A quick read of any DJ group on social media will reveal that when it comes to lighting, moving heads are top of the pile. But it wasn’t always like that. Once upon a time, scanners and barrels were the fixtures of choice. However they were often very large, cumbersome, and the mirrors were prone to being smashed in transit.

Whilst the risk to mirrors hasn’t changed, technology – LED in particular – has moved on, enabling these fixtures to be much smaller. But are they still any good? Let’s find out.

Chauvet DJ are a well-known, trusted brand when it comes to DJ lighting. Their Intimidator moving head range is one of the best out there, so anything that carries the Intimidator name needs to live up to that legacy.

Currently, there are only two Intimidator scan products. The smaller Scan 110, which is only available in America, and the newly released Scan 360. Having never owned any Chauvet DJ scanners, a quick online search revealed that the Scan 360 looks to be a replacement for the older Scan 305, a 60W compact LED scanner launched in 2015.

So, what’s changed? At a glance, not much. There are the same number of colours and gobos and a built-in 3-facet round prism. However, there are some notable differences that you only discover when you take a more detailed look.

Firstly, you can’t ignore the improved 100W white LED source. Lovely and bright for a single beam, and more than you’ll ever need. With a beam angle of 21 degrees, the projected gobos are nice and big.

The pan and tilt mechanism has also changed: you still have the same pan range from left to right, but the tilt is now less than half the range of the older Scan 305. In testing, I found that the beam tended to stay where I wanted it – on the dance floor, as opposed to lighting up the ceiling or my laptop screen!

The 3-facet prism is useful and allows you to create some very nice effects. In the original Scan 305, this was static, whereas it can now be rotated clockwise, which is much better. Using a DMX controller, you can also control the motorised focus, another feature that wasn’t an option on the older unit. The usual array of bright and vibrant colours are available and you can also split them, for instance, white and orange or white and blue. This will come in handy, especially for weddings.

When it comes to gobos, there is a choice of seven plus open. Six of those are metal and one is glass, and all rotate and interchange using the super-easy ‘slot-n-lock’ system found on other CHAUVET DJ lighting products.

Note, the gobos in the Scan 360 cannot be used in Chauvet DJ’s moving heads, like the Spot 360, Spot 260 or Spot 255, as they are different in size. It would be lovely for them to all be the same size, but I’m sure there’s a technical reason why it’s not possible.

The gobo choice is pretty standard: swirls, dots, and the infamous virus hazard gobo, the latter of which has probably cemented its place in the lineup, thanks to the C-word that’s dominated our lives over the last couple of years.

For anyone who prefers to plug in lighting fixtures without using DMX, there are a number of built-in functions to make life easier. There’s plenty of movement macros, some sound-activated and some not, and if you have a spare IRC-6 remote control knocking around (and who doesn’t) then you can also use this.

I set up the Scan 360 on my Wolfmix W1 DMX controller and it was probably one of the easiest fixtures to fiddle about with; I’d soon created plenty of presets with enough variation. Switching between colours and gobos was quick whilst the scanning speed was incredibly responsive. It was sporty when you wanted it to be. But slow enough, with no jerky movements, for moments like a first dance, or at the start of the night when you want lighting to be a bit more laid back.

In terms of design, scanners haven’t changed much over the years. Tall and slim (a bit like me) with a useful full-colour display that allows you to fine-tune the effects. A couple of LEDs indicate whether the unit is in auto mode or under DMX control.
The IR sensor is on the front, as is a microphone for the sound-activated modes. Around the back you have a safety loop, IEC power in and out, as well as 3-pin DMX in and out.

CHAUVET DJ haven’t revealed a barrel version of the Scan 360 yet, but in a market dominated by moving heads, would they? As far as I can see, there is only one other scanner and barrel product on the market from what I would call a ‘big brand’.

So, is there a place for scanners? Yes, absolutely! If you go back to the beginning of this review, I mentioned browsing social media and seeing that almost every DJ and their dog has moving heads on top of plinths. I suppose a client probably doesn’t care, but we do, and I really don’t see much innovation right now.

The best way to present a scanner is either on a stand or an overhead bar. It might not be as visually pleasing as a lit plinth, but for the price you can’t deny that the Intimidator Scan 360 is a fantastic alternative to moving heads. As with moving heads, these units will be best in twos or fours, so the cost saving is always going to be attractive.

If you have scanners already, then the Intimidator Scan 360 is a worthwhile upgrade; bright, powerful and offering an abundance of features. If you’re into moving heads, then I’m confident Chauvet DJ’s latest scanners will complement your show perfectly.