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REVIEWED
REVIEWED: CHAUVET DJ LED Shadow 2 ILS
UV or not UV? That is the question. Over the years, trends in neon/ultraviolet parties in the mobile world have been unpredictable. Some suppliers specialise in these types of events, some offer this service as an addition to a pre-existing event, whilst others refuse to set foot near them for a multitude of reasons.
UV fixtures tend to resonate more in the market for larger events. Filling festival fields with ultraviolet light to see tens of thousands of people glow in an array of colours is, in many minds, the epitome of what UV can achieve. So, what happens when this type of effect is aimed towards the DJ market? How does a manufacturer take a professional fixture suited to a very specific purpose and translate that to an entirely different consumer base?
I can’t speak for many brands and their processes. But what I can say is that CHAUVET DJ seem to have got it down to a tee with the brand-new LED Shadow 2 ILS – the next generation UV panel fixture in the Shadow series.
In 2006, CHAUVET DJ introduced the LED Shadow to the world: a slim LED UV panel that was revolutionary in the world of LED UV fixtures. Its impact was so big that 25 LED Shadows went on the road with Coldplay for their 2011-2012 world tour, following the release of their Mylo Xyloto album, despite the fixtures being five years old by that point. The LED Shadow still hold its place in the market 16 years down the line, despite being discontinued in 2021.
CHAUVET DJ’s research and development team certainly had their work cut out if they were to create a successful follow-up. So, with all factors considered and a plethora of new features added, the LED Shadow 2 ILS was born.
You may be wondering, what exactly does ILS stand for?
No, it has nothing to do with aviation.
It stands for ‘integrated lighting system’ and CHAUVET DJ’s new system completely raises the bar for automatic control. With quicker and easier control solutions being launched over the past few years, the ILS seems to answer one question: how can a manufacturer make lighting control easier and more efficient for the mobile DJ market?
Well, by taking away the lighting control and allowing the lighting to control itself! We’re not talking about the well-known concept of linking multiple identical fixture together so they mimic or mirror each other’s automated programs, but a new method whereby the processing for the entire lightshow sits inside one fixture.
This starts by having a core fixture that controls what every other fixture does – the brain of the system. And what better fixture to fill this role than the dynamic, versatile, yet compact ‘lighting rig in a box’ – the GigBAR Move + ILS. Most of us are aware of the GigBAR’s capabilities and combination effects, so it makes sense to create a new version to head up the entire ecosystem for every fixture within the ILS range to follow, whether strobe, derby, wash, moving head or even an ultraviolet panel. These fixtures follow the programs set by the GigBAR Move + ILS and keep all effects in accordance, without the need for an external lighting control solution.
But the brilliant ILS integration is not the only thing that impressed me about the LED Shadow 2 ILS.
Since its predecessor, the face of the panel has changed by using lenses as opposed to a glass pane over the front of the LEDs. This contributes to the wider beam angle of 32 degrees from the fixture’s 18 3w LEDs, in turn an improvement on the LED Shadow’s 192 0.25w LEDs, which produced a beam angle of 28 degrees. Exceeding results like this show us how far LED technology has progressed in recent years.
One aspect of the LED Shadow that CHAUVET DJ has continued with the LED Shadow 2 ILS is the wavelength of the LEDs. Both fixtures offer a 405nm LED wavelength and the reason is simply because the human eye can’t see ultraviolet light. UV light is categorised based on the wavelength in the spectrum, with the boundary between visible light and UV-A sitting at 400nm. Being 5nm above that boundary allows the fixture to shine a visible light in a wavelength that’s close to ultraviolet, without it washing out at a higher wavelength which blends from violet to blue. This isn’t so much of a technical restriction than a scientific one.
Science lesson over, let’s get back to business. The LED Shadow 2 ILS is housed in a plastic casing with a metal scissor yoke that allows you to hang the fixture or angle it up from the ground.
Combined with the slim profile of 55mm, the plastic casing adds to the low weight of just 2.8kg – much lighter than expected for a fixture as powerful as this.
You’ll find IEC input and passthrough at the back of the unit, which enables up to 20 units to connect to a single 230v supply, along with 3-pin XLR sockets for DMX input and passthrough. CHAUVET DJ also gives us: an integrated safety loop to attach appropriate fall arrest, a segmented LCD menu display with four control buttons, D-Fi USB sockets for use with D-Fi wireless lighting control, and one of the two IR receivers (the other is found on the front for easy multi-angle control via the optional IRC-6 remote).
Lastly, CHAUVET DJ have added a heat sink on the rear to allow for effective cooling and silent operation in sound-sensitive environments.
Scrolling through the menu, you have a wide range of control options for easy operation of the LED Shadow 2 ILS. Set the DMX address within the 4-channel mode. Choose between six automatic programs with controllable speeds. Use the sound active mode to replicate the automatic programs whilst also enjoying control over the sound sensitivity. The menu also allows you to manually control the dimmer and strobe functions, activate ILS mode, and enable or disable the IR receivers to prevent unwanted control of the unit. There’s also a reset option to restore the LED Shadow 2 ILS to its factory default settings.
The 4-channel DMX mode gives you control over the program channel, program speed in the second channel, strobe controls in the third channel, with the dimmer for the fixture taking the fourth and final channel. With all fixtures running in 4-channel mode it is possible to use 128 of these units on a single DMX universe.
Of course, it couldn’t be a true UV test without finding every fluorescent item around the warehouse and pointing the fixture at them – and find every fluorescent item we did! Following a job on Monday evening, we proceeded to test the LED Shadow 2 ILS at 1am in a blacked-out warehouse, searching for just about anything that glows, finding things like fluorescent console tapes on cases and shelves, glowing pairs of pearly teeth, and some… interesting stains. (We even went to the lengths of writing names in console tape on the side of the building, much to the amusement of the lorry drivers parked up for the night.) The LED Shadow 2 ILS illuminated every item effortlessly and from great distances.
The CHAUVET DJ LED Shadow 2 ILS has more than exceeded my expectations for a fixture designed to supersede the legendary LED Shadow and carry on the legacy the predecessor was known for globally. The LED Shadow reached various markets due to its versatility, quality, power, and efficiency – and I’ve no doubt the new LED Shadow 2 ILS will achieve similar success.
Congratulations, CHAUVET DJ, for raising the bar yet again and setting a new standard for future LED UV fixtures to follow.
UV fixtures tend to resonate more in the market for larger events. Filling festival fields with ultraviolet light to see tens of thousands of people glow in an array of colours is, in many minds, the epitome of what UV can achieve. So, what happens when this type of effect is aimed towards the DJ market? How does a manufacturer take a professional fixture suited to a very specific purpose and translate that to an entirely different consumer base?
I can’t speak for many brands and their processes. But what I can say is that CHAUVET DJ seem to have got it down to a tee with the brand-new LED Shadow 2 ILS – the next generation UV panel fixture in the Shadow series.
In 2006, CHAUVET DJ introduced the LED Shadow to the world: a slim LED UV panel that was revolutionary in the world of LED UV fixtures. Its impact was so big that 25 LED Shadows went on the road with Coldplay for their 2011-2012 world tour, following the release of their Mylo Xyloto album, despite the fixtures being five years old by that point. The LED Shadow still hold its place in the market 16 years down the line, despite being discontinued in 2021.
CHAUVET DJ’s research and development team certainly had their work cut out if they were to create a successful follow-up. So, with all factors considered and a plethora of new features added, the LED Shadow 2 ILS was born.
You may be wondering, what exactly does ILS stand for?
No, it has nothing to do with aviation.
It stands for ‘integrated lighting system’ and CHAUVET DJ’s new system completely raises the bar for automatic control. With quicker and easier control solutions being launched over the past few years, the ILS seems to answer one question: how can a manufacturer make lighting control easier and more efficient for the mobile DJ market?
Well, by taking away the lighting control and allowing the lighting to control itself! We’re not talking about the well-known concept of linking multiple identical fixture together so they mimic or mirror each other’s automated programs, but a new method whereby the processing for the entire lightshow sits inside one fixture.
This starts by having a core fixture that controls what every other fixture does – the brain of the system. And what better fixture to fill this role than the dynamic, versatile, yet compact ‘lighting rig in a box’ – the GigBAR Move + ILS. Most of us are aware of the GigBAR’s capabilities and combination effects, so it makes sense to create a new version to head up the entire ecosystem for every fixture within the ILS range to follow, whether strobe, derby, wash, moving head or even an ultraviolet panel. These fixtures follow the programs set by the GigBAR Move + ILS and keep all effects in accordance, without the need for an external lighting control solution.
But the brilliant ILS integration is not the only thing that impressed me about the LED Shadow 2 ILS.
Since its predecessor, the face of the panel has changed by using lenses as opposed to a glass pane over the front of the LEDs. This contributes to the wider beam angle of 32 degrees from the fixture’s 18 3w LEDs, in turn an improvement on the LED Shadow’s 192 0.25w LEDs, which produced a beam angle of 28 degrees. Exceeding results like this show us how far LED technology has progressed in recent years.
One aspect of the LED Shadow that CHAUVET DJ has continued with the LED Shadow 2 ILS is the wavelength of the LEDs. Both fixtures offer a 405nm LED wavelength and the reason is simply because the human eye can’t see ultraviolet light. UV light is categorised based on the wavelength in the spectrum, with the boundary between visible light and UV-A sitting at 400nm. Being 5nm above that boundary allows the fixture to shine a visible light in a wavelength that’s close to ultraviolet, without it washing out at a higher wavelength which blends from violet to blue. This isn’t so much of a technical restriction than a scientific one.
Science lesson over, let’s get back to business. The LED Shadow 2 ILS is housed in a plastic casing with a metal scissor yoke that allows you to hang the fixture or angle it up from the ground.
Combined with the slim profile of 55mm, the plastic casing adds to the low weight of just 2.8kg – much lighter than expected for a fixture as powerful as this.
You’ll find IEC input and passthrough at the back of the unit, which enables up to 20 units to connect to a single 230v supply, along with 3-pin XLR sockets for DMX input and passthrough. CHAUVET DJ also gives us: an integrated safety loop to attach appropriate fall arrest, a segmented LCD menu display with four control buttons, D-Fi USB sockets for use with D-Fi wireless lighting control, and one of the two IR receivers (the other is found on the front for easy multi-angle control via the optional IRC-6 remote).
Lastly, CHAUVET DJ have added a heat sink on the rear to allow for effective cooling and silent operation in sound-sensitive environments.
Scrolling through the menu, you have a wide range of control options for easy operation of the LED Shadow 2 ILS. Set the DMX address within the 4-channel mode. Choose between six automatic programs with controllable speeds. Use the sound active mode to replicate the automatic programs whilst also enjoying control over the sound sensitivity. The menu also allows you to manually control the dimmer and strobe functions, activate ILS mode, and enable or disable the IR receivers to prevent unwanted control of the unit. There’s also a reset option to restore the LED Shadow 2 ILS to its factory default settings.
The 4-channel DMX mode gives you control over the program channel, program speed in the second channel, strobe controls in the third channel, with the dimmer for the fixture taking the fourth and final channel. With all fixtures running in 4-channel mode it is possible to use 128 of these units on a single DMX universe.
Of course, it couldn’t be a true UV test without finding every fluorescent item around the warehouse and pointing the fixture at them – and find every fluorescent item we did! Following a job on Monday evening, we proceeded to test the LED Shadow 2 ILS at 1am in a blacked-out warehouse, searching for just about anything that glows, finding things like fluorescent console tapes on cases and shelves, glowing pairs of pearly teeth, and some… interesting stains. (We even went to the lengths of writing names in console tape on the side of the building, much to the amusement of the lorry drivers parked up for the night.) The LED Shadow 2 ILS illuminated every item effortlessly and from great distances.
The CHAUVET DJ LED Shadow 2 ILS has more than exceeded my expectations for a fixture designed to supersede the legendary LED Shadow and carry on the legacy the predecessor was known for globally. The LED Shadow reached various markets due to its versatility, quality, power, and efficiency – and I’ve no doubt the new LED Shadow 2 ILS will achieve similar success.
Congratulations, CHAUVET DJ, for raising the bar yet again and setting a new standard for future LED UV fixtures to follow.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 115, Pages 78-80.
