New to DMX/Light issues :(

[Stewy148]

Hi there,

I currently run a small freelance DJ business and have only ever used lights that just plug straight into the power and do their own thing.

I recently purchased 2x 15w Moving Head LEDs from eBay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2PCS-15W-Moving-Head-Stage-Light-Spot-Lamp-LED-DMX-13CH-DJ-Club-Party-Disco-Show-/261709490865?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cef19eab1

And I also purchased a ShowTec SDC-6 DMX Controller http://shop.clubtek.co.uk/light-fixtures-controllers-light-controllers-showtec-channel-controller-p-924.html

I have plugged them straight into the output of the controller and daisy chained the two lights. They both have 5-channel and 13-channel settings so I changed the lights to the 5 channel. But simply, when I use the master and channel sliders, nothing happens whatsoever. I have had a replacement controller sent out to me as I thought it was the issue but the new one also doesn't work. The LED indicator on the display of the moving heads say DMX signal between channels 1-6 so I don't see why it's just not moving them!

Any help here would be so greatly appreciated!

Thanks and regards,

Jack. :)

[Platinum events]

They will be a little switch on the back to change DMX polarity try switching this across.

[PaulDF]

I think those small desks output ch1 to 6, do the mark+reset signals and then 1-6 again, your lights may be looking for a full DMX 512 signal so are getting confused. Your master ought to be set to full all the time when trying it. Do you have the last socket terminated with a DMX terminator? It could be an issue as said above with polarity.

 

Moving heads are not really that good with generic sliders which are more use with a dimmer pack or similar, I use a similar one for house light control.

I recommend either looking for a desk that is suited to moving heads or using a PC based software + DMX dongle.

[Stewy148]

They will be a little switch on the back to change DMX polarity try switching this across.

 

Hi, thank you for your response! I've tried now and switched 2 + 3 and still no luck :(

 

I think those small desks output ch1 to 6, do the mark+reset signals and then 1-6 again, your lights may be looking for a full DMX 512 signal so are getting confused. Your master ought to be set to full all the time when trying it.

Moving heads are not really that good with generic sliders which are more use with a dimmer pack or similar, I use a similar one for house light control.

I recommend either looking for a desk that is suited to moving heads or using a PC based software + DMX dongle.

 

I'm sorry - I don't understand the first bit... I'm still learning! D: Could you possibly elaborate?

And I use a MAC and couldn't find a cheap enough adapter for USB...

Thanks, Jack

[gareth]

And I use a MAC and couldn't find a cheap enough adapter for USB...

Thanks, Jack

Have a look at the Chamsys MagicDMX - a single universe of DMX512, plug-and-play on a Mac, with really great software to drive it, for £60. Surely that's not going to break the bank?

 

Admittedly the MagciQ software will probably present a pretty steep learning curve in the first instance if you don't have any sort of lighting control experience, but it's well worth spending a little time with it and getting to grips with the basics. You can start off pretty simply, and get more adventurous as your knowledge grows.

[PaulDF]

Put simply the 6 channel desk may not be compatible with your lights

[ddproduction]

Without going into signal theory, the cheap 6ch desks dont generate an up-to-spec DMX signal. They basically only generate the first 6 channels - most equipment 'should' accept this signal but I'm afraid you're mixing cheap with cheap so neither are likely to be completely up to spec.

You can get a MagicQ cheap usb dongle for £10 that has a 4 hour timeout (after which you will need to restart the software), which you could try and see if it works for you. The Chamsys software is free.

[paulears]

Oddly, I use one of those - or at least the Thomann version, as a test device and a smile controller for some LED bars, and the output is the right way around.

 

You say the moving head controller shows DMX is present on channels 1 to 6? How is it doing this? Usually they just have a flashing display when DMX is missing (or at least the ones I looked at for someone last year did).

 

Are you certain you put them in 6 channel mode and set DMX address 001?

 

does plugging in the DMX cable make them either sit up, reset themselves or do anything? We need a bit more info now you have checked the obvious. My bet would be the wrong DMX address or DMX mode not selected, and the light is waiting for audio, or slave operation?

[Wuddy]

Oddly, I use one of those - or at least the Thomann version, as a test device and a smile controller for some LED bars, and the output is the right way around.

 

You say the moving head controller shows DMX is present on channels 1 to 6? How is it doing this? Usually they just have a flashing display when DMX is missing (or at least the ones I looked at for someone last year did).

 

Are you certain you put them in 6 channel mode and set DMX address 001?

 

does plugging in the DMX cable make them either sit up, reset themselves or do anything? We need a bit more info now you have checked the obvious. My bet would be the wrong DMX address or DMX mode not selected, and the light is waiting for audio, or slave operation?

[Stewy148]

Oddly, I use one of those - or at least the Thomann version, as a test device and a smile controller for some LED bars, and the output is the right way around.

 

You say the moving head controller shows DMX is present on channels 1 to 6? How is it doing this? Usually they just have a flashing display when DMX is missing (or at least the ones I looked at for someone last year did).

 

Are you certain you put them in 6 channel mode and set DMX address 001?

 

does plugging in the DMX cable make them either sit up, reset themselves or do anything? We need a bit more info now you have checked the obvious. My bet would be the wrong DMX address or DMX mode not selected, and the light is waiting for audio, or slave operation?

 

Hi! Thank you for your help - On the display on the lights, it says D001. When I plug in the controller, the small LED DMX Signal Indicator in the bottom right of the display flashes. It flashes when I change the strarting DMX channel on the lights up to channel D006. Anything past there and the signal light turns off.

 

 

It's like it knows that it' a 6 channel mixer and then just doesn't do it...? But yeah, when I plug the controller in when the light is set to D001, it doesn't react whatsoever apart from the LED indicator...

 

The light does work in slave mode when I daisy chain it to the second light - but not with a controller, only the preset movements...

 

Any advances on this would be greatly appreciated,

Regards,

Jack

[paulears]

Thee was a topic very recently where these controllers had their DMX output analysed and it was not within the spec. The problem, from memory (as I can't find it) was similar to yours, and the connected lights refused to acknowledge it. I suspect that you can only sort this by substitution. The ten quid Magicq dongle seems ideal, and won't be a wasted investment. If anyone can put in the link to the other topic, it would be great, my phone doesn't make this easy!

[p.k.roberts]

I think it was this thread;

 

http://www.blue-room.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=64494

[Jivemaster]

My experience was that DMX was of zero value to a mobile DJ. I was better off with pre-programmed dedicated controllers from the lantern maker -that way you knew they were compatible.

 

Once you need to drive a mover with DMX you need to have something pre programmed or sit there driving a few channels by hand all night. Either get a decent programmable controller and spend DAYS making good patterns then calling those into scenes and have a really great show or accept the boringly ordinary that the mover's internal programmes will give you for no work and no time.

[Wuddy]

Oops, when I tried to reply the other day I just seem to have duplicated paulears contribution. It's a while since I was on here.

I have two Transcension versions of that controller and they both have the same problem, they are useless at controlling anything other than clunky dimmers. On fixtures like LEDs or movers they either don't respond at all, like yours, or they go random.