Control/Dimming Foot pedal for Chauvet Obey 40 DMX controller

Our band uses 8 Chauvet LED Rain 56 RGB cans mounted on two lighting stands, controlled by a Chauvet Obey 40 DMX controller. The LEDRain 56 cans use 7 channels of DMX, and the Obey 40 controls 16 channels, so we've set our fixture addresses at intervals of 16. It all works pretty well, most of the time.

We usually have a FOH sound/light tech who runs the lights, but occasionally we play smaller gigs without the sound/light tech. For these smaller setups, we'd like to be able to run our LED lights from stage with a foot pedal. I'd like to be able to change a couple of static scenes, engage chases, engage the audio sync or a tap sync, and blackout the lights by using a foot pedal.

Ideally, I'd like to locate a programmable DMX foot controller, with sufficient channels to control scenes, make scene changes, switch chases on/off, and engage the audio sync or a tap sync; but there doesn't seem to be such a product on the market. From my research, it seems that using a MIDI foot controller is the only available solution. The Chauvet Obey 40 has MIDI ins and outs, and according to the manual, will respond to MIDI note commands.

Has anyone had experience with this issue? Is there a suitable programmable DMX foot controller for 7 channel LED lights? If not, what is the best MIDI foot controller to send note commands to the Obey 40 for my purposes?

As you can see from our setup, we're not very lighting sophisticated, and we are obviously budget minded.

Thanks for any input on this issue.
 
Why are you set on footpedals? Couldn't you just use a cheap keyboard and do the same thing?
 
Thanks. I forgot to mention that I'm a performing musician. I'm busy playing guitar, singing, and generally dealing with the musician thang during songs and sets. We don't have a keyboard player, or that would be a great way to trigger scene changes, etc. In any event, I'd like to be able to engage some basic light scene changes, chases, and tap tempo changes with a foot pedal during/between songs, and fade to black, or switch to static lower light scenes at the end of songs, which would be most easily accomplished with a foot pedal. (actually, I'm going to assign that task to the bass player, who isn't as busy, and needs more responsibility :grin:). From what I've read at Harmony Central, the Behringer FCB1010 seems to be widely accepted as a suitable foot controller that can send MIDI note changes to the Chauvet Obey 40. It seems that the Obey 40 must be set on "Auto", and the 1010 must be programmed to send the desired note(s) to the controller on each pedal. There's apparently a software download that allows the user to program the 1010 on a computer, which is apparently easier than using the buttons on the unit. It also appears that there may be a way to program the expression pedals on the 1010 to control fades and chase speeds. If anyone has any info on this topic, or knows of a better solution I'd appreciate it. Am I understanding this stuff right? I don't want to get into computer based lighting control, just simple foot control of the Obey 40 DMX controller. I know that our lighting package is pretty low end cheese, but we're just a few steps above garage band! Just this year we moved away from our 16 PAR 38 and 56 gelled cans and dimmer packs, which we actually DID control with a simple foot pedal. Now, with our new LED package, we'd like to recover stage control of the lights for those gigs where we aren't using our sound/light tech. Thanks, Tom
 
Harmony Central would be the place to go with this, if you already have help there I don't think we are going to do you much good. Most of us are in the business of keeping musicians thinking they need to hire us... not to replace us with a foot switch.

Not saying we can't help with this, but very few if any off us have ever worked with midi foot switches or even the Obey 40. Good luck!
 
Harmony Central would be the place to go with this, if you already have help there I don't think we are going to do you much good. Most of us are in the business of keeping musicians thinking they need to hire us... not to replace us with a foot switch.

Not saying we can't help with this, but very few if any off us have ever worked with midi foot switches or even the Obey 40. Good luck!


Thanks. We definitely value our sound/light technician, and after wrestling with DMX lighting issues, I have a profound appreciation for the skills of the lighting pros. A foot switch could NEVER replace our sound/light tech; but sometimes we must suffer through performance situations without his able assistance. Sorry to have cluttered up this site with my lowly musician-based, budget minded lighting questions :oops:.
 
Hi there, I tried using Chauvet with midi, and trust me it doesn't work. The midi data flow is too intense for Chauvets to process. I spoke to Chauvet, and they admitted the midi spec is very limited. I gave up and sent it back. I have tried for ages to find a sensible controller for midi dmx control, and came up with nothing that actually worked. But....I found a unit built by Ryger, called the FLP1 which seemed a great unit, but lacked proper midi control. I contacted them just to enquiry about it, and got into a discussion with their technical guy, who actually listened to what I needed. Result is, they are actually building a proper midi dmx control unit, at a sensible price, and its built in UK, and.. It's built like a tank. Drop Ade at Ryger a line and he will give you the low down. I can't wait to get it as its been a long slog trying to find something that works.
 
Hi there, I tried using Chauvet with midi, and trust me it doesn't work. The midi data flow is too intense for Chauvets to process. I spoke to Chauvet, and they admitted the midi spec is very limited. I gave up and sent it back. I have tried for ages to find a sensible controller for midi dmx control, and came up with nothing that actually worked. But....I found a unit built by Ryger, called the FLP1 which seemed a great unit, but lacked proper midi control. I contacted them just to enquiry about it, and got into a discussion with their technical guy, who actually listened to what I needed. Result is, they are actually building a proper midi dmx control unit, at a sensible price, and its built in UK, and.. It's built like a tank. Drop Ade at Ryger a line and he will give you the low down. I can't wait to get it as its been a long slog trying to find something that works.

I find this a bit odd as I have a number of client bands using midi foot switches to run the Obey 40 without issue.
 
Take a look at the RYGER FL-P1 if you need a simple non midi foot controller for RGB led parcans. It will operate 8 parcans or multiples of. Works with any make of parcans. 100 premade patterns, floods, fades etc Also simple dimming, speed & sound etc. There is another version of this that is fully controlled by midi commands using just program changes to select everything from patterns to brightness, speed, stepping, blackout. It is in the final testing stage at the moment but will be openly available shortly, Pete should be trialing one for us by end of March to see if he can break it! Info at Ryger.co.uk. If it needs something including in it's functionality that you think we have not thought of get in touch & we may be able to add it in to the programming before final release. This midi to DMX controller also has a limited standalone function with 9 accessable patterns inc floods & blackout accessed from buttons on the front panel. Good option for the smaller setup gigs or as a failsafe backup.
 
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Hi. Never tried the footswitch option as it was always too limited, and another thing to stomp on as if a guitar player hasn't enough tap dancing to do!. I wanted midi automation, and the Chauvet just got tied in knots sitting in a midi chain. It couldn't filter the unwanted channels so just went completely out of control. I have been given a prototype of the Ryger midi pro to try out, and have programmed sixty light shows for full midi backings, and it works! I'm going to be buying this when it comes hopefully shortly, as it's the only one I have managed to get working without a hiccup. By the way, it wasn't just the Chauvet that didn't work, I tried American DJ, Stairville and a few others. The only one that coped with midi was a Martin, but that wasn't able to chase etc, only produce static scenes so very limited. The Ryger seems to cope with all the normal scenes and chases etc, plus because of the ability to add manual clocking to the steps, I've found hundreds of extra scenes not even listed in the manual, just by freezing it mid chase. It really is a great bit of kit
 

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