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How to Program DMX Moving Light Chases

Digital Multiplex (DMX) was developed as a standard digital lighting control. There are a variety of lighting control consoles, but their common purpose is to control multiple lights at once. They can control dimmers, moving lights, color change lights and patterns as well as other special effects. They also can be programmed to run predetermined lighting sequences. They are used extensively in the entertainment industry such as in theaters and clubs, and they can vary in size and complexity. Most have user manuals that can be downloaded from the Web.

Things You'll Need

  • User manual
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Instructions

    • 1

      Read the user manual for the DMX console you are using, and familiarize yourself with the controls.

    • 2

      Set the DMX address channels for the moving lights. Your manual will explain how to assign every fixture in the link to a DMX address channel. Set DMX address channels for each dimmer.

    • 3

      Plan your light chase sequence and divide it into scenes. Record each moving light scene following the directions in the manual. Press the "Record" button until the green light comes on, and select the "Scene" button you wish to record to. If you have not recorded scenes before, then start saving them on page 1. Select the Fixture(s) that you wish to include in the selected scene, and use the "Group" button if you want a group of lights to perform the same way. Use the faders to set the moving lights to the look you want, then press "Record." Do this for each scene, and then exit the Record mode.

    • 4

      Record your moving light show by following the steps in your manual. Shows are a sequence of the scenes that you just pre-programmed that incorporate separate hold and fade times. You select the scene you want included into the first chase step then press "Record," then repeat for up to 99 scenes per chase. Most controllers allow you to program and store eight different chases.

    • 5

      Playback your moving light scenes by using the "Page" button to locate the start. If required, you can manually select any fixture and control it live while the other fixtures will continue to run in their selected scene. Moving light shows can be played by selecting the "Show" button. The Show will begin to run immediately and will have the original set speed and fade tomes. You can manually trigger Show steps by tapping on the "Step" button as required.

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