DMX wiring

[Andy P]

Does it have to be sequential (chained) or can you split the signal.


simples

[Benny Smyth]

Yes, depending on your controller.

BUT...

Why would you want to do that? It's much more efficient and tidier to daisy-chain.

[Andy P]

me in the middle half the lights to the left half to the right (here I am stuck in the ....) if the unit is central its easier to send a lead each way

[Benny Smyth]

me in the middle half the lights to the left half to the right (here I am stuck in the ....) if the unit is central its easier to send a lead each way

Same as me.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CL-reS6WIAAJbvP.jpg:large

12 lighting fixtures altogether. Better to have one lead leaving the stand than 2. Plus it'd be 2 long leads leaving the stands, whereas I use 0.5m and 1m leads to daisy chain.

[Andy P]

It'll start with around 4 moving heads

[DazzyD]

I thought you couldn't "split" a DMX signal? I'm sure I read somewhere that that was the case, mind.

It can be done with a controller that supports multiple outputs/universes but my dongle just has a single output.

[Benny Smyth]

I thought you couldn't "split" a DMX signal? I'm sure I read somewhere that that was the case, mind.

It can be done with a controller that supports multiple outputs/universes but my dongle just has a single output.

You can split it (so I'm lead to believe), but it's apparently not all that reliable.

[Chris1984]

A good dmx splitter/buffer will solve your problem.
Good units are very reliable and the majority of lage shows will use many of them in racks to distribute dmx

[DJ Jules]

Yeah, technically you can't split it. But technically it should also be terminated and in the majority of cases you can get away with it because it's designed for long cable runs, and us DJ's rarely have lights far enough away from us to cause that kind of trouble.

You may see random issues (specific fixtures not responding to commands, etc) and DMX splitters are pretty cheap though (~£30 from memory?) I ended up buying the DMXKing UltraDMX Pro dongle because a) I wanted something solid and b) I wanted something with multiple outputs (4 on this one!) See http://dmxking.com/usbdmx/ultradmxpro

Julian

[Excalibur]

Yes, depending on your controller.

BUT...

Why would you want to do that? It's much more efficient and tidier to daisy-chain.

Panto time" Oh no it isn't ". :D


me in the middle half the lights to the left half to the right (here I am stuck in the ....) if the unit is central its easier to send a lead each way

Exactamundo. Just what I wanted in a marquee for my uplighting. I was stuck in the corner, with my controller, and I wanted to run units down two sides. Ended up having to bring a DMX cable back from one end, very inefficient way of working. With a splitter in the middle, each leg would have run as far as I could then daisy chain it.

[Nakatomi]

With a symmetrical setup & only one output on yer DMX controller a splitter is the best way to go. You could use separate controllers but for most of us another DMX universe (i.e. another independent DMX output) is just an unnecessary additional layer of complication from a programming perspective.

And no, you shouldn't passively split DMX signals. It may work or may not. For the sake of 30 quids it'd be better to take the signals 2 ways using a powered splitter.

[Creature]

I use an 8 channel splitter box

no1 - front of house~
no2 - front gantry
no3 - stage side lights
no4 - rear gantry
no5 - haze machines

use usb dongle from laptop to the box.

I do it like this as experiance has taught me, when your live and have issues very difficult to find resolve an issue. This way its much quicker, as can swap leads out without any interfereanece, except front gantry, when I sort between bands :)

[Corabar Steve]

http://www.terralec.co.uk/dmx_lighting_controllers/jb_systems_mini_dmx_splitter/30484_p.html

Cheap as chips if you only need a 2 way split.

I wonder if you can daisy chain them to take a spur off every now & then?

[Chris1984]

I wonder if you can daisy chain them to take a spur off every now & then?

Providing the kit of of a good quality then yes you can and is done all the time on many large shows.