Control/Dimming DMX Switchbox?

danTt

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Premium Member
Hi Friends,

Another venue another set of adventures involving Cue lights. My current space has run enough non dims around the theatre (through Etc Smart Switches) to use said relays for cue lights. The problem that I have at that at the moment, they are controlled through a touch screen panel that also controls house lights (Unison-esque controller, but not particularly important at the moment.. I'm looking to replace this with a little 10-12 channel controller that shoots dmx into the network via a node. Through the wonders of AIP I don't really need addressing capability on the controller, but I'm having trouble finding something that has switches rather than faders and is dmx controlled. I'd love to give my stagemanagers a switch box rather than a light board to do their cue lights from, if I could figure out a method to do so. Has anyone found a switchbox that outputs dmx rather than a light board with faders?
 
Not a solution to the DMX problem, but alternatively if you could run a cable back to the SmartSwitch you could use an ETC SmartLink button station with 10-buttons and a surface-mount box.
 
Not a solution to the DMX problem, but alternatively if you could run a cable back to the SmartSwitch you could use an ETC SmartLink button station with 10-buttons and a surface-mount box.
I'll look into it, the downside is that currently I can tie in to my sensor dimmers too if I need a cue light somewhere the relay is either already taken or doesn't exist. Don't think the smartlink button station could do that?
 
Since you now comment that the relay DMX addresses may change, you thus rule out an ETC device that works as part of the Unison system, as you would be needing to access the Light Manager (or Paradigm) software to re-patch the buttons to those addresses needing to be controlled. That's a PITA and not recommended.

The other option becomes as you first indicated, a stand-alone DMX device that has an easy channel-to-address patch capability, that allows you to re-configure your control.

Any reason you don't just go to a cheap 12 channel single scene fader console ?. I know it's not buttons, but it's easier to find then a custom 10-12 button controller. The Dove Systems IQ512 is an example - http://www.dfd.com/p10a2.html
 
How DIY do you want to go? If you want a prepackaged product what is mentioned above is probably best. Though if you don't mind building something and are good with electronics you could go the Arduino with a button plate and DMX shield route.
More time consuming and involved programming and soldering but is possible and (not taking your time in account) probably cheaper.
 
I don't think the DFD product would work here. I believe it always does a fade in about three seconds. Not what you want for cue lights.
 
I don't think the DFD product would work here. I believe it always does a fade in about three seconds. Not what you want for cue lights.

"a unique fade time, from 0 to 999 seconds"

Agree otherwise and I'm not sure I would use it either as an SM cue button box. Buttons are small.

I'd want a custom thing, good sized buttons that lights up when ON, maybe a master button as well.

The rub is DMX out AND a patch section.

Simplest thing might be a custom with DMX out and a simple dip switch for start address. Then use the node and do a patch in the node to pickup the starting address and patch it in the e-net to whatever relay addresses are needed. The Net 2 (and I presume Net3) configuration software allowed what was known as an Advanced Input Patch that would do this.
 
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"a unique fade time, from 0 to 999 seconds"

Agree otherwise and I'm not sure I would use it either as an SM cue button box. Buttons are small.

I'd want a custom thing, good sized buttons that lights up when ON, maybe a master button as well.

The rub is DMX out AND a patch section.

Simplest thing might be a custom with DMX out and a simple dip switch for start address. Then use the node and do a patch in the node to pickup the starting address and patch it in the e-net to whatever relay addresses are needed. The Net 2 (and I presume Net3) configuration software allowed what was known as an Advanced Input Patch that would do this.

Thanks for the clarification. I was thinking of the older single gang unit.


To the OP. Have you considered a software solution that would let you define buttons on a screen ( either a touch screen or click a mouse)? With many products you can design a button page that would display the pressed / unpressed state and spit out whatever DMX you want. ( I know that our produvpct will do this )
 
1) I thought I was clear in the original post, but it appears I might have been optimisitic. Patching on the device itself is not a huge deal, specifically because of AIP. I have a chauvet 8 channel controller currently running cue lights, but I have a feeling that I'll need more once the season gets going (3 rail 2 downstage 2 upstage 1 sound one conductor already puts me over the limit, before getting show specific).

2) I'm not a huge fan of Software, specifically because with cue lights you'll want to flip an arbitrary amount of switches at once, and I haven't found a software solution that allows it. Currently my cue lights exist on an AMX touch screen with individual buttons for each cue lights and then some definable groups that trigger multiple cue lights at once, but those groups need to be predefined, a limiting factor in a big musical.

I suspect I'll end up making something long term, it just seems crazy to me how expensive it is to get 10-12 switches to output dmx, cheaply.
 
There has recently been talk of using 0-10v to DMX converters.
I don't see any reason why you couldn't use that with switches instead of faders as the voltage source...
I'd probably want a series resistor to limit current, but the hard part is likely to be the metalwork...
 
A Sensor+ can take a SmartLink input with a cute add-on. So that may be a real option.

I like the Pathway analog to DMX, has recordable scenes and lots of tricks.

But it's still several hundred $ or way more. How much is your time worth?
 
It looks like it's something that I'll end up putting on my long term list to make. It just seems crazy that I can get a chauvet obey 70 with 14 faders for $150, and yet I'm looking at about $1000 at a minimum for a switchbox. I'm sure I can talk my stage managers into using faders, it just introduces more room for error depending on the firing point of the relays/dimmers.
 
Here's another thought if you're comfortable poking around inside the board. Start with the light board. Then mount a connector on the back and run wires from the connector to the bump buttons on the board. Next, build a box with switches that will plug into the connector you installed on the board. Wire the switches to simply close one of the bump buttons when turned on. You can now put the light board out of the way someplace and operate it with the new switch box. As a bonus, it can still be used as a light board if needed. And a project box, some switches, some connectors, and wire shouldn't be too insanely expensive.

Ron
 

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