Lighting help!! PLEASE!!!
Lighting help!! PLEASE!!!
Trying to set up a lighting system that I have never set up and don't have any paper on. I have an ETA MC12F controller, and two dimmer packs. The controller has XLR in and out on the back. Each dimmer pack has an XLR in and Out. Do I go "OUT" of the controller to pack 1 and then out of pack 1 into pack 2, them back to the controller??? Each dimmer pack has 4 par 38 cans. Not sure how it's supposed to be set up and didn't want to blow anything. Thanks!
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floodcitybrass
- Platinum Member
- Posts: 527
- Joined: Thursday Jan 30, 2003
The signal chain should look like this:
Out of the light controller
Into the first dimmer pack
Out of the first dimmer pack
Into the second dimmer pack
// END of signal chain
Other notes:
1) Dimmer packs can be addressed so that each plug acts as a different channel. You probably want the first dimmer pack starting at address 1 and the second dimmer pack starting at address 5.
2) The out of your second dimmer pack *should* be terminated. But most of the time it won't matter for dimmers. If you don't have a terminator, just leave out of the 2nd dimmer pack left connected to nothing.
Out of the light controller
Into the first dimmer pack
Out of the first dimmer pack
Into the second dimmer pack
// END of signal chain
Other notes:
1) Dimmer packs can be addressed so that each plug acts as a different channel. You probably want the first dimmer pack starting at address 1 and the second dimmer pack starting at address 5.
2) The out of your second dimmer pack *should* be terminated. But most of the time it won't matter for dimmers. If you don't have a terminator, just leave out of the 2nd dimmer pack left connected to nothing.
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lonewolf
- Diamond Member
- Posts: 6249
- Joined: Thursday Sep 25, 2003
- Location: Anywhere, Earth
- Contact:
That unit uses multiplex protocol and should not be terminated--its hard to tell what might happen. Also, you never want to connect a continuous daisy chain loop of dimmers back into the controller.
I have never seen an "IN" connector on a multiplex controller--both connectors serve as outputs (even thought one is M and the other is F).
With Multiplex, the connector gender does not matter.
If this controller is an exception and those XLR's are actually marked "IN" and "OUT", then use the "OUT" connector and daisy chain the dimmerpacks. Don't worry about the connector gender, just connect them up in order. What connector to use will work itself out.
If there are no "IN" and "OUT" labels on the XLR connectors (normal), you can use either or both XLR connectors on the controller as outputs to the dimmer packs. You can either daisy chain the dimmerpacks as above, or use each connector from the controller to connect to each dimmer pack. This might be better if the controller is in the middle and the dimmers are at opposite ends of the stage. The connector on the cable will determine which dimmer connector to use.
Once again, with Multiplex, the connector gender does not matter.
As far as the dimmer pack addressing, MPX generally has each address corresponding to a group of 4 channels. All switches OFF = channels 1 thru 4. All switches OFF except #1 switch ON = channels 5 thru 8, etc with binary.
If you are going to put a lightstand/dimmer at each side of the stage and use the same colors on both sides, you should probably set both dimmer packs to the same address of channels 1-4. This board can only handle a total of channels 1-12 and if you decide to expand, you might need 8 channels for back & specialty lights.
BTW, do you think I could test one of my dimmer packs on your system sometime? I have a Lightronics MPX dimmer and I'm not sure if the dimming works on it.
here is an old pdf manual of your controller:
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/STARIN ... /MC12F.pdf
I have never seen an "IN" connector on a multiplex controller--both connectors serve as outputs (even thought one is M and the other is F).
With Multiplex, the connector gender does not matter.
If this controller is an exception and those XLR's are actually marked "IN" and "OUT", then use the "OUT" connector and daisy chain the dimmerpacks. Don't worry about the connector gender, just connect them up in order. What connector to use will work itself out.
If there are no "IN" and "OUT" labels on the XLR connectors (normal), you can use either or both XLR connectors on the controller as outputs to the dimmer packs. You can either daisy chain the dimmerpacks as above, or use each connector from the controller to connect to each dimmer pack. This might be better if the controller is in the middle and the dimmers are at opposite ends of the stage. The connector on the cable will determine which dimmer connector to use.
Once again, with Multiplex, the connector gender does not matter.
As far as the dimmer pack addressing, MPX generally has each address corresponding to a group of 4 channels. All switches OFF = channels 1 thru 4. All switches OFF except #1 switch ON = channels 5 thru 8, etc with binary.
If you are going to put a lightstand/dimmer at each side of the stage and use the same colors on both sides, you should probably set both dimmer packs to the same address of channels 1-4. This board can only handle a total of channels 1-12 and if you decide to expand, you might need 8 channels for back & specialty lights.
BTW, do you think I could test one of my dimmer packs on your system sometime? I have a Lightronics MPX dimmer and I'm not sure if the dimming works on it.
here is an old pdf manual of your controller:
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/STARIN ... /MC12F.pdf
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