Embarassing DMX Questions

[Inaki2]

Not ot throw a wrench in here but some scrollers take some stupid math to calculate the address. This is because they use the PSU as part of their channelling, the manuals always have the formulas for them.

Terminators are not always needed, and sometimes can screw things up a bit. They're not an exact science, I know that every book tells you to put them in there "or else", but its not always necessary.

The Maxxyz is a great board by the way. Real easy to use, if you have any previous experience with these kind of boards (ie: more concert oriented than theater) you'll fly on it.

 

[DarSax]

Oh, yeah, that's why I'm getting it, we rented one last year and it took three high school kids with no prior experience and one college kid who had only looked at the manual about two days to be able to work it, with no outside help. Love that thing.

Unfortuatnely, for the show with scrollers that's coming up, I'm going to have to use an Express 24/48 or 125, so now I have to learn to work with those.

 

[soundlight]

I know that the LD at a festival that I went to used an Express 24/48, and set all of the faders to focus points on the scrollers, groups of wash pars, effects, chases, or scroller PS.

 

[DarSax]

Well, my director insists that we actually run the show completely with cues, so that means go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go etc, with no faders. Which I suppose will be easier for the scrollers, since I can just type into the console exactly where I want it to go.


Right? Heh.

 

[Footer]

Well, my director insists that we actually run the show completely with cues, so that means go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go etc, with no faders. Which I suppose will be easier for the scrollers, since I can just type into the console exactly where I want it to go.
Right? Heh.

The only time subs should ever be used in theatre (rehearsed theatre at least) is if they are linked to cues or they are inhibitive (usually on a touring show of some kind). There is no reason that an operator should ever have to do more then push go. period. Using subs for programing is fine, but when the show is before a house the go button is your only friend.

Also another helpful bit on running scrollers on an expresion console: When you patche your fixtures patch them in groups of 24, ie if your fixture is on 1, put your scroller of that fixture on 25, This will save you a ton of time while staring at your monitor. Also you can link the scroller to the fixture under channel attributes (11 under setup, then hit link softkey). What this will do is devide your trackpad into two seperate parts, one side controlling the scroll the other controlling the dim. While you are doing this remember that strand will actually allow you two bind the scoller to the dimmer via an attribute value....

 

[soundlight]

I meant the fader suggestion as a programming aid, not as a show tool. I understand that it is much better to run a theater show from cues. But hey, whatever works!

 

[DarSax]

Heh. Heheheheeheh. Ehehhhehee, Footer. I've run what...three shows now on a two scene preset? 45 Seconds from Broadway, West Side Story, and The Miracle Worker. Eheheeheh. (Hey so it worked well, gimme a break, this is the first time we've written cues, ever.)

Anyways. With the 1/25 thing, I'm assuming you do that just for organization, so doing it like 1/35 2/36 or whateve rwould be about the same, right? (I have 32 dimmers, so that'd make it simple).

I'm so excited, too, because we're going to use bubble machines and possibly fog/haze, and for the first time, I might actually be able to run those directly THROUGH THE BOARD! THINK of the possibilities.

Oh, by the way, I'm using an Expression 125, not a 24/48. (Though that is rather trivial)

Anyways, I'm going to draw up (whoo mspaint!) how I'm planning on hooking this show up, if you guys could tell me if what I have looks good I'd be eternally greatful.

By the way. I'm not sure if my director is going to end up including them or not, but he is thinking of bringing in two moving heads (specifically Studio Spot 575s, which are fine for my purposes and it's what our local rental place has). I'll have the option of either running those through the Express 125 (channels should not come close to being a problem, what with my paltry aforementioned 32 dimmers) or through a computer with Light Jockey. I know from browsing on these forums that using the Express to control ML's is a big pain, but if I can program in the cues, it'd be a big plus on the operating level. Thoughts?

 

[Footer]

Heh. Heheheheeheh. Ehehhhehee, Footer. I've run what...three shows now on a two scene preset? 45 Seconds from Broadway, West Side Story, and The Miracle Worker. Eheheeheh. (Hey so it worked well, gimme a break, this is the first time we've written cues, ever.)
Anyways. With the 1/25 thing, I'm assuming you do that just for organization, so doing it like 1/35 2/36 or whateve rwould be about the same, right? (I have 32 dimmers, so that'd make it simple).
I'm so excited, too, because we're going to use bubble machines and possibly fog/haze, and for the first time, I might actually be able to run those directly THROUGH THE BOARD! THINK of the possibilities.
Oh, by the way, I'm using an Expression 125, not a 24/48. (Though that is rather trivial)
Anyways, I'm going to draw up (whoo mspaint!) how I'm planning on hooking this show up, if you guys could tell me if what I have looks good I'd be eternally greatful.
By the way. I'm not sure if my director is going to end up including them or not, but he is thinking of bringing in two moving heads (specifically Studio Spot 575s, which are fine for my purposes and it's what our local rental place has). I'll have the option of either running those through the Express 125 (channels should not come close to being a problem, what with my paltry aforementioned 32 dimmers) or through a computer with Light Jockey. I know from browsing on these forums that using the Express to control ML's is a big pain, but if I can program in the cues, it'd be a big plus on the operating level. Thoughts?

Go with one board, and learn somethnig from it. The reason i do the +24 thing is to keep the control channel on top of the scroller channel. So say I have 24 scrollers on 24 fixtures, each with their own dimmer. The first fixture would be patched to 1 and its scroll would be on 25, the 2nd ch 2 and its scroll 26 and so on. The expression line does 24 ch. per row on the monitor, so this will group them correctly. You will have to softpatch those values in however.

 

[DarSax]

Ah, the monitor part was what I was missing. That makes a lot of sense actually, very nice.

And you say one board? All right, I'll see how that works out (the show's not for many months, and I don't even know if we're renting the movers, so only time will tell on that one; if it's too much of a pain, I might just have one of my lackeys (who's probably going to end up reading this, so hi) run the LJ while I run the Express. Whatever.)

 

[Inaki2]

LJ? For theater? Weeiiirddddd

 

[len]

LJ? For theater? Weeiiirddddd

Atypical, but I don't think it's weird. Programming would be a bit of a pain, but making a cue list wouldn't be difficult at all. Just make each scene, save it. Load to a transparent cue, then load cues to a cue list and sit and punch "go." I've done it on a couple shows.

 

[DarSax]

Quick question. If I was to replace a couple of the color scrollers with Studio Colors. How'd I program in the CMY? Is it hard on the Express?

 

[zac850]

I think the term would be ungainly, not hard.

The Express line, while it does not have encoders, will not make it terribly difficult to program movers, just make it slightly more time consuming then other consoles.

You can download the profile for the Color Command, patch it into the console and when you select whatever fixture number it will pop up with the pages of commands, and you can fairly easily page between them, using the track-pad to enter everything.

I would suggest you download the Offline Editor (http://www.etcconnect.com/product.downloads.asp?ID=20195) and set it up for the Express 125. You can also download the profiles for the movers (http://www.etcconnect.com/product.downloads.asp?ID=20012) and patch them all together, and see how everything works. Heck, if you have a floppy drive you can even do your entire patch and save it as a show file on your computer, then load it up onto the console.

Remember, the Express has focus points, it has a track-pad as an encoder, so while it won't be as nice as if you had a GrandMA, it is doable.

 

[DarSax]

Ah, gotcha. Thanks.

 

[DarSax]

Just a quick question. This has nothign to do with DMX, but since I kind of self-hijacked my own thread to make it about the show I'm doing, I haff a question.

About how many lux do you need to make colored light appear on a surface in theater? That is, if I have a wash of the stage up, and I have cyc lights on in the back, about how many lux do they have to be illuminating for the color to show up? Thoughts?

 

[zac850]

There are many variables with that. Mainly, how bright is everything else. For instance, if your stage is pitch black, a very dim cyc will be very visable, but if your stage is lit very brightly, the cyc will be harder to see.

Distance the audience is from the surface is also a factor. Someone else may be able to give you a number, but it is a rather difficult question.