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lighting

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How to Build a Home Karaoke System
mwadeson
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:50 pm

lighting

Post by mwadeson »

i am sure most of you have a light set up of some sort just wondering what kind of setups you have i am looking for something like the american dj scan effects. i just want something that is easy set up very portable and can be added to at a later date.


Bigdog
Posts: 2937
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:15 am

Post by Bigdog »

I have never been to a karaoke in 16 years that had or used lights.
cowboydarryl
Posts: 40
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:27 pm
Location: Hartford wisconsin

Post by cowboydarryl »

I have 1 show that i use lights at. Its a fairly simple set up but gives you alot of efect. 2 can lights in the center an, american dj reflex LED on one end and an,american dj duel gem LED at the other. both the LED's have built in mic's(i use a small smoke machine for added efect) I did build my own switch box to control the lights. as can lights run hot. you have 1 stand to set up can add a 2nd later.and the singers realy like the extra touch!!
OnTheMicDJs
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:20 pm
Location: Allentown PA

Post by OnTheMicDJs »

Most of the shows I do are karaoke/dance parties. We use a par can set (american dj par 56). We also use a vertigo for faster effect lighting and a starball for slow songs. I know most kjs don't use lighting, but I feel it's a nice added feature. It's quick and easy to set up, the crowd likes it and so does the establishment.
letitrip
Posts: 341
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:47 am
Location: Jackson, WI

Post by letitrip »

Well for starters, ask yourself why you are getting lights. Are you trying to highlight the singers? If so look at getting par-cans, either 36/38's or 48's. I wouldn't recommend going any larger as now you're talking 600W per lamp and many smaller places you may play won't have the power to accomdate that.

If you're looking for something to light a dancefloor, then you'll want to look at more of your effects type lighting. The intelligent scanners are a great way to go here. Since scanners are not full-duty (i.e. not designed to be run for hours non-stop) I'd recommend that you add in some other lights as well. Or combine a couple effects. Please whatever you do though, don't do the amateur DJ thing and get a bunch of un-matched effects and just stick them on a light tree, because when people see your show that's exactly what it's going to look like. A tree with a mangled mess of lights hanging on it. Also if you do get larger par-cans (48's or above) be sure you get dimmer packs with a controller. This allows you to run them cooler, taking up less power and saving those expensive lamps.

As to what I have, here's the list. I have 12 Par-38's, a 10-foot truss system with dual "T" bars as well, two 4-channel sound activated chase controllers, two Intimidator DMX linked scanners, and a 600W fog machine. I used to have 4 Par-56's as well, however I stopped using those as they were just too damn bright and power hungry even with the dimmer and DMX controller.

What I use when depends on the type of show and the location. Typically I will use just a single stand with a "T" bar and 4 par-38's to cover the singer. For larger events (private gigs, holliday parties or large stages) I break out the truss with the scanners mounted on the edges (sound activated and DMX linked so they work in sync with eachother) , either 4 or 8 par-38's in the middle running on the sound-activated chase and the two "T" bars on the edges with two par-38's each highlighting the singer. This gives me coverage of both the dance floor and the singer. If you're curious, feel free to take a look at the photos on my website from New Years Eve to see what it looks like all setup. I only use the fogger on rare occasions as most places I play have specific rules against foggers. I'm thinking of buying a hazer instead (water based) to get the "beam" effect when desireable.

Let me know if you've got more ?'s, I'll be happy to help.

P.S. - Lighting is a huge asset for for Karaoke. Not only does it give the singers that cool "on-stage" effect, it also helps highlight them in an otherwise dark club. It says, here they are this is the performer right here!
Let It Rip Karaoke
DJ Tony
http://www.letitripkaraoke.com
intrudermcm
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:06 am
Location: north carolina

Post by intrudermcm »

D J Tony what kind of wireless mics are used in your photos. I have looked at vocopro 3200 and they look ok but I'm not sure their good or not. Larry
letitrip
Posts: 341
Joined: Fri Nov 24, 2006 12:47 am
Location: Jackson, WI

Post by letitrip »

I've got the Vocopro UHF-5800's. I believe the 5800 and 3200 are the same transmitters just with a different receiver. I believe the pickups are also the same on both so they should be pretty similar. I've been pretty happy with the Vocopro's. If you want more detail, check around some of the other threads about Microphones in the Hardware forum. This thread is about lighting.
Let It Rip Karaoke
DJ Tony
http://www.letitripkaraoke.com
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