Which Hazer?
- Thread starterBKS8
- Start date
This is an amazingly broad question. "Which hazer would you choose for the money and function?" Well, what do you need it to do? What kind of space/venue are you working in? What kind of haze effect are you looking for? What is your budget? Do you have any concerns about following AEA smoke and haze guidelines?
We own two different hazers, an MDG Atmosphere and a Look Solutions Unique2. Both are good machines, and both are very different in how they operate. I have also worked with the DF-50 and one of the Le Maitre units. The Unique2 is great because we can stick AEA actors right in front of it while it is running while with the MDG there are stricter T/D guidelines. Both units can kick out a lot of haze, in fact on full the Unique2 is almost like a fogger. The MDG runs a little quieter, but it requires CO2 in addition to fluid to operate. The Unique take about 60 seconds to warm up and be ready to use. The Unique2 has onboard DMX control while the MDG requires a DMX adapter.
As for the haze itself, both machines have no problem filling our space. The MDG haze has a longer hangtime I think, but the Unique2 does very well keeping the volume of haze up and is very fluid efficient.
If you are looking for reviews such that you can make a purchase I would suggest calling your local dealers and setting up demos of whatever units they have or can get for you. Your venue makes a big impact on what will look good. Not to mention the fact that it will vary from day to day. However, seeing is the best way to figure out what will work.
Ninety-five percent of the shows coming into my building use the Reel EFX DF-50; two to eight units. It is very noisy and fairly expensive, so I would not recommend it for theatre use, but it IS the industry-standard for concerts and corporate shows.
I like my MDG atmospheres, but around 4000-5000 if i remember correctly is a bit out of peoples price range though it is well worth it. For a lot of shows i use my atari fazer, it works really well, it is water based unlike the MDG which is oil based and does require CO2 (you always have to be sure to have a spare tank around). Also antari's fluid runs about 20-30 bucks a gallon, and MDG's will run you around 80 for a quart.
Sayen
Active Member
I have a single Radiance, in a fairly large theater, and have been very happy with the performance. Reliable, variable levels, and reasonably quiet when placed backstage. Two would be nice, but for my budget one cuts it very nicely.
My one thought is to make sure you can adjust the level of the unit. I've seen a couple of hazers come through with rentals that had great output but no control, so instead of leaving them on low we had to constantly power cycle to keep the haze at an acceptable level.
My one thought is to make sure you can adjust the level of the unit. I've seen a couple of hazers come through with rentals that had great output but no control, so instead of leaving them on low we had to constantly power cycle to keep the haze at an acceptable level.
The DF-50 I referenced above falls into this category, which is why it gets its own cuelist on a virtual fader, executor button, or macro. Or, it runs from half-hour until show, and, depending on the HVAC's ability to turn over the room, the haze will hang the entire show.
At one theme park, since I was running another show in a theatre next door, I used the Expression3's Real Time Clock to start the hazer and do House Preset, at half hour. I then went next door at 10 minutes to curtain. The previous theatre had a 15 minute delayed cue after curtain call to take out stage lights and bring up works. The joys of theme parks!
lightman02
Active Member
I have the Martin Magnum and have been happy with it. In my opionion it is the same performance if not better as the Le Maitre Radiance. However the older Le Maitre Neutron seem like a much better hazer then the Radiance that they are selling now. I wasn't very impressed with the radiance they are selling now at all.
Like others have said, you are asking a very broad question. There are many different circumstances that play a role in atmospherics. A major one would be if you are working with AEA contracts. The previously mentioned Neutron, for instance, is not AEA approved. That means that if you were to use it you would have to get a particle meter and do the testing yourself. If you are in a small high school then a Neutron is a great little unit. So, like I said, there are a lot of things to consider when thinking about a hazer.
-Tim
-Tim
Add another for the LeMaitre Radiance. One fills my space well & it is very efficient with fluid use. I've used it a lot & am still running off the original case of fluid I bought with it two years ago.
My only complaint is output being touchy when running on the remote (not DMX). There seems to be a point where it jumps from very little output to lots. It's difficult to fine tune in that range. May be just a bad potentiometer.
My only complaint is output being touchy when running on the remote (not DMX). There seems to be a point where it jumps from very little output to lots. It's difficult to fine tune in that range. May be just a bad potentiometer.
I rented a LeMaitre Radiance a couple of weeks ago and Was very impressed with how quiet and how well it performed. Filled our space 500 seats quickly and hung around. Budget restraints for a hazer forced me to buy the Martin Magnum... Not a bad unit but is not as good IMHO as the Radiance.... The Magnum is noisy when it at first burst.... I have it set up at 12%, 25% and 75% in their controller..... doesn't like the particles are as compact as with the radiance (using the same fluid) but that may be a little negative perception on my part. All in all the Magnum will do the job but would have loved to spent the extra 500 and get the radiance.
TupeloTechie
Active Member
I have another vote for the LeMaitre Radiance. This unit is great. It uses very little fluid and at full can look like a fog machine which can be handy for some effects. It has to warm up unlike the DF-50, but the warm-up time is very very short. It takes DMX and responds nicely to it, but it will also run on the remote or in stand alone, so its very versatile. It is also water based as apposed to mineral oil, which I find is just better on the venue if you use it a lot.
chadillac802
Member
I have rented the Radiance hazer and was very impressed, the model I rented had a road case with built in adjustable fan (very nice!). Just one filled my entire space (485 seat proscenium) in a matter of minutes.
I have been running the Magnum hazer for a couple of weeks now. OMG! Can you say SUCKS the FLUID...... looking to transfer it over to the main Sanctuary for use in productions cause this thing will put us in the poor house. The youth church has three services each week during the week and I have filled this thing up twice.... in two weeks..... So I am looking for a diff machine
iLightTheStage
Active Member
I mostly work with the Unique2s and DF-50s. I'm sure the Unique2s are good for their appropriate sized locations, and are VERY fluid efficient (if NOT run at 100% for four hours, draining all fluid, which an LD of mine made us discover on a gig). However, the Unique2s are horrible for Arenas. Their haze does not hold at all.
Therefore, I'm a bigger fan of the DF-50s, but it can be hard to get the DMX controller for them, and price might be more of an issue.
Therefore, I'm a bigger fan of the DF-50s, but it can be hard to get the DMX controller for them, and price might be more of an issue.
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