Getting Started with MaestroDMX for Dummies

Posted 11 months ago by Nick How

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Nick How

For those just receiving their new product and with NO experience of DMX lighting here is my experience in un-boxing and getting it up and running with a cheap "no brand" (MAX light?) party bar with two RGB lights (with strobe) and two RGB gobos. (this may be teaching some people to suck eggs - but anyone like me will find it useful).


After connecting all the hardware and updating the software (which was straightforward apart from S/W/ update that seemed a little temperamental - check your USB stick is FAT32 as mine was exFAT) - connected upto the units wi/fi with no issues. 


Getting started. Before you do anything, have a look at your light unit. It will have a manual (maybe), use that to find out how to put the unit in a "DMX mode". Its not obvious - mine has a DMX chapter in its menu system that you seem to need to be in for that to work properly. 

Setting the DMX address and number of channels. My lighting unit has several different channel modes - 3 channel, 6 channel and 15 channel. They will allow the MaestroDMX to talk either to GROUPS of the LEDs in the unit (for example 3 channel all the LEDs will be the same colour across the unit), or talk individually to each of the elements in every part of the light bar.

Setting the DMX channel is also important - IT HAS TO MATCH THAT SET ON THE MaestroDMX to work properly.

I couldnt find any MAX products in the list so just added a 6channel fixture with 4 channels for LEDs (RGBW) a strobe and a movement/rotation for the GOBO elements in the light bar.

I added that to the default  STAGE and the PATCHER (following the other instructions on-line) and we got up and running in a SHOW. 


Q: can the APP confirm that it is talking to the light in someway (other than the light operating?)

Q: the video you have of adding the Chauvet light bar is great -can you show one on a non-brand (i.e manual setting)

Q: a video of this "dummies" version might be great - I will see if I get time and add one - unless someone beats me to it.

 




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Christopher Gates posted 11 months ago

“Setting the DMX channel is also important - IT HAS TO MATCH THAT SET ON THE MaestroDMX to work properly.”

Can you explain a bit more about this. I’ve spent 2 hours trying to get mine to talk to my lights. “Works straight out of the box”, they said.

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Gabby Odowichuk posted 11 months ago Admin

Oops more questions :)

2) We will be making more videos as features are released

3) We welcome people making content using our system, we appreciate your thoughts and effort.  Thanks for posting!

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Gabby Odowichuk posted 11 months ago Admin

Hi!


1). The information sent to the light is one directional, so the light turning on is really the best way to tell.  I would recommend using the "still" pattern set to "white" as a good way to test that all the colour channels are correct.  We have talked about having a dmx output preview window, which would show which dmx values are being sent where in a grid.  Let us know if you think this would be helpful.


- Gabby

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