NSI DDS 9800 Dimmer Question

[pinoypaf]

We have a unique situation with our setup.

 

If anyone owns or runs these dimmer packs, can you answer this?

 

We have the NSI DDS 9800 dimmer packs in use controlling our house lighting. We also have a NSI control board using DMX to do the dimming... However we have people that need to turn on lights(just on at 100%) and would rather them not have to touch our lighting board to do this.

 

Is there a way to rig up a light switch that will just push the lights to 100%... maybe use the analog 0-10VDC control? Not sure what I would need.

 

Any help you guys can offer would be Awesome!... Note: We also have other stage lighting plugged into this NSI unit.

 

Thank

Paul

[timsabre]

We don't see NSI much in the UK - but it looks much like any other dimmer pack. How many channels do you need to turn on, are they in a block (eg all on one pack)?

 

The usual way to make it work is some sort of DMX wallpanel unit, with a DMX changeover switch so you can switch your control board in when you're using that, but at other times the wallpanel unit has control.

 

Something like this maybe

 

http://www.leprecon.com/productfiles/med_APCwallpanelsandhub.jpg

[alistermorton]

I'm not familiar with the NSI stuff but we do a similar thing with an Act6 digital, and a couple of analog wall panels. In the absence of DMX the wall panels select normal, dim, in the round, rehearsal etc basic lighting states for the house lights and rehearsal lights only. As soon as DMX is present, the desk has control and the wall panels are completely overridden. I'd be checking the manual for the dimmer packs to see if something similar can be arranged. Often you simply get highest take precedence, which is not really what you want.

[timsabre]

I checked the manual and it says it is HTP if you use both analog and DMX.

It depends how many channels he needs to turn on for the house lights.

[alistermorton]

I'm wondering if the DMX takeover is a feature of the architectural control system we have, rather than the dimmers.

[pinoypaf]

Thanks all for your help so far!

 

So we have 4 channels from the DDS 9800 that are for house lighting. The rest of the dimmer pack is being used for other stage lighting( par cans and the like).

 

As was mentioned, if we were to use the analog 0-10vdc dsub connector it is highest controls value.

 

I would like a solution that allows for DMXcontrol of fading house, BUT allows for the on/off house lighting function...

 

Any further suggestions?

 

Thanks

Paul

[timsabre]

You could do it with a DMX pushbutton panel and DMX changeover switch as described above but it's a bit clunky.

With those dimmers I can't think of an alternative. More sophisticated dimmers offer a wallpanel feature where you can turn on from a wall panel then take over control on the console (or a different wallpanel)

 

 

DMX switch is normally set to connect the wallpanel

User puts wallpanel to full on, lights come up

Lx tech puts the houselight channels up on the console

switches DMX switch over to console control. You've matched the values so there's no output change

Lx tech now has houselight control on the console

 

At end of show ensure control is switched back to the wallpanel

 

 

Or use the 0-10v analog input, and have a master switch for the wallpanel in the lighting booth so you can turn off the wallpanel when you want control on the console.

[pinoypaf]

I've looked into the Doug Fleenor Designs PRE10-A DMX512 10-Zone Wall Controller (http://www.dfd.com/p10a.html) and I think it does what we will need.

It records DMX from console into presets 1-10 which you can call up by hitting them without a DMX controller in play.

However, when it receives DMX from the console it will go into passive mode.

When the console is turned off it goes to last preset that was pushed.

 

The thought is this:

 

1) We'll have a DMX preset with just the house lights 100% on the console (stage lights off) and record it onto this device say preset 1.

2) Person one turns on house lights to enter.

3) Lighting controller from console takes over during show.

4) Lighting controller turns off console after show, releases control to DMX wall unit.

5) Person one leaves hitting preset 10(which is the default for houselights "OFF" or zeroing all DMX data output to connected device).

 

Seems logical to me....any thoughts on that?

 

-Paul

[timsabre]

Sounds like just the thing.

 

The only problem I can see is that when you turn the console on it will black out the houselights until you put up the correct channels. So you will want to do this before any audience is in.

[alistermorton]

That's what happens with our setup. But given that you'll do the rig check and then go into show preset before the house opens it's never really been seen as a problem.