Which Scanners?! Help me choose please? :)

[wentalong]

Hey all,

 

 

Im new to the forum but I've been looking over a few old threads on here that were Very very helpfull! :)

 

as it is now I only give lighting for small house parties etc, and I currently have 2 soundlab hi-scan 2's and 2 abstract pro futurescan 3's I pulled out the loft that were my dads all running on sound to light but paired up. im also using a magnum 1200 I picked up from a bootsale for a fiver which im assuming needs a new pump (fog flows out slow and pump sounds terrible :P )

 

the reason im posting this is because im looking to buy some scanners which are better than the soundlabs im using now (the soundlabs and abstracts are only temporary hence why theyre on sound to light)

 

ive looked at buying 4 SCX 500'S however many people seem to be against them? so my question is what scanners would you recommend? im willing to pay £6-700 for a set of 4, preferable with rotating gobo's etc but scanners dont seem to be widely available on the bay, and when they pop up they seem to be very over priced? the only decent things ive seen on the bay were these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Martin-Mania-SCX-500-Scanners-/110869370312?pt=UK_ConElec_LightingLEDsStrobes_RL&hash=item19d05455c8

 

 

Please help? :) All replies are appreciated and im thankfull for all your heklp in advance :)

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Ynot]

Hi and welcome to the Blue Room

 

However, whilst there ARE a handfull of DJs who do theatre here the majority of our feedback will be theatre related.

You might find yourself better served over in a DJ forum.

 

 

 

[wentalong]

thanks :) and ohhhh ** laughs out loud **, I googled club lighting forum and blue room came up top so I automatically asumed... :D even still, I'll keep my eye open on the thread just incase :) thanks for the help :D

[TonyMitchell]

Ynot's spot on - you will be better off asking on a DJ forum, as there will be mobile jocks there that will be able to steer you toward the best of the budget brands/models they use week-in, week-out (and possibly also advise you those to avoid).

 

Martin are one of respected LX brands that still have a toe in the dj market and the products in their "effects" and "scanners" range are well built, like their professional products. I believe (from the one line descriptions in the trade catalogue I have to hand) that for rotating gobos, the equivalent product to the SCX500 you mention, is the SCX600, however the price is almost double.

 

It may also be worth you looking at LED lightsource product, as these are significantly lighter (in weight) than their lamped equivalents, don't get hot, hardly use any power and are much cheaper to run... all big plus points for the type of use you're talking about. Also, more recently these LED effects have progressed beyond the hundreds of flashing RGBW dots they started as.

 

 

 

,

[wentalong]

hmmm, yeahh, the thing is I havent really been able to find any fairly active 'DJ' forums, I've posted on speakerplans.com as they seem to really know what their on about with dj lighting,dont suppose you know of sany good forums I should try? :)

 

and I was hoping to get 4 robe 250ct's one day which apparently pop up every now and then, however its a waiting game I dont want to play ;) and I've had a look at a few LED scanners like the intimidator 300's but they seem to carry a much heftier price than the scx500's and even the 250ct's considering on most forums I've read about the scx 500's and 250 ct's both those scans apparently go for a max of £150 each on forums, but they seem to be alot more pricey second hand on ebay for some reason :o

[bigclive]

I currently have 2 soundlab hi-scan 2's and 2 abstract pro futurescan 3's I pulled out the loft that were my dads all running on sound to light but paired up. im also using a magnum 1200 I picked up from a bootsale for a fiver which im assuming needs a new pump (fog flows out slow and pump sounds terrible :P )

 

As the others have suggested, take a look at the modern LED disco style lights. The basic dotty ones are very affordable and draw so little power that you don't need to worry about overloading sockets.

 

The pumps in fog machines are usually solenoid based and make a loud buzzing/rasping sound when they run. It's more common for the heater block to be clogged up in old smoke machines, and it's not that easy a fix. Try running the machine with a mixture of white vinegar and water to dissolve some of the crud inside (do this outside, as breathing in vinegar vapour is unpleasant). Failing that, buy a new basic machine for as little as 40 quid. It should produce ample fog for your type of application.

[david.elsbury]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk

 

http://www.mobiledjforums.com

 

are often suggested on here for people more interested in DJ stuff.

[smyles]

Take a look at the ACME winner scanners. 250W discharge. The only downside is they don't have a dimmer. Slightly over your budget but you may be able to find a good deal or second hand set.

[Ashley R]

For me the SCX500 is about $500-$600ea, Whilst the Chauvet Intemidator scan 300 is only $400-$500ea.

 

For house party type stuff, what about some Acme Dynamic Scans, or ADJ Commscans? Essentially just party/Dj scanners. that do nothing else but zip around the room, looking like they are on steroids. but are reasonably cheap.

 

another option is the ADJ InnoScan which goes for about $500ea.

 

And im sure somewhere like thomann has got some cheap 20/30w LED Scanners, that are clones/ based off the ADJ X Scan LED. (A half decent fixture I must say)

[greenalien]

Also worth looking out for is the Isolution Irock 7S - also uses a 250W discharge lamp - and the matching 7B version, that uses a barrel instead of a flat mirror. These often come up on Ebay for £200 - £250. There is also Stairville equivalents that should be cheaper.

 

LED fixtures are certainly also getting pretty good - check out http://cpc.farnell.com/chauvet/intimidator-scan-led-100/light-effect-scanner-20w-led/dp/DP31873 - no heat problems or replacement lamps top worry about, and nice and light to carry about!

[beware]

EVL stuff is good. Personally I'd think about some EVL Spins. Not scanners but lovely linkable effects.

[wentalong]

hey all :)

 

thanks for the helpfull replies :) and starting from the top, I am very interesting in grabbing some LED scanners but I am looking for something with interchangeable & rotating gobos like the intimidator 300's, which I know the scx 500's never had, and with the fog machine, I can blow through the heating element but it is quite hard to blow through, not sure if it is normal or not? and I've ran a little bit of vinegar and water through it but I'll run another tank through when im home :)

 

I've had a look at the ACME winners and they look amazing for the price, alot better than the scx500's in fact, however although they dont offer rotating or replaceable gobos I'll keep them in my mind in case I decide not to go with rotating and replaceable scanners :)

 

I just had a look at the EVL Pro scan 150's and have found them for £160 odd each and £450 inc a flightcase for 4! im amazed! :D with replacable and rotating gobo's these are really shouting out to me, but I cant find many places to buy them? :(