Light-emitting diodes, more commonly known as LEDs, have revolutionized the lighting industry in the past two decades. Without consuming a significant amount of power, they are able to emit a high output of light. Energy-efficient, long-lasting, and low-maintenance, LED lighting is at the forefront of the event lighting industry. So why, you might wonder, is conventional lighting still so popular (and in some cases preferred) for stage lighting? Today we’re exploring the differences between LED stage lighting and conventional fixtures, so that you can decide which best suits your needs.
LED Stage Lighting vs. Conventional
Conventional Lighting
When we talk about conventional lighting, we’re typically referring to halogen lamps and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. Although old-fashioned when compared to new-fangled LED lights, conventional lighting remains popular largely due to its strong light output and low cost. Its brightness and affordability come at a cost, however.
Conventional lighting consumes far more energy than LED stage lighting, making it extremely inefficient. The fixtures produce a lot of heat as well, and the hot equipment can be difficult to handle and manage. Finally, because they live a significantly shorter life, conventional fixtures must be replaced and repurchased often. If you dread maintenance and are often frustrated by burned out lights, you may wish to transition to LED lighting.
LED Lighting
A newcomer like LED lighting had to make a splash in order to overtake the popularity of long-loved, conventional fixtures. And indeed, LED steers clear of many of the drawbacks of conventional lighting. LED fixtures last for tens of thousands of hours of use time, so you may outgrow them before they burn out on you. Due to their long life, they require less maintenance, and since they produce less heat, they’re safer to handle. Finally, of course, LED stage lighting is far more energy efficient; it will reduce your electricity consumption and lower your utility bill.
In addition to all of these practical advantages, LED lights offer aesthetic appeal. The feature set available from LED light fixtures is impressive. Many include a built-in dimmer, which increases the flexibility of the product. You won’t have to worry about the extra cost of an external dimmer, and the LED light can stand alone, without a light board, controlled directly using DMX. You can even set the light to control itself in numerous special-effects modes, or to control other LED fixtures (in slave mode) so that they work in sync with one another.
Three main types of LED stage lights exist: PAR cans, strip lights, and “moving head” lights. They can replace any conventional lighting fixture.
Ready to Purchase Stage Lighting?
If you need help buying, renting, designing, installing, or integrating A-V technology, contact Southwest Audio-Visual today. We supply a variety of A-V products and services, including LED and conventional stage lighting. Our selection includes stage lighting, dimmers, control boards, and moving lights as well as rigging, rigging accessories, curtains, curtain tracks, custom-made gobos, and expendables from Apollo Lighting. We are also a direct dealer for Chauvet, Leprecon, Leviton (NSI), MBT, High End, and Altman. Whether you want to buy or rent, and whether you need static or moving lights, we can help.
To get started, please contact us online or give us a call at 417-887-4900 (Springfield) or 636-225-4327 (St. Louis). We would be happy to help you with all of your A-V needs.