How do you put together a lighting rig that can go together and be setup QUICK for a solo artist? Find out in this video!

There are a couple unique things about solo artists that give a bit of a different spin when it comes to lighting. As a solo artist you have the option to move forward with using ground supported only or working with no space behind the band as setup; there are many different routes to take to make your show great! Regardless of what route you choose, you will likely desire a simpler setup plan that you can easily manage yourself or with one or two other helping hands.

Control

In terms of control when it comes to your lighting setup Intex Emu is the newest up and coming way to have something on a foot pedal and simply play along with your show. MAC Lightkey software is another fantastic choice if you happen to be running tracks that need to be triggered.

Lights

Lights are where your setup will really differ from other small bands or church setups. When you are running things by yourself, there is only one of you to do everything and normally a really tiny stage area to light. A lot of times a wash or a few PARS will do the trick but sometimes even that can be a bit of overkill when it’s only you.

In this case, you will likely find that one to two lights in the front and maybe a single light from behind will give the perfect look. You can, of course, put these lights on the ground but what works even better is getting these couple lights on your speaker stand to give a little height. This angle will light you really well without casting shadows.

Angles

When you are a solo artist, the speaker stand and light will be really close to you. The lighting will either be on the stand to give you a really wide angle or it will be on the ground facing up. You will also want to perfect a really wide angle from this position. A wide angle is important because when you are really close to the light it will spread far enough to cover you rather than come off as a super bright hotspot.

Shadowing is the other reason that a wide angle is important. Even if the best that you can do is to have the light on the ground pointing up it can blend nicely with any general lighting coming your way over head and give a nice appearance while decreasing the visibility of shadows behind you.

Recommendations

The ADJ Dotz PAR is a really great option for a solo artist setup. It gives off a great wide-angle look, it’s affordable, and lightweight. Lightweight makes a huge difference when it is just you responsible for the setup and takedown and you need something that works quickly and efficiently.

It is worth noting that this chip-on-board light has a different type of LED that is only red, green, blue but they also tend to make a better white than lights without the chip-on-board.

Stomp Light is another great light option. These come as little battery powered or plug in lights which were created for stage musicians. It’s designed to go on the ground and sync together with a foot pedal.

Conclusion

Whatever you choose as your perfect lighting setup when you are performing solo is completely up to you and your preferences. You have a ton of options but just keeping in mind that a wide angle will give the best look and a simpler setup will help make your show come together with less stress and more ease.