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REVIEWED
Partubes
Having been a specialist Wedding DJ for many years, I’m always looking at ways to improve the experience for my clients. Recently I came across the ADJ Magna Tubes and thought they looked great and would be a good addition to my events. For those of you who haven’t seen them, they are 1-metre-tall opaque acrylic tubes which attach to a magnetic metal base that fits on the front of flat LED PAR cans. But unfortunately, like thousands of other DJs, I have a load of traditional ‘classic style’ spun-aluminium LED PAR 64 cans – 24 of them to be exact. So I started scouring the net for something similar that would work with my classic cans and that’s when I came across Partubes!
Partubes do the same job as solid tubes but, for me at least, have a number of advantages. Firstly, there are two different height options and a number of different versions designed for various styles of PAR can, including one that fits my classic LED PAR 64s. Secondly, they aren’t solid tubes. Like many DJs, one of the big issues for me is space, both in terms of storing my gear and also transporting it to and from venues. That’s why these are ideal for mobile DJs like myself.
Partubes are made from flat sheets of a special frosted plastic type of material with a hook and eye (Velcro) seam along the two long edges. You construct the Partube yourself by rolling the sheet into a tube, attaching the two edges with the Velcro, and then simply insert the finished Partube into the top of your PAR can. Like most of the classic-style LED PAR 64 cans, mine have a depth of around 50mm from the top rim of the can to the flat panel containing the actual LEDs, and this is where the Partube fits. It relies on a snug fit between the plastic and the can to hold the tube in place. This means that it doesn’t rattle around. In fact, I’ve even found that I can actually pick up the tube from the top and the can will remain attached at the bottom.
The best part of using Partubes, from my perspective, is that at the end of the night the tubes can be easily turned back into flat sheets and packed flat. 16 of them piled together would only be about 50mm thick. Alternatively, you can roll several of them together and store six or more in pretty much the same amount of space that would be taken up by just one solid tube.
Partubes do the same job as solid tubes but, for me at least, have a number of advantages. Firstly, there are two different height options and a number of different versions designed for various styles of PAR can, including one that fits my classic LED PAR 64s. Secondly, they aren’t solid tubes. Like many DJs, one of the big issues for me is space, both in terms of storing my gear and also transporting it to and from venues. That’s why these are ideal for mobile DJs like myself.
Partubes are made from flat sheets of a special frosted plastic type of material with a hook and eye (Velcro) seam along the two long edges. You construct the Partube yourself by rolling the sheet into a tube, attaching the two edges with the Velcro, and then simply insert the finished Partube into the top of your PAR can. Like most of the classic-style LED PAR 64 cans, mine have a depth of around 50mm from the top rim of the can to the flat panel containing the actual LEDs, and this is where the Partube fits. It relies on a snug fit between the plastic and the can to hold the tube in place. This means that it doesn’t rattle around. In fact, I’ve even found that I can actually pick up the tube from the top and the can will remain attached at the bottom.
The best part of using Partubes, from my perspective, is that at the end of the night the tubes can be easily turned back into flat sheets and packed flat. 16 of them piled together would only be about 50mm thick. Alternatively, you can roll several of them together and store six or more in pretty much the same amount of space that would be taken up by just one solid tube.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 77, Pages 76 - 78.
