Sparkling warm white light and an attractive price tag – that's the Varytec Starstrip 10 Active DMX, an effective, affordable blinder whose reflector lamps boast an exceptionally high CRI value. But that's not all – it also comes with a great range of show effects. On the one hand, the Starstrip, or more precisely each of its ten lamps, can be dimmed individually. On the other hand, the many pre-programmed effects offer a huge range of potential applications at events of all kinds. The Starstrip comes ready-fitted with ten lightbulbs, as well as the brackets and screw-in eyebolts needed for mounting it, meaning that the light can be installed straight out of the box – adjusted to any angle, screwed to walls, or hung from a rig.
Delivering a warm white colour temperature of 2800K, ten reflector bulbs shine out from the Starstrip. The CRI value of 99 means the colour rendering is natural, close to perfect. The metal housing, which is IP20-rated and so designed for indoor use, features an on/off switch and an easily accessible, quick-acting micro fuse (5mm x 20mm, 5A, 250V). The light strip can be controlled using the buttons and a dimmable display on the housing, or via a separate DMX controller on anything from one to ten channels. The device's internal menu includes auto and fade programmes in various tempos as well as 17 strobe effects. Master-slave operation is also possible, for which the blinder has been equipped with a three-pin DMX input and a DMX output. Accordingly, both input and output (implemented as power twist sockets) can be used as the power supply.
Even in stand-alone mode, the Varytec Starstrip 10 Active DMX is capable of putting on quite a show, and beginners will be able to get the automated programmes working without any further equipment. Conveniently, all menu settings are retained when the spotlight is switched off. Club operators can create blinder and strobe effects with variable brightness levels and at different speeds. DMX users will find it particularly easy to assign addresses to each of the ten lights individually and program their own running lights. The Starstrip's power twist connectors lock in place, making it ready to go live anywhere: Club operators can install the reflector strip permanently in a rig or on walls, while bands or DJs on tour can simply prop up the robust metal housing on its brackets, perhaps having transported the lights in one of the cases designed for this very purpose (sold separately).
Over the years, Thomann has greatly enriched its already extensive range of lighting products with its in-house brand Varytec. In addition to LED spotlights, theatre lighting, and moving lights, Varytec offers an arsenal of matching accessories. Tripods, cables, power distributors, and all kinds of other components are, like the lighting solutions themselves, manufactured by well-known names in the field. The firm's direct sales approach, which eliminates intermediate retailers, ensures that all of these products are nevertheless attractively priced. Varytec's range comprises well over 200 items, which will illuminate everything from home-streamer setups to photo studios, theatres, and concert halls.
Also available from Thomann is the Thon Case 4x Showtex Sunstrip, which is tailor-made for storing and transporting Starstrips, and can simply be rolled into the venue. In theatres, these blinders can also be used as classic spotlights, while in clubs they'll provide a bright, flexible backdrop. Stage techs who prefer to use a light control unit for DMX operation, of which there are many available as an accessory, can easily access the automatic programmes in four-channel mode or dim each light individually in ten-channel mode to program their own running lights. And by filling the stage with fine haze or fog, the Starstrip's many effects can be made even more effective.