DMX512 is a
system by which you have 512 different control channels, or addresses. When you are soft patching dimmers, you are telling the board what
address each
dimmer is at and which of your
console control channels you want it at. The same concept applies to any other
DMX controlled device, it has an
address that you can usually assign it on the device itself. Fixtures like foggers, scrollers and moving lights may require more than one
DMX address.
For example, Chauvet
LED 200B units have 6 addresses/control channels. The value
channel 1 is at controls what mode the
unit is in. If the
unit is set to
RGB color mixing mode by leaving
address/
channel 1 on the
unit at 0, that means
channel 2 is the
intensity of the Red LEDs,
Channel 3 is the Blue LEDs, 4 is the Green LEDs,
channel 5 is the
strobe effect and rate, and
channel 6 dims the
unit. To patch this
unit will require 6 consecutive DMS addresses, and on your
Express 6 different control channels on the board. If the
unit is addressed at 1, you will need to patch
DMX addresses 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 into channels on your
Express. If you
address it at 7, you will need to patch
DMX addresses 7,8,9,10,11 and 12 into channels on your
Express.
Foggers usually have 3 or 4 different control channels to vary fan speed, density,
etc. So you would need to patch each one into a different
channel.
Another option is to patch it as a moving light on the
Express, by loading a
profile for it, if one is available, from a floppy disk you've saved it to using
Express Offline software. Not difficult. I much prefer the
level of control
DMX foggers/hazers offer compared to DJ style "Push-button" ones.
To get
DMX data to it, will depend on your set up. If your dimmers
pass through DMX, you can add a
line out the back of them to run to the Fogger(s). If not, you will need to use a splitter to split the
DMX coming out of your board or use the second
universe (
DMX Addresses 513 to 1024)
