suziedance76 Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 I am a Head of Performing Arts in a secondary school and our school show goes up next week. For various reasons I have landed the unenviable task of rigging and operating lights despite being far more comfortable IN the spotlight rather than responsible for them!Crash course in rigging lanterns, replacing lamps etc and basic patching has resulted in a stage that looks OK when everything in on 'TEST'. Tricky part is the desk. We have a Sirius 48 with no memory card.It looks to me like I need a DMX 5 pin male to 5 pin male cable as there is a 5 pin socket hardwired at the back of the auditorium. I can't seem to find anything to connect the flipping thing to the lights!!!! There is male to female cable (5 pin at both ends) and some 3 pin cables. Also we have a 3 to 5 adaptor but I can't remeber if its male or female?! Meant to be teching tomorrow to any advice on how to connect it and get it talking to lights would be great. Also do I need the memory card?? Bit paranoid about losing everything if I ever get to program it! Have found useful guides and step by steps on the web so have half a clue what to do once it is alive .... Any help appreciated!! erm ... am I bonkers to even be contemplating plugging anything in?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhole Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 the lights are controlled by 'dimmers'. The dimmers distribute the power to all the lights, giving you the intensity you need. It's these dimmers that the DMX must be connected to from the desk - and probably where that socket goes to in the auditurium. So I suggest just plugging it in and see'ing what happens - it will probably work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamps galore Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 As Jon said, the socket at the back probably links to the dimmers. And by the sound of it, you have the necessary cables - the 5 pin to 3 pin adaptors are most likely there to use 3 pin extensions to place the desk in other places of your auditorium...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 First of all my sympathies to you for being dropped in to this position!I'm assuming that there is no-one else at the school who has any knowledge/experience with the equipment? OK - for starters then, the Sirius manual (if you've not yet found it) can be downloaded from here. Secondly, you need to get the desk connected to the dimmers - obviously.Another assumption - that the desk has been used at the control position before, and if that 5-pin outlet is the only one there it's very likely it's the right one. However, if there's no cable to connect the desk to that outlet, you obviously need to get one before you can start.Don't worry about damaging anything if you plug into the wrong port - DMX is low voltage and the outputs/inputs protected against most things you might send down the line! What it sounds like you need is someone local to Herefordshire to come have a looksee if that still doesn't get you going... Unfortunately I'm too far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziedance76 Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 thanks everyone for you help so far ... at least I am reassured I can't completed stuff it up! Is the memory card essential??? I'm assuming that the desk is functional and guess I'll ahve to rethink completely if not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 The memory card is purely for backup and so you can copy the show from one Sirius to another.It'll run fine without it. The desk itself *should* remember everything you record on it without it - IIRC it uses an internal battery, so if it's not been used for a long time you may have to leave it plugged in to charge. That said - you don't actually have to record anything.Given that this is your first ever time, it might be an idea to run the show entirely on the faders - the Sirius does a 2-scene preset mode, which lets you set up a look on the bottom set of faders, crossfade to it and then set up the next look on the top set. It's a very simple way of working that is really easy to work out, and it's always obvious what the desk is doing. If your Sirius turns out to be borked, you're not far from Zero88 who made it, and I'm told that they have a reasonable support department so they'll be able to help you.Peter is apparently a nice chap, or so he says! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 What show are you doing ? If it is simple and with few lights you could just run of a/b preset (see the manual). Edit: there is always one just ahead of you isnt there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 The memory card is for external storage and backup. The desk contains memory, and I've never lost a show on internal memory on a Sirius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziedance76 Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 Phew - good news about the memory card! Just been looking to buy a replacement and seems to be approx £150!! (unless I've got the wrong thing!) At risk of blowing my own trumpet will speculate that as a former dancer I'm not doing too badly .... (fatal last words!) Thanks for advice re: using A/B presets - might have to as last resort. Unfortunately my head of drama chose a quirky play with about 40 short scenes and constant lighting changes ... including split stage. Think I have it sussed though - will rig lanterns in pairs in close proximity (i.e. neighbouring lanterns) and then bring up channels on same side of room. (am I on the right lines??) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted February 24, 2007 Share Posted February 24, 2007 The memory card is for external storage and backup. The desk contains memory, and I've never lost a show on internal memory on a Sirius.However, I'd second the caution over the condition of the battery. I suggest you set some basic settings, record them, then turn the desk off for half an hour.Turn back on and check the desk has recalled the settings. The batteries are fairly easy to acquire if it's kn***ered - I have the part number somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_the_LD Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 If it is simple and with few lights you could just run of a/b preset (see the manual). If the desk doesn't have a key and is locked in presets only, which is a possibility, and the OP doesn't get hold of a key there is no choice! Good Luck with your show Tom (PM also sent) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 If theres a small local lighting company (like mine) if you ask them to come out and help you they can solve all your problems in minutes, we come across your kind of situation all the time.Although we never charge for a first callout like yours I have seldom not made a profit out of the follow up work.Even if you pay a small callout fee it must be worth the stress reduction you are under.l Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziedance76 Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 we have the key - and the desk will take power and all looks normal ... just the small matter of finding a DMX cable with the right connectors!!! as for having a local company come out - its now Sunday and the responses I have had a frosty to say the least!Never mind - Is there a way I can use a 3 pin cable and convertors???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
five_pin_xlr Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 There is male to female cable (5 pin at both ends) and some 3 pin cables. Also we have a 3 to 5 adaptor but I can't remeber if its male or female?! If you have a 5pin cable which you say you do then simple plug that into your desk and into the wall socket. Male into desk, female into wall socket. If the DMX cable is to short, cut both connectors off it, get a long XLR do the same and resolder the 5pin connectors onto the cable. If you can do this, refer back here or look in the wiki for how it should go on the poles. But if you have two convertors, 1 being 3 >5 and 5 > 3, use that on a 3pin. Otherwise, Maplin??? or a local electronic shop like that may have the stuff. Good luck with it though. hthalex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziedance76 Posted February 25, 2007 Author Share Posted February 25, 2007 Thanks for your reply the problem is that both the desk and the socket are female and require a male connector. There is another socket in the hall which is female - but when I plugged it in nothing happened! Also the DMX convertor in the backstage area has power to it - and a DMX cable coming out of it which isn't attached to anything!!! There are no LEDS lit on it, even though it has power. Am starting to get in deeper than I can cope with!(PM also sent) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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