Program Effects With DMX Only (Controller Does Not Support Effects)

[nuggety]

Hi All,

I just started this new thread to avoid getting off topic in the old one. Unfortunately my new controller at school (Studio Due Control 5) does not have any effects, it is basically just a raw DMX controller.

What I am wondering, is what is some cool things I can do with 4 moving GLP volkslicht wash lights (no gobo, no shutter, no prism) using only self-programmed DMX values?

Colour is pretty obvious, but what looks good with movement and strobe (the volkslicht does have a channel switching from normal intensity to 10Hz strobe)?

Thanks heaps all,
Scott

P.S. I am LOVING this forum. So much great advice and people not afraid of noobs like me

 

[DuckJordan]

Hi All,

I just started this new thread to avoid getting off topic in the old one. Unfortunately my new controller at school (Studio Due Control 5) does not have any effects, it is basically just a raw DMX controller.

What I am wondering, is what is some cool things I can do with 4 moving GLP volkslicht wash lights (no gobo, no shutter, no prism) using only self-programmed DMX values?

Colour is pretty obvious, but what looks good with movement and strobe (the volkslicht does have a channel switching from normal intensity to 10Hz strobe)?

Thanks heaps all,
Scott

P.S. I am LOVING this forum. So much great advice and people not afraid of noobs like me

First off telling us more about your controller would help, and secondly i would suggest picking up "The Automated Lighting Programmer's Handbook" by Brad Schiller, He talks about doing step effects by programing "scenes" for the lights. This is how it was done before those fancy new effect generators.

 

[nuggety]

First off telling us more about your controller would help, and secondly i would suggest picking up "The Automated Lighting Programmer's Handbook" by Brad Schiller, He talks about doing step effects by programing "scenes" for the lights. This is how it was done before those fancy new effect generators.

It is the studio due control 5. It has no effects unfortunately. It is not connected to a computer, and has no submasters.

And thanks heaps, that link looks great.

 

[DuckJordan]

You'd basicly Record the effects in a step sequence, (meaning you would create your own effect over anywhere between 10 - 40 ques depending on how intricate you would like them to be, this could get very difficult if you are doing a lot of stuff throughout the show.)

 

[Pie4Weebl]

You'd basicly Record the effects in a step sequence, (meaning you would create your own effect over anywhere between 10 - 40 ques depending on how intricate you would like them to be, this could get very difficult if you are doing a lot of stuff throughout the show.)

You've never used any console like the one he is talking about have you?

You can't really create effects, you just have to create page after page of cue and jump through them. Its not really pretty, but it will work.

 

[DuckJordan]

You've never used any console like the one he is talking about have you?

You can't really create effects, you just have to create page after page of cue and jump through them. Its not really pretty, but it will work.

Before you be condescending with your post, Horizon is the same thing, there is really no effects on it, I had to for four years create "effects" using a cue to cue, That is exactly what i said in my post above.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

Before you be condescending with your post, Horizon is the same thing, there is really no effects on it, I had to for four years create "effects" using a cue to cue, That is exactly what i said in my post above.

Horizon is not the same thing as a DJ console, which is what OP is using. DJ style desks give the user pages of submasters basically. There is no direct linking of cues or stacks in any way. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't link together a series of cues to create figure 8s, or do color chases. The closest he could do, would be to just bounce between cues with them in different positions. That is what I had to do back when I owned something like OP's desk.

 

[nuggety]

Horizon is not the same thing as a DJ console, which is what OP is using. DJ style desks give the user pages of submasters basically. There is no direct linking of cues or stacks in any way. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't link together a series of cues to create figure 8s, or do color chases. The closest he could do, would be to just bounce between cues with them in different positions. That is what I had to do back when I owned something like OP's desk.

It has no submasters. There are 16 faders, and 20 pages. Page 1 makes faders DMX 1-16, page 2 makes faders DMX 17-32, etc. etc.

You can then pick the current scene and record it into steps in programs. Unfortunately you can not say "Well i want to show program 43, cue 13." You can only start at cue 1, and there is no layering of programs.

Does this make sense? Here is the datasheet:

http://www.showtech.com.au/products/STU/STUCON500/downloads/STUCON050_Datasheet.pdf

 

[Pie4Weebl]

ah, I forget the faders don't link to the scene buttons. But the same concept applies, you can write pages of scenes. and then hop through those. The lack of layering just means you will have to write cues that have everything in them and not separate ones for color and position.

Looking at the spec sheet it mentions being able to create shapes. These would be your effects for movement.

Either way, I think you understand what you are tying to accomplish so I think your best bet would be to work through the desks manual and play as much as you can till you come up with something your happy with.

 

[nuggety]

ah, I forget the faders don't link to the scene buttons. But the same concept applies, you can write pages of scenes. and then hop through those. The lack of layering just means you will have to write cues that have everything in them and not separate ones for color and position.

Looking at the spec sheet it mentions being able to create shapes. These would be your effects for movement.

Either way, I think you understand what you are tying to accomplish so I think your best bet would be to work through the desks manual and play as much as you can till you come up with something your happy with.

Unfortunately I believe the shapes is for gobos only. But thanks mate I will have a look.

EDIT: My mistake, it is for moving head shapes. GREAT!

 

[soundlight]

Unfortunately I believe the shapes is for gobos only. But thanks mate I will have a look.

Nope, you actually have 4 built in shapes with the controller. These are movement effects that you can set up. See page 13 of the manual. This is actually better than a lot of other controllers of its style because of this.

 

[nuggety]

Nope, you actually have 4 built in shapes with the controller. These are movement effects that you can set up. See page 13 of the manual. This is actually better than a lot of other controllers of its style because of this.

Yeh I just had a look at the manual, had it on my USB but didn't read shapes section. SILLY ME.

So mate, do you know what these shapes are?

 

[bishopthomas]

I just picked up an Elation DMX Operator (used it for the first time tonight) which seems to be a very similar console to what you are describing. To create looks I have to move the appropriate faders until it's happening, then store as a scene. Movement effects are stored as chases. I do not think cues can be stacked so each cue is an entire stage look. I'm not super happy with it but I had to get something quick while I wait for my Pearl to come in and I couldn't get the Enttec dongle that I just bought to work. Good luck with it. It is possible but not a lot of fun.

 

[nuggety]

Just to bring this thread back up, does anyone here have advanced knowledge of the Studio Due Control 5? I pretty much know the console inside out (recent events have proved otherwise, but I still know it REALLY well), but I am wondering if it is possible to set up steps in a way that one press of the "+" button goes ahead multiple steps.