light effects

[roddeasis]

hi! i'm new to diyAudio. i'm from the philippines. does anybody know or have any idea on how to build a light effects equipment used in discos, like the moonflower, scanners? all i need are the basics of it all. thanks

[Schaef]

Have you tried going to the websites of lighting instruments manufacturers? Several of them have exploded views of their instruments with part numbers and what not. It won't show you any of the control information itself, but at least you can see how they're built, and maybe a schematic of the circuits used. I know Altman lighting has the views for their instruments and Leprecaun has the schematics for their dimmer packs online.

It all depends on what you're really looking for. Do you want to build the instruments yourself? Or are you trying to understand how they work?

Good luck with your endeavour!

[roddeasis]

thanks for the input. i actually have searched the web, visited some websites like American DJ, Martin amomg others, but so far i have not seen any manufacturers showing the "inside" of their products. maybe i missed those manufacturers you mentioned.

Actually, i just want to know the basics, then maybe later on develop one. i might find good business with what i might learn from their products here in the country.

Thanks buddy!

[Schaef]

You might also try going to some lighting catalogs for theaters, and see what the more professional lines are. I tend to doubt some of the "cheaper" units that are specific to the single person DJ, are going to put much information on their products online. Its when you go to the more pro level, and the large scale productions that you start to see the manufacturers releasing information. A place to find some theatrical links for lighting might be to jump over to the links page on Vincent Lighting. They're a profesional theatrical and studio lighting company that also sells some DJ equipment. But, they have a links page pointing to a lot of manufacturers. Check them out.

One thing you'll find out though, is that the lamps themselves (bulbs to most people) can be quite expensive. It costs me around $20 to buy one 500W lamp for the stage lighting equipment I work with!

Look around for other theatrical catalogs and see if they have links as well. There's more out there than you think, and it might be that the company that does the club and DJ lighting as a sub-line will give out more information than the companies that use them as their main line.

[roddeasis]

Again, thanks for the input. You've been so helpfull. I'll try your suggestions.