Wash Lights

Choosing the Right Wash Lights: A Quick Guide

Wash lights are essential for lighting up a stage or venue with smooth, even light. Whether you're enhancing a DJ set, live performance, or event, here’s how to choose the right wash lights for your needs:

1. Type of Wash Light

LED Wash Lights: The most popular choice, offering energy-efficient, long-lasting illumination. LEDs come in various colors and are often RGB or RGBA for a wide range of color mixing.
Traditional PAR Cans: Classic wash lights that use halogen or tungsten bulbs. These produce warm, natural light but are less energy-efficient than LED lights.
Moving Wash Lights: These can move and pan to provide dynamic, changing light effects. Ideal for larger events where you need flexibility in lighting angles and coverage.

2. Coverage and Brightness

Beam Angle: Wash lights come in various beam angles (e.g., narrow, medium, wide). A wider beam angleprovides more even coverage across a larger area, while a narrow beam offers more focused lighting.
Lumen Output: Make sure the wash lights have enough brightness for the size of your venue. For smaller venues, low to medium output lights work well; larger venues may require more powerful wash lights to ensure full coverage.

3. Color Mixing

RGB and RGBA: RGB wash lights combine red, green, and blue LEDs to create millions of colors, while RGBA adds amber for warmer hues. If you need more versatility in color options, RGBA or RGBW (with white) offers even more flexibility.
DMX Control: For more advanced control, look for wash lights that can be connected to a DMX controller. This allows you to control color, brightness, and effects remotely, creating customized lighting effects.

4. Power Source

AC Powered Wash Lights: These are standard for most setups and plug directly into a power outlet.
Battery-Powered Wash Lights: If portability is important, go for battery-operated wash lights that can run for several hours on a single charge. Perfect for smaller events or outdoor venues where power outlets are limited.

5. Mounting and Placement

Floor Mounts: Some wash lights are designed to sit directly on the ground for ground-up lighting effects.
Hanging Mounts: Look for adjustable brackets if you plan to hang your lights from trusses or grids, or if you want to use the lights for overhead lighting.
Fresnel Lenses: For soft and even light distribution, wash lights with a fresnel lens provide a smooth wash without harsh shadows.