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    modnar
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Use SmartFade 1248 to control multi-color RGB fixture?

I'm largely unfamiliar with DMX, so this may be a stupid question. I volunteer at a church that has a Unison lighting system controlled by a SmartFade 1248 console. At the stage area, we have a DMX input. Is it possible to connect a couple of basic RGB multi-color lights to the DMX input and control them with the SmartFade 1248, even if it's cumbersome and controlled across multiple channels, etc?

 

Thanks!

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  • I’ll echo Richards warning about creating a DMX ‘Y’ that can cause instability in the dimming system…. One other word of warning before you read more, LED’s and moving lights connected in a ‘non-official way’ to a DMX run can have a nasty habit of shorting power onto the DMX line. Basically if there is an issue with the device and power gets to the data line, you will damage all other devices connected….meaning the DMX output of your board and the DMX input to your dimmers.
    All that being said, you would not be the first, or hundredth person, to do something like this.

    DMX wire-runs are connected in series. Meaning that the line most likely starts in the booth, runs to the stage ‘DMX in’ and then runs to the dimmers (or other ‘DMX in’ locations).

    If you want to ‘take a stab’ at it: You will need to buy or build a ‘gender bender’ to convert the 5-pin male input to a 5-pin female output. For added safety you would ideally connect a DMX opto-isolater between the ‘out’ you have made and the fixtures you are connecting.

    You have been official warned! 

    See also: https://www.learnstagelighting.com/how-do-i-split-or-convert-dmx/

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  • I’ll echo Richards warning about creating a DMX ‘Y’ that can cause instability in the dimming system…. One other word of warning before you read more, LED’s and moving lights connected in a ‘non-official way’ to a DMX run can have a nasty habit of shorting power onto the DMX line. Basically if there is an issue with the device and power gets to the data line, you will damage all other devices connected….meaning the DMX output of your board and the DMX input to your dimmers.
    All that being said, you would not be the first, or hundredth person, to do something like this.

    DMX wire-runs are connected in series. Meaning that the line most likely starts in the booth, runs to the stage ‘DMX in’ and then runs to the dimmers (or other ‘DMX in’ locations).

    If you want to ‘take a stab’ at it: You will need to buy or build a ‘gender bender’ to convert the 5-pin male input to a 5-pin female output. For added safety you would ideally connect a DMX opto-isolater between the ‘out’ you have made and the fixtures you are connecting.

    You have been official warned! 

    See also: https://www.learnstagelighting.com/how-do-i-split-or-convert-dmx/

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