Photo credit Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
When haze is dialed in correctly, it reveals the lighting without drawing attention to itself
The Unique 2.1 is a recognizable fixture on many stages, adding atmospheric effects that make a huge difference to how congregations experience a performance. If you’ve just started volunteering for your church, or have recently swapped roles, getting atmospheric effects right could seem akin to magic. But understanding what your machine does, and how to get the most out of it, is pretty simple once you understand a few key facts about your hazer.
Nathan Kahn, president of Look Solutions USA, has years of industry knowledge. In this article he outlines five common-sense steps to success, taking you right back to basics to ensure you get the very best effect for your application.
Where you place the hazer matters more than how hard you run it
“Your hazer adds texture to the atmosphere of your production, creating tiny liquid droplets that hang in the air and make the most of your lighting designs. Without haze, you are just lighting the surfaces of your stage, the floor, walls, or any set pieces you might have. With haze, you are able to light the air, immediately opening up your lighting design and making it more interesting, without even touching a lamp. It’s an essential part of any lighting design.
Getting started is always the most daunting part, so here are my suggestions to get you out of the starting blocks.
The Unique 2.1 from Look Solutions is known for quiet operation and consistent haze output, making it a common choice for stage environments.
1. Getting the best possible outcome relies on a strong start.
It may sound obvious, but machine position is key and getting your hazer into the best possible place is likely to be a compromise. Talk to everyone who is going to be on stage to make sure your hazer isn’t going to accidentally get kicked, moved or unplugged. You want there to be a clean line of sight between the stage (where you want your haze) and your machine. If you have a Look Solution machine, like the Unique 2.1, you won’t have fan noise to worry about, but some machines are noisy, so making sure everyone has seen and heard your machine in rehearsals is a great idea. Once you’re in rehearsals, it’s also a good idea to check if anyone has any questions about your haze effects. Most manufactures will have an FAQ page and Look Solutions USA has some great resources online that can answer any questions your performance team might have. Our safety data-sheets are all easily available, and we also have some hints and tips on our socials and YouTube videos. If you still can’t find the answer, give us a call!
2. Switching on.
Once you’re sure your machine can be rigged pretty much exactly where you would like it to be, you need to make sure you’ve got power. Make sure your machine is plugged directly into mains power; you don’t want to go through the dimmer power that your lighting is on because that could harm your machine. It will take 60 seconds for your machine to warm up, so while you’re waiting, take a look at the control panel. There are a few ways to control your hazer, but the simplest way to get started is the control panel on the machine itself. There are two settings: pump and fan. The pump setting controls the density and is in percentage points from 1-99. The fan controls the speed at which the haze blows out. The settings depend on your application and experimenting is a good way to figure out exactly what you need. Once you’ve set your parameters, hit enter, the machine’s green “Active” light will come on, and haze will start to come out within a few seconds. If you have your pump on low, you’ll have a very fine mist that will be picked up by the lights, but won’t really be visible to the audience or congregation. If you turn your pump right up, you are going to get a thicker effect, that is closer to fog. When you want your machine to stop, simply hit enter again and it will slow down and stop.
3.Fluid
It’s not just the controls on your machine that have an effect on your haze effects, the type of fluid you use has a big effect, too. Look Solutions machines use a water/glycol -based fluid. The recipe hasn’t changed for decades, so we know it is safe and reliable.
The pump controls density; fan controls distribution
All fluids have a use-by date or batch number, so it’s important to keep your fluids in a sealed container and don’t open it until you need it. Once opened, air will slowly start to turn your fluid bad, so keeping the lid on will help slow that process down. If your hazer uses a fluid bottle as its tank (as the Unique 2.1 does), then it’s best to replace the whole bottle when the old one runs low. If you’re going to top up the current bottle, you should occasionally dump out the remains and rinse out the bottle before refilling. If you mix old and new fluid you will eventually clog your machine. Rinsing out your fluid reservoir every few months will help keep everything in top condition.
4. Cleaning
Some machines have cleaning cycles, but Look Solutions is maintenance-free. If cleaning is your thing, you can rinse out the fluid reservoir as mentioned above. While the machine is cool and unplugged, you could also remove the fan filter and remove any dust, or give the nozzle a wipe to remove any residue.
Don’t do any of this while your machine is on because the nozzle gets hot. Never put anything that isn’t Look Solutions haze fluid into your Unique 2.1, it will damage the vaporizer and could void your warranty. At some point you’ll probably be advised by somebody to run vinegar-water through your machine. This is a popular fix for many brands, but you should never do this with a Look Solutions machine – it will do more harm than good.
5. Have fun
If you’ve followed the last few steps, you should have a haze machine that is in the correct place, is full of the correct fluid, and is being easily controlled with the manual buttons. There’s so much more you can do, so once you’ve got going and you’re enjoying the effect your haze machine is having on your church events, why not try stepping it up a gear? Did you know you can also control your hazer with a remote? If you’ve got DMX 512 in your church or venue, you can even control your hazer via the lighting desk, which is great if you’re doing all the backstage jobs at once.”
