Mini Macs

[SceneMaster]

Hi

 

Are Mini Macs when first turned on suposed to make funny noises and point at there bases? Maby they are cleaning?

[gareth]

Hmm, self-cleaning moving lights - if anyone manages to invent one of those, they'll have every moving light service tech in the country queueing up to congratulate them!

 

Whenever you power up most moving lights, it goes through a calibration/reset routine - it pans and tilts right through its range of movement, and all the internal gubbins (colour wheels, gobo wheels, prisms, etc.) have a whizz about and 'home' themselves. This can take anywhere up to a minute or so, then it'll whizz around to it's home position (or whatever position it's being instructed to be in at that time). They all make a certain amount of noise while they do this, some more than others - but if any of the noises sound particularly nasty, for example as though something's trying to turn/move and not managing it, then you might have a problem.

[Andrew C]

¿!CLEANING!? How about zero-ing? Most movers do some sort of calibrate - zero thing on switch-on.

 

If you've not used them before, a good tip is to check that both the lights and desk are using the same mode. ISTR the choice is between 4 and 16 control channels.

[SceneMaster]

The lights work fine when they have done this and do not make too much noise in operation it only when I first heard this noise which sound like something is trying to move an getting jammed although the light work fine with all there functions without jamming so I am presuming it is a calibration operation and that it make a lot more noise than operation because it is doing something special which gets it ready for use.

[gareth]

The lights work fine when they have done this and do not make too much noise in operation it only when I first heard this noise which sound like something is trying to move an getting jammed although the light work fine with all there functions without jamming so I am presuming it is a calibration operation and that it make a lot more noise than operation because it is doing something special which gets it ready for use.

Yup, sounds like what you're hearing is the unit calibrating and resetting.

[SceneMaster]

Thanks guys. I was very worried at first having thought I had broken £1000 worth of gear.

 

Other macs I have used are as noisy when first starting but I suppose the MiniMacs are smaller and have less room to do there functions. Thanks again.

 

Moderation, 18:14 28/1/04 - two (unnecessarily separate) posts merged into one for the sake of tidiness!!

[Matt]

we are planning to get some minimacs for our dance studio...but on the software that we use for our current mac, when I load the minimacs up, reagardless of mode, I see now dimming function, is this right?

 

(though it would be logistically better to post in here rather than create a new topic)

 

Matt.

[nickb12345]

I didnt think miniMAC's had dimming. Im sure its only Strobe Shutter, Gobo, Gobo Rot, Gel Wheel, Pan and Tilt.

 

Nick

[Wilf dLampy]

With "Shutter Fade" enabled on the unit, the first 14% of the first channel acts as a dimmer, 15% and above control the shutter/ strobe functions as normal.

 

Martin's manuals are online here:

http://www.martin.com/service/service.asp

 

Including several for minimacs

 

http://www.martin.com/service/downloadfile...EN_H.PDF&cat=65

[nickb12345]

Ah

 

Thanks for correcting me - didnt know that. We got a MiniMAC at school but dont use it much because we didnt know you can dim it :blink:

 

Damn we thick

 

Nick

[Matt]

ahhhh, so you would have to do some werd math in your head for the different levels like 50% brightnes = 7 100 = 14, 25 = 3.5 etc etc.... great, wait till I tell my colleague, cheers guys, I was getting worried then

[vinny baby]

well in all hounesty the mini Mac doesnt Dim. The shutter does give a dimming effect, but its not dim to full, as you would exspect. Instead the shutter slices across the lens ect and slices the image, (think of a full moon, then slicing to half moon, toe-nail clipping ect) that is what a the mini mac does.

 

so if you have the shutter at 50% you wouldnt get 50% brightness, you would get half an image of a gobo (think moons)

 

 

we are planning to get some minimacs for our dance studio

 

I would scrap the mini macs, and go for the XT160 by ROBE!!

 

they are brighter, faster, more colours, more gobos, and LESS MONEY!!! :blink:

 

more for your money!!

 

I only use ROBE now!!

 

vince

[timmath]

I only use ROBE now!!

This is the same kind of blinkered view that made the Mac an industry standard - Look around - explore - there will always be a fitting better suited to a job - you just have to find it

 

regards

 

tim

[vinny baby]

This is the same kind of blinkered view that made the Mac an industry standard - Look around - explore - there will always be a fitting better suited to a job - you just have to find it

 

 

I dont get what you meen by that?

 

are you saying there are things better than, ROBE, or that there is better than the Mac. and you should look around.

 

I was only stating the fact that the ROBE XT160 is far better, than the equivilent MAC.

 

and to get quality professional gear, doest always meen Martin!!

[andystone]

I think Tim was only referring to your comment 'I only use Robe now' in that regardless of the fact (or opinion) that the Robe 150 or 160 is better value than the MiniMac (and I do agree with you), you should always keep an open mind for the future as that may not be true the next time you want to make a purchase!

 

Andy Stone

Stagetec