If you are heavily into using DMX and already have all your lighting set up, then this might not be for you. But for anyone interested in taking the step away from standard sound-to-light and gaining quick, easy and flexible control over your look, this will be of interest.

Up until now, the remote controls sometimes provided with new lighting, often as an optional extra, have had limited functionality. But the new CHAUVET DJ RFC-XL is something else entirely. Having used one at two parties over the Easter weekend, I found it a joy to use; a simple yet highly effective option.

Firstly, what do I think of the look? The RFC-XL definitely has that 80s retro vibe, which is cool. Thanks to its telescopic antenna, it also offers a retro mobile phone feel. The antenna helps the RF signal and the bonus is that you don't need direct line-of-sight as with most IR remotes, you can comfortably press what you need from your DJ booth or anywhere in the room and your lights will react instantly. This is a welcome upgrade from older remotes. But remember, you will only be able to control CHAUVET DJ RF-enabled lighting fixtures.

Using the RFC-XL, the maximum unobstructed distance that you can control your lights from is 30 metres – more than enough for most situations. The backlit buttons come in handy too. From even the darkest crevice in the corner of any venue, you can easily see what you’re pressing. The remote is also bigger than most other remotes, hence the ‘XL’ in the name. The size is needed though, because if you use this product as CHAUVET DJ intended, the remote will control your whole lighting show. It’s a big deal and a major part of your rig, rather than a small, fiddly, thin addition to a light.

When it comes to using the remote, it’s lightweight and small, the buttons are rubberised, which is a nice touch (literally), and the colour picker wheel is highly responsive. The colour-wheel is so much better than just having buttons to scroll through colours; there’s no resistance as you scroll, it just notices your finger and reacts like a touch screen rather than a sliding button, which I love. It’s a simple yet very effective design that makes it easy to get the right colour at a glance. In fact, I’m convinced it’s so straightforward that a toddler could pick up this remote and select their favourite colour instinctively!
All of the remote’s buttons are displayed in a clear and obvious way, making it a delight to use. For example, at the touch of a button you can set your lighting on ‘auto’, ‘sound to light’ or ‘fade’ and adjust the speed, sensitivity, or brightness quickly and easily. What more do you want?

Well, there is more actually… This remote can even control different groups of lights simultaneously. It’s a simple process to assign groups of lights and you can check which group you are controlling at a glance. At the top of the remote is a small red light that will stay on for whichever group you are currently controlling, or all of them will be on if you want to control everything at once. This feature is handy for DJs who want to control all their lighting from one place without the headache of DMX.
An example of an effective setup could be:

Channel 1: uplights
Channel 2: wash lights
Channel 3: moving heads
Channel 4: booth lighting
As long as the fixtures you want to control are RF -enabled and compatible, you can control all the above groups from anywhere in the room with one control. You can select all groups and black out, for example, or you can individually control a group to adjust any setting. And the best part is, it’s all wireless. No faff, with minimal setup and pack-down time. Just press and it shall be done!

My personal favourite is the freeze button, and you can also find this button on the new GigBar Move + ILS control. Freeze is the button I needed without knowing I needed it. It’s great for when people are arriving, for speeches, cake cutting or first dances. You just wait until your fixtures move to where you want them and the lighting is the right colour for the moment, then press freeze.

So, who is the RFC-XL remote aimed at and what value can it add over the other Chauvet remotes? Lots of mobile DJs have absolutely no desire to control their lights using DMX. For many, the easiest and simplest way forward is the sound-to-light setting, perhaps with master slave when using lights in pairs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, and whilst I am using DMX more and more now, I have spent years using lighting in sound-to-light mode and sometimes using remote controls. It's personal preference. For me, there is no arguing that DMX will give you a more enjoyable lighting experience overall. However that doesn’t mean DMX is for everyone.

The RFC-XL paired with RF-enabled lighting is a perfect middle ground between sound-to-light and DMX. It’s a great investment for DJs who don't DMX. A stepping stone, perhaps, or at the very least a huge upgrade from your lighting rig’s most simple settings.

I thoroughly enjoyed using the RFC-XL and can see the huge advantages it offers. Assigning groups of lights under one control is a game-changing upgrade to any control. If having better control of your DJ lighting has been at the back of your mind for a while, then this product is for you – but please do check that your lighting fixtures are compatible first.

Well done CHAUVET DJ, the RFC-XL is a unique product that certainly fills a gap with a massive target audience.