What's the load-in and strike time for a 16-fixture moving-head rig at a 400-cap club?

With a three-person lighting crew and house truss already hung, expect 3-4 hours for load-in: 60 minutes to hang and circuit all fixtures, 45 minutes to run DMX and power, 60 minutes to patch console and program basic cue stacks, 30 minutes for focus and haze testing. Strike runs faster at 90-120 minutes: fixtures come down first, then cable coiling and road case packing. If you're also rigging truss from scratch, add another 90 minutes for motor chain hoists and truss assembly. The Independent and The Fillmore both have permanent front and mid truss, which cuts load-in to under 3 hours. Venues without house rigging — like temporary stages in Golden Gate Park or Fort Mason outdoor spaces — require full ground-support truss systems and push load-in to 6-7 hours for the same fixture count.

Do I need a lighting designer for a local band show or can the sound engineer run lights?

If your rig is eight LED pars on static color washes and no moving heads, a sound engineer can trigger pre-programmed scenes from a basic console between songs. Once you add moving heads, haze timing, and dynamic beam cues, you need a dedicated LD — running sound and lights simultaneously guarantees both suffer. A competent LD programs 40-60 cues during soundcheck (intro walk-on, verse looks, chorus builds, breakdowns, outro), then busks color and strobe variations live during the set. Budget $400-600 for a local LD day rate in the Bay Area, $800-1,200 for an LD with touring credits and their own grandMA2 console. If the headliner is bringing their own LD, your job is to provide console, fixtures, and stage access three hours before doors — their LD handles all programming and showfile prep.

How do I calculate power requirements for a 20-fixture lighting rig?

Add up fixture wattage plus console and haze machine draw, then multiply by 1.25 for headroom. Sixteen LED spot-wash moving heads at 350 watts each = 5,600 watts. Twenty LED par cans at 200 watts each = 4,000 watts. One haze machine at 1,000 watts. One lighting console at 150 watts. Total = 10,750 watts, multiplied by 1.25 = 13,438 watts or 13.4kW. At 120V single-phase, that's 112 amps — you need at least two dedicated 60-amp circuits to avoid tripping breakers. Most Bay Area club stages provide two to four 20-amp Edison circuits; you'll need a distro box to split those into individual fixture circuits. Outdoor festival stages typically provide 100-amp or 200-amp Camsplitter distro; confirm available amperage with the venue or generator company two weeks before load-in to avoid day-of power shortfalls.

Can I use the same moving heads for both face light and aerial beams?

Yes, if you're using hybrid spot-wash fixtures with wide zoom ranges. An LED beam-spot-wash hybrid moving head zooms from 4° to 50°, so the same fixture can throw a tight 8° beam for aerial punch during choruses, then zoom to 40° for even face wash during verses. Pure beam moving heads at 2-4° stay in beam mode and don't provide useful face coverage — they're for aerial effects only. The tradeoff: hybrid fixtures cost $450-550/day vs. $350-400/day for dedicated beam fixtures, and their maximum lumen output is 10-15% lower due to the added optical train for zoom and framing. For a 10-12 fixture club rig, rent all hybrids for maximum flexibility. For a 20+ fixture festival rig, split the order: eight hybrids on front and side truss for face and texture, twelve beam fixtures on mid and back truss for pure aerial effects.

What's the difference between LED pars and tungsten pars for stage wash?

LED pars draw 180-220 watts, output 10,000-12,000 lumens, offer RGB or RGBWA color mixing, weigh 8-10 pounds, run cool to the touch, and cost $25-35/fixture/day. Tungsten pars draw 500-1,000 watts, output 12,000-18,000 lumens from a single tungsten filament, require gel frames for color, weigh 12-16 pounds, run at 400°F surface temp, and cost $15-20/fixture/day. For modern concert rigs, LED pars are the default: lower power draw, instant color changes via DMX, no gel swaps between songs, and no risk of burns during focus calls. Tungsten pars persist in theater and some legacy rock rigs for their warmer 3200K color temperature and higher CRI (98 vs. 85-92 for LEDs), but the power and heat costs rarely justify the aesthetic gain. Stick with LED pars unless the artist specifically requests tungsten for a retro visual or the LD is programming a throwback 1980s arena rock tribute show.

Concert Lighting Rig Checklist — Live Music Setup

Spec a touring-grade lighting rig for Bay Area live music — truss, moving heads, par cans, console, and front-of-house gear.

May 11, 2026

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May 11, 2026