With CHAUVET DJ’s longstanding innovations of compact, portable and multi-purpose lighting fixtures such as the GigBAR and Swarm series, it’s easy to overlook the other expansive product lines they’ve introduced over the years.

From developments in the Intimidator range of moving heads and scanners, to market-storming revelations like the GoboZap and Obsession, CHAUVET DJ have committed to providing high quality, versatile fixtures. And the Shocker Panel 480 is no different.

The Shocker series was introduced in 2014 with the Shocker 90 IRC, a rounded strobe fixture that offered four-zone control thanks to its four rings of SMD white LEDs, which could be individually controlled for an immersive effect.

The Shocker Panel 180 USB was introduced the year after, following the same basis of a four-zone control but opting for a flat panel as opposed to a rounded design. This meant the zones were separated in equal segments from left to right, instead of the inner to outer rings found on its predecessor. The Shocker Panel 180 USB was also the first in the series to include a USB-A socket for compatibility with CHAUVET DJ’s D-Fi range of wireless lighting control dongles, allowing for master/slave configuration with the D-Fi transceivers or control from your lighting console via the D-Fi Hub.

Since then, CHAUVET DJ have worked on ways to evolve the Shocker range whilst maintaining its legacy. The result is the Shocker Panel 480 – a bolder, brighter fixture to add to the Shocker arsenal.

As the name suggests, the fixture is fitted with 480 cool-white SMD LEDs, which collectively output over 14,000 lumens without anything to concentrate or spread the output of the panel. In fact, for a panel with no lens modification, the Shocker Panel 480 can achieve an impressive beam angle of over 110 degrees with a field angle of over 150 degrees – not bad from just a single fixture.

For those who aren’t familiar with these terms: the field angle is the angle of the output from the light source on a single axis, to which the light source reaches 10% of the highest point of intensity. Whereas the beam angle follows the same principle but to 50% instead of 10%.

With this in mind, it’s easier to understand how the beam angle can be so wide without any amplification to the lens whilst maintaining only 20 degrees between the beam and field angles. To put it short: there’s more light where the light should be and not where it shouldn’t be.
Studying the physical build of the unit, the full metal construction of the Shocker Panel 480 gives a robust feel whilst maintaining a low weight of just over 4kg (per fixture). It features a locking power connector input and passthrough for linking multiple units together, as is the same for the 3-pin XLR socket for the DMX input and passthrough. The safety loop is integrated within the unit’s body instead of being affixed by a separate threaded eyelet (as some fixtures have), reducing a point of failure on the fall arrest, should it come to it.

Also featured is a microphone for sound-to-light modes and a rear-mounted IR sensor. The rear sensor works in conjunction with the forward-facing sensor to allow you to use the IRC-6 remote (sold separately) no matter which side of the unit you’re facing. If you need to prevent unwanted control of the fixture, these sensors can be disabled in the menu.

The menu comes in the form of a segmented LED display with four buttons, providing the simple navigation that’s standard on most lights. This menu is where you can set the DMX address for each unit, and with the only control option being the 4-channel mode, CHAUVET DJ has simplified the process of addressing your fixtures. The four channels control the dimmer, strobe rate, pulse rate, and strobe effects such as lightning flashes and random strobing. The menu also offers a manual mode that allows full control of all the mentioned channels, without the need for DMX lighting control.

We also get access to a sound active mode, further reducing the need for a lighting control solution. The separate sensitivity setting within the menu allows for a more controlled and uniform light show. Meanwhile, another option on the menu lets you choose how the fixture will react when it’s losing DMX signal. This could be holding the last signal received, blacking out the fixture and stopping any output, switching to auto mode, or switching to sound active mode (which follows the sensitivity last set on the fixture).

For a product born into a family of strobe fixtures, it’s also worth asking how well the Shocker Panel 480 performs as a strobe. Other than being immensely bright, it boasts an impressive strobe range of 0 to 28Hz, making a bold statement when compared to the plethora of other available fixtures. CHAUVET DJ have struck a comfortable balance between the effects being fast enough to keep the energy high but not too fast for the human eye to perceive.

I should also remind you that the coverage is very wide for a fixture with no lens amplification; the wide range is achieved by the LEDs alone – impressive from a fixture only rated at 200w maximum draw! On the topic of power, the low draw means up to nine fixtures can be connected on a single 230v supply through their internal wiring (this is reduced to five fixtures on a 120v supply).

To conclude, the Shocker Panel 480 has exceeded my expectations of a fixture at this price point and stands testament to the versatility and legacy of CHAUVET DJ’s Shocker series. It’s a truly well-rounded, compact, yet powerful fixture which shows that CHAUVET DJ are continuing to develop quality products in every market, no matter the budget or purpose.