Tag Archives: Freedom Strip Mini

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.

Testing out the Freedom™ Series – Part 2

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-written by Jon-Paul LeClair

Freedom™ Strip Mini
I was excited to test the CHAUVET® DJ Freedom™ Strip Mini and planned to use it as an extra uplight for our drummer. I currently use four SlimPAR™ 64 wash lights around the drum kit, so I set the Freedom™ fixture on the floor behind her. The unit comes with detachable legs, which allow you to place it in whatever vertical position you want. Depending how you transport the fixture, you may be able to leave the legs attached. It would be nice to have a folding leg system because I would rather not lose the washers and bolts.

Like the Freedom™ Par, Freedom™ Strip Mini can be configured in basic 3-channel DMX mode or 4-channel DMX mode, which opens up other functions as previously explained. I chose 4-channel DMX mode for my application. A word of caution to those who use traditional LED PARs like the SlimPAR™ wash lights: 3-channel DMX mode does not include dimmer control, so controlling all your fixtures with one fader may prove to be difficult.

Again, the unit is completely wireless. Chauvet also sent along a wireless remote. Since I run my lights with a PC, I only tested it for a short time. The remote, which is very slim and lightweight, would be handy to keep in your pocket and change the fixture’s color without having to go around a room and manually adjust them.

The fixture is compact and fits in tight spots — including the area between our backdrop and drummer — to light dark spaces. It throws a good amount of light and worked great in my application, however, it will get drowned out by more powerful fixtures.

Another item of note, the Freedom™ series includes master/slave mode for standalone master/slave operation. The manual explains everything, but I mention it for those running cables and chaining fixtures — be sure to check the input you are using and ensure you are using the standard DMX in/out ports. I set the fixtures up once or twice (using the wrong port) and wondered why the fixture, and other fixtures down the chain, were not functioning as expected.

Overall, the Freedom™ series is highly convenient with its built-in wireless DMX and super-long battery life for untethered power. These fixtures make for a clean show environment, and best of all, no knots in your cables. I really like how easy it is to position the fixtures in order to get light where you need it. The optional remote adds even more convenience allowing you to run your lights without a controller. If you want a fast, easy, wireless setup, you can’t go wrong with the Freedom™ series by Chauvet.

*Click here to read Testing out the Freedom™ Series – Part 1

Smoov Music Goes Wireless

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Daniel Wendt, owner of Smoov Music Sound & Lighting Services, lives in Delafield, Wisconsin and has 10 years of experience in the industry. His main niche is weddings, but he also provides services to school dances, corporate events and birthday parties. In search of 100% wireless fixtures, he decided to add Freedom™ Par and Freedom™ Strip Mini fixtures to his setup. Read on for his thoughts on the Freedom™ series.

1. Why did you select a Chauvet fixture?
I started using Chauvet products on day one of my DJ career. I did my research before I made my purchases and found Chauvet to be a very well-known brand with great warranties and top notch customer service. They also have a new customer loyalty program which helps my company earn new products.

2. Why did you decide to add the Freedom™ series to your setup?
The product had very high ratings online, is priced very well and is a perfect fit for my application. We have a Freedom™ Strip Mini that we place behind our DJ setup and 12 – 15 Freedom Par wash lights to uplight our events. We incorporated the Freedom™ series to replace our COLORdash™ Accent fixtures.

3. What specific features were you looking for?
I wanted 100% wireless lighting with a powerful output that can be controlled with an external controller.

4. What do you like best/least about the Freedom™ series?
The best feature is the 100% wireless power and control. The feature I like least is the size. I wish the fixture was a little smaller and weighed a little bit less, but still featured the same brightness and output.

5. How have these fixtures changed your set up/break down time?
The Freedom™ series has changed our set up significantly. It used to take between 30 minutes to an hour to set up. Then, it took us the same amount of time to clean up the wired lights. Now, with the wireless Freedom™ fixtures, it only takes about 5 – 10 minutes to set up and 5 – 10 minutes to break down. The Freedom™ Par wash lights have made a significant difference to our events.

Testing out the Freedom™ Series – Part 1

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-written by Jon-Paul LeClair

Chauvet contacted me to demo and review some gear — I enthusiastically agreed. To my surprise they sent me the wireless CHAUVET® DJ Freedom™ series — one Freedom™ Par and one Freedom™ Strip Mini. I immediately thought of ways to use them with my band’s lighting rig.

Freedom™ Par
Freedom™ Par is a portable PAR uplight that is very easy to position and reminds me of a lantern. Due to the weight (7.8 pounds) and size of the unit (9.3-by-8.5-by-8.8 inches), I would recommend keeping it on the ground and not mounting it. The Freedom™ series includes built-in wireless DMX and a rechargeable battery which greatly reduces the need to run wire and fish around for power. Basically, it is as simple as taking the unit out of the box, setting it in place, turning it on and you are done. It also features an adjustable tilt so you can position the light wherever you need it.

Configuration is at your fingertips with the easy-to-use configuration panel. The unit can be programmed in basic 3-channel DMX mode, or for more advanced features, 4-channel DMX mode opens a ton of features such as color macros, strobe effects and quadrant control. The manual describes all the available features and menu structure. Since there are a lot of options, the manual is essential if you are not familiar with this fixture’s setup. Since it is fully DMX ready, it can be used with your favorite DMX controller.

I used the Freedom™ Par to supplement the uplighting for our lead singer who is typically located center stage. Sometimes, the side wash lights don’t illuminate him as much as I would like. I was able to place the Freedom™ Par directly in front of him, tilt the fixture a bit and turn it on —boom, done. I didn’t have to run a power or DMX cable. Prior to the show, I pre-programmed the DMX values and setup the wireless DMX so I didn’t have to mess with it during setup.

One small annoyance was setting the DMX value. Holding down the “up” or “down” key didn’t automatically scroll through the DMX values. When you have as many fixtures as I do, setting the DMX value to 169 required a lot of tapping.

Since the Freedom series includes a built-in D-Fi™ 2.4 GHz transceiver, I used Freedom™ Par as a receiver and Freedom™ Strip Mini as the transmitter. The manual offers several options when setting up wireless DMX. The setup is a bit confusing — so again, having the manual handy is essential. I wanted Freedom™ Strip Mini to act as the transmitter, which means wiring into the DMX chain and sending the signal to the Freedom™ Par. First, you have to configure each unit as a receiver or transmitter. Then, you have to sync both units at the same time by holding down the sync button for about 20 seconds. I was able to control the Freedom™ Par from across the room using my controller. However, I think I lost signal to the Par at some point during our show. Or, other objects in the way could have caused the interference or blocked signal. It is also possible that I didn’t have the units properly synchronized. Make sure you test the fixtures before the gig so you’re not fretting 15 minutes before the show. If your application is critical, I recommend running DMX cable just to be safe.

The battery life is great and there is a handy battery-life indicator on each unit that shows the remaining amount of battery life. I used both the Freedom™ Par and Freedom™ Strip Mini during two, four-hour shows and didn’t have to recharge them in between. After the second show, I was left with more than 50-percent battery life.

Overall, I liked the Freedom™ Par — it is very easy to position and adds extra light where you need it without having to run power or DMX cables.

*Click here to read Testing out the Freedom™ Series – Part 2

CHAUVET® DJ Puts on a Show at BPM 2012

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CHAUVET® DJ introduced TRUSST® and showcased new products to the UK mobile market during BPM 2012. Additionally, CHAUVET® DJ sponsored the arena which featured big-name DJs, including DMC Champion DJ Shiftee, spinning under the hottest, soon-to-be-released gear that was programmed and controlled using  ShowXpress™.

MegaStrobe™ FX12 added eye-candy with six individually controllable sections as MiniSphere™ 3.1 filled the TRUSST®-built booth with colorful beams. SlimPAR™ Quad-6 IRC and SlimPAR™ Quad-12 IRC joined the SlimPAR™ series with punchy amber LEDs for maximum color options and wireless remote control capability. Geyser™ RGB blew attendees away with 25-foot blasts of color, fog and light, while Nimbus™ flooded the show floor with low-lying clouds. Attendees in search of complete wireless control discovered the 100 percent TRUE wireless Freedom™ series. The series features up to eight hours of battery power, while infrared remote control capability and a built-in D-Fi™ 2.4 GHz transceiver allow for complete wireless control. Take a gander at some pictures from the show.

CHAUVET® DJ goes to the 2012 Las Vegas DJ Show

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CHAUVET® DJ showcased the latest, must-have DJ gear during the 2012 Las Vegas DJ Show. Attendees stopped by the TRUSST®-built booth to check out the powerful washes emitted by the 100% TRUE wireless Freedom™ series, which features battery power, infrared remote control (IRC) capability and built-in wireless DMX, and grabbed for their cameras as the Nimbus™ professional dry-ice machine flooded the show floor with thick, low-lying clouds. Additionally, Randy Bartlett, producer of The 1% Solution series, delivered a seminar filled with tips to create effects that wow clients and guests and incorporated Nimbus™ and Freedom™ demonstrations.

Viva Las Vegas with CHAUVET® DJ

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Are you attending The Las Vegas DJ Show September 9 – 12 at the Las Vegas Resort Hotel and Casino? Make sure you stop by the CHAUVET® DJ booth (417) to see the latest, must-have DJ gear in action. Check out the powerful wash emitted by the 100% TRUE wireless Freedom™ series, which features battery power, infrared remote control (IRC) capability and built-in wireless DMX, and watch as the Nimbus™ professional dry-ice machine floods the show floor with thick, low-lying clouds.

On September 10 at 1 p.m. in Pavilion 2, grab a seat as Randy Bartlett, producer of The 1% Solution series, and Mike Anderson, Wedding Entertainment Director™, deliver How’d They Do That ?, a seminar filled with tips to create effects that will wow your clients and guests. The duo will share their ideas and help you stand out from the crowd of typical DJs. The seminar incorporates the easy-to-use Freedom™ series as well as a Nimbus™ demonstration.  Don’t miss out.

Team CHAUVET® Builds Epic Booth at DJ Expo

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The CHAUVET® DJ team built an epic booth for the 2012 DJ Expo. The entire booth was constructed using TRUSST®, the rugged and economical trussing system backed by CHAUVET®, and featured more than 150 fixtures in action. In addition to sponsoring and lighting the main stage, we hosted a seminar delivered by DJ Mikey Mikey with upselling tips to increase your bottom line and another on ShowXpress™ — the software that turns any computer or smartphone into a lighting console.

Attendees witnessed the debut of hot new fixtures. Two new fixtures joined the Freedom™ series of 100% TRUE wireless fixtures, while amped up SlimPAR™ Quad-6 IRC and SlimPAR™ Quad-12 IRC wash lights joined the SlimPAR™ series. Nimbus™ flooded the show floor with low-lying clouds and Geyser™ RGB produced intense explosions of color, fog and light. Other big hits included the easy-to-use TRUSST® trussing system, as well as the ultra-bright and fast-moving Intimidator™ Spot series.

 

CHAUVET® DJ Attends ArmDJs 5.0

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CHAUVET® DJ traveled to Tennessee for the ArmDJs 5.0 conference. Nearly 200 DJs participated in industry-related seminars and tested out the latest CHAUVET® DJ lighting gear, including the Nimbus™ professional dry-ice machine, ultra-bright Gobo Zoom™ LED 2.0 and 100% TRUE wireless Freedom™ series.  Check out some photos we took while we were there.

Freedom™ Liberates DJ

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Mark Maskell, aka DJ Maskell, is a promoter as well as a nightclub and mobile DJ in the Washington D.C. metro area. With 10 years of experience, he is very active in the Washington D.C. club scene and is a resident DJ at several big music festivals throughout the year.

Maskell needed an all-wireless solution to provide uplighting in a variety of environments from formal weddings, wild nightclubs, and completely random shenanigans like lighting up friend’s houses. Read on to see why he added 16 Freedom™ Strip Mini fixtures to his setup and how he saves two to three hours setting up and breaking down.

Written by Mark Maskell:
“I have a wide range of CHAUVET® DJ gear and it has always served me well. I added Freedom™ Strip Mini fixtures to my collection because it was the right balance of price per unit, total light output, quality of projected light, ease of setup and integration with my existing systems.

I wanted a fixture with a six-hour battery-operated run time, DMX capable, take less than a minute set up and/or breakdown, be at least four times brighter, be at a cost-per-unit that would allow me to get 8-16 units for under $4,000, look good at a wedding and rock out and go crazy in a nightclub.

The Freedom™ fixtures replaced a set of much smaller American DJ® P36 LED fixtures used for uplighting. I wanted something brighter and without cords. After saving so much time just by using D-Fi units, going completely wireless was a no-brainer. Setting up, running cables, plugging them in, making them look pretty and taping them down took about two hours to set up and breakdown. With this system, I set up twice as many lights in 1/10 of the time and with 1/100 of the effort. The party benefits from a killer light show and my brand looks better too.

The thing I like most about the Freedom™ Strip Mini is its run time. I ran them for 16 hours on their first charge — very impressive. I also like that the programs are compatible with other CHAUVET® lights (like the COLORstrip™) which saved me a lot of programming time because I already had programs created. The thing I like least is the units don’t always respond in sync — especially when operating wirelessly. Normal people probably wouldn’t notice, but lighting geeks like myself notice it right away.

Freedom™ Strip Mini exceeded my expectations. For the price of the fixture, the brightness, quality and utility can’t be beat.”