Problems DMX4ALL, Freestyler and Robe

[Jaykie]

This is from the old forum
mle-team
Hi Guys,
we are working with the DMX4All Interface and two Robe DJ Scan 250XT. First everthing runs perfect but after some time everything stands still and there's no reaction. Then we have to restart the software to take control again. This problem comes over again and again, till we're fed up and take our old contolpanel.

Do you habe some ideas to solve the problem?

Matt
Humm. Could be a number of things. are you useing the sound mode? or just a que. Can you explain what you do when it lockes up?

thanks,
matt

DJ Support
bug report?

mle-team
No, we don't use the sound mode. We are using a cue or the automatic cirkle tool (PanTilt) when it happens. First of all i thought it's a problem with the cirkle but after using the cue's the problem was still there.

We had several ideas of the reason...
It feels like a bufferoverflow because everthing stops while der fs software is still alive... I've phoned the DMX4ALL supplier, he don't know about problems like that.

Now i'm testing the interface with the the newest version of fs.

What can i do to analyse it and maybe to fix the f* problem? :/

Matt
Try to increase your Virtual Memory in Windows.

[HappySound]

Hey
i'got same Problem

i allready raised my hardware memory up to 1gb
und the virtual mem to at least 2gb

same problem

You got any ideas about that?

working with
High End Trackspot
DMX4ALL Stage Profi
W2k at an 1,8ghz CPU

....
3 hours later
...

hmmpf
its not the scanner that breaks down,
its Freestyler
only thing that works is a system reboot

i've tried to install the new beta
it makes a system crash...
is there an older version than beta "F" but newer than 2.95?
to download ?
Please help

[santor]

I have the same problem !!

I'm using the DMX - USB Mini-Interface of DMX4ALL and freestyler. But everytime after some time the lights stands still and no reaction. When i close freestyler and take of the usb and put it right in, its work again.

I tested with Freestyler 2.95 and with 2.96f, but the same problem.

When I use cue or dmx400 everytime freestyle hangup.

I hoop someone can help me (us) !!

[Mike Vaghur]

I suppose it looks like a prolem in a device driver.
Cause I'd used Freestyler with many other interfaces (OOPS! except DMX4All) almost a year and have no those kind of problems.

[pixel]

We bougth Mini-USB-DMX-Interface from DMX4ALL.
We in the club used 6x Showtec Scorpion Scan 280 and 15x Showtec LED Par 56 R or 8x Martin MX-1 and 2x Martin MAC-250 Krypton.
I run Freestyler,Showtec Scorpion Scan have long react-time,for example when i change pan&tilt,i must click to move scanner,when i move with ball pan&tilt,scanners don´t move. When I run cirkle moving,after few time,scanners don´t move,don´t react and if i show output(in menu EDIT) values don´t change!

Pls,give me some ideas...I think,that it is in settings COMport or in communication USB-COM or I use Windows XP,bcos when I install drivers, windows protest,bcos drivers don´t have support from Microsoft.....or I don´t know!

PLS HELP!!!!

[matt]

Solution: Get a new USB to DMX interface. There must be an issue with them and working with freestyler. Since this is the only interface that is having this issue. that narrows it down to a driver or hardware issue.

[mdg]

Hello,

I would like to tell my experience (all my problems) with the DMX4ALL mini usb-dmx interface after i bought and used.

Freestyler like to run into an error when opening bezier shapes other than the default rectangles. If i choose, let`s say a circle, the moving heads (hqpower studio beam 150) seems to reseting themselfs. When they changed theirself to their nulpoint there is nothing more i can do with the moving heads. They totally stuck in their position. The only way when you got your controll back over the lamps is to restart freestyler.

The same problems occurs when doing rectangles (in the bezier shapes) and running them to fast for the moving head.

It looks that we all have the same sort of problems with freestyler in combination with mini usb-dmx interface. Freestyler is a really wonderfull programm and because it`s freeware it beats al the proffesionel programs, but i have my doubts about the interface and would recommend NOT to buy that interface.

Has anybody doing some further investigation what would causes the errors and how it maybe could be fixed?

Cheers,
Marcel

[djSupport]

ive stickied this for now to keep it in focus for similair users searching out problems...

[DJ Chucky]

It appears to be a problem in the latest versions of Freestyler, I worked now for a few years with Freestyler and the USB Mini DMX interface and it worked always OK.

Since i updated to version 2.95f things are going wrong. I also have an Enntec interface and also there are some issues since updated.
I hope the new version solves these problems. I deinstalled the f version and now using the preveous version and my problems are gone.

[Remco]

We have the same problems. It's also happening when you use al lot of fades. I think it is a buffer or speed issue or something.

We bought two of these interfaces, so buying other ones is not an option. We really like the frestyler set-up and we are very willing to donate to the developper, but firts it has to work. Now we have to restart the software every 15 min or so, because everything stops...

We are really hoping for a good solution...

Regards,

Remco

[MartinR]

I've got the same problem with a JMS USB2DMX Cable After a few minutes (sometimes hours) - the running lighchange freezes and only restarting freestyler can re-activate my lightshow

[remco_k]

Just wondering; does really everything stop?
Or can you still control fixtures directly with the faders on the right?
If running from the Cues, are sequences with -only- snap functions still running, while sequences with fade functions have stopped?

I ask this because there is an issue in FS Cues, when running those for longer times, sometime sequences with fades are still running on screen, but are not send out to the DMX interface, in fact, all fades stopped working from here, FS restart is the only solution for now. This only occurs in some particular situation where we can't get our hands on.
But; I don't know if this is the same problem you are talking about.

[MartinR]

I had a lighshow on the weekend. The light stops in the last postion - i can change the values but the light doesn't change. The only way to reactivate is closing freestyler, putting my usb cable out und in again and than restart freestyler. The same 1 - 2 hour later again...

[MartinR]

Did anyone solve this problem?

[Amnesia]

seems like i`m not alone...

i had the same problem with my jms-interface this weekend!

it works for some minutes and then it suddenly stops working. some lights then became an undefined behaviour, others freezes in the last used status.
the only thing that helps, was to shutdown freestyler, then disconnect (pulug-out) the interface, reconnect it and restart freestyler. some testing shows that it`s regardless how much fixtures are used in freestyler. maybe the interface is faulty ?

i will do some testing with other software in the next future, but it would be great if i could continue to use freestyler

[dustin]

Any news on this ???
I would like to buy an dmx4all minu-usb-dmx interface tomorrow for my second setup.

And I don't want to run in any problems that I can avoid ...

[remco_k]

Then don't buy it.
It sounds like somewhat the same problem some Entec Open USB to DMX interfaces have. For those interfaces is a fix.
People having this problems can try using an active USB hub in between. May solve some issues.

Edit:
Hmmm, I see in another topic that you already purchased it. Hope it works!

[dustin]

Edit:
Hmmm, I see in another topic that you already purchased it. Hope it works!

No, I want to purchase it today with two new scanners, but in this case I would purchase another interface. The Eurolite Interface works very well without any problems. So I think I take this one again ...

[eyupjudd]

Sorry to ruin the party guys but it appears this issue is still not fixed, and is very irritating.

I will give you the lowdown as follows.

My interface is different, its a Gus Electronics USB-VL344 interface, which makes me now think its a Freestyler issue again since there are various brands of DMX interfaces cropping up on this thread.

I am running Freestyler V 3.3.4.

Heres what happens:

1- Load up freestyler and run usual cues, yes some cues involve fading fast and repetitively.

2- At random (I would like to stress random, because i have tried a lot of combinations of cues, override buttons at once), the lights will hang and freeze, yet Freestyler continues to run and show values changing when cues are running.

3- The only way to regain control is to unplug usb, close Freestyler, plug usb back in, then load freestyler again.

4- The lights will reset to their normal positions and cues work fine again for however long until it crashes again.


I have just arrived back from doing a light show for a big club night in our area and I love freestyler like everybody else and do not want to switch, but these freezes can cause a lot more serious stuff than just blackout for 10 seconds or so... when the program crashes, the lights hang on whatever they did last, for most lights this will just be a fade to another position or colour, but for some lights can have dire consequences such as strobe lights. We have a lot of these hooked up in sync with a flash button, and it has happened before where freestyler has hung the lights on their last action, to my surprise after lifting my finger off the strobe flash button, the strobes continued, i literally had to shield my eyes while climbing the trussing to phsically unplug the strobes from the power source!!

If this causes someone epileptic death its me going to be getting it in the neck, i cant exactly blame my 'tools' considering im a lighting tech.

Anyway after the rant, like everybody im sure i will be making a donation to the creators but the software has to work and be consistent until I donate anything.

Please somebody get back to me with some enlightenment!

Regards,

Alex