New System and big upgrade coming

[Jonny DMX]

I'm struggling to understand why you went with the HogIII PC for a church! It is a very powerful lighting console (still with a number of known bugs) that was designed for very large productions and professional use like the Rolling Stones. If I had been given the same spec I'd have gone for a Chamsys Magic Q console if you were adamant about having a PC based console, that combined with an ENTTech USB pro DMX device would have set you back a total of about 129Euro, for busking you could buy yourself a playback wing for about a grand. I don't know how much you payed for the HogIII but I suspect you may have spent more than that to get DMX out of the PC.

 

However my other choice would be a second hand Pearl or Azure. Both would have been ideal for this type of installation. Both are easy to use and have controls that anyone could learn how to use quickly.

 

However most of this is irrelevant if you do not need the kit in the first place. How will having moving lights and a colour changing cyc help people pray or worship better? I can understand if you do lots of shows and gigs in the church, but I still would have not spent all that money on moving lights and a complicated lighting desk that will crash. You'd have been better off spending your money on dimmers and generic lighting that could suit most applications. Then on the odd occasion that you feel you need moving lights you can rent them in.

 

I'm sorry if this post has sounded a little flippant but I don't want you to spend a lot of money on expensive and complicated lights that in a years time are going to be hanging in the roof not working, with no money to fix them and just gathering dust.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[Simon Lewis]

I'm struggling to understand why you went with the HogIII PC for a church!

 

To be fair to the OP, they paid $7500 for it. Furthermore, it's worth knowing that there's a cultural shift between the larger US churches and what we usually see in the UK. There is much greater emphasis on production values, big shows, community TV etc.

Yes, it's a powerful desk, but perhaps not so out of place given the context.

 

In a similar vein, there was outrage from many sound people when it emerged that another large US church had bought a Midas XL8. However - it is a cash rich market - I understand that Yamaha designed the M7CL with the house of worship market very much in mind.

 

I'll shut up about sound now, and let you lampies carry on ;-)

[Jonny DMX]

In the larger American church venues I can understand large sound and AV production costs, however I still stand by the fact that a HogIII is overkill for this venue and his budget (big or small) could have been better spent on some 2K fresnels and some more pars for a colour wash. I also still think that flashing/moving lights are unnecessary for worship and potentially distracting. I guess it may have something to do with a difference with American culture and their church environments?

 

All this from a lampie, suggesting that the lighting isn't as important.... I stand back for the backlash that will inevitably follow!

 

p.s if the budget is big enough to afford the HogIII and you are serious about having moving lights I would strongly recommend better quality lights and not moving mirror lights, as in my experience they seem to be more temperamental than moving heads. I would recommend some Martin or Robe fixtures as they seem to be the most reliable of the fixtures I have used.

[JimWebber]

I cannot comment on the suitability of a Hog III, but, if for $7500, (About £3300??) I had the choice of a Hog III, or a desk half as well equiped, I know where my money would go!

To take it to extremes, if I needed an Alcora for a venue, and had the budget for an Alcora, if somebody is willing to sell me a Strand 500, for the same price (I did say extremes here) I'd be crazy not to take it! Okay I would have several hundred channels to spare, and all the ML functions were unused, I'd never outgrow it! - it could also be a source of income!

 

2p pot GO

 

Jim

[Jonny DMX]

it could also be a source of income!

 

Its a PC not a desk, its unlikely to travel well.

 

if somebody is willing to sell me a Strand 500 for the same price I'd be crazy not to take it!

 

I see what your saying, I guess personally I prefer to have a real desk that I can program on, and save the money to buy some lights. The thing is that 90% of what that desk can do will never be used, so why get it in the first place? IMO for £3300 you could have got a second hand desk that would have done the job perfectly well with some money left over for lights. Anyway its been done now so there's no point discussing it further.