LED lighting.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 13/08/2025 at 10:02, Phil Starr said:

I can never work out if this is just common sense or I am slightly bonkers/obsessive

 

You are not alone. I can only keep things tidy if they have a place.

[Stub Mandrel]

I bought some cheap PARs from Amazon. Aside from cheap plugs they are great, sound to light, dmx and everything. I ordered two more and they were basically remote control light bulbs.

 

They must have sent the wrong model the first time.

 

I have a few other bits and keep meaning to get a decent Derby.

 

I also bought two tiny USB 'R2D2' lights from Temu for about a fiver each. I got the idea after seeing similar ones at a club. Sat at the back they cover a huge area of ceiling and back wall with gently moving patterns of rgb dots that chase through the combinations. Take 2 minutes to set up and add a lot to gigs in little venues where there's no room for proper lighting.

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I also bought two tiny USB 'R2D2' lights from Temu for about a fiver each. I got the idea after seeing similar ones at a club. Sat at the back they cover a huge area of ceiling and back wall with gently moving patterns of rgb dots that chase through the combinations. 

 

I bought a laser from aliexpress for a fiver inc shipping. Powered by USB, works surprisingly well and adds some patterns and a few LED colours.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I bought a laser from aliexpress for a fiver inc shipping. Powered by USB, works surprisingly well and adds some patterns and a few LED colours.

 

 

I have a couple and so does our lead guitarist which is a bit much! Pink Floyd eat yer heart out!

 

It's ridiculous how cheap they can be and that even on usb power they are bright enough for a club.

[police squad]

13 hours ago, Phil Starr said:

Mine came with the light and are shaped to fit just that light. You can buy acrylic sheet cut to size but I've no idea if this would be suitable https://www.cutmy.co.uk/plastic/acrylic-perspex-sheets/frosted/translucent/3mm/L1020-W80/

I've ordered some gel type stuff to try but thanks for that. I've never thought of a diffuser but it's a great idea

[Phil Starr]

 

 

13 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I bought a laser from aliexpress for a fiver inc shipping. Powered by USB, works surprisingly well and adds some patterns and a few LED colours.

We have something similar, ours have low power red and green lasers that project tiny, intense moving dots in a matrix. They run off power supplies but i've adapted ours to run off a USB power pack to cut down on leads. They were about £10 ea.

Edited Thursday at 09:30 by Phil Starr

[Woodinblack]

Yep, this is red and green lasers, and LED backfill

[Acebassmusic]

22 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Yep, this is red and green lasers, and LED backfill

Do you have a link?

[Stub Mandrel]

32 minutes ago, Acebassmusic said:

Do you have a link?

 

Typically, this sort of thing... cheap enough not to worry about being ripped off, but I haven't been (yet).

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008052686848.html?algo_exp_id=f349a06c-7271-443d-8abd-ed25e12716bd-2&pdp_ext_f={"order"%3A"14"%2C"eval"%3A"1"}&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch|query_from%3A|x_object_id%3A1005008052686848|_p_origin_prod%3A

 

[Woodinblack]

Yes, like that - this was the type I got

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006198188772.html

 

 

I still keep an eye out for programmable ones, but they are the other side of £100 to do logos and band name etc.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

54 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Yes, like that - this was the type I got

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006198188772.html

 

 

I still keep an eye out for programmable ones, but they are the other side of £100 to do logos and band name etc.

 

 

£7 🤣

[Woodinblack]

17 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

£7 🤣

 

Yeh, its gone up since I bought mine, crazy the cost of living

 

 

 

[tauzero]

10 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Yes, like that - this was the type I got

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006198188772.html

 

 

I still keep an eye out for programmable ones, but they are the other side of £100 to do logos and band name etc.

 

 

There's more than one model on that page - the default one is £7 but looks like it's just an LED light with facets, the lasery one is £17. I've just gone mad and splashed out very nearly a tenner on https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007714100673.html

[Phil Starr]

On 21/08/2025 at 14:19, Woodinblack said:

Yes, like that - this was the type I got

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006198188772.html

 

 

I still keep an eye out for programmable ones, but they are the other side of £100 to do logos and band name etc.

 

I think you'll find that the £100+ ones are potentially hazardous to the audience and I think you have to designate a safety officer of some sort to operate them in public. I had a quick look as a result of this thread and some of the ads had warnings on them, I've no idea what the UK regulations are with more powerful lasers but you'd certainly need to check up on the regulations if you go for something that is potentially many times more powerful. 

[gazhowe]

49 minutes ago, Phil Starr said:

I think you'll find that the £100+ ones are potentially hazardous to the audience and I think you have to designate a safety officer of some sort to operate them in public. I had a quick look as a result of this thread and some of the ads had warnings on them, I've no idea what the UK regulations are with more powerful lasers but you'd certainly need to check up on the regulations if you go for something that is potentially many times more powerful. 

I stopped using a Class 3B laser several years ago for this reason. In smaller venues it's very difficult to operate these in accordance with the safety guidelines and any public liability insurance you may have is unlikely to cover you if you can't provide evidence that you have operated it in accordance with the safety guidelines. 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Phil Starr said:

I think you'll find that the £100+ ones are potentially hazardous to the audience and I think you have to designate a safety officer of some sort to operate them in public. I had a quick look as a result of this thread and some of the ads had warnings on them, I've no idea what the UK regulations are with more powerful lasers but you'd certainly need to check up on the regulations if you go for something that is potentially many times more powerful. 

 

A very good point.

 

I notice at Hawkwind gigs, where they use very powerful rgb lasers, great care has clearly been taken to keep them well above the heads of the audience and to make sure they "land" safely.