Bryson Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 I'm just looking at some kind of superior way to approach the problem of dimming my Dance Booms. At the moment, I have vertical socapex drops from my main house dimmers. However, I'm a little short of circuits overhead, so I was thinking my solution might be to get some kind of distributed dimming. That way, I could also use the booms elsewhere in the building as and when the mood took me (or our Artistic Director, more like...) So, I was happily looking at Zero 88 Alphapack2s...which are great: DMX, analogue and local control, decent form factor, use a 13a supply. All good. And then... The highest DMX address they accept is 28! Not so useful. So, what I'm looking for is a similar solution, similar cost, only DMX addressable up to a sensible number. That, or a hack for Alphapack2s to accept real DMX addresses (I'd probably be addressing them as 150+). Any ideas, folks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Lawrance Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Do they have to have local control & 13a plug. What sort of budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben.suffolk Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 It wouldn't be too hard to put a pic in front of the pack, accept DMX on any address and output again from a fixed low address Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Any ideas, folks? Would this be of any use? I doubt if it's as cheap as an Alphapack(!) but I suspect it does a bit more ;-) Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Or these. At list the Alphapack is £300 for 3 channels, the Smartmodule is £570 for 4 channels or £895 for 6 channels. So 50% more than the Z88 solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Or some of the showtec/soundlab stuff, with a bunch of IEC-15A adaptor cables.... Not as well built as the alphapack, and no local control. But very affordable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattwright15 Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 The highest DMX address they accept is 28! Not so useful. So, what I'm looking for is a similar solution, similar cost, only DMX addressable up to a sensible number. That, or a hack for Alphapack2s to accept real DMX addresses (I'd probably be addressing them as 150+). Any ideas, folks? Is it possible to run the Alpha packs on a seperate univers to your house dimmers? This would be a easy work around and still you keep the origonal kit you wanted. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Not as well built as the alphapack...A huge understatement. I'd really not want to use the Showtec type stuff in a day in, day out venue. The metalwork is just too flimsy, the buttons too fragile etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 The metalwork is just too flimsy, the buttons too fragile etc etc. [devil's avocado]I fully agree. But you could buy half a dozen of them for the price of an alphapack....[/devil's avocado] Slightly but I used to have some of the Pulsar Minipak units. They were built like tanks! And there is a model with 15A outlets. But surprisingly, no DMX version.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 XTBA did market modules for shifting channel numbers. Can you run your current universe for current functions and a separated downshifted universe for the distributed dimming? Looking at the numbers though 28 is an odd (irrational) number in binary but 128 is just a misprint away an a much more friendly number in binary and for a channel count. Suggest you actually check that 28 is the top chan number rather than rely on what may be a plinting error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 28 is correct. The unit takes 3 DMX channels, controlled by a 10-position rotary switch. So start addresses of 1,4,7,.....28 DMX Start address Switch This sets the DMX start channel for the pack in increments of 3 as shown in the following table. A small screwdriver or trim tool is required to adjust the address settings. Switch Setting Start Address0 11 42 73 104 135 166 197 228 259 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Mmm, after looking into it for myself at 'my' venue... I don't think I'd want the issues/stress/lamp sing/screwing-up-the-power-and-making-it-dirty features of cheapo showtec dimmers. So as Bryson kinda hinted at, something like the Smart Bar would be much better. Hmm. Why the need to run off a 13A supply? Wouldn't that limit you a bit?What about putting regular (rack/whatever) dimmers up in the grid and running soca down from them. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goochr96 Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 There are some new BetaPack 2's going on ebay here on a buy it now for £529.00 plus p & p. Could use one of them of a 13A. I have some Betapack 1s like that, and just calculate the loading I am planning to put on it, and the circuit before hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danjshelton Posted February 22, 2006 Share Posted February 22, 2006 Hi Bryson, Another solution (That isn't very elegant, but you seem to be running out of solutions!) could be to put in single channel dimmers, this does pose a few more problems but nothing that is too major. The Anytronics (Not great, but a step up from showtec!) Pro-Dim could be ideal, single channel dimmer with 15a/16a outlet (Dimmer rated at 10a) with DMX for £156 (or Real DMX for £161, £5 extra for a 5 Pin XLR, slighly keen pricing used!). Like I said it will be a bit more of a botch, as it would mean 3 units on the bar, with 3 sets of hard mains (Though if your careful with loading then I guess these can be Y'd together), and DMX links between the units. Although with a bit of discount it might become closer to the alphapack price and might make it a worthwhile option, if you can stand the "untidyness" on the bar (Personally I like stuff neat and tidy and it would probably annoy me having 3 "boxes" on a bar as opposed to 1!) Cheers Dan EDIT: Just noticed they do a "Slave" version of the dimmer which doesn't have a local fader on the dimmer, this works out a bit cheaper at £134 (or £144 for real DMX (£10 extra now for a 5 Pin XLR!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephend Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Maybe Robert Juliat Digitours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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