FAT FROG and DMX Haze Machines

[Tom_Robbo26]

Hi everyone,

As I have previously mentioned in the lighting catagory I am participating in an A-Level Production for which I am working on the technical side.

 

In the past I have used a haze machine to enhance the lighting effects, and I wish to do this again.

But instead of controlling it manually I would like to control is via DMX from the lighting desk. We have a fat frog lighting desk and when we have had a DMX haze machine connected before I could not get it to work with the desk.

 

Therefore my question is, how do I connect up a DMX haze machine to a FAT FROG lighting desk??

 

Do I have to set it as a fixture???

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks ;)

[dave_m]

this should work normally, as from memory, all of the DMX smokers/hazers that I've used just appeared as 2 channel dimmers (fan + fog), so you need to address the hazer accordingly. Say you had dimmers on channels 1 thru 24, 25 would be you next availible channel, and so address the hazer as such, and then ch 25 + 26 should control the fan + fog. Which channel does which depends on your hazer, but mine have tended to use ch 1 as fog and 2 as fan.

[DMX Will]

I agree with dave_m.

 

I would suggest that you set them up as generic/dimmer channels for ease. You could always then set up the "Fog" channel as a sub, incase you want a extra blast here and there

[Stutwo]

Read the manual on the DMX hazer. 100% on the output channel may well not mean 100% haze output. Same goes for the fan channel. Otherwise, it should be as easy as setting the DMX address using the keypad or dip switches and raising the relevant channels on your board.

[LeeStoddart]

I agree with all above comments but would add.

 

Obviously you have to get the DMX signal physically to the haze machine - so that would usually mean another piece of DMX cable taking the output from the last dimmer pack to the input of the haze machine.

 

As an alternative to changing the start address of the haze machine you could patch the channels on the Frog so they output the correct address.

[mar]

Another thing to check is that if, like many DMX hazers, it has 3-pin DMX XLR connection rather than 5-pin, then you should check what the pin configuration of the 3-pin is (as there is not convention). You might need to wire up a pin invertor to make it work.

Had to make a couple of these recently as some new kit to be inserted into middle of DMX chain needed data inverting, still they're better than what they replaced which was on 1/4in jack connections!

[lightjocky]

I have always found it easier to address the smoke/ haze as a fixture

 

you do this the same as you would normally e.g. with a moving head but simply select you make and model however looking through the fixture lists for smoke there arnt many on the frog jem/martin/unique

 

jamie

[gareth]

Same advice as others - no point fannying about with fixture profiles and so on for something as simple as a haze machine. Just patch the haze control channel (and fan control channel, if the hazer has one) to a regular channel.

[si_cole]

You should also check if the haze machine is really a DMX haze machine. It may well have a 3-pin XLR on the back but that does not mean it's DMX (thinking in terms of Le Maitre's Neutron Hazer here that requires a seperate DMX addresser)

 

Si