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D54 to DMX


rob_tods

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Hi,

 

Firstly I apologise if this has already been covered but I couldn't find anything using the search facility!

 

Can anyone advise me on the cheapest and easiest way to convert 4 old D54 bars in my school to DMX?

 

Any help greatly appriciated - thanks in advance!

 

Rob

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Sorry, but you'll need to explain this one. A D54 bar, and you have four?

 

Do you mean you have D54 dimmers? and a D54 desk, and you want to use DMX instead.

 

I'm guessing, but you wouldn't have Strand ACT6 packs would you?

 

Let us have:

desk type

dimmer type

why you want to change

 

paul

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Sorry, but you'll need to explain this one. A D54 bar, and you have four?

 

Do you mean you have D54 dimmers? and a D54 desk, and you want to use DMX instead.

 

I'm guessing, but you wouldn't have Strand ACT6 packs would you?

 

Let us have:

desk type

dimmer type

why you want to change

 

paul

Sorry, I meant dimmers yes! The dimmers aren't Strand at the moment I dont think but I can't remember what they are.

 

The desk is a Strand Lx and we want to change to be able to upgrade the board to use submasters and chasers etc, and so we can control moving heads.

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Righti-ho.

 

Still a bit odd, as D54 is a Strand protocol, so if the dimmers are D54, they're almosr certainly Strand.

 

Everything was going smoothly until you said moving heads. The price just took a big jump.

 

Dimmer wise - you need to find out the model. Some Tempus versions were D54.

 

If you want to keep the dimmers, then it's going to cost around £500 for a little rack unit that converts DMX into D54. Of course, you could spend £9-10,000 on a 500 series that has DMX and D54 (the cheaper 300, series don't do D54)

 

DMX desks that will run movers mean spending quite a bit.

What is the budget?

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"The desk is a Strand Lx"

 

AFAIK a digital version was never made... The output was analogue, so if this is the desk you have you would just need a demux to control your existing dimmers from a DMX desk

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I'm more confused than ever - what in the current system is D54 - not the LX as its analogue and so must the dimmers be - so what exactly does the OP want? New desk with subs and existing dimmers? zero88 demux still about £400
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DMX desks that will run movers mean spending quite a bit.

What is the budget?

There isn't a budget as such, I've got to suggest a way of doing it and a price so the powers that be can decide if its acceptabe.

 

I may have got it wrong about the dimmers as we have two completly different sets in different venues so I'll check them out on Monday.

 

Thanks for your help so far though!!

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I would scrap it get some etc sensor racks with DMX put ina small moving light bord a strand lx as far as I know isnt a movers board. if you are going to update it just do everything it will cost a bit more but you might get a better purchase price if you buy more gear at once from one company and one brand.

 

thats what I would do

 

 

JH

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Hi all

 

To my knowledge the strand LX is a 12way manual desk running off 8 pin din anologue control signal. And also to my knowledge, I always thought the Tempus dimmers were the same protocol. I could be wrong in this but I have only ever seen them controlled by 8 pin din

 

If the above is the case, then you would need a de-mux converting DIN to DMX. I don't see where you get D54 in the equation but I could be wrong.

 

On the issue of the control desk utilising movers, I would do a google on the site archive and there are plenty of discussions re a mid range all round desks

 

Strand 300/ETC Express/All the Frog Ranges would be a good range of desk to start with

 

hope this helps

 

eamon

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Your best bet would probably be the Zero88 Fat Frog (£2K) and a few Strand ACT6s (£490 each).

Except that the OP didn't ask about replacing all his kit. It's still not clear what the OP currently has in the way of kit, but it initially sounded like a DMX demux might be the answer.

 

There isn't a budget as such, I've got to suggest a way of doing it and a price so the powers that be can decide if its acceptabe.

 

And I made a suggestion for "a way of doing it".

 

Also, the OP wants to control movers. It seems that with the desk he has being analogue, he would need to replace the desk.

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Without an idea of a budget - then all this is just a wish list. Does the OP actually have a two or three grand to spend? If the exisiting kit is manual and oldish, maybe funds are tight.

 

Pointless continueing without some guidelines. If the old dimmers work fine, then a demux may be the way. If they are old, with 5 amp plugs and going slightly rusty, then dumping them and starting new is great - if the powers that be have the cheque book out.

 

Any recommendation for specific equipment needs doing as a result of analysing what the OP wants to do with it - so makes and models have to come a bit later.

 

So if Rob_Todds can give us some examples of what he wants the kit to be able to do, we'll progress a little more.

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Thanks all for your help so far!

 

I checked today and the dimmers are Strand Act 6. The kit all works, but we want to upgrade to have moving heads in the cheapest possible way. A new board would also be needed because the Strnad Lx doesn't do DMX.

 

We don't need anything really lavish just simple to use so the people after me can use it, that will do its job. I control about 1 major show a month and a few smaller comptitions inbetween.

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