Disco Ball Effect - Definition

[Normang]

Hey everyone, while doing research on LED lighting I often hear the term disco ball effect but I have never seen it defined. I have done a search on the boards here at NR and I have yet to find a definition.

 

Is it when all of the colors do not blend together and you will get shots of individual colors into the DT?

 

Thanks for your help

[Odyssey350kc]

http://s682.photobucket.com/user/odyssey350kc/media/water1_zps9290d547.jpg.html'>

 

 

You see the pattern on the bottom, Its like that, constantly moving due to the surface of the water moving, and you are correct with the individual colors, instead of it being all white like in the picture it makes it look like a "disco" with all the different led colors, I personally think this looks pretty cool, but if your going for the natural look its a little out of wack.

[ajmckay]

Is it when all of the colors do not blend together and you will get shots of individual colors into the DT?

 

Yeah that's basically it... it's a term used with LED lights to describe the effect of banding on the sand bed..

 

Searched for videos and didn't find much except this:

 

So I like MS paint... Discoball effect is a LED issue... Because LED's have a very small area when the LEDs are spaced too far apart you get this effect. If you see the MS paint drawing I made you can see that the light hits the bottom of the tank in different areas over rocks and ledges and stuff. The result is you get little bands of different colors and a crazy disco ball effect.

 

 

 

To minimize or eliminate this effect space your LEDs close to each other. Some even use multi-die LED chips... A single chip pcb that has multiple LEDs on it, very close together. In reality they need to be within like 2" or so. You can also add things like diffusers and such to reduce or eliminate the disco effect.

[Markburns43]

That was a bright tank though and the colors looked great at a distance. Up close u could see the shimmer and all the led beams crossing. Is it a preference? Or just bad led configuration?

[Normang]

The first picture is all natural and I think that shimmer looks great. No disco ball effect in that one correct?

In the video I can see a few individual colors such as the violets and dark colors, but there is still a shimmer

 

Thanks for drawing up that picture.

So the effect has nothing to do with shimmer right?

 

Also on BRS tv on YouTube it states that the kessil pendants usually have no disco all effect, is that Bc their LEDs are packed so tight together?

[GHill762]

Disco is picked up by cameras more than the human eye imo.. Think of it like shimmer but with color separation. It's basically because the LEDs are spaced too far apart and/or the optics are too tight.

[specore]

Also on BRS tv on YouTube it states that the kessil pendants usually have no disco all effect, is that Bc their LEDs are packed so tight together?

 

That's correct and is precisely why I went with Kessils over my tank.

[kimberbee]

I'm really seriously not trying to pick on anyone's tank that they are proud of... but in the Maxspect owner's thread there was some discussion on the disco effect on pages 12 &13:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/315634-maxspect-razor-owners-thread/page-12

 

(post #296 is where it gets started, more towards the bottom of page 12)

[GHill762]

I'm really seriously not trying to pick on anyone's tank that they are proud of... but in the Maxspect owner's thread there was some discussion on the disco effect on pages 12 &13:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/315634-maxspect-razor-owners-thread/page-12

 

(post #296 is where it gets started, more towards the bottom of page 12)

FWIW, it likely doesn't look like that in person. cameras and leds don't always play nice together. the person who posted that even says it doesn't actually look like that. cameras are much more sensative to that than your eyes.

[specore]

It is pretty obvious when frozen in a photo. In reality though disco moves so fast as to not be quite that noticeable, although it is definitely there and can be seen with the naked eye.

[kimberbee]

Oh I do believe what they say about it not being noticeable in person. But I think that's a good example of what it would look like.

 

Though, I take TONS of photos of my tank and would be pretty upset if I had that disco effect going on...

[Normang]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Thanks for the link on the maxspect. On that page I can completely notice the disco ball effect, so that helps explain it.

Thanks again.

 

Now the question is, do I go with the radion xr15w pro with the RMS, the Kessil A160we, or the maxspect razor nano over my IM Fusion 20?

[GHill762]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Thanks for the link on the maxspect. On that page I can completely notice the disco ball effect, so that helps explain it.

Thanks again.

 

Now the question is, do I go with the radion xr15w pro with the RMS, the Kessil A160we, or the maxspect razor nano over my IM Fusion 20?

 

Nanobox imo

[kimberbee]

Nanobox imo

 

That's what I would do if I could!

[ajmckay]

IMO discoball effect is more noticeable in the darker areas of your tank, like behind rocks and such. Less so in the middle where it's brightest.

 

I think any of those lights would work well.

[Normang]

Nanobox imo

 

Why the Nanobox?

 

Which model, and how much will it run me in order to have it be fully controllable?

[GHill762]

Why the Nanobox?

 

Which model, and how much will it run me in order to have it be fully controllable?

 

you'd have to talk to Dave, I'm guessing a duo but IDK..

 

nanobox has lime leds which are unique and provide a very crisp white. He also uses somewhat tightly packed pucks and no optics, so you will have good blending.

 

he has the storm controller and the bluefish controller, if you're looking for ultimate control I'd go bluefish. my understanding is that apparently down the road they're going to make bluefish able to control multiple things..

 

nanobox (imo) will be your best bang for your buck. plus it's made in the USA, he hand builds them and paints them in his shop

[Normang]

you'd have to talk to Dave, I'm guessing a duo but IDK..

 

nanobox has lime leds which are unique and provide a very crisp white. He also uses somewhat tightly packed pucks and no optics, so you will have good blending.

 

he has the storm controller and the bluefish controller, if you're looking for ultimate control I'd go bluefish. my understanding is that apparently down the road they're going to make bluefish able to control multiple things..

 

nanobox (imo) will be your best bang for your buck. plus it's made in the USA, he hand builds them and paints them in his shop

 

If I can get a used radion for 350 just for the light would you still recommend the nano box?

[GHill762]

If I can get a used radion for 350 just for the light would you still recommend the nano box?

imo, the nanobox is the best led on the market right now, so I'd always recommend it. that said, you have to weigh the cost/benfit yourself.. radions are great lights, nanobox is just better.. I don't know if a radion xr15w will cover a fusion 20 (maybe it does, I honestly don't know).

 

I also don't know what the smaller nanobox lights cost, I've only priced the quad.

[specore]

If I can get a used radion for 350 just for the light would you still recommend the nano box?

 

They are both great lights, hard to go wrong. I prefer the build and look of the Nanobox personally, although it looks like you would probably want the Duo which runs $450.

[Normang]

Yeah it looks like the duo is the right fixture for coverage. So many options to consider. I'll do some more research on the nano boxes.

Also, Maxspect is coming out with their new fixture this upcoming spring.

Thanks everyone for your advice.