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[Scott Moseley]

1st - I'm a musician, forced screaming and kicking to learn a minimal amount about sound (and sometimes run it...).  Last night I picked up:

8 - am. dj P64's ( http://www.americandj.com/product.asp?ProductIDNumber=1558&a mp;cat=L.E.D.)

1 - am. dj operator pro ( http://www.americandj.com/product.asp?ProductIDNumber=1400&a mp;cat=DMX_Controllers)

I read through the manuals to both.  Did a quick search here.  My goal - operate each light independently (I think!!) with the controller (hopefully our board operator will figure it out tonight...but I'd like some info before the show!!).  My hour long experiment last night reveals:

set switch #1 to "on" :  sliders 1-4 have effect on light (1-3 are blue, red, green dimmers, #4 mixes them all)

set switch #2 ot "on" :  sliders 2-5 have effect on light (2-4 are blue, red, green dimmers, #5 mixes them all)

Can anyone give me a quick:  set light one to xxxxxxxx, light two to xxxxxxxx, etc.  just to get me through the show tonight?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Scott

[Tom Manchester]

if you are in a hurry just set them all to channel 1 (dip switch 1 on) and run them all together. i.e. fader 1 controls blue of all the cans, etc.

You can worry more about chases and independent control when you have more time.

[Craig Leerman]

Quote:

1st - I'm a musician, forced screaming and kicking to learn a minimal amount about sound (and sometimes run it...). Last night I picked up:

A good musician, or any performer onstage for that matter,  learns about the presentation aspects of their craft (IE sound, lighting, scenery, etc)  If you need to be forced to learn about the aspects of performing, then maybe its not for you.

Quote:

I read through the manuals to both. <snip> set switch #1 to "on" : sliders 1-4 have effect on light (1-3 are blue, red, green dimmers, #4 mixes them all) set switch #2 ot "on" : sliders 2-5 have effect on light (2-4 are blue, red, green dimmers, #5 mixes them all)

Did you read the part where your lights actually USE 6 channels, not four?  

I only skimmed the PDF manual you linked to, but here is how your lights work.

* Chan 1 controls RED  0-100%
* Chan 2 controls Green 0-100%
* Chan 3 controls Blue 0-100%
* Chan 4 is for Color Machros and chans 1,2,and 3 will not work when you are using chan 4
* Chan 5 does STROBING of the fixture
* Chan 6 does some dimming, color mixing, and turns on the sound active mode

Its all on page 5 of your manual in a BIG CHART at the bottom left of the page.

The online manual does not list any DIPSWITCH setting except that it states "switch dipswitch #1 to the ON position" to run in DMX mode.

As you have figured out, pushing up different switched changes the Starting Address of the fixture.  If you want to have all the fixtures be able to operate independently from others, each one will need 6 chans.

Set the first fixture to chan 1 (1-6)
set the second fixture to chan 7 (7-12)
set the third fixture to chan 13 (13-18)
set the fourth fixture to chan 19 (19-24)
etc.

There should  be a chart to tell you how to address the fixtures either packed in with the lights, inside the manual (its not in the PDF) or even on the rear of the unit.

As long as your controller can control 48 separate channels of DMX, then you can run all the lights separately.

Normally, people will group fixtures onto the same channels so when you operate a control, you affect more than one fixture.

If I were using all 8 fixtures as front lighting, I would group them all on the same channels, or split them into 2 groups.  I would not run each fixture separate as it would make programming much harder.

If you are going to use some in the front, and some in the rear 9or at the sides) then I would place all the front ones on the same control channels, and probably place the rears on the same or on two separate control channels.

In dependant control of every fixture is great, but it will take a lot of programming time to set up a show.

[James Garrard]

http://www.ukslc.org/Technical_Articles/Lighting/Buying_Ligh ting_For_A_Band.html

http://www.ukslc.org/Technical_Articles/Lighting/How_to_set_ up_and_address_DMX_lighting.html

Should help you out a little with dip switches and lighting setup.

[len woelfel]

[quote title=Craig Leerman wrote on Sat, 03 June 2006 16:08]

Quote:

* Chan 1 controls RED  0-100% * Chan 2 controls Green 0-100% * Chan 3 controls Blue 0-100% * Chan 4 is for Color Machros and chans 1,2,and 3 will not work when you are using chan 4 * Chan 5 does STROBING of the fixture * Chan 6 does some dimming, color mixing, and turns on the sound active mode [[snipped]] There should  be a chart to tell you how to address the fixtures either packed in with the lights, inside the manual (its not in the PDF) or even on the rear of the unit.

There should be, but there isn't.  

Based on a recent (bad) experience with them, here's what I remember:

There's only 8 dip switches.  Which theoretically means you can only address to address 255.  Except that we couldn't get them to function at an address that high.  

As Craig pointed out, each light takes 6 channels of dmx.  There used to be a number of free utilities to calculate dip switch settings for you.  I couldn't find any, except this one http://www.paul-pelletier.com/ You want the LD Calculator Lite, which has a bunch of utilities in it, from calculating power draws, to how much space a case will consume in a truck.  

The other way is to do it manually.  

Switch 1 = 1
      2 = 2
      3 = 4
      4 = 8
      5 = 16
      6 = 32
      7 = 64
      8 = 128

So if you want to set a fixture to address 20, turn on switches 5 and 3.  If you want address 99, turn on switches 7, 6, 2, and 1.  [[Edit:  meant address 99, typed 91.  Sorry]]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the highest address these will function at is 128, but I haven't been able to verify that.  Also, I sent an e-mail to ADJ a week or two ago about that question and they haven't responded.  

BTW, where did you buy them?

[Scott Moseley]

Thanks to all for the quick help.  Quick set up so we had 2 sets of lights (4 on a tree - each side).  Set up per Craigs suggestions (above).  The controller seems pretty easy to use and I did make 16 quick scenes, that I put into 2 chases (really basic).  Beauty of these lights is the low power draw and NO HEAT.  Our old pars just cook us on stage.

Len - I got them ($175/can) at a local music store (the owner is a client of mine).

My only complaint so far is that they "seem" fairly fragile.  I've got some cases coming for them - in the meantime, I keep them in the car w/me vs. the trailer.  Why they put the clips for gels on the front...I don't really know.

Scott

[Ron Hebbard]

Hello Scott;

The clips on the front will let you add frost(ed gel) and / or barndoors should the need ever arise.

Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

[Duane Massey]

Len, you are correct, the fixtures only go to #128. I found out the hard way when I installed 16 into a club that already had LJ, and figured I'd just add them on to the end. Ooops! Fortunately there were a bunch of open channels from some fixtures that no longer existed. I really chewed on ADJ about that, but did no good; the fixtures are what they are, and are selling like crazy.

All I want is a fixture that uses 3 channels, Red, Green and Blue. What I would REALLY like is a fixture with RGB and white.
No strobing channels, no pre-programmed crap, just a simple wash fixture. Geez...

[len woelfel]

Duane Massey wrote on Tue, 06 June 2006 14:51

Len, you are correct, the fixtures only go to #128 ...

That's what I thot.  I'm installing a dozen in a club next week (whoopee! - design wasn't my idea, and they have no $$) and I agree, white sux, too many silly features I don't need, etc.  Would be nice if they were switchable between 3 channel mode and 6 channel, but that'd probably boost the cost.  

And I asked ADJ about the address limit 3 weeks ago and never heard back.  

[Duane Massey]

Normally ADJ is pretty responsive, but they've been a little "dodgey" about the LED's. I suspect they've been somewhat surprised at how well they're selling, and also don't know the product very well yet. Chauvet is in a similar situation. I suspect it will all settle out in the next few months.