Etc ion and fog

Question

Hi, I am the lighting designer for our high school show, Spamalot. I need to figure out how to patch two Chauvet Hurricane 1800 Flex fog machines to our theater's ETC Ion. Also, is there a way to make sure that I do not accidentally program fog into cues where I don't want it? Step by steps would be helpful. Thanks!

Andrew Riter · Accepted Answer

there are a few ways to do this. 
 (I'm not familiar with those particular units) 
 1) set the DMX address on the 2 units 
 2) in Patch, pick a high channel number, patch the DMX address, adn choose the Device / type of fogger. 
 3) in Live, turn the fogger on so it makes smoke. (Chan x, adjust the parameter wheel so it makes smoke). Chan X At 100 won't work, since AT is for intensity. 
 4) Record chan X into submaster 1. this will record ONLY the haze parameter onto the submaster handle. 
 5) Sneak Enter. 
 6) push the sub up and down. the parameter haze should move with it. 
 7) sub 1 {Properties}. make it Record Excluded (not sure on syntax; buttons on your monitor, so it can't be recorded into cues). 
 That should do it. 
 foggers can have same or different DMX addresses. if you use different addresses, you can have a channel for each for each fogger, and a submaster for each fogger for individual control, or 1 sub for all foggers. 
 YMMV. 
 another way is to write an effect to cycle the fogger on/off every x time, and put that effect onto a fader 
 (fogger level at 50%, cycles on for 1 minute, with a 3 minute break between bursts of smoke. since the max amount of fog is 50% in the effect, running the fader handle below 100% proportions the fog down from it's max of 50%.) 
 Have fun. 
 Andrew

Etc ion and fog

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