Smart Lights: The DJ's Search for Intelligent Light Reveals a Myriad of Money-Making Options

DMX is good for DJs.

Originally developed for theatrical lighting, the DMX control protocol has been embraced by most manufacturers of mobile DJ lighting products. As a result, DJs now enjoy unprecedented lighting flexibility and power. By linking multiple “intelligent” lights together, DJs can create truly impressive effects with minimal hassle. Many DJs are also finding such DMX-controllable systems to be more versatile, portable and cost-effective than traditional mobile lighting.

In 1986 the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) first established the DMX 512 lighting protocol. DMX is actually a 512-channel digital multiplex data transmission standard for controlling theatrical lighting dimmers, but it has been successfully adapted for other applications by the lighting industry. It does not provide power for lights.

DMX signals are used for much more than just turning lights on or off; intelligent DMX systems can provide total control of lighting colors, gobos, movements, and speeds. Combined with a modern sound system and appropriate music selection, intelligent lighting can create moods from elegant to electric. With a little ingenuity, even the plainest room can be transformed into a stylish lounge or even a funky nightclub. The applications of DMX-controllable lighting are limited only by a mobile DJ’s imagination and budget.

DMX has become the recognized communication standard for the mobile lighting industry. “We have decided to make all of our intelligent products with DMX 512,” explains Toby Velasquez, Operations Manager of Los Angeles-based manufacturer American DJ. “Making all of the products with one universal language helps consumers in many ways,” he notes, primarily because DJs can easily use different brands of intelligent lighting gear together. Also, the DMX protocol is meant to be backwards-compatible, so existing equipment won’t become obsolete any time soon.

Advances in technology (and free market pressures) have encouraged the development of both cheaper and better intelligent lighting products. “We have DMX intelligent lights that are no bigger than the old Moonflowers,” notes Barry Abrams, Product Development Manager for Hollywood, Fla.-based manufacturer Chauvet Lighting. Innovative design and construction, exemplified by products like Martin Professional’s popular MX and CX series of intelligent instruments, have led to major weight savings, too. Mobile DJs looking for a competitive edge have never had it so good.

The simplest DMX-controllable light is the color changer. This type of luminaire is an excellent alternative to conventional PAR cans and pin spots. Units like the American DJ Color 150 and Chauvet CH-520 can be aimed to illuminate mirror balls, dancefloors, and even small stages. When connected to a DMX controller, these lights allow DJs to trigger changes of color or blackouts at any time during events. Because of this flexibility, a single DMX color changer can replace a dozen PAR lights with different gels. Even without a central controller, most of these instruments can still provide a nice amount of visual excitement by automatically changing color to the beat while operating in “stand-alone” mode.

Sophisticated color changers, such as the Martin CX-4 and the High End Systems Color Pro HX, allow DJs to remotely adjust light beams from flood to spot, insert various gobos, and strobe or dim the overall output. These instruments are also capable of producing UV light effects. Such features add significant versatility to mobile lighting rigs. “Why buy just a PAR can? Why buy just a pin spot, or just a strobe, or just a black light?” asks Dave Chesal, Entertainment and Leisure Segment Manager for Sunrise, Fla.-based Martin Professional. “Now you’ve packed up four lights. Why not buy one light that has all those attributes and personalities? Get a fixture that’s multi-purpose,” Chesal suggests. “Simplify your life.”

The most common kind of intelligent light for mobile use is the scanner, which uses a movable mirror to reflect its light in the desired direction. For the general, DJ-hiring public, intelligent lighting means two or more scanning instruments on a truss. DMX-controllable scanners, like the American DJ Ultrascan-250 and the High End Systems Trackspot, are typically used to fill rooms with moving beams of light, although they can also be employed as fixed color changers in lieu of PAR cans or pin spots. Scanners can even be pressed into service as small followspots for stage productions. Because of their unparalleled versatility, scanners are the most cost-effective type of DMX-controllable light.

Scanners, like color changers, usually feature different gobos and variable-speed stroboscopic shutters. Some are fully dimmable. A few units, like the futuristic Abstract VR-8 (distributed by Hollywood, Fla.-based Tracoman) and the Martin MX-1, are visually appealing even when they’re turned off. Basically, intelligent scanners for mobile applications are better now than ever before. Lamps are brighter, motors are smoother, and optics are sharper. For DJs who remember those clunky, funky, first-generation scanners, current models seem almost too good to be true.

Until recent years, moving head intelligent lights were just not practical for DJs. Now, however, manufacturers are producing (and aggressively marketing) several products specifically designed for mobile use, such as the Martin Mini-MAC, the Tracoman Fly, FAL PF3601 (distributed by Livonia, Mich.-based KLS) and the Studio Due Shark 150 (distributed by Kent, Wash.-based OmniSis- tem). The new breed of moving heads offer 360 degrees (or more) of panning, spinning gobos, and radical styling. Their broad bases are suitable for floor or pedestal placement, so DJs can explore new lighting angles.

Nick Freed, the Eastern US Director of Sales for Tracoman, points out that moving heads like the Coemar ProSpot LX also offer mobile DJs some unique promotional capabilities. “You can place six indexable gobos in the gobo positions, effectively creating six moving billboards,” Freed explains. A DJ could advertise his own business, project a client’s logo for corporate gigs, or light up a reception hall with the names of the bride and groom. “That’s a great tool for making extra money for mobile DJs,” adds Freed. While prices and weights are still rather hefty, even a single moving head can serve as a stunning centerpiece for an intelligent lighting rig.

Intelligent effect lights are somewhat more limited than DMX-controllable color changers, scanners, and moving heads. Although they simply aren’t appropriate for every mobile gig, intelligent effects allow mobile DJs to create an immersive, authentic nightclub experience at any event. Patrons at teen dances, in particular, respond well to creative applications of intelligent effect lighting.

Some intelligent effects, like Martin’s Acrobat, American DJ’s DJ Roller, Chauvet’s Explorer, KLS’ Fandango, and OmniSistem’s RotoScan are really scanners fitted with motorized mirror drums. The resulting shower of light is quite dramatic, and their sweeping movements blend nicely with standard scanners. Additionally, the color and gobo changes of these fixtures can be synchronized with those of similar scanning lights for a fully integrated light show.

Other DMX-controllable effects, such as the American DJ Radd and the Martin Destroyer, are based on traditional Moonflower designs. The ability to change color and gobo combinations on demand makes these intelligent instruments much more useful than their simple predecessors. Through DMX, DJs are now able to color coordinate their Moonflowers and other effects for a more cohesive and powerful look.

A few intelligent effects, like the American DJ Fascinator and the legendary Martin SyncroZap, are difficult to classify. Because they aren’t directly related to older disco effects or existing intelligent lights, these unique instruments really must be seen to be appreciated. Again, such fixtures have limited uses, but DJs who work a lot of school dances may find these effect lights to be solid investments. While they aren’t centerpieces in the traditional sense, these distinctive DMX-controllable instruments provide a lot of visual firepower.

The latest and greatest intelligent color changers, scanners, moving heads, and effects lights are frequently fitted with powerful high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. Unlike the halogen bulbs found in lesser luminaires, HID offers “2,000- to 6,000-hour lamp life and higher (whiter, brighter to the eye) color temperature,” according to Tracoman’s Freed.

Also, because they lack a filament, HID lamps are much less susceptible to vibration-induced failure. As a result, “a mobile DJ isn’t going to change bulbs for a year,” explains Martin’s Chesal. The long life spans of HID lamps generally make them much cheaper, over time, than dimmer, delicate halogen bulbs.

Discharge lamps offer DJs another advantage. “In a lot of mobile environments you’re competing with the room lighting,” notes Chesal. “You can’t control ambient light levels. You want the brightest possible fixture in order to punch through the air,” he says, because “the customer wants to see those beams.” Investing in a fancy, DMX-controllable lighting system that’s handicapped by weak bulbs doesn’t seem too bright, now does it?

So-called intelligent lights are actually pretty dumb – at least on their own. Although manufacturers have greatly improved their products’ stand-alone performance capabilities, it takes a decent controller, some quality cables, and a bit of creativity to realize the full potential of intelligent lighting.

For mobile DJs on a budget, it may be possible to get by without a DMX controller. Many intelligent lights may be operated in “master-slave” mode by daisy-chaining several units together and making the appropriate DIP switch adjustments. Configuring instruments in this manner allows DJs to set multiple lights to follow the stand-alone commands of one master fixture. Running intelligent lights in master-slave mode is much more effective if individual instruments, like the Martin MX scanners, can be set to “reverse pan” and/or “reverse tilt” the master DMX commands for better symmetry. This is also a useful trick to remember if your primary controller is ever out of commission.

Ultimately, though, most DJs with intelligent lights will want a dedicated DMX controller. Products like NSI’s MLC-16, American DJ’s Show Designer, and Martin’s 2518 can be used to control intelligent lights individually or in groups. They can also be programmed, in advance, to run user-defined light shows to the beat of the music. DJs can select custom lighting color palettes for special events, or choose appropriate effects for different genres of music. DJs who deal with a lot of requests or have to concentrate on beat-matching may prefer minimalist, pre-programmed controllers, like the Martin MC-Showtime, which offer plug-and-play DMX convenience.

Another option for mobile DJs is some sort of computer-based DMX controller. Being able to run lights from a laptop is pretty slick, as long as both the operator and operating system are up to the task. (Hint: Don’t try to run PCDJ simultaneously). Software controllers promise superior performance for computer-savvy DJs, but they also require a degree of commitment and technical prowess. The two of the more popular programs on the market right now are Chauvet’s Show Xpress and Martin’s Light Jockey. These applications run under Windows, and come with interfaces for communicating with DMX-controllable lights in real time. Light Jockey (which may be downloaded for free at www.martin.dk) also includes an indispensable off-line “visualizer”; users can use this function to create a virtual banquet hall, “load-in” various lights, and see what it’ll look like the night of the event. Now DJs can program light shows anytime, anywhere.

The most sophisticated, DMX-controllable lighting rig is only as good as the cables used to connect everything. Because the DMX protocol has no provision for error correction, it’s important to maintain the integrity of the control signal for consistent, glitch-free performance. Radio-frequency DMX commands travel between instruments at roughly half the speed of light, so using the right cables is mandatory. Just because data cables look like microphone cords on the outside doesn’t mean they work the same on the inside. Also, using a proper data termination plug at the end of the equipment daisy chain prevents the DMX signal from bouncing back upstream when it hits the end of the line.

Intelligent lighting gear isn’t cheap. Is it really worth the expense for mobile DJs? “Properly used,” claims Tracoman’s Freed, “high-quality moving lights can be the focal point of any wedding, party, rave, or corporate function.”

Adds Chauvet’s Abrams: “In today’s world, everybody has to get a little bit into DMX.” Obviously, mobile operators have to make their own business decisions, but intelligent lighting can no longer be simply dismissed as a luxury. The mobile DJ industry is becoming increasingly competitive. Consumers are demanding bigger and better forms of entertainment, and professional DJs are meeting this challenge in different ways. Intelligent lighting is one marketing tool that impresses clients, generates referrals, and seals deals. Indeed, Martin’s Chesal believes that more DJs are getting into DMX-controllable systems “because now they’ve realized that a good lighting package is actually revenue-producing for them.”

Intelligent lighting is also a powerful medium for artistic expression. Many DJs simply enjoy adding a great light show to their music mixes, even if their particular equipment investments don’t make much financial sense. There’s nothing wrong with buying and using DMX lighting gear just because you want it (and can afford it). If intelligent lighting makes DJing more satisfying, then that’s reason enough to have it. There’s never been a better time to buy DMX-controllable lighting, and the mobile DJ business certainly isn’t going to become less competitive any time in the foreseeable future.