DMX Lighting & the Fantom G7

[Cecil Pitmen]

Hi just wondering if anyone is working with DMX lighting

I own a G7 and trying to work out a way to control my lights via midi and assign say the last 8 notes on the keyboard to be the 8 individual led par cans i've bought or even assign them to the pads for individual lights and trigger chasers etc

Step 2 will be to program a lighting track (not sure what software?) into my sequences but not sure if this is possible either

Anyway if anyone has any ideas or experiences would love to hear from you

Thanks

[luislobo]

If your DMX hardware supports control via midi messages, then you could even go further, by creating phrases that control the lights and triggering them through RPS with the pads you could turn the Fantom-G to a real DMX Console , although I like to keep my mind out of trouble when I'm playing...

With a quick google search I found these:
http://www.lanbox.com/

They support MIDI and DMX-512 control.

Hope it helps,
Regards,
LL

[Anton]

There are lots of midi to dmx convertors and lighting controllers with midi available (artistic license, martin, leprecon, avolites, ma). I used some of those with midi when I was working in the lighting business.
It was not easy to use things with midi at all. I performed once with a few keyboards an a lighting contorller on top. You better concentrate on one thing then doing two things half.

The easiest way to go is a controller wich has a few floorpedals connected for speed/start/stop/chase select.
They are cheap and are easy to work with. Great to use in little clubs, bars etc. You can also use sound-to-light as provided on lots of small lighting gear.

When you are looking for a pro solution with lots of parcans and moving lights then you better hire someone for controlling the lights.

[Flumpster]

I disagree about hiring someone to do the job. I have had all my par cans and dmx lighting rig midi'd for years and it always turns up, doesn't get drunk or just decide to play flashing strobes for no reason when it gets bored.

I use 2 controllers mainly. One controls par cans (there are 2 bulging plug outputs that control 4 lights per side, I have a splitter box on the left side duplicating the output to both par can sets and the right side I have a bulging plug connected up to a 4 gang which I can plug any lights into I want)
The other controller does all my dmx lights and smoke. The only downfall is that I lose 3 midi channels. (the dmx controller uses channel 16 for user patches and 15 for factory patches)

This is not complicated at all.. It is basically just programmed like any other song data is. Select midi channel 1. Play one of the 8 corresponding notes that trigger the 8 lights and record it. Job done.
The dmx is slightly different in that you have to set up patches on the controller first if you want it done properly. You set the lights on that you want from your dmx rig.. Then you tell them where you want them to go.. Save the preset, then you just call it from a note on midi channel 16 and record like the par cans.

Very easy and once programmed you never have to worry about them again.

[Anton]

I agree when you work with a pre-programmed midi lighting show you have no surpises. However, in ten years of working in the pro lighting industry I never had to deal with a drunk operator or so. I might depend on the company you work with.

Choose whatever you feel comfortable with. I don't want to force you in a certain direction. Maybe you can find more info at lightingforums like the one at www.martin.dk.

[dansgold]

HogPC has pretty decent facilities for MIDI control. It speaks DMX as well. I used a Korg MicroKontrol as an add-on controller for a while (instead of buying more Hog "wings") and it worked just fine. It was sortof a pain to setup, as the documentation is sparse.

[Cecil Pitmen]

Thanks for all your advice so far guys i greatly appreciated and will follow up on it all

I used the led pars with a dmx controller last night for the first time and they looked great no heat and good color. As mentioned it was a bit distracting trying to play and change lights/scenes but good fun. I'm going to try the midi side this week so i'll let you know how i go knowing me i'll be back for more advice

Thanks again

Cecil

[Cecil Pitmen]

Hi Mate
Well i've spent 4+ hours making up all my scences on the DMXcontroller. I've spread the scences accross almost the whole 76 kerboard so now is the challenging part.

When you progammed your mid's did you have to relocate your track 1 and leave it blank as every mid i have the lights change to track 1 but i'm trying to use track 16 for lights.

Hope i'm not confusing just after an idea before i reprogam all my midi and then add the lights on 16 later

Thanks agin for youre help so far

Cecil

[onearm]

Hey gang,

Been awhile since I posted, but have been reaping the benifits of everyone else's posts. Maybe here's some help:

I run two X7's, both set up identical with lots of sequencing, often times my tunes running w/o stops.

Both midi outs to midi box which splits out to two vocal processors & a DMX (inexpensive Chauvet) light controller, running LED pannels. Track 14 = midi channel 14 on the lead vocalists processor. Track 15 = midi channel 15 on my vocal processor. And Track 16 = midi channel 16 on the Chauvet light board. I have my color washes preset on the Chauvet & the Fantoms do all the work. Now my hands are free to play, & I never have to worry about the lights. It did take a little time to set the scenes into each song....color changes, fades, chases, blackouts, etc........but once they're done, they're always in the Fantom. Best way for me. Maybe this could help someone else with the same issues. Good luck!

Always building a better mousetrap!

onearm

[Flumpster]

Hi cecil.
I'd imagine a lot of the new controllers including the one you are using has a way to switch what midi channel it recieves on. So you could set your controller to 16 and then program your lights on Midi channel 16 in all your songs.

My par can controller is an old one and was stuck on midi channel 1 so had to move things around.
My dmx controller can move channels but still always uses 2 (which is daft and hope yours doesn't do the same)

[Cecil Pitmen]

Thanks mate
Yeah havn't worked out how to change to 16 yet but will keep trying. My big problem at the moment is

I programed a demo light show directly recorded from the fantom and when i play it back all works fine but when i play my keyboards bit to the song the lights are changing as per what i play and not what i programmed. I've programed scenes across the entire keyboard. When i stop playing it goes back to the pre recorded light show also does the same if played by computer.I've looked everywhere to try and cancel the midi signal send on any of the 16 tracks to then use that when i play but no luck.

Anyway thought you may have stumbled across this one

Thanks again Cecil

[Flumpster]

Have you tried the pads. ?

Press "Pad mode" by the 16 numeric pads then "10" on the pads for midi transmit switch. Any number you press now will enable/disable midi transmit for than channel.

[Cecil Pitmen]

Hi sorry for the late reply i was able to work the midi prob out as you mentioned so thanks heaps. I've done a few gigs now and take my 2nd keyboard along to run the lights via midi. Have 60 scences setup so keeps me busy but love the LED cans and the control i have. Chaging to track 16 worked well and are busy doing tracks for my 3 peice sequences etc.

So thanks for all the info and help

Greatly appreciated

Cecil

[Flumpster]

I'm guessing your band is playing completely live then? No sequencer running at all ?

I ask this because the best part about having your lighting rig midi'd is the fact that you program it and never have to think of it again. No taking another keyboard to play the lights just let the sequencer play them.

[Cecil Pitmen]

Yes mate live for the band i'm trying to convince our drummer to play to a click track of sorts and run what ever he wants from the 3 & 4 out of the G with a separate monitor system for him and hes is slowly comming around so yeah manaul at the moment.

It still works great being keys there is often songs you don't play all the way through and some are just guitar so thats when i go to town having all the scences set so i can have one light come on where and color is great. I set 2 on each stand 4 stands 2 front spot lioght the singer in the middle and at the end of every song i hit a note which blacks the stage then hit another to have only the two front spots on him while we get ready for next song etc looks great

Yeah the duo and 3 peice i also do will be fully light sequenced which will be great when finished lots of work as you know but i love the results beats the old 4 or 8 par 56's with different gels on all night cooking you these are only 17w each no heat awhsome

Thanks

Cecil