Multiple output protocols - tricks?

Does anyone have any tricks for patching using multiple protocols?

As it stands, my house has Universe 1 going to the house dimmers via sACN

Universe 2 is a DMX dry line.

and I've just acquired a 4-port art-net node that I'm going to throw into Universes 6-9.

Is there an easy way to assign a protocol per universe? or do I have to assign the protocol for each channel as I patch?

Ideally, I'd love to be able to assign a universe a default output protocol in settings instead of one global output protocol.

Other than outputting every protocol to every Universe, does anyone have any tricks?

Thanks!

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  • Set in shell>network the protocols you want.
    With the Option "Standard" all patched Channels/Adresses/Fitures will work with all choosen protocols.
    In patch you can also choose for every channel/adress what protocol will be use.
    For this click on "Interface" in patch.

  • I currently have macros & DSs for each protocol.

    So all I have to do is patch & click that macro..... but I have to do that for every address. It's tedious.

  • But,...why so complicate?
    Why you must switch from one protocol to the next?

    My Dimmers are talk via sACN with the console, the MH via DMX.
    I switch on one time the protocols i need and forget it....

    You see, Channel 10 plays with sACN, ArtNet and DMX.
    The others only with sACN and DMX
    Channel 181 is connect direct at the DMX Out at backside of console.
    So it dosen`t matter that he can also play with sACN. 
    He will not react about sACN because he is not connect to sACN.

    If you set ArtNet, sACN,..as standard in your shell, all protocols will be activate if you choose "standard" in the Patch.
    Does any mad will happen if you send ArtNet to a channel-lamp that not play with ArtNet?

  • ArtNet is notorious for being resource-hungry. it makes a lot of sense to decide which universes are output with which protocol

  • Shure, i be with you.
    But i see no reason for switch so often between different protocols.
    If i create my setup for a new show it is possible i change from sACN to ArtNet.
    But during a running show???

    And if you choose at beging of a new show with what protocol you wanne work, normal you must not change.

    The wish get the option for change protocols in a running show make me wonder.

  • Whilst I agree that it does make sense to reduce the universes, I think there is also a bit of myth from the past about the bandwidth artnet eats. 

    It takes about 33 universes to use the same bandwidth as streaming a Netflix movie. 

    And it does also depending a bit on the setup as one artnet universe going to 2 artnet nodes uses less than the same thing with sACN

  • Did you know the difference between broadcast and multicast!

  • Sorry yes actually it would be the same bandwidth for both so that was not a valid scenario, was momentarily thinking unicast. 

    My point was the actual bandwidth used is neither significant given modern connectivity nor really different.  The only difference is the receiving device in the broadcast artnet scenario has to look at  the UDP packet to see whether its for its universe, whereas for sACN multicast the IP address in the packet is inspected by the ethernet hardware to see if its for a universe the node is wanting.

    However given the processing speed of whatever is doing this in node and the fact its not got anything else to do anyway, its does really make much practical difference.   The only argument for why it would matter is if the network was also being used for other purposes and you didn't want the broadcast traffic to putting a load on that. 

  • There is no real difference in processing speed of ethernet hardware. Try program a node with an Arduino and Ethernet Shield. Yes the sACN packet is a little bit longer and you have to check some parameters more, but you have a clean network which is not flooded with bullshit data.
    And you forgot the node ethernet hardware must proceed every packet completely which comes in. 
    Unicast is an option that only works if all components support ArtNet4, did all your ArtNet hardware do this?

  • I suppose there are people out there who do one show that runs for a month.... I work in a road house where a show comes in and plays one night and then leaves. It'd be amazing if we had the money to buy Net3 nodes so I didn't have to worry about any of this, but I get by with what I can afford.

    A show in March had speced on their rider 6× Robe Spiiders in 91 channel mode.... We needed to run DMX from the booth to backstage to make this work. Adding an Art-Net node gives me 4 additional universes for these shows and all I have to do is plug into our pre-wired ETCNet port. and it only costs US$100 out of my pocket.

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  • I suppose there are people out there who do one show that runs for a month.... I work in a road house where a show comes in and plays one night and then leaves. It'd be amazing if we had the money to buy Net3 nodes so I didn't have to worry about any of this, but I get by with what I can afford.

    A show in March had speced on their rider 6× Robe Spiiders in 91 channel mode.... We needed to run DMX from the booth to backstage to make this work. Adding an Art-Net node gives me 4 additional universes for these shows and all I have to do is plug into our pre-wired ETCNet port. and it only costs US$100 out of my pocket.

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