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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: CHAUVET DJ 4BAR HEX ILS
You’re probably thinking the same thing I thought when CHAUVET DJ asked me to review their latest product: here we go again, four par cans on a bar and it’s ‘new’.
OK, so this type of lighting product may be a marmite one, but that said, with many venues no longer allowing haze, wash lighting is becoming more and more popular – and CHAUVET DJ knows it.
Straight out the box, the 4BAR Hex ILS is a complete wash lighting system that you can have up and ready in less than a minute (if you try hard). It features four high-intensity hex-colour (RGBAW+UV) fixture heads, all prewired into the top bar, allowing for a super speedy setup, ease of controllability, a wide range of effects, as well as easy transportation and storage.
CHAUVET DJ gives you various control options, including standalone, remote control (via the optional IRC-6 remote), wireless control (via the included footswitch), DMX (via hardwire or the D-Fi USB), and the CHAUVET DJ ILS (Instant Light Show) ecosystem, which is built into the unit.
Weighing in at 5.5kg (12.2lbs), the 4BAR Hex ILS is light and compact enough for all DJs who want to create maximum output of effect with a small footprint. The light unit itself is 1186mm x 51mm x 305mm (45.7” x 2” x 12”) with the included wireless footswitch weighing in at 0.6kg (1.2lb) with a small footprint size of just 419mm x 132mm x 28mm (16.5” x 5.2” x 1.5”) – and it all fits in the included easy-to-grab-off-the-shelf padded bag!
I have certainly noticed the ‘less is more’ approach is popular amongst mobile DJs at the moment, despite lots of ‘big show’ jokes across social media. Let’s all be honest, as long as you have decent sound, decent tunes and some form of lighting, and the punters all have an amazing time dancing the night away, then you keep your clients happy. And then, with a quick pack away at the end of the night, you keep the venue happy too, making it more likely you’ll be invited back.
On the lighting unit itself – the four individually adjustable fixtures – you’ll find 42 RGBAW+UV LEDs with 50,000 hours' life expectancy. At six hours of use per event, that’s over 8000 events – more than I’ll ever do in my lifetime! With a beam angle of 16° and those hex LEDs, you’ll be able to create a massive range of colours and have the control to match different clients’ themes. Meanwhile, the strobe rate of 0 to 20Hz allows you to deliver outstanding effects when tracks drop, which really adds to the dancefloor when using wash effect lighting.
On the back of the unit is your standard 4-button menu, an IR sensor, microphone, D-Fi USB port, 3-pin DMX in and out, and IEC in. The footswitch, which is powered by a 9V battery (the square ones that no one ever uses these days) features four basic control options: Auto Program, Sound-Active Strobe, Static Colours and Blackout. With a wireless range of around 100ft (30.5m), you’ll have no problem setting up the footswitch centre stage with a 4BAR Hex ILS unit either side of you. This is also ideal for bands.
Some are happy to just switch on the unit and let it do its thing. If this is you, then you can use the footswitch or unit menu to control things like static colours, programs, speed and dimmer. Others, of course, will want to tame it, to fully control it, perhaps with the foot pedal switch or even using a handheld remote, which is an optional purchase. And others still will prefer to connect to a DMX controller (hard-wired or wireless via the D-Fi USB), configure the DMX channels, and finely tune the fades and effects. There is also the option to control the unit using the ILS Command, which allows you to assign pre-set shows and colours to buttons within seconds, without the need for any advanced programming knowledge.
Want a particular colour chase on the pars? No problem. Want to drop a strobe effect to the music or activate sound-to-light mode without messing about on the back of a unit that’s 2m in the air? Press a few buttons and you’re there. You get the idea – it’s a piece of cake to use.
And if you have any other lighting from the ILS range, such as pars, bars, lasers, swarms or moving heads, then you can control all of that from the ILS Command too. It’s a great option for performers who want better control over their lighting but find the world of DMX way too confusing.
On the menu, you have 6-, 8- or 27-channel modes for DMX control. The ILS option provides four modes that allow you to synchronise with the ILS Command or GigBAR MOVE+ILS brain for overall synchronised light shows using the D-Fi USB port on the back of the unit and a D-Fi USB. You can of course use an external DMX hardware or software option. You also get control over things like static colours, automatic programs, speed, dimmer, custom colour mixing, and the ability to trigger sound active mode. You will need a D-Fi XLR transmitter to convert the CHAUVET DJ protocol for DMX use.
Overall, the 4BAR Hex ILS is a fantastic unit for performers and mobile DJs who require a super-quick get in and get out, with lots of control options and high-impact effects for the dancefloor. I also see it being useful for rental stock when DJs are looking to supplement their income. With Bluetooth PA speakers becoming more popular and DJ products often having Bluetooth connectivity built in, some clients – with budgets hit by the cost of living crisis – are opting for house parties and smaller at-home events instead of booking DJs. Things like dry ice, PA systems, and of course this easy-to-use lighting system, make great rentals and can bring in a few hundred pounds extra whilst we take the main rig out and do our thing elsewhere.
OK, so this type of lighting product may be a marmite one, but that said, with many venues no longer allowing haze, wash lighting is becoming more and more popular – and CHAUVET DJ knows it.
Straight out the box, the 4BAR Hex ILS is a complete wash lighting system that you can have up and ready in less than a minute (if you try hard). It features four high-intensity hex-colour (RGBAW+UV) fixture heads, all prewired into the top bar, allowing for a super speedy setup, ease of controllability, a wide range of effects, as well as easy transportation and storage.
CHAUVET DJ gives you various control options, including standalone, remote control (via the optional IRC-6 remote), wireless control (via the included footswitch), DMX (via hardwire or the D-Fi USB), and the CHAUVET DJ ILS (Instant Light Show) ecosystem, which is built into the unit.
Weighing in at 5.5kg (12.2lbs), the 4BAR Hex ILS is light and compact enough for all DJs who want to create maximum output of effect with a small footprint. The light unit itself is 1186mm x 51mm x 305mm (45.7” x 2” x 12”) with the included wireless footswitch weighing in at 0.6kg (1.2lb) with a small footprint size of just 419mm x 132mm x 28mm (16.5” x 5.2” x 1.5”) – and it all fits in the included easy-to-grab-off-the-shelf padded bag!
I have certainly noticed the ‘less is more’ approach is popular amongst mobile DJs at the moment, despite lots of ‘big show’ jokes across social media. Let’s all be honest, as long as you have decent sound, decent tunes and some form of lighting, and the punters all have an amazing time dancing the night away, then you keep your clients happy. And then, with a quick pack away at the end of the night, you keep the venue happy too, making it more likely you’ll be invited back.
On the lighting unit itself – the four individually adjustable fixtures – you’ll find 42 RGBAW+UV LEDs with 50,000 hours' life expectancy. At six hours of use per event, that’s over 8000 events – more than I’ll ever do in my lifetime! With a beam angle of 16° and those hex LEDs, you’ll be able to create a massive range of colours and have the control to match different clients’ themes. Meanwhile, the strobe rate of 0 to 20Hz allows you to deliver outstanding effects when tracks drop, which really adds to the dancefloor when using wash effect lighting.
On the back of the unit is your standard 4-button menu, an IR sensor, microphone, D-Fi USB port, 3-pin DMX in and out, and IEC in. The footswitch, which is powered by a 9V battery (the square ones that no one ever uses these days) features four basic control options: Auto Program, Sound-Active Strobe, Static Colours and Blackout. With a wireless range of around 100ft (30.5m), you’ll have no problem setting up the footswitch centre stage with a 4BAR Hex ILS unit either side of you. This is also ideal for bands.
Some are happy to just switch on the unit and let it do its thing. If this is you, then you can use the footswitch or unit menu to control things like static colours, programs, speed and dimmer. Others, of course, will want to tame it, to fully control it, perhaps with the foot pedal switch or even using a handheld remote, which is an optional purchase. And others still will prefer to connect to a DMX controller (hard-wired or wireless via the D-Fi USB), configure the DMX channels, and finely tune the fades and effects. There is also the option to control the unit using the ILS Command, which allows you to assign pre-set shows and colours to buttons within seconds, without the need for any advanced programming knowledge.
Want a particular colour chase on the pars? No problem. Want to drop a strobe effect to the music or activate sound-to-light mode without messing about on the back of a unit that’s 2m in the air? Press a few buttons and you’re there. You get the idea – it’s a piece of cake to use.
And if you have any other lighting from the ILS range, such as pars, bars, lasers, swarms or moving heads, then you can control all of that from the ILS Command too. It’s a great option for performers who want better control over their lighting but find the world of DMX way too confusing.
On the menu, you have 6-, 8- or 27-channel modes for DMX control. The ILS option provides four modes that allow you to synchronise with the ILS Command or GigBAR MOVE+ILS brain for overall synchronised light shows using the D-Fi USB port on the back of the unit and a D-Fi USB. You can of course use an external DMX hardware or software option. You also get control over things like static colours, automatic programs, speed, dimmer, custom colour mixing, and the ability to trigger sound active mode. You will need a D-Fi XLR transmitter to convert the CHAUVET DJ protocol for DMX use.
Overall, the 4BAR Hex ILS is a fantastic unit for performers and mobile DJs who require a super-quick get in and get out, with lots of control options and high-impact effects for the dancefloor. I also see it being useful for rental stock when DJs are looking to supplement their income. With Bluetooth PA speakers becoming more popular and DJ products often having Bluetooth connectivity built in, some clients – with budgets hit by the cost of living crisis – are opting for house parties and smaller at-home events instead of booking DJs. Things like dry ice, PA systems, and of course this easy-to-use lighting system, make great rentals and can bring in a few hundred pounds extra whilst we take the main rig out and do our thing elsewhere.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 126, Pages 86-87.
