rigs.

The over used word 'channel' is confusing you. In ETC speak it's a 'control channel' not a DMX address. The 250 is a channel count limit, but each fixture patched is a channel. So a mover in extended mode using 50ish addresses is one channel. The real limit is 1024 addresses, but they can be spread over many universes if you go network.

So I doubt you would ever have 250 fixtures, but if you do you can upgrade the console to 500 channels by buying a code from ETC.

So, every fixture uses only one channel, regardless of its "dmx footprint?" So its actually a fixture count limit? So, in you example of a fixture that uses 50 DMX "channels", I can run 250 units, which would require almost 25 universes, on an element with only a 250 channel license? If this is how it works, than I am very impressed at the value that ETC offers.

Or is there also a DMX output limit?

 

[CraigV]

I used Chauvet Colorstrips as down light from each overstage batten for a show last summer and actually turned out great. I used Sprectra Cyc 50s for the cyc. It was also a small venue. That being said, the Spectra Cycs will give a MUCH better set of even colors and will ultimately last longer.

In the old days, each fader was one channel. So if you had RGBA that would take up four faders, thus four channels. The Element is digital and can keep track of all the extra parameters that the fixture has. So on your screen it is listed as one channel with a series of parameters. You still need to set the fixtures so that they are as far apart as needed. So set one RGBA fixture to A001, then the next to A005. On the board, you would do a digital patch such that Channel 1 is Address 1-4, and Channel 2 is Address 5-8.

I recommend watching some ETC training videos on their youtube channel or downloading the offline/Nomad software. It's free and you can at least play around with patching and get used to how things work, even if it won't output.

 

[MikeJ]

I understand how fixture addressing works, I did not see the part about only 250 "desk channels" and 1024 DMX channels being available, that makes much more sense, though I never understood the artificial limits of fixture count put on low End consoles. I know its all marketing, to prematurely force people into an upgrade, but still seems silly to sell a bunch of different products, rather than a line of scalable ones.

 

[Thetechmanmac]

With the ETC NET3 stuff nowadays, if you have everything networked, in theory you can output as many DMX universes you need. Except you have to have the DMX nodes to convert NET3/ RDM signal into regular DMX.

I still can't quite wrap my head around the whole networking thing though.

 

[RickR]

There are other differences than output counts. Mostly it's about the hardware, Element has faders but not encoders. It also has fewer monitor outs, no pixel mapping and some other function limits. It really is for a conventional rig with limited mover needs, but does well with many LEDs.

The DMX limits still apply. You can spread them out over different universes, up to 12 or 16 if memory serves. sACN now does 63,999 universes but no console does that!

Going network gets interesting, sometimes good, sometimes not.

 

[ScottT]

Here's an article about the differences between the Element and the rest of the Eos Family.

 

[kicknargel]

I never understood the artificial limits of fixture count put on low End consoles.

My educated guess is that it allows them to create a price point that schools and small theatres can afford, while keeping a high price point for professional theatres that need the channels. Gotta cover that R&D. I think it's a pretty genius price differentiation strategy, personally.