Best value stage lighting packages

[bonzodog]

Just wondered what you guys are using for stage lighting. With LEDs improving all the time its a question of price against performance.
We use two ADJ mega tripars which have 5 x 3w each light. We added a third similar LED par can by another manufacturer as we werent getting enough colour in some venues. Now one of the tripars has packed up we are thinking of getting one of the kits which has 4 lights on a bar incl stand and footswitch.
Some of the KAM ones get poor reviews due to low output. The Adj dotz series look good but light spread looks limited.
Just wondered what everyone else used for medium sizes pub gigs.
Or whether we are better off with single par cans for better flexibility.

[Happy Jack]

Put enough effort into your search and you might save a tenner, but for £150-ish this is pretty much unbeatable:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/KAM-LED-Power-Partybar-Lights/dp/B00KCM2UYA

Add a couple of decent (but still cheap) lasers and a small fogger, and you've got more lights than the average pub band ever uses.

The whole lot will probably cost you a single gig fee.

As to "low output", that's not been my experience. You get one of those KAM bars with a single lamp in your face and all you want to do is swivel it to face elsewhere.

[scalpy]

http://www.thomann.de/gb/eurolite_led_kls200_rgb_bundle_plus.htm

I hope that link works....

These are really easy to use, don't melt you, a doddle to position etc. I have used brighter led sets and really we needed two when doing an under lit marquee on Saturday but for pubs they're great.

[bonzodog]

The Kam power party bar looks good. Think it was the original partybar with the 10mm LEDs that had a poor output. My mega tripar light is very bright but does not have a very good spread of light. Power party bar should give a good spread with all 4 lights on

[KevB]

I have one of the original KAM party bars (I think its original anyway) and for pub gigs it's fine. Mine's like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kam-Lighting-Led-Partybar-V2/dp/B00603XK8K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427145238&sr=8-1&keywords=kam+party+bar
But they have come down in price, think I paid closer to £180.

Edited March 23, 2015 by KevB

[KevB]

Also things like this
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fordex-Group-SR-06-Activated-Patterns/dp/B005ZC5238/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427145456&sr=8-1&keywords=laser+light+show
are surprisingly effective for little money

[Norris]

I have bits I bought separately. Of the lights I have I can recommend the Chauvet Mini Kinta. It's a really good light for the money if you wanted to supplement a set, and adds a bit of movement to the performance if you're a bit constrained on space for jigging about

[King Tut]

We use two of these, http://www.thomann.de/gb/stairville_xbrick_fullcolour_16x3w.htm With occasionally some showy stuff at the back facing the audience and haze. Small and easy to use. We're only a trio though so not many of us to light up!

[Norris]

A fog machine makes a lighting system go a long way too. My KAM one is good. I had nothing but trouble with American DJ ones

[mr zed]

We have 2 sets of the ADJ dotz par bars and they are brilliant. You get what you pay for and they are around £600 for the pair inc quality stands and heavy duty foot controllers. Light spread is good and high intensity. They have a lens that reduces the beam angle that is removable. These look great with a smoke machine or a hazer. Effect lighting and stage wash in one. Yes, more expensive than most but great quality and they are fit for purpose. Look like they will last forever. You also get cases for the lights and stands. Highly recommend. Hope this helps.

[lurksalot]

We use 2 ADJ LED cans , remote control , quite powerful TBH , but the sound to light is far too sensitive and makes the function pretty useless , a foot controller would be good , but they light up our 5 piece OK .

[Chris Sharman]

I have just bought one of the KAM power Partybars as shown above from an Ebay store for £120. When it arrived it was brand new and still boxed. We are using that for a backwash and then three floor standing KAM units linked together using the DMX cables that come with them as uplighters at the front. It's a great set up and we got the whole lot (including the partybar) for £250.

Set them up in the dining room the other day on Sound to Light running off a laptop through the stereo. Mr S was NOT pleased when she got home from work...

[scalpy]

[quote name='Chris Sharman' timestamp='1427189551' post='2726803']


Set them up in the dining room the other day on Sound to Light running off a laptop through the stereo. Mr S was NOT pleased when she got home from work...
[/quote]

I set mine up in my classroom using sound to light. If the lights flashed th classes were too noisy. Quietest day at work ever, it was surreal.

[Happy Jack]

On the fogger thing BTW, I'm a big fan but always check where the venue's smoke detectors are before you set up ...

[Norris]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1427195864' post='2726915']
On the fogger thing BTW, I'm a big fan but always check where the venue's smoke detectors are before you set up ...
[/quote]

I've never had an issue, no complaints, no alarms. Maybe it depends on the type of detector

[Happy Jack]

Large fogger at floor level = rare to have problems.

Small fogger on lighting bar (to get the best effect for the lasers) = major issues if there are any ceiling-mounted smoke detectors.

Mind you, at our last gig most of the audience was over 60. Still rocking, the lot of them, but some had breathing issues and half way through the first set we were asked to stop using any foggers or smoke machines.

[skidder652003]

we got rid of the stands with ours as they take up too much room and now velcro them to the top of the PA speakers!

[Happy Jack]

What could [i][b]possibly [/b][/i]go wrong?

[bonzodog]

[quote name='skidder652003' timestamp='1427204028' post='2727069']
we got rid of the stands with ours as they take up too much room and now velcro them to the top of the PA speakers!
[/quote]

Ive thought of doing that with a couple of par cans instead if a tbar. Most speakers have mounting points where you can screw in a bolt and then fix the bracket of the par can on top

[stuckinthepod]

We use two KAM power bars. They are great and very bright.
For examples

[tauzero]

I've got a QTX PB-1 and the guitarist has a couple of floor-standing LED PAR cans, which we control via DMX (guitarist has programmed that up).

[JTUK]

[quote name='stuckinthepod' timestamp='1427213834' post='2727316']
We use two KAM power bars. They are great and very bright.
For examples
[/quote]

This is a useful reference as you want to see how bright over how big a spread.
We used a Thomann Starville, IIRC, and whilst the floor pedal and stand were flimsy
and have since broken, the actual all-in one light bar with 4 Leds is very very good
for the money, IMO.
They have to skimp somewhere for the price and a controller and stand are easy to
pick up.

I haven't used the Kam version but I think our single bar would be pretty close to the pic with 2 bars..
as a reference.

Generally we light up and area 3 x4 mtrs easily and for larger areas we add a few floor spots.
For 4mtrs by 5, 2 towers would work easiliy as far as decent spread and cover goes, IMO.

[bonzodog]

Went into DJ shop in Birmingham today and saw one of these
https://www.djkit.com/chauvet/chauvet-wash-fx.html
This has to be one of the brightest lights ive ever seen. In the 6M wide showroom it lit the whole area up very well and its probably all you'd need on a medium stage. At £130 its amazing value.
I nearly bought it but then thought about all the times we play a small pub and just need the odd par can or two on the floor so bought 2 mega tripars instead. But if anyone is looking for a one light solution for a medium stage then check it out