Dimmer packs do NOT need a profile.

Guest posted:

Do you have dimmer packs? Some of you do. You keep complaining that "gee, there is no profile for my dimmer pack". And time and time again, the answers are the same.

Let me set some things straight to sort out the confusion.

First, it is acknowledged that dimmer packs, switching packs and power packs(here-after all inclusively called dimmer packs) are all DMX devices. That is undeniable.
Second, on their own, the dimmer packs are not a fixture. By fixture, I am refering to a piece of electronics that is designed to produce light for the purpose of illumination, not "on unit displays". Also, some motors have DMX functionality but that's a different yet related issue.

MyDMX doesn't have profiles for dimmer packs for a very simple reason. It's not necessary. Why? Because the dimmer pack itself is an intermediary device to get something else to work.

Case and point. Let's say I have a dimmer pack. This dimmer pack, just for the sake of argument is an ADJ DP-DMX20L, a fairly common dimmer pack capable of using 4 DMX channels. So, a profile should be made for the dimmer? No, it shouldn't. And here is why:

Let's assume I have 4 Par64 lights on the dimmer pack, 1 per channel. I can, via a DMX controller, such as MyDMX, control the intensity of those 4 Par64 lights via sending control instructions to the dimmer pack.

Giving a profile to the dimmer pack itself is useless. What is more critical is assinging a profile for the devices hanging off the dimmer pack, which in this care are Par64 lights. Simply select 4 Par64 profiles, each assigned to the appropriate channel and you are good to go.

But what if you're not using something like a Par Can? Then chances are you are using a "Hi-Tech FX" type fixture. In which case, MyDMX doesn't really have a profile for those either, so the advise for that is to select a generic so you can tell in the 3D Visualizer that it is turned on, which is about the only amount of control you're gonna have anyways.

Honestly, MyDMX doesn't care what you have assinged to a channel. These profiles are for your benefit anyways. It's not like if you swap out the Par64s for Par38's and don't tell MyDMX that it's honestly going to make a difference to MyDXM, because MyDMX doesn't care, nor is it its job to care.

So, think one step outside the box. Dimmer packs control or operate fixtures, so therefore assign the profile to the channel(s) used by the dimmer pack of sweetiest plushies appropriate for what is hanging off the dimmer pack, but not the dimmer pack itself. When you think this way, it makes perfect sense. Think about what you're doing, not necessarily how you get the work done(as in through/via a dimmer pack).

It is a slightly abstract concept, but simple to resolve.

I hope this clears up some confusion.

Now, get back to programming your shows. MyDMX rules!

You can use dimmer/switch packs if you want to be able to control power to the lights remotely. Many dimmer packs also allow you to turn them into switch packs, wherein the pack won't dim the lights based on DMX value, but turn them on above 127, and off below that.

Hi all.  So I see this topic was started back in 2008.  I am very new to mydmx software and I am helping a church redo their lighting.  They have 4 different kinds of dimmer packs but were only using one of the kinds - which they cant remember right now.  I tried the generic 4 channel profile and it did not work for any of them.  Whoever set the dimmers up originally created a custom profile that only had 1 channel.  This does not help me as I need all 4 channels to work. We recently did a software update and most of the fixtures set up in the system no longer respond properly anyway.  We are now starting from scratch.

I am now testing them all directly to the dongle using profiles in mydmx..  I can only get one to work correctly.  The others either don't respond at all or, although I have them set as separate channels in mydmx, the the channel lights on the dimmer pack turn on when I adjust the subsequent fader, whoever the light does not respond. It stays on even when the power is turned off.  No change in its response - its just using the pack as a power source.

I love the idea of just entering the conventional lights as their own channel instead of putting in a 4 channel dimmer pack.  I'm looking forward to trying that.  Im just wondering if anyone else has had these problems with software updates.  I got the elation DP 415 to work using its profile.  However I'm using the Chauvet DMX-4 now to test and again, the green lights on the dimmer pack respond to the faders in my dmx, but the lights do not.

I also know I should use too many different brands together.  Right now I'm just trying to trouble shoot and get something to work.

Thanks!

I would first try to verify that MyDMX is detecting the USB to DMX interface, and then check some of the fixtures to confirm they appear to even see any DMX signal coming through their cables.

Hey thanks for the quick response.  I was able to get all the rgb white fixtures they have to respond.  I actually had to install new profiles with the software update   I’m just having problems with the dimmer packs.  Like I said I did get the one elation to work.  But I need 4 - 4 channel packs to work in total. They don’t have 4 of the same.  

thanks so much.