DMX Madness

R

Rob Bailey

Member
I think I'm going crazy. I have this wonderful Laser, Quickshow, and an Entec DMXUSB Pro interface. All I want to do is to be able to select a cue and modulate some of the display parameters via DMX, I can't find any step by step guide to making this work! This wonderful and extremely powerful laser just hums and stays dark when I set the operation mode to DMX. When the operation mode is set to QuickShow, nothing in any of the DMX windows makes any difference! I can see values change as it goes through the various steps, but no output ever seems to reach the laser. Ultimately, I want to set up cues and control the laser via DMX using the Entec DMXIS interface from a plug in running in Digital Performer so I can have synched display to my tracks. Somebody must have done this before, but I'm almost ready to toss in the towel.... Any help out there?
 
Hi, Rob!
I'm not quite sure what you call Quick Show operation mode, DMX operation mode, DMX windows. Can you send screenshots here?
Which controller do you use? FB3 or FB4?
Have you watched this video ?
 
Hi Igor, and thanks for the quick response. Yes, I have watched the video. It demonstrates nicely how to run a dimmer pack, but what I need are the specific steps to manipulate a laser cue (as well as select a laser cue) via DMX. I can't get QuickShow to get my laser to respond to any DMX commands at all. Additionally, my interface for QuickShow (latest version) differs slightly from the one in the videos, and that's a little frustrating. On the FB4 controller on my laser, when its set to Quickshow/Beyond Operation mode, I get communication (I can toggle cues and manipulate them with the live performance controls), but I can't get the QuickDMX window in QuickShow to send anything that the laser will respond to. If I set the FB4 module on the laser to DMX mode, it just stays dark... I have a very specific goal in mind. I'm running tracks in Digital Performer, and ultimately I want to use the DMXis plug in to control cue selection and image manipulation for the laser. How does one audition the DMX messages with the FB4 laser unit? It's driving me nuts! All the tech support people say its simple, but I can't find any "how-to" info...
 
Hans-Günter Schuh said:
that is not possible. The DMX is intended for lighting control only.
Click to expand...
Then why is there DMX in/out, an option for remote control via DMX on the FB4 controller, and a DMX channel map published showing what DMX channels are used to select cues, rotate x,y,z, change RGB values and so on. It would seem to me that and awful lot of published data contradicts you comment. Also, I've spoked directly with Pangolin tech support people and they assure me it is possible. I just don't have the step by step setup...
 
Hi, Rob!

There are 2 options for DMX laser control in your case.
In both cases we need 2 devices (if we are working with QuickShow).
One of them generates DMX signal and the other receives it.

1. If you have an FB4 DMX https://pangolin.com/collections/laser-control-hardware/products/fb4-dmx-with-quickshow

In this case, QuickShow is only needed to export files to the SD card.
Then you connect your Enttec DMX-output to the FB4 DMX-input and control your laser with your software (for example Digital Performer,) via Enttec DMX
In this case it is necessary to enable DMX mode on FB4

2. If you have an FB4 Standart https://pangolin.com/collections/laser-control-hardware/products/fb4-standard-with-quickshow or FB3

In this case some external device should generate DMX signal and this signal should come to the DMX-input of your Enttec Pro (for example)
In the Quick Show, you set up DMX-Settings:
View attachment upload_2019-12-9_1-7-16.png
And you turn it on:
View attachment upload_2019-12-9_1-8-16.png
In this case it is necessary to enable Beyond/QS mode on FB4

Control Table
View attachment upload_2019-12-9_1-9-2.png
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Igor. You appear to be "da man" in this dialogue I will endeavour to work through this flow over the next week. Most concrete response I've had yet from anyone. Certainly more useful that a comment in German saying its not possible! :) I do have the FB4 controller built into the laser, and I have all the Entec devices (both for QuickShow and the DMXis for DAW control). If I understand you correctly, the FB4 on the laser must be in Beyond/QS mode in order to be able to select cues via DMX? I don't have an external FB4 controller. The FB4 (at least that' what I assume it is) is built into the laser enclosure itself. Do your instructions still apply?
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Inside or out, your FB4 is irrelevant in this case.

There are several versions of FB4
I've written above what you should do depending on your FB4 version:
if you have FB4 DMX -> DMX mode
if you have FB4 MAX -> DMX mode
if you have FB4 Standart -> Beyond/QS mode

Also, depending on the version of your FB4 there will be different physical connections
 
It looks like an FB4 MAX
If that's true, then your option 1

In this case, QuickShow is only needed to export files to the SD card.
Then you connect your Enttec DMX-output to the FB4 DMX-input and control your laser with your software (for example Digital Performer,) via Enttec DMX
In this case it is necessary to enable DMX mode on FB4
 
Okay, as public service, I'm going to post what I found to be the solution here. First off, thanks to all the Pangolin support people who have chimed in. Your speed of response and obvious enthusiasm are appreciated!

A few things I've learned that are important...
1) if your laser isn't blinking red LED on the 4 segment LED indicator on the back, something is set up wrong! This was key in discovering the next crucial bit...
2) Even if your laser hardware says "FB-4", when using the DMXis box controlled from the DMXis plug in in a DAW, the laser's DMX settings need to be set to "FB-3 Profile" and NOT "FB-4". This is counterintuitive, but once set to FB-3 the little red LED starts blinking, which tells us that our laser is alive.
3) make sure that your starting DMX channel is set correctly on the laser.
4) There is no need to terminate the DMX connection on the laser itself. A simple 5 pin cable from the DMXis box, connected via USB to your computer will do it. As long as the third amber LED on the back fo the laser is blinking, your laser is communicating with the the DMXis interface.
5) you need to have a properly loaded CD card with a valid DMXis workspace loaded into the laser hardware. NO other connection to Quickshow or Beyond is necessary once the SD card is loaded and inserted.

Hopefully, Pangolin will put together a little video showing how this all works, as the combination of the DMXis interface, plug-in, and Pangolin laser hardware is an extremely potent and relatively cost effective way of creating laser display synchronized precisely to music!

Thanks for your help.
Rob Bailey
 
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