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| Posted: Tuesday February 21st, 2012 03:29 am |
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1st Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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This is my first post so please be gentle,, 16 channel LOR programmer, 4000+ led lights and I have pretty well mastered this form of programming. I am currently only using 13 of said 16 channels on my box, I currently have the basic software. I have been reading and looking @ videos till my head is spinning as far as incorporating DMX? My question is can I purchase the LOR IDMX, and incorporate that into my current equipment?, upgrading to the pro software is not a big deal,...And if I do purchase the LOR IDMX is it easier to incorporate into the show, rather than say the ENTTEC PRO? Will the LOR IDMX or ENTTEC PRO, truelly give me 512 more channels of programming capabilities as far as rgbs?, Or will I have to purchase more controllers? I am trying to use the K.I.S.S. method, "keep it simple stupid", here!!,, and yes that kiss method is my motto!,, any help or input from the "well versed", or "been there done that", would be greatly appreciated??? TIA,,,,,, 
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| Posted: Tuesday February 21st, 2012 04:14 am |
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2nd Post |
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Ken Benedict Member 
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Yes, you can add the LOR iDMX unit to your existing CAT5 loop and it will give you 512 more dmx channels to play with. That's the easiest way, in my opinion. Not the cheapest, but the simplest. You can also use the Hardware Utility to test it. It will also run from a Director card. Cost about $250. Or, you could choose to use the ENTTEC PRO and get the same 512 channels. Cost about $150. But you have to use another usb port on your computer. It will not run from a Director card; only a PC. The Hardware Utility (at the moment) does not support testing through the Enttec, so you would have to use a 3rd party piece of software to test with. Cumbersome, but workable. Any others want to chime in?
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| Posted: Tuesday February 21st, 2012 04:36 am |
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3rd Post |
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harrison0550 Member 
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I'd say that's just about got it covered. If price isn't an issue then yea you could buy the IDMX and call it a day but to answer your other question you will still need controllers after the IDMX or enttec to control your rgb lights. Depending on what type of lights you are interested in. Say you just want the "dumb" rgb strips or strings then you would need a controller hooked up to them and then hooked to the IDMX or enttec. The cheapest way is to use either the enttec or the LOR usb485 as the connection to your show pc and connect the $7 dmx controllers from holiday coro or if you just wanted to use "dumb" strips you could get a LOR dc board and run 5 of them off that without any dmx controllers. Honestly there are so many different ways to incorporate rgb into your setup that it's hard to give you a straight "do this" answer without knowing what kind of lights you are looking to purchase or what kind of affect you are wanting achieve.
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| Posted: Tuesday February 21st, 2012 09:24 am |
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4th Post |
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Dr. Jones Member 
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one limitation of the iDMX is the number of intelligent channels. there are only 128 channels that can be running an advanced function at any one particular time i.e fade twinkle shimmer. with that in mind... If you plan on using less than 42 nodes (individual rgb leds) or 42 rgb strips then the iDMX is the simplest If you plan on using more then Enttec Pro is probably going to better for you, although this will also require a software upgrade to the advanced level. Another consideration is to purchase a Cosmic Color Ribbon (CCR) from LOR- which will give you a RGB device with a controller and can be controlled through LOR- This would probably be the least expensive of all the options as well
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| Posted: Tuesday February 21st, 2012 05:31 pm |
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5th Post |
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Steven Member 
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Dr. Jones wrote: one limitation of the iDMX is the number of intelligent channels. there are only 128 channels that can be running an advanced function at any one particular time i.e fade twinkle shimmer. On the other hand, if you go with "native" DMX, using the Enttec Pro or the USB485, then your computer has to do the "intelligent" effects (fade, twinkle, shimmer). Depending on the speed of your CPU, it may not be able to make these effects as smooth as the iDMX (or straight LOR).
____________________ LOR user since 2007 |
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| Posted: Wednesday February 22nd, 2012 12:25 am |
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6th Post |
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Dr. Jones Member
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Steven wrote: Dr. Jones wrote:one limitation of the iDMX is the number of intelligent channels. there are only 128 channels that can be running an advanced function at any one particular time i.e fade twinkle shimmer. My "other brand" Enttec Pro copy handled the fading rather smoothly as compared tp my Enttec open. The pro does some of the processing on the hardware compared to making the PC doing all the work. Just remember DMX is only 8-bit
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| Posted: Wednesday February 22nd, 2012 02:04 am |
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7th Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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Thank You all for the insight,, I believe I am going to go with the idmx,, I am trying to keep this as simple as possible,,, I do not mind paying a few extra bucks for simplicity, reliablilty and a little less frustration,, and possibly adding on some ccr's later,,  thank you guys again
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| Posted: Tuesday February 28th, 2012 01:53 am |
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8th Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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ok,, doing a little more "research" here. Can the LOR IDMX run; say, dj lights with dipswitch programmable addresses like this,, http://www.stageape.com/pages/barrier.html these lights come with their own power supply plug and are master or slave compatible,, And if so is there any more boards or hardware (besides cabels), that need to be incorporated into the system? Like I said before I am trying to K.I.S.S. it here, and please dont take the link as a distraction to LOR, merely just a "scenario", :-)
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| Posted: Tuesday February 28th, 2012 03:06 am |
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9th Post |
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Denny Member 
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I run dmx controlled lasers, moving heads, snow machine, fog machine, etc. with the iDMX 1000 -- no problems at all.
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| Posted: Tuesday February 28th, 2012 03:10 am |
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10th Post |
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Dr. Jones Member
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I have run American DJ DJspot300 moving heads with the iDMX with no issues, in addition to snow machines and Color Kinetics products
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| Posted: Wednesday February 29th, 2012 07:17 pm |
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11th Post |
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Ponddude Member 
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This has helped a tremendous amount of people, so I would recommend reading over it. It explains the use of the iDMX, native DMX and LOR networks all playing nice together. http://seasonalentertainmentllc.com/pdf/UnderstandingDMX.pdf
____________________ Greg Renna http://www.seasonalentertainmentllc.com http://www.christmasonmanor.com |
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| Posted: Wednesday February 29th, 2012 11:27 pm |
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12th Post |
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bdeditch Member 
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I just noticed there is an update for LOR that some DMX upgrades are in it as well.
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| Posted: Sunday March 25th, 2012 01:46 am |
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13th Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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OK, back for more,, received the idmx100, plugs,wiring etc. also purchased 2 eliminator lighting, ELECTRO 86. I have changed the i.d. address of the idmx to 10 and also 3, also upgraded from basic to the advanced software, communication is fine in HU, but when i try programming a sequence I get nothing out of the dmx lights through the sequence editor. I have tried adjusting the values to dmx @ maximum as well as lor @ 100%. I have 2 lor 16s in the network and then connect to the idmx through cat5. Keep in mind these are 4 channel rgb dj lights, the 4th channel is intensity/strobe, the first lights address is set to 1 the second is set to 8 as that is the next lowest available "dipswitch" address. I get full function from these in HU, with these light connected through the xlr inputs. In sequence editor I have "allowed" dmx editing,"converted" rgb channels, tried grouping channels, and still nothing through sequence editor. Am I doing something wrong with addressing?, software?,is it the 4th channel on these lights not allowing them to function? I go from comp=usb485=controller 1=controller 2= idmx, all through the cat 5 line. Does the idmx require a second comm port? GRRRRR,, please help? 
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| Posted: Sunday March 25th, 2012 02:55 am |
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14th Post |
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Steven Member
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upsdude9351 wrote: I have changed the i.d. address of the idmx to 10 and also 3, also upgraded from basic to the advanced software, When you run the sequence editor, does it say "Light-O-Rama Sequence Editor v3.2.4 Advanced" in the title? If it doesn't say "Advanced", then you can't control ID 10. What does "and also 3" mean? If it works through the Hardware Utility, then you don't need to make any hardware changes. Double-check the channel configuration to make sure you have the correct controller number for the iDMX (10) and the correct channel number (1 and 8) for the devices.
____________________ LOR user since 2007 |
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| Posted: Monday March 26th, 2012 10:50 pm |
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15th Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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the version does say 3.2.4 advanced,, 3 was the first unit i i tried setting the idmx to as it is the 3rd controller in the network, it has now been changed back to 10, still nothing out of the lights in s.e. I have changed the dmx address on the lights from 1 all the way up to 128 and still no response. In s.e. I have enabled dmx editing, added channels, numbered them, allocated them to universe 1 and still no response, using both dmx values as well as lor values? Do you think it is the 4th channel not allowing these to work? channel 4 is the intensity. am i doing something wrong when converting these channels to rgb in s.e.?
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| Posted: Monday March 26th, 2012 11:51 pm |
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16th Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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and after reading the seasonal entertainment guide "again", i noticed it stated that the listener com port would be open and running in a DOS window? I have never seen this window? Do I need a crossover cat 5 cable going from my traditional lor controller into the IDMX?, as I am communicating with the lights via XLR?
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| Posted: Tuesday March 27th, 2012 12:13 am |
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17th Post |
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Denny Member
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You may have already answered this question as I have not gone back through the thread and read it for some time. But, how do you have your iDMX1000 set up in the configuration? Do you have it set as a LOR Controller or DMX universe? It should be set as a Light-O-Rama Controller, not as a DMX universe.
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| Posted: Tuesday March 27th, 2012 12:16 am |
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18th Post |
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Steven Member
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upsdude9351 wrote: allocated them to universe 1 and still no response, That sounds like your problem. As seen by the sequence editor, the iDMX1000 is not a DMX Universe. Your channel configuration needs to have "Device Type" set as "Light-O-Rama Controller". Unit should be 3 or 10, depending on how you have the iDMX1000 set. and after reading the seasonal entertainment guide "again", i noticed it stated that the listener com port would be open and running in a DOS window? That only applies to a "RAW DMX" device, like the Enttec. It does not apply to the iDMX1000. Do I need a crossover cat 5 cable going from my traditional lor controller into the IDMX?, as I am communicating with the lights via XLR? The iDMX is a converter, meaning it speaks 100% LOR on its Cat5 side. You do not need a crossover cables. Your DMX devices connect to the XLR connector on the iDMX1000. By the way, I see Denny posted the same thing while I was typing.
____________________ LOR user since 2007 |
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| Posted: Tuesday March 27th, 2012 12:34 am |
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19th Post |
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upsdude9351 Member
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WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!HOUSTON WE HAVE DMX FUNCTION IN S.E.!!!!!!!!! Thank You guys verrrrry much! you just made me the happiest guy in the world!! yes im simple! Thank You
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| Posted: Tuesday March 27th, 2012 02:09 am |
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20th Post |
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Denny Member
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upsdude9351 wrote: WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!HOUSTON WE HAVE DMX FUNCTION IN S.E.!!!!!!!!! Thank You guys verrrrry much! you just made me the happiest guy in the world!! yes im simple! Thank You Don't feel bad, I have had my iDMX1000 for several years. This year, with the implementation of DMX in LOR, I tried to do the same thing!
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| Posted: Monday April 2nd, 2012 07:22 pm |
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21st Post |
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wbottomley Member 
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Honestly, I think the ELOR is the better piece of hardware. http://www.sandevices.com/ELORinfo.html
____________________ High Country Lights + Free Sequences |
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| Posted: Monday April 2nd, 2012 08:01 pm |
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22nd Post |
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Ponddude Member
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There has been a lot of talk about the ELOR and I just want to interject here. Nothing negative about the product but with so much going on with all these new DMX devices people should really understand what it does and what it really is. The ELOR is simply a bridge between LOR and DMX (in this case E1.31 packets), much like the iDMX is. Due to the fact that the LOR Software does not currently support E1.31, the ELOR "tricks" the software into controlling E1.31 devices. It does this by creating 4 DMX networks inside the LOR universe and takes the LOR data it receives and translates it into DMX. Much can be said that this device (in operational principal) is exactly like the iDMX. The iDMX takes in LOR data and transforms it into DMX data. One protocol in, another protocol out. The interesting thing about the ELOR is that it doesn't "speak" DMX out in the 4 universes it creates...it "speaks" E1.31. I know a lot of you are saying, "Well Greg it is one in the same," and you are right but that fact remains you cannot plug an ethernet based protocol directly into a DMX device. It is my understanding that the ELOR was designed to be plugged directly into any sort E1.31 accepting device. Lets take an example. If you wanted to use a DMX moving spotlight in your display and purchased the ELOR, you could not use both...in theory. Most standard DMX products do not natively accept the E1.31 protocol so you couldn't just plug one device into another. However, if you wanted to use the SanDevices pixel controller you would have no problem what so ever. The pixel controller accepts E1.31 and once again, it is my understanding this is what it was designed to do. One nice thing the folks at SanDevices did was to allow for 1 DMX network to be natively produced. That network is created on the 4th iDMX (within the LOR network) and does exactly what 4th packets of E1.31 are doing. Basically the point of my ramblings here are to explain that the ELOR is nice, it is cheap and does some things that LOR does not yet support. However, do not get confused and think that you are going to get 4 DMX universes from the ELOR. You are really only getting one. Still a great value, seems like a great device (I just contacted Jim to get mine and do testing with our Seasonal Entertainment products) but it may do more than a lot of people are looking to get into. Greg
____________________ Greg Renna http://www.seasonalentertainmentllc.com http://www.christmasonmanor.com |
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| Posted: Monday April 2nd, 2012 09:15 pm |
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23rd Post |
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Steven Member
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Ponddude wrote: Much can be said that this device (in operational principal) is exactly like the iDMX.True in theory. In practice, there is a small "bug" I discovered in the ELOR iDMX emulation that should be fixed in the next release. One nice thing the folks at SanDevices did was to allow for 1 DMX network to be natively produced. That network is created on the 4th iDMX (within the LOR network) and does exactly what 4th packets of E1.31 are doing. A really great value! For $95 plus shipping, you get something that functions as an iDMX (1 wired universe), as well as a total of 4 E1.31 universes. This year, I'm going to leave the Ethernet connector unplugged (and not use the 1st 3 Universes), and use the 4th universe as an iDMX, for my first year with DMX. (And by the way, the Rainbow Flood Extreme is the reason I decided to go DMX this year.)
____________________ LOR user since 2007 |
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| Posted: Monday April 2nd, 2012 10:16 pm |
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24th Post |
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Jeff Millard Member 
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The ELOR listens to an LOR network for commands intended for iDMX devices. It takes the data it sees for 4 consecutive iDMX's and sends it over Ethernet as E1.31 data that can be interpreted by some of the popular DIY lighting control hardware. 3 Common devices are the E681 from Sandevices, the EGC-P12R from Joshua Systems... both Pixel controllers.... and the E1.31 to DMX bridge by Robert Martin (RPM) of DIYC, which is based on the design and code of the E68x from Sandevices. It will provide 4 DMX universes from any source capable of transmitting E1.31. A single LOR network is capable of controlling 5 or 6 CCRs according to LOR. That's 750 to 900 channels. The ELOR is attempting to port 2048 channels over E1.31 from a single LOR network that is limited to less than half that. There is some testing being done to try and improve on this issue using the current hardware design. Suffice it to say that things in the DIY world are always It was developed to give users of LOR software access, albeit limited by the bandwidth of the host software, to the E1.31 capable Pixel controllers. As a DMX bridge, the port on the ELOR mirrors the 4th E1.31 DMX universe. So the math goes like this: A total of 2048 iDMX channels interpreted as E1.31 data to 4 DMX universes. In Pixel channels, each Universe has 170 Pixel channels (510 DMX) for a total of 680. The Pixel controller omits the leftover 2 DMX channels, for a Grand total of 2040 DMX channels. The fourth Universe is mirrored to the DMX port which can use all 512 as "intelligent" channels. DIYC has an entire section devoted to the Parallax Propeller chip, with enough code already generated by these developers to make and control all sorts of homade designs. You could actually specialize your hardware to match your creations, and not be limited to that which is available. It's much easier to do than it's thought to be... Jeff
____________________ ...did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? |
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| Posted: Monday April 2nd, 2012 10:37 pm |
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25th Post |
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jimswinder Member 
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Jeff Millard wrote: The ELOR listens to an LOR network for commands intended for iDMX devices. It takes the data it sees for 4 consecutive iDMX's and sends it over Ethernet as E1.31 data that can be interpreted by some of the popular DIY lighting control hardware. 3 Common devices are the E681 from Sandevices, the EGC-P12R from Joshua Systems... both Pixel controllers.... and the E1.31 to DMX bridge by Robert Martin (RPM) of DIYC, which is based on the design and code of the E68x from Sandevices. It will provide 4 DMX universes from any source capable of transmitting E1.31. A single LOR network is capable of controlling 5 or 6 CCRs according to LOR. That's 750 to 900 channels. The ELOR is attempting to port 2048 channels over E1.31 from a single LOR network that is limited to less than half that. There is some testing being done to try and improve on this issue using the current hardware design. Suffice it to say that things in the DIY world are always It was developed to give users of LOR software access, albeit limited by the bandwidth of the host software, to the E1.31 capable Pixel controllers. As a DMX bridge, the port on the ELOR mirrors the 4th E1.31 DMX universe. So the math goes like this: A total of 2048 iDMX channels interpreted as E1.31 data to 4 DMX universes. In Pixel channels, each Universe has 170 Pixel channels (510 DMX) for a total of 680. The Pixel controller omits the leftover 2 DMX channels, for a Grand total of 2040 DMX channels. The fourth Universe is mirrored to the DMX port which can use all 512 as "intelligent" channels. DIYC has an entire section devoted to the Parallax Propeller chip, with enough code already generated by these developers to make and control all sorts of homade designs. You could actually specialize your hardware to match your creations, and not be limited to that which is available. It's much easier to do than it's thought to be...man, I wish you guys would speak English!!! Okay...4th grade English!! 
____________________ 2010 Videos http://westseattlelights.com/2010_videos.htm Download 2009 (32 Channels) and 2010 (528 Channels) Sequences here: http://westseattlelights.com/sequences.htm |
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