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    lightingismylife
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Sensor dimmers

Hello,

I am going to do be doing the lighting at a theatre that has Sensor lighting dimmers. They also use a Express 48/96 console.

I want to use my BlueLite X1 software/hardware to program the lights but for some unknown reason the Bluelite will not talk to the Sensor dimmers. I had this problem last year when wanting to use my Lanbox computer lighting hardware/software and never was able to make it work and gave up. I'm guessing there is some setting that is wrong in the Sensor dimmers CEM so they are not seeing the DMX signal from the BlueLite. So not sure if its a patch issue, I think its patched to universe 1 and it has a 1 to 1 patch. So I have no ideas. My BlueLite does work at our smaller theatre with different dimmers.

Anyone on here know if there is some kind of basic DMX setting that can be turned on? or if needed to turn off EDMX if it is on.

One other thing, the lights are set up on some kind of touch pad system so you can turn the house lights on while back stage or turn on stage lights while working on the stage (no work lights). Maybe it is doing something strange.

Please offer step by step information on things to check. The building is owned by the city so they know nothing about the stage lighting and the company that was managing the place does not know anything about the lighting hardware.

Thanks for your help.

David

Parents

  • Original Sensor or Sensor+?

    Do the dimmers perform as expected with the Express? 

    Is the Express sending DMX or ETCnet?

    The touchpad of which you speak is a Unison architectural lighting control station.

     

  • in reply to derekleffew

    "Is the Express sending DMX or ETCnet?"

    Express can only send Net1 and no Sensor CEM or CEM+ uses Net1 (AFAIK), so the Express is probably sending DMX to the dimmers.  Thus there is no EDMX present at the racks, UNLESS there's an Emphasis server in the system.

    I would guess that the flavor of DMX that the BlueLite or Lanbox is sending is a slightly slower or faster version of DMX - there's a LOT of variations in DMX, BTW.  Can you adjust the speed of the sending console ?.  Do you have a DMX tester BTW ?, useful in this type of circumstance to find out if the visiting console is sending a valid DMX signal.

    The touch pads you refer to sound like a Unison system as Derek posted, and "usually" a Unison system is essentially just another DMX console system, in parallel with the Express.  Unison is probably configured to control specific DMX addresses - such as house lights, work lights, etc... and not the stage lighting dimmers, while Express (or any other console) can usually control the addresses that Unison operates.  Thus I doubt that it's a Unison conflict, but who knows and more system info is needed.

    - How are you attempting to connect your BlueLite to the system ?, via the DMX cable that usually is on the Express ?.

    - Is there an Emphasis server and is the system on Net2 with EDMX ?.

    - What Sensor dimmers ?, old or CEM+ ?.

    - Is there a 3rd console (or DMX tester) you have that can send a DMX signal to the racks ?.

    Steve B.

     

     

Reply
  • in reply to derekleffew

    "Is the Express sending DMX or ETCnet?"

    Express can only send Net1 and no Sensor CEM or CEM+ uses Net1 (AFAIK), so the Express is probably sending DMX to the dimmers.  Thus there is no EDMX present at the racks, UNLESS there's an Emphasis server in the system.

    I would guess that the flavor of DMX that the BlueLite or Lanbox is sending is a slightly slower or faster version of DMX - there's a LOT of variations in DMX, BTW.  Can you adjust the speed of the sending console ?.  Do you have a DMX tester BTW ?, useful in this type of circumstance to find out if the visiting console is sending a valid DMX signal.

    The touch pads you refer to sound like a Unison system as Derek posted, and "usually" a Unison system is essentially just another DMX console system, in parallel with the Express.  Unison is probably configured to control specific DMX addresses - such as house lights, work lights, etc... and not the stage lighting dimmers, while Express (or any other console) can usually control the addresses that Unison operates.  Thus I doubt that it's a Unison conflict, but who knows and more system info is needed.

    - How are you attempting to connect your BlueLite to the system ?, via the DMX cable that usually is on the Express ?.

    - Is there an Emphasis server and is the system on Net2 with EDMX ?.

    - What Sensor dimmers ?, old or CEM+ ?.

    - Is there a 3rd console (or DMX tester) you have that can send a DMX signal to the racks ?.

    Steve B.

     

     

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