1ks or 650s?, For a smallish pros arch space. Options

[Bryson]

Hello everyone.

I'm just looking at the spec for a new building we are having built, and I wondered if you had opinions on whether I should spec 1ks or 650s.

The space is a 200-seater, pros arch space, stage is about 25' square. LX bars will be trimmed at about 4.5-5m. Use is mainly for community and amateur groups (location precludes pro companies, really).

Bearing in mind that 650s are cheaper, so you can get more of them, would you spec 1ks or 650s for such a space? Or a mix thereof?


My thoughts on the matter:

Probably a mix...but I'd lean towards having mostly 1ks...and Source 4s or SLs as profiles...none of the "normal" 650s.


One of the suppliers (not one I chose) who are quoting have quoted for a load of ADB 650 Profiles and fresnels...anyone used them? Are they any good?

[robloxley]

Personally, I'd avoid ADB as much as I can.
I'd go for a mixture of 1k Fresnels (Cantata/Starlette) with SL zoom profiles. S4s are nice (esp. the 750W version) if you can get away with fixed angle, but I much prefer SL zoom to S4 zoom.
If you are limited for budget or decide to go for 650W, have a look at Selecon Acclaims or CCT Minuettes (but get the condenser profile version).

[colinmonk]

If budget stretches, I would reccomend getting 1Kw Fresnels, something like cantata's are nice, and starlettes *(I agree)*, especially if you plan on having something like S4's or SL's as profiles, as you've a better chance of the kit being similarly matched.

Would reccomend using S4 Zooms too as profiles, from the description of the venue you gave, I just seem to get on a lot better with S4's, they have really strong optics. I personally would steer clear of CCT Minuette profiles, they are just nasty to maintain, and use, also not v bright if you've got a rig of 1Kw's.

On spec, if you need something to just do a stage cover (top and/or backlight) you could also try S4Pars, they do kick ass! Also its a simple matter of swapping out lenses for beam angles! (now in 5varients, think it was a 50 or 60degree lens they've just released)

Just my thoughts...

[James C]

I've just looked at what I ordered last time round, and the price differential. We augmented as much as replaced our rig, and I added 4 Cantatas and 8 minuettes. Looking back on it, wish I'd just had 8 cantatas for the same amount of money. Partly because even with the new ones, I'm always stretched for 1Ks, and partly because of the amount of time spent re-colouring the minuettes (I'm sure Lee must have had something to do with designing them ) I know there are nicer 650s out there, but they're not what I (or visiting companies) are generally clamouring for here.

Obviously I'd want some 650s in a new stock, but I'd go predominantly for 1ks in building a stock from scratch. Build quality from the Cantatas isn't great (didn't take me long to pull one of the focus knobs off), but in the absence of 743's they certainly do what it says on the tin. I played with ADB 1Ks a while back and was impressed. Don't know about their 650s.

As for the SL/S4 debate - my SL zooms weren't the wisest choice I ever made, either. A real struggle with lamp alignment, and piddly breakable focus knobs. Haven't played with the S4's so don't know what I'm missing, but I know what I've got ain't great.

Phew! Ask a simple question, get an essay in response

[themadhippy]

our venue is a simalar size and ,up until this week our fresnels stock was olny 500/650w ,the main advantage is there physical size,you can cram more in (and squeeze 4 on a 2kw channel). Also have you considered selecons pacifics,we replaced our ancient 264's with the 23/50 version,personally I prefere them too s4's

[Stu]

You could do a lot worse to invest in the 6 Strand Quartet F's AC Lighting have got on their second hand website, about £75 each - What a bargain in my opinion (There Somewhere)... Then top them up with 4 or 8 Cantata or Starlette fresnels, which should give you a pretty good mix to play with. Then some S4 575's FOH, and a few 750's for specials / gobo washes, and you'd have a nice little setup I would have thought!

What desk you getting?

Stu
(Course, you could always use 743's if the money dries up! )

[Thirdtap]

'Lo
650s or 1Kws?
Well if you were talking profiles I would deff go for 1kw or equal output - S4 575w for front of house.
Do you have plans for the whole building? How much space would you have for storing lanterns?
In the case of getting lots of 650w and a company coming in with 1kws/ thier own rig/ not using many lights would you have room for storage? It isn't unusual for a venue to have NO storage space. I have worked places where this is so because of rooms being turned into offices and the only storage space was the mains intake cupboard. Lovely I know and no it wasn't my idea to store them there.
Have fun

[gareth]

I'd suggest a mix of SL zooms (Source4's are better lanterns IMO, but the zooms are unwieldy and you need a zoom profile if you're kitting out a multi-use kind of space), Cantata F's, Parcans, and whatever the 4x1k cyc flood du jour happens to be when you're ordering.

Replace the Cantata F's with Juliats if the budget will stretch.

A small quantity of 650w stuff might be nice if you have a few quid left over - always handy for sticking on bench bases on the apron, or putting onto dance booms, or building into trucks 'n' things.

[voodooman]

having worked in a newly ferbed venue before that had the same sort of mix being described here, I too would advise the mix of 650 and 1k, we had strand 650's and 1.2k fres. as for profiles avoid the sl like the plague that it is , after 1 year of operation they where falling appart left right and center! lenses kept falling out due to not enough glue to hold them in, cables came out of grips all the time, and putting them back is no easy task and the optics where pretty poor . As you say you are going to be a quite small receiving venue with the added delight of am-drams, who may not be the most clued up users of the equipment, the s4 option is a lot more rugged (with the possible exception of the tube lock off, but you cant have every thing). a good mix of 19, 26, and 36 degrees should suit every need, and a couple of irises where some fine tuning may be needed!
well thats my two peneth' worth any way.
hope thats some help