quote:Ask Alfred
Technology never rests; that’s why there’s never been a better time to be a better time to be a mobile entertainer. ADJ continues to work on enhancing even the best, most popular products in the industry. Alfred Gonzales, our straight talking national sales manager, explains why there’s no other way for a supplier – or a DJ – to operate in today’s fast moving world.
American DJ has always been a revolutionary innovator pushing the envelope to develop new products and make current fixtures even better – but does it still make sense to push this way in today’s economy?
“It makes more sense than ever, for a number of good reasons. It doesn’t matter if you’re a supplier or a working DJ, you can’t stand still and play it safe even if the economy is challenging. People expect new things from us, because we are in the entertainment business, so it’s up to us to deliver.”
You said it makes more sense than ever to innovate today, why is that?
“Well for one thing incorporating new products into your show winds up saving you money. New technology usually lets you do things more efficiently at a lower cost – and that’s always good, but never more so than when things are tight. Take LED fixtures as a prime example; they have much lower power draws, lower maintenance costs and longer lamp life so they end up lowering your operating costs.”
On the positive side, does new technology let you do more cool things?
“Yes, absolutely – new advances in the form of LED and Tri Color Technology allow you to do much more in the form of creating a wide range of richer more vibrant colors. Other advances let you bring more effects to a simple fixture without having to use sophisticated programming. All of this combines to help you make your show more exciting. This is critically important, because as a mobile entertainer, you’re competing with computer games, social networks, movies, and every other exciting form of entertainment for the consumer’s attention. You should keep your light show fresh and vibrant to stand out from the pack so you can reach people.”
Do you have examples of popular ADJ products that were reinvented with new technology?
“There are many; two that come to mind are the DJ Scan 250 and Fusion Scan 250. Both were very successful products that were given extreme makeovers - -not because they weren’t doing well, but because we found innovative ways to make them even more exciting.”
Can you elaborate?
“Ok, let’s start with the DJ Scan, which is a 250-watt scanner. It is now called the DJ Scan 250 EX. The difference between the pervious product and the DJ Scan EX is that the DJ Scan EX has 5 DMX channels instead of 4. The DJ Scan 250 EX also has 2 new effects – a Fast Strobe and a Gobo Shake, plus 4 exciting new colors, to bring the total number of colors to 11.”
What about the Fusion Scan EX?
“The Fusion Scan EX is a 250-watt scanner/4.9mW green laser combo. It has also been outfitted with an added DMX channel, so it now has 6, as well as the new Fast Strobe and Gobo Shake and four new colors. Like the DJ Scan 250 EX is also has 10 gobo plus spots. 250-watt scanner/4.9mW green laser combo
Another new innovation on both products is called the Pan/Tilt Inversion Mode. This kicks in when four units are running together master-slave. Instead of all four scanners moving in sync, as is typically the case with master-slave operation, units 1 and 3 will sync together, while units 2 and 4 move in the opposite direction, in the exact mirror image of the other two. This makes it look like the scanners are “dancing” with each other and gives the appearance of a more sophisticated light show, one that would typically require DMX programming – yet it’s done completely without a controller!
“Additionally, the casing has been upgraded on the new units to better withstand the rigors of mobile use. Whereas the previous models were housed in plastic, the DJ Scan 250 EX and Fusion Scan 250 EX have cases made of more sturdy, rugged metal, yet each weighs only a pound more (12 lbs.) than its predecessor.”
It sounds like the DJ Scan 250 EX and Fusion Scan 250 EX can do a lot more than their predecessors, but is there a higher price tag to go along with these enhancements?
“Not really, the DJ Scan 250 EX costs only a very little more , and the Fusion Scan 250 EX is the same exact price as its predecessor. These advances aren’t made with the idea of moving customers up to higher priced goods, they’re made to help our customers keep up with changing times.”
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