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REVIEWED
Equinox Kaleido
Remember the Beatles… the Summer of Love… the Swinging Sixties? Whether you do or you don’t, at some point during your lifetime – and certainly since you started out as a DJ – you’ll have seen the psychedelic lighting projectors popular during that era in action. But while the first word that pops into your head may well be ‘nostalgia’, with the release of the Equinox Kaleido it seems these retro effects are very much a thing of the present rather than the past…
The merit of old-school effects projectors is a divisive topic amongst mobile DJs – and perhaps for good reason. Some say cheesy, others say retro. Some say ineffective, others say colourful and atmosphere-enhancing. Some may even say they look ‘cheap’ and unprofessional, while others argue that such projectors – especially those currently on the market – are well-made, portable and capable of bringing fun to the party. After testing it out on behalf of Pro Mobile, I believe the latter of these points could certainly apply to the Equinox Kaleido. To what degree, you’ll find out within the following pages.
Created by the Prolight Concepts Group, the Equinox Kaleido is a new decorative projector effect that lets you produce a range of constantly-changing psychedelic patterns, utilizing a 60W white LED source and 3-facet rotating prism in order to do so. The LED is incredibly powerful, which means that the projected effect is highly visible even when it’s not yet dark outside and lots of ambient light seeps through to your function room. This means that when in a properly dark environment, the effect is extremely vivid and punchy. With a variable lens too, Equinox has also ensured that we get plenty of spread, for filling those large spaces, whether wall, ceiling or floor, with moving coloured patterns.
But let’s be honest here: it’s a retro effect that smacks of the good old days when OPTI-style projectors reigned supreme. For this reason, you could say that the Kaleido is a one trick pony, limited in its application. But, actually, it’s incredible how versatile these old-school projector effects can be as part of a modern mobile DJ setup.
The Kaleido isn’t really going to work for a modern-day bride that wants a sleek, minimalistic event when it comes to lighting and decoration. It isn’t going to achieve the same sophisticated look as venue up-lighting or sweeping beams will. However, during the evening reception when you’re banging out old classics for mums, dads and grandparents, the Kaleido can add some really cool tongue-in-cheek psychedelic effects that will bring some nostalgia and fun to the party! It isn’t meant to be a serious effect, rather one that will bring colour and movement to your events. Used at the right times, even at an up-scale wedding, it can be very effective.
Family parties are perhaps the type of event where the Kaleido really comes into its own. While weddings are often more formal, family dos are usually more laid-back, where fun effects like those produced by the Kaleido can really add something to the event. Kids, especially, will love the colours and the patterns, chasing them around the dance-floor as they rotate and morph into new patterns while the music plays.
These psychedelic patterns are also perfect for use at sixties and seventies-themed parties, where guests dressed as Austin Powers and the like will be pulling out the dance moves to match! The Kaleido is also great for those good old golf club get-togethers, Rotary revels and Freemason festivities, where actually this kind of party effect is better than a sweeping beam. The guests at these events, most of whom remember the sixties well, want to let their hair down, have fun and enjoy the party, but don’t want to be blinded by the latest club-style effects flashing into their eyes.
What’s more, the Kaleido is the ideal solution for venues where smoke is not allowed, delivering eye-catching multi-coloured effects that make up for the lack of fog, whether at a family party, wedding, golf club do or retro-themed corporate event. Rather than relying on a dense atmosphere to create mid-air beams, the Kaleido is more suited to adding energy by projecting patterns onto the ceiling, walls or floor of a venue.
The merit of old-school effects projectors is a divisive topic amongst mobile DJs – and perhaps for good reason. Some say cheesy, others say retro. Some say ineffective, others say colourful and atmosphere-enhancing. Some may even say they look ‘cheap’ and unprofessional, while others argue that such projectors – especially those currently on the market – are well-made, portable and capable of bringing fun to the party. After testing it out on behalf of Pro Mobile, I believe the latter of these points could certainly apply to the Equinox Kaleido. To what degree, you’ll find out within the following pages.
Created by the Prolight Concepts Group, the Equinox Kaleido is a new decorative projector effect that lets you produce a range of constantly-changing psychedelic patterns, utilizing a 60W white LED source and 3-facet rotating prism in order to do so. The LED is incredibly powerful, which means that the projected effect is highly visible even when it’s not yet dark outside and lots of ambient light seeps through to your function room. This means that when in a properly dark environment, the effect is extremely vivid and punchy. With a variable lens too, Equinox has also ensured that we get plenty of spread, for filling those large spaces, whether wall, ceiling or floor, with moving coloured patterns.
But let’s be honest here: it’s a retro effect that smacks of the good old days when OPTI-style projectors reigned supreme. For this reason, you could say that the Kaleido is a one trick pony, limited in its application. But, actually, it’s incredible how versatile these old-school projector effects can be as part of a modern mobile DJ setup.
The Kaleido isn’t really going to work for a modern-day bride that wants a sleek, minimalistic event when it comes to lighting and decoration. It isn’t going to achieve the same sophisticated look as venue up-lighting or sweeping beams will. However, during the evening reception when you’re banging out old classics for mums, dads and grandparents, the Kaleido can add some really cool tongue-in-cheek psychedelic effects that will bring some nostalgia and fun to the party! It isn’t meant to be a serious effect, rather one that will bring colour and movement to your events. Used at the right times, even at an up-scale wedding, it can be very effective.
Family parties are perhaps the type of event where the Kaleido really comes into its own. While weddings are often more formal, family dos are usually more laid-back, where fun effects like those produced by the Kaleido can really add something to the event. Kids, especially, will love the colours and the patterns, chasing them around the dance-floor as they rotate and morph into new patterns while the music plays.
These psychedelic patterns are also perfect for use at sixties and seventies-themed parties, where guests dressed as Austin Powers and the like will be pulling out the dance moves to match! The Kaleido is also great for those good old golf club get-togethers, Rotary revels and Freemason festivities, where actually this kind of party effect is better than a sweeping beam. The guests at these events, most of whom remember the sixties well, want to let their hair down, have fun and enjoy the party, but don’t want to be blinded by the latest club-style effects flashing into their eyes.
What’s more, the Kaleido is the ideal solution for venues where smoke is not allowed, delivering eye-catching multi-coloured effects that make up for the lack of fog, whether at a family party, wedding, golf club do or retro-themed corporate event. Rather than relying on a dense atmosphere to create mid-air beams, the Kaleido is more suited to adding energy by projecting patterns onto the ceiling, walls or floor of a venue.
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 74, Pages 84-86.
