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Thread: Outdoor Show

  1. #1
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    Default Outdoor Show

    Hello PL! I've been surfing around here quite a bit for over a year but today marks my first post...

    We have been doing indoor shows with 370 mW - 1.5 W projectors with a German made arena hazer (the "base hazer", I'd highly recommend it) with a lot of success. Business is growing and we've had several inquiries for outdoor shows. I think we’re clear on the legal stuff (USA), but when it comes to equipment what power would you recommend for good visibility?

    For simplicity we’re looking to stay with DPSS (can’t beat the low power draw and air cooled). Does a 5W 532 nm seem adequate for a 2,500-5,000 person crowd?

    I’ve read a lot of good tips on haze/smoke outdoors here:
    http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/showthread.php/10218-Smoke-Haze-outdoors

    Thanks!

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    For simplicity we’re looking to stay with DPSS (can’t beat the low power draw and air cooled). Does a 5W 532 nm seem adequate for a 2,500-5,000 person crowd?

    Beams or Graphics????


    With respect to beams, Only if you have absolute control over the outdoor lighting and NO Metal Halide or Sodium Vapor light arrays around.. Ie if you can light the area with halogen or led fixtures on a dimmer and control the area. But if your in a parking lot, or stadium, or even the local ballapark, US style lighting will very much limit beam effects outdoors at 5 watts, even with the DPSS advantage of being at the eye's peak.

    Steve
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    I wouldn't attempt outdoor, with 5 watts of green.
    For RGB , minimum 25 watts
    for green, minimum 10 watts,
    that's with favorable lighting and smoke / haze conditions
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    Really you want to get as much power as you can, cos with DPSS you can turn the power down in software, but you can't turn it up!

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    Have you guys ever done an outdoor show? Especially Carlos, I'm sorry, but you're just telling bullshit

    http://media.laserproductions.nl/elementz/

    2x 5W OPSL green.

    So I'm sorry, but YES 5W is absolutely ENOUGH for an outdoor show of 2000-2500 peeps. Smoke was only 2x MDG3000 with fan and the show was next to a big lake with quite some wind flow.

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    Hey Jeroen....
    am i not allowed to post my personal opinion on here or what?
    is it really necessary to call my opinion "bullshit"
    what are you an asshole just for fun ? orjust an asshole .


    BTW, i stand by my opinion
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by carlos3621 View Post
    Hey Jeroen....
    am i not allowed to post my personal opinion on here or what?
    is it really necessary to call my opinion "bullshit"
    what are you an asshole just for fun ? orjust an asshole .
    I'm calling it "bullshit" because it's simply just not true. I've added the smiley to show that I don't mean this as unfriendly as my non-native English might sound.

    However, I'm very tired of people and companies that keep asking for bigger lasers for in- and outdoor use. For example, can I remind you of one of the most famous lasershows from Holland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSnsTZw80iU (1 and 2 watt green) .

    It's just not necessary. 2W for outdoor is even acceptable, but 5W makes it a lot easier because you need less good fog coverage.

  8. #8
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    [QUOTE=JeroenVDV;135657]I'm calling it "bullshit" because it's simply just not true. I've added the smiley to show that I don't mean this as unfriendly as my non-native English might sound.

    Yes, many shows.

    And I can tell you in the states where we are crazed with high power outdoor lighting, 5 watts often doesn't cut it in a city environment,outdoors, for beams.

    Insane high power car, street, and mall lighting can clobber you on commercial gigs.

    When I was 18, 5-7 watts was respectable out doors. Then came metal halide and skyglow, and 5 watts is often marginal. And I've worked on stuff for audiences of 30 to 3000 and up to 10 times that. I've had theatrical LDs scream at me at 3 watts, who were later happy at 7 indoors with a hazer. 5 watts is a good investment, 2 x five is better. Dual units, use them at 5, combine them at 10 with polarization cubes as needed. Overseas, the laserists rule and the lighting director drools, here, its the LD who wins. 2 x five, strongly polarized, gives you power and redundancy...

    With all due respect, that set of pics you reference is a small moving light/par can count compared to most US gigs.

    http://geology.com/articles/satellit...at-night.shtml

    Steve
    Last edited by mixedgas; 02-15-2010 at 13:55.
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  9. #9
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    Without getting involved in the argument here,

    i can say with first hand experience that 5 watts can be PLENTY for an outdoor event. *WITH* the excpetions steve noted.

    If the ambient lighting is kept to a bare minimum, smoke/fog cooperates with you and you have a good lighting producer who is good at communicating lighting cues and effects, than 5W of 532 can and does do an outdoor show quite well. Would 10W or 20W or 40W be better?? of course. Is it needed? nah, not really.

    Remember, back in the days before solid state, alot of outdoor stuff was done with argons in the 10, 15, 20W range. a 5W 532 is gonna be damn near identical in brightness to a ~15W argon.

    I think you will be perfectly happy with a 5W/532. If you have a tough outdoor venue to deal with and the lighting guys suck, you may have problems, but other than that...you should do great!

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  10. #10
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    To get a second opinion, I called my former partner, he says 2 x three watts, again polarized, or a five and a three. But he agrees, 2 polarized lasers for redundancy and diversity in indoor setups and to avoid outdoors when you cannot control the neighbor's lighting. His sole income is lighting and lasers, I'm not gonna argue with him

    He then mumbled about finding ways of killing the power to car dealerships on commercial gigs.

    Steve
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