Elation DMX programmer console shorted out...any ideas for replacements?

[fastdelslow]

As you read in the title my board is gone> Looking for something to replace it, but I dont want to have to replace again, ya know? Looking at hogs and the like but too far out of my price range. Im just looking to controll about 8-12 movers + about 16 conventionals for my private events. Any ideas on what would do the job without breaking the bank?

Thanks,

 

[len]

The quick answer is pc based software. Most of the actual software is free to download. The expense comes from a hardware dongle which you'll have to buy. Not all dongles work with all software. And they range in price from almost nothing to nearly $2,000. I've never used it but a lot of people seem to like Chamsys. Hog makes a pc version, Martin makes LightJockey and some newer products, Elation has something, and there's a host of others.

 

[RickR]

I haven't had the chance yet to play with Luminair from SyntheFX but I want to do so. Highly graphical and intuitive or at least it seems so.

It's iPad or iPhone only and looks like a nice small system with the advantage of being wireless. It'll cost about $1000 unless you already own the iPad. The key hardware is a gateway ethernet to DMX device.

 

[AhClem]

If you want to try a PC based solution, you can also look over the BlueLite X1 system. Software is free for download, but as len mentioned above, it is designed to be used with the X1 or X1-Mini hardware.

 

[malsell]

My suggestion would be no matter what you pick, make sure you have some type of optical isolation from your controller. I had an opto-iso come back from a concert "winter tour" with one output completely burned and all the other outputs having issues because a cheap Chinese light shorted out dmx to 110Vac. If that had been able to travel back to the Vista console we would have been out more than the $100 for the new opto and the 10 minutes it took to fix the light.