Flickering in color mixing mode with Chauvet Colorstrip

[whines]

I recently got a Colorstrip, and I like it a lot -except- for its habit of 'flickering' into different colors (or black) while in RGB mode when using Freestyler.

I don't think it's Freestyler itself; rather I'm suspecting the OpenDMX interface that I'm using. I also have an Elation non-computerized light controller and the Colorstrip works great with it.

The OpenDMX has an unbuffered output, which I'm thinking is perhaps what is throwing off the Colorstrip. No other light I own behaves this way, so it may just be really picky, but the fact that it works perfectly on the Elation keeps me from just blaming the Colorstrip.

(I have reduced the wiring down to -just- the Colorstrip and a terminator, so I'm quite sure it's not another fixture causing problems. And yes, I've tried different cables. I've tested with 2.96j and with the new 3.0 of Freestyler)

Is there anyone who has used a Colorstrip with an OpenDMX and NOT had problems? Or used one with a ProDMX? I'm vauely thinking about upgrading to one of those, although I'm not thrilled to buy a 150$ interface to satisfy a finiky 200$ light, particulary when it may or may not fix the problem...

[kikabyte]

I'm having an issue with something at the moment.

Do a test for me...

Make sure all your fixture values are set to '0' on the sliders. Then turn on your colourstrip fixture, setting the values to make it flicker....

Now... start increasing the sliders on your other fixtures...(you dont need them to be plugged in to your dmx line, just your usb device to your colourstrip is fine

Does the flickering slow down the more fixtures that you put into use??

Let me know!

[Shannon D]

I am seeing the same flickering as well when in the RGB mode. I am using the Enttec Pro. I haven't used my controller since I started using FS, but I will connect it and try it to see if the flickering occurs while in RGB mode.

[whines]

Does the flickering slow down the more fixtures that you put into use??

Let me know!

Tried that. Colorstrip is the only fixture on (the others were still wired but off). Set to RGB mode, occasional flickering with other fixtures off. Played with sliders for other lights. No obvious effect, flickering continued.

I tried setting the Colorstrip to address 1 (it had been on 79) and that lessened the problem somewhat. It flickers much less, 2/3 less?--but it still flickers.

I'm really sad to hear that the Entech Pro still has the problem. I was hoping for an easy fix. Oh well! I'll see if Chauvet has anything to say, although I suspect they'll just finger-point at the converter box--I would if I was them. :J

[kikabyte]

How many fixtures have you got running? And how many channels are you using?

Ive got about 200 channels in use on Freestyler, when I operate all the channels at the same time, the flickering slows down (about half the speed) on my Interface DMX signal light.. I wondered if this would directly effect the flickering on your fixture...

Worth a try tho! Sorry I can't be of much help!

[whines]

I'm using about 10 fixtures and 70 DMX channels.

Here's another wierd one: moving the Colorstrip to the -end- of the chain (it had been the first fixture) made the flickering -almost- go away! It still happens, but hardly at all.

...unless I put the terminator on, in which case it starts flickering more frequently again. WTF?

Such a troublesome little fixture. :/

[infinity6]

I am seeing the exact same behavior with my Colorstrips and the Enttec OpenDMX. I PM'd Shannon D yesterday before finding this thread today. She told me she's seeing the same behavior with her Enttec DMX Pro, which she also posted in this thread.

I'm seeing the same behavior on two different laptops. Last night I connected my Elation DMX Operator Pro hardware DMX controller to the Colorstrips, set to the same programs (either RGB mixing mode or RGB colorfade mode) and I get no flashing, flickering or strobing.

In addition to the Colorstrip issue, I've been experiencing the Freestyler <==> Enttec "Freeze-up" issue. Tonight I will do the 47pf capacitor mod on the OpenDMX. I'll post after seeing if this mod affects the Colorstrip issue. Fingers crossed!

[Shannon D]

Just to clear something up. Shannon D is NOT a she! I am a HE!

This problem with the Colorstrip is the only issue on my whole lighting rig. I just avoid the RGB mode on the Colorstrip. If I want a dimmer wash, I just use my LED pars for that.

[infinity6]

Just to clear something up. Shannon D is NOT a she! I am a HE!

DOH!!!

So Sorry. Got it straight now.

OK, so I tried the hardware controller again last night, and I think I saw maybe one flash over the 2 hours I made myself clean house before jumping on the programming... I then tried putting the colorstrips at the end of my 'true' DMX chain. I'm also running a set of older Martin Roboscan 812's, which require a phase reversal cable (pins 2 & 3 swapped from standard DMX), so the set of 812's MUST be at the end of my DMX chain as I only have one phase reversal cable.

ANY way, the colorstrips' flashing behavior did not change by putting them as far downstream in the chain as possible.

And I ran out of time to find the capacitors last night, but I will get to it either tonight or tomorrow to see if it helps my DMX freeze problem with the Enttec openDMX, and with any luck, maybe this flashing problem.

Since I don't yet have LED PAR cans, the Colorstrips are the only LED wash I have, and often the way I deploy them utilizing other elements, the effect can be way cool.

[infinity6]

OK, so I added capacitors to my OpenDMX box per the info in this thread:

http://www.freestylersupport.com/fsforu ... f=10&t=332

...which I hoped would make my Colorstrips stop the random flashing. Nope. They still do it. I also didn't have the exact value capacitor specified in that other thread, but it fixed the problem (USB to DMX communication lost). I used 100pF caps instead of 47pF, but I'm fairly certain that this change in value would have no effect on the colorstrip issue.

[blaide13]

Can anyone assist me in getting my colorstrips to even properly communicate with Freestyler? I followed the Colorstrip manual; for setting up DMX control. Hit the mode button, S dAd and have the fixture starting address set to 001. Freestyler can open the light if I hit the open shutter, but when I try using the color wheel, the colors don't work or behave as they should. Example, I click white - no problem, hit yellow - fixture turns off, red-fixture all white, blue - all white again, etc.. I read in the manual that channels 2,3 and 4 are dependent on channel 1's setting. They will be RGB is channel one is set between 210 and 219. Not sure exactly what that means. I have the fixture set to channel 1 (at least I think I do), but how do I change the value of channel 1? Really confused as so far I've only used the Chauvet color splash 200b and JR.'s with no problems. Just set the dip switches to the right starting address and the rest is done through freestyler. With the colorstrip, the digital menu is confusing me.

[blaide13]

I've been reading the manual over and over again. I thiun k the problem is that the channel value needs to be set between 210 to219 for DMX channel #1, but I don't know how to access the channel value's in the Colorstrips menu's. I click menu-display shows SYS, I click enter-display shows S dAd, I hit enter again and display shows 001 which I believe to be the dmx starting address. I leave it be as I wantr to start this light on Address # 1 for testing purposes. After thatg, there doesn't seem to be any further to dig into the menu. If I puch the menu button it says S dAd again. If I push the enter button, it just goes back to the channel address menu. If I puch Menu 2 times it goes back to display SYS. So I don't see how to get at the channel # 1 values.

[blaide13]

Couldn't figure out how to set channel values on the unit itself and now I think that's because you can't\. It has to be done through the controller software. I found the value slider on the right side of the freestyler desktop and adjusted the value to 210 and now the color wheel works fine, BUT, I have the flickering problem that others have complained about. Has anyone come up with a solution? I'm using the Enntec USB pro. Has anyone eliminated or even never experienced this flicker problem with these fixtures?

[blaide13]

Figured it out and posted it here in hopes it may help anyonme else with the same problem. The colorstrip only flashes when it's on channel address 1. If I move it to channel 5 or higher, flashing disappears in all colors except white. To stop the color white from flashing, I lowered the refresh rate on the Ennttec pro to 24. Hopes this helps someonme.

[blaide13]

Ok, here's another question that I hopefully will eventual;ly figure out, but so fgar no luck. I added a colorstrip and 2 Color splash Jr.'s (or LED Splash Jr.'s, what ever you want to call them), and to be able to control the colorstrip, I have to slide the slider on the right upper panel on the desktop to a value between 212 and 219. I then set my Jr.'s and change color, etc. Then I hit close shutter to black them out which causes the colorstrip to lose it's set value on channel one which enables it to function properly. I have to manually move the slider back up. This will be a big pain on a live gig while I'm trying to VJ. Is there a way to black out the lights without the colorstrip channel one value changing?

[Glen K]

Figured it out and posted it here in hopes it may help anyonme else with the same problem. The colorstrip only flashes when it's on channel address 1. If I move it to channel 5 or higher, flashing disappears in all colors except white. To stop the color white from flashing, I lowered the refresh rate on the Ennttec pro to 24. Hopes this helps someonme.

Thanks for this tip! I just bought a Chauvet Colorstrip yesterday and it flashed like crazy in RGB mode, while my Chauvet "4bar" and 4 "200B" fixtures were fine. I'm using an Enttec Pro Dmx interface. I started to simply tweak all my cues, giving up on any dimming and/or fades on this fixture. Then I saw this post... I downloaded the Enttec "pro utility" which allows you to tweak the "packet output rate" settings. FYI for anyone with the Enttec this utility is a separate program from the basic driver, and is needed to access the rate settings. I cranked the packet rate down from the stock setting of 40 to 24 and it works fine and no more flickering. My Colorstrip was already on dmx channel 40 so I left that as is, and during my tests it's been the 1st fixture in the chain. THANKS!

[Ljushuvud]

Hi!

About the flickering problem... I have the same problem to use the "colorfade" and "auto run"!! Anyone else?
I have welleman interface and a eurolight2412 and a CG DMX. The flickering appears with ALL controllers. I tried change dmx speed etc.....
This might be a nice fixture..... if it works!! Has anyone got i to work fine? (so you really can use it live)?
Chavet sent me new e-proms, that shud fix the problem, but the flickering remains......

Rock on

[Shannon D]

This might be a nice fixture..... if it works!! Has anyone got i to work fine? (so you really can use it live)?

It is a nice fixture and I use 7 of them live all the time. I use the Enttec Pro and get very little to hardly no flickering. You can see from watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GouFXx3E ... annel_page. The once in a while flicker I do get, the crowd doesn't even have a clue about it.

I plan to try the Enttec Pro Utility tool to lower the refresh rate as stated in the earlier post to eliminate the little flickering I have.

I don't have an answer for those with other types of dongles.

[Shannon D]

Just to follow up here. Chauvet said that it is a known problem with the colorstrip to handle a refresh rate of 40. I changed the refresh rate to 22khz and NO more flickering what so ever. I did run into a little problem using the Enttec Pro Utility tool. I could not get it to recognize the dongle using the D2xx method. It did recognize it using the COM port option, but it would not change the refresh rate. Support at Enttec said I had to delete the Enttec Pro driver and re-install it. After that the D2xx recognized it right away. Problem sovled!

[matt]

Good to hear that there is a work around for this unit. I have one Currently and am looking to get some more.

Now my question is are people Connecting each one to DMX or only the First one to DMX and useing the ColorStrip Chase Output to link other Units?


Think this is a good price on them?
http://www.dealmonger.com/Chauvet-Color ... g-RGB-DMX/

[dmxlighting]

The refresh rate on these units does need to be dropped at about 20khz. Most flicker problems will disappear then.
I did see a thread saying that there is a way to change the refresh rate in the forth coming FS release so that may solve the issue for those having this problem who dont have an Enttec unit.
They are great bits of kit for the money but I guess with a 'Value Engineered' product there is always gong to be some issues.
My issue is there is only 4 channels, would be nice to have control over each cluster!

BTW I can buy these in for £150 a unit. I need to buy them in at 8 at a time so if you want one send me a PM.

Lee

[Shannon D]

Now my question is are people Connecting each one to DMX or only the First one to DMX and useing the ColorStrip Chase Output to link other Units?


Think this is a good price on them?

Hooking up multple units depends on what you want to do with them. If you want the chase to follow through to the rest of the colorstrips, your DMX line goes in the first (master) unit and then you use the link out to the DMX in of the next one in line and so on. Use the DMX line out (from the master) to go to the rest of the lights down the daisy chain. One thing to note, You cannot use the DMX out on any of the other colorstrips down the line to connect to other lights in the chain. You have to go DMX out of the master.

That is a good price from Dealmonger. It is a refurbished light directly from Chauvet. Chauvet has an excellent service department. I have bought several lights from Dealmonger. I only had one issue with a color changer. I had to contact Chauvet and they shipped out another light to me the same day. I didn't even have to send the other light back to them. They said to just keep it for spare parts.

I agree with being able to control each of the 8 clusters. Maybe add one more channel for each color. Also be able to control the intensity of each cluster. I sent Chauvet an email asking if new EPROMs would allow me to do that. I am waiting on a reply back. I guess it depends on how much they want for some custom EPROMs being I have 7 colorstrips. I'll keep everyone posted on this.

[matt]

Well i just bought 2 more of them so i will see what way works best for me.

[Shannon D]

Here's a follow up on the custom EPROMs that would allow control over each cluster of the Colorstrip. Chauvet said that they are working on a new Colorstrip that would allow the user to be able to control all the clusters separately and additional features. They do not have a release date yet. It doesn't appear they are interested in creating custom EPROMs for the first generation Colorstrips. Oh well, at least my flickering problems is completely resolved.

[matt]

no wonder why the price on them dropped so low.. they are coming out with a new unit and needed to clear out old stock.. lol