Need simple DMX

[jerry12x]

Hiya, I need help.

Back in the 80’s I used a 0-10v Rock desk into dimmers and par 64’s.

I used flash buttons and faders.

In the 90’s I wired a music keyboard into a Lee colourtron desk.

I played the lighting on the keyboard.

I have recently started up again and all the lighting is DMX.

Ok I have DMX fixtures and desk.

I have a JB Systems scene setter.

I find it hard work.

I don’t want the desk to do pre recorded stuff.

I want to have live control like I had in the 80’s & 90’s.

I now use some par cans on DMX dimmers and have Martin Robocolor 400’s and LEDJ stratos spots.

Is there a desk that does simple DMX that I can plug a midi keyboard into and do what I used to do?

I did get the scene setter to control the Robocolor 400’s but choosing the colours was hard work. It took the natural impulse away totally.

Don’t enjoy it.

Recommendations are very welcome.

Thanks.

[TomHoward]

Zero 88 Jester might be worth a look if you're specifically looking for the Midi In from a keyboard. Not sure how many channels the Robocolours use - if it's more than one two DMX channels I'm not sure what the intelligent fixture handling is like on the Jester.

[Dj Dunc]

to advance on what Tom said, the Jester ML is built to take up to 30 moving heads, so this is what you could look at? http://www.zero88.com/en/products/2/89.

 

HTH

 

Dunc

[Jivemaster]

Off the wall suggestion -=NJD Merlin

 

16 faders with flash and latch buttons assignable joystick for some movenent 256 channels of DMX only. will play by faders, scenes or programmes.

 

Unless someone offers you one then it's seach ebay I fear.

[maxjones2000]

I played the lighting on the keyboard.

 

Random question, but why do you control lighting off a keyboard (in general)? Just wondering, as I'm new to in-depth lighting stuff :D

[jerry12x]

I played the lighting on the keyboard.

 

Random question, but why do you control lighting off a keyboard (in general)? Just wondering, as I'm new to in-depth lighting stuff :D

 

It made life very easy for me.

At that time I used 24 par 64's and I knew how the stage would look when I played a chord.

I sometimes used faders as well. I placed the colours accordingly.

I didnt need to look at the keys, If I was doing fast changes e.g. a drum solo,

I would not miss a key.

It was a small mobile show. I would not usually have more than 5 cans on at any time.

 

The Robocolor's use 6 DMX channels.

 

Thanks for your input guys.

[dbuckley]

Keyboard for lighting control not a new phenomena.

 

Strand has some organ consoles made by the Compton organ company, and back in the day The Move had a keyboard controlled lighting rig which I seem to recall needed the then huge requirement of 30 amps...

[d_korman]

Keyboard for lighting control not a new phenomena.

 

Strand has some organ consoles made by the Compton organ company, and back in the day The Move had a keyboard controlled lighting rig which I seem to recall needed the then huge requirement of 30 amps...

 

Strand Light Console

[Blaize110]

You could use a software based solution such as Freestyler with a USB DMX dongle (eg: Enttec Pro). Freestyler supports MIDI In and you can then map the midi inputs to lights, submasters, chases etc. which had been pre-programmed to whatever states or effects you want. It could do any necessary legwork relating to the DMX fixtures so that one key on the keyboard could provide an instant result eg: colour, rather than having to fiddle to get the right combination of keys.

[Jivemaster]

http://www.premier-solutions.biz/NJD-Products/Merlin.htm

 

Rock desk by another name!

[taffymonster]

Pretty sure I've seen keyboard input to a Pulsar Masterpiece, although how you go about it is a mystery and I may be wrong and they were used as seperate control.

 

The masterpiece can be a good desk for a club/small band lighting rig with none of the modern fixtures or palettes - everything you program is designed by you! It's quite intuitive once you get into it, although I'd rather a Pearl any day...

[matt-the-dj]

You could use a software based solution such as Freestyler with a USB DMX dongle (eg: Enttec Pro). Freestyler supports MIDI In and you can then map the midi inputs to lights, submasters, chases etc. which had been pre-programmed to whatever states or effects you want. It could do any necessary legwork relating to the DMX fixtures so that one key on the keyboard could provide an instant result eg: colour, rather than having to fiddle to get the right combination of keys.

[/quote

 

+1 for freestlyer, I use mine with a midi keyboard and its FREE