Martin MX-4 on ETC Express 48/96

[kylethegeek]

Alright, before I get into this, I don't know anything about moving heads, or scanners, in this case, so please excuse my lack of education on this topic. While I was looking for some more source four leko's in the back closet, (I still don't know why they were back there, and neither does my TD) and I stumbled upon 4 Martin MX-4 scanners. I asked my TD if I could try and patch them into our ETC Express 48/96, and he said sure, if I could figure it out. At one point, apparently we did have them working with the board, but when my current TD took over he took them out, and forgot how to patch them back into the board. With that, he also cannot find the terminator. (That's another project, and I will go looking for that, and hopefully find it. If not, I'll order another one)
My question is, how do I patch these into our board? I was looking through the profiles, and we have a profile named "Mscan" so I figure that it is the profile for those lights.

System information:
ETC Express 48/96
Strand Dimmer Rack with ~150 dimmers

Board Config (I take it that every port is a universe, although I could be wrong):
DMX Universe 1 (0-512)- DMX to Strand Dimmer rack
DMX Universe 2? (512-1024)- DMX to Catwalk 2 (Where the scanners would be. The line is already run)

I'm bascailly just looking for all the info I can on these. I know the board is not the best for these, but it is the only thing that I have at the moment.

Thank you very much!

P.S. Some information is probably off, as I am not at the venue, and I can't remember it. I will be there on Monday, however.

 

[lwinters630]

My question is, how do I patch these into our board? I was looking through the profiles, and we have a profile named "Mscan" so I figure that it is the profile for those lights.


I'm bascailly just looking for all the info I can on these. I know the board is not the best for these, but it is the only thing that I have at the moment.

The express will handle them and you are on the right track. If the profile is already in the express then go to settings /15 patch moving lights / 2 fixture patch / s1 select fixture 1 enter. Then lable fixture, start chanel, dmx start address. Remember to pick port (universe) 2. Add the next fixture. I believe the martin will have either 1,6 or 7 channels. Be sure to address the starting address on the fixture to match.

You can modify the personality and encoder settings to get them closer to the way you like. In the stage view, select s8 fixture and a box will pop up, use arrows and track pad to adjust values. Track pad has a course/fine toggle and also acts as the x/y wheel depending on how you set the encoder.

If you put them on manual slider channels you can just slide them up (I am guessing you are out of channels sliders). Other tricks is to use macros, groups or subs or focus points, also use cues to just hold martin "looks" then use [group cue] to merge it in.

I am also not at a board but I looked at the off line editor and this should get you going. The ETC manual also will help.

 

[kylethegeek]

The express will handle them and you are on the right track. If the profile is already in the express then go to settings /15 patch moving lights / 2 fixture patch / s1 select fixture 1 enter. Then lable fixture, start chanel, dmx start address.

Yep... that's the next problem. I can't seem how to figure out how to do this.
Let's just say... I accidently patched it into the wrong channels, and I wiped out the whole board, so... Yeah. I'd rather trust someone here than do that again
(For futures sake, I do have a backup of the board config and patches now)

You can modify the personality and encoder settings to get them closer to the way you like. In the stage view, select s8 fixture and a box will pop up, use arrows and track pad to adjust values. Track pad has a course/fine toggle and also acts as the x/y wheel depending on how you set the encoder.

Thank you VERY much. I've been trying to figure out how to do that as well. For some reason, I either read over it, or didn't see it, but in my ETC manual, and the Martin MX-4 manual that I printed off, (Now in a binder, apparently we had one, but being a public school... it grew legs and walked away...)

 

[derekleffew]

Programming Moving Lights on an ETC Express(ion) - ControlBooth

 

[kylethegeek]

Programming Moving Lights on an ETC Express(ion) - ControlBooth

Thank you! When I go in tomorrow, I'll try this out!

 

[lwinters630]

Kyle you are about an hour west of me, PM me and I will send you my email or phone #. If you have saved the entire show to disk(s). Then you are safe.

Go ahead and try the moving light patching, then you will see if it worked and can always reload your saved show. If you use the EOL editor you can load your show and do it off line, save it and bring it back in to your board. If you change/edit personalities, be sure a copy is on the disk when you reload it. I use the Insight on the EOL so I can label things.

Most important, have fun. Everything can be fixed . . . . .

side note, are you interested in buying the entire set for Les Miserable HS? We are starting build for our spring 2013 show and will sell it when we are done.

 

[kylethegeek]

Kyle you are about an hour west of me, PM me and I will send you my email or phone #. If you have saved the entire show to disk(s). Then you are safe.

Go ahead and try the moving light patching, then you will see if it worked and can always reload your saved show. If you use the EOL editor you can load your show and do it off line, save it and bring it back in to your board. If you change/edit personalities, be sure a copy is on the disk when you reload it. I use the Insight on the EOL so I can label things.

Most important, have fun. Everything can be fixed . . . . .

side note, are you interested in buying the entire set for Les Miserable HS? We are starting build for our spring 2013 show and will sell it when we are done.

Alright, I will do that. I made a copy of the board about a month ago, and after I did wipe the board by accident by patching the movers into our primary washes, and erasing all of our patches, I've learned that whenever I experiment with the board, to make a copy. Haha.
I've been trying to patch them into the board for about a month with no avail. I did get the lights synced up together though.

side note, are you interested in buying the entire set for Les Miserable HS? We are starting build for our spring 2013 show and will sell it when we are done.

Probably not, as we've done Les Mis already, and I don't think we're looking at doing it anytime soon. But thanks for the offer!

 

[kylethegeek]

Alright. I am at the board currently. We have 144 dimmers. I'm trying to patch into the board, and I've done the setup, and all of that. My current problem is adressing the lights, and getting the board to communicate with that addressing. I am getting the error "WARNING: No dimmers left on port"
This is where I'm at. When I was working with the offline program last night, I could get them patched in, but I take it that's because I was using 1024 dimmers, and not 144 like I am now. I have it set to Port 2, and then channel 305 for what I have on the DIP switches on the lights. (1:1 2:0 3:0 4:0 5:1 6:1 7:0 8:0 9:0 10:0)

 

[millamber]

Go into setup, system settings, and set number of dimmers to 1024. By plugging the MX-4 into port 2, the console is looking for dimmers 513-1024 and not finding them.

 

[derekleffew]

On the Setup/System Settings screen, set #of Dimmers to 1024. It's probably set at 144. Under Port Configuration, make sure that Port#2 is set to start at 513.

... and then channel 305 for what I have on the DIP switches on the lights. (1:1 2:0 3:0 4:0 5:1 6:1 7:0 8:0 9:0 10:0)

Those switch settings make DMX "dimmer" / output address 049. If they're the only things on Port#2, I'd set the first one at 001 on the fixture, with is either 513 or 2/1 on the console, and the next one at 007 fixture, console 520 or 2/7.

(EDIT: Posted simultaneously with post #9.)

 

[kylethegeek]

Update:
The amount of dimmers that the board said it had was 144. I changed it to 1024, and boom, just like that, it worked. Now, something funny did happen though. When I go into the patch list, there are a whole ton of numbers that don't belong in the patch there. For instance, channel 1, that usually has 11, and 16 (or something like that) now have dimmers such as 344, 255, and things like that. However, the board still works, and I do have a backup of the old patches, so that's not a big concern to me right now. I did get the fixtures to work, and it was a breakthrough day for me. I've been trying to get them to work for about a month now, and I'm glad I finally figured out how to run them. I was testing them out so much, I actually got kicked off the board. oops.
But thank you very much! I know now more about DMX than my TD does! ha.
Conventionals are what, and all we've used.

 

[derekleffew]

... For instance, channel 1, that usually has 11, and 16 (or something like that) now have dimmers such as 344, 255, and things like that. ...

To keep things clean, and for the OCD, anal-retentive people among us, you can safely delete dimmers 145-512 and 527?-1024, or patch them at channel zero. {Delete dimmer(s)} is a softkey, I think.

 

[kylethegeek]

Alright. I will do that when I go back in.

{Delete dimmer(s)} is a softkey, I think.

Correct, it is. S6, if I am not mistaken.

 

[lwinters630]

You know . . . . . . .

I get a good feeling inside when I see CB work so well and everyone come together to help solve a problem.

I hope you have more "break through days" and that the CB community will be there to help.

 

[kylethegeek]

You know . . . . . . .

I get a good feeling inside when I see CB work so well and everyone come together to help solve a problem.

I hope you have more "break through days" and that the CB community will be there to help.

I hope I do too! Now that we are currently in the process of buying a new board, (or at least getting a quote for a budget) and I'm learning how to do the things that my TD has either never tried to do, or didn't have the effort to do.

 

[lwinters630]

I run several venues, express, expression, insight 3, and our latest ION. all etc products and have some similarities it makes an easy learning curve. It is packed with many more features.

March 9th I am hosting a training day for ETC on the ION console at our high school for more info check out Seminars

 

[kylethegeek]

I run several venues, express, expression, insight 3, and our latest ION. all etc products and have some similarities it makes an easy learning curve. It is packed with many more features.

March 9th I am hosting a training day for ETC on the ION console at our high school for more info check out Seminars

Awesome! Yeah, that's the current path. I think we're looking at an Ion, but I'm not sure. I'm just going to let things play out.
Very cool! I wouldn't mind coming, and possibly try and drag my TD and venue manager along.
Haha, someday. Assuming I/we aren't doing anything. We will hopefully be at state for contest play/group interp that date. (Or maybe that's prelims)

 

[lwinters630]

If you want to come over anytime and play with our ION just let me know. Our kids are also in cp/gi.

 

[kylethegeek]

If you want to come over anytime and play with our ION just let me know. Our kids are also in cp/gi.

Awesome! I'd love to do that someday! I'd have to find a way to convince my parents to let me drive up there (considering that I got my license a little shy of 3 months ago) and find a little cash sitting around to afford the gas. Haha. I'd love to do that though!
May I ask, what kind of fixtures do you have?

 

[lwinters630]

source 4-19 cross lighting the DS areas, S4-14 straight on the mid stage, S4-26,36,50,90 on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th electrics over the stage. On the FOH cat is 5 s4-19 with Metro mirrors (moving mirror heads).

Also on 1 through 4 electrics over stage are 28 elation Led par zooms. 5th electric has 6 vivid R 42" to wash our CYC. I have two techno beams (still trying to find a good place to hang them.)

Throw in a some Altman Fresnels, stick up lights and other older stock and that is what is currently up. I will be bringing other moving heads for our training and also for Les Miserable.

Email me if you want to make a day trip with some friends. 1hr 52 min (heck I'll even throw in some comp tickets to Les Mis for you)