erik10_4 Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I have acquired a quite neat little DMX RGB controller (chauvet obey 3). It's small and has about 9 preset colours. This would be great for controlling a few LED Par 56s (all doing the same thing) for washes.....the only problem is that it is for 3 channel fixtures only whereas most Par 56s seem to be at least 5 channels and, in fact, 3 channel only lamps seem very hard to come by (the ones that are available are much more expensive than the bulk standard Stairville or Showtec). Most DMX desks are either over complex for a few simple Par 56s or in the case of 6 simple channel options don't have the nice preset colour feature.Now, as I know diddly squat about DMX...... this is where I hope you will be gentle with me..It would be good if there was some kind of 'black box' converter that grabbed a 3 channel RGB output stream (like that sent by the obey 3) and reassigned this stream to channels that standard 5 channel LED fixtures understood as RGB information (channels 2, 3 and 4?). The converter would perhaps also need to generate a 'dummy' signal on channels 1 (mode?) and 5 (speed?) but I don't think this data would need to do anything other than provide a proper data structure to the fixture? Does this make sense? Just wondered if anyone knew whether such a converter gizmo exists or whether electronics wizards think it could be easily/cheaply constructed....on the other hand I could always get over it and move on :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianW Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Errrr.... All of the cheap PAR56's that I have seen have a 3 channel mode..... certainly the PULSE branded ones that CPC are doing at the moment do....... I think, maybe, you have got the 3 & 5 channel varients the wrong way round? The other 2 channels seem to be all about activating the input chase/fade/music mode functions anyway so you dont really need them. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RumbleO Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 This should work if you just plug it in. The 5 and 6 channel LED PARs use Channels 1, 2 and 3 for RGB and are quite content to receive no instruction for channels 4 and 5 (and 6.)This is often the case when using full control from a larger desk; the sliders for these channels remain at zero. Set your PARs to the same DMX Channel (probably 001) as the controller and try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik10_4 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 Errrr.... All of the cheap PAR56's that I have seen have a 3 channel mode..... Adrian Is this a selectable setting on the PAR 56s you mention (e.g Pulse)? I currently have Showrtec and Stairville fixtures which have no obvious way of setting the 'mode'. This should work if you just plug it in. The 5 and 6 channel LED PARs use Channels 1, 2 and 3 for RGB and are quite content to receive no instruction for channels 4 and 5 (and 6.)This is often the case when using full control from a larger desk; the sliders for these channels remain at zero. Set your PARs to the same DMX Channel (probably 001) as the controller and try it. Mmm...I did test the controller whith a Stairville Par56 and 'Blue' was not generated. When operating these fixtures from PC via Magic Q (which works perfectly by the way) , it appears that channel 1 is assigned to 'Mode', channels 2,3 and 4 are shown as the RGB channels and channel 5 is 'Speed'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I have use of some LED PARS that only have a 7 channel mode. Effing annoying. The slightly older models can run 3 or 7 channel. So such annoying ###### do indeed exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lee Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 it appears that channel 1 is assigned to 'Mode', channels 2,3 and 4 are shown as the RGB channels and channel 5 is 'Speed'. If the unit works as rgb with mode at 0% then would it not be possible to set the controller to start its 3 channels at DMX address 2 and the par can to start at DMX address 1 so that the desks maps its rgb channels correctly to the rgb channels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik10_4 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 .....would it not be possible to set the controller to start its 3 channels at DMX address 2 and the par can to start at DMX address 1 so that the desks maps its rgb channels correctly to the rgb channels? Unfortunately David, the contoller cannot be 'addressed' in any way. It is a really basic little device that simply sends out RGB data on channels 1,2 and 3....that's why I was wondering whether it would be possible/easy to constuct something that 'remapped' the channel 1,2 & 3 values sent out by the controller so that these values were received as and assigned to channels 2, 3 and 4 of the fixture. I'm sure I know what I mean but fully understand if I'm talking nonsense to others ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lee Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Yep, just looked at the manual. Boy is it basic. I don't think there is anything simple, basic or cheap that can do that. There are members on this forum who love tinkering with electronics who may be able to cobble something up. Can't believe the controller doesnt allow you to change the address it starts with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Steve Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Would this be of use? http://www.stagelighting.co.uk/control/consoles/strand/strand-6-channel-sixer-console I've used it with 5 channel LED PARs, with RGB on channels 2,3,4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianW Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Is this a selectable setting on the PAR 56s you mention (e.g Pulse)? I currently have Showrtec and Stairville fixtures which have no obvious way of setting the 'mode'. Yeap, set via DIP switches on the rear..... in fact, I've only ever used these beasties in 3 channel mode... CH1 = R, Ch2 = G, Ch3 = B sounds like exactly what you need.... Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik10_4 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 Would this be of use? http://www.stageligh...l-sixer-console I've used it with 5 channel LED PARs, with RGB on channels 2,3,4. I've seen a few of these type of desks and, from what I can see, there are no 'preset' colours (the 'presets' are what I saw as a nice feature of the Chauvet Obey 3 as, if I wanted say, Magenta, I would simply press a button). I assume the desk you have provided the link to would need me to create Magenta etc. by adjusting individual sliders on the fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lee Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 Would this be of use? http://www.stagelighting.co.uk/control/consoles/strand/strand-6-channel-sixer-console I've used it with 5 channel LED PARs, with RGB on channels 2,3,4. Most DMX desks are either over complex for a few simple Par 56s or in the case of 6 simple channel options don't have the nice preset colour feature. Probably not what the OP wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik10_4 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 Is this a selectable setting on the PAR 56s you mention (e.g Pulse)? I currently have Showrtec and Stairville fixtures which have no obvious way of setting the 'mode'. Yeap, set via DIP switches on the rear..... in fact, I've only ever used these beasties in 3 channel mode... CH1 = R, Ch2 = G, Ch3 = B sounds like exactly what you need.... Adrian Yep Adrian, they would work ..... pity about the Stairvilles and Showtecs I already have and was hoping to utilise though B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik10_4 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Share Posted November 10, 2011 So...the challenge is still on.... are there any electronics gurus out ther who can figure out how (cheaply B-) ) to reassign DMX output signals addressed to channels 1,2 & 3 to be received on channels 2,3 & 4 of a device (guess you would have to read the whole topic to understand my drift!) ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callumb Posted November 10, 2011 Share Posted November 10, 2011 I was looking into one of those but came to the same problem as you! If someone knew how to reprogram the PIC inside to be only three channels we would be onto a winner and would be cheaper than a extra box! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.