American DJ Mega Pixel LED How to control with LOR advanced

[bwc0263]

                 I was given two of the American DJ Mega Pixel LED bars.  Now I am trying to figure out how to get them to work in my LOR network.  I have been successful with the 3channel controllers from Holidaycoro running simple RGB modules.  The listener sees the unit and the unit is receiving a signel (the test pattern that it does when just plugged in to the power goes out like the RGB modules).  It has a total of 24 light banks eight each of red green blue. The unitt is set up with 28 channels.  Any help would be great was hoping to use as a wall wash in the display. Here is a link to the light fixture. http://americandj.com/ProductDetails.aspx?Category=&ItemNumber=1772.  I have set the unit to DMX control have tried different combinations in LOR network set up with out and positive results.  Still new with LOR as well as DMX.

Thanks for  any suggestions offered. 

[zman]

These are pretty straight forward. Answer these questions:

 

1. Will the 2 fixtures act the same, or will the function independently?

2. It appears to me that in a Christmas display, that really the 3 channel mode is best, but you need to figure that out.

3. How are you driving your RGB modules? I assume DMX, but what is your dongle?

4. Do you know how to access the menu to set it up? (I know it seems basic, but...... I still ask)

 

You stated the obvious. These are 28 channel fixtures. So that means that you cannot assign an ID to anything that overlaps. Meaning if you set up one fixture to be DMX ID = 1, the next channel available in the DMX channel map is DMX ID=29

 

There is a lot of DMX data around, I have some stuff in my How-To on my web site. Greg Renna of Seasonal Entertainment has a good DMX Primer as well. Fast Eddy of Aussy Christmas Lights has a great RGB 101 document.

Edited February 26, 2013 by zman

[bwc0263]

These are pretty straight forward. Answer these questions:

 

1. Will the 2 fixtures act the same, or will the function independently?

2. It appears to me that in a Christmas display, that really the 3 channel mode is best, but you need to figure that out.

3. How are you driving your RGB modules? I assume DMX, but what is your dongle?

4. Do you know how to access the menu to set it up? (I know it seems basic, but...... I still ask)

 

 

Thanks for the reply Mark

 

1.  At the moment just trying to get one unit to function.

 

2.  I not only do Christmas Displays, but design other light shows as well store displays and the like.

 

3.  The RGB modules will be driven by DMX using the LOR dongle USB485 (works well with the 3 channel controllers from HolidayCoro.

 

4.  Have accessed the light units menue and it is set up to receive DMX,  I am also understand how to access the menu in LOR.

 

 Thanks for the other sites to try.  I will continue to tinker around and get these to work.  After all that is part of the fun of lighting design.

[zman]

What I have not toyed with, is if the Hardware Editor will work with DMX using a USB485 as the dongle. I have used an iDMX for many years controlling my DMX universe, and have done all my testing with the features and functions of a device inside the HE, selecting the Console at the top of the HE UI.

 

If you do other shows, then you may want to leverage some of the other feature funcions, but no matter what, it is still a 28 channel fixture.

 

I agree tinkiering is fun, but you want to see results as well. I would search the DMX forum to see if the Hardware Editor Console and be used with a USB485.

 

Those seem like nice fixtures, especailly for free.

[bwc0263]

I must be missing something in the LOR suite.  I have had success using xLights for testing these units and they seem to test out o.k.  Will have to re-read up on LOR's DMX settings and take my time and go step by step.  More than likely it is something very simple that I have overlooked.

 

All the folks here are the greatest!! 

 

Thanks for the support and ideas.

[Ken Benedict]

Your DMX channels may be offset by +1 : http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/25996-dmx-address-programming-trouble/?hl=%2Busb485+%2Bchannel+%2Boffset#entry243873

 

In my opinion, use a better DMX-USB dongle:

 

The best: http://www.sirs-e.com/st/enttec-70304-genuine-p-46.html?cPath=131_140 (I use this and it runs flawlessly)(don't get the OPEN version)

 

Next best: http://dmxking.com/usbdmx/ultradmxmicro  (I have three of these; they work as good as the one above, but cheaper and smaller)

 

Next next best: http://www.holidaytechnologies.com/catalog/index.php?id_product=58&controller=product (I have one; works great. Thanks Drew Hickman)

 

Next next next best: http://www.holidaycoro.com/Enttec-Pro-Compatible-DMX-Dongle-p/53.htm (has RJ45 type of DMX connector)(newest dongle on the block)

 

All of the above dongles generate their own DMX outbound stream, about 40 times per second, without burdening your computer for 'emulating' DMX.

 

 

FYI: LOR Hardware Utility will only work with LOR products, and not yet for Native DMX devices (including their own USB485 in DMX mode).

 

As always, their iDMX1000 will work wonderfully, as you would expect from Light-O-Rama. Thanks Dan and crew.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Ken Benedict

[zman]

Thanks Ken, I forgot about offset issue. I have never had to deal with that.

 

I have several Enttec Pro's that I have used for tinkering and got them from Sir-E as well, but I can see from your link that they have gone UP in price. For the 3 I have, I think I paid $119 some years back. Damn inflation. 

 

That little DMX King micro looks pretty attractive. I wonder where it falls short. They even state: "100% Enttec Pro compatibility there are few boxes this interface doesn't tick".

 

Thanks for clarifying that LOR will not work with other DMX Dongles within the Hardware Editor. I agree it should.

[bob_moody]

There is also the DMX bridge options with E1.31, but that opens a new can of worms.

http://www.j1sys.com

I'm running the D2 (bridge) and the P2 (pixel) devices.

Bob

Edited February 27, 2013 by bob_moody

[Ken Benedict]

Thanks Ken, I forgot about offset issue. I have never had to deal with that.

 

I have several Enttec Pro's that I have used for tinkering and got them from Sir-E as well, but I can see from your link that they have gone UP in price. For the 3 I have, I think I paid $119 some years back. Damn inflation. 

 

That little DMX King micro looks pretty attractive. I wonder where it falls short. They even state: "100% Enttec Pro compatibility there are few boxes this interface doesn't tick".

 

Thanks for clarifying that LOR will not work with other DMX Dongles within the Hardware Editor. I agree it should.

 

The little DMX King device has worked for me everywhere the Enttec Pro does, without any problems. No 'tick' problems here.

 

Every now and then it goes onsale on Ebay for about $30 or two for $50, a great deal.

 

LOR is rumored to be coming out with a smaller and cheaper DMX device; Dan mentioned it back in April 2012. Let's see what happens.

[PeterEbdon]

if http://www.ledcanada.com/ can't help they'll at least be happy to point u in the right direction from personal experience