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Light Up The Nightlife With Dance Floor Filling Centerpiece Effects

Whether you are a mobile DJ or entertainer with a portable rig or run a nightclub with a permanently-installed system, having a centerpiece to your lightshow is a great way to give it a central focus. Specific centerpiece fixtures have been around for years, since the early days of lighting effects, however just recently here at ADJ we’ve introduced some exciting new units that I think are truly stunning. Perhaps your lightshow doesn’t currently have a centerpiece, or maybe you have one that’s ready to be updated, either way these new ADJ products are well worth considering.

For a fixed installation – in a club, bar or ultra-lounge – there are a number of options for incorporating a centerpiece effect into your lightshow. It could be positioned directly above the dancefloor to draw attention in to the dancing or it could be positioned above the DJ booth, which is especially effective if your venue plays host to ‘name’ guest DJs. Equally it could be setup in the middle of the stage, if you have one, or in a location that highlights the architecture of your space – at the top of a high ceiling for example.

If you operate a mobile lightshow, you may be more limited when it comes to the positioning of your lighting fixtures. Most mobile DJs position their centerpiece in the middle of their rig – either in the center of a ‘goalpost’ stand or on a centrally-located truss pillar – so that it sits above their DJ booth. However, some larger operators – working at corporate events, proms and even weddings – will construct a truss structure that sits over the dance floor, allowing lighting to surround the dancers with the centerpiece taking pride of place right in the middle up above the floor.

Wherever you choose to position your centerpiece, there are a few things to look out for when selecting the right effect to become the linchpin of your lightshow. First of all, you’ll want something that is powerful enough to hold its own against the rest of your fixtures, and ideally cut through just a little brighter. Wow-factor is also key; something that stands out from the rest of your fixtures and, ideally, is a little different for anything else your clientele have seen, will work well. Finally - if your rig is mobile – size, weight and portability are also going to be important considerations.

The brand new ADJ Ninja 5RX ticks all of these boxes. First of all, it is powered by an incredibly bright Philips Platinum 5R lamp, which allows it to generate immensely sharp and potent beams. Secondly, it generates a unique effect, using four internal tilting mirrors that move independently to scatter dozens of beams – in a range of colors – around a room, stage or dancefloor. Finally, weighing just 22lbs (10kg) and measuring 13.25” x 12.25” x 13” (340 x 313 x 333mm) it is an easily portable fixture ideal for taking out on the road. The impressive effects generated by the Ninja 5RX are hard to describe, so to get a real feel for what this unit has to offer I recommend checking out our YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhgmJnu8l0k.

The next fixture I wanted to mention is our immensely popular Warlock. This is a moonflower effect with a barrel-mirrored scanner powered by a Philips Platinum 2R discharge lamp. This isn’t a new effect; barrel-mirror scanners have long been used to provide the centerpiece to lightshows, but for good reason. Blasting out countless color-saturated beams of light that spin and shoot over a wide area, this effect is the perfect lightshow centerpiece, especially for accompanying fast-paced dance music. If you haven’t already, I suggest you take a look at this video showing the Warlock in action to see what it has to offer your lightshow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwH2-nH5oOE.

Finally, I wanted to mention the phenomenally popular ADJ Kaos. This is a very distinctive lighting unit that is ideal for use as a centerpiece. Featuring a rotating base onto which three independently tilting bars are mounted, the Kaos incorporates nine 10W RGBW CREE LEDs – three on each bar – which project narrow 5-degree beams of light. The combination of the sweeping and spinning movements make this a truly unique effect that can either be mounted vertically, with the beams shooting out forwards, or horizontally above a dancefloor so that the beams project down onto the dancers. Again, it is hard to do justice to the Kaos’ effect in words, so I’d recommend taking a look at our YouTube video to fully appreciate what this unique fixture is capable of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aqVPNIrF2g.

If you’re thinking of adding a centerpiece to your lightshow for the first time, or upgrading an existing fixture, the ADJ Ninja 5RX, Warlock and Kaos are all well worth considering. Whatever fixture you choose; putting a powerful, distinctive and energetic effect at the heart of your lightshow will give it focus and help it to connect with the crowds on the dancefloor which, after all, is exactly what a good lightshow should do.

To learn more about the Ninja 5RX, visit: http://www.adj.com/ninja-5rx

To learn more about the Warlock, visit: http://www.adj.com/warlock

To learn more about the Kaos, visit: http://www.adj.com/kaos

- Alfred Gonzales is the National Sales Manger at ADJ USA  

For more information Contact ADJ:
U.S. Office - Tel: 800-322-6337/+1-323-582-2650 • Web: www.adj.com