That Sure is Bright! Mighty Bright!

You’re out at a show.  You’ve got your music in front of you.  You are ready to go.  The lights go down.  It’s at this point that you realize you cannot see your music anymore.

Maybe this has happened to you, but it has definitely happened to me.  Now, to every gig I go to and play, I bring my Mighty Bright Music Stand Light.  Being the boyscout that I am, our motto, “Be Prepared” has always had a place in my heart and mind.  Whether the area is well lit or not, I am ready.

Let There Be Light

The light that I specifically have is the XtraFlex Duet LED Music Light.  It is available from Aebersold Jazz, just click here.  The two flexible goose-neck arms make it convenient for view larger scores of music that may span multiple pages.  Or, if you are sharing a music stand with another player in a pit or closed quarters, you can each adjust the light to your preferred location and angle.

Each lamp can be turned on and off individually.  There are also two settings for brightness, using the two bulbs per lamp.  Even in a lit room, the blue LED bulbs add clarity to music that might otherwise be hard to distinguish.  I have known several players who will use a light, regardless of the light provided in the room/pit/stage.

The clip on the body is strong enough to clamp onto a thin music stand, and thick enough to where it can hold onto a large fake book or something similar.  Because all of the weight is on the clip, and the arms are thin and light, it is unlikely it will cause your music stand to fall over, like older stage lamps.

For power, you have two options available to you.  Either, you can use three AAA batteries, going completely wireless and having no tripping hazard created by the light.  You can save battery life by reducing the amount of light put out with the multiple settings we have already talked about.  Less light requires less power.  Go figure.  Or, if you want to save a little cash in the area of new batteries, you can use the AC adapter plug that is provided with it.  The chord is not extremely long (around six feet), but sufficient for most people’s needs.  Be aware, however, that this light does not have an isolation circuit built in.  This means that if you choose to use the AC adapter, you must first make sure the batteries are removed, else the adapter will try to charge the batteries, which will cause a whole host of problems.

Other Applications

As a guitar player, I get a lot more gigs and shows in the pop/rock genre than in the classical/art music arena.  For most of these shows, I play electric guitar with a pedal board rig.  Many stages are dark, and it’s really embarrassing when you try to hit your delay pedal on a quiet tune, but you miss and turn on some heavy distortion.  Granted, most guitar players know their pedal board really well, but some guys change the layout and pedals every week.  You can hook your Mighty Bright light onto your board so embarrassing moments are avoided.

Also, there is no law that says you can only use this light for musical, gigging applications.  Anytime you would need a bright light, one that you could clip on to something, or use the flexible heads, this light works great.  Working on a automobile engine, you could clip this light to the hood.  Having a project with tight angles, you could insert one of the goose-neck lights to see what you are doing.  Reading a book late at night, you could even you use this not to disturb the people you live with by having an overhead light or lamp on.  The applications are endless.  Use your imagination!

A Bright Idea

Personally, I love this little light.  Right now, it’s in my car with some of my other equipment (nothing that can be affected by weather, don’t worry!) because I just finished with a week long show.  It works fantastically well for everything I need it for.  I am very thankful that I picked on up.

Hopefully this has helped you see the light! Until next time.