Disco laser and DMX512?

[Mau1wurf1977]

Hi guys I have a cheap disco laser like this model:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4-Lens-DJ...item3f19579f40

Apparently it has heaps of modes but there is no way to access them directly. It mentions DMX512 which seems to be some kind of standard for lightning equipment.

Is this the device I need to buy in order to have control over the laser:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DJ-Lighti...item3a769df99e

Thanks!

[Pugs]

Originally Posted by Mau1wurf1977

Hi guys I have a cheap disco laser like this model:

Apparently it has heaps of modes but there is no way to access them directly. It mentions DMX512 which seems to be some kind of standard for lightning equipment.

Thanks!

"DMX512" been a standard in Lighting for the better part of 10- 12 years now.

the only reason it's called 512 is back in the day it was limited to 512 control channels

you need a controller with Seven channels of control using a "fader" to copntrol it each percentage has a value that the laser will react to of course it will have all this info in the manual (I would assume)

[Mau1wurf1977]

Thanks for helping me out.

Ok I checked the manual and it does indeed mention 7 channels:

CH1: mode
CH2: Pattern selection
CH3: X position
CH4: Y position
CH5: Scanning speed
CH6: Dynamic patterns play speed
CH7: Static pattern size

And then there are dip switches to set the dmx address of the device.

So this device here:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DJ-Lighti...item3a769df99e

Is it too much or will it still do the job?

Basically what I want is just have control over the pattern but have the lasers still move to the music. Hope this makes sense.

[Mau1wurf1977]

Found this resource and will do some reading and try to figure it out:

http://forums.elationlighting.com/ev...95/m/317105495

Might even be possible to write your own patterns and stuff like that!

[Pugs]

Originally Posted by Mau1wurf1977

Thanks for helping me out.

Ok I checked the manual and it does indeed mention 7 channels:

CH1: mode
CH2: Pattern selection
CH3: X position
CH4: Y position
CH5: Scanning speed
CH6: Dynamic patterns play speed
CH7: Static pattern size

And then there are dip switches to set the dmx address of the device.

So this device here:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DJ-Lighti...item3a769df99e

Is it too much or will it still do the job?

Basically what I want is just have control over the pattern but have the lasers still move to the music. Hope this makes sense.

I think it is one or the other.. never seen a fixture that you can control then let the sound active take over

[Mau1wurf1977]

Cool no worries. This is quite fascinating to be honest

[Pugs]

Originally Posted by Mau1wurf1977

Cool no worries. This is quite fascinating to be honest

gets a bit old hat when you used to be doing it 7 days aweek.. plus dealing with fixtures that had over the need for control of over 20 channels worth of features..

[Mau1wurf1977]

Hehe it's just for me so i can listen to some euro dance / techno after a hard day

So this is what I'm thinking of going with next:

USB - DMX interface:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-DMX-I...item35b0429ed3

Software:

http://www.freestylerdmx.be/

And a cable of course.

What do you think?

[Piroteknik]

es it have an ilda port? its a 25 pun connector similar to a parallel port on a pc.

i use a ilda controller and a program called ishow.

an example of what can be done here:

m.youtube.com/#/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMgQVYWh9mlM&v=MgQ VYWh9mlM&gl=AU

having said that the laser linked above by you probably wouldnt have the scan rate. (mine has 30k scanners and does struggle with more complex animations or images)

it is great, my laser is an RGB one, and have used at parties to project happy birthday e.t.c. with dancing girls onto walls. Also lent it to a mate fir a small party/rave and we had it make multi coulour 'waves' and scanning effects thriugh the fog smoke.

other effects are possible. this video shows some

m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=V1OrX-cs_NY

these sorts of things look awesome with fog, and the one in that video is only green

[Mau1wurf1977]

That sounds great!

Found heaps on eBay. Some have SD card readers. Hmm got to research a bit more!

[Creekin]

Originally Posted by Mau1wurf1977

Is this the device I need to buy in order to have control over the laser:

bit overkill for one unit but will do the job

Originally Posted by Pugs

"DMX512" been a standard in Lighting for the better part of 10- 12 years now.

its been around a lot longer than that...was first released in 86...but wasnt really standardised and in common usage till after the 1990 revision..
has been reviewed and updated a few times..but its an old comms protocol that was designed long before moving lights and was only intended for dimmers..
the reason for the 512 channel limit is that the signal actually tells each channel to go to a certain level..and then moves on to the next channel and stops talking to the first..so it resets back to 0. and starts to dim again.
but the frequency of the signal is fast enough so that by the time it gets through all 512 channels and back to the beginning again..the dimmer circuit hasnt had time to dim the light enough for the eye to notice...
if it did 1024 channels for eg u would notice all the lights flickering as the signal loops around...
bad way to explain it but there u go
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMX512

as a lighting tech for over 20yrs i remember when it first came in and the analogue rigs we used before it
imho its well out of date and needs to plzdie kthankbai
most moving lights available today can also use ethernet or a similar industry protocol like artnet for eg.
as mentioned movers can easily have 20+ channels each so even a small rig of 20 lights and a few dimmers can easily fill a single dmx "universe" modern concerts have multiple universes..

but i digress.....

Originally Posted by Mau1wurf1977

Hehe it's just for me so i can listen to some euro dance / techno after a hard day

So this is what I'm thinking of going with next:

USB - DMX interface:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-DMX-I...item35b0429ed3

Software:

http://www.freestylerdmx.be/

And a cable of course.

What do you think?

thats the way i do it at home...when i dont have a console of course
Avolite FTW!!

i use freestyler..its a bit basic but plenty for ur needs
and i got a usb-dmx adaptor from jaycar..
its a kit u need to solder urself but is easy to do, or find a friend to help
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=KV3610

GL

edit: generally u cant do sound activated and manual at the same time..its one or the other..depends on the fixture though not the controller..with only one unit ur much better off just leaving it on auto/music trigger..
u only need a controller to synch multiple units

[Mau1wurf1977]

Another question...

That 192 Channel DMX controller mentions a built in microphone. Can this be used to move the lasers and then you just select the program?

EDIT:

Maybe you can just tell me what to buy.

At this point I actually don't really want to get into the programming side of things, maybe later. What I want is control over the pattern (on auto the patterns just switch around and some I don't like and I can't make it stay at one pattern) but still have it react to the music.

[breech]

Just a note, unfortunately there is 2 standards for the connectors, 3 and 5 pin. That mixer is 3 pin but the light is probably 5 pin. You might need to buy (or DIY) a converter cable.

[Brooa]

Originally Posted by breech

Just a note, unfortunately there is 2 standards for the connectors, 3 and 5 pin. That mixer is 3 pin but the light is probably 5 pin. You might need to buy (or DIY) a converter cable.

dont be rediculous the laser is 3 pin. its a Shinp DL-55, one of the more common chinese lasers.

you can use DMX to use it in sound active mode or what ever else you want.



personally i use freestyler and a usb -> dmx converter and it works fine. really need to get a touchscreen of some kind tho. prob will end up with something like this http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/west-...ble/1003708922