CHAUVET® Professional MVP™ 18 video panels traveled on tour with Borgore, Israeli dubstep producer, DJ and former drummer of death metal band Shabira. Borgore’s music features triplet drum patterns with touches of heavy metal. The MVP™ 18 panels made up the façade for the DJ booth and displayed colorful animation graphics.
Photos courtesy of Steven Pahel.
CHAUVET® Business Development Manager for Latin America Paula Ortiz recently attended the 35th anniversary celebration of CHAUVET® distributor Instrumentos Musicales La Voz. The 300 guests were entertained with cocktails, dancing acts, performances by local bands all unfolding under CHAUVET®’s bright lights. CHAUVET® CEO Albert Chauvet congratulated La Voz co-founders and employees in a video presentation displayed during the celebration. General Manager Pablo Sanchez, son of co-founder Carlos Sanchez, talked about the history of the company and showed photos, as well as interviews with the co-founders, first employees and current employees. The two stages built for the anniversary featured mostly CHAUVET® products, like Intimidator™ Spot LED 350 moving lights, COLORpalette™ LED bank systems, SlimPAR™ Pro RGBA wash lights, Q-Spot™ 250 LED and Legend™ 300E Beam moving yokes.
DJ Audissey is originally from Hawaii (Hana, Maui & Makakilo, Oahu) and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nev. While he primarily DJs at nightclubs and festivals, he has DJ’d at every kind of private event you can imagine. DJ Audissey is also a reggae singer/musician and goes by the stage name “Joseph Soul.”
1. How and when did you get started as a DJ?
I became interested in DJing when I was in fifth grade. I went to my best friend’s house to work on a science project and heard a stream of endless music coming from his brother’s room. Long story short, his brother taught us both how to DJ and I began working with the family business. Today, I mainly do nightclubs and festivals. I specialize in MUSIC — period. Music is more than just a job to me. Growing up, I told myself to never stick to or hate one specific type of music. I continue to live by that today in all the clubs and festivals I perform at.
2. Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side?
This is more than a full-time job, it is my career and more importantly my life. It has always been my destiny to work in the music industry because I come from a rich lineage of music professionals.
3. What fixtures are included in your setup? What are you looking to add?
I don’t normally work in the mobile DJ circuit but I really have a thing for moving heads and the Intimidator™ Spot LED series really impresses me.
4. What is your favorite fixture and why?
I’d have to go with the above mentioned Intimidator™ Spot LED 350. I might be doing a small club install in the near future and will probably go with a few of these.
5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the DJ industry?
Stay in school and go to college! You can make a career out of DJ’ing but it is very tough. I would suggest getting a degree in business because that is the hardest thing for me to manage. The talent and the “fun” come easy and naturally, but making sure your books are kept (and out of the red) is crucial.
6. What are your top three most requested songs?
Nowadays I get more “artist” requests. In other words, people come up to me shouting a specific artist as opposed to a song. The top three, in no particular order, are Pitbull, Rihanna, & Flo-Rida.
We polled our DJ Facebook fans and asked, “What is the worst song request you’ve ever had?” Some responses were expected and some responses were almost unbelievable. For example, who requests “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails at a wedding? Apparently someone did because it made the list. We collected the top 10 of these worst song requests in the list below.
1. Anything by Justin Bieber
2. Cotton Eyed Joe by Rednex
3. Cha Cha Slide by Mr. C, the Slide Man
4. Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood
5. Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith
6. Levels by Avicii
7. Chicken Dance by Werner Thomas
8. Macarena by Los Del Rio
9. Barbie Girl by Aqua
10. We Are Santa’s Elves (when it wasn’t Christmas) by Burl Ives
Welcome to Mix and Tell, this edition takes you on the ultimate joyride with one of the most famous DJs in the world — Steve Aoki. Mix and Tell takes you behind-the-scenes for one-on-one interviews with some of the biggest DJs in the world and transports you into their magnificent life and career. Tune in for an exciting interview with one of the most famous artists in the industry.
Steve Wieand, who lives in Colorado, owns and operates StevO’s Pizza. He sets his business apart from competition by delivering food in a very unique way. Used as his work and everyday car, Wieand drives around in “Boss,” a ’72 Volkswagen Beetle with a modified frame, V6 engine, 38-inch tires and two Bob™ LED fixtures.
Wieand started building “Boss” nearly four months ago. He wanted the appearance of jet engines, so he installed two LED-powered, silk-flame BOB™ LED torches in the trunk of his car. For the 120-volt fixture to be compatible and work in the12-volt car, he installed a voltage inverter. Wieand also painted the rim around the fixture red and added an aluminum shroud to make the “jet engines” look more realistic and added plastic cones around the silk to protect the material. To top it off, an electric actuator opens and closes the trunk with the simple press of a button.
“I use this car every day so people really relate to my business,” Wieand said. “I almost always get a smile.”
by Allan Reiss, CHAUVET® DJ product manager
Mobile performers are always looking for ways to spice up their rigs. One way to do that is by adding a fog or haze machine to your setup. The type of machine you choose will depend on the type of effect you’re going for. Both will drastically enhance your light show, however, each performs differently. Click here for more information that will help you decide which machine is best for you.
If you’re looking for a differenet effect besides foggers and hazers, consider a dry-ice machine. Nimbus, a professional-dry-ice machine, produces thick, low-lying fog that hugs the floor and creates the often requested ”dancing on a cloud” effect. Click here for an overview and demonstration from DJ Mikey Mike.
DJ University is an online resource for the DJ/mobile performer sponsored by CHAUVET DJ®.
Local artists performed for thousands of athletes, volunteers and fans in front of an animated MotionDrape™ LED backdrop during the 2012 Alberta Winter Games in Alberta, Canada.
“We wanted one effective focal point and MotionDrape™ LED easily achieved that,” Norm Shaw, chief entertainment officer at Hear…by request Professional Music Productions Inc. said. “Space was very limited and there wasn’t any room to fly any structures or use stands to create a wash. Everyone was raving about MotionDrape™ LED and it added a ‘wow’ factor to a very difficult venue.”
by John Dominguez, assistant service manager for CHAUVET® DJ
Remember the lighting boards from earlier decades? Some were as big as a door and easily recognizable due to their size. Technological advancements and the creation of DMX have allowed the miniaturization of electronic technologies. Lighting control boards are dramatically smaller and can be rack mounted or easily transported in a light case or gym bag.
What is DMX
DMX, or digital multiplex, is a universal digital system used to control lighting effects. It was originally used to control lighting dimmers and various incompatible systems. In the beginning, companies came out with their own methods of control and standards were not universal. As with all things, DMX evolved and is primarily used to connect controllers, dimmers, scanners, foggers and other advanced fixtures. In addition to controlling theater, interior design and architectural lighting, DMX is also used to control commercial electronic advertising and residential holiday-themed lighting.
Universal Tips:
Always use DMX cables
Microphone and other 3-pin cables look similar and may occasionally work with your fixtures. However, they will eventually fail. DMX cables are a necessity when working with highly sensitive LED lighting signals. If there is a problem with your fixture, cables are usually the first thing to check. Purchase good quality DMX cables to avoid the problem all together.
DMX Addressing
DMX addressing allows the controller to communicate with the fixture. You must properly address your fixtures in order for them to function correctly. Most controllers will include a guide with the correct address for each fixture in accordance with its specific fixture number.
Know Your Fixture
Take a moment and study your fixture. Each fixture has a specific number of DMX channels that control specific functions. Knowing the function of each channel gives you the means to control each function at your discretion and create customized light shows.
Always Test Fixtures
Prior to a gig, testing fixtures is a must. Don’t take a new item at face value. There are times when human error is to blame if a cable, clamp, bulb or other type of assembly is incomplete or missing.
Emerald Lanes, a bowling alley located in Boise, Idaho, livens up the Midwest and revolutionizes cosmic bowling with 70 CHAUVET® DJ COLORstrip™ LED wash lights.
Aaron Dreiling, whose family owns and operates Emerald Lanes, teamed with Anthony Nichols and strategically installed 70 COLORstrip™ linear wash lights. For maximum flexibility, the team uses ShowXpress™, Xpress™ 512 Plus and D-Fi™ Plus wireless DMX to control the fixtures and design unique light shows that change color, chase, and strobe.
To read the complete installation story, please click here.
