For more information on addresses, see our section on DMX. Stage Circuit or Circuit : The wiring which connects the fixture usually via an outlet to the patch panel or dimmer. The process of connecting circuits, dimmers, and channels together in a manner that makes their operation logical and convenient is called "patching".
Types of Patching:. There are two types of patching: Hard patching : This is the connection of circuits to dimmers and, in early electronic control systems, dimmers to channels physically, either through a "patch panel" see photo or by plugging cables directly into the dimmers. Hard patching is rarely done these days; most modern theatres are "dimmer-per-circuit", with each circuit permanently wired to a dimmer.
Proportional Patching, and Dimmer Profiles:. Most modern consoles allow you to patch proportionally. It is also referred to as a "dimmer curve," even though it is often a straight line, and some consoles refer to it as a "path". Soft patch allows more flexibility; a patch panel limits the number of circuits in a dimmer to the capacity of the dimmer, while a soft patch allows everything from one channel-per-dimmer to every dimmer in the system to be assigned to a single channel.
And a soft patch can be backed up to a computer disk and reloaded later in moments, even mid-show, while a hard patch must be redone manually. Portable dimmer systems use a modern version of a somewhat older approach. Essentially you are creating a complete lighting system from one location and then removing it and reinstalling it in each subsequent venue.
Instead of a patch panel or hard wired connections, road racks have plugs into which cable to the instruments is plugged in directly. To make this process easier, large road shows use multi-circuit cable or "mults" which allow 6 or 12 circuits to be connected at a time. At the batten end is a device called a breakout or fanout which connects to the multicable and separates the circuits out into individual circuit cables.
The insulation on the fanout cords can be thinner than standard cable but are limited to a maximum of 10 ft. The soft patch remains the same, but the wiring of circuit to dimmer is more flexible. The biggest advantage for computer boards comes in running cues. Manual and preset boards limit the number of cues to how many can physically be set in the time allowed.
With computer boards the cues are set and recorded in advance, and complex cues can be played back literally as fast as they can be triggered. Cues can even trigger other cues, and several be run simultaneously. Control boards typically have several "modes". Setup mode allows the system to be modified and a show to be recorded or read from disk. Patch mode is where soft patch is set. Recording a cue in Stage mode records the cue as seen at that moment.
Recording in Blind records a cue that is not seen until played back later. This can be useful to correct problems during a performance before the audience can see them.
Some boards work on a preset model. Each cue has every active level recorded into it, even if most show no change from the previous cue. A board may also work in tracking mode. Only those channels whose levels change are recorded. Any dimmer whose levels are unchanged is ignored, and simply carries through.
This can be especially useful when changing a cue in the middle of a sequence. Many boards allow a choice; you can choose whichever is most appropriate. Concert boards use a different model. A preset board can be thought of as a single stack of cues arranged in order. The board picks up the top one and runs it before moving on to the next. Concert boards need more flexibility as concert play orders can vary literally on a whim from night to night. Concert boards use a "page stack" model instead.
A number or cues are set side by side and all can be accessed and run in any order. The another page containing yet more cues can be called up and any cue on that page can be run. Cues can be accessed in any order or any number of times just by calling up its page and running its controller.
What is patching? Patching describes the act of connecting different parts of the lighting or sound system together. For example, some stage lighting installations have dimmers which are wall-mounted above a row of plugs, which can be used to connect any plug into any dimmer. What is DMX lighting? Definition of DMX DMX Digital Multiplex is a standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control stage lighting and effects. It was originally intended as a standardized method for controlling light dimmers, which, prior to DMX, had employed various incompatible proprietary protocols.
How do I connect to DMX? Put both fixtures into DMX channel mode for this example, set it to 4-channel mode , and then set both fixtures to Channel 1. How do you make a magic sheet light? Click the Setup button next to Magic Sheets. How does a DMX dimmer work? Dimmers are devices connected to a light fixture and used to lower the brightness of light.
By changing the voltage waveform applied to the lamp, it is possible to lower the intensity of the light output. What is a channel in Theatre? Channel: A control path that allows the console to vary the output level of one or more dimmers or other devices.
The channel can be physical controlled by a button, switch or slider or virtual, controlled by a numeric keypad.
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