How do you put together a lighting rig that can go together and be setup QUICK for your band or church? In this video, we cover a ground-only rig that rocks and isn’t tough to set up!
For the vast majority of gigging musicians, portable churches, etc. you can’t hang anything from the ceiling. Even if it is a possibility to do so, oftentimes people in these situations choose to keep their setup more simple and easier to maneuver.
Setup
A great way to start with basic band lighting is the four light lighting unit. This is a highly recommended setup kit because you can easily put them at the corners of your stage. It gives you independent color control of each light so that you can shift and guide the audience’s focus to different parts of the stage when needed.
Vertical Trusses
Behind the band some simple vertical trusses can work perfectly. You may feel that trusses might be out of your price range but there are some great, cost-effective options out there. A truss with a flat piece and a little moving light on top can be awesome because it gives you the ability with that light to hit the singer, to create different patterns in the air, and to hit different parts of the stage for solos.
This effect may not be quite as good as having lighting hung through the air above the stage but for quick setup and takedown it can give a great, simple effect for little effort.
LED Strip Lights
LED strip lights are another great addition to a simple setup. You can use these in a variety of ways, anywhere from use on the ground to perhaps even hanging from trusses to create different effects. They are great, lightweight, versatile options.
If you are just leaning towards some cool strip lights that can be placed behind someone on stage, then you will likely want to go with the least expensive strip light that you can find. They may not be the brightest bulbs out there on the market, but they can still create a beautiful effect.
If you are potentially wanting to upgrade the quality of the strip lights you are using a great option is the Colorband Pix-M from Chauvet. It has a rather wide angle for a strip light and can be hung vertically which allows it to have the ability to tilt. In this way you get a lot of different looks for the cost of a single strip light. This particular light also has pixel control so that you can control the lights individually if you so choose.
Another amazing option for strip lights is the ADJ Frost Effects bar. It has fourteen cells of RGBW LEDs which are quite bright with narrow beams. This enables them to really cut through the environment nicely. You have the option to hang this vertically and change every cell color if you choose. You can see each beam shining down perfectly and it gives a beautiful effect with very little setup effort.
Conclusion
For small stages, having something that you can set up and tear down easily is key. Whether you are a band or small church or theater production, it is a great idea to explore your options for simple ground setup and set yourself up with some great looking, easily maneuverable lights.
