On 20 Feb 2005, at 9:59 AM, Christopher Smith wrote:
Are you sure you want to go with battery-powered lights?
Yes. It's hard enough trying to squeeze a big band in a typical New York club, without also having to worry about wires from the stand lights getting tangled up in all those doubles and mutes, etc. Not to mention the sketchy wiring in a lot of places. It's just one more thing to worry about, and I really don't need the hassle of wires.
That's a big expense in batteries right off the bat.
Yeah, I know, but it would also be a big expense in extension cords right off the bat, too.
If you're not using halogen or fluorescent lights (which can cause noise in sound systems if they are plugged into the same circuit)
Shudder -- yet another argument for battery-lights, no?
The light on the Musician's Friend stand is wired. And while the guy couldn't tell me how much the actual *stand* weighs, the shipping weight per unit is 25 pounds! Even if each stand only weighs half that, that's *way* too heavy to drag a set of those on the subway.
I'm thinking of getting a set of GigLights:
http://www.lampcraft.com/giglight1.htm
It uses one of those low-power, super-bright LEDs. The bulb lasts essentially forever (50,000 hours). And they are small and lightweight. And the batteries are included. I found an online store that had 'em for $30 apiece. I might get maybe ten of them for now, hopefully that will be enough to start.
As for stands, the saxes and trombones (playing seated, I imagine) could possibly use the low-profile folding cardboard stands (also available in corrugated plastic and melamine).
Hmm... provided the clip on the stand light doesn't destroy them, that's actually worth looking into. My only concern is that they might make it harder for the wind players to get at their doubles. (Everyone has at least two doubles.)
There are probably a whole bunch of those for sale second-hand by big bands that aren't gigging any more. You can paint them if they are scuffed up.
I'll look into it.
They also have the advantage of not covering up your musicians as much when they are playing on a raised stage.
As for the Musician's Friend stands, the palette that holds the music up looks a little skinny to me. Once your book gets a few charts in it, the parts will start sliding off if the shelf isn't wide enough.
Well, the Musician's Friend stands are out for a variety of reasons. But, thinking it over, I think the only way I'm going to be able to get a cart of 20 stands on the subway (plus the music folders and stand lights!) is if they are wire stands (or a combination of wire and folding carboard/plastic).
Have you looked into rentals? Around here it's $5 per stand to rent them from a lighting company, which only gets more expensive after your sixth gig, plus THEY pay for bulbs and maintenance.
Well, I'm kinda hoping this band plays more than six gigs, total!
(Our first is at CBGB's on Sunday, May 29, if any NYC Finale listers are curious.)
- Darcy ----- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Brooklyn, NY
_______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
