If your venue needs professional stage lighting but not a full production setup, and certainly not a lighting technician on the payroll, Edwards Sound Systems builds pre-programmed lighting packages that arrive ready to use. Plug in, press a button, and the lights work. That's the brief, and that's what we deliver.
Two recent Auckland installations show what this looks like in practice: one for a sports bar hosting regular live music, and one for a primary school's outdoor stage. Different venues, different fixture selections, same outcome; a professional lighting that staff can operate themselves without training.
At a Glance: What a Turn-Key Lighting Package Includes
- DMX controller pre-programmed with scenes, numbered and labelled per fixture
- Full fixture selection matched to your venue size and use case
- Stands, DMX cabling, mounting hardware, and safety accessories included
- Sound-activated mode configured and tested before delivery
- Operational from day one -no lighting technician required!
What Does "Turn-Key" Actually Mean?
Turn-key means the system arrives configured. Every fixture is numbered and labelled. Every scene is pre-programmed. The sound-activated mode, which cycles through scenes in time with music, is set up and tested before the package leaves our workshop.
For a bar, that means your staff can run a live band night without touching a laptop or calling a technician. For a school, it means a teacher or student can operate the lighting for a production or assembly without advanced knowledge. The controller handles the complexity; the operator just selects a scene.
This approach works specifically because of what the Kontrol192 DMX controller does well. Supporting up to 12 fixtures at 16 channels per fixture, it has enough capacity for a well-specified small to medium venue rig a full stage wash, effect lighting, and sound-activated modes without the programming overhead of a theatre-grade system. It is not a theatre console and is not intended to be. For venues that need repeatable, reliable scenes rather than cue-by-cue control, it hits the right balance of flexibility and simplicity.
Why Professional-Grade Fixtures Matter in a Budget Package
The cost competitiveness of these packages comes from the controller and system design not from compromising on the fixtures themselves.
Lower-cost lighting products typically use underpowered components and cheaper power supplies. The visible result over time is fading colour output, brightness inconsistency across the rig, and early component failures. In a venue that runs lights three or four nights a week, those problems show up fast.
The Event Lighting PAR fixtures used in both installations are specified for professional use. RGBWAU colour mixing (red, green, blue, white, amber, and UV) gives a wide palette from a single fixture type. The fanless design means they run silently, which matters on a stage with live microphones. Colour and brightness stay consistent over time because the components are built to handle ongoing use.
The fixture selection for each venue is matched to the space. The controller stays consistent across packages. That's how Edwards keeps the overall cost competitive without cutting corners on the parts that degrade first.
The Sports Bar Installation: 12 Fixtures, Full Kontrol192 Capacity
The sports bar rig was built around 6 Event LITE PAR19X12L par lights and 6 PIXBAR12H LED bar fixtures — 12 fixtures in total, running the Kontrol192 at full capacity.
The combination works because the two fixture types do different jobs. The PAR lights deliver powerful stage washes that cover the full performance area with even, saturated colour. The PIXBAR12H bars add pixel-mapped effect lighting — the kind of dynamic movement that lifts a DJ night or live band performance beyond static wash lighting.
Pre-programmed scenes mean bar staff can match the lighting to the night without adjusting anything. The sound-activated mode cycles through scenes automatically in time with the music for genuinely set and forget for live performances.
The Primary School Outdoor Stage: IP65-Rated for Weather Resistance
The school installation used 8 PAR12X20H-IP fixtures that are IP65-rated for weather resistance to cover the full width of their outdoor stage area.
IP65 rating means the fixtures are sealed against dust ingress and protected against water jets from any direction. For a permanent outdoor installation in an Auckland school, where gear gets rained on and left rigged between events, this is not optional - it is the specification that makes the installation practical long-term.
Eight fixtures at 240 watts each give wide, even coverage across the stage with enough output for daylight-adjacent conditions in the late afternoon. Scenes are pre-programmed for productions, assemblies, and community events. Teachers and students operate the system themselves. The school no longer needs to hire a production company for regular events as the capability is built in.
Who This Package Is Right For
A pre-programmed turn-key lighting package suits venues where:
- Events are regular but not technically complex such as live music nights, school productions, community events, club nights
- Staff need to operate the system without specialist knowledge
- The brief is reliable, repeatable scenes rather than cue-by-cue control
- Budget matters but fixture quality cannot be compromised
It is not the right solution for theatres requiring full cue-stack control, complex moving head programming, or productions with a dedicated lighting operator. For those applications, Edwards specifies accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can scenes be reprogrammed if our needs change?
Yes. The Kontrol192 is a user-programmable controller. Edwards sets up the initial scenes during commissioning, but the controller can be reprogrammed to add new scenes, adjust colours, or reconfigure the rig as your venue's use changes. We can also return to update programming as part of ongoing support.
What is the difference between the PAR19X12L and the PAR12X20H-IP?
The PAR19X12L uses 12 LEDs at 19 watts each for a tighter, more intense output suited to indoor stage applications where punch and colour saturation are the priority. The PAR12X20H-IP uses 20-watt LEDs in an IP65-rated housing for outdoor or mixed-environment use where weather resistance is required alongside strong output.
Does the system work with a smoke or haze machine?
Yes. Haze and smoke machines significantly improve the visibility of beam effects in a bar or club environment. If you're planning to use one, mention it during the site consultation and Edwards can factor in a haze or smoke machine control as part of the system design.
How long does installation take?
For a 12-fixture rig like the sports bar installation, on-site installation and commissioning is typically completed in a single day. The pre-programming is done in our workshop beforehand, so commissioning on-site is largely a matter of rigging, cabling, and confirming scenes work as intended in the actual space.
Thinking about a lighting package for your venue, school, or community space? Edwards works across Auckland so we can come and look at your space, specify the right package, and deliver a system your team can operate from day one.
