Chauvet Swarm Users

[OllieJames]

Hi all,

This light caught my eye whilst searching through some sites.

I'm considering buying a cheap, lightweight effect to use on my bigger rigs instead of barrel scanners, and using the barrels instead of my scanners for smaller gigs, older audiences or when I can't use smoke.

Have you of you got one of these? If so - is it bright compared to your other fixtures? I'm considering using one alongside my four dynamos.

Thanks a lot,
Ollie

[Shaun]

They're a nice 'filler' effect, but really need haze/smoke to get the best out of them. Not the brightest in the world, but they are outstanding value for money.

[OllieJames]

They're a nice 'filler' effect, but really need haze/smoke to get the best out of them. Not the brightest in the world, but they are outstanding value for money.

Hi Shaun,

Luckily I can use smoke most of the time.

The reason I like it is that for younger gigs/bigger gigs it appears that it can strobe really well, it's got a wide spread and it'll fill the gaps.

For older audiences it can be slowed down via DMX and it fills the gaps.

At most it'd be used with 4 scans and 2 magic gobos as a fill effect and to use as a 'mid-air' effect with smoke to switch between the scanners.

[Shaun]

Sounds like it'll fit perfectly into your current setup. You'll be harder pushed to find a better effect at the price range it's in.

[djdave01]

ive got a pair too, never use smoke but they give off a decent light if the rooms dark enough.

i just run mine linked together, one master, one slave, sound activated.

Definatly cant go wrong for the money

[OllieJames]

Sounds like it'll fit perfectly into your current setup. You'll be harder pushed to find a better effect at the price range it's in.


ive got a pair too, never use smoke but they give off a decent light if the rooms dark enough.

i just run mine linked together, one master, one slave, sound activated.

Definatly cant go wrong for the money

Thanks chaps!

I'll be running it DMX anyway through ShowXpress, so will be able to slow it down nicely too! Will see if I can get a demo from somewhere before I buy it.

Cheers!

[discomobiledj]

Was Gear4djs not doing a deal on these recently?

[gear4djs]

Was Gear4djs not doing a deal on these recently?

Yes you are correct!

We had them exclusively in the UK and they are very popular. Great to hear good feedback on the units. We only have 1 unit left though!

http://www.gear4djs.co.uk/product/Swarm_DMX_9W_LED_DJ_Light_J67539

[discomobiledj]

Yes you are correct!

We had them exclusively in the UK and they are very popular. Great to hear good feedback on the units. We only have 1 unit left though!

http://www.gear4djs.co.uk/product/Swarm_DMX_9W_LED_DJ_Light_J67539

Do I get that last one for the plug? :D

[gear4djs]

I'm not sure I would get away with that! :p


Do I get that last one for the plug? :D

[Corabar Steve]

Looking at the possibility of getting some of these.

Does anyone know if all of the sound to light / master/slave settings have a strobe, or are there any that don't strobe?

Looking at the video they seem to strobe, but I would rather use them without them strobing or having to use a DMX controller to stop them.

[yourdj]

got the tri phase and they are great for early evening on slow (always get positive remarks even on a masonic dinner dance i did last week) and good on fast . With smoke they are awesome as the beams cut and circle a bit like a laser.

I use CA8 and find them limited especially the strobe which i think is pants and never use it - but dmx control should sort that?

[Corabar Steve]

Thanks, but I want to know specifically about the Swarm (I know Tri Phase is a similar light, but none of them are identical & each have their own little foibles (as shown with the ImpossibLED & it's clones)), in particular if any of it's onboard settings / programs don't strobe.

As in I want to turn it on & leave it on & not have it strobe at all between turning it on & turning it off.

Also if I do this, does it have any sort of internal memory so that I don't have to set it to a non strobing program each time I turn it on?

[Shaun]

Hi Steve,

The swarm has strobing built into the sound to light function. It seems to strobe quite a lot too.

[Corabar Steve]

Cheers Shaun.

Back to the drawing board then.

[Shaun]

Steve,

Have a look into the acme invincibleds. Much the same light but with a brighter output. They work great with the CA8 controller which gives you a lot more control. The slow setting doesn't strobe and is beautiful for 1st dances etc. The swarms are great little units but I opted for the acme ones in the end.

[OllieJames]

Steve,

Have a look into the acme invincibleds. Much the same light but with a brighter output. They work great with the CA8 controller which gives you a lot more control. The slow setting doesn't strobe and is beautiful for 1st dances etc. The swarms are great little units but I opted for the acme ones in the end.

I was speaking to Matt (Spin Mobile) the other day about the Swarms and Invincibleds as he has both. Matt was saying that when using two Swarms they were bright and covered a large room, but it only took one Invincibled to do the same job.

[Shaun]

That's sounds about right, Ollie.

[Corabar Steve]

Thanks, looking at various options at the moment

[spin mobile disco]

They do remember the last setting used Steve if that helps . I set it on slow rotate when it recieves no signal and it does it all the time unless changed. They are as bright as a tri phase or Invicibled but do not have quite the beam angle.

[OllieJames]

They do remember the last setting used Steve if that helps . I set it on slow rotate when it recieves no signal and it does it all the time unless changed. They are as bright as a tri phase or Invicibled but do not have quite the beam angle.

The Swarms are considerably bigger than the InvincibLEDs aren't they?

[spin mobile disco]

No not really they are about an inch bigger across but not that noticable.

[Shaun]

They are as bright as a tri phase or Invicibled but do not have quite the beam angle.

The swarms were nowhere near as bright as the invibleds when I did a side by side comparison. Are your invincibleds the 10watt version?

[spin mobile disco]

Yes, the brightness is the same but the image is smaller with the swarm so it looks dimmer when compared.