New Freedom Flex Stick from CHAUVET

The Freedom Flex Stick X4 is the latest addition to the Chauvet DJ Freedom family of wireless lights. Simply put, it's a set of four LED light "sticks" that can be set up literally anywhere to create a party atmosphere in the blink of an eye.

Each stick has a built-in rechargeable battery, so you do without power cables on stage. The device is designed for mobile DJs, event lighters and anyone who needs effective plug-and-play light columns - you pull it out of the case, put it anywhere and the show is ready!

What can the Freedom Flex Stick X4 do?

The new Freedom Flex Stick X4 combines the features of a decorative LED tube and a fully functional stage effect. One set consists of four freestanding LED posts, each about 152 cm high. Each post hides as many as 92 quad-color (RGB + warm white) LEDs, which means it can shine not only any RGB color, but also true warm white.

This gives you a whole new range of possibilities - you can get more natural white light and pastel shades, which was not offered by previous models based solely on RGB LEDs. More LEDs also mean smoother chase effects and higher brightness.

By comparison, the previous Freedom Stick had 32 RGB LEDs, and its maximum power consumption was about 11 watts - the new model is more than 27 watts of LED power, so you can expect much brighter and more expressive lighting effects.

Power supply

Each stick is battery-powered, giving you complete freedom of placement in the room. The Freedom Flex Stick X4 uses a new, replaceable battery pack - it can be ejected and swapped out in literally seconds, without any tools. In practice, one charge is sufficient for about 6 hours of operation at full power (all LEDs lit) or up to 8 hours for typical color animation or single-color illumination. Importantly, a smart multi-channel charger is included to charge all four batteries at the same time outside the devices. Charging time is reduced to ~3 hours, so the equipment is ready for action again very quickly.

If you need longer uninterrupted light time, the new system gives you the option of connecting up to three batteries simultaneously to a single stickie to extend its operation. In other words - you no longer need to save batteries as you used to.

In the older Freedom Stick, to save money, you could turn off half of the LEDs (180°) and thus gain up to 10 hours of illumination, but this was at the expense of the effect. Now you don't have to make such compromises - an extra battery or a quick pack swap takes care of the problem.

Control

Of course, the Flex Stick X4 is fully wireless in terms of control as well. In each column, you'll find a D-Fi (DMX wireless 2.4 GHz) receiver and transmitter for synchronization with other Chauvet lights.

You can set one stick as master and the others as slave, and they will all work to the rhythm of music or an automatic program - without a single DMX cable (an option for the lazy...). The manufacturer has also provided various control options: from classic DMX control (via a 94-channel mode that allows you to map the diodes in 23 sections, or simpler 4-66 channel modes, to wireless remote control, to a smartphone app (Chauvet FlareCON) or a dedicated RFC-XL remote control.

New compared to its predecessor is the use of a USB-C connector for DMX signals - the traditional 3-pin XLR socket has been replaced by a small USB-C port, to which we connect the included adapter to XLR. This clever solution saved space on the chassis (the post is very narrow), and at the same time gives you the option of wired connection to a DMX controller or connecting several sticks by wire.

The previous Freedom Stick X had standard DMX sockets in the housing, which was convenient, but slightly increased the size. In the new version, despite the lack of built-in sockets, there is no loss of functionality - an adapter is included, so if needed, plug in the DMX cable and you're done. It's worth mentioning that earlier models were sold with a small RF remote control included. This time, Chauvet is betting more on professional applications - the RFC remote control is not included, but if one prefers simpler operation without DMX, one can buy a larger RFC-XL remote control (for grouping multiple devices simultaneously) or use a smartphone/tablet via the FlareCON module.

Differences from previous versions of Freedom Stick

For those who have dealt with earlier generations(Freedom Stick and Freedom Stick X), we summarize below the most important improvements in the Flex X4:

• Power and batteries: the biggest change is the replaceable batteries. Previously, the batteries were built-in - when discharged, you had to plug the whole lamp into the charger and wait a few hours. Now the batteries can be slid out and swapped for charged ones in seconds. The kit comes with four packs and a charging station, so you can charge the spare batteries in parallel, even during an ongoing event. What's more, the Flex Stick X4 allows you to connect several batteries at once to a single device to extend the glow time beyond the standard ~6-8 hours. No more nervously calculating whether the lights will last until the end of the event - now all you need to do is take spare "power banks" with you and you're covered. Let's add that the time for a full charge has been reduced from about 4 hours to 3 hours, so even the battery recharge breaks themselves are shorter.
• Brightness and LEDs: Flex X4 has as many as 92 RGB+WW LEDs per post - almost three times as many as the original model (32 RGB LEDs ). In addition, the new LEDs have a warm white chip, allowing the lamp to generate true white light and a wider color palette. In practice, the new stick shines noticeably brighter (power consumption has increased from ~11 W to 27 W) and allows to create smoother effects - color transitions or running waves of light are smoother thanks to more LED segments. Previously, with only 32 points of light, pixel effects were more abrupt; now, with 92 LEDs, we can achieve the effect of an almost continuous column of light.
• Connecting devices: The Flex Stick offers an interesting design innovation: up to three sticks can be physically connected together to form a single line, creating a light "path" or runway effect on stage. Earlier models functioned only as separate columns - the new mounting clips included in the kit give you the option to build a longer installation (e.g., connecting 3 sticks will give you ~4.5 meters of continuous LED strip). This paves the way for creative use, such as illuminating catwalks, stage edges or decorating the hall in unusual shapes.
• Mobility and accessories: the whole idea of the Freedom series is mobility - no power cables and freedom of positioning. In this respect, each of the models holds the level. What's new with the Flex X4, however, is a more professional approach to transportation: instead of a soft carrying case, you get a sturdy Pelican case with cut-out sponges for each component.
• Accessories: Another improvement is the aforementioned mounting clips for connecting the posts - we get eight of them in the Flex kit, which suggests different mounting configurations (vertical connection, horizontal, or maybe mounting to tripods/traverses). The lamp bases are still detachable as before and have an M10 hole for mounting on clamps, so nothing is lost from the old functionality, but new options are gained. Each stickie comes with a white sleeve (diffuser), which can be put on top of the transparent tube, if desired, to get a second, different look for the device. Such sleeves (frosty) were also available for previous models, but in the new set we have four of them right away in the box.

Why try it?

Freedom Flex Stick X4 is a step forward in the evolution of LED light bars from Chauvet DJ. The manufacturer has clearly listened to the needs of users - the new model is even more versatile, brighter and more convenient to use. The freedom offered by the lack of cables is now even greater thanks to replaceable batteries and fast charging.

It's a device that begs to be taken to an upcoming event and see for yourself if it actually works in practice as it does on paper!