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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  • i'll try to clear up the Eos terminology, because i think that's your only bigger obstacle Slight smile

    Channel: is the number you use to tell the console which light you want to control. no matter how complicated the object is that you're trying to control, it's always just one number. a dimmer takes one channel number, a color changing LED takes one channel number, a moving light takes one channel number.

    Address: is one slot of information in the DMX world. multiple addresses can be (depending on circumstance) automatically or manually assigned to one channel, but the same address cannot be assigned to more than one channel.

    when you select a channel and then tell the console which type to use (in your case the Mac 250) it already knows how many addresses need to be collected by this one channel. you don't need to worry to tell the console that all in all the fixture needs e.g. 20 addresses and that the first is Pan, the second Tilt, the third is a color wheel. the console already knows.

    so your confusion is about No.12: you expect address 12 to belong to channel 12. that was like this when you chose the 1:1 patch. but then you said 11 should be a Mac 250. the console knows this will need more than just address 11. so if you tell the console to use start address 11 it will have to steal address 11 and the consecutive e.g. 19 addresses from where they are patched right now (remember: each address can only be assigned to one channel) and assign them all to your channel 11. the stealing only happens after a confirmation.

    in your patch display your should see in the Address column for your channel 11 not only "11", but "11-30" (not sure about the 30, depends on the mode of your fixture and how many addresses it uses). this shows you that not only address 11 is assigned to your channel 11, but all addresses between 11 and 30.

  • It is sometimes hard to put into words. I understand the difference between Channels and Addresses. Your last para says I should see DMX addresses. Let's say I put a 5 channel MPD at CH10 so I should see 1/10-1/14 in the address column. I'm not! I

    The problem may be that I added a MPD to a show started with a 1 to 1 patch and my question was; knowing we were taking up 5 DMX addresses starting at CH10, wanted to see the DMX address of subsequent Channels to be able to set up the subsequent fixtures.

    Now, using a new NOT 1 to 1 show file and following the video I see exactly what I want though this is restricted of course to the manually patched channels, ranges whatever.

    So, back to original; if I patch a MPD into a 1 to 1 show file 1/ Should I do this? (It seems to work) 2/ If I can, how do I see the DMX Addresses. Thanks.  

  • what are your first two columns in Patch? Channel, Address, or Address, Channel?

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