Adding another bee to the collection: ?'s on octobox, using and BG lite and hair lite

Hello lighting gurus...

Just a disclaimer...I did search and my head is now hurting....

I really want to add another AB800 to my lighting setup as I have a shoot of a larger family coming up. I currently have one AB800 and use the Photek Softligher II as a mod. I really would like to get an octobox as opposed to a regular soft box as square catch lights annoy me. So, I have a few questions.

My "studio" space is at the widest 9'. I shoot mostly little ones and seniors.

1. Octobox question: I do realize that softboxes are a pain to set-up and I am tempted by the AB foldable octobox as a way of minimizing the irritation. Has anyone used one of these? Any thoughts on it? Any ideas on what size would be most versitile for my situation?

2. I am getting fed up with not being able to blow out my white background so at times the second bee would be used for this. Do I need any special equipment for this use?

3. I am also geting annoyed by not having a hair light for dark haired subjects on a dark background. The second bee will probably also be used for this. Again, do I need any special equipment for this use?

Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

1. If you already have the Softlighter, then why need octobox? Isn't the softlighter just like an octobox?

2. If only using 1 AB for white bg, I would think that would only work in case you shooting kids or 1 person shots where the light is behind them. For anything larger, I owuld gues syou would need atleast 2 lights to make the bg uniform white.

With 1 person h&s 3/4 etc. I can just use the bare AB with the 7" reflector. For case where you have them on the sides, you can use v-flats.

3. Depends how many people you shooting. If just 1, you can use Ab grids like 20deg. for use as a harlight. For mutiple people, having a small softbox with grids is better. I use AB foldable stripbox. You will need boom, stand to mount it higher. Also how you going to control the power on the hair light? You don't want to be lowering,adjusting power and raising it.

I am just a beginner so I am onlytelling thsi from my limited experience. I would let more experienced folks chime in.

Good question on the octobox vs. soflighter....I'm just getting annoyed with the way the catch lights look on the softlighter. Or, maybe I'm having a subconscious gear-head moment. In any case, I'll still have to get some kind of light mod for the second bee.

See pic for example...

I don't have a lot of space in my makeshift studio, but I have a 2-light setup that works pretty well for portraits. I have the Photoflex "medium" octobox (5-foot) for my main light, and it's about the biggest I could fit in this space. I have the fabric grid optional attachment for it when I want to control the light and have separation from the background. I use a large reflector for fill. My background is a Lastolite Hilite with my second light inside. I can easily blow out the white background...and even get a bit of a hairlight effect as it's like having a giant softbox behind the subject. I can use gels on the background light and more separation between subject and background to achieve different background colors. And I'm able to do this in a ridiculously small space that I share with my 8-year-old son and his toys!