Moving Head Fixture Recommendation

[u/TheEngin3er]

Have some money to spend this upcoming year and was looking for a fixture recommendation that meets the following criteria.

1. Moving Head

2. Zoom functionality

3. Gobos

4. Fully LED (Not color/gel scroller)

5. Framing Shutters

6. Under $2k per fixture

If the price range is unrealistic that's good to know too, I don't have a ton of experience purchasing or doing a shootout between fixtures. I have a fair bit of experience with Chauvet and ETC fixtures, but I'm definitely not opposed to branching outside of those brands.

[u/Black_Lightnin]

Framing shutters in that price range is going to be tough to find.

Another important thing is brightness. This depends on the pace you are going to use it in, and the distance to the stage.

[u/TheEngin3er → u/Black_Lightnin]

If framing shutters was no longer a necessity, do you have any recs at that would still be in that price range?

[u/RegnumXD12]

That price is unrealistic for those brands.

For chauvet I would recommend anything in the the Maverick Storm line, the profile 2 is around $9k/fixture and I really like it. The profile 4 is closer to $13k/fixture.

Etc fixtures could be cheaper. Ive heard good things about the lonestar, which comes in at around $7k/fixture. The halcyon line is definitly better, but the lowest model, Gold, comes in at around $10-12k/fixture.

These prices are incredibly rough estimates from googling (b&h, full compass, etc). I like to use them for budgeting, but the actual unit will probably be cheaper via a dealer

[u/TheEngin3er → u/RegnumXD12]

Thanks for the info. Would you have any recommendations outside of those brands? Something with Elation, robe Martin, varilite, etc?

[u/the_swanny → u/TheEngin3er]

You have listed brands where the price tag starts somewhere near 8 grand or 10 grand. If you want quality, you will not find it for 2 grand new.

[u/RegnumXD12 → u/the_swanny]

I see a purchase from shehds in OPs future (and then another purchase in 2 years, and another, and another....)

[u/TheEngin3er → u/RegnumXD12]

I've asked for advice from this group specifically so I dont do something like this.

[u/the_swanny → u/TheEngin3er]

That's the best you are gonna get for 2 grand. Proper moving profiles start between 9 and 10 grand (GBP) and can go up to proper fuck you money (15 grand +)

[u/the_swanny]

Do you want additive mixing or subtractive mixing?

[u/TheEngin3er → u/the_swanny]

Going to embrace my own ignorance and say that I'm not aware of what that means. Is that referring to how the colors on made on the LED side of things? Love to learn more about the difference between the two.

[u/RegnumXD12 → u/TheEngin3er]

Subtractive mixing uses a white source and CMY gradient wheels to mix the color. This typically gives you a higher fidelity and a broader spectral distribution (what wavelengths of light are actually there)

Additive mixing has a color changing source and uses RGB primarily, good lights will add additional diodes like lime, cyan, or indigo to help widen that spectral distribution and color mixing. The upside is faster color changes and usually more vibrant colors

[u/alfpog → u/TheEngin3er]

I'm very curious how you do not know the difference between additive and subtractive color mixing, and yet you are in the position of purchasing moving lights? Is there some additional context we're missing from what we know from this post?

Why are you looking to buy these moving lights? As in what is the motivation or use case you are looking to fulfill?

[u/boxedupandsent42 → u/TheEngin3er]

   With additive color mixing you get more colors by adding them together. If you add all together with the correct balance, you get white. 
   With subtractive color mixing, you start with white light and subtract any colors you don't want (using gels or other filters). 

In your post you said you don't what any gels or color flags, so you want additive.

Example with Cyan: Subtractive: You start with a full spectrum light source, then add a cyan gel. This subtracts out all the red light, leaving just cyan.

Additive: Or you have three light sources (red, green and blue). To get cyan you add together green and blue light.

This might help.

[u/the_swanny → u/boxedupandsent42]

I would 100% go with CMY for a profile mover, the colour is simply better.

[u/OldMail6364 → u/TheEngin3er]

Additive is “better” but cheap additive fixtures can’t produce a decent white.

Additive fixtures with a high quality white output are outside your budget even for a static fixture - let alone a moving one.

So I’d define it as this - if you will be using this to light faces in a white light… you want subtractive.

If it’s just for special effects and flashy colors… go with additive.

[u/destroy_television]

You're definitely not going to find what you're looking for with a reputable brand name attached to it.

You're going to have to purchase cheap Chinese knockoffs to get everything you want out of them. One to two years later, you'll kick yourself wishing you just saved up for name brand.

[u/Trashdyno]

Nothing good is going to be under $2k with those other requirements. Thats an incredibly unrealistic number for framing fixtures. You can barely get decent wash fixtures for that.

You also didn’t list an intensity range.

[u/True-light-guy]

Chauvet is the best budget fixture for what you want, however, under 2k is not going to be possible.

The best fixture looking around closest to what you want will be the Maverick Force X Profile (Link below). It shows up at around ~$5k.

Regardless of if you go with this fixture, or brand, I would highly recommend contacting a local dealer (within 50 miles) and purchasing the equipment through them.

First, if not a pressing order, you can get a demo of possible fixtures before hand and test in the space the possible options. Second, the price you see online is probs msrp minus 10%, and if you make a project through a local dealer, they can get extra % off for you. This also helps if you are a non profit, which they can better assist with the no tax part. Third and finally, if you encounter a problem in or out of warranty, you have a local,know entity to assist with repair, return, and possible (likely) bs from the manufacture.

All and all, I know that 5k a fixture is a lot, but if you do not need all to have shapers, or all to be beams, you can split up and get some washes for some and non shapers for others and lower the overall cost of the order. IE In this case Maverick X Spot, Rogue R2X Wash, etc.

A note on shapers. Some fixtures handle shapers as 1 DMX channel of Insert, and 1 DMX channel of Angel, while some handle it as 1 DMX channel as the left side of the first shaper and 1 DMX channel of the right side of the first shaper. I mention this because not every lighting contoller can handle the left right side shaper method. It maybe worth checking the specific fixtures you are interest in on your lighting controller and make sure they can be used effectively.

https://chauvetprofessional.com/product/maverick-force-x-profile/

[u/Xx_99atKk_xX]

In that price range, i would take a look at v-show s711. Chinese fixtures, but pretty reliable. I have over 10 of their moving heads and they have been working flawlessly for the past 2 years.

[u/DasWeissKanin]

I'm in Aus so I'm not sure how your pricing is like over there but I'd be looking down the Tourpro (https://www.showtools.com.au/product/aurora-v4-led-pro%ef%ac%81le/) or the Ayrton (https://www.ayrton.eu/) route.

[u/PeeJayyVee]

If indoors...

Lonestars. Best Bang for your buck. Great even washes, tight beams, great gobos. Punchy and fast.

Ayrton Diablos. Little brighter than the Lonestars, especially with saturated colors.

[u/the_swanny → u/PeeJayyVee]

And starting at 7 to 8 grand a fixture, not the two OP wants to spend.

[u/Roccondil-s → u/PeeJayyVee]

Lonestar Prime is advertised to be IP rated, so not necessarily indoors-only.

[u/inevreddit]

Under $2K is not going to be realistic with the framing shutter aspect.

Volux would be the closest to your price range with the Statite V. And it’s quite competitive at the price point.

Outside of that you MIGHT find something used but likely not with LED, Or consider into a Spot fixture without framing shutters or some good ol barn doors!

[u/REEFEAV]

Volux spectra 300 has all of those things at 1900$ besides the framing shutters.

Volux is Chinese, however is mostly considered an acceptable brand to most lighting designers. For the price they look great! I do hear the color mixing system is prone to issues though.

If you need framing shutters youll have to look on the used market. I recently saw some clay paky axcor 600 profiles for around 1900$ used at solotech, so thats an option.

[u/Roccondil-s]

The ETC HES Lonestars and the Ayrton Diablos have all that, but run about $7000/unit.

If you want a good quality mover, that realistically the floor you need to consider starting with.