CHAUVET DJLED Lighting, Black (SlimPAR64 RGBA)

The Chauvet SlimPar 64 RGBA is much brighter than the 56 size class LED Pars in the slim flat form factor convenient for transporting and up-lighting with a yoke that folds open to be used as a floor stand or closed to use as a standard hanging fixture yoke. The addition of Amber LEDs improves the quality and range of colors the fixture can render and makes a color temperature adjustable white. The manual and automatic modes are aesthetically pleasing and the sound activated mode works well over a wide range of volume and musics. Remote DMX control is responsive and precise and can also use either manual dimming or the auto program modes. Also has the pass through power and pass through 3 pin DMX cabling expected for these fixtures. For those purchasing more than one Chauvet also sells a convenient carry bag, the CHS-25, which has also been included in 4-pack sets of these (when offered, sometimes also included a stand).The Chauvet design for this type has come advantages over its competitors. The colors of the LEDs are dispersed in a pattern that is aesthetically pleasing when the fixture is visible and functions to minimize color fringes aka rainbow edges on shadows. The simplest color wedge pattern fixtures are a problem in that regard. Competing fixtures using regular grid patterns that have equal numbers of Red Green Blue and Amber LEDs aren't using the available area as effectively because the different LED colors aren't equally efficient and bright, so they're balanced by turning the bright ones down. The Chauvet fixture uses 39 Red 39 Green 51 Blue and 51 Amber LEDs to achieves a good white balance at maximum drive on all the LEDs for the greatest brightness.Although the American DJ products claim an advantage for up-lighting with connectors that attach power and DMX cables to the sides of the case rather than the back allowing them to be set low to the ground. I find there's no problem with ground clearance for cables at back of the Chauvet at a very low height and I find I lay the cables to/from and then along the wall for up-lighting rather than directly from fixture to fixture, which actually makes the rear connector cabling slight more tidy. The rear connectors are also a more useful orientation when mounting the fixture on a portable stand stand or truss and for any traditional theatrical lighting (pipe) mount.The DMX control is conceptually straightforward in 4 channel mode, with the channels representing dimmer settings for Red, Green, Blue, and Amber. In 8 channel mode, the 1st 4 channels are R,G,B,A, as before, Ch5 when non zero selects 1 of 16 predefined color macros, Ch6 sets the speed of the effect transitions or strobe rate selected by CH7 which sets modes offering either RGBA, Pulsing to On, Pulsing to Off, Pulsing On-Off-On, Automatic Color-to-Color modes either fading, snapping through 4 colors, or snapping through 8 colors and a final "sound activated" mode that goes from color to color on its own. Ch8 is a master dimmer.If not using a DMX controller the rear button controls allow the user to select from 15 static colors, mix a custom color, or use pre-programmed 4 and 16 color modes either switching or fading between colors at either a programmable speed or sound activated. The program modes remain useful with multiple fixtures because any number of fixtures can be slaved to a master fixture using the DMX ports and cables so that master fixture acts as the controller for the slaves and they all have the same output at the same time. Because DMX is wired multi-drop rather than repeated as with all such arrangements this independent Master/Slave DMX cannot not be mixed with regular DMX control on the same DMX cable span and while any fixture on the chain be the master, using one at an end with a DMX terminator at the other end avoids any unexpected DMX glitches.NB: The size numbers used for these fixtures are inherited from glass envelope incandescant Parabolic Aluminized Reflector lamps. but they aren't replacements for each other. Inexpensive PAR 64 size incandescant lamps use as much as 1,000 watts to shine at 40,000 (very hot and very white) lux while the Chauvet 30W LED fixture shines with 1325 white lux, but can reach any color of the rainbow and won't set fire to objects at close range along the direct light path.

UPDATE: There have been some reviews that say these lights aren't bright enough. I'm really not sure what application they are using them with, but I've small-medium sized outdoor gigs (night of course) and 4 of these lit up the stage amazingly well. I also have SlimPar 12IRC's and I can tell you I get complaints from the musicians that they are blinding. So unless you are doing a pro stadium sized gig, these lights are indeed bright enough. However, the narrow beam issues are very real. Unless you are a duo on a small club stage, you will need more than 2. Also, if you have problems with the shipper, or customer service, why are you posting it in a product review? that's a seller feedback issue.ORIGINAL REVIEW: I replaced my ColorStrip Mini's with a couple of these. I wanted light weight, low power consumption and brightness for my jazz band. Brightness was very important as we play a variety of venues from large outdoor events to small indoor clubs. I went with the 64's instead of the 56's simply because I wanted the brighter lights. I researched the luminosity ratings directly from the Chauvet web site. Each of these lights are double what a ColorStrip Mini puts out.The name Slimpar is appropriate as these lights are slim. The come with a double positionable hanging bar that lets you set them on the ground or hang them on a lighting pole. They are light weight enough you can even ziptie them poles if need be.I used these for an outdoor stage and they worked beautifully. The colors are deep. As with every LED light I've used, the whites are not really white. Its really a pale blue, but it doesn't really detract at all. The white setting is white enough for me.These lights are very low power consuming and you can diasy chain the power together so you really only need to plug one light into a socket and then you can plug the neighboring lights into eachother.Two caveats: these lights are not metal body, they need to be handled with a little bit of care and they should last for good long while. You can't just through them around like you could with metal par cans. The other caveat is that the beams are a bit narrow. You don't get the wide wash of light you do with a Colorstrip or similar type light. But again, the ColorStrips are way too dim for many of my applications unless you have several of them together.If you need lights that can fit most anywhere and don't drain your circuits AND provide a bright light, these will work nicely. They also work with Chauvet congtrollers, I use an Obey 3 (one of the most basic) and they work wonderfully. As with the power chords, you chain the controller cables from one to the next light and they all function together very easily.The back panel settings are a little crypic but these lights will retain their last setting if power is lost, unlike the ColorStrip mini. That is very helpful if you lose power after spending the time and effort setteing them up.

I purchased four of these lights to use with the Chauvet Obey 40 controller. I have not been able to get them to work in any mode other than stand alone. They also always seem to be in sound activated mode even when set to 8 or 4 channel mode. I was using canare microphone cable to connect them, but think this may be a big part of my problem since the impedance is different for mic cable and dmx cable. I also purchased a dmx terminator to help make sure I have a clean signal. I will update this review once I try the lights with the proper cable. *Update*These are still a little quirky with the Obey 40 controller, but they are at least working now that I ran the DMX cable. I find that I have to adjust the sliders to get them to respond after a power reset. I am also unable to adjust the lights individually while leaving the rest of the lights on. The lights seem fine, they just don't work as well as I expected with the Obey40.

IMHO, RGB fixtures just can't get a real amber/yellow, but this RGBA fixture delivers amber quite well. I put a diffusion filter on a pair of these and I can light the stage with a 'warm" amber/yellow/orange glow. I get great results. They are my main wash lights now (with the diffusion filters of course). I run them on a DMX system with 8 to 30 lights. They are on the main tripods, always being used. They are great!

Much better than the $20 cheap lights available on Amazon. The fades are nice when using DMX, even at the very low settings (where many of the other cheap lights just cut out at 3 or 4). Nice and bright, the price is good, no fan means it's silent, a great budget light for bands or other stage use. You won't get a great white light out of this, but for colors it looks really nice.

I bought two of these lights, only one had a Uk power chord and neither had an operating manual.

Muy buen producto

Good variations, colours are good and bright. Used within a sensory room in conjunction with other light stimulation equipment. Would recommend