Paul O Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I currently have a couple of Magnum 550 smoke machines that get used from time to time for theatrical effects. However as these machines are really DJ-class gear, they have a periodic reheat period and if the machine is reheating when the 'smoke' cue comes up in a show then we get no smoke on cue. The Magnum 550's are decent, robust little machines with reasonable output but I need to find something better suited for theatre use. I'm ideally looking for a physically small smoke machine with DMX control that's always available for cued effects. Looking around it appears that only the larger/high end smoke machines seem to support 'always ready' operation but I don't really need anything that massive. I'd appreciate suggestions of machines that work well for small-scale theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 We use a ZR33 in our little theatre. When we've needed low level very high mass crawly smoke we hire in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 We use a ZR33 in our little theatre. When we've needed low level very high mass crawly smoke we hire in. ZR33 is a bit of a beast for a small theatre! The Magnum 1800 is always-ready, as is the Magnum 1200 but the DMX interface is optional on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystic Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 you need RAISM : Redundant Array of Inexpensive Smoke Machines :) I used to have two or three inexpensive smoke machines that I used in conjonction to be sure to have smoke all the time (and one breaks I can still do something). example : AF40-DMX on Thomann for £46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 ZR33 is a bit of a beast for a small theatre! The Magnum 1800 is always-ready, as is the Magnum 1200 but the DMX interface is optional on that. True, it's not the smallest of units, and sometimes it's tricky to find somewhere to fit its bulk. It does have the advantage of being able to create a big billow very quickly if need be, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinE Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 our local theatre uses a Scotty, they are instant. edit:not sure if they're DMX or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 DMX appears to be an option on a scotty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 My findings were that the cheaper smokers used the cheapest control which is the On-Off cycle which always lets you down for cue based work. HOWEVERMy way round this once or twice was to time in advance the time the smoker took to heat from cold, then cue 1 was to bring the cold machine power on and the smoke cue was to press the smoke button. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmien Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 It is very easy to convert a cheap (£50) smoke machine to DMX. Simply get a DMX relay board (Around £20 for an 8 channel one), or a 220v relay (Which would connect to one of your dimmer pack channels) and put it between the connections on the switch. Leave the smoke machine plugged in and when ever the relay is triggered, the smoke will come out. I have never had a problem doing that. Also, this was my first post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul O Posted July 30, 2015 Author Share Posted July 30, 2015 I currently have a DMX relay trigger for my Magnum 550 which works fine PROVIDED the smoke machine isn't in it's reheat period which is why I'm looking for a machine that doesn't have a reheat cycle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul O Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 Just a follow-up in case anyone comes across this thread in future - I eventually went for a Le Maitre G-Force 1, it's not the smallest smoke machine around but it is DMX controlled and has continuous output. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImagineerTom Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 you need RAISM : Redundant Array of Inexpensive Smoke Machines :) I used to have two or three inexpensive smoke machines that I used in conjonction to be sure to have smoke all the time (and one breaks I can still do something). example : AF40-DMX on Thomann for £46 Any updates or suggestions as to a comparable product, Thomann are out of stock :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.