Pulsar Masterpiece

[paulears]

I'm trying to sort something for a client who is nice, but knows very little. He's a technophobe and has trouble with new kit. He has a touchscreen magicQ, which he runs totally from the execute screen, programming nothing himself, and has an old masterpiece that controls a few circuits of dimmers. The thing is totally knackered, and fader by fader it's been gradually dying for years - now it's dead. I've told him it needs dumping - and I've found a few controls that are fader per knob, so will be fine. However, I do know that the thing has DMX out which used to control some long dead scanners - but, is there any chance that it also used analogue to control the pair of dimmer packs I've just been told are in the basement? If it's just DMX, then all is well - but if these Masterpieces had any other kind of output, I'm stuck. I can't get to see it until Wednesday, so any potential problems in advance would be great. I'm hoping I can just pop in a new control that outputs on DMX addresses 1 to 12, and that's it. I really don't want to be faffing with anything non-DMX.

[David Lee]

Sure they used to output PMX as well., Good luck, hated the thing from the first time I saw one (at the launch many years back)

[Malcolm Gordon]

Sure they used to output PMX as well.

And analogue 0/10V as well, as explained in this video.

[Robin D]

They have !8 channels of analogue output. Mines working well.

[timmeh2]

Hi

 

They used an obscure method where console channels were mapped to DMX, of which there were 218 on the Red masterpiece, a sort-of precursor to modern softpatching.

 

Masterpieces can be a bit of a nightmare in that the control surface becomes very unpredictable when things get damp. Out in Ibiza I had to use a couple of fan heaters blowing on them.

 

As for programming them, you can get away with quite a lot, although when using moving heads it helps to patch them in multiples of 18 as this means that the features will overlap when you change pages. It does quite a few novel things, such as the environment and scene chases. They can, I have seen them, being used as architectural controllers as their clock and calender functions were fairly advanced for a desk of that era.

 

And whoever at Pulsar wrote the manual clearly deserves a BOFH award as they are about as understandable as the wiring diagram for Apollo 11.

 

Good luck!

 

All the best

Timmeh

[paulears]

Oh no! Exactly what I was afraid of. It's been in a long time so I bet everything is NOT on the DMX output as the dimmer packs are originals. They're expecting it to be done by Thursday! I can't get access until tonight!

 

Thanks folks for the warning!

[Judge]

Walk away Paul. No good can come from this.

[marktownend]

Old Masterpieces are frequently listed on ebay. There happens to be one right now that finishes later today and is located at least vaguely in the right part of the country for you Paul. And it includes memory cards. (Nothing to do with me and my slight Masterpiece addiction!).

 

If it's really that tight on time then could you risk buying that, transferring the existing show from the current Masterpiece onto a card, then installing the new one and putting the show back onto it, so effectively just replacing the desk?

 

Alternatively if they're using analogue into old Pulsar dimmers you could try tracking down an old Pulsar demux?

 

Or if they really are just using a single fader per dimmer channel (and not fading scenes, chases or environments) then you could put in one of their 12 or 18 channel single pre-set boards.

[greenalien]

Send it back to Pulsar service, who will fix it for you. But not by Thursday...

 

Most bulletproof way of using a Masterpiece is to do the programming on it, (must be saved at environment level, not just scenes and chases) then transfer everything via a memory card to a Replay 216. This still gives you 48 environments plus 6 environment chases to choose from; preserves the sound-to-light, beat triggering of chases, chase generator and patch functions; and it still has the analogue as well as the digital outputs - but it avoids the touch surface, which always encourages unauthorised finger-poking and is bad news in a high-humidity environment. You can even drive it remotely, either from one or more Outstations, or from a computer via RS232 if you don't mind some custom programming.

[Robin D]

Hi Paul.

 

If you find they are analogue dimmers, then the Masterpiece by default sends them on scene 1 (Touch panel top row, middle section, leftmost button), and Channels 1 to 18 (Bottom Row buttons 1 through 18 or the faders 1 - 18) as the controls. If the fader(s) has given up the ghost, and they are only using 1 - 6, you can unplug the locking DIN connector on the back of the Masterpiece and move it to run on 7-12 or 13-18. It might be a get out of jail free card.

[paulears]

Thanks for the useful info - and a telephone call - most appreciated. This is a client who calls at 11pm attempting to describe a magicQ screen - followed by a 30 mile journey to walk in, push two buttons and then go home!

 

All the equipment installed since the 70s is still in situ, with them all doing just a few things - the masterpiece works a few areas, and although there are 16 labels on the faders, they use a handful regularly - so the idea of swapping the DINs could well do the trick and maybe a bot of re-patching, but I do now have a few different plans to try.

 

I'll report back.

[LXbydesign]

Oh no! Exactly what I was afraid of. It's been in a long time so I bet everything is NOT on the DMX output as the dimmer packs are originals. They're expecting it to be done by Thursday! I can't get access until tonight!

 

Thanks folks for the warning!

 

If you make sure that the patch button isnt lit - then the desk runs channel number / DMX number 1-2-1.

 

If the patch button IS lit - then the DMX numbers will have been patch to different channel numbers - and unless its been written down or you have a screen driver + screen then its a nightmare to know whats where.

[paulears]

They're total technophobes - the only thing the cleaners do when they get in is push 1 4 and 5 fader up, and then if there is a wedding - they push 12 as well - it's that kind of operation. Indeed, when I go there later on, it could be somebody has pulled the mains plug out! That would be nice.

 

To make it worse, I've done a statement run today, and guess what - they've not paid the previous invoice - now 5 weeks from invoice date.

[paulears]

First glimpse of the Masterpiece isn't good. Lots of red flickering LEDs, and the things it is controlling all on full, with none of the faders doing anything. I prised it out of the panel, to reveal 3 DIN connectors - not good. However, taped to one of them is a dangling 5 pin XLR. climbing down a rickety ladder to the cellar reveals 3 Pulsar wall packs in not too bad nick really, with another dangling XLR. Sitting on a shelf is a brand new, unopened Behringer DMX control a 2412. Shove in the XLR, find a couple of patch leads and all working! Took a while to explain how 12 faders control 18 channels, but it works fine. Sigh of relief. Go home!

 

I need to thank Mark for the plan B we worked out if this had not have worked - most appreciated.

 

oh yes - the check was posted out today ..................

[timsabre]

"you can hand me the cheque when I arrive" is always a useful phrase.

 

Glad you got it working, old dirty masterpieces are a nightmare . We used to wash them out in soapy water, then rinse, dry and polish with Mr. Sheen. In fact I seem to remember that cleaning info is screen printed on the back - almost certainly the only lighting desk to feature washing instructions.