Martin Supermoon

[jerry12x]

Hi guys, back in the 80's I used to use a Martin Supermoon directly behind a singer.

With hundreds of vibrating beams shooting forward looked awesome.

I have been trying for the last 6 months to find another.

They appear like rocking horse stuff.

Does anyone know where I might find this beast, or is there similar or better available?

Thanks, Jerry

[greenalien]

Although the Supermoon has long been discontinued, you may be lucky and find one on Ebay - however, there are plenty of more modern moonflower effects available ( for those who are interested, a moonflower light is one that features a concave dish reflector with multiple mirrors mounted on it, giving an effect similar to a spotlight shining off a mirror ball; the dish will rotate, either to the music beat, or, in more advanced units, under DMX control. Cheaper units use dichroic mirrors to produce multiple beam colours, while more advanced units will have selectable colours and gobos ).

 

Depending on your budget, you could consider an NJD Datamoon, Abstract Twister 4, Martin Punisher amoung many others - lots of good used examples on Ebay for under £100 a time - or if you want something better, the Martin Wizard is a very versatile device that combines a moonflower dish with a barrel scanner, is fitted with a 2000 hour 250W discharge lamp, and will certainly produce more beams than you would ever wish for - although it really needs to be used in conjunction with a DMX lighting desk for best effect. Don't forget to buy a small smoke machine or a hazer to show the beams up - venues don't have that 'natural' smoke haze they used to have 20 years ago!

[LXbydesign]

The Wizard is very good unit, but certainly not cheap and also quite heavy. Well worth the money though. Whichever make/ model you go for , try to get one with DMX control.

 

The cheaper , stand alone ones are fine in terms of 'see the nice beams in smoke' - but you wont have any control of pattern , speed or rotation.

[jerry12x]

Instead of about 25 mirror pieces on a standard dish the Supermoon uses a much larger dish and has many more mirrors.

Are there any others you know of that use a larger dish.

I do not want gobo's, just loads of beams.

I have an equinox and a Destroyer and don't like them. I like basic.

I do like the idea of a 250W discharge bulb though. Will take a look at the Wizard.

 

I have been checking on ebay every day for a couple of months.

Nothing yet.

[Jivemaster]

These days I'd also look at a mover with a "dots" gobo in one rotating place. Or put two moonflowers together if you want more beams, DMX them together so that they move as one, or master - slave them!

[DMXBandit]

How about a Martin Acrobat? A destroyer with a barrel mirror on the end. You should be able to get one much cheaper than a Wizard.

[ANDYLASER]

I remember the supermoon well. It differed ffrom most moonflowers by having the mirror dish assembly mounted on springs and having a second motor with an offset weight on it. This caused the dish to "wobble" and really livened the effects. I replaced the 250W halogen bulb with an HTI 150. Theres plenty of room for the associated ballasts etc and a significant increase in light output.

 

Good luck with your search.

[KevinE]

How about an Optikinetics Solar 250 with a flower gobo on a rotator. This is a simple effect that can be adapted as needs arise to project whatever you want. In fact, any profile with a rotating gobo should give you the effect you need.

 

The Martin Wizard seem like a rather fancy suggestion to get the back-lit singer I think you're after.

 

 

The NJD Datamoon is also a worthy contender as mentioned and are particularly bright (and cheap!!) for their size.

 

[jonathanhill]

Novaflower too over the top?

[LXbydesign]

** laughs out loud ** - I guess that depends on the venue, Jon!! Might be a bit OTT for your street corner spit and polish pub!!

[kerry davies]

Well OT but we reckoned that Moonflowers, and other Martin kit, were made by stoned hippies from stuff found on the workbench. Rubber motor mounts, cam-weighted metal rods and bent bits of tin off the floor. Wonderful things which have no true modern equivalent. The sheer eccentricity gave them their character.

 

AFIK some of the kit becomes available on Ebay but most of the owners are hanging on to them until they are too shot to repair. I haven't seen a Tutor 2 in a car boot for years either and Optikinetics lost the plot with the K4, I reckon.

 

Did find this website though, he might be able to help; http://www.funky-parrot.com/rank_aldis_tutor_2e.html

 

Jasper/Haydn of Fruit Salad/Colour Sound Experiment may know of someone with moons but I don't.

Good hunting, and remember 'nostalgia isn't what it used to be'.

[timsabre]

Well OT but we reckoned that Moonflowers, and other Martin kit, were made by stoned hippies from stuff found on the workbench. Rubber motor mounts, cam-weighted metal rods and bent bits of tin off the floor. Wonderful things which have no true modern equivalent. The sheer eccentricity gave them their character.

 

The first prototypes of the Abstract Twister were made out of those sound-animated dancing flowers...

[musht]

Well OT but we reckoned that Moonflowers, and other Martin kit, were made by stoned hippies from stuff found on the workbench. Rubber motor mounts, cam-weighted metal rods and bent bits of tin off the floor. Wonderful things which have no true modern equivalent. The sheer eccentricity gave them their character.

 

The first prototypes of the Abstract Twister were made out of those sound-animated dancing flowers...

 

Remeber Abstract going from tiny tent at Plasa with Rave to huge stand with page 3 girls couple years later.

 

For those that missed the original Takara Dancing Flower , they`re back with added LEDs...

 

http://www.firebox.com/product/2506/Flower...CFVH-2AodVESZMw

[AHYoung]

Ive still go at least 4 if not 6 Martin Ministar Moonflowers. Theyve not been plugged in in a good few years, but they clearly were the finest effect light ever made { and ive got several dozen solar 250s}. when the sound animator board blows up, you just wire the motor off the lamp supply and it goes round slowley for ever. By searching the world for left handed mirror ball rotators you can canibilise them to have matched counter rotating pairs. Sadly the colour rotator wheel that goes on the front wont see out going to and from the first 200 raves, but the light goes on, the case needs painted, the transformer, motor and lampbase replaced, but there isnt much more too it and optically its narrower better focussed beams mean its still a winner.

 

Then again I used to do shows buy using 167 individual fixtures that all did one thing well rather than a dozen hoving lights. stangely I never had much time for tea ....

[dbuckley]

There are a number of BR members who still have datamoons...