Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Color Wheels and Gobos

Power down, swap the wheel or template, then re-home and refocus for clean output. Done right, you get instant palette control and razor-sharp branding without rebuilding the rig.

Preflight: Lock the Palette and Mixer

Decide your color system first. Fixed wheels and CMY flags are subtractive color mixing systems, so they trade brightness for saturated looks, while RGB LED mixing stays smoother across fades.

Example: for a tech keynote, CMY wins for clean, slow fades; for a dance set, a fixed wheel gives punchy hits. Dial a base hue fast with an interactive color wheel, then match that slot on the wheel or pick a gobo tint that supports the brand color.

Swap a Color Wheel: Fast, Clean, Aligned

The decision here is order: how do you want the colors to chase? If you want a three-step hit from open white to blue to magenta, put those slots adjacent so the cue lands like a snap.

Steps:

• Kill power, let the head cool, then lock pan/tilt so it does not drift.
• Open the head and locate the color wheel plus its index mark or sensor.
• Release the retainer, seat the new wheel flat, align the index to the sensor.
• Close up, power on, and run a slow color sweep to confirm slot order.

Keep fingerprints off the glass; any smudge becomes a visible halo in haze. Index marks and fasteners vary by fixture, so confirm orientation in the manual before you tighten.

Swap a Gobo: Crisp Logos, Zero Drama

Ellipsoidal fixtures use a template/gobo to project sharp patterns, so they are the go-to choice for logo hits. A 5 ft hotspot at 30 ft is typical, so size the artwork to fill that area without trimming or stretching.

Steps:

• Power down, cool, then open the gate or gobo module.
• Slide out the holder and note orientation so the text reads correctly on stage.
• Seat the gobo in the holder, lock the ring, and avoid touching the face.
• Reinstall, refocus, and sharpen edges with lens focus and iris.

Example: for a sponsor wall, run a static logo gobo for readability, then swap to a rotating break-up for the dance floor.

Refocus, Balance, and Cue the Moment

Visibility comes first; functionality must come before aesthetics when you re-cue a room. Then add backlighting around speakers to lift faces and reduce shadow without blowing out your front wash.

Steps:

• Open white to check focus and exposure.
• Brand color sweep to verify wheel order and fade smoothness.
• Gobo on haze to confirm edge clarity and scale.

Example: for a product reveal, hold cool white for visibility, snap to the brand blue, then land the logo gobo for the hit.