How to keep DMX in the dark?

[blackmagicthe1st]

I have bought two ACME imoves and I am using them with a scene setter 48 but, the problem is, when I move from "recorded scene 1" to "recorded scene 2" the DMX signals involved in changing scenes send the light around the room until they have the correct signal for my recorded scene. Has anybody ever come up against this and if so, do you have any resolution to keeping the lights dark until in the correct position?

 

Thanks

[mark_s]

I don't know about your desk specifically, but generally you could do it by:

1. Recording a cue which sets the intensity to 0

2. Recording a cue which moves the light to the desired location

3. Recording a cue which sets the intensity to the desired level

4. Telling the cues to automatically follow on from each other, using (for a Strand example) the 'wait' feature

 

Your desk might not let you do #4 though, in which case you might need another method.

[Wol]

By 'send the light around the room' do you mean that the head goes a particularly long way around before it gets to where you want it?

 

If so, it's worth remembering that there are often say two or three different combinations of pan/tilt values which will give the same direction of light. For example panning around 180 degrees and flipping the tilt will have different DMX values, but the same position. Make sure you always go the same way when plotting cues. e.g. locate the position to 50% and 50% and say always tilt up first, and then pan it into position, rather than tilting down and having to offset the pan by 180 degrees.

 

Hope that makes sense!

 

If you want the light to be off when moving between scenes/cues, you're going to have to program them as separate 'mark' cues. To make a simple example: cue 1 = light on, in required position. Cue 2 = light off, in old position. Cue 3 = light off in new position, Cue 4 = light on in new position.

[David A]

Another method to add is to put your cues in a chase sequence and move between steps, this will give you the tracking mode that you are looking for.

[DonkiDonki]

Another quick solution, espically if your only using a simple rig; is to keep the intensity on a seperate fader. Then simply fade them out whenever you don't want to see what their doing.

[blackmagicthe1st]

Hi Guys,

My desk doesn't have "cue" points as such. I can program steps into a chase but my problem here is that it loops in the chase at whatever speed I set it. So fader 1 is scene one which I can set to have steps, however if I have more than one step, it will continue to scroll through the steps until I change scene. Does this make sense?

[johnhuson]

It would probably help us a whole lot more if you told is what desk it is.

 

I'm sure your desk must have some way of storing a single cue, even if it's a 1 step chase then just change between one step chases which are your cues. If the problem is happening in a chase then you need to add the cues as described by others above in the steps of the chase.

[smalljoshua]

The Desk is a Scene Setter 48. As mentioned by the O/P.

 

Josh

[johnhuson]

That'll teach me to scan posts, capital letters would probably of helped make it a bit more obvious. <_<

[a917917]

I have bought two ACME imoves and I am using them with a scene setter 48 but, the problem is, when I move from "recorded scene 1" to "recorded scene 2" the DMX signals involved in changing scenes send the light around the room until they have the correct signal for my recorded scene. Has anybody ever come up against this and if so, do you have any resolution to keeping the lights dark until in the correct position?

 

Thanks

 

Hi,

Not sure whether this will work or not on your board.

Assign the intensity channels to two faders, or submasters. and then program your scenes without the intesitys in. then when your movers are in their final correct position bring up the intensity faders and the lights come up.

We have the same problem at school with our scanners.

Hope this helped,

A

:biggrin: