Professional LED Stage Lighting Solutions

Supplied with a 3 year warranty

The introduction of super-bright LED technology has had a major impact in the area of stage lighting and LED stage lights are now the most common means of lighting stage and performance areas.

PRIMARY SCHOOL OFFERS SECONDARY SCHOOL OFFERS

LED fixtures have several key advantages over conventional incandescent lighting fixtures:

Low Power Consumption

Easier to power and kinder to the environment!

Cool Running

Safer to handle, safer near small children & safer near combustible materials

Maintenance Free

No more lamps to change or filters to clean

Multi Colour

LED fixtures contain multi colour LEDs which can be controlled via the lighting control desk, so no need to change coloured filters when you need a different colour

Dependable

No more blown lamps at inconvenient moments

Climate Friendly

Low power consumption and cool running mean minimal environmental impact

Stage lighting fixtures

Incandescent Lighting Fixtures

These use a conventional filament lamp and a series of lenses to provide a WHITE LIGHT beam which may be used to light a wide area or to spotlight a smaller area. Incandescent lighting fixtures will run hot and should therefore be kept clear of people, clothing and any potentially combustible material. They will also periodically require replacement lamps, although the lamps are generally inexpensive.

LED Lighting Fixtures

Cutting edge LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology is used to create a range of specialist stage lighting fixtures – wash lights, spotlights, moving head lights, etc. As a rule, LED fixtures are far brighter and more versatile than their incandescent tungsten-halogen equivalents. They run cool and are therefore ideal for use in drama studios and smaller performance spaces, as well as in school halls, theatres and larger venues. They are maintenance-free and fully controllable using universal DMX protocols. All of our professional LED fixtures also come with our FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY, so you can be assured of the quality.

LED stage lights come in six main types

Par Can

Similar in style to a conventional incandescent wash light, but using LED technology. Using a suitable lighting control desk, the colour and brightness can be controlled remotely. Many Par Can fixtures can also be configured in ‘sound to light’ mode, so that the colour and brightness follow the music. And all of our PROFESSIONAL LED PAR CANS come with our FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY.

Spotlights

Recent advances in Super-Bright LEDs and COB (Chip On Board) technology have enabled the introduction of super-bright LED spotlights. Unlike a conventional spotlight, however, our LED spotlights come with our FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY, 100,000 hour lamp life and even adjustable colour temperature & lighting curves. Please contact us for a demonstration.

Strips, Battens and Bars

A linear bar of lights, ideal for uplighting or downlighting flat areas such as drapes or scenery. Using a suitable lighting control desk, the colour and brightness can be controlled remotely. Some Battens/Bars have moving heads which can be operated remotely. Many can also be configured in ‘sound to light’ mode, so that the colour and brightness follow the music. And all of our PROFESSIONAL LED BARS come with our FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY.

Moving Head

Similar to a Par Can fixture, where the colours can be controlled, but with further control functions allowing the beam to be directed up, down, left, right and even zoomed to provide a wide wash or a tight spot. Using a suitable lighting control desk, all of these functions can be controlled remotely. Many Moving Head fixtures can also be configured in ‘sound to light’ mode, so that the colour, brightness and movement follow the music. And all of our PROFESSIONAL LED MOVING HEAD fixtures come with our FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY.

Blinders

A large LED fixture, suitable for wash lighting a wide area or creating dramatic effects. Using a suitable lighting control desk, the colour and brightness can be controlled remotely. Many Blinder fixtures can also be configured in ‘sound to light’ mode, so that the colour and brightness follow the music. And all of our PROFESSIONAL LED BLINDERS come with our FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY.

Follow Spot

A follow spot creates a sharp, focused pool of light and can be easily manoeuvred to track the subject around the stage. However, the brightness and the beam angle need to be carefully specified to ensure the beam is appropriately sized and powered when it hits the stage. Professional follow spots are generally supplied with a heavy duty tripod, allowing the light to be operated safely.

Fully installed systems

Lighting Bar

The lighting par is normally suspended at high level, above or in front of the performance area and provides a secure fixing point for hanging the various lighting fixtures. It is normally fitted with one or more mains power sockets, allowing the lighting fixtures to be powered directly.

Power

Whatever type or size of stage lighting system you choose, it will need to be powered. Normally this requires the installation of a new mains power feed. Our in-house electricians can carry out this work as part of the installation.

Lighting Fixtures

Any combination of incandescent and LED fixtures, set up to produce the desired effect. Modern LED fixtures use very little power, so there is effectively no limit to the number of fixtures you can add to the bar. Additional fixtures and effects can easily be added later.

Lighting Control Desk

The control desk allows the lighting fixtures to be controlled from a convenient point in the room. Good quality lighting desks also provide a programming function, so that specific scenes and events can be pre-programmed and brought into play at the touch of a single button.

Primary School Special Offers

Take a look at out our stage lighting special offers tailored for typical primary school needs.

PRIMARY SCHOOL OFFERS

Secondary School Special Offers

Take a look at out our stage lighting special offers tailored for typical secondary school needs.

SECONDARY SCHOOL OFFERS

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all LED Fixtures the same?

No! Quite apart from the various types mentioned above, brightness and build quality can vary enormously.

Brightness
Some manufactures will quote brightness, but many do not. Even where a figure is quoted it can’t necessarily be taken at face value, since the different colour LED groups emit at different wavelengths with different energy levels. Also, not all manufacturers take the measurement at the same distance from the light, eg one may quote a brightness figure at 2m from the fixture, while another quotes the output at 3m or 5m. A better guide may be the power rating of the fixture in Watts (W), but again this needs to be treated with caution since an inefficient fixture may have a higher power consumption, but lower brightness.

Build Quality
An LED lighting fixture is only as good as the components used to build it, the LEDs themselves and their power supplies being the most critical components. There are, unfortunately, a lot of “cheap and nasty” LED fixtures on the market, which may look good on paper but have an appallingly high failure rate. It is difficult to generalise, but we will happily advise on brands and types to consider/avoid – please enquire.

For our part, we only use good quality equipment from trusted suppliers and all of our professional LED fixtures come with a FREE 3 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY.

Do I still need conventional incandescent lighting fixtures?

There are now very few applications which are not suitable for LED fixtures. They are ideal for coloured wash-lighting and spot-lighting for the reasons outlined above. In the vast majority of circumstances a GOOD QUALITY LED FIXTURE will provide the best combination of versatility, brightness and power consumption. Please ask if you’re unsure – we can still source a variety of conventional lighting to use alongside the latest range of high quality LED fixtures, but the vast majority of installations are now LED-only.

How do I control the lighting?

Modern lighting systems (LED and incandescent tungsten/halogen dimmers) are controlled via “DMX” – a simple cabling system that connects all of the fixtures together and allows them to be controlled from a single lighting control desk. The desk typically allows each fixture to be controlled individually, although several can be grouped together if required. In the case of incandescent fixtures it is generally only possible to control the brightness, from full off to full on. For LED fixtures, however, the colour and brightness can be controlled, along-with additional functions typically including strobe, zoom, left/right/up/down movement and sound-to-light modes. The latter function is ideal for musical performances, dance classes, discos, etc, where the lights follow the beat of the music.

Many lighting desks can also be pre-programmed, so that a series of complex preset scenes can be called up at the touch of a button, if required.

We typically recommend opting for a larger lighting control desk than you actually need, to allow room for expansion later.

I don’t have a lighting system at present – what exactly do I need and what will it cost?

As a bare minimum you will need some lights and a desk to control them. Many installations don’t need anything more than Par Can wash lights and a simple control desk. We would generally recommend at least four lights, but we have done smaller installations with as few as two lights.

The lights can be placed on the floor, hung from one or more portable T-Bar tripods or attached to the walls or ceiling. Generally, however, we would recommend installing a dedicated lighting bar, which allows the lighting fixtures to be moved around and easily redirected. It also allows additional lighting fixtures to be added later (either purchased or hired in for specific productions).

Wherever they are positioned, the lights will need to be powered and controlled. Trailing cables can be used for portable installations (floor or tripod mounted), but a permanent mains power supply will need to be installed for fixed lights (wall, ceiling or dedicated lighting bar). Our Special Offer lighting packages will generally include this service within the price.

Larger installations may require multiple lighting bars or even a lighting grid. These installations would generally include a wider range of lighting fixtures ((ie wash lights, spot lights, moving-head lights, etc) and as such each client’s requirements will be unique.

We are always happy to undertake a site survey and demonstrate some of the lighting fixtures and control desks so you can make an informed decision.

I already have a lighting system, but I don’t know if it’s compatible with LED lighting fixtures.

We carry out a lot of ‘upgrade’ installations, where a client wishes to add LEDs to their existing lighting set-up. Some clients want to replace their entire system with LEDs, but others want to retain their existing incandescent tungsten/halogen lights and use them alongside new LED fixtures. Both scenarios are possible, but we may need to undertake a site survey to establish precisely what would be required. Please enquire.

So how can Active help me with my stage lighting?

As lighting specialists, we can help you to understand the options available to you, to get the best out of your budget. No two lighting installations are the same. Some of our customers have no lighting system at all, some have existing systems that need to be augmented or updated, some have restricted space or other physical limitations and some have existing (frequently condemned) systems that need to be isolated and/or removed. Whatever your requirements, we are here to help.

Want to know more about our Stage Lighting products?

Do you have any questions about our products? Do you have an application or project in mind? Please fill in the form or call us on 01952 250166 or email us at sales@activeuk.com