Setting Up MyDMX For Permanent Installation

Issue 1:
Won't comment on your choice of lights. Is your fog machine DMX capable or do you have a remote? Also, do you have this installed in a way where it's not too difficult to fill it back up?

Issue 2: MyDMX control for parties vs sound active for other nights as well:
Sure, definately possible. Disconnect MyDMX and there ya go works for many fixtures. Check your manuals to see if this is supported.

Ideally, what I'd want to see is sound active as a DMX trait. Much easier and less to manage.

Are you sure you don't mean "master/slave" mode for "other nights"? Master/slave mode can't be used on the same chain as DMX and not with mixed lights.

ISsue 3: Will they need to be re-programemd again? Well, that depends. Really, most likely no. Unless you're getting up there and changing the light's configuration(say, mode settings or other things), then no. Save your scenes in MyDMX. You might use the same universe for a bunch of different shows. You might have your "corporate party" set, a "wedding reception" set, a "sports night" set and maybe a general purpose set. No harm there.

In my case, I'm starting work on a new show next year. But I will still be doing the one I've been working on. I'll use the same lighting design, but just a new show file. I just load the right show file and I'm done.

Back so sound active mode: Check your manuals. Not all DMX fixtures use a sound active trait in DMX mode, even if they have a stand-alone or master/slave sound active mode, so you need to read your manuals to answer that question.

Have fun. Ask a lot, you don't have much time.

Thanks for the quick reply!
1-I wasn't the one who choose the lights lol. Is there anything I need to let them know about the selection?

2- As far as getting the lights to work with the DMX what needs to be done?

3-Is a DMX channel assigned automatically or do I need to do that manually?

4- If I program the lights to sound reactive mode and keep them in that mode so when they unplug the MYDMX they will stay in that mode?

5- They've asked me to make some basic scenes. If I send you a drawing of the lights and location could you design a few basic scenes? For a price of course.

Again This is far from my field and am doing this pretty much as a favor since I do electrical. Thanks again!

1: You know what lights you have, so that's good enough for now. Download their manuals and get familiar with them. That's really important. Find the DMX traits pages for sure, that's super important. You might want to print those and keep those readily available.

2: Well, you need to read the manuals and figure out what channel modes you want to use, provided there is a choice. For example, the American DJ 64 LED Pro has several DMX channel modes. I use the 7 channel mode. With 8 of these lights, I take up 56 channels just dealing with those so I can have individual control. So, you need to do some DMX planning. But, at the same time, it's OK to have channels overlap, but it's important that if you do this, they should be like fixtures on identical channels.

The other thing you want to do is to have a profile in MyDMX. While not 100% necessary, it's really best for us humans to use the fixtures easier. If profiles aren't available, request that they be made.

3: I'm not familiar with the fixtures, but I know MyDMX does not support RDMX(remote addressing). Personally, I prefer that you manually address your fixtures. I won't comment about the need for R-DMX. With big shows with lots of identical fixtures(say, movers), this RDMX can be a massive time saver. Once you program the DMX mode and channels, you're done.

4: This depends on the fixtures. Some fixtures go into sound active mode or master/slave mode when DMX is disconnected. They will most often kick out of that mode when DMX signalling is detected. That's been my experience. But, check your manuals to be sure how the lights you'll be using will behave. Worse case is they need to be power cycled.

I do recommend against Master/slave mode in your situation because this is an installed situation. You don't want master/slave data being chugged around because it will interfere with other fixture's doing the same thing since you're all on the same wire. An Elation OptoBranch/4 is something you should invest in regardless for your application, which gives you lots of good things as well as maybe sepparating your lights out a bit for master/slave options in the absence of DMX signalling.

As I said earlier, you may have the option of sound active as something in the DMX traits so you might not need to disconnect anything.

If you do throw your lights into sound active mode via DMX, don't expect them to stay that way when you remove DMX signalling. If you can do that via DMX, there's no need to disconnect anything. If you remove DMX signal, I have found SOME lights will hold that last instruction for a period of time(say 10 minutes) before going into panic mode and kicking into that fail-over mode it is set to go into when DMX is no longer present.

5: Me? No. I won't do that. It's not a money thing and not because I'm being a jerk. I just don't do that. Seriously though, making scenes in MyDMX is very easy.

Also, keep this in mind: myDMX has a cool 3D Visualizer, where yo can re-create your environment, which gives you the tools to help you build scenes. Short of that, play live with it, can't beat that as a true 3D Visualizer.

Lots of electrical guys go into audio and lights. You're about to have some fun in a new field!

Thanks for all the help! I'll be doing my share of reading for the next couple of days. I'll let you know how everything turns out. Thanks again!

Sorry to chime in late. I usually program for customers for a fee. BUT I'm busy lately so I urge you to try for yoursef. However if you need help I do training. Email me if need be.
Jamesk (at) American DJ (dot) (com).
Also check out
www.YouTube.com/mydmxtech
Sincerely,

How much do you charge per song? I only have 1 chauvet megamoon, 2 mega bars, 1 galaxian sky and 1 h20 led. About 12 songs. I will be sequencing to these songs via second computer running sonar. I know how to make and send a midi track in sonar to control external devices although I am completely new to mydmx and have little time to mess with it.

I got a call regarding this earlier in the week. Apologies to the caller, I've been so pre-occupied with other things.

Here's how you would sequence:

Computer 1 is Sonar
Computer 2 is MyDMX.

Get a MIDI interface on each computer. You may ahready have one for one computer. Matching is NOT necessary. You can even get simple MIDI itnerfaces with hardwired everything, but you'll need MIDI couplers. You must use MIDI as a transport, so you can't go ethernet, WIFI or anything else, it must be MIDI.

Step 1:
Choose your MIDI OUT port from Computer 1(in the case of a multi-out MIDI interface, just select the one you want to use) to the MIDI IN on the MIDI interface for Comptuer 2.

Step 2:
Make your scenes in MyDMX.

Step 3: Assign triggers to scenes. I have discovered the scene must be active in order to assign a trigger to it. Just a heads-up warning to prevent needless confusion.

Step 4: while assigning triggers, DOCUMENT channel and note.

Step 5: Use those note numbers and channel to do your sequencing in Sonar. Make sure you also do your routing properly.

Done. have fun.

MyDMX is a bit dumb when it comes to MIDI, but this can also be a strength because of the simplicity.

You have to treat MyDMX as an external MIDI device. Since you already get that concept, you're probably over 85% done.