Moving Head Lights

[nrgize 0]

Hi,

I am currently looking at getting a couple of moving heads for my lighting rig and using them with 2 other dmx twisters. My controller will work with them but I dont know which ones to look at getting.

I have had my eyes on and have been planning to buy the stairville moving head at only £200 a piece from Thomann at the end of November ready for christmas.

http://images4.thomann.de/pics/prod/168871.jpg

DMX 512 channels: 5,

Gobo wheel: 14 gobos plus open and blackout, including 1 replaceable gobo, 2 glass gobos, 1 effect gobo, and 10 metal gobos. With gobo shaking effect.

Color wheel: 11 trapezoid dichroic color plus white. Rainbow effect in both directions.

Power supply: 230V 50Hz,

Lamp: ELC 24V250W,

 

However as I was searching the internet today saw this ;

http://www.djkit.co.uk/acatalog/funky_daddy_o_lg.jpg

equiped with 9 dmx channels and a bright 24v 250w ELC lamp.

The unit can be used in Sound to light mode, Master/Slave or via a standard DMX controller.

X, Y Reverse and positive selectable.

3 control modes: Sound to light, Master/Slave or DMX512

Speed of master/slave selectable

position focusing and self correction

7 rotating gobos + Blank

11 colours + open

Size: 430x350x550

Weight: 14kg

Channels:

Channel 1: Pan

Channel 2: Fine Pan

Channel 3: Tilt

Channel 4: Fine Tile

Channel 5: Shutter

Channel 6: colour

Channel 7: Gobo

Channel 8: Gobo Rotate

Channel 9: Reset by controller

 

 

The Funky revolution head has rotating gobos and more DMX Channels to have more control over the light and is only £249.

The stairville head is £200 and had less channels on it.

 

has anyone had any dealings with "Funky" lighting ??

 

I think its defo worth paying £49 more for the option of being able to rotate the gobos.

 

Does anyone else use Moving Heads as part of their rig, and how do you rate them being on the road ??

 

Many Thanks

[Dream Catchers 0]

Does anyone else use Moving Heads as part of their rig, and how do you rate them being on the road ??

 

Many Thanks

 

I have used a couple of Martin moving heads.

To be honest I dont think they are much cop for mobile work, they are big and clumsy.

You need to keep them away from the punters for the obvious reasons.

If you let them run on their own most of the time they are not on the punters or dance floor.

I think they are better just used in fixed installs where they are mounted above the crowd.

 

Jim

[Gary 0]

I think its defo worth paying £49 more for the option of being able to rotate the gobos.

 

Does anyone else use Moving Heads as part of their rig, and how do you rate them being on the road ??

 

Many Thanks

 

 

The more channels the merrier - up to a point - I've got some 18 channel moving heads and I'm limited in the UK as to which controllers will run them easily.

 

The rotating gobo channel is a good plus - especially if its slowest speed is very slow and smooth - great for the "coming in, sitting down, eating" part of say, a dinner dance - as well as during the slowies etc.

 

[jeffwall 0]

 

To be honest I dont think they are much cop for mobile work, they are big and clumsy.

You need to keep them away from the punters for the obvious reasons.

If you let them run on their own most of the time they are not on the punters or dance floor.

 

 

Jim

 

Ive got 2 of the stairville ones from thomman too

 

I agree with jim, good lights, they impress the kids loads...love looking at them

 

They are useful mounted on my truss, but floor mounted (unless stopped to just wash light) not to clever.....gets in peoples eyes

[NiM 0]

I used to use 2 of the EVL 150 discharge jobbys.. £300 each or something new..

 

They were nifty little lights, though could be a tad loud when moving at times..

[norty303 0]

Unless you absolutely HAVE to have a moving head for specific reasons, buy a decent scanner. They will last longer, require less servicing and generally have a better feature set for the price. As so many places are no longer allowing smoke try to get a 250w discharge lamped unit (MSD200, MSD250, MSD250/2) as they are so much brighter and whiter light.

Edited July 31, 2007 by norty303

[UKHero 0]

I have 4 moving heads and as said above not good on free run but with DMX can be very good problem is having the time to program the darn things for the gig.. I do think scanners etc are much better for Mobile and cover more area than a head anyway...

 

 

Nik

 

[brianmole 0]

I have 2 Stairvilles, they are brilliant floor standing for venues like marquees with white ceilings, and really good at big venues to fill ceilings again.

[DJ Marky Marc 0]

and even better on top of speaker stacks...

[EdBray 0]

and even better on top of speaker stacks...

Won't sit on top of my speakers :hide:

 

Personally, after my last experience with Funky kit (potentially lethal), and that fact that two well established (and respected) DJ equipment retailers will no longer stock their stuff I wouldn't touch the Funky with a bargepole regardless of how many DMX channels it has.

[brianmole 0]

and even better on top of speaker stacks...

http://www.dancemix.co.uk/Site/Gallery_files/IMG_4160.jpg :Thumbup:

[norty303 0]

Nice setup. Do you strap the tops to the subs, and how do you secure the heads to the speaker?

[Dream Catchers 0]

Nice setup. Do you strap the tops to the subs, and how do you secure the heads to the speaker?

 

Agree about the nice looking setup ;)

 

Not sure about the risk assessment and PLI implications though :bouncy:

 

Jim

[nrgize 0]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far, taking all your points on board. I've always wanted to buy a couple of moving heads. Thought that they would be best as when providing lighting for bands or doing karaokes etc they would be more suitable. Scanners are only a little bit cheaper than the moving heads.

 

Keep the advice comin thanks everyone!! :dan+ju:

[buskersball 0]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far, taking all your points on board. I've always wanted to buy a couple of moving heads. Thought that they would be best as when providing lighting for bands or doing karaokes etc they would be more suitable. Scanners are only a little bit cheaper than the moving heads.

 

Keep the advice comin thanks everyone!! :dan+ju:

 

 

I've gone off them for your average mobile gig..especially the halogen ones. I had five, but sold a pair and rarely bother carrying them in (although one of them is a 250w discharge which I am more inclined to use)

When you see them on tv they look good, but they're usually in banks of a dozen and are super powerful onesm but for a mobile its a different story...you have to place them for a good effect and most of the time in the gigs I do there's just no space.

My best lights are my 4 Mad scans which put the beams exactly where they should be when hanging from my rig.

Plus...for the same price as a moving head you can get a scanner with better optics etc

If you really want some go for it, but you may be better getting s/h to see if you like them.

 

Mind you, to be honest I've gone off a lot of my effect lights, prefering the NJD Quartets on stands with another pair of icolors illuminating the rear wall. I have a pair of Falcon's which I save for the finale, but my two pairs of Datamoons and another pair of Acmemoonflower things more often than not remain in the van.

I'm coming to the point where I think its better to have good quality floods than gimmicky twisters etc

[jeffwall 0]

I think its better to have good quality floods than gimmicky twisters etc

 

intresting point, i'm starting to agree with this now, with the smoke machines more and more redundant, and venues not having smoke from fags..........maybe a couple of dmx floods would be better for some, one thing is for sure, they are very good at backlighting and when mounted high can be good for dance floors.

 

Ive just sold my acme icolour flood, but sorry i did now, a gig last night would have been brill with it instead of my datamoon- "round and round motion sickness" lights haha

 

Also how many venues have it dark enough for the likes of scans and moonflowers to be efficient in what they do?....last nights emergency lighting fittings spoilt the effect for me

Edited August 5, 2007 by Jeffwall

[buskersball 0]

.

 

Ive just sold my acme icolour flood, but sorry i did now, a gig last night would have been brill with it instead of my datamoon- "round and round motion sickness" lights haha

 

 

I was the guy who bought it off you

 

 

Thank you!!

 

and no...you can't have it back!

Edited August 5, 2007 by buskersball

[Tom 0]

http://www.dancemix.co.uk/Site/Gallery_files/IMG_4160.jpg :Thumbup:

 

I hope this pic is not for real.

Anyone who bumps into the stack (not to mention the bass frequencies moving stuff around) will not only get a cab on their head but a moving fixture too.

If this is real please don’t do this!!!!

 

[brianmole 0]

I hope this pic is not for real.

Anyone who bumps into the stack (not to mention the bass frequencies moving stuff around) will not only get a cab on their head but a moving fixture too.

If this is real please don’t do this!!!!

I don't think you can appreciate how big this stack is, and how heavy it is from the photo. It is not going to move. The moving heads were secure.

[Tonsk 0]

Brian, is that the HK Actor setup?

[brianmole 0]

Brian, is that the HK Actor setup?

No, it's Marky Marc's old JBL setup as seen again in the pic below more clearly. Big & Heavy! His new Speakers are bigger & lighter I think...

http://www.dancemix.co.uk/Site/Gallery_files/DSCF0005_2.jpg

[norty303 0]

I'm sorry, regardless (or even more so, because..) they (speakers) are so big and heavy they should be strapped.

 

All lights should have a primary mounting (in the case of yours that would be gravity) and a secondary fixing mechanism.

 

On any gig where we were supplying PA for that involved a system of that size we wouldn't be allowed to open until they were secured.

[brianmole 0]

I'm sorry, regardless (or even more so, because..) they (speakers) are so big and heavy they should be strapped.

 

All lights should have a primary mounting (in the case of yours that would be gravity) and a secondary fixing mechanism.

 

On any gig where we were supplying PA for that involved a system of that size we wouldn't be allowed to open until they were secured.

No need to be sorry, I always listen to good advice, but sometimes someone else's advice appears to be ott. Obviously a battery powered lighting effect sat on a red soundlab speaker on the floor would not need strapping - or would it? So how do we decide? What official documentation can I look up to help me decide a)when I need to strap stuff together, and b)what to use to do this?

 

 

[norty303 0]

It's about common sense and risk assessment.

 

Anything hung overhead should be double secured, using a proper clamp (not wire or gaffa tape as i've seen in the past) and an adequately rated safety bond.

 

In the case of speakers i tend to work on the basis that if i can push it off by grabbing hold of it and giving it a good shake then it needs better security.

 

I tend to use ratchet straps which have been SWL (or equivalent) rated. Don't need to be massively heavyweight, 800kg or so should cover it. I would run from the handles on the subs to the handles of the tops, or go right over the top to the other handle on the sub.

 

Strapping moving heads can be problematic if they don't have handles either side of the base. If they do then you can pass a strap over the handle, under the base, up over the handle on the other side and down to wherever you tether to. I would suggest using a different strap for the light than for the cabs as you won't want to pinch it up as tight as the strap holding the cabs together (or you run the risk of breaking the base moulding/tearing the handles off!)

 

There are myths around 'laws' for safety and i've been told in the past that my old safety chains were now illegal. They're not it's just that the guidelines recommended using bonds as it's more problematic load testing the clips and swivels on chains.

 

the blue room forum has a lot of good links and advice on safety and as it's predominently theatre/large venues you can be sure they have it covered.

 

Don't think that just because you're a disco outfit that the same risks don't apply wherever you are.

[Tom 0]

Well said, for the price of a ratchet strap, it's worth doing. Saves all the costs from legal fees etc when or if something does happen.