Advice on moving heads for home use

[smr]

Hi all,

 

Recently I came on here seeking help for a Futurelight MH660 moving head which I parted company with a couple of months ago after realizing that the light wasn't really for me.

 

I've learned since then that I want something smaller, less noisy and sound to light activated.

 

I'm after just two moving head lights, and lightweight enough to hang off a T bar (30kg max load) with a couple of laser scanners.

 

I've been looking at the Chauvet MinSpot RGBW for a while now as they look like really good lights and fit the criteria I'm after very well but they seem to be sold out everywhere as they're discontinued. I've found one or two places that may still have them in stock though.

 

However, I've just found another light which looks similar and is the same sort of budget - namely the Stairville MH-X25 LED Spot Moving Head.

 

My question is , which of the two are better?

 

The Stairville is a lot heavier and as such I don't know if I would be able to safely hang it off my T Bar ( I plan on getting another tbar for the other side of the room anyway..) also is it noiser than the MinSpot and is it actually better or worse overall?

 

Hope you can help!

 

http://images6.thomann.de/pics/prod/238185.jpg

 

Stairville MH-X25 LED Spot Moving Head

Stairville MH-X25 LED Spot Moving Head - extremely bright, light thomann and economic. Thanks to an extremely bright 25W high-power LED the MH-X25 LED is well in the running with the 150-HTI side of life. The MH-X25 is fitted out with a colour wheel (8x colours and white ), a gobo wheel with 7x rotating thomann gobos plus open shutter and dimmer (0-100%), this allows the MH-X25 to operate in any situation required. Technical data: 8/16bit pan/tilt, (540º maximum pan, 270º maximum tilt), automatic pan/tilt correction, DMX 512 control (12 or 6 channels), master/slave mode (via the built-in microphone), thomann colour wheel with 8x colours + open white (8x full colours, 8x split-colours, rainbow effect), gobo wheel with 7x rotating gobos + open shutter (user gobos can be inserted, gobo shake function, gobo direction forwards and backwards), shutter (0-13Hz), electronic dimmer (0-100%), maximum thomann power consumption: 102W, power requirements: 230V AC (60/50Hz). Weight: 10.3kg

 

 

http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/18/001/465/387/DV016_Jpg_Large_H68005_web_comp.jpg

 

 

A powerful 13-watt quad-color LED with built-in programs pattern and DMX control.

 

The Chauvet Min Spot RGBW Quad Color LED Moving Yoke Fixture is an LED-fitted moving yoke that can fit in the palm of your hand. The MiN Spot RGBW has a powerful 13-watt quad-color LED and 6- or 14-channels of DMX control with full RGBW color mixing and a gobo wheel with nine gobos.

 

The Min Spot has built-in sound activated and automatic programs and vector speed channel for smooth pan and tilt.

 

The Chauvet Min Spot RGBW is a surprisingly bright compact fixture, weighing less than nine pounds, and perfect for small clubs or mobile DJs.

 

 

Features

• 6 or 14-channel DMX-512 LED moving yoke
• Pan: 540° / tilt: 270°
• RGBW color mixing
• Gobo wheel
• 9 gobos + open
• Gobo wheel spin effect
• Variable electronic strobe
• Variable electronic dimmer (0 – 100%)
• Vector speed channel for pan/tilt, RGBW color mixing and color macros
• Built-in movement macros via DMX
• Built-in automated programs via master/slave or DMX
• Built-in sound activated programs via master/slave or DMX
• Quad-color LED for superior color mixing (3,600mA total)
• Linkable with Min Wash RGBW in stand-alone
• User-selectable basic or advanced operating modes
• User-selectable pan/tilt ranges
• Pan: 540°, 360°, 180°
• Tilt: 270°, 180°, 90°
• Reset to factory settings option
• Pan/tilt invert option

 

[lite_lad]

im not sure about either of the products, but why would you want them in your home? as lovely as a t bar in the living room would be...

[smr]

im not sure about either of the products, but why would you want them in your home? as lovely as a t bar in the living room would be...

 

I have an attic converted studio the length of my bungalow upstairs which I use as a dj room as well.

[DeepSpacePenguin]

This isn't really a DJ forum.

[apexsoundandlighting]

Considering it is a converted attic room, I'm gonna guess that there are no windows? In which case, brightness isn't going to be the most important factor, in this case I would go for the chauvet ones. If you don't mind using fleabay then a pair of these might do the trick:http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-RGB-Party-DJ-Disco-Light-MOVING-HEAD-15W-SPOT-13DMX-/110617992076?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item19c1589b8c they seem to be clones of the chauvet ones but they have pretty much identical specs. I wouldn't be surprised if chauvet bought them from the same factory and rebadged them!

 

Cheers,

Mat

[greenalien]

According to the Chauvet website here the Minspot was discontinued in 2011, as you say in your post - could be an indication that any future servicing / spares / repairs may be problematic.

If you buy the Stairville unit from Thomann, you will get the benefit of a 3-year warranty, and their service is good.

[Pete McCrea]

I would double check that the units you ultimately choose, are designed for use in a residential setting. Some manufacturers do state in the manual that the use of the fixtures in settings other than professional settings is contrary to the design, so if, heaven forbid, the worst happened, and a unit set fire to your loft, the insurers might attempt to void the claim if you were using something against the manufacturers stated use.

 

Sorry if that sounds a little over bearing, but we'd hate something to go wrong and see you caught out.

[Ashley R]

Instead of small movers, For sound to light, scanners put on a much better show.

 

Something like the ADJ X Scan LED plus are quite nice, robust, and after clocking up 500 hours thus far. going strong. http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

[smr]

According to the Chauvet website here the Minspot was discontinued in 2011, as you say in your post - could be an indication that any future servicing / spares / repairs may be problematic.

If you buy the Stairville unit from Thomann, you will get the benefit of a 3-year warranty, and their service is good.

 

Thanks, that's true. I think the Stairville ones look a bit better too, my only problem with them is that I doubt they'd be able to hang off my T bar and I think the Chauvet ones would be able to quite easily... I don't want to ceiling mount the lights.

 

This is a video of the Stairvilles which looks like exactly the thing I am after. Lovely movers, really nice strobe too and the brightness would be fine for me (judging from a video albeit)...

 

 

Instead of small movers, For sound to light, scanners put on a much better show.

 

Something like the ADJ X Scan LED plus are quite nice, robust, and after clocking up 500 hours thus far. going strong. http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif

 

Thanks but I just really dig the movement of moving heads for some reason so I am after a pair of them. The sound to light doesn't have to be exactly spot on, but they must have sound to light capability nonetheless.

 

I would double check that the units you ultimately choose, are designed for use in a residential setting. Some manufacturers do state in the manual that the use of the fixtures in settings other than professional settings is contrary to the design, so if, heaven forbid, the worst happened, and a unit set fire to your loft, the insurers might attempt to void the claim if you were using something against the manufacturers stated use.

 

Sorry if that sounds a little over bearing, but we'd hate something to go wrong and see you caught out.

 

I think a Fire Extinguisher might be a good investment !

 

Considering it is a converted attic room, I'm gonna guess that there are no windows? In which case, brightness isn't going to be the most important factor, in this case I would go for the chauvet ones. If you don't mind using fleabay then a pair of these might do the trick:http://www.ebay.co.u...=item19c1589b8c they seem to be clones of the chauvet ones but they have pretty much identical specs. I wouldn't be surprised if chauvet bought them from the same factory and rebadged them!

 

Cheers,

Mat

 

There are two skylight windows but I only ever really turn all my DJ lights on at night when its pitch black anyway.I had a look at some of those unbadged heads, the thing is they're all RGB and I really want to have white as well. The other thing is that I've bought one or two really naff items from that kinda way.

[greenalien]

I doubt they'd be able to hang off my T bar

 

You could always consider a more robust mounting system - for example, a length of triangle truss, 2 truss adaptors and a couple of wind-up stands. This will take a larger load and be less inclined to move around when your moving heads are in action.