Combine CTB and LED Controllers?

[mrpbjnance]

Sorry if this is a duplicated question I searched and did not Find Anything.   I have been running 2 CTB16 controllers for a few years.   I want to add LED Lights and coordiante them with my show.. Is this Possbile?

I have a Mini Director now that runs my show.

 

[MichRX7]

I'm confused when you say LED lights. If you are putting in AC LED light strings, just plug them into your CTB controllers. If you mean RGB led lights like dumb RGB nodes or smart pixels that is a different question. Are you looking at adding a controller that is not a CTB? If so, which one?

[k6ccc]

Short answer is yes.  However depending on what you are adding, there can be a gotcha or two.  No problem with a CMB24D for dumb RGB.  If you go with large numbers of pixels, you could end up with a network speed issue.  If your existing CTB controllers are older Generation 1 or 2, they can't operate at anything faster than 115K speed and can't be on an Enhanced LOR network.  Conversely, if you have large number of pixels, you are pretty well guaranteed to need to operate at one of the faster speeds and Enhanced LOR networks.  Same issue BTW with your director.  Unless it's G3 version (3rd generation), it also can't operate at 500 or 1000K speed nor Enhanced LOR networking.

Also, if you adding a large number of pixels, you would need to upgrade your LOR license.

 

[mrpbjnance]

2 hours ago, MichRX7 said:

I'm confused when you say LED lights. If you are putting in AC LED light strings, just plug them into your CTB controllers. If you mean RGB led lights like dumb RGB nodes or smart pixels that is a different question. Are you looking at adding a controller that is not a CTB? If so, which one?

Sorry   Yes I mean the Inidivually Addressable LEDs.    I dont want to just get rid of my OLD controllers.  Was wondering if I could sync the 2

 

[MichRX7]

Just now, mrpbjnance said:

Sorry   Yes I mean the Inidivually Addressable LEDs.    I dont want to just get rid of my OLD controllers.  Was wondering if I could sync the 2

 

So, if LOR, you are looking at the pixies or the pixcon, and depending on the version of your CTB controllers they could run on the same network as @k6ccc stated, but probably best to get a red high-speed adapter and run them on a second network. Pretty easy to setup, and you can have them in the same sequence in SE. Anyway, I'm saying basically whatever K6ccc said. 

[mrpbjnance]

Sorry to be a "newbie"  How/What do I need to connect the Pixie Controllers to my Existing CTB Controllers?

 

[PhilMassey]

If you are sticking with LOR pixel controllers, they will daisy chain just like your AC boxes.

Be prepared for a big jump in complexity, as your channel count will explode. 50 pixels is 150 channels.

You absolutely can keep your existing controllers. I still use two AC boxes for my mini trees,  but the rest is all smart pixels

[mrpbjnance]

Thank You For the Confirmation!

[Orville]

2 hours ago, mrpbjnance said:

Thank You For the Confirmation!

One caveat, if you're going into RGB lighting, dumb or smart, you're going to need more than a Standard license, what I'd truly suggest upgrading to is a PRO License, because pixels eat up space and require higher speeds {500K} and an Enhanced Network to operate efficiently, which WILL REQUIRE a red adapter, no way around that.  I use 5 RGB Controllers {Smart Pixels} and 4 CTB16PC Controllers, also older units {V2}.   Also your Director will need to be replaced with a G3 or better yet, the N4G3 MP3 Director unit, as it can handle BOTH the older CTB16PC Controllers {Pre-Gen 3} and the Higher Speed RGB Controllers and has a 4 port output.

Getting into this will co$t some money, this area of the hobby is not cheap by a long shot.  Unless you can find some RGB Controllers, not sure if they still have any left, but LOR in their clearance area does have some older, original CCB-100D RGB Controllers for $85 that includes 2 strands of 50 RGB bulbs{100 Bulbs total}.  And that would be a good place to start, but you're still going to need to get a higher license level to run them.   As you add more, and if your  CTB16PC Controllers are the older Pre-Gen 3 controller type, adding the RGB Controllers to that mix will cause LAG times in your display.  So a HS Red Adapter is definitely needed to run everything smoothly with NO LAG times.

I speak from experience having 4 older CTB16PC V2 units and 5 RGB CCB-100D units running 10 strands of 50 RGB individually addressable bulbs.  Before I got the Red High Speed Adapter, I had some serious LAG and DROP OUT {lights not coming on at the proper time} issues.  I also have the PRO license, as getting into Pixels really requires a high license level.

Good Luck.

 

[mrpbjnance]

On 11/26/2019 at 10:29 PM, Orville said:

One caveat, if you're going into RGB lighting, dumb or smart, you're going to need more than a Standard license, what I'd truly suggest upgrading to is a PRO License, because pixels eat up space and require higher speeds {500K} and an Enhanced Network to operate efficiently, which WILL REQUIRE a red adapter, no way around that.  I use 5 RGB Controllers {Smart Pixels} and 4 CTB16PC Controllers, also older units {V2}.   Also your Director will need to be replaced with a G3 or better yet, the N4G3 MP3 Director unit, as it can handle BOTH the older CTB16PC Controllers {Pre-Gen 3} and the Higher Speed RGB Controllers and has a 4 port output.

Getting into this will co$t some money, this area of the hobby is not cheap by a long shot.  Unless you can find some RGB Controllers, not sure if they still have any left, but LOR in their clearance area does have some older, original CCB-100D RGB Controllers for $85 that includes 2 strands of 50 RGB bulbs{100 Bulbs total}.  And that would be a good place to start, but you're still going to need to get a higher license level to run them.   As you add more, and if your  CTB16PC Controllers are the older Pre-Gen 3 controller type, adding the RGB Controllers to that mix will cause LAG times in your display.  So a HS Red Adapter is definitely needed to run everything smoothly with NO LAG times.

I speak from experience having 4 older CTB16PC V2 units and 5 RGB CCB-100D units running 10 strands of 50 RGB individually addressable bulbs.  Before I got the Red High Speed Adapter, I had some serious LAG and DROP OUT {lights not coming on at the proper time} issues.  I also have the PRO license, as getting into Pixels really requires a high license level.

Good Luck.

 

Thank You.   Yes I am looking into upgrading License.  Can you point me to where I can get a "Red Adapter"  and How can I tell the version of my MP3 Director.. It was purchased about 4 years ago and I cant find details on my order.

 

[TheDucks]

1 hour ago, mrpbjnance said:

Thank You.   Yes I am looking into upgrading License.  Can you point me to where I can get a "Red Adapter"  and How can I tell the version of my MP3 Director.. It was purchased about 4 years ago and I cant find details on my order.

 

The RED adapter is only needed to run (show) from a PC.

[Orville]

1 hour ago, mrpbjnance said:

Thank You.   Yes I am looking into upgrading License.  Can you point me to where I can get a "Red Adapter"  and How can I tell the version of my MP3 Director.. It was purchased about 4 years ago and I cant find details on my order.

 

In the HU, go to the MP3 tab {if it's still there in S5, I use S4} and let the HU find the MP3 Director, look at what firmware version it is, then go to the LOR main website and look under support and Firmware updates, find the firmware that's in your MP3 Director and that should help to determine which one you have and whether it can handle Pixels or not.  Also it should display something that denotes which version it would be, Original MP3 Director shows DC-MP3, G3 shows G3-MP3 and the newest one should show N4-MP3g4 and after that should also give the Firmware version in the unit.

The Red Adapter can be purchased from LOR here:

USB-RS485-HS

Firmware can be found here:

Firmware Updates

EDIT: Mr P. is correct, you need the red adapter if running your show from a computer.  I keep forgetting the Directors don't require an adapter to operate, only to update their firmware in them.  So it'd still be wise to have at least one red adapter just to update firmware when, or if required to your Director unit.

Edited December 1, 2019 by Orville