Control/Dimming Repair or replace NSI products

[milemarker68]

Currently we have a Leviton MC 7000 24x48 lighting control and two NRD 8000 dimmer packs in our church facility. Three weeks ago the lighting control panel started losing channels (by misuse from another program in our facility) and now one of the dimmer packs is malfunctioning. I talked to the technician and he gave me a quote for repair, but I am curious if we should repair or replace the equipment. If we replace should we stay with microplex or switch over to DMX. To replace and keep the same brand and components we are looking at around 3-4K, so if we move to DMX we would need to stay in the same range and quality. Any suggestions would be great, for I am new to the field of lighting, but eager to help out the church in this area.

Thanks - Ty

 

[mstaylor]

It is possible to switch to DMX and stay in the neighborhood price. NSI and Lightronics both have small dimmers and boards that are in your price range. Lightronics has some that run DMX and LMX-128. NSI has dimmers that run DMX and Microplex.

 

[gafftaper]

First of all Welcome to CB. I live in North Seattle as well. Feel free to drop me a PM if you need any help.

Two options for you: I installed Four Elation Cyberpacks in a church about a year ago. They were about $180 each and they are real DMX. Add an Enttec USB DMX pro for another $140, a few DMX cables, and install the free version of Champsys MagicQ on an old laptop and we were good to go for about $1200. It's not top quality but it gets the job done and is a suitable replacement for NSI... debatable if it's the same or better quality. I would never put it to the heavy use of a theater environment, but for a couple hours a week in a small church it'll be fine. They've been running a year with no problems.

If you want a step up to something a little more reliable for the long hall but not pay the full pro price. About 6 months ago I installed a system at a small rental hall with four Leprecaun ULD dimmer packs. They run around $750 each depending on the model you get. Add an ETC Smartfade 12/48 as the console for a little over $1100 and you've got a nice little system for under $5000. It's still not something for really heavy duty usage, but quality products from quality manufactures that will do the job for years to come.

And then there is the other option. What if you Looked into using LED's? They are starting to become affordable. If you don't need a huge system. Just accenting the architectural lighting like many smaller churches do, you might want to seriously consider this route.

Local places to get quotes from: PNTA, Hollywood lights, and Stagecraft. Take a look at this collaborative article for suggestions about national and internet dealers. Also give CB member BillESC a call for a price quote. Especially if you are thinking about low budget LED's.

 

[milemarker68]

Thanks for the input. We did start looking at LED lighting last year when we were doing a Christmas production, however, from the current position of the lighting bar (back of the room, not mounted to the ceiling) the ones we were using didn't throw as far or precise as our pars did. We haven't given up on the idea of moving toward LED but would have to know more about if the distance the current bars (the ones in front of the stage) are needed to be adjusted. Our front of stage lighting is about 15-20 feet back with a 25ish foot ceiling. We have considered doing all back lighting with LED. Once again I appreciate your input and will look into those products you mentioned.

Ty