Guide
Cold spark indoors: what you need
Cold spark machines heat a granulate (the powder) and blow it out as a fountain of sparks. No pyrotechnic articles are involved, which is why they are so often used indoors. They are not harmless though: they still need space, planning and the approval of the venue.
What you need
- The units. Floor fountains such as the Sparkular, Sparkular II and Magic FX Sparxtar; larger fountains such as the Sparkular Cyclone and Sparkular Max; jets (Sparkular Jet, Sparkular Jet II); a hanging unit for truss (Sparkular Fall); a unit that tilts during the effect (Sparkular Waver); and a handheld one (Sparkular Blaster). All in Spark SFX.
- The right powder. Each unit runs on its own powder: the Showven units on Sparkular powder in several grades, the Sparxtar on Magic FX Sparxtar powder. The grade sets the effect height. See spark powder.
- RFID cards. The Showven Sparkular units only run with an RFID card, which adds run time per bag of powder. Order the powder together with the units.
- Control. The fountains and jets take DMX, with a controller from control gear; the Blaster is operated by hand.
- Power and warm-up. The units need mains power and several minutes to warm up before the first shot. The technical data on the product sheet give the warm-up time and how many units you can link on one power line.
Indoors: points of attention
- Venue and fire safety. Many venues and local authorities want to know about any spark effect in advance, and some require approval or a fire watch. Ask the safety officer of the venue early; where required, the local fire service decides. We cannot judge what applies at your venue.
- Smoke detectors. The effect can trigger smoke detectors. Agree with the venue how detection is handled during the show; never switch it off on your own.
- Free space. Keep the safety radius around each unit and the space above the effect free of people, drapes, costumes, confetti and anything flammable. The table below gives the figures per unit.
- Ceiling and rigging. Check the ceiling height and everything that hangs above the effect (truss, lights, decor) against the effect height plus the free space above it.
- Stable set-up. Most units switch off when they tip over, but they still need a stable, level base or a secure clamp. Keep an emergency stop within reach of the operator.
Cold spark units compared
| Unit | Effect height | Safety distance sideways | Free space above the effect | Consumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Showven Sparkular (BT01), excl. powderHeight and radius from the smallest to the largest powder grade. | 2.5–5 m | 1–1.5 m | – | 20 min per 200 g bag |
| Showven Sparkular II (BT11) , excl. powder | 1.5–6 m | 1–1.5 m | – | – |
| Magic FX Sparxtar, excl. powder | 2–4.5 m | 3 m | 2 m | <20 g/min |
| Showven Sparkular Fall (BT04), excl. powderHangs from truss: the free space applies below the effect. | 2–7 m | 3 m | 2 m | – |
| Showven Sparkular Jet (BT91), excl. powder | 5–10 m | 3 m | – | 10–15 g per shot |
| Showven Sparkular Jet II (BT93), excl. powder | 6–10 m | 1.5–3 m | 2 m | – |
| Showven Sparkular Cyclone (BT61), excl. powder | 6–10 m | 3 m | 2 m | 75 g/min |
| Showven Sparkular Max (BT66), excl. powder | 5–15 m | 3 m | – | – |
| Showven Sparkular Blaster, incl case, power supply & batteryHandheld unit. | 2–4 m | 1 m | – | 17 g/min |
Per unit, for the configuration in the product name (nozzle, powder), from the manufacturer data in our system; – = not in our data. Wind, fuel, mounting and local rules can require more: the manual and the local authorities always have the last word.
Book cold spark
Send us the venue, the number of units and the show times; we propose the powder and cards you need with your quote. For a first show indoors, our technicians can run it for you: see work with us.