SPL rating for fan on the Selador Fixtures.

Question

Can anyone point me to the noise specs for the 11" fixtures? 
 Would the fans prohibit them being used in a music recital hall? 
 Thanks

robgerlach · Accepted Answer

We have not yet had thorough acoustic testing performed on the fixtures. Preliminary results indicate that when the fans run at full speed, the noise level is somewhere between 24 and 30 dB, but this is only a very rough measurement. The fans operate at a reduced voltage, which lowers the frequency of the noise they produce. Some call this "pink noise" as opposed to white noise, because it is not as bright of a sound, and in most circumstances it makes the noise less noticeable. As soon as we have completed acoustic testing, we will publish the data. 
 
 In most colored-light applications, in ambient operating temperatures of approximately 85 degrees F or below, the fans may not come on at all. Anecdotal evidence from multiple users supports this, but many factors influence fan performance, including overall fixture operating level (how many colors are on at the same time, at what brightness level, and for how long), air volume around the fixtures and available natural airflow, fixture orientation, room temperature, and proximity to other high-heat sources (i.e., tungsten fixtures). 
 
 For fan performance, with 11" test fixtures, in a room temperature of around 73 degrees F, with the fixtures facing down, here is what we have measured: 
 
 At a 100% control level (all colors on at 100%, master intensity channel at 100%): 
 Lustr / Vivid-R: 20 minutes of operation before fans start running 
 Paletta: 30 minutes before fans start running 
 
 At 80% control level (all colors on at 100%, master intensity channel at 80%): 
 Lustr / Vivid-R: 35 minutes 
 Paletta: 1 hour 
 
 60% control level (all colors at 100%, master intensity at 60%): 
 No fans started after 3 hours, with no indication of starting 
 
 Most saturated color mixes are the equivalent of overall control levels of 60% or less. 
 
 If the fixtures are being used for relatively saturated colored light, and if they are hung in a position that allows good airflow around them and something close to normal room-temperature air, I would generally have no problem using them in a recital hall. I've worked in a lot of these kinds of spaces, and I've found that in most of them, HVAC and other ambient noise is still high enough to mask the low-speed fans, particularly if the fixtures are more than several feet away from the audience. (What is usually unique about these spaces is not so much their complete absence of noise, but the constancy of the noise that is there.) However, it would really be best to arrange an on-site demo in which the fixtures are run at the anticipated brightness levels to know for sure.