If you loved CHAUVET'S conversion of the Derby X to LED illumination, we have good news: The Company has added two new derby effects to its X series line of intelligent LED lights, bringing the total of revamped derby classics to three.  more

What's not to love about LED-powered lighting effects? They consume very little energy, have lamps that last for 50,000+ hours, and produce vibrant beams in -- uh - red, green and blue. Ah, the ubiquitous RGB! That's the only beef we have with LEDs. As great as the technology is, we've often wished you could get LED lamps in a wider variety of colors –like maybe some really cool ones like purple.  more

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

If you’re like many DJs, entertainers and stage directors, you may be considering upgrading your light show with intelligent DMX effects. But the thought of using a DMX controller to run these high-tech lights may conjure up an image of a heavy, expensive light board that requires a Ph.D. to operate.  more

The advanced ILS technology empowers users to create a complex light show in the shortest possible time with unprecedented ease. And for the first time ever, it can run fully synchronized even in stand-alone mode. The system, a first in the USA, consists of a variety of different high quality DMX-512 luminaires and a specially built universal DMX-512 controller, the “ILS Control Center.”   more

Affordable decorative lighting effects have come a long way recently thanks to Martin Professional’s new Mania Series. Once the domain of expensive top-of-the-line lighting fixtures, now realistic decorative effects—like fire and water projection—are available in an affordable DJ effects light. With both the looks and the moves to turn heads (not to mention the right price), Martin’s latest Mania Series effects are cool customers certain to generate a lot of heat – and sweat - on the dance floor.   more

The Mania SCX is a series of powerful, compact and feature packed scanners. The latest in the series is the Mania SCX700, a blinding moving mirror effect driven by 150 watts of discharge power. This extraordinary discharge effect houses the highest quality optical system for maximum light output and true high-definition image quality. It combines with a long life 150W discharge lamp (6000 hours, included) to kick out an impressively powerful array of graphics and color.   more

Lighting up a stage, concert or club requires you to perform many different functions. You need to put individual performers and musicians in the glow of the spotlight. You also need to blanket wider areas of the stage or room in softer light/color washes. And, of course you want to create exciting patterns, images and other special effects -- whether you're illuminating a live entertainment production or disco dance floor.   more

Pinch yourself, you are not dreaming: While others still look to LED technology just for color washing effects, forward-thinking CHAUVET engineers have kept busy developing spectacular projection and mid-air effects as well. The result is the VUE, a line of highly portable LED-fitted effects that changes everything about lighting, as you know it.   more

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.   more

No matter what you’re trying to light up, these days there’s a lighting controller with your name on it. Controller manufacturers have introduced an array of specialized light boards aimed at everyone from the DJ spinning out special effects with his/her beats, to the stage manager dimming par cans, to the tech-savvy production artist who uses intelligent DMX moving lights.   more

Powered by a single motor, a scanner’s mirror can really whip around and cover a lot of space in a short time. (Think speedboat instead of yacht.) So if high-energy music is part of your gig, and you want your light show to really burn rubber – whether you’re a DJ, band, club owner, stage director or concert production engineer – you definitely need to include scanners in your lighting toolchest. Haven’t shopped for a scanner lately? Neither had we, so we decided to scan some models from American DJ and Elation, covering the gamut from DJ to concert hall/major production. The company offers something for everyone, and we looked at units whose price ranged from $300 to over $2,000. This is obviously a wide spectrum, but one common theme emerged right off the bat: these are definitely not your grandfather’s scanners! We think you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as we were with the brightness, advanced features, exceptional quality and (yes!) breakneck speed these ADJ and Elation scanners give you for the buck.   more

Ok, we all know you can put on one heck of a killer light show with techno gizmos like programmable controllers and automated lighting fixtures. But what about the average DJ or musician who likes the convenience of being able to plug a light into a socket, flick a switch and forget about it? Or the beginner who wants to add visual effects to his/her act, but doesn’t know DMX from LED?   more

Two new graphics-rich lights in the Martin Mania series of EFX effects have recently hit the market: the Mania EFX500 and the Mania EFX600. Those familiar with Martin's legendary Acrobat effect light will appreciate the Mania EFX500's dizzying array of razor sharp effects, while the Mania EFX600 is based on Martin's popular Wizard Extreme effect.   more

If you’re a DJ or club owner looking for a DMX lighting controller, you might feel like something akin to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. There are huge lighting consoles with 512 or more channels designed for theaters, mega-clubs and other gigantic installations – too big for your needs and budget. Then there are “basic” controllers that can run about 8 or 10 fixtures -- too small to handle all the moving lights in your growing arsenal (not to mention too skimpy on the features end).   more

Antari has long been regarded as the Rolls-Royce of fog machines. The Chinese manufacturer, which specializes exclusively in atmospheric effects, is credited with elevating foggers above mere commodities by adding advanced features such as DMX control and electronic thermostats, along with some eye-catching outside-the-black-box styling.   more

You’re a pro lighting specialist searching for the perfect fixture for a production or venue. You’ve finally found a light that can do it all – mix colors, spotlight performers and meet all your other illuminative requirements. There’s only one problem -- the fixture’s black case sticks out like a gaping black hole against the clean white lines of your room or stage.  more

COLORsplash™, COLORsplash™ Jr. and COLORmist T open up a new world of enhanced stage, ambience setting and entertainment applications with their RGB mixing capability. The three washlights rig quickly like conventional fixtures on a truss system but unlike conventional cans using gel filters, they can project multiple colors at the source. They connect in master/slave mode very efficiently and their built in programs have a greater range of color and movement (chase patterns, fades and strobes). Both COLORsplash™ Jr. and COLORsplash™ respond to DMX control.   more

Setting up your lighting fixtures at a set is all too often a makeshift proposition. If you’re like us, you’ve put your lights everywhere from the tops of your speakers to whatever spare barstools you could find. Or maybe you’ve tried cramming them onto a little tripod stand you’ve long outgrown, and watched your rig teeter precariously to the beat of the music.   more

The CHAUVET Intimidator™ series is the line of choice for mobile DJs and small installations. Ease of use, portability and affordability, combined with high output and the programming capabilities of DMX are the key features that attract users worldwide.   more

Bewitched and bewildered. Those of us in love with lasers have probably felt these emotions when it comes to green color. Sure, we all know a good laser effect when we see it but reinventing concepts and putting together winning combinations in Red is where the fun really starts. Omnisistem and its laser division, Pulse, the company that introduced to the US market the Stinger series, the first ever semi professional laser projectors, the same company that launched the first Blue aerial devices and made them affordable to mobile DJs has proved once again that when it comes to innovation, the sky is the limit.   more

LEDs (light emitting diodes) have been around for decades as indicator lights on household appliances and such. But it wasn't until recently these super-efficient, long-lasting lights became bright enough for larger illuminative purposes, like entertainment lighting.   more

The Q-series by CHAUVET is the latest, boldest move by the Florida manufacturer to corner every angle of the professional lighting entertainment market.  more

The Mania EFX800 is a 150W discharge effect light with a broad sweeping flower effect punched through a rotating glass color paddle giving your night an ever changing look and feel. The light output has an amazing 170 degree spread which rotates and sweeps - wider than any flower effect light in its class, which means you can cover more space with fewer fixtures.   more