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    carsonld
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How to set up DMX?

I recently bought a Chuavet Hurricane Flex 1800 fog machine. I am wanting to set it up to DMX because it will be hanging from the mid stage electrical batten. I have never really used DMX before, I have never set it up and know near nothing about it. All I know is that its has universes and each one has 512 channels. This fog machine only uses one channel. I am working with a ETC eos. I have gotten the fog machine hooked up to a DMX node on stage right, Which I am guessing that is what changes the DMX to ETCnet. But I dont know how to get the fog machine hooked up to the light board and onto a submaster. I dont know if this helps but we dont have our lights patched any special way. channel 1 goes to dimmer 1 and so on. We have 288 channels. I am completely lost what to do, sorry if I sound very unexpreinced!

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    Sounds like you have set the patch 1 to 1. So if you have 288 dimmers in use (thus dimmer 288 is set to DMX address 288) then your fogger could/should have an address of 289 or higher (max of 512).

    You also say the fogger is hooked to a DMX node. I assume it to be an output gateway? If so you need to know what universe of DMX it is configured to. If it is universe one, then if your board is patched one to one, you can bring up channel number that corresponds to the DMX address you set the fogger to and record that to a sub. If the gateway is configured to any other universe, then you have other options for addressing and patching.

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    I'd add you might want to pick a channel a bit further away from what you already have assigned to allow future additions.  I put my hazers, foggers, etc. at the end of the list; 500's but whatever you desire works.  I believe the node on the stage end changes ETCnet to DMX rather than DMX to ETCnet so that is correct, you need to know how the node is configured to know what universe the console patch will be for the fog.

    Once you get your fogger assigned and working and recorded to a sub I highly suggest you consider setting the sub to exclusive, shield, etc.  Read through those sections in the manual and pick what would be appropriate for your situations.

    Reason: Unless you want to record fog into cues intentionally, you should protect from this.  I have a few times done a cue update with a haze sub up then realized oops, I didn't want haze programmed into that cue.  Thus shield/exclusive/etc.  Don't have to remember to bring it down before recording or updating.

    Of course same suggestion for house lights and anything else you don't want to ever record.

    If anyone disagrees please jump in and speak.  I'm just one speck in the world of suggestions. :-)

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