When it comes to budgeting for stage lights, the cost of the individual light or lights is only part of the cost. While it may be the most expensive piece to budget for there will be additional costs depending on your circumstances.
In this post, we’re going to review the extra pieces that you may need to get the lights installed and working. There will be tools and different pieces you need to get the light from out of the box to installed on your stage.
A Basic Light
You’ve found the lights you want to add to your setup, the cost of that light is $700 and that’s what you have budgeted for. The money is available and you finally get the light in your hands.
Is that the total cost? No, it’s not, and here are the extra costs that are easily overlooked. The unfortunate part is that you could end up with a light but not enough to purchase the extra pieces you need to get the light on the stage and running.
Road Cases
Every situation is different and this scenario would apply to those who are are DJ, portable church, or in any situation where the lights will be on the move.
If these lights are travelling, then you want to invest in what is known as a road case. It helps to keep your lights safe so that they aren’t moving around when on the road.
If you’re a DJ or a portable church setup, you may not need a case that is fully equipped but it does enough to keep the lights safe while travelling.
There are many different options available based on what your specific needs will be and it depends what type of lights you are going to get. Just be sure to check into what this would cost so that you can budget for it.
Clamps
Whether this is a mobile setup or a permanent setup, you’re going to need clamps regardless. If you’re starting from scratch, this is something you will need to budget for.
If you do have lights being set up on the floor, you won’t actually need any clamps. But note that if you are mounting a heavier light you’re going to need two clamps to hold it up.
I will say when it comes to clamps, be sure sure to not purchase the cheap clamps because speaking from experience they are not worth it. When you’re setting up a $700 light it’s worth an extra few dollars to invest in a very good and reliable clamps.
Cables and Power Cons
Your lights are going to come with a power cable but are you going to be linking it with additional lights? If so, you’re going to need more PowerCon cables (or whatever type of cable the light uses) and that’s going to cost you extra.
When setting up, you will need to get power to those lights from the power source and you’re going to extensions cords to do that. This is especially true those who are just starting out and you want to make sure you budget for those extra pieces.
Next, you have to be able to connect the console to the light, so you’re going to need DMX cables to do this. If you’re connecting multiple fixtures you will need DMX cables to connect to the other fixtures. That’s something you want to budget for as well.
Final Costs
At the end of the day, you’ve budgeted to purchase a $700 light. Once you add a case, clamps, extension cords, DMX cables it can end up costing you over $870 for all the extra pieces.
Whether you are budgeting for yourself or for an organization it’s important to keep the additional costs in mind. Unless you are renting, just know that any type of light is going to always need accessories and it’s very important to keep those costs in mind when looking to purchase a new light.
