VRX problems

[PSi]

hi there

 

at the last event we done I had 2 Abstract VRX's and two VR8's I ran all off Freestyler using the veleman usb interface (dunno if thats how u spell it).

 

both the vr8s worked ok and one of the vrx's was fine but the other was playing up.

 

basicaly some controls where opposit. e.g. the colour wheel would go all the way round to white when the other lights where at the other end and the same with the gobos. I think (if I remember correctly) the pan and tilt where ok and workin the sam as the others.

 

in the end I had to let them do their own thing and disconnect the interface.

 

anyone know what this could be. I guess it could be a setting on the vrx

 

Cheers for any help

[Chubbs the Techie]

Last time I was using Abstract VR's we had a problem with one of the units, where it's DMX values seemed consistent, but systematically incorrect with the rest of them.

 

E.g:

 

Normal VR: Colour 1, DMX value 20...Colour 2, DMX value 30...Colour 3, DMX value 40...etc.

 

Faulty VR: Colour 1, DMX value 16...Colour 2, DMX value 26...Colour 3, DMX value 36...etc.

 

So if using them independently, you wouldn't know the difference as all values are the correct distance apart, however when used together, the Faulty VR will reach colour 2 whilst the Normal VR is on colour 1.

 

When this happened to us, it was a problem with 1 out of 4 units, and with the desk I was using (can't remember which one now) I managed to offset the DMX values of the faulty one so they matched up with the rest.

 

As far as I know, this wasn't a setting, but a fault with the firmware of the fixture or whatever......

 

Happy fixing!

 

Charlie

[KevinE]

I've also had this problem using various lights with freestyler. It's down to the Fixture Personality files being submitted to the freestyler forum from the DMX tables 'on paper' rather than trying them out for real (I think). For example, if your fixture says that green is DMX value 15-30, the Freestyler may output a value of 15 when you select green. Fair do's, it should work, but sometimes gives inconsistent results, maybe the previous colour being selected instead. I cure it by re-editing the Fixture Personalities (they're submitted to Freestyler by other users) so that green in the aforementioned fixture would be defined as DMX value 22 or thereabouts...ie in the mid-range of the colour required rather than the minimum or maximum value.

 

I'm not sure if it's the velleman dongle, the freestyler software or the fixture itself or its firmware. (I had it last on Coemar heads).

 

Aiming your Personality Files at the mid-range of the DMX channel is good policy whichever system you use, I would think.

[PSi]

thanks for the help.

 

it doesn't seem like the DMX values are out slightly but opposit eg like having opposit tilt or pan selected (but on the colour and gobo wheels)

 

can't work it out

[themadhippy]

Have you tried patching them as straight channels instead of using a profile?raise fader 1 see what happens ect

[PSi]

Have you tried patching them as straight channels instead of using a profile?raise fader 1 see what happens ect

 

not exactly but I have raised the fader for each channel on every light and as I've said when on 0 the faulty one will act as if the fader is up and when up it acts as if it's set to 0

[KevinE]

Is there any chance the weird one has been repaired and the motors connected wrongly? Connecting the A and B phases on the stepper motor swapped will make it work opposite to increasing DMX values.

[markdorney]

Check they're not in 'CE' mode and that they are calibrated the way you want them. You can 'trim' each channel on a VR8 from the control panel. Hope this may help.

 

MD

[PSi]

cheers for all the help.