Need a decent DMX interface from Freestyler

[dicky]

God are my problems never ending or what?

I spent enough time with Freestyler to create some submasters and sequences - nothing fancy, have all my lights static at the moment(no mirror movement etc) but changing colours in sequences

What I have found pretty quickly is that when I change the colours on my lights they don't all change at the same time (there can sometimes be quarter to half a second difference even between two fixtures of the same type.

Also the Tap Sync does not work - there is a noticeable delay and I just can't get the lights to change in time with the beat - even if for instance I tap every fourth beat or whatever they will change colour out of sync with the beat.

A quick look around Freestyle forum tells me this is because my bargain £40 DMX interface (Velleman K8062) from Maplins is crap

Quote FS forum
Could slow response in FS be my interface (Velleman)?

I was looking at USB-DMX interfaces recently and discovered that some provide DMX timing on board (pro), while others rely on the software/PC (open). I'd like to know if upgrading my Velleman K8062 interface to something "pro" (like ultraDMX RDM Pro http://www.dmxking.com/usbdmx/ultradmxrdmpro) might improve FreeStyler's performance.

In particular, when I tap tempo for my LED lights, it's never quite the same. I have to tap faster than the beat to have it go as fast as I want. This could be a setup issue (fades?), but maybe the interface could be part of it.

Reply
With a Vellemann, using tap-sync will result in slightly off-beat steps. There's a delay in pressing override buttons aswel. And strobing with some led fixtures or pan/tilt moving is just disastrous if you use more than 96 dmx channels.

And quote
One DMX "packet" (containing ALL the channel values) takes about 24 msec to sent. Therefore the time from change in FreeStyler to light change should not be longer than 48 msec (24 x 2). But FreeStyler has a Refresh rate setting default at 50 msec. So in theory, with the refresh rate set to 50 msec, it could take max 50+24 msec for your lights to respond (74 msec).
You can change the refresh rate to 20 msec by pressing the advanced button in the setup, this function is only available with some types of DMX interfaces.
This wil speed up the reponse time of your lights to 44 msec. This wont work with the Velleman interface because this thing is too slow.



OK so I get the idea - I need a proper DMX interface that actually works.... something fast enough to beat sync the show in Freestyler.

I could ask on FS forum but I know some of you use this software and the hardware tech help forum here is excellent - so what DMX interface are you using or recommending and is it tested to Tap Sync on Freestyler properly?

Cheers
Rich

[Nakatomi]

Sounds like a load of cack to me Rich. My DMX interface is as cheap as a DMX interface can possibly get & I have no problems with latency. The Velleman kit is based on an FTDI chip & so's mine. What I think is happening is... Freestyler goes "hmm, cheap DMX interface, not one we recommend, SO..... "

Whoah whoah WHOAH. Hold it there, Mr Know It All... (me)... No it's not based on an FTDI chip like mine at all (for some reason I thought it was!). Looks more like a PIC wot's got USB. Yeah it could well be too slow. Probably buffering data, and the latency is caused by speed of the buffer emptying.

Get one based on a FT232 chip Rich Cheaper than the Velleman one too.

[dicky]

Enttec Pro has been mentioned over there several times?

This is not totally about the cost for me now - I am more annoyed I have wasted time with two DMX setups that have proved pretty much useless. One thing I can't fault is the Freestyler software so that at least that was worth the while.

So far I have found useless:
1. MyDMX2.0 as the software is crap
2. Velleman K8062 as the hardware is crap

Anyway the old kit that worked out no use to me will end up on ebay towards paying for the new

This hardware looks interesting for Freestyler as it is supposed to be super fast = no latency and it can also can handle 2 DMX universes (1024 channels) so I may be able to fully utilise interface inthe future this as it works with Freestyler according to the specs
http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main...ducts&pn=70314

It also supports downloading the lightshow to the interface so no lugging a PC around and has a midi control interface.

Anyone using this?

Rich

[Nakatomi]

Enttec Pro has been mentioned over there several times?

This is not totally about the cost for me now - I am more annoyed I have wasted time with two DMX setups that have proved pretty much useless. One thing I can't fault is the Freestyler software so that at least that was worth the while.

So far I have found useless:
1. MyDMX2.0 as the software is crap
2. Velleman K8062 as the hardware is crap

Anyway the old kit that worked out no use to me will end up on ebay towards paying for the new

This hardware looks interesting for Freestyler as it is supposed to be super fast = no latency and it can also can handle 2 DMX universes (1024 channels) so I may be able to fully utilise interface inthe future this as it works with Freestyler according to the specs
http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main...ducts&pn=70314

It also supports downloading the lightshow to the interface so no lugging a PC around and has a midi control interface.

Anyone using this?

Rich

For just playing around try one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB2-0-to-...IAAOSw3ydVxhIp

DMX as you know is just RS485. Yeah so it needs a PC, but it doesn't take a fast one to work DMX stuff.

[DJ Jules]

I was looking at USB-DMX interfaces recently and discovered that some provide DMX timing on board (pro), while others rely on the software/PC (open). I'd like to know if upgrading my Velleman K8062 interface to something "pro" (like ultraDMX RDM Pro http://www.dmxking.com/usbdmx/ultradmxrdmpro) might improve FreeStyler's performance.

I went with a variant of the one you mention above (http://www.dmxking.com/usbdmx/ultradmxpro) and it's never given me any issues whatsoever. It's also widely supported so you it leaves you open to switching software at a later date. I went for the more pricey one due to the multiple outputs, and the ability to switch it into a (very expensive) DMX splitter.

Having said all that... I started with a bog standard USB device that uses the FTDI chip and didn't have any issues, except with one or two older fixtures that occasionally failed did something random - I came to the conclusion that was a DMX timing issue with the fixtures in question using a slightly different basis for timing, causing them to occasionally lose the plot.

Julian

[Chris1984]

the lights not changing colour at the same time is more than likely the lights themselves and their ability to be fast, what lights are they? the cheaper the light the cheaper the parts and as such they are never going to all be the same.

[dicky]

I have two ADJ On-X connected and they don't always change colour a the same time - there can be enough delay sometimes to be noticeable. The pair of Chauvet DMF10's have the same problem

I am using DMX addresses from 1 - 176 at the moment, that is without my lasers set up yet

If Freestyler fully supports the Enttec Pro Mk2 which according to Enttec it does support the advanced features then I will probably get one as the Standalone usage together with a Midi Keyboard or similar device could be a nice little setup for me and I would consider it worth the extra cost.

Rich

[DJ Jules]

I have two ADJ On-X connected and they don't always change colour a the same time - there can be enough delay sometimes to be noticeable. The pair of Chauvet DMF10's have the same problem

Have you tried simplifying the setup to test (e.g. setting up a test bed with just the USB DMX adaptor, the two scanners and two good cables?) Sometimes bad (e.g. non-DMX) cables can cause this kind of thing as well (the fixture will miss the instruction on the first transmission, then catch it on the second, third (or fourth...)

Hate to ask, but what's the spec of the PC?

Julian

[dicky]

No not tried that yet and also realised I don't have a terminator either so I can give that a go.

PC I am developing the DMX show on is 2.4GHz Intel Core-2 Quad Core with 4Gb RAM running Windows XP

My other one is 3.4GHz Intel i7 16Gb RAM running WIndows 10



It is possible it is a PC or cable issue I guess - however the problem with the Velleman interface seems to be well known on Freestyler forum
http://www.freestylersupport.com/fsf...n+k8062#p23295

and
http://www.freestylersupport.com/fsf...pic.php?t=1768 (3rd post down the thread)

I am currently using 176 addresses in my DMX universe and this is way to much for this DMX interface to work properly, so they say.

[DJ Jules]

I am currently using 176 addresses in my DMX universe and this is way to much for this DMX interface to work properly, so they say.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet

Usually the device driver for these kinds of devices is split into two main worker threads, there's one that stores the DMX state and accepts updates to that state and one in the background that is responsible for continuously spewing that state out via the USB/DMX interface. If the PC is struggling for any reason (e.g. another app isn't giving either thread a slice of CPU time) then the threads can falter, meaning that either updates are made late to the current state, or the DMX signal stalls completely.

Based on the machine specs you've given, you shouldn't have an issue unless something else on the machine is really sucking up CPU time. Really odd...

Julian