dsupreme Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hi everybody, I am new to the forum and would like some expert advice before I buy. Basicly I run a youth theatre variety show competition in Ireland and need to purchase some moving heads. I have studied the pdf's as much as possible on both the Mac 250 Entour (which I witnessed in action) and the Chauvet Q-Spot 575 (never witnessed in action except for a video demo!). I just need to get some practical advice as to which ones you feel would be the best to buy. Thanks in advance. dsupreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 What is more important to you? A known name or brightness? Support or price?. Have you looked at other moving heads? What features are important to you? There are many more lights than just these 2 available in that price bracket. What is your budget? We may be able to suggest more suitable lights. To go even further, do you really need to buy moving lights? Could you hire them and spend any available capital on dimmers/generics/control? Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Hmmm... First off, welcome to the Blue Room. However, I'm going to echo the sentiment in 'do you really NEED to BUY these fixtures'?Unless they're going to be used regularly throughout the year, you are going to be MUCH better off hiring as needed for performances. Have a browse through the forum, using search if necessary, to see why this opinion is one that will be shared by the majority of members here. But if you HAVE to buy, go with something with a proven track record in theatre - Chauvet is a brand more associated with disco, so my money would always be on the Martin in that comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsupreme Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 What is more important to you? A known name or brightness? Support or price?. Have you looked at other moving heads? What features are important to you? There are many more lights than just these 2 available in that price bracket. What is your budget? We may be able to suggest more suitable lights. To go even further, do you really need to buy moving lights? Could you hire them and spend any available capital on dimmers/generics/control? JoshHi Josh, thanks for the reply. Really Im in the dark when it comes down to it!! I need some good reliable, well supported all round movers. Any suggestions? Thanks again. dsupreme. A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on. Hmmm... First off, welcome to the Blue Room. However, I'm going to echo the sentiment in 'do you really NEED to BUY these fixtures'?Unless they're going to be used regularly throughout the year, you are going to be MUCH better off hiring as needed for performances. Have a browse through the forum, using search if necessary, to see why this opinion is one that will be shared by the majority of members here. But if you HAVE to buy, go with something with a proven track record in theatre - Chauvet is a brand more associated with disco, so my money would always be on the Martin in that comparison.Hi there and thanks. Martin a quite big also in the disco market are they not?? Any other reasons why I should go with Martins?? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Martin a quite big also in the disco market are they not?? Any other reasons why I should go with Martins??True to a point, but whilst you WILL find Macs by the thousand across the country's theatre, you're unlikely to find too many Chauvets in either the pro world or mid to high end am-dram. Martin have a good reputation for quality, reliability and support.Can't really speak for Chauvet as such, but they certainly don't share the rep of any of the main players. The old adage applies - you get what you pay for. But you've not really answered the key question - WHY do you feel you must BUY raher than rent...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsupreme Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 Martin a quite big also in the disco market are they not?? Any other reasons why I should go with Martins??True to a point, but whilst you WILL find Macs by the thousand across the country's theatre, you're unlikely to find too many Chauvets in either the pro world or mid to high end am-dram. Martin have a good reputation for quality, reliability and support.Can't really speak for Chauvet as such, but they certainly don't share the rep of any of the main players. The old adage applies - you get what you pay for. But you've not really answered the key question - WHY do you feel you must BUY raher than rent...?I run about 10 shows a year and its around 600 a show to hire out 4 moving heads!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunk_1984 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 £6000 Will certainly buy you 4 of your chosen fixture (MAC/Robe 250 range). Look at what your local hire companies stock, as then if you need a replacement/additional units you know you can get them locally. Don't forget to budget for Lamps, other repairs and general maintenance. Edit... Just realised you're probably talking in Euros, however still Just over £5000 according to google. 6000 Euros = 5 318.25681 British pounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 There's no such thing as a reliable mover. That's why ease of repair, support and availability of parts is so important. I am sure you would regret buying any of the cheap Chinese copies and quickly find them a false economy. My recommendations would be Clay Paky, Varilite, High-End, Martin and Robe. Of these, Robe will almost certainly be your most economical option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsupreme Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 There's no such thing as a reliable mover. That's why ease of repair, support and availability of parts is so important. I am sure you would regret buying any of the cheap Chinese copies and quickly find them a false economy. My recommendations would be Clay Paky, Varilite, High-End, Martin and Robe. Of these, Robe will almost certainly be your most economical option.Thanks lads thats great advice from all. Appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I run about 10 shows a year and its around 600 a show to hire out 4 moving heads!!!Hmmm... If you're paying 150 Euros (presently £135) per head for a week's hire, then you maybe need to look elsewhere for your supplier.Over here I can get mac 250s for example for £50 a week (55 Euros). Don't forget owning your own movers is also going to get expensive down the line - whilst your 6000 may buy you the fixtures, you'll need to cover future costs like lamp replacement, regular servicing and repairs due to use/misuse. Those overheads could easily add another 50% or more onto your overall budget that just wouldn't be there with hired kit. Add that to the fact that hiring in, you could have Mac 250s this month, 575s next and maybe for a bigger show a couple of 700s instead - variety making a big difference. Not trying to steer you away completely from buying, but there's more to that decision than just unpacking the boxes...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dj Dunc Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 whereabouts in Ireland are you based? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Warning! Noiseboy alert! I'm not going to get involved in the "which mover is best?" debate because that's outside my area. However, it may be worth a comment on the "should I buy at all?" discussion. This one looks to me like it might be a slightly different case than our usual topic in this area. In this case, the OP is doing a variety show, not straight theatre/musicals. Therefore, a "wiggler" or four may be rather more appropriate than in the usual situation where a poster says they want a light to do everything plus save climbing ladders 'cause they're not allowed. Also, he's doing 10 shows per year, apparently in the same style and with similar lighting needs. Even if he could knock down the rental charges a fair bit and allows for replacement lamps and maintenance, I'd guess a "payback" of two years or so is probably on the cards. The would be enough to tip the balance in favour of purchase in most cases, particularly if you can write them down over five years. So...unless I'm missing something, this query may be the exception to the BR norm. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 So, seeing as it would, as Bobbsy says, be better to buy rather than hire in your case. What size is your stage? What wattage are the other lights? 650w? 1200w? This will help us to see whether we should recommend 250w or 575w movers. As said, Robe movers are probably going to offer the best reliability for the money. Although you may find that if it is only going to be you and a couple of other people suing the movers and treating them well then you might be able to get away with cheaper movers. What features do you want? I take it you want profile spots not wash lights? Do you want a prism? Rotating Gobos? A dimmer is really mandatory for all movers. Don't forget to budget flight cases, hook clamps and safety chains into the budget. These are things not to be skimped on. Out of interest, if you are looking at buying movers. Are you also looking to buy a controller? What one do you use when you hire in movers at the moment. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Although you may find that if it is only going to be you and a couple of other people suing the movers and treating them well then you might be able to get away with cheaper movers.Nearly all faults are due to heat. It is not a case of how they are treated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Ok that is fair enough. All moving heads need to be looked after. Some just more than others. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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