Avolites D4 Desktop

[michael]

Hi could you please tell me some more infomation about the D4 desktop and how it works also can it be used like a normal computer based lighting controler and can it be run from a normal usb interface I looked on the avolites website but there was not much info

[Wol]

Did you mean to start a new thread with this, or reply to your thread earlier this evening already about Avolites stuff? :-S

 

Not sure how the Avo website didn't help you. A very quick google search gave:

 

At the heart of the D4 Desktop system is a PC, running MS Windows XP with available USB ports.

In its most basic form, the “D4 Desktop” consists of the PC and an Avolites “EZ – DMX” interface which plugs into a USB port providing 8 DMX universes

 

What do you class as a "normal" computer based lighting controller? If you want to play around with the software, goto the Avo download page and get the software. As far as I know, the D4 Pilot (control surface) can then be connected and will control the faders onscreen with an encoder wheel as well for certain parameters of fixtures. Not the cheapest things on the planet as far as I remember.

 

Also, what do you class as a "normal" USB interface? I'm assuming you mean USB>DMX interface there. And I'm fairly certain that the software won't work with the common Enttec OpenDMX dongle and only with their EZDMX interface. If you're looking for some PC bit of software which you can use with common dongles, try magicQ? edit: I've just seen that you already have a Chamsys console at school so this probably doesn't help.

 

You can get ethernet data out of the D4 software but it only works with other Avo devices ......

 

Is there any particular reason you're enquiring into the D4 Desktop system?

 

Also, some of these might help your posts ;-)

[Lindsey]

The Diamond 4 and the Pearl are both capable of being ‘computer based’.

 

Firstly, off-line versions of these two consoles are available for free download from our website.

For the Diamond 4 simply download the Diamond 4’s software from our website, once the download is complete and you’ve opened the software go to ‘Tools’ in the menu bar and select ‘Virtual Panel’. The Virtual Panel is a graphic of the Diamond 4, use it just like you would the real thing (open Visualiser from the Virtual Panel once you have patched to visualize your rig) you can then save your show to a USB memory pen and load it into a real Diamond 4 for use with a real rig.

For the Pearl, download the Pearl 2004 Simulator program from our website, this is a graphic of the Pearl 2004. Like the Diamond 4 Virtual Panel, the Pearl 2004 Simulator can be used just like the real thing (download Visualiser for free from our website and set it up with the same dimmers and fixtures as you have patched on the Simulator to get a visualization of what you’re doing) and the show can be saved on the Simulator and then loaded into a read Pearl for use with a real rig.

 

Working on from this, a dongle can be purchased from Avolites to enable these off-line versions of the Diamond 4 and Pearl to output DMX via Avolites’ EZ DMX unit (connected to the computer running the Diamond 4 software via USB).

The dongle is sold to enable the Diamond 4 Virtual Panel to output DMX via the EZ DMX (the whole package is then referred to as the ‘Diamond 4 Desktop System by us) but as a bonus it enables the Pearl 2004 Simulator too!

The Diamond 4 Pilot can then be used in conjunction with the Diamond 4 Desktop System to provide 8 motorised faders and associated buttons which can connect to any bank of faders to become any playback on the desk. Additionally an encoder wheel and separate ‘GO’ and ‘Pause’ buttons are fitted to allow the running of Chases and Cue Lists.

 

If you would like more details about this system or any of our other products, please PM me.

 

Hope this helps,

[Mrdares]

if I could only use if I buy EZ DMX