ETC Express 72/144 channels vrs 1024 dimmers

Our Express 72/144 has 240 channels and 1024 dimmers. Other than attaching multiple dimmers to a channel, is there any other way that we can utilize the extra dimmers?
Uhhh..... unless I am totally misunderstanding your question, the dimmers are in your dimmer rack somewhere, not in your console. There would not be "extra dimmers".... it's the number of dimmers you have. From the way you are phrasing the question, you may have only 96 dimmers, less than 96 dimmers, or a couple of hundred dimmers. The number of stage circuits you have will be an indicator of how many dimmers there are if you have a dimmer-per-circuit system.
EDIT: Just figured out that you might mean "How do I assign ONLY one dimmer to a channel ?" instead of the usual 1:1 patch where the dimmers start wrapping around after dimmer 240 to chan 240.
Answer: patch any unused dimmer to chan 0, where it will sit there at the end of the patch list and not be connected to anything. Note-- you can also limit the number of dimmers in use by going to System Settings and just entering the number of dimmers you actually have.
 
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Yeah, 1024 dimmers would be a lot, for Sensor racks that would be more than 10 of the largest cabinet.
 
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I'm pretty certain OP meant it could output 1024 dmx addresses (which the console considers dimmers), but only has 240 discrete control channels.

For OP, I had luck back in the day of writing macros to set dimmers to particular outputs (on/off for relays, or particular percentages for scrollers) without using up control channels.
 
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Get a new console. Thats about it. The really just put a second universe on that console because it was easy to do. A dimming install of more then 240 dimmers is pretty rare in any place that came with an express. If you are hitting the limit with moving lights and such its time to get a new desk.
 
Uhhh..... unless I am totally misunderstanding your question, the dimmers are in your dimmer rack somewhere, not in your console. There would not be "extra dimmers".... it's the number of dimmers you have. From the way you are phrasing the question, you may have only 96 dimmers, less than 96 dimmers, or a couple of hundred dimmers. The number of stage circuits you have will be an indicator of how many dimmers there are if you have a dimmer-per-circuit system.
EDIT: Just figured out that you might mean "How do I assign ONLY one dimmer to a channel ?" instead of the usual 1:1 patch where the dimmers start wrapping around after dimmer 240 to chan 240.
Answer: patch any unused dimmer to chan 0, where it will sit there at the end of the patch list and not be connected to anything. Note-- you can also limit the number of dimmers in use by going to System Settings and just entering the number of dimmers you actually have.
In the express, the dimmers are dmx addresses. On a one to one patch, I have used a total of 240 dmx addresses for 240 channels. . How can I use the balance of my dmx addresses or are the dead unless I patch multiple addresses to the channels.N
Get a new console. Thats about it. The really just put a second universe on that console because it was easy to do. A dimming install of more then 240 dimmers is pretty rare in any place that came with an express. If you are hitting the limit with moving lights and such its time to get a new desk.
Non-profit with no money. If I could, I'd have an ETC ion by now.
 
In the express, the dimmers are dmx addresses. On a one to one patch, I have used a total of 240 dmx addresses for 240 channels. . How can I use the balance of my dmx addresses or are the dead unless I patch multiple addresses to the channels.N

Non-profit with no money. If I could, I'd have an ETC ion by now.

You can't. You have 240 channels and thats it. You just happen to have 1024 DMX slots to play with. This limit is true on pretty much every console, especially in the world of ACN/Artnet. You can run 20 universes out of pretty much any modern console... but the hardware will be limited to so many parameters/channels/heads/whatevers.
 
Non-profit with no money. If I could, I'd have an ETC ion by now.
If you or someone involved is a student or educator, then the Education Package from ETC is worth considering. $250 plus a laptop normally gets you two full universes of control. It looks like they're currently having a parts shortage, so it's now $200 for the usb license without the Gadget--which is the device that provides DMX connectors. In order to get a physical DMX output you could use any sACN (or Art-Net) gateway) instead. DMX King has some relatively inexpensive ones that I've heard good things about.
 
If you or someone involved is a student or educator, then the Education Package from ETC is worth considering. $250 plus a laptop normally gets you two full universes of control. It looks like they're currently having a parts shortage, so it's now $200 for the usb license without the Gadget--which is the device that provides DMX connectors. In order to get a physical DMX output you could use any sACN (or Art-Net) gateway) instead. DMX King has some relatively inexpensive ones that I've heard good things about.
I *thought* that you had to use only [edit:]The Gadget with Nomad, no? Am I misremembering?

Might that limitation only have been on the edu package?
 
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I *thought* that you had to use their puck with Nomad, no? Am I misremembering?

Might that limitation only have been on the edu package?

There are some confusing and often misused terms. "Nomad" is just what ETC calls Eos software running on something other than a dedicated console. It can be used as an offline editor for free, but in order to connect to a system as a client or be used as a primary controller you need to purchase a USB license key. With just that license you can output level information via sACN or Art-Net. If you want physical DMX outputs, then you can add the Gadget--which is a USB to DMX device, with the current version having two DMX ports. You could also use any ETC or 3rd party gateway to convert from one of the network protocols to DMX. Incidentally, you can also use a Gadget with a console if you want more DMX ports at the desk. Everything kind of mixes and matches depending on your particular needs.

The Nomad Puck is a small form factor computer running a stripped down version of Windows plus the Eos software--basically the guts of a console without any buttons or faders. Nomad Puck (and consoles) include the license key internally, so you don't have to buy that separately. In order to output DMX you would still need some combination of Gadget(s) and/or Gateways since Puck doesn't have any DMX ports.

So in summary:
  • Nomad + Gadget doesn't do much
  • Nomad + license is network-only output (or client)
  • Nomad + license + Gadget is fully functional with local DMX output
The student package is (or usually is) a combination of a USB license and Gadget at the regular list price of the Gadget by itself. There aren't really any limitations other than needing to prove you're eligible as an educator or student. Currently it looks like they can't get parts to make Gadgets, so they're offering the USB license key by itself for $200 instead.
 
Yup, you were right: I didn't realize the Puck was not the Gagdet; hadn't looked at the hardware recently.

Now I just have to get my instructor/LD to not leave the USB key behind.

I told him to go buy a 2foot orange USB A extension cable, and tape the dongle into it.
 
Add a Tile to it. Even if it is left behind it can be found again. If it's stolen that's another problem.

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