In the highly competitive lighting industry, it’s difficult to stay in the lead. What most sets CHAUVET DJ apart—besides the innovative products that the company creates—is its dedication to staying on top of the needs of the entertainers and companies buying its lighting products. With entertainers increasingly being asked to set up and break down their gear in a heartbeat, it’s become “a must” to have products that are not only affordable but that also incorporate all the latest lighting and wireless technology in one easy package. And that’s why CHAUVET DJ decided to roll out its latest product offering: the GigBAR IRC.
CHAUVET DJ started out modestly enough, first selling novelty products that included rope lights. The company, guided by its pioneering spirit, progressed to become one of the first lighting companies to adopt LED technology in fixtures; then, it went on to win the “Best Big Booth Award” for a booth lit entirely with LEDs at LDI. It was a genuine first. Both a domestic and an international player in the market, CHAUVET DJ, which is based in Sunrise FL, now has facilities in Los Angeles and boasts operations in the U.K., Belgium and Mexico, as well.
As noted, the company prides itself on its ongoing, one-on-one engagement with its customers. Instead of creating a product and then convincing customers of its value, the company instead seeks to create a product for its customers. To facilitate that, CHAUVET DJ interacts with them daily through social-media platforms, as well as at trade shows on an ongoing basis. Paying close attention to what these individuals and businesses say they need out of a product in order to advance and thrive, the company gathers feedback and advice from its customers. This “intelligence” informs ongoing product development.
CHAUVET DJ’s lighting customers consistently want the products they purchase to be affordable, versatile and mobile, in addition to being fast and powerful. Taking into account these specific characteristics, the lighting company conceptualized and then developed the GigBAR IRC. It took the team about six months to complete the product and get it out to market, once the idea for the all-in-one lighting system was put into motion.
Prior to discussing the GigBAR IRC, a brief nod to the products that led to its development is in order. The most important features cultivated for this product were those from previous product offerings that were easy to set up and break down: pack-and-go products that began with the company’s 4BAR, 4PLAY and EZ series. Let’s take a brief look at each of the predecessor products, in turn: the 4BAR includes a 15-channel DMX system; a three-foot pedal switch; an adjustable tripod; a packing bag and transport case; and 108 red, green and blue LEDs per light, as well as built-in automated and sound-activated programs accessible with the foot switch. The 4PLAY is a light bar that is equipped with four LED moonflowers, each containing red, green, blue and white LEDs for rotating beams, with six channels of DMX control, and built-in automated and sound-activated programs. It fits onto most standard tripods, including the 4BAR Tripod. The EZ series includes easy-to-use, battery-powered lasers and wash lights.
Advancing on those previous products, the GigBAR IRC comes with four essential lighting fixtures: a pair of LED Derby-style effect lights, a pair of LED pars, a laser and a strobe effect, all mounted onto a single control bar. In line with customer demand, it maintains ease of setup and breakdown for mobile entertainers who are looking to create a dynamic lighting experience for their event with convenience as a top-level priority, and it comes equipped with a wireless footswitch controller, carry bags and a tripod, as well as trademark built-in automated and sound-activated programs. It includes four effects, so the mobile entertainer can plan a complete show with a minimum of extra programming. In addition, the GigBAR IRC can be controlled four different ways: from the display, via IRC-6 remote control, through wireless footswitch or via DMX. Multiple units can be power-linked to save time, helping users to avoid running cables or extension cords.
The most suitable end users for the GigBAR IRC are DJs, bands and mobile entertainers who move around a lot for gigs and who, in addition, need a product that fits well in compact spaces. Thus far, feedback has been very positive, with one well-known customer in particular, DJ Ryan Fabian of Tah-Dah Productions, located in California, even modifying the GigBAR IRC to create what he calls his “Tower of Power” by mounting other units to it, as well. The company encourages, and is heartened by, the innovation it sees from its customers. Innovation, after all, has been—and continues to be—a core principle that CHAUVET DJ endorses and seeks to perpetuate, thus allowing the company to take its products to the next level.
You might say that that’s the company’s “guiding light.”