ETC Ion and Chauvet TFX-1500cm

[kaslo]

I currently am in the process of coming up with some ideas for an upcoming design. I am fortunate to have access to a Ion console that my university just purchased and I have been looking through our "toys" that we have. We have some of the TFX-1500cm by Chauvet but no controller. My question is what do i need to have (or have to do) so that they run off my console. I also have some tracklights with there own controller, but was wondering if it was possible to run those off my console.

[NickJones]

You don't need to do much other than to hook them up to your DMX universe & power (non dimmed power) and set the DMX address. Then you go over to your shiny new Ion, and for example you set the DMX address to 1, you then call up channel 1 to full, and the light will output red. Setting that back to 0, and pulling up channel 2 will cause your light to go green, and turning that off and pulling up channel 3 causes you fixture to output blue. And channel 4 will control the intensity of all 3 colors. This is know as RGB Color mixing.

To set the address for your fixture press the "Mode" button on the back of the light and it will change mode once you lift your finger. Keep doing this until the little screen says "RGB&D" this means Red, Green, Blue & Dimmer. Then pressing the Up & Down arrows to set the start DMX address. Your console probably wont have a patch set up as it is new so setting it to channel 500 will mean that by entering 500 will work on your console. As long as it is in the daisy chain. You may need to purchase a 3 pin DMX to 5 pin DMX adapter, you can make them yourself or just buy them from wherever you get your tech gear from.


(If you aren't sure how to set DMX addresses, how to add to your DMX daisy-chained universe, or patching & setting up your console to control them just say and we can talk you through it)

What do you mean by "Tracklights" this can mean domes (Followspots) or the lights that live on little tracks in shop windows.

Hope I helped.
Nick

[NickJones]

Googling provided this it is the Manual for your fixture.
Nick

[jmabray]

Just as a word of warning to you. When I have dealt with Chauvet fixtures in the past with an ION, I found that setting the DMX speed to slow on the ION made the Chavuet fixtures much happier.

YMMV.

[kaslo]

thanks for the feedback, it is appreciated
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[NickJones]

Is there anyone at your Uni that is experienced with moving light programing, we can talk you through setting it up, and how to make the light move, but it gets more dificult as you go along, especialy with device profiles & move when dark functions. Who usualy sorted this out? Are you able to sit down at the console with them for a few hours?
Nick

[kaslo]

nope i am the light guy sadly. my td is out but he is old school and doesnt have much exp with new lighting tech. hes been here or a while 5 yrs or more and they only have the tracks. i do have access to cyberlights at the arena nearby. im a pretty fast learner and moslty self taught or read. but am in the process of diving into all my resources.
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[kaslo]

I have gotten the chauvets to work with my ion console. after some playing and manipulation i figured out how to set them up directly to the console. Im still haveing issues with the trackspots as i dont believe my model is in the console and i dont have the time to try to figure out how to custom to the console. If i still use the Tracks i will probally just set them to music and only use them for certain songs in that mode.

[abbyt]

Which specific trackspots do you have?

[NickJones]

Yeah, the more specific the better, there may be some variations in the addressing.
Nick