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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: Red Panda Bambuu
Have you heard of the lighting brand, Red Panda? No? Well you soon will have. Based in Bradford, Red Panda is a brand-new start up for 2023 in the world of lighting, with a focus on event lighting. Though it may be a new company, that doesn’t mean it’s inexperienced. The company is headed by Pat Mulligan, a wedding DJ and MC and the man behind the hugely popular Mulligans Virtual Bar (the Facebook page that proved to be a brilliant outlet for DJs and live acts during the COVID lockdowns).
Pat and his team promise a full range of lights ideal for a variety of uses and especially for mobile DJs. As a brand, Red Panda aims to set high standards with high-quality fixtures, but at competitive prices. And the very first release is the subject of this review: the Bambuu Stick. Every panda loves bamboo – it’ll be interesting to see how that naming theme continues!
The all-new lighting fixtures were delivered in a hefty flight case that was barely manageable by one person, though I was assured by the team at Red Panda that this was a pre-production case. A new, lighter design is in production, along with an additional case for accessories.
The fixtures themselves, however, are extremely manageable, weighing 2.5kg and reaching just under 1.5m in height. Each Bambuu Stick features built-in Wi-Fi for DMX control and comes supplied with a charger, truss clamp, tripod stand and remote control. The tripod-style floor stand will allow you to place it wherever you need to, while the clamps allow for inverted use on trussing.
You can control the fixture in a few different ways: IR remote control, wireless DMX, or what I think will be the most popular method, via a user-friendly Android or iOS app with a range of pre-set programs. The app can also be set to run a multitude of chase patterns, fades or static colours.
As soon as I switched on the Bambuu Stick it came to life with a soft pink colour. I was surprised to find it produces a full 360-degree light that was uniform all the way round. I first tested the remote control and was easily able to select colours, all of which were bright and saturated evenly.
The DMX is extremely versatile, from a basic four-channel mode right up to an incredible 160 channels,
allowing for simple to extremely advanced control. I tested out the 12-channel mode on my Wolfmix W1 DMX controller and although the profile was still a work in progress, I had a substantial amount of control.
The OLED screen is clear and concise, and although the firmware menu is daunting to begin with, once you get used to the layout it’s straightforward to navigate and set up. I also tested the Bambuu Sticks using the local Wi-Fi channel that they create. Once this is set, you choose a master stick and the other sticks then run in slave mode. For the majority of uses, you won’t need to touch them again after you’ve set them up.
The lights come with RGBW+WW colours, so a cool or warm white can be achieved easily, something that many fixtures cannot produce. This would be especially useful when trying to match the colours used in your starcloth, LOVE letters, or other lighting fixtures.
I was able to charge the sticks fully in around four hours and this provided a run time of approximately eight hours – certainly enough juice to cover most evening events. Something unique is that they’re also IP56-rated, so you can use them outside in most conditions, including dusty and wet environments. This does mean that you can’t charge them when they’re in use, but the ability to use them outside is well worth that inconvenience. A few well-placed Bambuu Sticks could easily light up an outdoor terrace area or possibly the features in a garden area. They could also be used to provide subtle lighting for sunset shots – perhaps consider lending a couple to the photographer in exchange for some great action shots of the party you’re DJing!
A set of four Red Panda Bambuu, including flight case, accessories, and wireless DMX dongle, costs £1595. Overall, I love the feel of these lights and I found they’ve been manufactured to a higher standard than most products in this category. Because they’ve been designed to withstand knocks and bumps from a rowdy dance floor, the Bambuu Sticks are also much more robust – and therefore suited to mobile
DJ setups – than many competing fixtures.
While this means the cost may be higher than elsewhere on the market, Red Panda’s Bambuu Stick makes up for it with its versatile functionality and the range of bright, vibrant colours and shows on offer. For this type of lighting, I would say the Bambuu Stick is the brightest, boldest and most adaptable I’ve seen yet.
Pat and his team promise a full range of lights ideal for a variety of uses and especially for mobile DJs. As a brand, Red Panda aims to set high standards with high-quality fixtures, but at competitive prices. And the very first release is the subject of this review: the Bambuu Stick. Every panda loves bamboo – it’ll be interesting to see how that naming theme continues!
The all-new lighting fixtures were delivered in a hefty flight case that was barely manageable by one person, though I was assured by the team at Red Panda that this was a pre-production case. A new, lighter design is in production, along with an additional case for accessories.
The fixtures themselves, however, are extremely manageable, weighing 2.5kg and reaching just under 1.5m in height. Each Bambuu Stick features built-in Wi-Fi for DMX control and comes supplied with a charger, truss clamp, tripod stand and remote control. The tripod-style floor stand will allow you to place it wherever you need to, while the clamps allow for inverted use on trussing.
You can control the fixture in a few different ways: IR remote control, wireless DMX, or what I think will be the most popular method, via a user-friendly Android or iOS app with a range of pre-set programs. The app can also be set to run a multitude of chase patterns, fades or static colours.
As soon as I switched on the Bambuu Stick it came to life with a soft pink colour. I was surprised to find it produces a full 360-degree light that was uniform all the way round. I first tested the remote control and was easily able to select colours, all of which were bright and saturated evenly.
The DMX is extremely versatile, from a basic four-channel mode right up to an incredible 160 channels,
allowing for simple to extremely advanced control. I tested out the 12-channel mode on my Wolfmix W1 DMX controller and although the profile was still a work in progress, I had a substantial amount of control.
The OLED screen is clear and concise, and although the firmware menu is daunting to begin with, once you get used to the layout it’s straightforward to navigate and set up. I also tested the Bambuu Sticks using the local Wi-Fi channel that they create. Once this is set, you choose a master stick and the other sticks then run in slave mode. For the majority of uses, you won’t need to touch them again after you’ve set them up.
The lights come with RGBW+WW colours, so a cool or warm white can be achieved easily, something that many fixtures cannot produce. This would be especially useful when trying to match the colours used in your starcloth, LOVE letters, or other lighting fixtures.
I was able to charge the sticks fully in around four hours and this provided a run time of approximately eight hours – certainly enough juice to cover most evening events. Something unique is that they’re also IP56-rated, so you can use them outside in most conditions, including dusty and wet environments. This does mean that you can’t charge them when they’re in use, but the ability to use them outside is well worth that inconvenience. A few well-placed Bambuu Sticks could easily light up an outdoor terrace area or possibly the features in a garden area. They could also be used to provide subtle lighting for sunset shots – perhaps consider lending a couple to the photographer in exchange for some great action shots of the party you’re DJing!
A set of four Red Panda Bambuu, including flight case, accessories, and wireless DMX dongle, costs £1595. Overall, I love the feel of these lights and I found they’ve been manufactured to a higher standard than most products in this category. Because they’ve been designed to withstand knocks and bumps from a rowdy dance floor, the Bambuu Sticks are also much more robust – and therefore suited to mobile
DJ setups – than many competing fixtures.
While this means the cost may be higher than elsewhere on the market, Red Panda’s Bambuu Stick makes up for it with its versatile functionality and the range of bright, vibrant colours and shows on offer. For this type of lighting, I would say the Bambuu Stick is the brightest, boldest and most adaptable I’ve seen yet.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 117, Pages 86-87.
