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1. 77 5 USER MANUAL ROBE Lighting s r o Czech republic www robe cz Software Revision 1 14 ONER VIEW rere ae eee nner 1 REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS eee atte 1 SEO Eo Noe te ea A 1 MENU AND SETUP FUNCTION S nnan 3 GHOQSE E I eee hat E E tayta ami EEEE AA 3 eae 4 PATCH CONVENTIONAL DIMMERS 4 522 aa aaa a tuna tune ee 5 LOAD FIXTURE PROFILE FROM 5 LOAD FIXTURE PROFILE FROM COM PORT o veccsssssssssssssssessssssssessssssssuseccssssussessssssscssssssssesssssuesssssssuessssssneussssssseussesssses 5 REMOVE FIXTURE PROFILE cage etal tiie ae oad EAS aa 5 SELECT FLEX FADER 00 6 SELEC HOME SCENE Tula a Sre 6 PAN AND TILTINVERT 6 huq I i eI Oe RES EINE Mt On REI A 6 NPN ee tg TOURER 8 WEE W MEMORY SIZE lt cts Sa
2. 8 SAVE MEMORY FILE WONG dt cca 8 SAVE MEMORY FILE TO COM PORT 9 LOAD MEMORY BILE PROM CF 9 LOAD MEMORY FROM 4 111 00 2 00 70 244400000000800000 9 9 UPDATE SOFTWARE 9 LOCK UNLOCK MEMORY lid 1610 9 ERASE ALL MEMORY 10 CONTROLLING MOVING LIGHT FIXTURES aaa NUMBER SWITCHES 1 48 and FUNCTION SWITCHES 11 AEGRO ISNA UE pe cette A E EE EE E A E 11 FIXTURE GROUP n yapana a oid 11 USING THE DATA WHEELS TO CONTROL FIXTURE CHANNELS sssssssssssssssssssssssssessessssesssssssvesessssssetessesneneeseen 12 USING THE FLEX FADERS TO CONTROL FIXTURE 12 ONEEN ae Ad E EE E 13 EINE SWILE A 13 SOLOS WITO loa sasha iste a oti by aaa A A sas 13 COPY FIXTURE SETTINGS saam naa Raat 13 CONTROLLING CONVENTIONAL DIMMERS aaa 14 DIMMER CONTROL USING A KEYBOARD sssessssssssessssconsesecsonsssseccsnsssvescnnsssvosessnsssecsssssssssssnssssesssnsneresesenssvsssesnvveesee 14 CREA
3. 32 33 MIDDZZ C T LTS SSS De RSE AEE IO 34 USING THE COMPACT FLASH 35 MEMORY BA CRU ies ok cc cect Suyana a eee Oe AA EE 35 MEMORY RESTORE ayasa suls hu Su usuka huahua 35 SOFTWARE UPDATE es 35 INSTALL BDCTDREDPROBIPEEBSL Z tn ASE Cu p qua Saya hi 36 USING THE COMPUTER PORT 5 232 37 iii CONFIGURING COMPUTERS SAT a n s Qa DS SA SUS RD H hun Sau i Sa 37 MEMORY BACKUP USING THE COMPUTER PORT 37 MEMORY RESTORE USING THE COMPUTER PORT 37 UPDATING THE SOFTWARE censor ace 37 TOADEIXTURE PRO I Bg oe evra ce en a oa 38 FISTURPESEIDEAPYX uuu uyo n u u 40 OVERVIEW The DMX Control 1536 is a lighting controller based on the successful and simple to use DMX Control 512 and DMX Control 1024 DMX Control 1536 expands on the existing features of these controllers and adds many others The approach of this controller is to simplify the programming process as much as possible while still offering a high level of control at a low cost If you are already familiar with the DMX Control 512 and 1024 then you find the DMX Control 1536 to be a simple step forward Control of up to 153
4. Select fixture file then press enter will appear on the top line of the display the bottom line of the display will show the first fixture profile found on the disk Use the or switch or data wheel 1 to select a profile if there is more that one profile on the disk then press enter The profile will be loaded into memory and can then be selected using the choose fixtures menu Up to 256 fixture profiles can be loaded into memory NOTE Fixture profile file names end with the file extension sdf 36 USING THE COMPUTER PORT RS 232 The 5 232 port be used to connect the DMX CONTROL 1536 to a personal computer in order to do memory backups software updates and to load fixture profiles You will need to get a null modem cable available at any computer store Connect the 9 pin RS 232 port on the DMX Control 1536 to one of the serial COM ports on your PC Some COM ports use a 25 pin connector and some use a 9 pin Most null modem cables come with both types of connectors CONFIGURING YOU COMPUTER ROBE offers a program that be downloaded from www tobe cz called SD Backup that is designed to handle communication between a PC and the DMX Control 1536 Determine which of your COM ports is available on your PC and connect it to the RS 232 port on the controller using the type of cable described in the previous section The program supports COM 1 or COM 2 on your PC After you have installed the SD
5. COMPLEX FLASH CHASE The complex flash chase is a dimmer shutter flash chase that allows you to flash more than one fixture or conventional dimmer at each step Press any fixture numbers or dimmer flash switches to be included in the step then press enter to move to the next step You can toggle switches on or off at each step Use data wheel 1 to select and view the steps that have been entered Use data wheel 2 to adjust the step time Use data wheel 3 to adjust the fade time Use data wheel 4 to enable or disable the beat and audio switches for this chase Press the right cursor to get to the second page of the menu to enter a name for the chase It is not necessary to press enter after choosing the contents of the last step This will only add a new empty step at the end of the chase You can use the erase switch to erase the contents of a step and if the step is empty erase the step number You can use the add switch to insert an empty step at the current step number After the empty step has been added you can select fixtures or dimmers to fill the step As with all other chases turn off the fixture LED in order to view the available memory locations then press the number switch where you want to save the chase After you have saved the chase the record and chase LEDs will continue to flash allowing you to continue to add to or edit the chase in case you would like to save a slightly different version at
6. Once you have positioned the centers go back and select all of the fixtures to be included in the shape The order the fixtures are selected will also determine the order when using offset as explained below 21 There are a number of parameters that you can adjust for shape chase The first field in the display is the shape type use data wheel 1 to select from the list The second field in the display is the step time use data wheel 2 to adjust the speed of the chase The wheel will increment the value in 1 second steps Press fine to increment in 01 second steps or place the cursor under any of the digits and use the or switch to select the step time Use data wheel 3 to adjust the X size This is the width of the shape Use data wheel 4 to adjust the Y size This is the height of the shape Press the right cursor switch until you can view the second page of the shape chase display From there you can use data wheel 1 to select the direction of the movement Use data wheel 2 to adjust the offset explained next Use data wheels 3 or 4 or an external keyboard to enter a name for the chase The offset adjustment lets you spread the positions of multiple fixtures across a shape For example a citcle shape is made up of 48 segments With an offset value of 1 each fixture will point to a spot on the citcle that is 1 segment ahead of or behind the next fixture depending on the direction and the order that the fixtu
7. for the file system This will format the card using 16 The used Compact Flash cards must work at 5V or 3 3V power Not all manufacturers CF cards have been tested on the DMX Control 1536 We recommend using San Disk cards They have been tested and work well You don t need a very large capacity card the DMX Control 1536 files are not large Long filenames longer than 8 characters and folders are not supported on the card s directory All files must reside in the root directory to be accessible Since the cards are formatted using the FAT16 file system they are also compatible with your PC allowing you to make copies and download software updates and fixture profiles from the ROBE website All of the CF functions ate accessed from the DMX Control 1536 setup menu MEMORY BACKUP Go to the menu function Save memory file to the message Press enter to save file to disk will appear on the top line of the display when you press enter The default file name will appear on the bottom line You can use the data wheel or an external keyboard to enter a new file name Insert a CF card in the slot and press enter The message File has been saved to disk will appear when finished The entire contents of the DMX Control 1536 memory are backed up including all menu settings fixture profiles scenes presets chases and shows The disk file is a binary file and will have the DOS file extension sdm and is co
8. of the display will show the first fixture profile found on the CF card Use the or switch or data wheel 1 to select a profile if there is more that one profile on the disk then press enter The profile will be loaded into memory and will then be available as a selection when using the choose fixtures menu Up to 256 fixture profiles can be loaded into memory LOAD FIXTURE PROFILE FROM COM PORT This menu allows you to load fixture profiles into the DMX Control 1536 from a PC using the COM port When this menu item is selected the message Ready to receive fixture profile will appear You must send the fixture file from your PC to the controller using the SD backup program which is available from www tobe cz The profile will be loaded into memory can then be selected using the choose fixtures menu Read the section later in this manual on how to use the computer port for more information on this topic REMOVE FIXTURE PROFILE This menu allows you to remove individual profiles from memory to free up memory space When you enter this menu the message Select profile to remove press enter will appear on the top line of the display The first profile found in memory will appear on the bottom line use or switch data wheel 1 to select from the list of profiles Press enter to remove that profile SELECT FLEX FADER MODE The flex fader section can operate in three different ways
9. record switch and you will exit record mode RECALLING SCENES To play a scene turn on the scene LED by pressing the scene switch Select the page if necessary and then press the number switch for that scene When a scene is called any moving light fixture channels as well as any conventional dimmer channels that are included in the new scene will crossfade using the recorded fade time to the new scene values Any chases and presets that are part of the scene will also be called There is no limit to number of scenes that can be running at one time as long as each scene is controlling different channels A scene s LED will remain lit until any new scenes have overridden its channels When a scene is called channels that are not part of the new scene will be left in their current positions and any chases that were running will keep running as long as the new scene does not override the channels in the chase This method of playback allows channels from previous scenes to track through to the next scene This is referred to as channels tracking through or pile on by some controllers You can use this to combine several scenes into one scene To do this call any number of scenes that do not conflict with each other than press record and save as a new scene RECALLING SCENES solo mode To stop channels and chases from tracking through from one scene to another use the solo switch Turn on the solo switch befo
10. 0 The blackout will remain in effect as long as the blackout LED is lit Pressing the black switch a second time will toggle the LED off and restore the channels to their previous settings Clear All Channels Function Pressing and holding the black switch for 2 seconds will force all DMX channels to 0 and clear the scene buffer This function is useful when programming new scenes You can also select a default home scene that will be called whenever you use this function Refer to the menu section of this manual under Select Home Scene for instructions on how to do this You can use any scene that you have already saved as the home scene GRAND MASTER FADER The grand master fader is used to scale the outputs of all conventional dimmers as well as the dimmer channels of any moving light fixtures If a moving light doesn t have a dimmer channel it won t be affected The grand master flash switch operates as latching on off and brings the grand master level to the maximum setting If for any reason the grand master fader breaks or wears out press the grand master flash to override the fader so you still have dimmer output FLEX MASTER FADER The flex master fader is used to scale the outputs of all conventional dimmers It is also subject to the level of the grand master fader The flex master flash switch operates as latching on off and brings the flex master level to the maximum setting If for any reason the flex master
11. 0 position and then released once it is brought back to 0 Once started the memory will be attached to that fader until released even if the page is changed If the preview LED is lit pressing a flash button will show the contents of the playback in the display without playing the memory LTP Manual Mode LTP stands for latest or last takes precedence or priority This means that when calling a memory any channel changes will override previous settings This is standard operation for most moving light controllers In the case of the DMX CONTROL 1536 the playback fader is used to manually control all fades between the current channel settings and the playback s memory settings There are no timed crossfades when using LTP mode Any channel that is included in the memory will have its starting value 32 captured at the start of the playback allowing the fader to pull back any channels to their starting positions This will allow you to bring the values back to where they were in case you have started a playback in error Any chases will begin when the playback starts and then stop when the playback fader is pulled back to 0 Pressing a flash button is the same as moving a fader to its highest level Channels that are set to snap before fade will change at the start of the playback those set to snap after fade will change when the fader is at the top position When the fader reaches the top of its travel the return values o
12. 32 DMX Channels Elation Active Scan Wave Elation Alkalite 6 Channels Elation CMY Zoom 250 Elation CMY Zoom 575 Elation LED 12 Brick LED 60 Strip Elation Design LED 36 Elation Design LED 36MH Elation Design LED 36UV 36WA Elation Design LED Brick 36 6 chan mode Elation Design LED Panel 72IP 6 chan Mode Elation Design LED Panel 72WA Elation Design LED 108 IP Elation Design PAR 575H Elation Design Promo DMXAC Elation Design Spot 250 Elation Design Spot 300E Elation Design Spot 575E Elation Design Spot 1400E Elation Design Wash 300E Elation Design Wash 575E Elation Design Wash 1200E Elation Easy Color 7 Channel Mode Elation Focus Spot 250 Elation Fog Haze 1 Channel Elation Impression Elation Opti RGB Elation Power Spot 250 Elation Power Spot 575 Elation Power Spot 5751 Elation Power Spot 700 Elation Power Spot 700 Elation Power Wash 250 Elation Power Wash 250B Elation Power Wash 575E Elation Protron Color Elation Protron Star Elation Stage Color Elation Streamer Elation Vision Color 250 Elation Vision Scan 250 Elation Vision Scan 575 Elation Waterfall 250 Pro Elation Waterfall 250 40 Elation Xcelon 575 American DJ 64B LED Pro 7 Chol American DJ Accu Color 250 American DJ Accu LED American DJ Accu Roller 250 American DJ Accu Spot Scan 250 American DJ Accu Spot 300 American DJ Accu Spot Hybrid American DJ Accu UFO American DJ Accu Wash 250 American DJ Auto Spot 150 Ameri
13. SS 28 EDITING EXISTING S HO WS 2 28 ASVING 28 PERFORMANCE CON PR 5 30 PREVIEW 30 aR ee 30 222 re 30 GO SWITOEES 30 su a 30 WATCH 30 scene Wy ties ad we eat Sind 31 31 GRAND MASTER FADER cceccccecccscccsssscescssccseseccesssscesesscecesseecessescesssssecsssccessuscessusscsessescesssseesssccessuseceeseecesssseeaseeces 31 PLPEX MASTER YT Da uD ee stele secede hraa s a ea eee 31 PLAY BACK MASTERS usnu ee eee ras Oy eee ae 32 ASSIGNING A MEMORY PLAYBACK cssscccssssocssssccovsseccvsseccessececsneseconssecessscenssssecssescosseeseossnsessossscesssesoesee 32 WSING THE i I ku umasa aus 32 CTP
14. a fixture is already set up at the to location you will be asked if you want to copy over the existing fixture press yes to copy over it or no to exit LOAD FIXTURE PROFILE FROM CF This menu allows you to load fixture profiles into the DMX Control 1536 from the compact flash drive Fixture profiles are small files that are available from www tobe cz that contain detailed information about a lighting fixture such as the name and function of each of the channels as well as the name and DMX values of steps within a channel Once loaded a profile can be selected from the fixture list when choosing fixtures Fixture profiles are most useful when using the data wheels to program moving light channels The display will be able to show the function and current setting for a channel The wheels will be able to select preprogrammed steps within a channel such as the colors on a color wheel These channel steps can also be called from presets that are explained in more detail in a later section For this to work there must be a CF card inserted in the back When this menu item is selected the message Load all profiles from CF will appear in the display Press yes or enter to load every profile that is on the CF card Press no if you want to select individual profiles instead The message Select fixture file then press enter will appear on the top line of the display if you press no The bottom line
15. additional items To enter the show name continue the cursor to the right past the link field until the show name field appears on page 3 of the menu Edit the name by putting the cursor under each character then use the or switch or data wheel 1 to change the character You can also use an external keyboard to enter the name characters If you want another show to automatically be called when this one ends set the link to and select the page and show number for the linked show If you enable a link looping will be turned off If you are running in manual mode make sure the linked show is also set to manual otherwise the clock will restart when the linked show is called After you have finished recording the steps and setting the show attributes save the show by selecting a y 8 P 8 y 8 page and number where you want to store it Make sure that the scene LED is off If you select a show number that is already lit a message will appear prompting you to overwrite the existing show Press yes or After you have saved the show DMX Control 1536 remains in record mode allowing you to continue to edit the show exit record mode press record the LEDs will stop flashing ERASE SHOW To erase an existing show press record then show then erase As when recording a show all LEDs that contain a show will be lit Next select the show to erase That show name will appear
16. adjust the fade rate of the running chase that is currently shown in the display Any speed changes that are made will be saved if you record the current scene This allows you to reuse the same chase in different scenes at different speeds RECALLING CHASES WITH PLAYBACK MASTERS You can assign a chase to a playback master then use the playback fader or its switch to call the chase The playbacks offer several different playback modes Read the section on playback masters for more detailed information on how they work 26 SHOWS A show is a sequence or list of up to 255 scenes that can be played back at preprogrammed times or played back manually using the stop and back switches This is sometimes referred to as a stack by some controllers DMX Control 1536 lets you record up to 24 pages of 48 shows for a total of 1152 shows Shows ate good for running the controller without an operator or for productions that never require changes on the fly To create simple effects and repetitive movements use chases rather than shows You can run a single show from one of the 48 memory switches and up to 16 more shows using the playback faders RECORDING SHOWS Before recording a Show you must first record the scenes that will be included in the show Consult the previous sections on how to do this To start recording a show press record the record LED will flash Press show the show LED will also flas
17. another location To exit record mode press record and the LEDs will stop flashing COLOR CHASE The color chase allows you to create a chase that steps through the different color settings of a moving light fixture It uses fixture profiles to find the correct channels and values to call For a color chase to work you must use fixture profiles to define the fixtures used in the chase The fixture LED will be lit when you first start to edit a color chase Select the fixtures to be included in the chase Use wheel 1 to adjust the step time Use wheels 2 and 3 to adjust the start and end points of the chase The start is the color in the profile s color list that you want for the first step of the chase the end is the color to use as the last step of the chase Often times the first color in a profile is open or white while the last color is one of the spin settings This allows you to pick a valid range of colors to use in the chase Run the chase while you ate adjusting these settings to see the result If you are using a mixture of fixtures that don t match make sure the range is within the limits of all fixtures If you set the end beyond the range of a fixture it will mark time while the unused steps are being called 24 Use wheel 4 to adjust an offset if desired Offset works similar to shape chase offset in that each fixture will be offset from the next by the number of steps you select The order of offset acros
18. by this dimmer In most cases this will be 1 Use the right arrow switch to move the underline cursor all the way to the right side of the display then continue on to call the second page of the menu On the second page of the menu use data wheel 1 to select operation mode for this dimmer Memory allows the dimmer to be included in and controlled by any memory Manual will exclude the dimmer from memory functions and only allow it to be controlled using its fader or flash switch Use data wheel 2 to select how the flash button will function either as momentary flash or latching on off You can also enter a name for this dimmer by moving the cursor under the name field and by using data wheels 3 and 4 to enter characters or you can use the external keyboard After all fields have been entered you must press enter to save COPY FIXTURE This menu is used to copy the fixture type and attributes from one moving light fixture number to another This feature saves time by letting you copy the fixture choice rather than searching through the list for each fixture Use this when you modify or create your own fixture and want to duplicate it Use the and switches or data wheels 1 and 2 to select a fixture number to copy from and to You must press enter to complete the copy process If auto patch is enabled you will be given the warning that some addresses may change Press yes to continue or no to exit If
19. chases at once When you record a scene any chases that are running will be included RECORDING CHASES To start recording any of the chases first press record the LED will flash Next press chase the chase LED will also flash The message Select type of chase to record will appear in the display Use wheel 1 or the and switches to select the type of chase to record then press enter At any time while recording you can run the chase you are editing by pressing the switch You can stop the chase by pressing stop or toggle it off by pressing go again You can make edits and adjustments while the chase is running before saving it All of the chases use step time to set the speed of the chase This value will determine the time between each step in the chase You can adjust this time to within 1 100 of a second The longest step time allowed is 60 seconds To make the chase effect move faster adjust the step time to smaller values the actual speed of the chase will depend on the type of chase and the number of steps Run the chase while you are adjusting the step time to see the desired effect After all adjustments are made or in the case of some chase types all steps are entered you can save the chase to a memory location Turn off the fixture or preset switches if they on and the number LEDs will light for any chase locations that are already occupied Select the desi
20. fader fails turn on the flash switch to override the fader The flex master fader will have additional programmable functions in future software releases 31 PLAYBACK MASTERS Scenes presets chases and shows can all be assigned to playback faders There are 32 pages times 8 faders giving you a total of 256 playback fader memories to work with In addition you can configure the flex faders as additional playbacks giving you 256 more Playbacks can be configured individually to operate in LTP or HTP mode as explained later in this section Each playback has a switch above it that is used for programming as well as performance functions During performance the switch can be set to operate in flash latch or go mode The performance modes of the playback faders and switches are selected when you assign memories to them If you plan to use the flex faders as playbacks consult the menu section Select flex fader mode for instructions on how to switch them to playback mode You can freely change the flex fader function at any time If you change the flex faders from playbacks to dimmers or moving light channels and the playback memory will not be lost ASSIGNING A MEMORY TO A PLAYBACK Assigning a memory to a playback is quick and easy Press record and the record LED will flash Select a playback page number if necessary using the page up and down buttons next to the playbacks and then select a playback by pressing its flash button The
21. in the LCD The message Erase this Show will also appear Press yes or If you press yes the show will be erased Erase entire show only works when there is no show currently being edited While editing a show erase is used to erase show steps You can abort show erase at any time by either pressing no or by exiting record mode by pressing the record switch EDITING EXISTING SHOWS To edit a show that has already been recorded press record followed by show Instead of entering steps for a new show press the show number of the one you want to edit The message Edit this existing Show will appear in the display Press yes and the show will be called up and you can add to it or modify it by selecting steps and changing any value just as you would while recording it the first time After editing a show can be saved at the same or at a new location by pressing any number switch You can use this method to copy a show to another memory location by calling it for edit and then saving it without making any changes Please note that the scene LED must be turned off before you can save the show PLAYING SHOWS To start a show press the show switch and then select the desired page and number switch The display will show the page show number and name of the show along with the current step the current scene and hold time If the show is set to run in manual mode the hold
22. is set to loop it will play continuously restarting after the last step s hold time has counted down to 0 when you press go manual mode If loop is set to off the show will end after the last scene has been called If there is a link assigned to the show the linked show will start as soon as the last step s hold time has elapsed or after the go switch is pressed in manual mode following the last step If the solo LED is lit while any show is running each new step will solo its scene This works the same as when calling a scene in solo mode any channels that are part of the new scene will be updated and all other channels will be set to 0 and any chases that were called by previous steps will be turned off 29 PERFORMANCE CONTROLS To the left of the four wheels are eight control buttons that are generally used for live performance The following is a description of the functions of each of these switches PREVIEW The preview switch is used along with the go switch to preview memories before calling them With the preview LED lit you can select scenes presets chases or shows using the 48 memory select buttons and the display will show the page and number as well as the name of the selected memory The go switch is then used to call that memory The go LED will light up when a valid memory is selected This allows you to search for a particular memory name without calling it until
23. keyboard attached to the DMX CONTROL 1536 you can set dimmer levels using the numeric keypad To do this first press the F12 key on the keyboard to enable dimmer entry on the display Dimmer will be displayed on the top line of the display followed by a blank space Enter a dimmer number from 1 to 128 you will have to convert the page and fader number to a single number For example dimmer fader 1 on page 3 will be dimmer 17 Press enter on the keyboard Level will appear next to the dimmer number Enter a percentage value from 0 to 100 followed by the enter key Do not press the percent key If you want to select a range of dimmers type a minus sign between the first and last dimmer number For example Dimmer 1 10 followed by enter then followed by the level and then enter You can only select a single dimmer or a range of consecutive dimmers you can t select a mixture of single dimmers that aren t consecutive To exit the dimmer entry display press F12 on the keyboard or press any function switch on the DMX CONTROL 1536 when you are ready to do something else As when entering moving light channel values the DMX CONTROL 1530 will keep track of any changes you make so that you can save the current stage look as a scene at some point in the future CREATING A MULTI DIMMER PLAYBACK Proportional Dimmer Patch To put a group of dimmers on one fader for playback purposes do the following First clea
24. the file is found on the disk the DMX Control 1536 will go into update mode and start reading the file The message receiving new program will appear in the display After the software is successfully updated the DMX Control 1536 will reboot with the new version installed If there are any errors an error message will appear and you will have to start over Software updates can be downloaded from the ROBE website at www tobe cz INSTALL FIXTURE PROFILES Fixture profiles are small files that are available from www robe cz that contain detailed information about a lighting fixture such as the name and function of each of the channels as well as the name and DMX values of steps within a channel Once loaded a profile can be selected from the fixture list when choosing fixtures Fixture profiles are helpful when using the data wheels to program moving light fixture channels The display will be able to show the function and current setting for each channel The wheels will be able to select from preprogrammed steps within a channel such as the colors on a color wheel Fixture profiles also contain factory presets which allow you to select colors gobos or effects using the number switches instead of the channel wheels or the faders To load a fixture profile using the compact flash drive first insert a card that contains the fixture profile on it then go to the menu function Load fixture profile from CF and press enter The message
25. to control moving light channels to control conventional dimmers or as additional playback masters Select the desired operation mode and press enter None of the programming information will be lost when switching back and forth between modes SELECT HOME SCENE This allows you to select a home scene that will be called automatically whenever you use the clear function by holding down the black switch for 2 seconds This can be used to call up a default lighting configuration such as all beams centered full intensity at white when building a new scene Use the menu switches or data wheels 1 and 2 to select the desired page and scene number then press enter You must of course first create the scene and save it before you do this You can use any saved scene as the home scene PAN AND TILT INVERT This menu allows you to invert the output of any of the pan or tilt channels for moving light fixtures With this menu displayed use the and switches or data wheel 1 to select the fixture then use data wheels 2 or 3 to set the invert states for pan or for tilt You must press enter to save the selection MODIFY FIXTURE This menu allows you modify some of the channel attributes of a fixture These attributes are first set when you select a fixture from the library You can also use this menu to create a new fixture that isn t in the library by modifying an existing one First select a fixture as described ab
26. 1536 has a built in list of fixtures to choose from You can also load in fixture profiles that contain more detailed information about a particular lighting fixture than what is offered by the built in list Fixture profiles are small files that can be downloaded from ROBE web side They can then be loaded into the DMX Control 1536 using the compact flash drive or through the RS 232 port Read the sections on loading fixture profiles for more information When selecting fixtures from the list any fixture using a profile will be followed by the word profile in the display It is possible to have the same fixture available as a profile as well as from the internal list For greatest flexibility and programming power use profiles whenever possible PATCH FIXTURES This menu allows you to turn auto patch on and off change the DMX output and set the DMX starting address for each moving light fixture Auto patch must be turned off to change the start address or output number To turn auto patch on or off place the cursor under the words or OFF below Autopatch then use the or switch or use data wheel 4 to make the change You must press enter for the change to take effect If you are turning auto patch on a warning will appear telling you that some DMX starting addresses may change Press yes to proceed or no to exit Auto patch will assign an address to each moving light fixture in ascending order
27. 160 CT Robe Clubspot 250 CT Robe Clubspot 300 Robe Clubspot 500 CT Robe Clubspot 600 CT Robe Clubwash 250 CT Robe Clubwash 300 CT Robe Clubwash 500 CT Robe Clubwash 600 CT Robe Color Mix 150AT Profile Robe Color Mix 150AT Wash Robe Color Mix 240AT Mode 1 Robe Color Mix 250AT Mode 1 Robe Color Mix 550AT Robe Color Mix 575AT Robe Color Spot 170AT Robe Color Spot 250AT Mode 3 Robe Color Spot 575AT Mode 3 41 Robe Color Spot 700E AT Mode 2 Robe Color Spot 1200AT Mode 2 Robe Color Spot 2500E AT Mode 2 Robe Color Wash 250AT Mode 3 Robe Color Wash 575AT Mode 3 Robe Color Wash 575AT Zoom Mode 3 Robe Color Wash 700E AT Mode 3 Robe Color Wash 750 AT Mode 3 Robe Color Wash 1200AT Mode 4 Robe Color Wash 2500E AT Mode 4 Robe DJ Roller 150XT Robe DJ Roller 250XT Robe DJ Scan 150 Mode 1 Robe DJ Scan 250XT Mode 1 Robe Dominator 1200XT Robe Ecolor 250 XT Robe Euphoria Robe Faze 1000 Robe Fiber Beam 250 Robe Robe Fog 1500 Haze 400 Robe Funky Robe Fusion Robe Hip Hop Robe Image Spot 250 AT Robe Media Fusion Layer Mini 1 0 Robe Media Fusion Layer Tiny 1 0 Robe LED Blinder 148 LT Robe LED Blinder 196 LT Robe Media Spinner Robe MSZoom 250XT Mode 2 Robe Recessed Spot 170 Robe Recessed Wash 150 Robe RED Power 1 36 Robe RED Power 1 144 Robe RED Power 1 72 Robe RED Wash 2 36 Robe Scan 250XT Mode 2 Robe Scan 575XT Mode 2 Robe Scan 1200XT Mode 2 Robe Spot 150XT Mode 2 Robe Spot 160XT Mode
28. 2 Robe Spot 250XT Mode 2 Robe Spot 575XT Mode 2 Robe Stage Faze 1500 AT Robe Wash 150 Mode 2 Robe Wash 250 Mode 2 Robe Wash 575 Mode 2 Robe Color Spot 575E Mode 3 Robe Color Wash 575E AT Mode 3 Robe LedWash 136 LT 42 43
29. 6 DMX lighting channels is possible using three DMX 512 outputs 48 moving light fixtures of up to 32 channels each as well as 128 conventional dimmers can be controlled Support of ROBE lighting fixtures as well as other popular brands is included in the setup menu Additional lighting fixture profiles can also be downloaded from the ROBE web site The operating system of the DMX Control 1536 uses flash memory so that the software can be updated using a computer connected to the RS 232 port or with the compact flash drive Software updates are available on the ROBE web site at www robe cz REAR PANEL CONNECTIONS The rear panel of the DMX Control 1536 features the following e AC input using a standard 3 prong AC cord A switch is provided for 115 230V selection The power switch is also located near the AC input Three DMX 512 outputs each with a 3 pin and a 5 XLR connector MIDI in used for calling scenes an automated installation 9 pin RS 232 connector used for connection to a PC to update the software backup the memory download fixture profiles e Keyboard connector used to attach a PC keyboard for data entry This uses a PS2 style keyboard Audio input used for syncing chases to an external audio source This is a line level input for connection to the line output of a mixing console Do not connect speaker level signals to this e Compact Flash Drive This allows you to back up the memory insta
30. Backup program follow the directions on the help file included with the program MEMORY BACKUP USING THE COMPUTER PORT Follow the instructions for Receive File on the help file included with the SD Backup program It will explain how to name the memory backup file and how to get the program ready to receive Next go to the menu selection on the DMX Control 1536 labeled Save memory file to COM port and press the enter switch An encoded copy of the entire memory will be transmitted to your PC This will take several minutes to finish MEMORY RESTORE USING THE COMPUTER PORT copy a memory file from your PC back to DMX Control 1536 first go to the menu selection in DMX Control 1536 labeled Load memory file from COM port Press enter and the display will read Waiting for file from COM port DMX Control 1536 is now ready to receive the file from your PC If you decide to abort the process the only way to exit this screen is to turn off the DMX CONTROL 1536 Follow the Send File instructions in the SD Backup help file When you start the transmission the to DMX Control 1536 display will show the message receiving file After the file has been sent the to DMX Control 1536 will restart and show its startup display If any errors have been detected you will be prompted to retry It can take several minutes to complete the transfer UPDATING THE SOFTWARE To copy a new software file from your PC to
31. ESETS 2 E 20 21 RECORD N G ODAS E S 21 eae cette ee Re oe ok lees 21 22 8 5 usa uq bua y ST DS h S uu a 23 COMPLEX CHANNEL CHASE 22000000 0 00 0000 ah as Ada e T s uu lu 23 COORICPPASE S taya um h pt NE 24 a ma cates a Y kasha leben unus uqa EN Mote 25 COE QOREMEXM CHAS Be ata a mia hulu aspasia 25 EDITING CHASES 5 0 4 00 11 aS aaa aaa 25 end Be 25 RECALLING CHASKES nn snn nsn 26 RECALLING CHASES WITH PLAYBACK 8 6 02 0 0 4 0 00000 26 27 RECORDING SHOWS 2 27 ERASE u au DS O a
32. H The fine switch affects the way the joystick and the data wheels operate With fine mode on they will increment or decrement by the smallest possible amount With fine mode off they will increment or decrement by larger amounts If a fixture profile is installed for a selected fixture selecting fine mode will switch the channel wheel display to number values for channels instead of name values such as color or gobo names This can be useful for setting color or gobo wheels halfway SOLO SWITCH The solo switch can be used to locate or center moving light fixtures When the solo LED is lit a fixture will be centered with its dimmer and shutter channel set to full when selected This works when selecting individual fixtures or fixture groups COPY FIXTURE SETTINGS You can copy the values of any active channels from one fixture to any combination of other fixtures First press record and then fixture the LEDs for these switches will flash Next select the fixture number that you want to copy from it s LED will also flash Finally select the fixture number s for any fixtures you want to copy to When you are finished press the record switch and the LEDs will stop flashing This feature will only copy static channel values from channels that are currently being used by the copy from fixture It will not copy channels that are part of a preset or part of a chase only channels that were
33. TING A MULTI DIMMER PLAYBACK Proportional Dimmer 14 WORKING WITH MEMORIES 15 15 SOPO 14 UU cs 15 CLEAR ALT CHANNEL EUNCTI N 2 15 AE I e 15 RECALLING SCENESZ mamana apanapa cea ihr lion ornament 16 RECALLING SCENES solo mode 16 RECALLING SCENES 16 RECALLING SCENES WITH PLAYBACK 8 8 2 4 024 4211400 ennan 16 17 ERASE SCENE L a aes cei vA Rao ene 17 PRESETS oo area ru ee eet cate ete 18 FACTORY PROGRAMMED PRESETS n nn nsn nn nn 18 CREATINGANDRECORDINGPRESERSSQ Seu yu a l a oe eh ib ba 18 RECATE NG PRESETS es esse Sula k amana yki Actes eve dhe seek eis q bu 19 RECALLING PRESETS WITH PLAYBACK MASTERS 19 ERASE PRESB qut aun 19 a 19 COMBINING PR
34. The row of 6 switches that are just above these allow you to select their function Only one function is selected at a time and the LED for the particular function will be lit when selected These switches let you select moving light fixtures as well as address various memory functions such as saving and recalling scenes which will be explained later FIXTURE SWITCH This switch allows you to select moving light fixtures for control of their channels With the fixture switch LED lit the number switches 1 48 are used to select a fixture When a fixture is selected it s channels can be directly controlled using the flex faders the wheels or the joystick If a fixture is not selected it will only be disconnected from these manual controls the fixture is not turned off or disabled A fixture does not have to be selected to be controlled by the memories during playback operations When a fixture is selected its name will appear in the display followed by the first 4 channels and the current values of those channels The four data wheels can then be used to adjust the levels of each channel Pressing the fixture switch at any time will enable the channel wheel display and the channel wheels If a fixture profile is installed for this fixture the display will show the names of the channels as well as the current channel values as defined by the fixture profile Use the left or right arrow switch above the display to view the next group of four c
35. and tilt levels you will have to use the faders or the wheels Move the cursor to the fixture number and use the and switches or data wheel 1 to select a fixture Move the cursor to the multi number or use data wheel 2 to increment or decrement this value You can only choose numbers between 1 and the maximum number of fixtures that will fit into 32 channels If it is 4 channel fixture the multi value can be no higher than 8 Press enter to record the change If auto patch is enabled you will be given the warning that some addresses may change Press yes to continue no to exit VIEW MEMORY SIZE This allows you to see how much memory is left for scenes shows etc It is displayed as the percentage of memory remaining Memory usage varies depending on the size and complexity of the scenes SAVE MEMORY FILE TO CF This allows you to back up the memory on a compact flash card The message Press enter to save file to will appear on the top line of the display The default file name will appear on the bottom line You can use the data wheel or an external keyboard to enter a new file name Insert a formatted CF card in the slot on the rear of the DMX CONTROL 1536 and press enter The message File has been saved to disk will appear when finished The content of the entire memory is backed up including all menu settings scenes presets chases and shows The file is a binary file with the file extens
36. another location To exit record mode press record and the LEDs will stop flashing COMPLEX CHANNEL CHASE The complex channel chase allows you to create a chase made up of channel values from any moving light fixture Those who are familiar with the SD1 and SD2 will recognize this as being the same chase editor for those controllers To start recording the first chase step move the channel or channels to the desired positions by either moving the flex faders if they are in fixture channel mode or by using the joystick To select fixtures or to use the data wheels to adjust channel levels press the fixture switch Any channel adjustments will be recorded into the step so take care not to move any channels that you don t want included in the chase You can also press the preset switch allowing you to include presets in the chase step When using presets only the fixtures that are currently selected will be included After you have finished adding channels or presets to a step press enter Note The fixture LED must be turned off before pressing enter to move on to the next step The step indicator on the display will automatically increment to the next step Repeat the previous actions to record up to 256 steps You can enter empty steps by pressing enter before changing any channels These empty steps can be used to lengthen the time between steps You can record something into these empty steps later if desire
37. asing anything that has been recorded The message MEMORY LOCKED CAN T RECORD will appear if the memory is locked and anyone presses the record switch All other menu items will also be locked out in order to protect the memory To lock or unlock memory from this menu use and switches data wheel 1 to select desired state then press enter ERASE ALL MEMORY hidden This is another one of the hidden menus that can only be selected while holding the add switch when cycling through the menu selections This menu allows you to clear the entire memory of the DMX Control 1536 This erases the scene preset chase and show data as well as the system parameters such as fixture assignments The message This will erase the entire memory To erase hold yes for 5 seconds will appear in the display Press and hold yes until the system reboots or press to exit 10 CONTROLLING MOVING LIGHT FIXTURES The DMX Control 1536 allows you to take direct control of moving light fixture channels at any time There is no edit mode as with some lighting controllers In essence you are always in edit mode and can instantly save the current stage settings as a scene This is one reason the DMX Control 1536 is so quick and easy to program NUMBER SWITCHES 1 48 and FUNCTION SWITCHES The large group of switches on the upper right section of the top panel that are numbered 1 48 are multi purpose
38. at are included in the scene will return to 0 ERASE SCENE To erase a scene from the memory press record then scene then erase As when recording a scene all number LEDs that contain a scene will light Next select the scene number to erase That scene name will appear in the LCD along with the message Erase this Press yes or If you press yes the scene will be erased You can then select additional scenes to be erased or you can press record to exit record mode 17 PRESETS A is a simple collection of channel settings for a moving light fixture or group Presets are used as building blocks for scenes and provide fast and easy programming by giving you instant access to colors beam settings etc Presets also save memory because many scenes can reference the same preset For example if a preset defines a pan and tilt location for several scenes only the preset needs to be edited in order to modify the pan and tilt for all of those scenes If you want to use the same color or gobo for a group of fixtures use a preset instead of setting the channels for each individual fixture with the wheels or faders DMX Control 1536 allows you to record up to 24 pages of 48 presets for a total of 1152 presets For your convenience the words color gobo focus and effect are printed next to the 4 rows of number switches These types of presets can then be r
39. by the number of steps you select The order of offset across the fixtures will be determined by the order that you select the fixtures for the chase Run the chase while you are adjusting these settings to see the result Use the data wheels 3 and 4 or an external keyboard to name the chase Save the chase the same as with the other chase types first turn off the fixture switch and then select a page and a number that is not occupied After you have saved the chase the record and chase LEDs will continue to flash allowing you to continue to edit the settings for the chase in case you would like to save a slightly different version at another location To exit record mode press record and the LEDs will stop flashing EDITING CHASES THAT ARE ALREADY SAVED To edit a chase that has already been recorded press record followed by chase Choose Edit Existing Chase instead of a chase type last selection in the list and press enter The number switches will be lit for all existing chases Select one of these and the chase will be called up and you can add to it or modify it using one of the record chase menus After you have finished editing the chase you can store it at the same memory location or at a new location by selecting a page and by pressing a number switch You can also use this method to copy a chase to another location by saving it without making any changes ERASE CHASE To erase existing c
40. can DJ Color Fusion American DJ Concept 1 and 2 American DJ Concept Color American DJ Deco 250 American DJ Deluxe 250 Scan American DJ Deluxe Scan 250 American DJ DJ Scan 250 EX American DJ DJ Spot 250 American DJ Emerald Scan American DJ Fantasy 250 American DJ Fantasy Scan 250 American DJ Fireburst American DJ Fusion Scan 250 American DJ Fusion Scan 250 EX American DJ Illusion 250 American DJ Mega Strobe DMX American DJ P36 P64 American DJ Scantron 250 Rollertron 250 American DJ Ultra Scan 250 American DJ XP 3 High End Cyberlight 20 Channel Mode High End Studio Beam High End Studio Color 250 High End Studio Color 575 High End Studio Spot 250 High End Studio Spot 575 High End Studio Spot CMY High End Technobeam 18 Channel Mode High End Trackspot High End Trackspot 2 JB Varyscan P3 P6 P7 Martin CX10 Martin Entour Mode 2 Martin Krypton Mode 2 Martin Mac 250 Mode 4 Martin Mac 300 Mode 4 Martin Mac 500 Mode 4 Martin Mac 550 Mode 2 Martin Mac 600 Mode 4 Martin Mac 600 NT Mode 4 Martin Mac 700 Profile Martin Mac 700 Wash Martin Mac 1200 Mode 4 Martin Mac 2000 Performance Martin Mac 2000 Profile Martin Mac 2000 Wash Martin Mac TW1 Martin Mania SCX600 Martin Mania SCX700 Martin MX 1 MX 4 Martin MX10 Robe ArcPower 270 Robe ArcPower 36 Robe ArcPower 72 Robe Beam 250 XT Robe Clubroller 150 CT Robe Clubroller 250 CT Robe Clubscan 150 CT Robe Clubscan 250 CT Robe Clubspot 150 CT Robe Clubspot
41. d As you recording steps you at any time move from step to step by using data wheel 1 to select new step You can change or add more channels to each recorded step this way 23 Pressing enter when at the last recorded step of the chase will always add an additional step to the end If you press enter while the step number 15 at a lower step you will advance to the next step number the same as when you increment data wheel 1 If you make a mistake while recording a chase step press erase and you will be prompted whether or not to erase the contents of the chase step Press yes to clear the step of all its contents If you press erase a second time you will be prompted whether or not to remove the empty step from the chase This will shorten the chase by one step At any time while recording the chase you can adjust the step time value adjust the fade value and enter a name for the chase Use the cursor switches to move the cursor on the display under the item to be changed then use the or switch or a data wheel to modify it To view page two of the menu continue to move the cursor to the right past the speed lock setting and the screen will change to show the name To edit the name move the cursor under each character then use the and switches or the data wheel to select the letters You can also use an external keyboard to enter the name characters The fade value is displayed as a p
42. d for blackout on the selected black channel s This will accommodate fixtures that use the gobo wheel for blackout with a value other than 0 needed for a blackout You may also want to blackout all channels to a value other than 0 since this is sometimes used as a reset by some fixtures For some fixtures a value of 1 will achieve the same result as a value of 0 DIMMER CHANNEL is the channel used by the fixture for the dimmer if it has one This will only work for a fixture that has a full range 0 to 255 dimmer channel If not set this to none The grand master fader will use this channel as well as the playback faders when in HTP mode and also by the flash chase effects SHUTTER CHANNEL is used by the flash chase effects to flash the fixture on and off The shutter must operate using a value of 0 as fully closed and 255 as fully open for this to work properly PAN CHANNEL is the channel used by the fixture for pan This can also be set to none if the fixture does not have a pan feature This is also the pan coarse channel or pan high byte channel for those fixtures that use two channels to control pan This directs the joystick output as well as other pan functions such as shape chases PAN FINE is for fixtures that use two channels to control pan This is also referred to sometimes as the pan low byte channel Set this to none if the fixture uses only one channel for pan The joystick will control this channel with fi
43. ecorded on the corresponding rows if desired Unlike scenes which record the look of the entire stage presets are used to record only several channels worth of information This allows you to record things like color or gobo or beam position only Presets can then be recalled and layered to make a scene FACTORY PROGRAMMED PRESETS In addition to the 24 pages available for the presets that you create there are 4 pages labeled F1 through F These pages for factory presets These presets that are already programmed for you when you install a fixture profile They typically control colors gobos and effects and their functions will match the row labels along the left side of the number switches Some controllers refer to these as palettes Refer to the section on fixture profiles for more information on how to install and use them CREATING AND RECORDING PRESETS Before recording a preset you must first do some preparation In order to be able to view certain moving light channels like color or gobo you will first need to raise the dimmer levels and set the pan and tilt positions in order to see the color or gobo selections Do this by selecting the fixture or fixtures to be used and then position the beams and turn up the dimmer levels These things will not be recorded into the preset if they are done before pressing record To start recording a preset press record its LED will flash Next press pre
44. eft of the record switch is the solo switch This switch s function will depend on the type of memory you ate working with Currently this switch only affects the calling of scenes as explained in the scene playback section below CLEAR ALL CHANNEL FUNCTION When starting a new scene it is usually a good idea to clear out the scene edit memory and zero all of the channels To do this press the blackout switch and hold it down for about a second until the LED goes out Use this function often when you are programming scenes in order to start with a clean slate If you have programmed a home scene it will be loaded into the scene buffer automatically after the clear all has taken place A home scene is useful for creating a default starting point for a new scene by pointing the moving lights to center with dimmers and shutters open Refer to the Menu chapter for more information on how to select a home scene SCENES A scene is a recording of the state of the entire stage or controller s output The controller keeps track of all the actions you perform to make the stage appear as it does All of the actions that affect the look of the stage such as changing channel levels calling a chase or calling a preset are saved in the scene buffer so that you can later record these actions as a scene This method of programming also allows you to recall a recorded scene modify it and then resave it as a new scene or resave it to the sa
45. elect which page of 8 channels is currently active For example the first fader can control channels 1 9 17 or 25 depending on which page is selected If a fixture has less than 32 channels then some pages and some faders will not be used Before the flex faders can control a fixture that fixture must be selected Any number of fixtures can be controlled at once If for example all fixtures are enabled moving fader 1 on page 1 will change channel 1 on every fixture If you are using the multi fixture feature of DMX Control 1536 the channel faders can be used to control each channel of every fixture within the multi fixture group If for example you have programmed 12 8 fixtures having 4 channels each faders 1 4 will control the first fixture of the multi fixture group faders 5 8 the second and so on JOYSTICK The joystick controls pan and tilt on all selected fixtures that have a pan or tilt feature The joystick is the return to center type so it operates by moving it in the desired direction The greater the joystick angle the faster the pan or tilt movement will be The state of the fine mode switch also determines the speed of the pan or tilt movement If a fixture uses two channels for pan or tilt 16 bit the joystick will affect the fine channel with fine mode on If the fixture only uses 1 channel for pan or tilt the movement will be slower allowing more precise control with fine turned on FINE SWITC
46. en pages of the flex faders Each dimmer can also control up to eight consecutive DMX channels allowing you to assign a group of DMX channels to a single fader Those DMX channels will all be locked to the same dimmer level as set by the fader This is useful when you are treating house lights or whole sections of stage dimmers as a single unit In addition to selecting the DMX channel and number of dimmers you can also choose to put the dimmer into manual mode so that it can only be controlled using its fader or flash button good for fog machines You can also select the flash button to operate as momentary flash or latching on off and you can enter a text name for the dimmer These last three items are done by using the second page of the dimmer patching menu Move the underline cursor on the display to the right to get to the second page On the first page of the menu using data wheel 1 select the fader number and page for the dimmer You can also press the flash button over the flex fader as long as the flex faders are configured for conventional dimmers If the dimmer is not patched all of the other fields will be blank Use data wheel 2 to select the DMX out and data wheel 3 to select the DMX channel for the dimmer As soon as you move one of these wheels the next available DMX address will appear in the field You can then select a different address if needed Use data wheel 4 to select the number of consecutive DMX addresses to be controlled
47. en press record and proceed as described in the preceding paragraphs Make any changes to the group then resave it To erase an existing fixture group press the erase switch at any time during the record process and then select the fixture group that you want to erase If the Solo LED is lit when selecting a group all of the fixtures in the group will move to center pan and tilt at 128 and the dimmer and shutter channels at full USING THE DATA WHEELS TO CONTROL FIXTURE CHANNELS The data wheels are used to increment or decrement the values in the display fields directly above each wheel They are used for adjusting the channel values of the lighting fixtures as well as for general purpose programming Pressing fixture or fixture group as described in the previous paragraphs will bring up the channel control display if there are any fixtures currently selected Even though you can only view and change 4 channels at a time with the 4 wheels you can access more channels by pressing the left or right arrow switches Pressing the left switch while the lowest channel number is displayed will show the selected fixture number and its name Because only one fixture s values can be displayed at a time the last selected fixture is the one displayed when more than one fixture is active If a fixture group is selected the lowest numbered fixture in the group is displayed NOTE When more that one fixture is selected onl
48. ep by moving the cursor under the step number and using the or switch or by turning data wheel 1 You can edit the scene number or hold time for any previously recorded step this way Pressing enter when on the last recorded step adds additional step to the end of the show This lets you quickly enter a list of scenes Pressing enter while the step number is not at the end simply advances to the next step without adding a step You can also use the erase switch to remove a step and the add switch to insert and empty step at the current step number There are three other parameters that you can adjust while recording the show that will affect how it will play loop manual and link Loop can be set to on or off and as the name implies will determine whether the show will loop continuously or play through one time and then stop Manual can be set to on or off and will allow the show to be played using the programmed hold times or advanced using the go 27 switch Link lets you to select another show that will automatically follow this show after it has played through At any time while recording the show you can adjust the loop or manual settings select a link or enter a name for the show To set manual mode or program the link use the right cursor switch to move the cursor on the display to the right continuing past the loop field The screen will switch to page two of the menu showing these
49. ercentage and is the same for every step in the chase You cannot set a separate fade time for each step This will be the amount of fade between steps If set to 100 the crossfade time will be equal to the time between each step giving a smooth continuous motion between steps If the fade time is set to 0 the steps will be called with no fade in between Any settings between 0 and 100 will give varying amounts of fade time depending on the speed of the chase The speed lock and unlock feature allows you to tell the chase whether or not to ignore the audio or beat switches while the chase is running When set to No Beat the chase will only run at the programmed speed and will not be affected by the beat or audio switches This is useful when you have a chase that must always run at a high speed to create a certain effect After you have finished recording all of the steps for a chase turn off the fixture or preset switches if they are on and then save the chase by selecting a page and number If you select a chase number that is already lit you will be prompted to write over the existing chase Press yes or no You can use the page switches to select from pages 1 to 24 which will allow you to store up to 1152 chases After you have saved the chase the record and chase LEDs will continue to flash allowing you to continue to add to or edit the chase in case you would like to save a slightly different version at
50. f the channels being controlled are reset to 0 so that when you pull the fader back to the bottom all channels the playback will be completely turned off If you press the flash button the channels will return to their previous levels when it is released This is different from the fader which will always return channels to 0 When there is a show assigned to a playback LTP mode operates somewhat differently than it does with scenes presets and chases A show is a list of scenes therefore the fader will call the next scene of a show whenever it is moved from the 0 position The scene will fade in as you move the fader up and then be locked in position when the fader reaches the top You can then pull the fader back to 0 to get the next step This process is repeated for each step of the show You must move the fader all the way to the top to be able to call the next scene in the show If the show is set to loop it will continue until you release the show from the playback by pressing the flash button For shows in LTP playback mode the flash button can only be used to turn off the show Go mode is not available for the buttons in LTP mode since the scene fade is not timed HTP Dimmer Mode HTP stands for highest take precedence or priority In the case of the DMX CONTROL 1536 playbacks all dimmers including moving light dimmer channels will follow the level of the playback fader If more than one playback fader is trying to control
51. f the display and a new page will be displayed NOTE Several of the menu choices are hidden to prevent unauthorized or accidental changes to the memory The memory lock unlock function is hidden as well as the erase all memory function These choices can only be selected by pressing and holding down the add switch while cycling through the last items from the menu list This is a safety feature for the benefit of installers who wish to protect the memory from unauthorized tampering The various menu items are explained in the following paragraphs as they appear in order CHOOSE FIXTURES This allows you to select from a list of lighting fixtures in the fixture library First use the or switch or the 1 data wheel to select the fixture number from 1 to 48 then select the type of fixture with the 2 data wheel or move the cursor to the fixture type and use the or switch You must press enter to record the choice Press erase to select No Fixture or as a shortcut back to the start of the list After selecting a fixture type a warning will appear telling you that some DMX start addresses may be changed if auto patch is enabled Press yes or enter to confirm or no to exit After confirming the message DONE will appear for 1 second If auto patch is enabled the start addresses of any fixtures above the selected fixture will be adjusted to accommodate the new fixture The DMX Control
52. h The page number will display the current Show page and any locations that already contain Shows will be lit The display will show the current step that is ready to be recorded along with the scene page and scene number in that step The word Empty will appear in place of the scene page and number if there is nothing recorded at this step The hold time for the step is displayed in minutes and seconds The minutes and seconds are separated by colons with seconds having a decimal point allowing tenths of a second resolution To record a show step press the scene switch the scene LED will be lit Next choose a scene for this step by selecting the page and pressing the desired scene number Next select the hold time for this step if you plan to have the show run on the clock If you plan to step the show manually you do not need to enter a hold time The time that you select is the time that this scene will be held until the next step is called You can select a new time by moving the cursor to the minute or second number then press the or switch or use data wheel 3 to change the time Once a scene has been selected and the hold time set press enter The step number will automatically advance to the next step You can enter up to 255 steps in the show If you press enter without selecting a scene the step number will advance leaving the step empty As you recording a show you can view st
53. hanging any channel levels After making changes you can store it at the same or at a new location by pressing any preset number You can also use this method to copy a preset to another location by saving it without making any changes Note You can t edit a factory preset 19 COMBINING PRESETS You can add existing presets to any preset you are currently working on While in preset record mode press the add switch followed by any preset number that has something recorded on it The channel settings will be added to the preset you are currently recording You can add as many presets as you wish You can use this to mix several smaller presets into a single larger one If two presets control the same channels the channel levels from the last one added will have precedence Note You can t add a factory preset 20 CHASES The DMX Control 1536 uses chases to create movements and special effects DMX Control 1536 allows you to record up to 24 pages of 48 chases for a total of 1152 chases There are seven different types of chases to choose from shape simple flash complex flash complex channel color gobo and color mix Each type will be explained in detail in the following paragraphs In general though a chase is a sequence of steps with each step containing channel changes creating motion or quick repetitive changes on stage The steps are played back in a continuous loop at a preprogrammed speed You can run as many as 16 different
54. hannels in the fixture If the Solo LED is lit when selecting a fixture the fixture will move to center pan and tilt at 128 and the dimmer and shutter at full FIXTURE GROUP The fixture group switch allows you to select combinations of fixtures with one switch press To create a fixture group press record then fixture group both LEDs will flash Next press fixture to select which fixtures will be included in the group Use the number switches to turn the desired fixture LEDs on or off Next press the fixture switch again to turn off its LED If you want to name the group use the cursor switches to place the underline cursor under the character of the name and use the data wheel to select characters or use the external keyboard Finally select the group number by pressing one of the number switches from 1 48 If a number switch LED is already lit it means that a group is already recorded there After you are finished recording press record to exit Fixture groups are selected by pressing fixture group then selecting the desired group from 1 48 You can select a single group or any combination of groups After a group has been selected the display will show the channel values for the first member of the group Adjusting the channel wheels will affect all members of the group as long as they are the same fixture type 11 To edit a fixture group that has already been recorded first select group th
55. hase from memory press record then chase then erase As when recording a chase all LEDs that contain a chase will be lit Next select the chase to erase The message Erase this Chase along with the chase name will appear in the LCD Press yes or no If you press yes the chase will be erased You can abort chase erase at any time by either pressing no or exiting record mode by pressing the record switch 25 RECALLING CHASES To run chase press the chase switch and then press the desired page and number switch The chase will begin to run at the speed that was selected when it was recorded Pressing the same switch again will turn the chase off You can run more than one chase up to 16 as long as they are chasing different channels If a new chase is selected that completely overrides one that is running the overridden chase will be automatically turned off A chase is canceled when another one is called that controls all of the same channels A chase will not be canceled if only some of its channels are overridden The channels that are still available will continue to chase Whenever you press the chase switch the names of any chases that are running will be displayed along with the speed and fade time of the chase You can use data wheel 1 to cycle through the chases if there is more than one running You can use data wheel 3 to adjust the step time and data wheel 4 to
56. ing light channels they will increment the DMX values by 1 AUDIO SWITCH The audio switch enables the audio input as a trigger for chase steps Pressing the audio switch turns on its LED It will flash off briefly whenever an audio beat is detected at the audio input Any chases that are running will sync to this beat unless the speed has been locked for that chase Read the previous section on recording chases regarding how to lock the chase speed Turning on audio will automatically turn off beat The audio switch is manually controlled and can t be turned by a scene 30 BEAT SWITCH The beat switch allows you to override the step time or beat of a chase by tapping on the switch in time to any music that is playing The LED will flash in time to the beat that is tapped in Any chases that are running will sync to this beat unless the speed has been locked for that chase Read the previous section on recording chases regarding how to lock the chase speed Pressing the beat switch will automatically turn off audio To turn off the beat press and hold the beat switch for one second The beat switch state and beat tempo are not stored when recording a scene BLACKOUT SWITCH Pressing the blackout switch will stop all chase and show activity and temporarily blackout all fixtures Depending on the type of fixture and its capabilities blackout will either close the shutters or set the dimmer to
57. ion sdm and is compatible with Windows as long as you adhere to Window s file naming rules The file name can use up to 8 characters You do not need to add the extension when typing in the file name Read the section at the end of this manual on using the CF drive for more information SAVE MEMORY FILE TO COM PORT This allows you to back up the DMX CONTROL 1536 memory on a PC using the RS 232 port Press enter to start the data transmission The contents of the memory encoded in text format and can be recorded by a PC connected to the RS 232 port running the SD Backup software Read the section at the end of this manual on using the computer port for more information on how to back up the memory this way LOAD MEMORY FILE FROM CF This allows you to restore the memory from your backup CF card Pressing enter displays the message Select memory file then press enter on the top line of the display The name of the first DMX Control 1536 memory file found on the card will appear on the bottom line of the display use the or switch data wheel 1 to select the desired file Press enter to load the file Warning the current memory will be overwritten Read the section at the end of this manual on using the CF drive for more information LOAD MEMORY FILE FROM COM PORT This allows you to restore the memory from a backup that was made using the RS 232 port and a PC Pressing enter configures the RS 232 por
58. is setting for channels that control motor speed so that pan and tilt will move at the correct speed during the fade You can also use this setting for wheel channels that you want to change at the start of long crossfades This is usually the default setting for speed and mode channels Snap after fade will cause the channel to jump immediately to the next scene level at the end of a crossfade Use this setting for wheels and effects that you want to take effect after a long crossfade is complete This is usually the default setting for color and effects wheels MULTI FIXTURE DMX Control 1536 supports moving light fixtures that use up to 32 DMX channels Since many fixtures use fewer than 32 channels DMX Control 1536 will allow you to configure a group of fixtures that are of the same type under a single fixture number For example if you have selected a 4 channel scanner for fixture number 1 you can set multi to 8 When fixture 1 is selected you will be able to use all 32 channels available for fixture 1 to control these 8 scanners This feature is for controlling large numbers of small 1 2 3 or 4 channel fixtures to prevent wasting fixture numbers on many small fixtures You will be able to control the channels of each individual fixture by using the flex faders or the data wheels When using the joystick all of the multi fixtures within that fixture number will respond if they have a pan and tilt feature To control individual pan
59. ll lighting fixture profiles or update the software with a CF card TOP PANEL The top panel of the DMX Control 1536 is divided into four sections The upper left section contains the flex faders with their flash and page select buttons The upper right section contains the 48 multi purpose number switches with their function select switches just above The lower left section contains the playback masters with their flash and page select buttons The lower right section contains the display with its cursor buttons the joystick the data wheels and the performance control switches The following is a brief summary of the top panel features of the DMX Control 1536 Programming and memory switch section featuring 48 multi purpose switches for assigning and recalling memories using the function select switches just above these Display control section featuring 8 menu control buttons above an 80 character display used for data entry and most programming functions Joystick for controlling pan and tilt on moving light fixtures 4 rotary encoder wheels for data entry and moving light fixture channel control Live performance control section featuring 8 switches for various playback functions Flex fader section featuring eight 100mm faders for control of moving light fixture channels conventional dimmers or for use as additional playbacks Playback masters featuring eight 100mm faders that are assignable as playbacks for any of the memories G
60. mber of programmable Presets 1152 48 Fixture groups Run 16 chases simultaneously Run 17 shows simultaneously Fade time up to 90 minutes Control 48 fixtures of up to 32 channels each Control 128 Conventional dimmers 3 DMX univers 8 dedicated playback faders with 32 pages Grand master and Flex master fader Go stop and back buttons 80 Character backlit display for easy programming 48 Multi function Quick access buttons joystick with coarse fine control 4 Rotery encoder wheels for menu and control 8 Flex faders with page selection for moving light channels convent dimmmers or additional playbacks Compact flash card drive for memory back up loading fixtures profiles and software updates Power supply 115 or 230V Voltage selection switch DMX 512 output connectors three 3 pin XLR female connectors three 5 pin XLR female connectors PC connection RS 232 RCA Audio input for Chases PS 2 Key board input Midi In port 38 2x USB LITE connectors gooseneck lamp Weight 17 kg 37 lbs Dimensions mm 711x584x178 mm 28 x23 x7 Included accessoties 1x Compact Flash Card Kodak 64 MB 2x Gooseneck lamp 1x EURO 115V AC power cord 1x EURO UK AC power cord 1 User manual Optional accessories Touring Case DMX Control 1536 No 10120057 Specifications are subject to change without notice 39 FIXTURE LIBRARY The following is a list of lighting fixtures in the internal fixture library
61. me location allowing quick edits There is no special edit mode on the DMX CONTROL 1530 you are always in edit mode for scenes Once you have a look on stage that you want to save as a scene press record its LED will flash Next press scene its LED will also flash The page display will light and any number locations that already contain scenes will also light You can at this time enter a name for the scene as well as a crossfade time Use the cursor switches to move the cursor under each character of the name then use the or switch or data wheel 1 or 2 to modify the name characters You can also use an external keyboard to enter the scene name Move the cursor under the fade time or use data wheel 3 to change the crossfade time for this scene You can also use a keyboard to enter the fade time Fade times are in minutes seconds and tenths of a second displayed as MM SS T where MM is minutes SS is seconds and T is tenths of a second The maximum fade time is 99 50 9 or just under 100 minutes 15 To record the scene select page and scene number You can use page switches to select from pages 1 to 99 and the number switches from 1 to 48 allowing you to store up to 4752 scenes If you select a scene number that is already lit a message will appear asking if you want to write over the existing scene Press yes or If at any time you wish to exit record mode without recording anything press the
62. mpatible with Windows as long as you adhere to Window s file naming rules The file name can use up to 8 characters DMX Control 1536 does not support long filenames names with more than 8 characters NOTE This file type is different than the text file type used to back up the memory using the COM port as described in the next chapter The two file types are not interchangeable even though they both used for the same purpose You can t take a memory file that you made with a COM port backup and load it in using the CF You must use the COM port to reload that file MEMORY RESTORE With your memory backup CF card inserted in the slot go to the menu function Load memory file from The message Select memory file then press enter will appear on the top line of the display The name of the first DMX Control 1536 memory file on the CF card will appear on the bottom line of the display Use the or switch or data wheel 1 to select the desired file if there is more than one memory file on the card Press enter to load the file Warning the current memory will be overwritten The DMX Control 1536 will reboot after the file has been successfully loaded SOFTWARE UPDATE Insert CF with the software update file on it The file must have the name SD3Vnnn txt nnn is the version number for example SDD3V105 txt Go to the DMX Control 1536 menu function update 35 software and press enter If
63. ne mode turned on TILT CHANNEL is the same as described above for pan channel except that it controls tilt TILT FINE is the same as described above for pan fine except that it controls tilt CYAN CHANNEL is used to create color chase effects MAGENTA CHANNEL is used to create color chase effects YELLOW CHANNEL is used to create color chase effects FADE MODE is used to set the crossfade method for each of the fixture s channels Use the and switches or data wheel 2 to select the channel number Once the channel is selected move the cursor to the value or use data wheel 3 to select the crossfade mode The choices are crossfade snap before fade and snap after fade You must press enter after each channel has been programmed Crossfade will cause a channel to smoothly fade from one scene to another when changing scenes The crossfade time will vary from scene to scene depending on how that scene was programmed Use this setting for channels that control functions like pan and tilt or dimming to achieve a smooth transition from scene to scene If you use this setting for gobo or color wheel channels this will cause the wheels to step through all positions between the start and end positions of a long fade This is usually the default setting for pan tilt and dimmer channels Snap before fade will cause the channel to jump immediately to the next scene level as soon as the new scene is called Use th
64. not record over or edit the factory presets on pages F1 through F4 After saving a preset record mode stays active allowing you to continue to record more presets Any channel changes that were made since starting the record process will be included in any new presets start a new preset from scratch toggle the preset LED off and then back on while the record LED is still flashing To exit record mode press record all LEDs will stop flashing RECALLING PRESETS Recalling presets is slightly different than recalling scenes Unlike scenes when recalling a preset you must first select the fixtures that you want to control with the preset The selected fixtures had to have been included in the preset to order to be affected Press the preset switch select the page of the desired preset then use the number switches to select a preset on that page You can have an unlimited number of presets active at the same time as long as each preset is controlling different channels or fixtures If two different presets are trying to control the same channel the last preset that was selected will have control of the channel If a preset has been completely overridden by another it will be automatically switched off NOTE Fixtures must first be selected before a preset is turned on even if it the fixtures were included in the preset when it was recorded This allows you to include all fixtures into a preset but use only selected one
65. ove in the Choose Fixture section When trying to create a new fixture start with 32 DMX Channels which is the first choice from the internal list You can later use the Copy Fixture feature as described in the next section to duplicate the new fixture You will not be able to enter individual names for each channel when creating a new fixture The channel names will be displayed as chan 1 2 3 etc You can also create a fixture profile by downloading the fixture profile editor from the ROBE web site With this menu there are fourteen fixture attributes that can be modified The attributes are fixture name number of channels black channel black value dimmer channel shutter channel pan channel pan fine channel tilt channel tilt fine channel cyan channel magenta channel yellow channel and crossfade mode Use the cursor switches to move the underline cursor to the fixture number or use data wheel 1 to select the fixture you want to modify Next move the cursor to the attribute which is displayed immediately to the right or use data wheel 2 to select the attribute Next move the cursor to the value line of the display or use data wheel 3 to select the value for the attribute you are changing You must press enter to record the changes you make to each attribute The message DONE will appear in the display when the change has been recorded The fixture attributes are described in the following parag
66. playback s LED will start to flash Now select the memory type by pressing the preset chase scene or show button Finally press one of the 48 number switches from any memory page to assign one of the memories to the playback After assigning a memory to the playback the LEDs will stop flashing except for the record LED This will allow you to continue to program playbacks if needed you can press record to exit At any time during the record process you can select a different playback If you need to change pages toggle off any selected playbacks before changing the page number If you select a playback that is already occupied you will be prompted to edit it press yes to edit During the record process you can select the playback mode of the fader and flash button by turning data wheels 3 and 4 before assigning a memory To erase a playback press the erase switch at any time during the record playback process If you are editing a playback and only wish to change the fader or flash switch mode press enter after making the changes and the memory assignment will not be changed USING THE PLAYBACKS The playbacks will generate different results depending on the type of memory assigned and the playback mode The following paragraphs will describe each case in detail In general though the faders must be reset to 0 before they will start The playback will begin when the fader is moved just slightly above the
67. r shutter channel they will automatically be included in the chase Press the go switch to view the chase as you creating it You can adjust the step time and the fade time which allows the dimmers to fade up and down rather than flash on and off instantly You can also enable the speed lock that prevents the beat or audio buttons from controlling the speed of this particular chase In some cases this is desirable when running many chases at once and you want to use the beat control for some chases but not for others The name entry field is on the second page of the chase display As with all other chases turn off the fixture LED in order to view the available memory locations then press the number switch where you want to save the chase After you have saved the chase the record and chase LEDs will continue to flash allowing you to continue to add to or edit the chase in case you would like to save a slightly different version at another location To exit record mode press record and the LEDs will stop flashing 22 Depending on how chase is programmed either the dimmer the shutter will be used to flash a fixture For chases that use a slow fade time the dimmer will be used and the shutter will be opened to full For quick flashes the shutter will be used to flash the fixture with the dimmer set to full When controlling the chase using HTP playbacks the fader will control the brightness of the dimmer
68. r the scene edit memory by pressing and holding the blackout switch until the LED goes out Then select the dimmers to be included by moving the flex faders to the desired levels dimmer mode or by entering the dimmer values using a keyboard as described above Record this as a scene by pressing record then scene followed by an available scene number button Assign this scene to a playback by pressing record followed by any playback flash button then scene followed by the scene number you just saved If you want to use the flex faders for playback switch the flex fader mode to playback before assigning the scene to the fader Make sure the playback is running in mode Refer to the following sections regarding scenes and playbacks for more information 14 WORKING WITH MEMORIES The DMX CONTROL 1536 provides four types of memories presets chases scenes and shows Presets and chases used as building blocks along with static channel levels to create scenes Shows simply scene lists All four memory types can be assigned to playback faders or called up directly by selecting the corresponding memory number switch and page RECORD SWITCH To the far right of the six function switches is the record switch This is used to start the record process for all of the memories types as well as playbacks The LED above the record switch will flash whenever you are in record mode SOLO SWITCH To the l
69. rand master fader for overall control of conventional dimmers and dimming channels Flex master fader for control of conventional dimmers MENU AND SETUP FUNCTIONS The menu switch which is located just above the display is used to access the menus that allow you to configure the DMX Control 1536 for your particular lighting setup Pressing the menu switch displays the message Select a menu item then press enter on the top line of the display You will be given a choice of menu items on the bottom line of the display You can cycle through the choices using the and switches or the first data wheel Press enter to select the desired menu item The data wheels also have a built in switch that duplicates the enter switch by pressing down on the wheel After selecting a menu item the cursor switches will allow you to select a field on the display to edit and the and switches will allow you to change the value in that field An underline cursor shows the selected field You can also use one of the four data wheels under each field to make changes The wheels don t require you to select a field using the cursor switches The enter switch must be pressed following any change made to a menu item to make it permanent This allows you to look at all of the possible choices first If a menu requires more than one page to display all of the programming options use the right cursor to continue past the last field on the right o
70. raphs NAME is the fixture name that appears whenever you select a moving light fixture You may want to modify this attribute on each of your fixtures to show fixture purpose or location You must place the underline cursor on the character you want to edit or you can use an external keyboard to enter the fixture name CHANNELS is the total number of channels for fixture This can be any number from 1 to 32 When you change the number of channels be aware that other things such as fixture addresses and number of multi fixtures can be automatically changed when you do this Fixture attributes such as black channel pan or tilt will also be automatically disabled if you select a number that is smaller than the channel numbers that are already assigned to those attributes For example if you already assigned pan to channel 8 and you reduce the total number of channels for the fixture to 4 pan will automatically be set to none Likewise if you increase the number of channels from 8 to 9 and you had previously set up 4 multi fixtures using all 32 channels the multi fixture setting will automatically be reset back to 1 BLACK CHANNEL is the channel that will be affected when the blackout switch is pressed You can choose any available fixture channel as well as ALL which will force all channels to the selected black value Normally you would choose the shutter or dimmer channel for this BLACK VALUE is the DMX value that will be use
71. re calling the scene and any channels that are not included in the scene will be set to 0 and any other scenes that are currently on will be turned off RECALLING SCENES preview mode Preview mode lets you see the name and adjust the fade time of a scene before calling it The go switch is used to start the scene Activate preview mode by pressing the preview switch and turning on its LED While in preview mode you can also select scenes with an external keyboard the or switches or the wheels before calling the scene with the go switch You can also adjust the fade time before calling the scene If you are using an external keyboard to select scenes move the cursor on the display using the left or right arrow keys to choose page scene or fade time You can enter numbers from the keyboard and then use the enter key on the keyboard or press the go switch on the DMX CONTROL 1536 to call the scene The go LED will light up when a valid scene number has been selected indicating that the switch is ready to call the scene RECALLING SCENES WITH PLAYBACK MASTERS You can assign a scene to a playback master then use the playback fader or its switch to call the scene The playbacks offer several different playback modes Read the section on playback masters for more detailed information on how they work 16 TURN OFF SCENE You can turn off a scene by pressing its lit LED to toggle it off Any channels th
72. red page and press one of the empty number switches to save the chase If you select a location that is already occupied you will be prompted to see if you want to overwrite that memory After the chase has been saved you can continue to edit the same chase This allows you to make several versions with modifications and save them SHAPE CHASE The shape chase is used to create preprogrammed pan and tilt movements You can choose from a list of shapes like circle square figure 8 etc as well as adjust the speed size direction and location of the center There is an offset setting that lets you spread multiple fixtures across the shape For shape chases you will need to press the go switch to run the chase while you are adjusting the settings so that you can see what is being programmed The first thing to do when creating a shape chase is to select the fixtures to be included When you select shape chase the fixture select LED is lit so that you can begin selecting fixtures right away The current pan and tilt location of each fixture will be used as the center of the shape You can use the joystick to move the centers at any time while recording the shape chase If you are using more than one fixture in the shape you might want to work with one fixture at a time so that you can position the center for each fixture individually You can run the chase while you are doing this so that you can see the actual location and size of the shape
73. res were selected You will have to experiment with different offset values and fixture orders to see the result You can turn fixtures on and off in different orders to see what happens without losing any of the center positions If the offset is set to 0 all fixtures will move in unison NOTE The X and Y size settings as well as the direction affect all fixtures in the chase The only individual setting for each fixture is the center of the shape for that fixture After you are finished adjusting the shape chase parameters turn off the fixture switch so that you can select the page and number location to save the chase Any locations that are currently occupied by other chases will be lit Select an empty location or press a number that is lit if you want to overwrite it After you have saved the chase the record and chase LEDs will continue to flash allowing you to continue to add to or edit the chase in case you would like to save a slightly different version at another location exit record mode press record and the LEDs will stop flashing SIMPLE FLASH CHASE The simple flash chase is a quick and easy dimmer shutter flash chase that flashes a single moving light fixture or a single conventional dimmer at each step Simply begin by pressing fixture numbers or flex fader flash buttons in the order you want them to be chased The flex faders must be configured as conventional dimmers If a moving light has a dimmer o
74. s as needed For example you could create a preset called Red that sets all color channels of every fixture to the color red Then you can select only the fixtures you want to be red before calling the Red preset RECALLING PRESETS WITH PLAYBACK MASTERS You can assign a preset to a playback then use the playback fader or its switch to call the preset You will still need to select the fixtures to be included before starting the playback The playbacks offer several different playback modes Read the section on playback masters for more detailed information on how they work ERASE PRESET To erase an existing preset press record then preset then erase As when recording a preset all LEDs that contain a preset will light Next select the preset to erase That preset name will appear in the display The message Erase this Preset will also appear along with the preset name Press yes or If you press yes the preset will be erased You can then select additional presets to be erased or you can press record again to exit record mode EDITING PRESETS To edit a preset that has already been recorded press record followed by preset Before making any channel changes press the preset number of the one you want to edit The message Edit this existing Preset will appear in the display Press yes and the preset will be called up and you can add to it or modify it by c
75. s the fixtures will be determined by the order that you select the fixtures for the chase Page two of the color chase edit menu contains the chase name field Use the data wheels or an external keyboard to name the chase Save the chase the same as with the other chase types first turn off the fixture switch and then select a page and a number that is not occupied After you have saved the chase the record and chase LEDs will continue to flash allowing you to continue to edit the chase in case you would like to save a slightly different version at another location To exit record mode press record and the LEDs will stop flashing GOBO CHASE The gobo chase is identical to the color chase except that gobo steps are used instead COLOR MIX CHASE The color mix chase uses the cyan magenta and yellow channels of a fixture to create a rainbow effect as it fades through the various CMY combinations It will also work with RGB channels It will only work with fixtures that have CMY or RGB channels defined These channels will be defined by the fixture library or by the fixture profile when the fixture is selected The fixture LED will be lit when you first start to edit a color mix chase Select the fixtures to be included in the chase Use wheel 1 to adjust the step time Use wheel 2 to adjust the offset between fixtures Offset works similar to the shape chase offset in that each fixture will be offset from the next
76. set this LED will also flash The page display will show the current page and any number locations that already contain presets will be lit Adjust the channel or channels that you want to include in the preset These adjustments will be recorded into the preset so take care not to change any channels that you don t want included You can use the flex faders in channel mode the joystick or the channel wheels to select the channel levels to be included Press the fixture switch to enable the channels wheels and to select any fixtures Toggle the fixture switch back off before saving the preset Note When recalling a preset if some channels are affected that weren t intended as part of the preset chances are that a fader or the joystick was bumped and those channels were accidentally added to the preset being recorded At any time while recording the preset you can enter a preset name Use the cursor switches to move the cursor in the display under each character then use the or switch or the data wheel to select characters You can also use an external keyboard to enter the name characters 18 To save the preset select page and number where you want to store it If you select a number that is already lit a message will appear asking if you want to write over the existing preset Press yes or no You can use the page switches to select from pages 1 to 24 which will allow you to store up to 1152 presets You can
77. set using the wheels or joystick If the copy to fixture is using additional channels that the from fixture isn t those channels will not be affected Therefore this does not always create a carbon copy of the from fixture You also cannot copy to fixtures that are a different type than the from fixture 13 CONTROLLING CONVENTIONAL DIMMERS The DMX Control 1536 allows control of up to 128 conventional dimmers These can be controlled from the flex faders or by entering percentage values with an external keyboard Before dimmers can be addressed they must first be patched using the Patch Conventional Dimmers menu as explained in the previous menu section To use the flex faders as dimmer controls you must configure them from the Select Flex Fader Mode menu You can switch the flex fader mode at any time without losing anything you have already programmed The flex faders provide 16 pages of 8 faders for a total of 128 dimmers You can freely switch pages using the page up and down buttons and use any fader that is patched to a dimmer NOTE The flex master fader and the grand master fader must be at maximum in order to get the full range of output for conventional dimmers All conventional dimmers will be scaled by first the flex master and finally the grand master faders All conventional dimmer outputs will also be set to 0 whenever a blackout is in effect DIMMER CONTROL USING A KEYBOARD If you have a PS2
78. t for memory restore and waits for the file to be sent from a PC Read the section at the end of this manual on using the computer port for details on how to back up and restore the memory this way The only way to exit or abort this menu is to turn the DMX CONTROL 1536 power off SET MIDI CHANNEL This allows you to select the MIDI channel that DMX Control 1536 will receive on Select channels 1 16 using the or switches or use data wheel 1 then pre ss enter Read the section on MIDI for more info UPDATE SOFTWARE This allows you to update the DMX Control 1536 software using the compact flash drive or a computer connected to the RS 232 port The message DOWNLOAD NEW SOFTWARE OR INSERT CARD will appear when you press enter The DMX CONTROL 1536 will wait until it detects a CF with the correct file on it or for the correct type of file to be sent from a PC The message RECEIVING NEW PROGRAM will appear as the new software file is installed Upon completion the system will reboot The only way to exit or abort this menu is to turn the power off You can also call this menu on power up by pressing and holding menu and erase together while turning on the power LOCK UNLOCK MEMORY hidden This is one of the hidden menus that can only be selected while holding the add switch when cycling through the menu selections This feature allows you to lock the memory to prevent someone from changing or er
79. the same dimmer the highest one will have priority All other non dimming moving light channels will use a timed fade depending on the type of memory being called The fade will begin when the playback is moved from the 0 position To prevent the dimmer levels from jumping the playback fader level must match or exceed any existing dimmer level before control is passed to the playback Bringing the fader back to 0 releases the playback memory and stops any chases attached to the playback whether called directly or part of a scene You can override any dimmer by moving its fader or by calling a scene the dimmer will be removed from any playback that is currently controlling it When calling presets or chases using HTP playbacks the moving light dimmers needed to view the preset or chase will be attached automatically to the playback fader For scenes only the dimmers included in the scene will be attached to the playback fader all other channels will use a timed fade at the programmed fade time For Shows the show timer will start when the playback starts For a manual show the flash button is used to advance the show steps The button must be set to go mode The flash buttons can be set to flash on off or go Pressing a button in flash or on off mode starts the memory and brings the HTP levels to max the same as if you moved the fader to the highest level Go mode starts a timed fade for non dimming channels
80. time will display manual and you will have to press the go switch to advance the show steps otherwise it will run on its internal clock You can only run one show at a time from the number switches If you select another show it will replace the one that is 28 running You can however run more than one show at a time when using the playback faders The shows that are running on the playbacks will not be shown in the display but you can run up to 16 shows at one time using all the playback faders Read the playback section later in this manual for details on how to run shows this way A show that is called from the number switches is the main show and is displayed on the LCD as it runs There can only be one main show running at a time Any shows that are running on the playbacks are side shows and won t be displayed on the LCD The main show can be controlled using the stop and back switches Pressing stop will pause the main show if it is running on its clock The stop LED will be lit to indicate the show is paused You can use and back to manually step forward or backwards in the show while it is paused Press stop again to turn off the LED and restore the clock If you programmed the show as manual you must use the go and back switches to step forwards or backwards If you press go while the clock is running the show will jump ahead to the next step If the show
81. while all dimmer channels will be controlled by the playback fader This allows you start a scene then bring the dimmers up later In the case of shows the button in mode advances the show steps 33 MIDI DMX Control 1536 allows you to call scenes and blackouts using the MIDI input The scene page and number can be encoded in a MIDI message that can then be sent to the MIDI input by a computer or MIDI sequencer You will have to use the tools provided with the MIDI program or device you working with to create and send the correct MIDI message The DMX CONTROL 1536 receiving MIDI channel is selected using the setup menu as explained at the start of this manual The MIDI message is a 3 byte MIDI continuous controller command using the following format To call a scene byte 1 175 MIDI channel 1 16 byte 2 scene page 0 98 byte 3 scene number 0 47 Note that the numbers are in decimal and the scene page and number is one less that what is displayed on the DMX CONTROL 1536 To start or stop a blackout byte 1 175 MIDI channel 1 16 byte 2 99 byte 3 127 for blackout 0 to release 34 USING THE COMPACT FLASH DRIVE The Compact flash drive uses CF cards that are formatted using the FAT16 file system Cards formatted using FAT32 will not work You will get the error message format error if you try to use the wrong type When reformatting a card using your PC select FAT rather than FAT32
82. with each DMX address immediately following the last channel of the previous fixture The first fixture will be assigned to DMX output port 1 at address 1 After 512 channels have been used DMX output port 2 and then port 3 will be used for any remaining fixtures Using data wheel 1 you can select fixtures 1 48 and see the starting address and port assigned to each fixture You can move the cursor under any of the three digits of the channel number or use data wheel 3 to select a new starting address as long as auto patch is turned off You must press enter to record any change The message DONE will appear for 1 second to confirm NOTE If autopatch is enabled and any conventional dimmers are found to have their DMX addresses overlapping those of any moving light fixtures the conventional dimmer DMX addresses will be moved to a location just above the last moving light fixture If the dimmers patched at an address already higher than any moving light fixture they will not be changed PATCH CONVENTIONAL DIMMERS The DMX Control 1536 supports up to 128 conventional dimmers these can be dimmer modules that are wired to par cans house lights or even fog machines Once patched conventional dimmers are controlled using the flex faders or by typing values with an external keyboard Please read the chapter on conventional dimmers for more info regarding programming Each dimmer can be assigned to one of eight faders on one of sixte
83. y the fixtures of the same type that match the fixture in the display will be affected by the wheels This assures that the display correctly matches the output Fixtures that are selected that don t match the type in the display will not be changed To select a new type of fixture to edit with the wheels toggle the fixture number off and then back on to update the display to match that fixture This does not apply to the flex faders when controlling moving light channels as explained in the next section DMX Control 1536 will display the channel names for most fixtures that are in the built in library If a fixture profile has been installed some channels will also display the names of each step within the channel like colors and gobos Use fixture profiles instead of the internal fixture list whenever possible to take full advantage of this feature USING THE FLEX FADERS TO CONTROL FIXTURE CHANNELS The upper left section of the top panel contains the flex faders These faders can be used for three different functions depending on your personal preference You can change the function back and forth on these at any time without loosing anything that you have previously programmed Use the menu Select Flex Fader Mode as explained in the previous chapter to configure the flex faders as fixture channel controls You can address up to 32 channels per fixture by using 4 pages of 8 faders The page switch to the upper left of the faders is used to s
84. you are ready You can also preview the contents of a playback fader You have several more options when calling scenes in preview mode In addition to being able to select scenes with the number switches you can also use an external keyboard the or switches or the wheels to select the page and scene number You can also change the fade time If you are using an external keyboard move the cursor on the display using the left or right arrow keys to choose the page scene or fade time You can also enter numbers from the keyboard s number pad and then use the enter key to call the scene Currently scenes are the only types of memories that can be called using the external keyboard BACK SWITCH The back switch is used to step backwards through the scene list in a show STOP SWITCH The stop switch is used to pause the clock while playing a show It is also used to pause a chase that you are currently editing GO SWITCH The go switch is used to step forward when playing through the scene list in a show It is also used in preview mode to call any type of memory and also to run a chase that is being edited FINE SWITCH The fine switch enables the joystick and the data wheels to operate in fine mode For the joystick the pan or tilt will move in smaller increments allowing for finer adjustments For the data wheels depending on the type of entry the wheels will increment with smaller values When adjusting mov
85. your to DMX Control 1536 go to the controller menu selection labeled update software Press enter and the to DMX Control 1536 display will read Download new software or insert card The controller is now ready to receive the file from your PC As an alternative you can access this menu by holding down the menu and erase switch while powering up the to DMX Control 1536 Follow the instructions for Send File in the SD Back up help file Find the drive and folder where the file is located select the file and click Open The controller display will read receiving new program After the file has been sent The to DMX Control 1536 will restart and show its startup display If any errors have been detected you will be prompted to retry It will take several minutes to transfer the file 37 LOAD FIXTURE PROFILE Go to the to DMX Control 1536 menu item Load fixture profile from The message Ready to receive fixture profile press enter to cancel will appear on the display Use the Send File function on the SD Backup program to send a fixture profile to the controller The to DMX Control 1536 will wait until you send the file or until you press the enter switch to cancel TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Total number of control channels 1536 Maximum number of programmable Chases 1152 Maximum number of programmable Scenes 4752 Maximum number of programmable Shows 1152 Maximum nu

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