DJ Profile: Dr. Byrd

Posted on April 25, 2013 by CHAUVET

Joe Banko, aka Dr. Byrd, owns Stone Age Lighting & Sound in Arizona and is one of the newest members to the CHAUVET® DJ VIP Rewards program. He spent 12 years on the road as a lighting designer and roadie, then went on to work in the IT industry. After a few decades, Banko grew tired of the IT sub culture and went back to the entertainment industry. He specializes in parties, proms, weddings, corporate events and any other type of event where people want to have a great time. Read on and get to know a little more about your fellow DJ.

1. How and when did you get started as a DJ?
I spent 12 years on the road as a lighting designer and roadie. Traveling the country in a Winnebago or 12-seat plane can be fun, but it can also physically burn you out. You do learn to cook and that ended up getting me married. I got sidetracked for a couple of decades in the IT industry, ended up getting tired of the IT sub-culture, and went back to entertainment a couple of years ago. I have much more fun throwing photons and sound waves around in creative ways.

2. Is this a full-time job or something you do on the side?
Both — it depends how busy I want to be. I use about four software packages and have written an iPad application to run all of them from a single device. I also run and program my DMX/MIDI sequences from the same application using my iPhone to send live video to my video switching software. This allows me to interact with the audience and run the show at the same time — people love to be involved. For side jobs, I’m also a data analyst, database developer and software developer.

3. What fixtures are included in your setup?
My setup includes: Scorpion™ RGY and Scorpion™ GBC 2.0 lasers, LED Mushroom™ and 6SPOT™ effect lights, a MotionFacade™ LED drape and a Bubble King™ bubble machine. I’m looking to add a bigger truss system, a Nimbus™ dry-ice machine, Intimidator™ Spot moving heads, more uplighting and Xpress™ 512 Plus.

4. What is your favorite fixture and why?
My Scorpion™ lasers. I have loved laser technology since I was a teenager and you can program the heck out of these using DMX.

5. Best advice you can give someone just getting started in the DJ industry?
Watch: what’s hot in video, what gets people dancing and what the competition is doing. Listen: what’s hot in music, how to hook tunes together and what your clients want.

6. What are your top three most requested songs?
“Gangnam Style” by Psy, “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey.

Yo DJ…That’s My DJ

Posted on April 24, 2013 by CHAUVET

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Corey Young, owner of Yo DJ Entertainment in Wisconsin, uses an eye-catching setup complete with 18 CHAUVET® DJ fixtures to set himself apart from the competition. His current setup includes: eight SlimPAR™ 56 wash lights, two Intimidator™ Spot LED 250 moving heads, two COLORrail™ linear wash lights, one MotionDrape™ LED, two BOB™ LED simulated flame effect lights and two MiN™ lasers.

“Most local DJs use simple setups created from T-Bar stands and par-style wash lights — my setup is completely different,” Young said. “Guests walk in and instantly know the DJ means business. Parents constantly lift their kids up to touch the “fire” created by BOB™ LED, while Intimidator™ Spot LED 250 projects a water effect on the dance floor. Once the event starts, music bumps and the lights go into full effect — most guests have never experienced a local wedding with this much high energy.”

CHAUVET® DJ in the Spotlight at Prolight+Sound 2013

Posted on April 16, 2013 by CHAUVET

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CHAUVET® DJ traveled to Frankfurt, Germany and displayed the latest LED gear while exhibiting at the Prolight+Sound 2013 international trade show. The TRUSST®-built stand featured a magnificent light show flooded with colors and movement. Intimidator™ Beam LED 350 and Intimidator™ Spot Duo projected crisp, powerful beams, while Circus™ 2.0 IRC and Hive™ created colorful, fast-moving effects. A DJ booth within the stand included two Geyser™ RGB fixtures for pyrotechnic-like effects and a facade built using Core™ 3×3 pixel-mapping wash lights to create an eye-catching focal point. Last but not least, the highly portable Freedom™ Quad-5 series and ultra-bright BEAMbar™ captivated attendees. Check out some photos from the show.

Gene Jone Brings the Funk with MotionDrape™ LED

Posted on April 12, 2013 by CHAUVET

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Gene Jone, aka DVDJ G-Funk of Dance Trax Productions, was looking for something to make him stand out —in a good way. He reworked his already eye-catching setup and incorporated a MotionDrape™ LED. Check out this video where he uses MotionDrape™ LED, two Intimidator™ Spot LED 350 moving heads and two SlimPACK™ 56 wash light kits during one of his gigs.

“This simple setup has a huge WOW factor and people absolutely enjoy MotionDrape™ LED,” Jone said. “The venue manager had rave reviews and the client already booked me for next year’s event.”

Chauvet Treks to Texas for the SXSW Music Gear Expo

Posted on March 27, 2013 by CHAUVET

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SXSW attendees stopped by the Chauvet booth during the Music Gear Expo to see the newest, cutting-edge gear in action. The 10-by-10 foot booth featured fixtures designed to take gigs to the next level — including showstoppers such as Geyser™ RGB, COLORrail™ IRC, TRUSST® and the entire Intimidator™ series. Did you miss the expo? Check out some of our photos.

CHAUVET® DJ Rocks Out at Nightclub & Bar 2013

Posted on March 22, 2013 by CHAUVET

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Team Chauvet traveled to Las Vegas for the popular Nightclub & Bar tradeshow held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The lively Chauvet booth was constructed using 122 pieces of TRUSST® truss sticks, base plates, corner blocks and connector kits. To illuminate the booth and showcase the latest gear perfect for club and bar installations, the team mounted almost 140 fixtures including Intimidator™ Scan LED 300 scanners, Intimidator™ Spot LED 350 moving heads, SlimPAR™ Pro Tri wash lights, COLORband™ Pix-M linear pixel-mapping lights and Geyser™ RGB pyrotechnic-like fogger/effect fixtures.

DJ Demand Takes His Setup to the Next Level with MotionDrape™ LED

Posted on March 21, 2013 by CHAUVET

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Jason Cohen, aka DJ Demand, is a club and mobile DJ for The Entertainment Company (TEC) in Riverdale, N.J., which specializes in Bar Mitzvahs, Sweet 16 parties, weddings, corporate events, and school events throughout the east coast.

Until recently, Cohen and the team of DJs at TEC used a black DJ booth, non-illuminating stages and a few scanners mounted to truss as their standard Bar Mitzvah setup. It wasn’t until they saw MotionDrape™ LED in action that they decided to revamp their entire look.

“This setup bumps us up to the next level visually, while still setting us apart from other companies who are doing similar setups with white booths and uplit backdrops,” Cohen said. “This setup also gives the DJ more room behind the curtains.”

The setup, which is controlled using ShowXpress™, includes two MotionDrape™ LED backdrops, three SlimPAR™ 64 wash lights to warm the truss and three Intimidator™ moving heads for added effects.

Status Update – Chauvet Showroom Makeover

Posted on February 26, 2013 by CHAUVET

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Remember when we announced our redesigning the showroom at Chauvet headquarters project? We have an update – the design is complete, the TRUSST® trussing system is secure and all 226 fixtures are mounted. The design features a combination of CHAUVET® DJ and CHAUVET® Professional fixtures. In addition to wash lights, pixel-mapping fixtures, moving heads and effect lights, the entire Intimidator™, Scorpion™ and SlimPAR™ Pro series, as well as the VIP™, COLORado™ and Q™ series all have a home in the showroom. Now that every fixture is in its place, all we have to do is program them…all 226 of them! In the meantime, check out some updated photos.

CHAUVET® DJ Launches New Gear at NAMM 2013

Posted on February 1, 2013 by CHAUVET

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CHAUVET® DJ introduced nearly 30 new products designed for mobile entertainers at The NAMM Show 2013. The 60-by-30 foot Chauvet booth was contstructed using nearly 300 pieces of TRUSST® — the versatile, easy-to-use trussing system backed by Chauvet. Showstoppers included four new Freedom™ wireless DMX wash lights, the battery-operated EZ™ series, BEAMbar™, Intimidator™ Spot Duo and Intimidator™ Spot LED 450 moving heads, Core™ pixel-mapping fixtures, plus two mobile trussing solutions, TRUSST® Arch Kit and Goal Post Kit. Take a look at the photos we took at the show and click here to check out all the new gear. To view the complete photo album, click here – don’t forget to “like” us!

(L-R) SlimPAR™ 56, Freedom™ Par Quad-5, EZpar™ 64 RGBA, EZrail™ RGBA

Intimidator™ Spot Duo

Core™ 3x3 and Nimbus™

High Voltage Stage Lighting Shocks Crowds with CHAUVET® DJ Gear

Posted on January 16, 2013 by CHAUVET

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Jahman Brahman performs at the Funky Bean Farm in Yellow Springs, Ohio for the Funky Bean Halloween event. Setup includes: 4 Intimidator™ Spot LED 350, 4 COLORrail™, 8 LEDrain™ 64C, Q-Spot™ 152 and a Hurricane™ 1300.

High Voltage Stage Lighting is a stage lighting company based out of Columbus, Ohio and operated by Chad McCarty and Jesse Martin. Back in 2005, McCarty started running lights for a band called Bad Johnny. In July of 2009 he branched out on his own and teamed up with Martin to create High Voltage Stage Lighting. The company services bands and festivals in the Ohio area. Their closest relationship is with an up and coming band out of Asheville, NC named Jahman Brahman. The partnership provides both the musical inspiration and the flexibility to build the type of light show they want.

When asked about his favorite CHAUVET® DJ fixture, this is what McCarty had to say: “That’s an easy answer — my Intimidator™ Spot LED 350 moving heads. I can’t say enough good things about this light. The 75-watt LED is powerful enough to hang with my bigger lights, but at the same time, they only weigh about 20 pounds, which makes them incredibly easy to mount. The low power consumption also makes the life of a lighting guy much easier. Thank you to Tom Murphy from Pro Audio and Lighting for suggesting these to me.”

Crowd surfing at Woodlands Tavern in Grandview, Ohio for Jahman Brahman's VibeSwap. Setup includes: 4 Intimidator™ Spot LED 350, 4 COLORrail™, 2 COLORpalette™ and a Hurricane™ 1800 Flex.

Magic Jackson performs at the Funky Bean Farm in Yellow Springs, Ohio for the Funky Bean Halloween event. Setup includes: 4 Intimidator™ Spot LED 350, 4 COLORrail™, 2 COLORpalette™, 8 LEDrain™ 64C, Q-Spot™ 152 and a Hurricane™ 1300.