Chan v DMX for Multichannel Devices

We ONLY use single channel legacy lights (with very occasional RGB LED). To educate myself I have patched a Martin MAC250 into the program and into Capture to eventually be able to "play" with it. When I go to 1.3 Live Table and use the [Format] button I can see the multiple features within the device. It is was patched to start at ch11 (DMX 11 in our case) so we can assume it is actually using DMX 11 thru 21 (inc). In the newly patched setup I see Ch 11 with the fixtures features laid out to the right. Great!

Right after that though I see a "Ch 12" Clearly this is not DMX 12 (which would be the 2nd channel used by the MAC). So, if I wanted now to address say a simple single channel generic to the new Ch 12 how could I learn what is the correct DMX address to enter into that dimmer?  

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  • Totally embarrassed by this! Can't seem to find the Patch Tab. Attached are two cropped jpgs; 1 shows the Tombstone display and the other is what I see in Patch. Note the Address in the latter is null. The book says this will appear blank if not patched which confuses me because I can the MAC in Capture and even (at this moment) turn on its beam. It's early Monday so I'll hive off to search the videos etc but if you had a quick answer it would be helpful. Thank you   

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  • The "attached jpgs" don't seem to be displaying at the moment for me.

    If you cant see it when pressing the plus to add tabs to the display,  you can use the shortcut.

    Press and hold TAB and key 12 and then release TAB

  • Ouch, sorry about that. My problem is not is seeing "12 Patch" its the blank Add part. I think I started wrong with a new [1 to 1] show file. Watching a video of patching now so will start with a new NOT 1 to 1. The presenter is showing how to manually assign say a 5 channel device to address 101 thru 105, Thing is I thought adding a fixture from the lists on the left this would all happen automatically. Hmm! I'm obviously on a new adventure path here. Being a legacy dimmer only place has left me ill prepared to venture to MPDs

  • OK I get what your issue is.

    When you repatched 11 as a fixture that needs more than one address,  it (after warning you to confirm) unpatched channel 12 as that was previously at DMX address 12 which was now being used by the MAC250.

    You can just type in a new address for it ie in patch screen chan 12 at 40 and that will patch it to address 40.   If instead of that you did   chan 12 at Next then it will work out the next free address and use that so it will be 30 or whatever depending on how many the MAC250 took.

    Hope that makes sense

  • Getting there. Can you see the attached Patch3.jpg? 1st off - if I use a none 1 to 1 show I can add, delete single channel dimmers and MPDs and see the DMX address range fine. The problem occurs if I have 1 to 1 show file but want to add a MAC 250 (requiring 11 DMX addresses) to CH10 at a later date. My thinking was that in adding the MFGs fixture profile the program would 'clear' 11  channels and therefore the next channel (11 in this case) would show address 1/21. But it doesn't. It shows 1/11 (Which is would be the 2nd address for the MAC. Maybe I should delete the 11 channel's address data before adding the profile. Thank you for your patience. In the month or so we have used the ELE2 I've learned a lot.

  • the only step missing is telling the console which start address to use for your Mac. you assumed it would just keep the same address it had when it still was a dimmer. that would be correct *if* the additional addresses weren't assigned yet. but they are. so your element would need to steal all those additional addresses from the other channels. and by doing that it would automatically unpatch the 20ish following dimmers.

    so just type (in Patch) Chan 10 @ 1/10 Enter (read the confirmation) Enter

  • Right, I used Chan 10 @ 1/10 for the MAC 250 and see the Address as 1/10 - 20

    Great, thanks. I really need now to go back and do a lot of this stuff and make some good notes, watch videos. And, would you believe it, "Element Level 1: Essentials" is using, as an example the 'MAC 250' !  

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