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Basic DMX (3 pin) controller for LED fixtures
Mike Monte:
Hello all,
I provide sound for local events and have a basic/spartan/archaic lighting rig; sixteen par38 cans with 150watt LED dimmable bulbs, 4 colors, 415 dimmer packs, all run with a DMX Operator Pro board.
The above is old/clunky but it works for my use
however
I would like to streamline my set up somewhat.
A while back I purchased eight PAR64 3-color LED fixtures but have yet to use them.
I have three questions (take it easy on my as I am a sound guy.....).
#1. Can I use the LED multi-color fixtures with my DMX Operator Pro (program Scenes, Chases), three pin DMX cable, link the fixtures, etc.
#2. If yes, How do I program the fixtures to sync with the board?
or
#3. Can you recommend a lighting board for multi-color LED's, one that can program scenes/chases/& has an audio input to sync with music
I would like to use what I have if I can....(#1).
I am not interested in movers/lazers, etc.
Please advise.
Paul G. OBrien:
--- Quote from: Mike Monte on September 18, 2022, 09:04:22 PM ---I have three questions (take it easy on my as I am a sound guy.....).
#1. Can I use the LED multi-color fixtures with my DMX Operator Pro (program Scenes, Chases), three pin DMX cable, link the fixtures, etc.
#2. If yes, How do I program the fixtures to sync with the board?
or
#3. Can you recommend a lighting board for multi-color LED's, one that can program scenes/chases/& has an audio input to sync with music
--- End quote ---
#1) Yes
#2) On your board there are 8 fixture buttons, these are used to select fixtures you want to use in a program. There are 16 control channels available to each of these fixture buttons and these correlate to DMX addresses. Fix#1 uses DMX addresses 1-16, Fix#2 uses 17-32, etc. So all you have to do to make a light fixture like your par cans communicate correctly with the controller is set the DMX address on the fixture to a starting addresses that correspond to one of those buttons. So for example set the first fixture to address #1, set the second to address #17, set the third to Address #49, and so on, connect all the fixtures together and to the controller with cable and turn everything on. Now you select the buttons for the fixtures you want to set to a color by pressing the fixture buttons.. like all the odd numbered fixtures for example, and if these are simple 3ch fixtures then slider 1 will be red intensity, 2 will be green, 3 will be blue, and those 3 sliders will set the same color on all the selected fixtures. Next deselect those fixtures and select all the even numbered fixtures and set them to a different color, you can now save this as a scene if you are in programming mode.
3) Your controller has all these features, have you not used them or did you just want something more compact or with more features built-in? Have a look at the controller linked below, it is specifically designed for pars with some effects generation capability built in.. which saves on programming.
https://www.steinigke.de/en/mpn70064575-eurolite-dmx-led-color-chief-controller.html
Tommy Nikiforov:
Eventhough those small dmx faderboards do work , its dreadful to program and you cant do many fancy things with them.
I would suggest an artnet node and a laptop with ChamSys MagicQ , Obsidian Onyx or MaDOT2 for a "modern" and "proper" lighting control solution on the cheap.
John Schalk:
--- Quote from: Paul G. OBrien on September 18, 2022, 11:15:25 PM ---Have a look at the controller linked below, it is specifically designed for pars with some effects generation capability built in.. which saves on programming.
https://www.steinigke.de/en/mpn70064575-eurolite-dmx-led-color-chief-controller.html
--- End quote ---
I am in pretty much the same place as the OP. I have a hand-me-down DMX Operator console by ADJ that works, but is incredibly unintuitive to use, at least for me. I think I'll end up going with a software solution eventually, but I am willing to invest up to $200 in a small console if I can find something better that these Operator clones. For example, on my board, if you have some channels up to record a scene, and then you want to make a new look and move the sliders, nothing happens until you "zero them out" by turning off the fixture buttons and moving the faders to full and then back to zero. There is probably a logical reason for this, but it's just strange to me. Are the Chauvet Obey consoles any easier to use?
Paul G. OBrien:
--- Quote from: John Schalk on September 19, 2022, 10:12:53 AM --- Are the Chauvet Obey consoles any easier to use?
--- End quote ---
No it's a variation of the same thing. Every controller has quirks that are part of the programming logic and in general the cheaper the product the more basic the logic.. you generally don't get iPhone 14 features in a $200 android and that applies even more to a cheap clone product.
I currently have an Obey6 and two Blizzard ProKontrol MH consoles, used to have a couple different Operator controllers.. one with a joystick and one without, and one of those cheap chinese clones. Of those the chinese clone was the worst to use and the Blizzard is the best by quite a margin. When I'm doing lighting myself I use software(Freestyler) but if I have to provide lighting for a DJ the Blizzard controllers are used because punching a few buttons is easier for them than fumbling with software they are unfamiliar with.
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