American DJ’s DJ Scan 250 EX & Fusion Scan 250 EX Add EX-tra EX-citement To Already EX-cellent Scann

We always feel a tinge of trepidation when manufacturers come out with "new and improved" versions of our favorite gear. That's why we had to check out American DJ's new DJ Scan 250 EX and Fusion Scan 250 EX. They're the latest incarnations of the very popular DJ Scan 250 HP and Fusion Scan 250. We've always sworn by those units as being the ultimate deal in mobile 250-watt DMX scanners. For an amazingly affordable price, you got high-quality compact intelligent lights with zippy X-Y mirror movement, plus a boatload of colors and gobos on separate wheels that you could mix and match with a controller or sit back and run to built-in programs. And if that wasn't enough, the Fusion Scan 250 had a "bonus" 4.9mW green laser effect built right into the unit. So how could it get any better?

Our anxiety grew when we opened the box and saw two unrecognizable fixtures. They were more box-like in shape and were even made of a different material than our beloved scanners - metal vs. plastic. Somewhat skeptical, we started inspecting them and, in spite of ourselves, we found we kind of liked how they handled. The design was actually much sturdier than the previous models. These babies were built to take some serious road abuse! Seems lately we've been hearing DJs talk about wanting more rugged gear. Somebody at ADJ obviously was listening.

For our first test run, we hooked the units up to our trusty DMX Operator Pro controller. With 5 and 6 DMX channels respectively, the DJ Scan 250 EX and Fusion Scan 250 EX each have 1 more channel than their predecessors. The reason? The extra channel is for controlling two new effects that have been added to each unit - a fast strobe and gobo shake effect. We had to admit these new features were fun to play with and they add a lot of pop to your light show when you mix 'em in with the units' colors and gobos. Oh, did somebody mention colors? ADJ also added four more colors to the new versions. There are now a total of 11 colors plus white and 10 gobos plus spot.

So far, we liked what ADJ had done to our scanners. We requested several more of each unit so we could check how they worked in multiples. And then something even more impressive happened . . .

We linked four DJ Scan 250 EX's together with XLR cables in master-slave mode. Usually when you do this, all of the lights start moving together in sync, following the lead of the "master." But what happened here was that scanners 1 and 3 synched together, while scanners 2 and 4 synched in the opposite direction, moving in the exact mirror-image of the other two. It was really cool looking - like the two sets of scanners were "dancing" with each other. Turns out this is a new feature on both the DJ Scan 250 EX and Fusion Scan 250 EX called Pan/Tilt Inversion Mode. It makes the movement look more random than tandem when you run the lights in master-slave, like you're putting on a pretty sophisticated show with a controller - even if you don't know a hoot about DMX! This feature really blew us away, as it did any remaining misgivings we might have had about the re-designed versions.

There are some other things we should mention about the DJ Scan 250 EX and Fusion Scan 250 EX. The beam angle has been reduced a degree to 15°, making them even more well-suited for venues with low ceilings. Both have high-velocity fans and can run all night without duty cycles. And despite their more roadworthy design, each model weighs only a pound more (12 lbs.) than its predecessor.

We saved the best for last. Despite all the new features and improved construction, the green-laser-equipped Fusion Scan 250 EX's price tag is $419.95 MSRP - not a penny more than the previous model. The MSRP of the DJ Scan 250 EX is $299.95, just $20 more than its predecessor. American DJ never told us what the "EX" stands for, but when you think of how much more you're getting for your money now, we can only surmise it signifies that two previously near-perfect 250-watt DJ scanners have been taken to the "EX"-treme in performance, features and value.

FEATURES

• High-performance 250-watt 5-channel mobile DMX scanner
• 11 colors plus white, 10 gobos plus spot, separate color & gobo wheels
• Built-in programs for sound active mode
• Fast Strobe and Gobo Shake effects
• Pan/Tilt Inversion Mode: When using 4 scanners in master/slave, scanners 1 & 3 sync opposite scanners 2 & 4
• 15° beam angle
• Dimensions: 17.25"L x 7.5"W x 6"H; Weight: 12 lbs.

• High-performance 250-watt 6-channel mobile DMX scanner
• Built-in 4.9mW green laser effect
• 11 colors plus white, 10 gobos plus spot, separate color & gobo wheels
• Built-in programs for sound active mode
• Fast Strobe and Gobo Shake effects
• Pan/Tilt Inversion Mode: When using 4 scanners in master/slave, scanners 1 & 3 sync opposite scanners 2 & 4
• 15° beam angle
• Dimensions: 17.25"L x 7.5"W x 6"H; Weight: 12 lbs.