Well, now it might be possible to have the best of both worlds. American DJ, a company known for innovations in DJ/club lighting, has developed a new series of mobile LED effects that use a mega white 20W LED source as a hard edge beam, or central "lamp," that's powerful enough to project through color and gobo wheels. In other words these effects, called the X-LED Series, use LEDs the same way a traditional effect would use a halogen lamp - to shoot color beams and gobo patterns across walls, floors and ceilings. The idea behind the X-LED Series is that you get your familiar color/gobo club effect, but it's powered by an LED and all the spiffs that brings.  more

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.   more

CHAUVET’s two new LED-fitted MiN yokes are sure to cause enthusiastic applause from anyone who has had to hang or transport a moving head fixture. Each of these groundbreaking fixtures weighs less than 9lbs and fits in the palm of one hand.  more

Martin’s Mania series of atmosphere enhancing effects for mobile performers offers genuineprofessional quality and innovation at an affordable price. Surprisingly powerful with a long lamp life, Mania’s require no cool down periods. Martin’s superior optics allow these fixtures to be used in larger and smaller venues alike. Thanks to these optics, moderate wattage fixtures appear brighter than higher wattage fixtures from other manufacturers. Effects are sound triggered or can run automatically, with some offering DMX control. Easily portable, the Mania series currently includes effect lights, deco effects, scanners, promotional lights and smoke machines. Coming soon will be Mania color changers and strobe lights.   more

Two heads may be better than one. But when it comes to lighting, one head, if it’s removable, can actually create two different effects on the same fixture. That’s the simple, yet amazingly clever concept behind American DJ’s new ScanTron, a 5-channel DMX intelligent scanner that’s designed to be “two effects in one.” Thanks to a unique removable X-Y mirror head, the ScanTron can be easily converted from a scanner to a color changer.   more

The trouble with most “light-shows-in-a-box” is that they make you feel like you’re in a box, with their generic looking washed-out effects. Sure, these turnkey DJ lighting systems, which are offered by many manufacturers, are convenient and easy to use -- you just plug ’em in and play. But all too often what comes out is the bland visual equivalent of elevator muzak.  more

With each new Mania series light from Martin Professional comes new possibilities and a new level of lighting excitement. Two new lights in the Mania series of portable effects are now available: the Mania SCX600 scanner and Mania EFX500 effect light.  more

You probably already know that “moving heads” are the current buzzword in club lighting. You’ve probably also seen these eye-popping 3D-like effects bouncing off walls and ceilings at the cooler clubs and nightspots in your area. As their name suggests, moving heads are fixtures whose entire yoke (or head) rotates a complete 360°, unlike more conventional scanners in which only internal mirrors move. This full-cycle head rotation shoots colors and patterns over a much larger area, into every corner and crevice of the room, creating a layered, multi-dimensional effect that makes onlookers feel like they’re actually inside the light show, rather than simply observing it. Trouble is, like any better mousetrap, this advanced lighting technology comes at a price. Until recently, they’ve simply been too pricey for most mobile DJs, small clubs and bars.   more

There’s been much noise - and rightly so - around Chauvet’s trail-blazing ILSTM technology. By now everyone is aware that intelligent fixtures enhanced with this advanced technology can be remotely addressed and fully synchronized even in stand-alone mode. But the more we study the fixtures themselves, the more we realize that they are first-rate DMX-512 luminaires that stand out for many reasons other than their powerful ILS enhancements.  more

If you’re not already using moving head effects in your light show, it’s probably because you think they’re priced beyond your budget. Moving heads create spectacular 3-dimensional layered effects by rotating their entire yoke or “head” 360° so that light beams project out from every angle (unlike traditional scanners in which only an internal mirror moves). In short, moving heads are to lighting effects what surround sound is to audio. And, yes, when they first appeared, they cost a bundle. But the price of moving heads is “moving” -- downward. American DJ, for one, offers moving heads at three very different price points. You can shell out big bucks for American DJ’s premier Elation Professional brand Power Spot 575, a powerful 575 watt light loaded with features, but you can also spend less than one-fifth the amount for the smaller, basic DJ Spot 250. Between the extremes, there’s the Accu Spot 250. So what do you get – or give up – with these difference budgetary constraints? That’s what we set out to determine by test-driving the three fixtures.  more