Masterpiece 108 board patching

[Jamtastic3]

This for the Pulsar Masterpiece users.

I have a MP 108 but I have more fixtures now to fit into the board. I have around about 180 channels to fit including some CP Miniscan HPE's, parcans and some HES Technobeams. So how do I actually patch in 256 DMX channels from 108 DMX channels (or even more)???

Seriously I've read the maunal and just don't understand what it is going on about, making it more confusing by talking about 'slots' this and 'slots' that.

 

One thing - does the DMX cable need to be in the DMX output or PMX output?

 

I'm just needing some simple explaination as to how to do each step. Any logical orders of patching would also be great.

 

Thanks!!!

[mumbles]

This for the Pulsar Masterpiece users.

I have a MP 108 but I have more fixtures now to fit into the board. I have around about 180 channels to fit including some CP Miniscan HPE's, parcans and some HES Technobeams. So how do I actually patch in 256 DMX channels from 108 DMX channels (or even more)???

Seriously I've read the maunal and just don't understand what it is going on about, making it more confusing by talking about 'slots' this and 'slots' that.

 

One thing - does the DMX cable need to be in the DMX output or PMX output?

 

I'm just needing some simple explaination as to how to do each step. Any logical orders of patching would also be great.

 

Thanks!!!

IIRC, I used two masterpieces 108s, with the first running channels 1-108, and the second 109-216, with the DMX connected to the through. However, can't remember how to patch it, or exactly which sockets were in use (I think it was DMX out of desk one into DMX thru of desk two, and then DMX out of desk two to dimmers etc). With respect to the patching, again correct me if I'm wrong, the desk gives you 108 channels of control, which can be assigned to any of the 512 channels of a DMX universe. Don't know if this is possible to do with only one desk tho.

 

Sorry I can't be of more help, but this may help make sense of the manual.

[greenalien]

Start with a pad of paper and a list of all the DMX assigns of your lights - i.e. what each DMX channel does on each device.

 

In PULSAR - speak, one 'slot' = 1 DMX channel, 1 'channel' = 1 PMX channel.

 

You have 108 PMX channels to play with, each PMX channel can be mapped to one OR MORE DMX channels.

 

So draw yourself up a table of all 108 PMX channels, then list which DMX channel(s) you want each PMX channel to control.

Try to group them logically over the 6 output select 'pages' - for example, if you have 4 x 6-channel scanners, you may want to set them up on channels 1 - 12 of pages 1 and 2 - this makes subsequent device programming easier than setting them up as 1 - 18 on page 1 and 1 - 6 on page 2.

 

Then do another table listing all 255 DMX channels, with the PMX channels listed against them. This makes subsequent entry of patch data easy.

 

If you have DMX channels that will always be at zero, it's a useful technique to map them all to PMX channel 108 and set this as a fixed value channel. (see manual!). You can also map all unused DMX channels to channel 108.

 

If you need more than 108 control channels, you'll have to assign more than one DMX channel to some PMX channels. The manual gives some good examples.

 

If it's not currently enabled, enable the patch key using 'set user access levels' plus the programmers code.

 

After enabling the patch key, you'll need to enter the code again to modify the patch.

 

Then, just work through each DMX channel in sequence, setting the appropriate PMX channel - this is where your table comes in handy.

 

Finally, use 'SUAL' to lock the patch programming key away so nobody can accidentally change the patch values.

 

If you don't already have one, keep an eye out on Ebay for a Masterpiece screen driver module - this lets you use a cheap portable colour TV as an interactive display on which you can list all your patch data, scenes, output channel assigns, chases etc - really does make a vast improvement to the MP108.

 

(BTW - You need to connect your DMX chain to the DMX output socket, not the PMX one!)

 

Good luck!

[denul]

Thanks for the explanation.

 

I still can't get it to work.

I want the first three DMX channels of my first six channel par with DMX start address on 3-1,2,3 and the first three channels of my second six channel par on 3-4,5,6 .

Is this what you can do with the patch function?

 

I have figured out a lot of things on my own but can't seem to figure this out.

Any help would be very welcome.

 

Thanks A Lot.

Pascal.

[KevinE]

do you mean you want to set both par cans to the same address (3?) but you want them to react to different sliders?

[denul]

do you mean you want to set both par cans to the same address (3?) but you want them to react to different sliders?

 

First of all thanks for your reply m8.

 

I have 10, 6 channel pars. If I just connect them to my masterpiece and set the correct DMX address I have to use 60 channels.

I only need to control the first three channels of my pars and would like to use only 30 sliders. I was under the impression this would be possible with the patch function.

 

 

(Example -

 

Now = PAR 1: DMXADRESS1-Red(slider1), DMXADRESS2-Green(slider2), DMXADRESS3-Blue(slider3), DMXADRESS4-Full Color(slider4), DMXADRESS5-Strobe and speed(slider1), DMXADRESS6-Modi(slider6) PAR 2 : DMXADRESS7-Red(slider7), DMXADRESS8-Green(slider8), DMXADRESS9-Blue(slider9), DMXADRESS10-Full Color(slider10), DMXADRESS11-Strobe and speed(slider11), DMXADRESS12-Modi(slider12)

 

What I would like to have = = PAR 1: DMXADRESS1-Red(slider1), DMXADRESS2-Green(slider2), DMXADRESS3-Blue(slider3), PAR 2 : DMXADRESS7-Red(slider4), DMXADRESS8-Green(slider5), DMXADRESS9-Blue(slider6)

 

If it is neccesary I could patch the all addresses that I don't want to use to one slider.

 

 

[marktownend]

Firstly can you please confirm that you've got the correct software version in the Masterpiece to use the patch function? I've not checked this but I think you need v3.0.

 

Looking at greenalien's post number 3 from 2006 above, he's explained it superbly. Read it through carefully and work through each stage. Then do it again. And maybe another 3 times to make sure you've followed it carefully!

 

Particularly note the difference between slots and channels.

 

Can I check that you do not need to use DMX channels 4-6 on each of your lights at all? There's not an intensity chanel somewhere? So if you set one at DMX address 1 and use the first 3 DMX channels from the Masterpiece (without any patching set up) then you'll have straight control of your RGB colours?

 

If so, then you only need to use 30 slots to control your 30 colour channels [DMX channels 1-3 on each light]. However you're better off then also allocating 3 slots to control the remaining 30 channels [4-6 on each light] and patching them somewhere out the way.

 

Also, assuming you've got a used desk there's a good chance the patch has been used previously by someone else for a totally different lighting rig and so you want to check that every slot is allocated to the right channel. Otherwise you might find (for example) that DMX slot 35 (which without patching would control the strobe on the 6th light) is patched to PMX channel 12 (which you're wanting to control the blue channel on the 4th light), meaning that when you raise slider 12 to bring up that blue on light 4 you actually also set light 6 strobing at the same time as the output channel 12 is controlling both DMX slots 12 and 35.

 

Take your time with it, yes it's fiddly and very easy to set up wrong, but it's also a really useful function.

[denul]

Thanks you for all of your help so far.

 

After spending a lot of time I gave up on the patching last year.

Try to give it another go.

I have version N.O.3.0 and yes the par reacts on the first 3 slider of masterpiece without using the other 3 sliders.

 

It seems it makes no diverence if patch is on or of. If I set a par to DMX 1 it reacts to the masterpiece channel 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. My patch settings for this par are dmxslot1=channel 37,dmxslot2=channel 38, dmxslot3= channel 39 for now I have moved al the other DMX slots(4tm256) to channel 108 and still the par only reacts on channel 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. What am I doing wrong ?

 

Help would be very nice, thanks a lot.

[gyro_gearloose]

I can't help thinking that it would be so much easier to get another desk. I'm all for getting the most use out of any piece of equipment, but there comes a point when a different (not necessarily newer!) piece of kit will get the job done quicker and easier. The secondhand market seems to be able to supply a wide variety of desks which will do what you want to do.

[denul]

I agree, it would be the simple solution. Its just frustrating that I cant get it to work and there is not a lot of documentation on the masterpiece 108 besides the explanation in this Topic.

I love how the machine works with chases, environments and the chase generator. Only this thing I can't seem to figure out bugs me.

 

I have also been looking for the training video but no luck there either.

 

 

I also would like to find out if the mp is broken or not (maybe I am the problem) because I would hate to sell it and make somebody else unhappy.

 

I have to give it another shot before buying something else.

 

So if there is anybody out there who knows what I'm doing wrong please let me know.

 

PS Sorry for my "bad" spelling , I'm from the Netherlands.

[pmp]

I know it's a year ago - but are you still looking to solve the problem?

 

 

I agree, it would be the simple solution. Its just frustrating that I cant get it to work and there is not a lot of documentation on the masterpiece 108 besides the explanation in this Topic.

I love how the machine works with chases, environments and the chase generator. Only this thing I can't seem to figure out bugs me.

 

I have also been looking for the training video but no luck there either.

 

 

I also would like to find out if the mp is broken or not (maybe I am the problem) because I would hate to sell it and make somebody else unhappy.

 

I have to give it another shot before buying something else.

 

So if there is anybody out there who knows what I'm doing wrong please let me know.

 

PS Sorry for my "bad" spelling , I'm from the Netherlands.