What do you do for lighting?

[topper]

Thinking about adding some modest lights to my bar band's show. Looking for inspiration, particularly if you have something you can control from stage while playing.

What do you all do for stage lights?

 

[Rocksolid]

I have 4 led par 56 cans. 2 set to a wash, to changing with the music. Running a dmx system from stage while mixing is not practical for me.

 

[klokker]

Here's what we do. Nothing is remotely controlled that I'm aware of. Two things on stands that shine at us in the outdoor photo,what the colors are I don't remember. If we're inside there's the same set up, plus whatever these floor things are, maybe six of them, and about the same number of old telephone things with lights in them (the "inside photo"). We have a couple of amplifiers with the guts removed and lights inside of them. It's "delightfuly tacky". I have nothing to do with it, except to help put them away when we're done.

 

[topper]

I have 4 led par 56 cans. 2 set to a wash, to changing with the music. Running a dmx system from stage while mixing is not practical for me.

So you mean you have 2 par cans set on sound active all the time?

 

[topper]

Here's what we do. Nothing is remotely controlled that I'm aware of. Two things on stands that shine at us in the outdoor photo,what the colors are I don't remember. If we're inside there's the same set up, plus whatever these floor things are, maybe six of them, and about the same number of old telephone things with lights in them (the "inside photo"). We have a couple of amplifiers with the guts removed and lights inside of them. It's "delightfuly tacky". I have nothing to do with it, except to help put them away when we're done.

Any pics of the lighted amp things?

 

[klokker]

Any pics of the lighted amp things?

Not at this point, but if you look at the "inside photo" one of them is sitting on top of my cab, you can only barely see one of the bulbs. IT's some old 100 watt tube amp with most of the guts taken out of it. It has 4 bulbs in it that flicker, tacky as heck, but the drummer asked if he could put it on my cab and I said fine. Again, tacky as heck, but it always makes me smile. I think it's heavier than my amp and cab combined.

 

[sm49341]

We just run a simple constant-on wash. Maybe 6 par38 cans on stands. To me, a flashing cover band light show reminds me of the Circus. Im sorry but riding an elephant and sticking your head in a lions mouth doesnt excite anyone these days. We do run a dance-floor light (ADJ vertigo tri led) at weddings. Disco ball effect. Totally need that look at weddings, its her day. And we have a couple led pars hitting the dance floor at those too. Basically any moving or changing lights are for the dancers, not us.
Cool light shows are great at big concerts, but unless you spend 10k on your lights no one seems to care about them. Their phone has apps that are waaayyy cooler than a blinkin light.
That being said, i think uplighting the backgroud can give a band a cool look. We dont do that...but i want to.

 

[topper]

We just run a simple constant-on wash. Maybe 6 par38 cans on stands. To me, a flashing cover band light show reminds me of the Circus. Im sorry but riding an elephant and sticking your head in a lions mouth doesnt excite anyone these days. We do run a dance-floor light (ADJ vertigo tri led) at weddings. Disco ball effect. Totally need that look at weddings, its her day. And we have a couple led pars hitting the dance floor at those too. Basically any moving or changing lights are for the dancers, not us.
Cool light shows are great at big concerts, but unless you spend 10k on your lights no one seems to care about them. Their phone has apps that are waaayyy cooler than a blinkin light.
That being said, i think uplighting the backgroud can give a band a cool look. We dont do that...but i want to.

And do you just leave the vertigo tri led on all the time or turn it on and off during the show?

 

[sm49341]

We leave it on all night. Its sound activated. At least during the sliw dances theres that moving light effect.

 

[JRA]

when i have to provide lighting: i use 3-4 par 56's per side: a pair (one each side) is a slight pink, always on washing the 'frontline'. the other cans are sound-activated via dimmer packs --- one dimmer is a master, the other a slave. i set the sensitivity of the master dimmer at the sound check, and then we're off to the races.

just for the loading packing: i'm thinking about getting four LED 56's or 64's, flat style housing --- they're pricey, but lightweight, and they have their own 'programs', so they can be used without dimmers.

 

[Rocksolid]

So you mean you have 2 par cans set on sound active all the time?

Yes. The lights have a few settings, some really sensitive that change all the time, some that change a lot less. I use them. If one of the other guys being his lights also we put a couple of washes up the back wall, and maybe one under the drums.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

I picked up an el cheapo multicolor light bar thing.

It has a dip switch to select some patterns, and a knob that controls sensitivity.

Depending on the venue, I may leave it on the entire set, or switch it on and off at key points with a power strip foot switch. Adds a lot to our show, even though sometimes I think it looks cheap, drunk folks seem to really dig it.

 

[Stewie]

Nothing at all. We look way better in the dark

 

[staurosjohn]

On the far right of this pic is a Chauvet 4Bar USB (4- LED pars)... we have 2- but often just use 1... set to fade (cycles thru about 7 colors)- or can flash to the beat of the music... comes with a wireless foot pedal (can purchase optional remote)

Chauvet DJ 4BAR USB

 

[abracadunphy]

This??

 

[cultrvultr]

We have a full 15 foot laser light show, but tbh I sometimes just put a single $20 flashing "party" light from Amazon on the dance floor and people go equally crazy.

The coolest thing I've seen on TB is the thread about mounting lights directly onto your pa speakers. We just started doing that and it eliminates the need for a full truss. We can fit three lights per PA speaker. They all stay wired up and it's easy to mount them on the speaker and then go. We can control them via wireless dmx or go sound activated.

I also put an uplight underneath the pa speaker tripod and a white scrim over it. That turns the whole boring looking speaker stand into a light show. With this setup You get 8 lights covering the band, stage and audience with no additional truss required. It's pretty cool.

 

[cultrvultr]

With dmx we also have our guitarist controlling our light setup via a midi pedalboard. I think he has a 4 button controller to switch scenes and trigger fog.

 

[Jrussblues]

We have 8 led par cans on stands usually set to auto, and two white led par cans set to center stage. We also have led bars on stage and a black light to light up the logo on the drummers kick. All in all everything cost about 2 grand or so.

 

[staurosjohn]

This??

I like it !!

 

[topper]

We have a full 15 foot laser light show, but tbh I sometimes just put a single $20 flashing "party" light from Amazon on the dance floor and people go equally crazy.

The coolest thing I've seen on TB is the thread about mounting lights directly onto your pa speakers. We just started doing that and it eliminates the need for a full truss. We can fit three lights per PA speaker. They all stay wired up and it's easy to mount them on the speaker and then go. We can control them via wireless dmx or go sound activated.

I also put an uplight underneath the pa speaker tripod and a white scrim over it. That turns the whole boring looking speaker stand into a light show. With this setup You get 8 lights covering the band, stage and audience with no additional truss required. It's pretty cool.

Got a link to that thread?