Setting up ETC LEDs on New Board

[MightyRedDevil]

Hey everyone, I’m a theater teacher for a relatively small high school program. I don’t have a lot of technical experience and I’m trying to wrap my head around some stuff when it comes to LEDs, DMX, Dimmers, Channels, etc. So, this may be a long post, I may have some fundamentals wrong, and if you could explain it like I’m five, I would greatly appreciate it.

So here’s the big question: How can I set up my LEDs so that I can control them individually, and select the color using software rather than submasters.

Here’s the situation:

I have a relatively old auditorium (’67) and we recently switched our colored strip lights from old 8” roundels to ETCs ColorSource PARs. For the Cyc we got the ColorSource Source 4s with the Cyc adapter. We have three electrics with the pars, 8 pars per electric all chained to a wireless transmitter/adapter at the end of the electric. This adapter is then plugged into a dimmer plug at the end of the electric. We have an ETC Sensor+ Dimmer rack with 48 ETC D20s for a total of 96 Dimmers.

When the company first came to install the PARs we had an old ETC Express 48 board, and I was told that we wouldn’t be able to run the lights individually because we didn’t have enough channels, and if we got a new board, we’d be able to have more control, but for the time being we would only be able to control them electric by electric. So the lights were put into RGB mode, 1st electric addressed to 201, 2nd to 204, and so on. We patched our old board accordingly, and that was that.

Well, we recently were able to get an ETC Element, and my district auditorium specialist feels like we still won’t be able to control each individual light, but need to go electric by electric. But, to put it politely, we’re all still learning... I just feel like, with ETC lights, an ETC Dimmer rack, and an ETC board, shouldn’t there be a way to set this up where I can have more control?

Do I need to change the setting on the lights to something else? Do I just need to readdress the lights? Is this not possible because of how they are chained together/talking to my board? I know that I can tell the board exactly which light I’m using, will that allow me to have more control?

I know this is a long post, but I wanted to make sure I gave enough information. I just really feel like there’s just a setting or something that needs to be changed and my world is going to be so different. Or maybe I’m stuck in an old run down auditorium that will be a curmudgeon forever and never accept new tech.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[farmerjo1111]

A couple of questions:
1 . How is your DMX run, is tehre a network?
2 . how many fixtures do you have?
3. What kind of fixtures.

 

[Amiers]

https://cdn.etcconnect.com/Element_v2.1.0_User_Manual_RevA.pdf

Read your manual front to back and then some and even still you will never fully understand it lol.

Here are some videos to help.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF269237482F9B97A


The element is a fader board so control will have to be creative if yo want to busk. You should be able to 1 to 1 your fixtures though.


Your fixtures might already be individually controlled they just might be programmed into the board that way for ease of use.

Fastest way to check would be to pull down the electric and check their address. If indeed they are all the same address then you will have to pull out your patch paper work and start readdressing them. I cannot speak to how it’s addressed so you will have to field that one yourself.


As far as the fixture itself the limit or not depends on the fixture and how many universes you have on your board but you should be fine even if you addressed them individually

Your DMX mapping.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1071530/Etc-Colorsource-Par.html?page=1#manual

Link in case you need help setting it up.

I think that covers everything. Good luck.

 

[coldnorth57]

from the element manual.....

Element treats fixtures and channels as one and the same, meaning each fixture is assigned a single control channel number. Individual parameters of that fixture, such as intensity, pan, tilt, zoom, or iris are also associated with that same channel number but as additional lines of channel information.

so unless you have more than 250 fixtures/dimmer you should be able to patch them into the board with indivdual DMX addesses

 

[Taniith]

Here are some videos to help.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF269237482F9B97A

ETC actually just recently released a new set of Element training videos that are more up to date with recent releases, here: http://www.etcconnect.com/Support/Tutorials/Element-Video-Learning-Series/Overview.aspx

 

[Amiers]

Good to know thank you. I just went for top slot tutorials.

 

[JJBerman]

It may be easier for both you and us if you can draw up a small diagram of how each set of lights is wired and how they are wired to your console.

 

[TheaterEd]

Basically you need to do two things to make this happen. Re-address your lights, and re-patch your board. Look for tutorials on those subjects. If they are in 3 channel mode, and you are fine with that then you just need to give each fixture its own address (201, 204, 205, 208,......) once that is done you can patch your board channel 201 @ address 201 and select the type of fixture from the fixture library making sure to select 3 channel mode. Then you can do the next one, Channel 202 @ address 204...... So on and so forth. There is a lot of good advice already posted though, so try to slog through it and then come back with follow up questions. Also, when in doubt, just call ETC. They have AMAZING customer service and can talk you through most operations.

 

[Brentgi]

my district auditorium specialist feels like we still won’t be able to control each individual light

Tell them they are wrong.

 

[RickR]

my district auditorium specialist feels like we still won’t be able to control each individual light

To be really clear:

• An Element has enough channels and addresses for over 200 ColorSource fixtures )in their default/ideal 5 channel mode.)
  
• You can get 30 fixtures + your dimmers on a single run of DMX512.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Sounds like ColorSource wireless relays. Two transmitters would simplify some things by having two universes it seems to me.

Mighty Red Devil - the company who sold this to the school should be required to address and get it all working.

 

[Amiers]

It sounds like they did but at the advice of the “specialist” was prolly told to leave it how it is.

This sounds more like he did a lateral upgrade instead of a full progress one ( wish this thread happen on Sunday )

Really hope the OP comes back and gives an update.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Just to be sure - the ColorSource fixtures are being powered by Sensor D20s parked at full?

 

[MightyRedDevil]

A couple of questions:
1 . How is your DMX run, is tehre a network?
2 . how many fixtures do you have?
3. What kind of fixtures.

1. Apparently I'm only using one of my DMX ports on the back of my board. It has a DMX cord that runs to a port in the wall of my booth labeled "DMX 1 Input." There is no DMX 2 input. I don't think we're running any sort of a network. I would assume that this port is hardwired all the way back to the dimmer rack at the back of the stage.

2. LED fixtures - 29, HPL fixtures ~ 55 or so.

3. 21 ETC ColorSource PAR
8 ETC LED Source 4s with Cyc Adapters
~25 ETC HPL Source 4s
~30 ETC HPL Par EA

 

[MightyRedDevil]

It may be easier for both you and us if you can draw up a small diagram of how each set of lights is wired and how they are wired to your console.

Hopefully this will help a little. It's nothing fancy (Microsoft Word. I mean, I could have used MS Paint...)

Each electric has a ColorSource Wireless Relay, which is hooked up to the electric using an adapter that goes from the relay to an L5-20 twistlock (what our electrics use). So, for example, the relay on the first electric is plugged into plug #15, which I always understood to mean that was connected to dimmer 15 in the rack at the back of the auditorium.

The arrow in the diagram is the direction the fixtures are chained together.

The three DS electrics have the ColorSource PARs on them, the last one, upstage, has the Source 4s with Cyc adapters.

 

[MightyRedDevil]

Tell them they are wrong.

Hahaha. I am trying to find a polite way to say that. He's a great guy, and the reason I even have some of this equipment, but the majority of his experience is in sound. So, like I said, we're both learning. I did kind of go behind his back here... hopefully he doesn't frequent the site...

 

[MightyRedDevil]

Sounds like ColorSource wireless relays. Two transmitters would simplify some things by having two universes it seems to me.

Mighty Red Devil - the company who sold this to the school should be required to address and get it all working.

I checked, they are the ColorSource Wireless relays. We have four of them, one per electric. And they are D20s, though I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "parked at full," is there a way that I can check?

As for the company installing them. They did come and install them initially, but that was back when we had an ETC Express, we upgraded the board to an Element about 4 months after that, and I'm not sure why it was my district guy who came to install it rather than a company, but that's where we are. I'm not sure the district would even want to schill out money for someone to come install it if they are already paying for our specialist. They're my favorite district...

 

[MightyRedDevil]

Hey everyone! Thanks for all the responses. Sorry it has taken me a while to get back to you, I'm working prep period to prep period.

So, I've tried some of the suggestions that people have been offering and I have had a half-success, but it has raised some other questions. So here's a progress report:

1. I went through and readdressed each fixture and changed to 5 channel mode. I addressed with enough space for the 5 channels (201, 206, 211, 216, etc.)
2. I repatched the board to reflect the new addresses.
3. I told the board which lights I was using.
4. On my first two lights (201, 206), I can control them individually, I can use the color picker, I'm happy.
5. The third light (211) will only display red.
6. None of the other lights will turn on.

I'm not sure what exactly is going on, but there may be something to the fact that in my previous set up (RGB mode) all of the fixtures on all four of my electrics fit between 201 and 212. And now I'm still only getting to 212 (201-205, 206-210, 211 and 212). That would make sense because 211 would be intensity, which works, and 212 would Red, which works, but nothing beyond that.

If anyone has any ideas, that would be so helpful, I'll keep playing around to see what I can figure out. I've also included a diagram of my new addresses, in case that helps.

 

[Amiers]

You didn’t patch something right then. Look again at your board patch.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Where is the Colorsource transmitter? And have you accounted for the dimmer addresses? I assume you have. I'm surprised the transmitter isn't connected to the second dmx port form console.

Are you sure the circuiting powering each relay is at full? I would suggest going to the CEM in the dimmer rack and parking those at full. There is no reason to turn the off if all they power is a relay.

And I don't know how configured but two ways to control relays: either presence of DMX or specifically addressed and controlled by a DMX channel. As long as you know either is fine but I would prefer to control them myself. Gets trickier if the architectural system is to have control of the LED lights.

Patching may indeed be the issue. Did these all work with Express? Can you determine if the ones not working actually have power?