CHAUVET DJ COLORstrip Four-Channel DMX-512 LED Linear Wash Light

Most Liked Positive Review

Colorstrip good, but lacks real DMX cont9ro

The colorstrip is a fantastic light fixture for the money - I couldn't believe the amount of light that comes out of them! The built-in chase patterns of the strip are *very* impressive, especially the last sequence which goes through all of the different chase patterns (and is the one seen on the Chauvet website video.) It's also a sound-activated pattern (which isn't shown in the Chauvet video), and it looks fantastic going to the music. However, I did end-up actually *returning* the ColorStrips, and I thought it would be good to share with all of you why: My biggest complaint of the ColorStrip is the extremely limited DMX control available with them. They are only "4-channel" DMX devices, and if you look in the details on the manual (which you can download from their website), you'll see that there's a very limited range of options available to control the device. Basically, DMX channel 1 is used to select between all the built-in programs, and (mostly) get one other channel to control either run speed or chase speed of *that* program. You can't actually go in there to make custom chase programs, because you can't address the different light banks of each LED group individually. If you want to get into that level of detailed DMX control, spend the extra money for the American DJ MegaPixel LED - which is mostly an equivalent product with a much more diverse option of DMX control. On that note, another big problem with the Chauvet is the inability to *dim* the lights. If you're in close proximity to the lights, or they operate in a small room, or if they are directly facing the audience - you may want to dim them. But you can't do that electronically. Finally, the auditory control of the unit is OK - but I found the music had to be pretty darn loud to control it adequately. I had a sub pointing right at the strip, too. The lack of audio input is a pain - especially if the DMX control is so weak. Still, all-in-all, it's a good product for the price, and it will suit the needs of many people for an outstanding party light. (hence the 4-star review.) Enjoy!