Tag Archives: cubix

Chauvet Goes to the Prom

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The seniors at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma celebrated their final days of school in style. The school hosted a lavish prom at the historic Cain’s Ballroom, complete with 37 Chauvet fixtures. Randy Lundy, owner of Party Allstars, created a lively atmosphere using one Scorpion™ 3D RGB and two Eclipse™ RGB lasers, one Cubix™ effect light, 20 SlimPAR™ 38 and four COLORrail™ wash lights, and four Q-Spot™ 260-LED and four Q-Spot™ 160-LED moving heads. He also used ShowXpress™ software to program and control the entire system. Lundy, aka DJ Ran-D, DJ RO’ and DJ Vixen kept the dance floor packed and the students had the time of their life. Party AllStars specializes in proms, Bat/Bar Mitzvahs, Sweet 16′s and a variety of school events ranging from elementary to university level.

“Lighting played a huge part in enhancing the event,” Lundy said. “ShowXpress™ allows us to match the music and set the mood. The director of the venue said our light show was more impressive than most of the bands and DJs who perform there.”

 

DJ Profile: DJ Bill Lyons

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Bill Lyons, aka DJ Bill Lyons, lives in Bangor, Maine and DJs at wedding receptions, clubs, holiday parties and school dances from Bar harbor to Millinocket. Read on and get to know more about your fellow DJ.

1. How did you get started as a DJ?
Back in 1980, we hosted a school dance to raise money for our high school class. With the help of friends, we put together a sound system, setup a few lights and DJ’d the dance. It’s been almost 32 years and I still get people that remember those dances.

2. Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side?
I am the general manager at an airport retail company where I put in more than 40 hours per week. However, I always put full-time hours into my DJ business.

3. What fixtures are included in your setup?
My setup keeps growing as I get new ideas and new lights become available. My light show consists of two Intimidator™ Spot LED 150 moving heads, 12 SlimPAR™ 64 wash lights, two LED Pinspot™ 360 fixtures and two Hurricane™ F-800 fog machines. To create effects, I also have a Cubix™, two Derby™ X, two Obsession™ LED and two Slasher™ effect lights. I use an Obey™ 10 DMX controller to control all my fixtures, but I would love to have the ShowXpress™ software. I would also like to add some of the completely wireless Freedom™ fixtures as well as a couple more SlimPAR™ 64 wash lights.

4. What is your favorite fixture?
Intimidator™ Spot LED 150 is by far my favorite fixture. I am new to DMX and these lights have so much to offer — I learn something new about them each time I use them. Great product.

5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the DJ industry?
Pay attention to your client and give them 110 percent every time. The music is for their listening and dancing enjoyment, not yours. Keep in mind that anyone can play music, but it’s what you do for your client (before and while you are playing) that sets the professionals apart from the others. Be a professional.

6. What are your top three most requested songs?
“Wild Ones” by Flo Rida, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen and “Turn Me On” by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj.

DJ Bill Lyons and his Intimidator™ Movers

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Bill Lyons is a DJ in the Bangor, Maine area who recently added two CHAUVET® DJ Intimidator™ Spot LED 150 moving heads to his setup. He owns his own business, DJ Bill Lyons, and caters to the area from Bar Harbor all the way up to Millinocket. He specializes in weddings, but holiday parties, school dances and clubs make up a lot of his gigs. Read on to see why this DJ added Intimidator™ Spot LED 150 moving heads to his setup and how he feels about their performance.

1. Why did you select a CHAUVET® DJ fixture?
I have always trusted Chauvet. I have quite a few CHAUVET® DJ fixtures in my setup including: two Intimidator™ Spot LED 150 moving heads, 12 CHAUVET® DJ SlimPAR™ 64 wash lights, two CHAUVET® DJ LED Pinspot™ 360 fixtures and two CHAUVET® DJ Hurricane™ F-800 fog machines. To create effects, I also have a CHAUVET® DJ Cubix™, two CHAUVET® DJ Derby™ X, two CHAUVET® DJ Obsession™ LED and two CHAUVET® DJ Slasher™ effect lights. I use an CHAUVET® DJ Obey™ 40 DMX controller to control all my fixtures, but I would love to have the CHAUVET® DJ ShowXpress™ software.

2. Why did you decide to add Intimidator™ Spot LED 150 moving heads to your setup?
It was exactly what I was looking for — a bright moving yoke that was compact, lightweight and not too heavy.

3. What specific features were you looking for?
I wanted a moving yoke that would work perfectly in the venues I play in. I wanted it to be easy to control and operate with amazing coverage.

4. What do you like best/least about Intimidator™ Spot LED 150?
I like the size and speed of the moving yoke. If I was able to add a feature, I would like this fixture to include changeable gobos.

5. Do you feel it’s easy to operate?
These fixtures are very easy to operate.

6. Would you recommend this fixture, why or why not?
Absolutely. They are the main focus of my light show. I really love all the effects this light projects. They are bright, fun to use and I never get bored with them.

CHAUVET® visits SLS

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Sound & Lighting Solutions (SLS) moved to a new Fort Lauderdale location with more space and a showroom dedicated to CHAUVET® fixtures. The highly anticipated open house, which turned out to be a mobile DJ and club installers dream, gave attendees the chance to get hands-on with the latest CHAUVET® lighting gear and atmospheric products. During the event, Jay Krause, owner of SLS, walked attendees around the showroom and gave live demos.

Beams from Mega Trix™ flooded the main showroom as gobos from Q-Spot™ 560-LED spanned the walls and ceiling. SlimPAR™ PRO RGBA wash lights and the 100% TRUE wireless Freedom™ series saturated the room with blue and red hues. Krause gave a live demo of the powerful Nimbus™ dry-ice machine in the CHAUVET® showroom as Intimidator™  scanners and movers, Rotosphere™ LED, Cubix™, Orb™, Scorpion™ lasers, and numerous other fixtures created a light show.

“This is our eighth year in business and we needed a more spacious showroom for all our architectural and DJ products, Krause said. “CHAUVET® offers the best products and has the most versatile product line — there is a full spectrum DJ and Pro products at my disposal for any type of application and installation.”

In the back of the building, a crowd of lighting enthusiasts gathered outside for a wash light demo. The lineup included PiXPar™ 12, PiXPar™ 24, COLORado™ 1 IP, Legend™ 412 VW, Q-Wash™ 560Z-LED, WELL™, SlimPAR™ Pro Tri, SlimPAR™ Pro RGBA and COLORado™ Batten 144 Tour.  One open house attendee, Sean Paul Powell, found the performance of Q-Wash™ 560Z-LED particularly impressive.

“The Q-Wash™ 560Z-LED is a very impressive light,” Powell said. “I can wash a stage or open the beam and double its size. I’m buying two!”

Marketing your “green” lighting to the right audience

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-written by Tom Hudock of Memphis, Tenn.

We all know that over the past several years the “green” lifestyle has grown exponentially. No bigger place is this evident than right here in the U.S. We have a president that drops green phrases like “alternative fuels” and “wind and solar energy” almost daily. Our government has even written a law that would make the traditional incandescent light bulb obsolete by 2014. What are we as lighting designers and mobile DJ business owners to do? Join the revolution!

A recent study conducted by a leading paper manufacturer found that 62 percent of adults are more likely to visit a business that focuses on being green, regardless of distance or effort required. This should be music to your ears! That is if you currently own or are looking to own a lighting rig made up of high-powered energy saving LED fixtures and effects.

Here are my top five tips to get those “green-minded” shoppers seeking you out for their next mobile DJ or lighting event.
1. Purchase or update your current equipment arsenal with some of the latest and greatest low-energy lighting products. CHAUVET® offers a completed line of LED lighting fixtures including the COLORstrip™, Cubix™ and SlimPAR™ 56.
2. Update your marketing materials to reflect your green business sense. Have your letterhead, business cards and brochures printed on paper stock that is either 100 percent recycled or made up of over 50 percent post consumer waste.
3. Update your website copy to include phrases like “LED technology” and “energy efficient”.
4. Educate yourself on the “green” movement by researching other companies and services that provide green or sustainable products to see how they market to this segment of the population.
5. Show off your new green lighting setup wherever and whenever possible to get your new target audience noticing what you offer.

Some great ideas for this would include:
• Offering to provide background music or lighting at a local farmers market with brochures in hand explaining your environment friendly difference from the competition’s.
• Volunteer to light or provide music for a local group planning a flash mob. What not a better place to show off your “green” gear and your talents than in front of hundreds of potential clients? And remember YouTube is almost always involved.
• Work with a local chapter of the American Cancer Society on a fundraising event like a Relay for Life walk and impact the lives of others while showing off your cutting edge LED lighting gear.

DJ Profile: DJ Borracho

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Charles Gardella, aka DJ Borracho, is a versatile DJ in Montebello, Calif. who DJs everything in English and Spanish. He owns his own DJ business, has 17 years of experience and knows how to get party goers on their feet and keep them moving to the music.

1. How and when did you get started as a DJ? What types of events do you do?
I got started around the age of 15 with one of my friends who happen to be a DJ. I bought speakers, then a mixer, and I just kept adding to it. Now, 17 years later, I have DJ gigs at clubs and a few radio stations.

2. Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side?
I own my own DJ business, so this is a full-time job for me.

3. What fixtures are included in your setup? What are you looking to add?
I have too many fixtures to remember all of them. From what I can recall, these are the CHAUVET® fixtures included in my setup: two Scorpion™ lasers, the whole line of Vue™ effect lights which includes Vue™ 1.1, Vue™ 3.1, and Vue™ 6.1, Mega Moon™, Elan™, J-Five™ and more. I would really like to add the 6SPOT™  or the 4PLAY™.

4. What is your favorite CHAUVET® fixture and why?
Well, I have a few favorite lights, so I can’t list just one. I think if I had to pick one right now it would be Cubix™. I really want the Circus™.

5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the DJ industry?
Don’t start your own business because there is so much competition nowadays. If you really want to get started, make sure you play all kinds of music so when people ask if you can play certain things, you can say “yes I can.”

6. What are your top three most requested songs?
Suavemente, Escandalo, and songs by Snoop Dogg

DJ Profile: DJ Fierce

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DJ Fierce, aka Juan Rodriguez, grew up in Carson City, Nev. and became the youngest DJ in Reno at the age of 14. In 1993, he was Reno’s youngest on-air radio personality (part time of course). DJ Fierce worked as a DJ in the nightclub scene for 10 years before he started his own, part-time mobile DJ company (Fierce Entertainment).  He caters to the northern Nevada area and has also provided his DJ expertise in the northern California area.

1.  How and when did you get started as a DJ?
I got started in Carson City in the late 80s. I primarily DJ school dances, weddings, sweet 16’s, anniversaries, corporate and holiday parties, and any other event. We have had the opportunity to provide mobile entertainment at a birthday party for someone in their late 90s and a 60th wedding anniversary—which were both a privilege to DJ for.

2.  Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side?
I work for AT&T full time and work as a DJ and on-air radio personality part time. I hope and pray that one day it will turn from part time to full time.

3. What CHAUVET® fixtures are included in your setup?
My setup includes the following: four Dynamo scanners, Techno Strobe™ 2000S , two LX5™, Derby™X, Kinta™X, two LEDrain™ 56C  and Swarm™. Eventually I would like add Cubix™, some very impressive lasers and a couple of moving heads.

4. What is your favorite fixture and why?
I have a real niche for scanners. I really enjoy their movability, effects and brightness. Moving heads are even better!

5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the DJ industry?
Focus on practice, professionalism, and client satisfaction. The customer comes first, not what you can do, but what you will do for the customer. They are the true word of your business. If you’re in the club, concentrate on your crowd and don’t let them leave the dance floor. You may rotate them, but don’t lose them.

6. What are your top three most requested songs?
Currently they are LMFAO “Party Rock Anthem,” Ke$HA “Blow,” and Maroon5 featuring Christina Aguilera “Moves Like Jagger.”