Strand Mantrix Manual

[gpag]

i was wondering if anyone knew where i could find a strand mantrix 2 user manual, or if anyone could possibly describe process of programming one of those. Thanks

[Footer]

http://www.strandlight.com/US/Index.htm

Look under support/manuals/past products

[Van]

Follow footers link, but as I remember from runnign one for four years in college there is no "programming" involved in the Mantrix 2. It has a keypad for doing a soft patch, and assigning percentage levels to dimmers in the patch, but no real programming. There is a hold button once a cue is set on one scene, and pressing and hold the assign button under a particular submaster while running the sub from 0 to 100 will assign what ever levels are active to that submaster, but that's really it. Oh and there is that sucky twirley timer for setting fade times.
I once ran a 45 minute show with 58 cues in it on a Mantrix2 with 64channels, most exhausting thing I've ever done.

[dbn]

There are still some of these in use. :-)

I think there is a Channel / Submaster switch on the rear apron, to allow the Scene X channel faders to become submasters. To record the submaster, you push and hold the green illuminated button, run the submaster up to 100 and back to 0 then push the green button again to confirm.

There is also a scene hold feature, that allows you to have a "2.5" scene preset board. You push the green scene hold button, and it "locks" the current scene into memory, which allows you to clear that scene and preset it for another cue. As you cross fade to the other (non-locked) scene, the scene lock releases.

AFAIK, all of these boards use the AMX-192 protocol.

[sound_nerd]

Can anyone confirm the protocol that the Strand Mantrix runs on? I'm currently working on a show in a venue I won't see until the load in date, and that's the house console. Now, of course they have no idea what it is, so I'm turning to you, the controlbooth crew, for my answer.
I plan on taking in a Pearl, but I want to convert the house dimmers to dmx to match the half rack I'm providing....thoughts?

[Van]

any idea what the house dimmers are ? As far as I remember the Mantrix I used to run was AMX -192. And so you know it is only a 2 scene preset with hold buttons which effectivly means you can have an active cue plus 3 more ready to go. No storing cues. so if your show is on a programmed boarded you are going to need to print out good old fashioned cue sheets to run that show.

[Footer]

mmm... two scene preset from a avo... that'll be a blast for ya... you'll need this drawing... I suggest you make a few of varying sizes....

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I would give them a ring and have them unplug the board, see if there is 4 pins or 5, and then have them get a converter. If you are just trying to use their FOH stuff, ever ran two consoles at once? Otherwise you are going to need a black box of some sort. This is also why I always do that "House supplies a DMX input into house lighting system" in the rider, its ignored half the time, but eh its worth a try.

[sound_nerd]

Originally Posted by Van

any idea what the house dimmers are ? As far as I remember the Mantrix I used to run was AMX -192. And so you know it is only a 2 scene preset with hold buttons which effectivly means you can have an active cue plus 3 more ready to go. No storing cues. so if your show is on a programmed boarded you are going to need to print out good old fashioned cue sheets to run that show.

Van,
House dimmer is an older CD80 half rack. I'm pretty sure the old cd80's were AMX. As far as my research goes, 100% analog CD80's are very few and far between. I'm familiar with the Mantrix as far as operation and whatnot, but I can't remember the protocol. I plan on using the board that I've been using on the road so far, Avo Pearl 2000, so I'm curious as to what protocol I need to convert from. Thanks!

[sound_nerd]

Originally Posted by Footer4321

mmm... two scene preset from a avo... that'll be a blast for ya... you'll need this drawing... I suggest you make a few of varying sizes....
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I would give them a ring and have them unplug the board, see if there is 4 pins or 5, and then have them get a converter. If you are just trying to use their FOH stuff, ever ran two consoles at once? Otherwise you are going to need a black box of some sort. This is also why I always do that "House supplies a DMX input into house lighting system" in the rider, its ignored half the time, but eh its worth a try.

Footer,
It's not that I want to run 2 scene preset from the Avo, it's far from that. The house console is a Mantrix, which is a 2 scene preset. I need to use my console (and the rest of the tour rig) in place of theirs. The problem that I can see happening is that their dimmers aren't DMX. Pretty sure they're AMX, just wanted to confirm that the old Mantrix/CD80 rigs were in fact AMX.
Thanks man.

[Footer]

Originally Posted by sound_nerd

Footer,
It's not that I want to run 2 scene preset from the Avo, it's far from that. The house console is a Mantrix, which is a 2 scene preset. I need to use my console (and the rest of the tour rig) in place of theirs. The problem that I can see happening is that their dimmers aren't DMX. Pretty sure they're AMX, just wanted to confirm that the old Mantrix/CD80 rigs were in fact AMX.
Thanks man.

That console only outputs AMX, and I bet that their dimmers have not been updated. The worse part is that they use that stupid mini XLR jack, so keep that in mind if you are using a black box. What I have done in the past in situations such as this that I can not get a black box in and/or get my own power to where I need it in the house is to run my console for my stuff, and their console two scene (or 2.5 scene preset) for their gear. It sucks to do, but sometimes its the only option.