DMX-Sound Active

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ezazdj

New DJ
Apr 7, 2009
137
0
54
Surprise, AZ
www.ezazdj.com
Ok.

I've got a bunch of shiny new DMX lights coming in, along with a USB dongle and I was going to use Freestyler.

I was looking around trying to learn what I can before they get here and I see, at least on the Quadphase, that you can not put it into Sound Active mode using DMX.

Is that true of all DMX lights?

All I really wanted to do with the DMX was use it to set the quadphase to a slow-white rotation thus mimicking a mirror ball effect for slow dances, and to be able to pull up static colors on my colorstrip so I could have it set at a blue, for example, while dinner was going. Otherwise I just want everything to be in sound active.

Advice?

David Hoyt
 
ezazdj said:
Ok.

I've got a bunch of shiny new DMX lights coming in, along with a USB dongle and I was going to use Freestyler.

I was looking around trying to learn what I can before they get here and I see, at least on the Quadphase, that you can not put it into Sound Active mode using DMX.

Is that true of all DMX lights?

All I really wanted to do with the DMX was use it to set the quadphase to a slow-white rotation thus mimicking a mirror ball effect for slow dances, and to be able to pull up static colors on my colorstrip so I could have it set at a blue, for example, while dinner was going. Otherwise I just want everything to be in sound active.

Advice?

David Hoyt
Click to expand...

I can tell you that all of my DMX lights can do that, that have built in sound active programs....
 
ezazdj said:
So you can put them in sound active mode through Freestyler?

I am totally new to DMX, so thanks in advance for any info you can provide. I'm sure I'll be asking many more questions.

Dave
Click to expand...

Yes, but it's easier to create scenes that include the sound active programs.... vs. doing it on the fly.

What I do is program multiple scenes to create a chase and then I do multiple versions of these chases depending on the light and the variety of sound active programs.... for example I use Color Pallets which have multiple sound active patterns.

Then I program an all stop chase which more or less takes all dmx channels for that particular light to 0 effectively turning them off.

I do this for each set of dmx lights and then I just run the different scenes concurrently as I see fit for each light.

My scanner's on the other hand which don't have built in programs that are accessable via dmx are just set to sound active control via Freestyler.
 
If the fixture itself has a built-in sound active mode then most will be able to use that feature in DMX mode.

Look at the book that came with the light, or download form the manu's website, it will tell you what DMX channel the feature is on.

Example: On the Scorpion RGX laser, on channel one, with the slide value set between 140-159 is the red laser on sound active, 160-179 is the green laser on sound active, and 180-199 is both lasers on sound active mode.
 
When you say "sound active"....in the case of the quad phase, are you asking if in DMX you can make it act like you were running stand-alone-sound active...you could; with hours and hours, more like days of programming.....in a simple word no; Like the Vue 3; to try and replicate everything it does in sound active; impossible.

I don't believe the quad phase has a setting for "sound active" which annoys me....They should....

They being said you can create scenes and chases and run them to sound.....

I have a Tri phase. I've found for that light you're better off buying a $30 UC3 controller and running it with that; You can do exactly what you want (mirror ball efect). You can speed/slow the speed and other effects. Like the Vue 3 and Revo 3/4 some lights just work better and don't lend themselves to DMX control.

I use my controller for my wash lights, Tri Led pinspots, barrel scanners
 
ezazdj said:
Ok.

I've got a bunch of shiny new DMX lights coming in, along with a USB dongle and I was going to use Freestyler.

I was looking around trying to learn what I can before they get here and I see, at least on the Quadphase, that you can not put it into Sound Active mode using DMX.

Is that true of all DMX lights?

All I really wanted to do with the DMX was use it to set the quadphase to a slow-white rotation thus mimicking a mirror ball effect for slow dances, and to be able to pull up static colors on my colorstrip so I could have it set at a blue, for example, while dinner was going. Otherwise I just want everything to be in sound active.

Advice?

David Hoyt
Click to expand...
I use the colorstrips and REVO iV along with the Obey 40 dmx controller.
Yes you can set sound active using your controller. I've basically stored all of the Colorstrip builtin presets on my dmx controller. Each preset is stored as a scene. I can use my own chases or play any of the Colorstrips builtin programs from the controller.
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
When you say "sound active"....in the case of the quad phase, are you asking if in DMX you can make it act like you were running stand-alone-sound active...you could; with hours and hours, more like days of programming.....in a simple word no; Like the Vue 3; to try and replicate everything it does in sound active; impossible.

I don't believe the quad phase has a setting for "sound active" which annoys me....They should....

They being said you can create scenes and chases and run them to sound.....

I have a Tri phase. I've found for that light you're better off buying a $30 UC3 controller and running it with that; You can do exactly what you want (mirror ball efect). You can speed/slow the speed and other effects. Like the Vue 3 and Revo 3/4 some lights just work better and don't lend themselves to DMX control.

I use my controller for my wash lights, Tri Led pinspots, barrel scanners
Click to expand...

Actually in the case of the Vue III I activate the sound active mode via DMX and have never bothered trying to program it. So it's either on, in sound active mode, or it is off.
 
The Quad Phase could be switched to the sound mode using Freestyler. It's in the manual, channel 2 with 250-255 value. The Tri Phase does not offer that option.
 
jokerswild said:
Actually in the case of the Vue III I activate the sound active mode via DMX and have never bothered trying to program it. So it's either on, in sound active mode, or it is off.
Click to expand...

Exactly - what i meant is that it would near impossible to program the sound active mode; scene by scene. my tri phase doesn't allow you a "sound active" mode.
 
anzyxx said:
The Quad Phase could be switched to the sound mode using Freestyler. It's in the manual, channel 2 with 250-255 value. The Tri Phase does not offer that option.
Click to expand...

That's great......Andrew are you able to grab it manually and slow down the speed and isolate it to one colour easily?

Never mind - I see you can.....Andrew can you get a solid white or is it like the Tri-Phase (a tri colour).

David there's your answer. the UC3 controller does give you some nice options for 30 bucks
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
That's great......Andrew are you able to grab it manually and slow down the speed and isolate it to one colour easily?

Never mind - I see you can.....Andrew can you get a solid white or is it like the Tri-Phase (a tri colour).

David there's your answer. the UC3 controller does give you some nice options for 30 bucks
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, don't own one yet. My guess will be it's like the tri-phase.
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
i thought you had one; its on list
Click to expand...

Steve, I have 2 tri-phases. But probably will sell them and buy quads. The addition of the sound mode will make my life much easier when running those lights in the DMX mode. They cost around 230.00 here in Ontario, much less than the Tri-Phase. I remember the Tri-Phase costing more than 400.00:triconfused:
 
Steve LeBlanc said:
David there's your answer. the UC3 controller does give you some nice options for 30 bucks
Click to expand...

Well it sounds like I won't need the UC3. Since it's got sound active as a part of the DMX, as long as I can figure out how to slow it down and make it work like a disco ball type effect I'll be doing alright!

DaveHoyt
 
Dave - with a hardware controller all you do is grab the fixture (push one of the 12 fixture butoons). With the skiders you simply manipulate the slider; the light will react according. Channel two controls speed and rotation in the case of the Quad Phase.....I do this with my Zipper LED bar when I want to globally dim or brighten on the fly..

I don't know how this is done with a software solution..

Dave for the few lights you have; I'd looka t a hardware controller like the Obey....
 
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