using combiner with LJ and a DMX console

[legacy]

I am new to this forum. I am a project manager for a Design/build company specializing n sound, video, and lighting. all beit Sound is our driving force. My question concerns using a DMX combiner. We have a project comming up that will have two locations for lighting. We will be using Light Jockey for our main controller (statics, background cues, intels etc.). But would like the ability to connect a conventional lighting console up so that laypeople can opperate all statics (ie.) house and all stage statics. What kind of problems might this cause if any... Will LJ take control ( override) any scene set up on the conventional.. I really do not want to run two cables to the dimmers if I can get by with a combiner Thanks Lee

 

[Footer]

You can get by with a combiner. The question is which device do you want to take precidence. There are three types of combiners: newest takes precedent, highest takes precedent, or master/slave. You need to decide which would be best for your venue. Doug Fleenor makes some of the best DMX products out there. http://www.dfd.com/221e.html

 

[cutlunch]

Welcome to Controlbooth.

I have a question about your situation. Are the Lightjockey and the conventional board in the same control room or are they separated physicaly.

If they are together I would forget the combiner and just use a switch. You can buy some premade or build it yourself. It would have two inputs from the controllers then one output to the dimmers. This option is a lot cheaper then a combiner by at least $1000 approx.

I would only use the combiner if for some reason either the Lightjockey or the conventional desk must be able to take over some channels from the other controller. Combiners work on the HTP (Highest Takes Precedence) or LTP (Lowest Takes Precedence) principle depending on how they are setup. Each channel is compared with the same channel from the other controller. If the combiner is set to HTP then if controller A channel 1 = 50% and controller B channel 1 = 75% the output for channel 1 to the dimmer will be 75%. Using LTP for the same channel settings would give the output as 50% as A < B.

Lee please forgive the simplification of my answer, if you know this already. I tend to write my posts so that if a student on this board reads what I have written in response to a question that they can understand it as well as the person asking the question.

So as you can see unless there is a very specific reason for a combiner I wouldn't spend the money.

 

[len]

Another option, of course, would be to find a LJ dongle that has dmx in capabilities. The new universal dongle does, as does some of the older cards, such as the pci, etc. Perhaps you could rent one of those.