Fixtures setting influencing other fixture setttings

Post by **DutchDD** » 14 Sep 2014, 14:23

Hi All,

Got a problem with DMX ficture settings influencing other fixtures...
Some pre info first:
My test setup: an old HP laptop (XP no Internet) with an M-LED USB DMX Interface, An Eurolite 252 LED bar (older type with the dip switches) an American DJ Mega bar 50 RGB RC (RC not used) and last but not least American DJ Micro Wash RBGW. Freestyler version 3.5.5.... let's not forget a home made 120 ohm Terminator

I used a "as short as possible" XLR shielded DMX cable for testing (changing cable does not differ the problem)

Every fixture on itself works perfectly. Also when other fixtures are installed but not connected there is no problem when "accidently" changing settings in not connected fixtures.

DMX start address for the Micro Wash is 1
DMX start address for the Mega 50 is 60
DMX start address for the Eurolite is 40
All manually set

All I want the Fixtures to do is on demand Fade in and out colour (all red, green and blue)
Thing are not combined in a scene so every fixture are set manually in the fixture setting themselves.

As soon As one fixture is set, and I want to set an other fixture the settings of the second fixture override the settings of fixture 1 (or 3) etc.

Seems if I spread the DMX start address further apart less fixture "Talk over" there is..

I would love to find a solution for this Behaviour, any help is appreciated.

Kind regards

DJ AD

Post by **Spirit** » 14 Sep 2014, 15:03

hi

this sounds stange indeed.

there are 2 things you need to look at.
1. if you create a SEQUNCE besure its on transparent mode (can be set on Sequnce creator)
2. besure you have enabled Multi sequnce. (can be found at freestyler setup-> preference "CUE multielect Always enabled"

/spirit

Post by **DutchDD** » 14 Sep 2014, 16:20

I Hear you.... Nice thing is.. I'm not making a sequence yet...
Just plane fixtures in Freestyler... trying if the fixture itself works...

Post by **DutchDD** » 14 Sep 2014, 19:04

Some Extra Information...after more experimentation...
If one fixture is set and settings are made for the second fixture the second fixture colour (red, blue, green) seem to influence the Strobe, Macro, speed and strobe settings of fixture # 1.

Mannn... it so irritating... can't seem to figure it out...

Post by **spud1511** » 14 Sep 2014, 22:03

Do you deselect the first fixture? When you click a second fixture in freestyler the first one is still selected.
I would suggest going into SETUP, FREESTYLER SETUP, PREFERENCES, COLORS.
Then change 'active fixture backcolor' to something like orange (easier to look at with the second fixture backcolor of red and see the selected group together at a glance).

You can also go into SETUP, ADD/REMOVE FIXTURES and look through the column on the right to check that the addresses don't overlap, for example;
1:1-12 shows channels 1 to 12, so the next line would need to start from 13 (such as 1:13-24) or whatever numbers suit your fixtures so long as they don't overlap and your real life fixture matches the address of the first number of the group.

You could also check the manual and menus of your fixtures as some have multiple 'personalities' to suit different levels of control. If freestyler uses a certain number of channels for that fixture then it needs to be set for that amount of channels, a par can for example, or some of the cheap LED dots fixtures might have a 3 channel mode, or a 7 channel mode and you need to tell the fixture which one to use.

Post by **DutchDD** » 16 Sep 2014, 06:38

Thanks for the tips
I will get work on the this evening ( I hope) Got a feeling that this could be the problem...

Will post the results

thks

Post by **DutchDD** » 16 Sep 2014, 20:02

Law and behold.... The channel overlapping was the problem...finaly!!! problem cracked!
One happy trooper...

Hooked up 3 fixtures now... tomorrow two others... if this works (witch I now think it will, I just might start making a sequence... Something simple...
All fixtures Full Blue, Full Red, Full Green, All White, All Dim, etc... evolve from there

Thanks you for your input solving my problem... Might run in to other questions...

Regards

AD

Post by **preston1348** » 13 Sep 2015, 00:55

I also still have this problem, I've done everything you guys suggested, but it still will control my other light even though one fixture is selected.

Post by **DutchDD** » 16 Sep 2015, 09:30

Preston are you sure you have no overlapping DMX channels and the DMX settings on your fixtures set to the corresponding DMX channels? can you make a screen shot of your setup fixtures? maybe we can see were it goes wrong

Post by **DutchDD** » 16 Sep 2015, 19:03

Just had an other idea.... Do you use a terminator? 110 ohms? in an XLR connecting leg # 2 and 3
If not, make one, buy one... test it.. it helps

Post by **spud1511** » 16 Sep 2015, 21:28

Also.... Maybe stupid question but are you actually sure the other fixture is not selected?
I only ask as the blue text colour freestyler uses for the second, third, fourth, etc fixtures selected is quite similar to the blue of fixtures deselected depending on your monitor and contrast/colour settings. I used to do that all the time until I changed my freestyler preferences to make the multi selected items orange that was closer to the red of the most recently selected fixture.

Post by **spud1511** » 16 Sep 2015, 21:28

Edit: Tapatalk error, multiple send same post

Post by **Jan_K** » 18 Sep 2015, 06:35

Also a small comment from my side.

Open the output monitor then you can see what channels you are changing.

If only one channel is changing then you need to figure out how many fixtures are listening on that channel and if more channels are changing the more fixtures are selected somehow.

/Jan

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