The Avolites Discussion Forum

Looking for tips/tricks and insights. I haven't used Color Kinetics products before, and have only a fundamental understanding of the Pearl. Saw an older thread that talked about the relative merits of LTP and HTP for LEDs, wondering if there have been software improvements since.
Does the effects generator have anything pre built for these units?
Are the personality profiles for the Color Blasts and Blazes correct? (I've had many experiences with inaccurate profiles on Avo boards)
Any assistance would be hugely appreciated.

There have been no changes to software. The only one that would assist would be a virtual dimmer for fixtures that do not have a separate dimmer but this is currently only available on D4.


It would not make sense for the shape generator to have anything specific to fixtures. I think you misunderstand how these things work. Imagine them as waveforms that are applied to attribute values. ie. 'tilt saw' applies a sawtooth waveform to the channel of a fixture associated with tilt in personality file. It will increase or decrease values around an origin where amplitude is defined by 'size' and cycle/period is determined by 'speed'. Some desks let you manually choose waveform and attribute but is always the same principal.

The only shapes you are likely to use will be those relating to CMY. They can work well but one of the disadvantages of shapes is they are low resolution and LED's have a nasty habit of showing this up.

In contrast, however, the units themselves may well have their own effects. The majority of LED products I've used have all had some sort of pre-programmed area and the more units you have, the more useful they can be.


If the fixtures have a separate dimmer channel then programming is identical to any typical automated luminaire (sounds posh.)
If they do not then you essentially need to choose between HTP and LTP and, if personalities don't give you both options, make necessary edits so they do.

LTP will allow you to use palettes as references but will not allow you to fade out by fader (crucially). You can work around this by using mode2 for static memories but there is no escape with chases.
HTP will allow you to fade but not use palettes (you can use to assist building of cues but not as references). HTP will also allow you to have 'additive' ability - ie. A red cue + blue cue = magenta. Often this is very nice in chase interaction.

Your choice will depend on your preferred operating style and whether the show is busked or predetermined. It is important to be aware of the limitations of the standard Pearl (2000/4/8 ) regarding HTP channels. There is an upper limit of 240 (inc. all dimming channels) and it can significantly slow the console down. I do not recommend having more than 120 total.


It is easy to check personalities if you are concerned. Find channel info from manual or manufacturer website and then lookup on the Avo personality library. You can view the code and check. If you don't understand then feel free to post the channel list here and I can check for you.

/edit: I just had a look and they're all basic RGB units unfortunately. The simplicity does mean you can't really go wrong with personalities though! Any 3ch LED fixture will work. In the library the ColorBlast has HTP or LTP option but the Blaze is all defined in LTP.
Since there is absolutely no difference between the two fixtures I recommend you patch using one of the Blast personalities for both types. I do not recommend using types that give multiple groups as these become a programming hell. Regardless of how many cells you set your Blaze units to use, simply patch single group/3ch personalities for each cell. This will allow you to use CMY shapes if nothing else. The only reason to use multiple cell personalities might be if you desperately need to keep fixture handles to a minimum.

Hi, I've got a question and although it's not related to the CK units it's close enough for me to hijack this thread, I think, rather than start a new one.

Next week I'm doing a gig for which we're hiring in (and consequently I've not yet used) Pulsar's Chromapanels - 24 of them, running from 4 Chromazones (PSU/DMX units, which will run up to 6 panels each). I'm trying to get my head round how they work, how to use them and what the best way of doing things with them is.

Before looking at the personalities I'd assumed that I would get a Chromapanel personality and then have the 24 of them across the desk - and a bit like perhaps the CMY attributes of a mover, I'd be able to apply shapes etc to the RGB LEDs to make patterns and solid colour etc.

I've just loaded a personality from the compressed personality disks on the Pearl (a 2000 running 2004 software) and it's given me various options for choosing chases and solid colour in one personality. This is evidently addressing the 'in built chase' bits of the chromazones - great, I suspect that's the quickest way of getting a nice effect.

What's confusing me further however is that I've just looked at the Pearl online personality library and there are 11 Chromazone Personalities available for the Pearl! Even glancing at the actual text R20 files for some of them doesn't help clear up why there are so many of them.

So, in a nutshell, which personality/s for the zone(s) would you recommend please? I'm after being able to do solid colour for these 24 panels (which will be across the stage in a horizontal line) but also some more funky stuff - no patterns are prescribed but I was envisaging rainbow-type effects, colour chases and symmetrical patterns of some sort - but if it's easier not to then I'll do that instead :-)

I've never used LED fixtures with the Pearl before (well, never used them full stop) so although I'm happy with using unfamiliar movers I'm just less experienced with the LED side of things and if I don't address them as individual fixtures I'm not sure what to do.

Many thanks

I've been running these fixtures from a Pearl for a good few years now. Pulsar made some great looking lights and rather botched the control!

There are two separate elements: The 'zone and the individual units.

The 'zone has your built-in chase (w/level & speed) x2, RGB masters for all fixtures connected and a further master that governs either just the individual units or everything (ie. chase & RGB masters). Exactly what this masters will be determined by 'zone version and also dip-switch setting. I'm running v2 which can only master the individual units, but v3 has option to master all.

These different versions are one of the reasons for so many personalities. There are also various channel configurations on the 'zone, presumably explaining some of the others.

For the individual control it is simple RGB. The standard personalities (chromafix) give option of LTP or HTP. Given the lack of unit dimmer I prefer HTP. This makes programming awkward and stops the use of palettes, but it does allow fading and mixing.


So you have a choice - run solely off the 'zones with masters and built-in chase (inc. rainbows/build etc. - RGB masters use in-conjunction to determine colours where appropriate)

or

Run off individual units. This is much more awkward to program but will allow use of colour rainbow shapes and allows you to be precise. Note that you still need that unit master from the zone for these. If you definitely don't want the other zone functions you could simply patch this as dimmer - all four overlayed if you like.

or

Combination of both. This is how I run them. There is one neat trick when using both 'zone masters/chases and individual units - they overlay and sum the colours producing surprisingly complex looks quite easily.

As an example you could program a cue with all individual units set to blue. If you then run a 'build' chase in red (red zone master raised) you get a blue base with a magenta build running over the top.


Hope that makes sense. They are confusing!

To summarise, your patching will be either:

4 x 'zone (no individual control)

4 x dimmer + 24 x fix (individual control & shapes, no pulsar chase etc)

4 x 'zone + 24 x fix (all)


/edit: oh, there's a fourth way - patch things like the 'zone RGB masters and maybe chase level/speed as dimmers too. In fact I wrote a personality that only contains the chase select on LTP. Everything else I control directly from preset handles. This could work nicely for you - ie. patch all four Red masters onto one handle, all four Blue onto another. That way you can quickly get all 24 to any colour & busk if required. For things like a horizontal line you can then program individual unit.

HTH

Hi there niclights

Many thanks for your helpful reply - sorry I've not replied sooner, I've had umpteen other jobs and a couple of other gigs on this week (don't you just hate it when that happens?!).

I think I'm beginning to understand the different personalities but I'm a bit confused by some of your comments. What is a ChromaFix? Pulsar don't appear to make one! Identifying the personalities is also a bit tricky as there doesn't seem to be any documentation - I'm not sure how I can tell that PSCMZ421.R20 is any more use than PSCMZ181.R20 for example!

I'm probably just being really stupid. I've worked out that some of them are 'called' within the file things like:

ChromaZone, 18 DMX 2nd Patch
ChromaZone, 18 DMX 3rd Patch
ChromaZone 2, 10 DMX Effects
ChromaZone, 6 DMX Effects HTP

some of which makes sense, but some of which doesn't. I'm currently thinking of running them in 24 channel mode, which, I think, is the most useful but I can't find one that's called 'Chromazone 24 DMX <something>'!

You say my options are

niclights wrote:4 x 'zone (no individual control)

4 x dimmer + 24 x fix (individual control & shapes, no pulsar chase etc)

4 x 'zone + 24 x fix (all)

but am I mistaken in thinking that the '24 channel' mode gives me individual control where necessary but also access to the inbuilt chases? This sounds like what I want.

Sorry if I'm being stupid and not making sense but I really can't get my head round this - it's been a long week! Not least how to get 24 fixtures into one fixture handle (particularly when these 24 might not be consecutive DMX addresses) and yet still control them individually.

Looking at it a different way, imagine these lights were 24 Mac 300s. (Yes, I know the 300s are CMY and the LEDs are RGB, but...).

Is there a way of

- having all 24 panels individually accessible
- using the focusses to fade between colours like the 300s (eg 5 seconds from cyan to blue for selected fixtures) (ie LTP)
- applying colour shapes to a batch of fixtures (the colour equivalent of a pan saw, which I know you can do with Macs as a one-colour step or similar)
- saving a 'dimmer' (or all on/blackout) control to a rolacue playback

all at the same time?

Thanks very much for your help thus far - it's been very useful already. Apologies again if I've missed something obvious but I can't find any documentation for the personalities directly!

Peter

No worries. I have a show every day and don't know whether I'm coming or going anymore. Flightcases to build and a VariLite that doesn't know where it is are just a fun addition...

Control is confusing.

One thing I did not consider was if you are using the six-way zone? This is a newer unit. I was originally describing 12-way.

I don't have time to check personalities/channel layout but would guess that 181 means 18ch, v1 etc. AFAIK it does not mean it uses that many channels, but simply defines what is used on the zone in that mode.

Chromafix is for the individual units. 3ch patched to CMY attribute available in either HTP or LTP. This still requires some sort of patch to the relevant dimmer on zone to be usable.

The lack of individual dimmers for the unit control mean use of palettes like traditional movers is difficult. You can do this in LTP but remember you will need a black palette to fade out. You cannot, say, run a dimmer chase and apply colours to it. Your only option of control would be the dimmer from the zone which will apply to all fixtures connected to that unit.


Personally I would look at channel definition for your zones/mode and work out where each will correspond with DMX. Then overlay four dimmer masters onto one handle, overlay four red masters onto another. Same for green, blue, chase1 speed, level and select. That will give quick access to all units. Experiment with chase select, level, speed and interaction with the RGB masters. (You may or may not need to raise the dimmer master depending on zone software version) You probably won't need the second chase option.

See if this works for you since it can be very effective and much easier! If you find you really need individual control then simply patch Chromafix x24 to relevant addresses. You can then select/apply colours or shapes as required. This will definitely need the zone master raised regardless of version.

I find this is the ideal way to operate. It can be useful to have chase selects as LTP. A single channel personality patched to four handles would do this nicely.

Hope that makes more sense!

Hi

Many thanks for your help. The gig came and went on Friday night - just thought I'd feed back. Our rig was quite faffy so I was a bit short on time to 'play' with the units so I used the zones (which were 12 channel but we had 6 per unit) in 10 channel DMX mode; that is, I used some of the in built chases but could also use the overall grand master. Saving a few of these effects onto playbacks was a quick way of making it look good - and I fiddled with the colours as/when I got round to it during the set.

Thanks very much for your help - it did help me to get my head round what was going on. I'd like to play with them again in the future, with a bit more time next time!

Peter