Review & Video: Chauvet DJ Intimidator Wave IRC Lighting

Video Review

Moving head light fixtures, the type with strong, bold colour beams, are a surefire way to upgrade a mobile DJ’s lighting show. But at the very minimum, moving heads work best in multiple units. One beam of coloured light shooting around a ballroom is okay, but add another one, or two… or five?

But hauling around several moving heads and their cabling can be cumbersome. Enter the Chauvet DJ Intimidator Wave IRC: today’s review takes a look at this compact, multiple moving head light fixture.

First impressions and setting up

This fixture combines five sweeping heads into one robust lighting package. At 28″ wide – on average in width when compared to many light bars on the market – it’s fairly compact, considering it’s providing five light fixtures. All those moving parts and most notably the motors to move those parts make the Intimidator Wave IRC Lighting tip the scales at just above 17 pounds.

There are both power and DMX linking capabilities (you can connect four total units together), and the power out on the unit is a traditional three-prong socket. This makes it easy to link additional units with the included power cable while eliminating the need to track down an IEC male to female power cable.

Each fixture has the ability to mix red, green, blue and white colours while the heads can shift all the way up to 270 degrees. As with most lighting fixtures, the Intimidator Wave runs standalone in Auto and Sound Active modes. Additionally, it has two DMX personalities: 14 and 34 channel.

The light can be operated with the control panel, or with an optional IRC-6 remote control.

In use

The Intimidator Wave provides sweeping beams of lights, swaying back and forth only – meaning it does not rotate, a feature that essentially prevents it from being labelled a true moving head.

As a result, when setting it up on a truss or a light tree, you will need to decide if you want that sweeping motion to go up and down or right and left. The heads themselves are not adjustable, so the coverage area will not extend too far beyond the width of the fixture itself. However, it still works in providing dramatic washes of light and is easy to set-up and use.

The full-colour LCD display is simple to navigate and operate. Within the menu, the user can adjust the tilt angle, set program modes, and the DMX address.

The fixture works great on its own, providing 48 different auto programs, which when running in sound active mode, make a great complement to the dance floor.

When running in DMX 14 or 34 channel mode, there seems to be a nearly endless combination of customization from adjusting tilt angle, colour, and tilt speed, even right down to which of the five fixtures you want to see move or remain stationary.

Conclusion

Since moving heads always work best when used in a group, having one fixture that contains five is a big plus in terms of convenience and budget. However, as great as the Intimidator Wave IRC is by itself, I still think its true functions shine when it’s paired with another unit.

Seeing 10 beams of light washing over the dance floor would look exciting, beautiful, and amazing, though that can be an expensive proposition as the unit costs a little under US$600. Also, keep in mind it also works best when used with some type of fog or haze. Without it, you don’t get the true experience this fixture is meant to provide.

What do you think of this light? Is it something you’d want to add to your mobile DJ set-up? Have you tried something similar, or do think you’re already using something better than this? Let us know below.