Not Working

What OS are you using? Is it 32 bit? It sounds lie the drivers are not wooing or are not installed. Does it say demo mode or USB mode when you boot up the program. More details please.
Thanks.
Sincerely,

I'm trying it on my laptop Vista home premium 32bit and on my desktop XP Pro 32 bit. It finds and installs the hardware (says its ready to use anyway) and The Software says USB mode. But the lights do not respond. I have tried swapping usb cables, DMX cables, etc. I don't think it is a cable issue with my lighting setup as i can run them just fine with my hardware controller.

Thanks,
Russ

When I say lights, i'm refering to the stage lights, not the LEDs they are on , red and two greens.
Thanks

So the lights hooked up to a dimmer pack are not responding?

O.K.,
I'll break it down.
I have 8 LEDrain 64 connected to my Chauvet DMX controller and they all work fine. I can control all 7 channels of each light independently with no problems at all. I then try to control these same lights with the MyDMX hardware/software and it does nothing. I can run the software, no problem . I can install the hardware ,no problem. The Software says USB mode and all the led lights on the MYDMX hardware are on. But when I get no control over any function on any of my lights. No Red,Blue,Green,Dimmer ,Strobe, nothing. They actually act as if they weren't even plugged into to a controller at all.

And for the record , I did go in and setup all my lights within the program and set the correct address for each light. I fully understand the software and DMX addressing. It just doesn't seem to work. On either computer

Hmm, sorry to intervene, but this actually soundslike a faulty device, are you using 110-120Ohm DMX cable, or just regular XLR Microphone cable? Are you using a Terminator at the end of the DMX line?

Weird stuff!

EDIT: Did you try onhooking everything, then reinstalling drivers and software, and then hook everything up again? Could be worth a shot....

I am actually using XLR cables. I have read that using DMX cables is recommended but I have always used XLR cables with my hardware controller and never had a problem. I could only imagine that if this were the problem I should at least have some control with some sort of interference. I have NO control at all.

And yes the end is terminated with a DMX terminator.


Thanks,
Russ

Well, the digital signal that MyDMX generates is not compatible with unbalanced XLR cable. Check if your mic cables are balanced, if not, thats your problem, if so, you might have a faulty unit.

Howmany fixtures you have over howmuch cable(length)?

XLR cables, by NATURE, are balanced. XLR cables are typically for 600-ohm loads, or rather 600-1000 ohm loads(microphones). The isn't isn't really compatibility, because in a pinch you COULD(but shouldn't) use microphone XLR cabling for a short run lighting run. I do NOT recommend this.

AND THE REVERSE is not true. Using a DMX/lighting XLR cable on a microphone will turn your signal into ca-ca real fast. The loading is not right and the sound will just have all the life sucked out of it.

This brings me back to a long-standing issue I have. We have too many standards, such as the CANNON XLR format.(or is that Canon? I can't remember). We have 3-wire for microphones, 4 wire and 2 wire options largely used for video power, and even 5 position, which is/was mainly used for lighting. Then, to save money, all these "DJ-oriented companies" decided to make DMX use 3-pin wiring. It has saved these companies millions. Even though only 3 wires are being used in that 5 wire conneciton. So many people, myself included, ASSUMED we could just use XLR microphone cabling. Well, I've learned and I've moved on.

I agree with what Shugga is saying. It is sounding like a bad MyDMX dongle.

MyDMX WILL drive a regular microphone XLR cable. I know, I've done it, more for testing than anything else because I have all real DMX cabling for my lighting. I ran it down my audio snake(200-foot whip, via a patch panel at FOH and then into an XLR out at the stage box), then ran maybe 50 more feet of cable. WITH terminate. Worked fine.

DMX is generally incompatible with unbalanced cabling.

So, short of uninstalling, rebooting and re-installing, then rebooting again, then hooking up the dongle post-boot and then launching MyDMX, i's a bit iffy where the problem is. You could make a cheap DMX tester using a pair of LED's and a couple fo 230-ohm resistors. I recommend using 2 LED's and not the single dual-color LED's.

But so far it all points at perhaps a bad dongle or maybe a bad USB cable. Try a better USB cable. MyDMX does NOT marry/mate itself to any ports, so you should be able to move it around.

Well, I agree with Chris, I would defo get that unit checked out....

Hey Chris, check out my "Stage resets Fixtures" topic, would love to get your opinion!

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is a defective dongle. I made a DMX tester using online instructions and the LEDs light right up when plugged into my DMX board. But when I plug it into the MYDMX dongle I get nothing. It is brand new so I should have no problem exchanging it for a new one. Just incase I had a shorted cable or something like that. Can that burn up the dongle? Is there any sort of protection for this. I can see the posibilities of a DMX cable wires getting crossed . I have been using DMX lights with hardware controllers for 10 years and never had any problems. Is this thing more sensitive? Can it be fused if so?

Thanks
Russ

Russ, I really dont think there's any way for a faulty cable to fuse a dongle. After all, it's 99% 1-way traffic, the cable will eat the output, and in a worst-case-overload scenario, it will blow out your fixtures, but never the dongle.

Have it checked out or exchange it, and please let us know how it turned out!

I just recieved my new dongle. I have been using my lights flawlessly with the Chauvet hardware controller. I am scared to connect MyDMX for fear that it may fry. I only worry cause it seems like the last dongle worked briefly before eventually cutting out completely.
The only thing that I think could cause a "backfeeding" short would be a faulty light that is somehow "grounded" and feeding high voltage down my DMX line. I have tried to check for this on a meter with no luck. Jusy have to keep my fingers crossed. I will let you guys all know how it went.

Peace,
Russ