PA C K : £ Every now and then a new DJ-related product comes along that really catches your eye and the CHAUVET DJ Freedom Sticks definitely fell into this category for me. I first saw them in action at Mobile Beat in Las Vegas early this year, where they were used as part of the ‘house rig’ that CHAUVET DJ provided for the Conference and evening parties. They were also on display on the expo floor and, having seen them up close, I was instantly enamoured by both their portability and impressive internal programming.

7766 Essentially, each Freedom Stick is a long transparent plastic tube that contains a line of equally-spaced LEDs. At the end of this tube is a control box that contains a wireless DMX receiver, pre-programmed pattern circuitry and a rechargeable battery, which means that each Stick can be positioned absolutely anywhere as they offer completely wireless operation. CHAUVET DJ are selling these innovative products in packs of four, supplied in a padded carry case, complete with a four-way charger and infrared remote.

This bundle is known as the Freedom Stick Pack and contains everything needed to integrate this unique effect into a mobile DJ lighting rig. Each Stick is supplied with a Base Plate that allows it to free stand vertically, but the creative potential of this product is much further reaching. Truss clamps are also available (sold separately), which allow Freedom Sticks to be mounted to a lighting rig or used as impressive truss warmers. What’s more, being completely wireless, the Sticks can even be used completely free-standing.

The light-weight tubes can be hand-held for use as Limbo Poles, for example, or laid on a table in front of a DJ’s control equipment. Wherever they are positioned, the Sticks can be set to run static colours or pre-programmed patterns and can also be controlled by DMX for integration into a larger lighting rig, including full pixel-mapping. Each Freedom Stick features 32 0.2W RGB LEDs which are mounted in pairs, with one facing forward and the other facing backwards, at the centre of the clear plastic tube.

This means that from any angle, 360-degrees around the tube, one of the LEDs can be seen. In use, the LEDs are easily visible and eye-catching in daylight and incredibly effective in a dark room. According to CHAUVET DJ’s website, the internal battery is capable of powering the LEDs full-on for up to 8 hours, more than enough to cover the average party. Then, to return the battery to full power, a complete charge takes just 4.5 hours.

The supplied Charger Unit is fitted with an IEC mains input socket and four trailing low voltage DC plugs that fit into the matching sockets on the base of each stick. The Freedom Sticks, Carry Case and Charger have all been designed such that the charging can take place while the Sticks remain inside the case, which is a real bonus. CHAUVET DJ FREEDOM STICK PACK Each individual Freedom Stick measures just over 1.5 metres with its base plate attached.

This makes for an impactful effect, while remaining suitably portable. The Sticks are also light-weight, with the complete Freedom Stick Pack weighing just 7.5kgs. The supplied metal based plates are each fitted with a threaded metal connector which easily screws onto the matching recess located at the bottom of each Freedom Stick. The base plates are both light-weight and compact; they are powder-coated in black and are elegantly formed with curved corners and edges.

Initially, I thought that the plates seemed too small and light to provide a sturdy base, however they are actually quite effective at supporting the tubes; it’s surprising how far over a Stick can be pushed and still pop back upright. Of course if a dancing guest knocked into one with considerable force, it would certainly fall over. At first I thought that having a more substantial base to prevent this would have been a good idea, but then it occurred to me that if the tube was securely anchored to the floor and someone crashed into it, would likely snap.

The Stick would actually be much more likely to survive being knocked over! Therefore, I’d say that the provided base plates are perfectlysuited to their purpose. The Carry Case that is provided as part of the Freedom Stick Pack is ideal for protecting and transporting the set of four Sticks. Its main compartment is very well padded, with individual slots for each of the four tubes to slide into.

It also features two pockets: one for the charger, along with its IEC lead, and the other for the four bases, with individual pockets for each plate. A recessed power switch is located on the bottom of each tube together with a four-digit LED display and corresponding set of four push buttons which CHAUVET DJ FREEDOM STICK PACK CHAUVET DJ FREEDOM STICK PACK allow mode selection and DMX addressing. Static Colour mode allows easy access to seven static colour macros, while the RGB Colour Mixing mode allows any shade to be selected directly from the LED menu.

A wide variety of pre-programmed patterns mean that impressive multi-coloured pulsing and chasing effects are easy to achieve. These can then be customised, either with a user-selected speed or by activating Sound Active mode utilising the internal microphone. There are 21 multi-coloured chase patterns as well as an additional 6 patterns that can be further customised by selecting from a variety of colour options. There are also another 6 patterns specifically intended for wireless Master/Slave operation as well as a choice of four different Slave modes.

Setting up an impressive Master/Slave setup that runs synchronised effects across multiple Freedom Sticks is as easy as selecting a pre-programmed pattern on one Master unit and then any one of the four Slave setting on each subsequent unit. Setting a Slave unit to the first it Slave mode will cause it to mirror the operation of the Master unit, while choosing any of the other three options will cause it to run the same pattern but offset from the Master unit.

The resulting effects - running across four or more Freedom Sticks - is truly stunning, allowing DJs who ‘don’t do DMX’ to achieve impressive and complex synchronised effects with ease. For DJs who do want to make use of DMX control, each tube is fitted with a D-Fi receiver allowing it to receive wireless control signals from a compatible transmitter, such as CHAUVET DJ’s D-Fi Hub. Each Stick can be controlled using a choice of 3, 8, 48 or 50 control channels; with the latter two options offering individual RGB dimming for each LED, allowing for custom pixel-mapped effects to be created.

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