Music studio cool lighting/lamp ideas?

[PhonoBrainer]

. . . got any to share? They could be novel desk lamps, led strips, could be music reactive . . . pictures please?

Expanding this could be cool studio knick-knackery, but with a cool mood-setting lighting effect. Just wondering what's out there beyond my searches . . . thanks!

[Byron Dickens]

A lava lamp I believe is required by law.

[jackson white]

Philips Hue

[Gswitz]

Fish tank?

[Shane_B.]

Do a search on youtube for DIY LED infinity mirrors. I plan in making a couple and putting in my home studio. I've seen mirrors, clocks, table tops, and I think a big VU meter also. With these cheap color changing/light show LED strips now you can make some really cool looking stuff. You can buy them pre-made. I've seen some cool ones on Etsy but were expensive.

DIY LED cubes are cool too. You can make simple ones to really advanced Arduino based ones.

[Tezza]

Lighting is also not necessarily a gimmick, it can contribute to the atmosphere for the performer, this is another way of looking at it. If I'm singing a slow romantic Jazz song, I like to have the lighting a sort of dim purple color.

All performers work best with the correct setting and lighting while they are performing. If you can set that up in your own studio then why not? It adds to the fun but also serves as a signal that recording has commenced, that you have now stepped into different shoes.

If you are used to performing on stage as a musician in a band then it's a lot more than just playing the instrument, you have to give a show which requires dress, a set (as in what's on the stage), lighting, a good fold back system, bodily movement and some choreography etc It all adds to that marvelous feeling of transforming from an ordinary citizen into a rock star!

And also gives the audience what they want to see, creates an atmosphere for them.

In comparison, sitting at a computer screen and inputting notes via piano roll or midi keyboard or dragging loops around can seem a bit lifeless and demotivating. I find scheduling a specific time, getting dressed appropriately, having a great monitoring system with a bit of reverb, standing up and changing the lighting can add a bit to the performance if I am doing song stuff.

Edited June 15, 2021 by Tezza

[bjornpdx]

Tom, I got one of these LED signs on Etsy.  Pretty cool.   Just google   studio LED lights   for more suggestions.

-Bjorn

[PhonoBrainer]

1 hour ago, Tezza said:

Lighting is also not necessarily a gimmick, it can contribute to the atmosphere for the performer, this is another way of looking at it. If I'm singing a slow romantic Jazz song, I like to have the lighting a sort of dim purple color.

All performers work best with the correct setting and lighting while they are performing. If you can set that up in your own studio then why not? It adds to the fun but also serves as a signal that recording has commenced, that you have now stepped into different shoes.

If you are used to performing on stage as a musician in a band then it's a lot more than just playing the instrument, you have to give a show which requires dress, a set (as in what's on the stage), lighting, a good fold back system, bodily movement and some choreography etc It all adds to that marvelous feeling of transforming from an ordinary citizen into a rock star!

In comparison, sitting at a computer screen and inputting notes via piano roll or midi keyboard or dragging loops around can seem a bit lifeless and demotivating. I find scheduling a specific time, getting dressed appropriately, having a great monitoring system with a bit of reverb, standing up and changing the lighting can add a bit to the performance if I am doing song stuff.

That is a very nicely written justification for mood lighting! Thanks!

If you have any specific lights to suggest, that would be great as well. Got any go-to's?

Edited June 15, 2021 by PhonoBrainer

[Gswitz]

This is gonna sound weird, but sometimes I put up winamp on a big monitor and feed input to it from the microphones in the room. Then it does animations on the screen in time with whatever we play and sing.

 

[Tezza]

43 minutes ago, PhonoBrainer said:

That is a very nicely written justification for mood lighting! Thanks!

If you have any specific lights to suggest, that would be great as well. Got any go-to's?

When I had the space, I used to use the Par cans on a tree, same as what I used on stage when doing acoustic material, you can stick whatever gel over them and run a wall wart dimmer for subtle effects. I had 3 of them, looks pretty cool if your studio is big enough. I had a separate "performer" area with a rug and the lighting cans and also a big old wooden Keg which served as a table that had a small lamp on it for reading the music/lyrics of what I had written. This mimicked the actual environment I would play in live. I would even have a glass of red wine sometimes on the Keg table together with whatever song I was practicing/recording. A couple of sips here and there was fine, but it was mainly to set the scene.

At the moment, I am in a smaller place and have one of those LED panel video lights that has an onboard dimmer and barn doors that I can gel for a similar effect. There is something about a light on a stand with barn doors and a gel. This is for more acoustic guitar based music. I have a mate who is more into EDM and he has a disco ball in his studio that he turns on when he feels like it, it spins continuously and when you shine a light on it, it sends spinning light all around the room. He also has stage lights, again, he does stage performances and it mimicks that.

 

 

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Tezza

[kennywtelejazz]

That guy from down under has some nice looking Cakewalk videos .

If I had the coin I would go out and buy the correct lighting to be able to make  visually pleasing home studio music videos and tutorials .

 

Kenny

[RBH]

I got a small pixar like  looking little lamp - it poses by itself sometimes.