MotionDrape™ LED, MotionFacade™ LED and SparkleDrape™ LED
I can't tell you how many times I've shown up to DJ an event and wished my setup was located in a spot with a cool background, or any background for that matter, instead of a plain, boring white wall. Sure I have the option to set up some of my wash lights and add some color, but as a mobile DJ, I only have so many fixtures and I would prefer to use them for other applications. To help solve our problem of dull, lifeless backgrounds and DJ setups, CHAUVET® has released three new LED drapes ideal for mobile DJs: MotionDrape™ LED, MotionFacade™ LED and SparkleDrape™ LED. I had a few weeks to test all three, so I experimented with the different modes and ran through all the programs. I was so impressed with the effects these fixtures produced that I put them to the ultimate test and brought them to a couple gigs. Is it possible to have fallen in love with an LED drape?

Put Them in Motion
Designed to work together, I added MotionDrape™ LED and MotionFacade™ LED to my arsenal and take them to a gig. These fixtures come in their own convenient travel bag which made packing the car for my gig a lot easier. MotionDrape™ LED is an animated backdrop drape powered by 176 high output, tri-colored SMD LEDs. The drape was substantial in size (9.8-by-6.5 feet), yet surprisingly very lightweight (9.8 pounds), and had grommets on all four sides which made mounting it to my truss a heck of a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. After MotionDrape™ LED was mounted and secured, it was time to update the monotonous, black tablecloth and liven up my DJ stand. MotionFacade™ LED is a smaller, lightweight (3.2 pounds) animated drape system powered by 66 high output, tri-colored SMD LEDs. I don't own my own front board (or façade), so each time I have a gig, I'm always curious to see what type of setup I'm going to have. Thankfully, MotionFacade™ LED includes grommets, hanging loops and Velcro® so I had several mounting options. After securing MotionFacade™ LED, I was ready to rock 'n' roll. MotionDrape™ LED and MotionFacade™ LED include the same 30 motion graphics, which are pretty groovy and range from a simulated equalizer to a windmill effect, and can be accessed using stand-alone mode or eight-channel DMX mode for a synchronized show. I prefer to program my fixtures based on the type of event I'm DJing, so I opted for DMX control and created a customized show that utilized features including dimming capabilities, full color-mixing options, static-color selection and speed control to all 30 graphics. I can't decide what was more entertaining, designing the show or watching it play out on the drapes!

Oooh, It Sparkles
Next up for review: SparkleDrape™ LED, a 9.8-by-6.5 foot backdrop drape powered by 120 SMD RGBW LEDs. Like its counterparts, SparkleDrape™ LED comes ready to go in its own convenient travel bag and has grommets on all four sides to make installation a breeze. I opted to go a different route for this gig and mount the drape to stands (instead of truss) and it worked just as well. SparkleDrape™ LED includes 17 ultra-bright patterns that I was able to control in stand-alone mode or eight-channel DMX mode. Not only was I impressed with the simple operation of this drape, but I also enjoyed being able to regulate the speed of the patterns, select colors, and control the dimmer and strobe effects. The individual color-control feature worked perfect for this gig because I was able to match the color of the effects to the theme of the event and my clients were very happy.

The Power of Three
I understand that LEDs barely emit any heat, but I was slightly relieved when I read that MotionDrape™ LED, MotionFacade™ LED and SparkleDrape™ LED are made of fire retardant velour fabric so they pass safety inspections from venues and fire marshals. I also appreciated the fact that each drape came with its own travel bag because it certainly made storage and transportation much easier. To simplify operation, all three drapes include sound-activated and automatic programs and can be operated using the included controller, eight channels of DMX or in stand-alone mode. If you dread having a drab backdrop or DJ setup at your next gig, I suggest you invest in any (or all) of these drapes. They are simple to set up, easy to operate and will change the look and feel of your entire setup.