Par64 LED

are you using the adj p64 LEDs or the pros?

Just the regular Par64 LED, not the pro.

I did manage to get a hold of tech support, and they told me that these fixtures are not capable of such a thing in conjunction with the style of control I am using.

oh that's too bad then. Glad you got it solved.

Yea, it's just kind of a bummer because these things require 3 channels to effectively black out, and many controllers only allow for one channel and value to be specified for blackout.

My Show Designer allows you to say "all" for setting a blackout channel/value, but many controllers do not allow for such an input.

It's really just a quirk in the design of the product that can render it useless to many users because, lets face it, a stage light that can't black out is a huge problem.

I'll figure some obscure way to accommodate it, but I now know to avoid these fixtures in the future.

So, basically, the Par 64 LED Pro fixtures can be set to an "all off" position?

It makes sense with 3 colors to have to take them all down at once(or quickly) to black them out. Unlike my Color Fusions, which have use 3 channels for color mixing, and another channel for brightness overall.

In my case, I am considering the Pro fixtures. I was considering those regardless. What additional features do get I from these versions the non-Pro version? I'm mainly considering the Pro versions since I am under the impression that there is more brightness output.

umm there is a 7 channel mode which has a master dimmer and would be able to assign it to any console as a dimmer channel which would then allow blackouts. that is the reason they probably made the 7 channel mode. i have used a similar led fixture in 7 channel mode on a SD3 and i used the master fader and it blacked em out. and chris have you checked out the manual for the pros? also i believe i had overheard someone from ealtion comparing the out put on the pros similar to the DLED 36 pod. like if u put em side by side they are comparable in some way. sincerely,
oh and p.s. chris your DMX operator does not have a master fader so you would still have to select all your fixtures and bring them all down.

It's no big deal that my DMX Operator doesn't have a master fader(that just sounds nasty, doesn't it?). I've been living without that feature for so long, that really, having that function would probably just end up confusing me.

For the most part, right now since I've "discovered" programming, I'm more into scenes. With logical channel assignments and groupings, I can "emulate" a master fader position within a block of addresses. Having a channel just for dimming does make things a bit easier. I'd rather use 3 DMX channels to dial in my color, then a master dimming channel to control intensity. This way your colors should stay true while your intensity can then be adjusted.

But as far as a usable comparison, I'd have to compare the LED Par64 Pro units to a traditional Par64. That's what I'm familiar. I can't envision the Design LED 36 since I don't have one. I can easily obtain a Par64 fast if I had to, but I'm hoping to avoid that. But, let's say it's comparable to a bank of 3 Par38's running 150-watt bulbs, I'd be thrilled.
When I buy the Par64 LED Pros, I'm buying 2 T-bars and attaching 4 to each bar. If I had the funds, I'd buy 16 and be able to really light up a small stage properly from just 2 locations(8 fixtures on the T-bar), but that won't fit into an Arriba case that I'm aware of.

Actually, I'm having the same problem. I'm using compuware with a fader wing, and thats the only light I can not control with a fader.. Its quite dissapointing that 0 on the dimmer channel is not black out. I currently have found no way to link my midi with that.

You could always trigger a blackout when you needed it. A light that is super dim isn't going to throw any usable light anyways.

That's the problem with the regular Par64 LED fixture. If you cannot specify that the fixture must have at least channels 1-3 set to "0", then you cannot effectively blackout the fixture (say from a color-mixing standpoint). If you are using the built-in color macros, then you can probably just use the dimmer channel.

In order to completely utilize these fixtures in all of its capacities, you need a controller that allows you to specify "ALL" as a channel/value for a blackout or even a grand master fader. Many controllers do not allow for something like this (including some software-based fixture profiles).

I believe the Par64LED-PRO takes care of all of these issues (but don't quote me on that). I guess for some, the regular P64 LED works great in DJ/Auto settings, and for those who need more finesse and are far more picky (like myself), get the PRO version.

It is just something that could have been solved if the fixtures were designed such that the DIMMER channel actually did just that, act as a dimmer, but it really doesn't. It's just more of a pseudo shutter-like emulating function.

To me, a dimmer channel should equally affect all channels that produce visual output from a fixture. In conventional fixtures, this is easily accomplished by dimming the lamp, and the entire source of light is controlled.

With LED/color mixing fixtures, multiple channels produce output for the unit, therefore a dimmer function should affect/override all of the channels that produce visual output (i.e. channels 1-3, etc).

To me, the entire situation just creates a significant hassle and requires me to bend over backwards to accommodate the fixture.

Well, I have 8 of the Pro's that I will be ordering this week, so I won't have to deal with those hassles.

But, to make a color properly, and then control it properly, one must use 3 channels for the color(via RGB mixing) and then a master "dimmer" setting to ensure the color up and down the brightness spectrum.

With so many products, ADJ must have to make acocomodations to make the fixtures affordable to different spending tiers. With me, I've chosent the upper end. Why? Multiple reasons, but this thread played a factor, as well as talking to others with more experience. I'm just a sound guy, so I have to talk to lighting guys to see what's hot and what's not. Then I have to learn to use it anyways and operate it myself.