Dynasty Series Ushers In New Era In High Performance Scanners

Anyone familiar with special effects lighting will tell you that scanners are one of the mainstays of a DJ/club light show. Equipped with moving internal optical mirrors, scanners can whip colored beams and gobo patterns around a room faster than you can say, "Lights on!" With their speed, motion and bright images, scanners are the perfect effect for any high-energy show or dance club.

But that doesn't mean the scanners you've been using are as good as it gets. American DJ, a lighting supplier bent on tweaking things to perfection, has set out to improve upon the trusty DJ scanner with the introduction of two new models, the Dynasty Ray and Dynasty Scan DMX. As soon as we saw the futuristic-looking Dynasty Series scanners, we liked them. Both come in a sleek silver bullet-shaped case, which will definitely add a techy look to any establishment or event. And both are very compactly designed - at just 7 lbs. each, they weigh in under a lot of today's popular models, making them terrific for mobile use.

But, although similar in outward appearance, the Dynasty Series scanners are two very different fixtures. The main difference is that the Dynasty Ray is a plug-and-play sound-activated unit that moves to internal programs, while the Dynasty Scan DMX is an intelligent light that can be run either with a DMX controller or in sound-active mode.

Taking a closer look at the Dynasty Ray, we found that its mirror has a unique shape like an arc. When we turned it on, we saw that this is really a very clever design - a definite improvement over a conventional scanner mirror -- because it produces 8 separate beams, all razor-sharp, giving you a lot of visual activity from one unit. The Dynasty Ray also gives you a good amount of variety, since its gobo wheel can create 9 different gobo-color combinations. Another handy feature on the unit is an audio sensitivity knob that lets you control the degree of sound activation. We were happy to see, too, that the Dynasty Ray has high velocity fans that keep it cool enough to run all night, so you can plug it in, let the internal programs kick in, and really forget about it if you choose.

For those who are more tech savvy, the 6-channel Dynasty Scan DMX can be used with a DMX controller to give you more command over your colors, gobos and chases. For example, the unit comes equipped with 9 gobos and 11 colors, which can be combined any way you want via DMX. The scanner's 4-button digital DMX addressing feature makes the process fairly simple. If you don't feel like programming, the Dynasty Scan DMX can be run as a stand-alone fixture via its built-in programs, or, as another option, multiple units can be linked together with cable and run master-slave.

When we got both Dynasty Series scanners going, we saw that their similarities were more than skin deep. One standout trait the Dynasty Ray and Dynasty Scan DMX share in common is their remarkably fast X/Y mirror movement - these little dynamos can burn some serious rubber!

Perhaps even more impressive is their exceptional brightness. Both come equipped with 150-watt Philips lamps, but thanks to a new optical design, they have an extremely brilliant output, which easily rivals that of any 250-watt fixture. This allows you to save on energy dollars without sacrificing output.

Bottom line, with the Dynasty Series American DJ has come out with some real performance upgrades that take the DJ/club scanner to the next level. We also like the fact that the company has incorporated these innovations into two models - DMX and plug-and-play - so regardless of whether you're a technophile or keep-things-simple kind of performer you can step up to this next-generation of scanners. We should also mention that AMDJ is making the Dynasty Scan DMX available as a complete system, including four scanners, an Elation DMX Partner handheld recorder/playback controller and XLR cables, for about $200 less than the components would run you separately. We predict these systems, along with the individual units, will become part of a new "dynasty" in DJ/club lights.

Features:

Dynasty Ray

Compact, high-performance sound active scanner with internal pro- grams
Unique "Arc" style mirror produces 8 separate sharp beams
9 gobo/color combinations
High velocity fan - Run all night
Dimensions: 18.25"L x l7.25"W x 7.5"H Weight: 7 lbs.
MSRP: $219.95

Dynasty Scan DMX

Compact, high-performance 6-channel DMX scanner
9 gobos + spot, 11 colors + white
High velocity fan - Run all night
Operate via DMX or sound active internal programs
4-button digital DMX addressing
Dimensions: 18.25"L x l7.25"W x 7.5"H Weight: 7 lbs.
MSRP: $339.95

Dynasty Scan DMX System

Includes:
4 x Dynasty Scan DMX
1 x DMX Partner Controller
4X MC-10 XLR Cables
MSRP: $1,359.95