Summary of Contents for Digilite Pulse MX
- Page 1 PULSE MX-EX PROFESSIONAL LIGHT DESK FOR UPDATE AND FIXTURE VISIT www.digilite.eu USER MANUAL English version Rev. 03 -10/13 digilite.eu...
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
PULSE MX TABLE OF CONTENTS 2. 3 Grand master and group masters gruppo Safety General instructions Warnings and installation precautions 3 Cue list General information 3. 1 Qlist mode 3. 2 Chase mode 3. 3 Sequence mode Introduction Description 3. 4 Live mode Technical specifications 3. -
Page 4: Safety
PULSE MX WARNING! Before carrying out any operations with the unit, carefully read this instruction manual and keep it with cure for future reference. It contains important information about the installation, usage and maintenance of the unit. NOTE This manual is divided into two parts: the Quick-Start Guide, which gives a general overview of the con- sole and enables the operator to be immediately operational using the basic functions. -
Page 5: Warnings And Installation Precautions
In order to improve the quality of products, Digilite reserves the right to modify the characteristics stated in this instruction manual at any time and without prior notice. -
Page 6: Introduction
PULSE MX DESCRIPTION PULSE-MX is a professional lighting console by DIGILITE featuring a familiar and flexible GUI interface, ideal for controlling large and small lighting systems. PULSE-MX has been designed to be easily trans- portable and compact in its sizes, without the need of external monitors or control hardware for the setup and programming. - Page 7 PULSE EX DESCRIPTION PULSE-EX is a playback wing for PULSE-MX DIGILITE console, conceived to offer a wider surface of avail- able controls. The playback wing PULSE-EX is composed by 12 programmable fader, 12 control buttons and 24 playback key. PULSE-EX connects to PULSE-MX via cable, no extra software required, just connect the Wing to the console and the Playbacks are ready to control your show.
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Page 8: Part 1: Quick-Start Guide
PULSE MX PART 1: QUICK-START GUIDE - 1 - OVERVIEW OF THE CONSOLE 1.1 OPERATING ELEMENTS AND CONNECTIONS Front panel Rear panel Fig.1 1. CONTROLLER STATUS 2. CONFIGURABLE CONTROLLERS 3. PLAYBACKS 4. EDIT KEYS 5. MAIN TOUCHSCREEN 6. ENCODER WHEELS 7. -
Page 9: Edit Keys
PULSE MX 1.2 EDIT KEYS Release Used to interrupt: • a single playback (Release + playback key) • a single controller (Release + flash controller key) • all playbacks (Release + Page) • all controllers (Release + Bank) • all registers and all controllers (double click on the key releases in quick succession) Page Used to select a new playback page;... -
Page 10: Playback Keys
PULSE MX Load Used to load a cue or a palette into the editor for any amendments. The Load key loads the last cue or palette selected into the editor or, if pressed simultaneously with the flash key of a controller, it loads the controller cue into the editor (only if the controller is configured in ‘manual cue’). -
Page 11: Pan/Tilt Pointing
PULSE MX 1.6 PAN/TILT POINTING For all pan and tilt pointing, the console features a 38 mm trackball and three keys: Pan lock, Tilt lock and Fine. The Pan lock and Tilt lock keys are two-state keys which allow to respectively lock the pan and tilt movements while the Fine key is a three-state key that, when repeatedly pressed, activates three different types of trackball sensitivity: 8, 12 and 16 bits. -
Page 12: Create A New Show
PULSE MX - 2 - CREATE A NEW SHOW The creation of a new show requires a configuration phase in which the console is configured with all the settings, and more importantly the number and type of fixtures involved in the show are set on the console. -
Page 13: Fixture Patch
PULSE MX THE FIXTURE PROFILES CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE WEB SITE AT www.digilite.eu Importing a fixture into the console library Fig.4 For example: importing a FIXTURE Ex.fxr file Supposing the USB memory is recognised as a disk G: of our PC 1. -
Page 14: Editor
PULSE MX Inserting new fixtures in the show Fig.5 (Add fixtures window) Address patch window Fig.6 2.3 EDITOR The console manages 24 pages of 24 playbacks, each of which contains a cue-list which in turn can be made up of, in the simplest of cases, one single cue, or a maximum of 999 cues. - Page 15 PULSE MX Each button of the fixtures and groups has two “leds”: the left LED shows the status of the fixture param- eters: • Green: all fixture/group parameters are under the editor’s control, • Orange: not all fixture/group parameters are under the editor’s control, • Off: the editor does not control any parameter.
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Page 16: Saving A Cue
PULSE MX 2.4 SAVING A CUE When you want to save a new cue, press the Store key to activate the Store menu and then select the Cue button; doing this will add a new cue to the current playback in which the contents of the editor will be copied. -
Page 17: Editing Cue
PULSE MX 2.5 EDITING A CUE From the cue-list display windows (Qlist, Chase, Sequence or Live windows), select the cue you wish to edit and press the Load key; in this way, a copy of the cue in question is loaded into the editor. Thanks to the editor, it is now very easy to perform the required editing tasks. - Page 18 PULSE MX Pan/tilt palette window Fig.11 Predefined Rosco palettes Fig.12 To ‘turn off’ a playback, press the Release key and the playback key in quick succession (before the LED of the Release key switches off ) or alternatively press and hold the Release key while pressing the playback key.
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Page 19: Store Menu
PULSE MX 2.8 STORE MENU The Store menu, which is activated by pressing the Store key, enables you to save different types of objects: Menu store Fig.13 BUTTONS Intensity, Pan-Tilt, Color, Gobo, Prism and Blade Save the editor content, limited to the selected type of parameters, in a new corresponding palette. -
Page 20: Part 2: User Manual
PULSE MX PART 2: USER MANUAL - 1 - EDITOR The editor is the programme which enables you to set (and edit) the values of all parameters of the fix- tures and to save their status as a cue or palette. - Page 21 PULSE MX 4 – Wheel buttons Each wheel is associated with the parameter displayed on the corresponding button relating to all selected fixtures; with the wheel, it is possible to contemporaneously edit the fixture values. Pressing the wheel button resets all the attributes associated with it to ‘Empty’...
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Page 22: Group Display
PULSE MX 1.2 GROUP DISPLAY The groups window is identical, in both form and features, to the fixtures window, except for the fact that the selection is made for groups; by pressing a group button, all the fixtures therein can be alternately selected and de-selected. - Page 23 PULSE MX which can be selected by pressing the corresponding button. The palette window displays all available palettes for the set of fixtures selected in the current family; if no fixture is selected, then all the palettes in the current family’s show will be displayed.
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Page 24: Predefined Palettes
PULSE MX Editing an existing palette To edit an existing palette, do as follows: • Select the palette by pressing the corresponding button, • Press the Load key (the Load key loads the last palette used into the editor) • by using the features of the editor, carry out the necessary changes • finally, press the Update key, which will substitute the old palette with the new values. - Page 25 PULSE MX IMPORTANT The Read command reads the status of the DMX and therefore loses the information of any paletted values or effects. In this case, the instant value of the parameter is considered. Rename Opens the virtual keyboard to edit the name of the selected fixture Change color Opens the color picker window to select a new color to apply to the buttons of the selected fixtures.
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Page 26: Fan
PULSE MX 1.6 FAN The fan feature assigns a sequence of values to the same attribute of the selected fixtures. The sequence of values can follow the trend of a ramp or of a semicircle. Once having selected all the fixtures involved in the editor, press the Fan button and the corresponding window will appear. -
Page 27: Effects
PULSE MX Pivot buttons Enables to select the pivot element of the group, that is to say the element which remains fixed in position and around which the others move. It is possible to select the first fixture (left), the last fixture (right) or the central fixture (Center);... - Page 28 PULSE MX Effects window Fig.23 In the case of movement effects applied to the pan and tilt of the fixtures, the situation is slightly different as the movement is defined by the central or base point (which is set by pressing the palette buttons or operating on the first wheel) and the amplitude (set by using the second wheel).
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Page 29: Color Picker
PULSE MX Selector window Fig.24 1.8 COLOR PICKER The color picker window is used to change the color of the buttons relating to different types of objects (Fixtures, palettes, cues...) Colors can be selected directly from the bitmap (1) or using the first three wheels; the RGB/CMY/HSB button selects the input mode scrolling through the three available colors (Red/Green/Blue, Cyan/ Magenta/Yellow and Hue/Saturation/Brightness). -
Page 30: Playback
PULSE MX - 2 - PLAYBACK Playback is the moment when the programming activity of the show is finalised or the execution phase of the show. The console provides the operator with up to 48 qlists at the same time (24 if the expansions are not... -
Page 31: Controllers Input
PULSE MX 2.2 CONTROLLER INPUT After having calculated the input of the active cues of the playbacks, the console determines the input of the controllers: in Manual cue mode, the controller slider controls the cross-fade between the manual cue and the cue playback processing result; in practice, when the slider is at zero, the controller cannot give any input;... -
Page 32: Grand Master And Group Masters Gruppo
PULSE MX Change Bank When changing bank, all controllers configured in manual cue mode One for each bank, will control the manual cue it has been assigned in the new bank. If a manual cue is active, it will stay active and continue to give its contribution even by changing bank. -
Page 33: Cue List
PULSE MX - 3 - CUE LIST A cue list (or qlist) is an organised group of cues. Each cue contains information on the status of one or more parameters belonging to one or more fixtures and the information relating to its trend in time. - Page 34 PULSE MX Cue list in Qlist mode Fig.28 Cue list mode selection buttons Cue selection leds: red=selected, off=not selected Execution led: off, cue not in execution, yellow= cue execution completed, red= in execution Delay time in seconds Fade-in time in seconds...
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Page 35: Chase Mode
PULSE MX 3.2 CHASE MODE In a cue list configured in Chase mode, all cues are assigned a common timing, and timings at single cue level are disregarded. If the Auto mode is active, upon every Fade-in completion, a trigger is automati- cally sent to the following cue;... -
Page 36: Sequence Mode
PULSE MX mode we would have a Fade-in time of 1.6 seconds, but activation of the cues would remain under the control of the operator. IMPORTANT: during playback, it could be useful to use the wheels to regulate in the real time the amplitude (Master Size) and speed (master Speed) of the cues or the intensity of the dimmer (Master Intensity). -
Page 37: Live Mode
PULSE MX • Qlist, Chase, Sequence, Live: cue list mode selection buttons • EDITOR: recalls the editor window. • Link Next cue: button disabled in this mode Wheels: The wheels are used in two separate ways: if one or more cues operating on the wheels are selected, the Delay e Fade-in times are set;... -
Page 38: Context-Specific Menu
PULSE MX Buttons: • Lock: when activated to edit the current qlist, a clear command is needed; this can be given via the Select button, otherwise simply trigger a qlist to make the cue list current. • Qlist, Chase, Sequence, Live: cue list mode selection buttons • EDITOR: recalls the editor window... -
Page 39: Controllers
PULSE MX - 4 - CONTROLLER The controllers can be configured in three different ways using the Controller Configuration feature, ac- cessible from the Setup menu: • Playback master (default configuration) • Group master • Manual cue The configuration of each controller is completely independent; therefore, it is possible to obtain any combination of modes. - Page 40 PULSE MX Manual cue mode: In this mode, it is possible to associate a single cue to the controller (Fixed mode) or up to 24 different cues organized in as many banks (mode One for each bank). In Manual cue mode the slider controls the cross-fade between the controller’s cue and the playback processing result;...
- Page 41 PULSE MX Save controller: insert tag Fig.35 Editing a manual cue: to load it in the editor, press the key Load + the flash of the controller (Press and hold the Load key while pressing the flash key of the controller). Once you have completed your changes, simply press the Update key to Update the values of the manual cue.
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Page 42: Setup
PULSE MX - 5 - SETUP Setup and utility functions can be accessed from the console Setup menu. To access the Setup menu, press the Setup button which always appears in the context specific menu. A brief overview of the single... - Page 43 PULSE MX memory to a USB drive and vice versa. Clear show: Completely erases all show data including cue lists and patch data, and restores default configura- tion Fixture libraries and all backup files stored in the internal memory are not erased.
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Page 44: Add Fixtures
PULSE MX 5.1 ADD FIXTURES The console can manage a maximum of 3072 channels (6 DMX Universes) and, in any case, no more than 1024 fixtures. IMPORTANT: Universe 1 and 2 are also available on the console's xlr connectors, while universe 3, 4 and 5 are only available on Artnet. - Page 45 PULSE MX tive DMX addresses, passing to the following universe if necessary. If the newly assigned address creates an overlapping, the programme automatically disables some of the fixtures in order to restore a valid configuration, and notifies the user of this measure through a specific message.
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Page 46: General Options
PULSE MX 5.2 GENERAL OPTIONS This window allows to edit the console’s general options. To edit a value, select it by pressing one of the two corresponding buttons and use the fourth wheel. The OK button saves all changes made and goes back to the Setup menu, while the Cancel button goes back to the Setup menu without saving any change. -
Page 47: Fixture Configuration
PULSE MX 5.3 FIXTURE CONFIGURATION This window allows to edit the configuration of all fixtures used in the current show. All changes applied through this function only affect the current show, leaving the fixture library unchanged. All changes are automatically saved, without any confirmation needed. The first wheel allows too scroll down the list of features for the currently selected fixture. -
Page 48: Artnet Configuration
PULSE MX The first wheel, together with the scrolling buttons on the left, allows to scroll down all the show’s fix- tures which include a Pan/Tilt function. By clicking the option buttons for each fixture, it is possible to separately select the Pan/Tilt inversion and their swap. - Page 49 PULSE MX The IP number and the subnet mask are each composed of 4 octets ranging from 0 to 255, separated by a full stop. A simplified rule to assign IP numbers to a network without a DHCP server is as follow: all devices must have the same octets for the subnet mask 255, while the octets corresponding to the 0s in the subnet mask must form a unique combination for each device.
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Page 50: Backup/Restore
PULSE MX 5.7 BACKUP/RESTORE The Backup/Restore window allows to access a number of functions for the managing of copies and for restoring a show. It is highly recommended to save a copy of the whole show also on an external USB drive every time a show is modified. - Page 51 PULSE MX selected. The backup file is copied from one disk to the other without changing its name. If the des- tination already contains a backup with the same name, the programme will ask whether to replace it or to cancel the operation.
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Page 52: Library Manager
PULSE MX 5.8 LIBRARY MANAGER The Exit button goes back to the Setup menu. The fixture library is composed of fdf files (fixture defi- nition file) and fxr files, which the console uses to avoid displaying all technical details of the fixtures included in the show. - Page 53 PULSE MX programme will ask whether to replace it or to cancel the operation. Copy brand This button is used, together with the Paste button, to perform “Copy and Paste” operations. It saves the current brand’s path in the internal memory and makes it available for Paste operations. The LED indicator on the Paste button becomes green to signify that the Paste buffer now contains a path.
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Page 54: Diagnostic
PULSE MX 5.9 DIAGNOSTIC IMPORTANT: the diagnostic programme interrupts all processes, including data transfer through DMD and Artnet outputs. This programme allows to verify the good functioning of all the consoles’ buttons, sliders, inputs and outputs. The diagnostic window displays, through graphical representation, all commands (trackballs, wheels, sliders and buttons). - Page 55 PULSE MX The two DMX connectors of each output are internally connected, but in order to make sure that the wiring works properly, it is advised to verify each port twice, using first one connector and then the other. Midi connection test...
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Page 56: Fixture Builder
PULSE MX 5.10 FIXTURE BUILDER For each fixture included in a show, the console uses a “fixture definition file”, called fdf, containing the information necessary to hide from the user’s view all technical details. The information necessary for creating an fdf file is: • number of DMX channels taken up by the fixture;... - Page 57 PULSE MX Insert number of DMX channels Fig.46 Parameters selection Fig.47 Parameters window Fig.48...
- Page 58 PULSE MX Commands window Once the parameters have been inserted, by pressing the Commands button it possible to insert the fixture commands such as Lamp-on Lamp-off, Motor-reset, etc. Pressing the New Cmd button allows to add a new command to the list, which at the beginning will be empty, of course.
- Page 59 PULSE MX Palette window The fixture could be now considered as completed, but predefined palettes can also be added. In order to do so, press the Palettes button to open the Palette window. Palette window Fig.50 The information necessary for inserting a new palette is: name, type, (Int., PT, Color, Gobos, Prism or Blade) and the state of the features affected by the palette (palette body).
- Page 60 PULSE MX Save in library From the context specific menu, press the Save button. If the fixture had already been saved, it will be simply overwritten. If it is being saved for the first time a window will open automatically, as in the Li- brary manager, to allow navigating the brands available on the internal disk or on the USB drive.
- Page 61 PULSE MX Context-specific menu The Context specific menu is the same in all of the three windows. Context-specific menu Fig.51 Buttons: New: Resets all programme data and prepares to create a new fixture definition file Open: Opens the browser to allow loading an existing fxr or fdf file...
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Page 62: Smpte Timecode
PULSE MX - 6 - SMPTE TIMECODE The SMPTE timecode is a signal which contains a time identification in the hours:minutes:seconds frame format; it was invented in the cinematographic industry to synchronise audio and video and is ideal for solving general synchronisation problems. - Page 63 PULSE MX Sort: tidies the list of events based on a growing smpte times (valid only in Edit mode) Delete: deletes, after confirmation, all selected events (valid only in Edit mode) New (from the context-specific Menu) Deletes the current list and prepares for the creation of a new list.
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Page 64: Midi Interface
PULSE MX - 7 - MIDI INTERFACE The main playback functions of the console can be controlled by MIDI comunication protocol; this can be usefull for controlling and/or syncronizing the console playback by any device capable of trasmitting Midi messages. - Page 65 PULSE MX • Playback level: the level is expressed as percentage; if the value is above 100 will be interpreted as 100% • Effect size and Effect speed: the level is expressed in step of 4 percentage points, so that the value...
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Page 66: Dmx-In Ingresso
PULSE MX - 8 - DMX-IN INPUT The DMX input allows you to connect a generic DMX device as a console expansion and control all play- backs and up to 288 manual-cues through device sliders. Two programs are provided in order to configure both features. - Page 67 PULSE MX DMX-In Disable DMX playbacks control global disable. If this button is on, the console will ignore all the rest of the configuration and the playbacks control by DMX input is inhibited. Go/Rel. Enable Trigger and Release receive command enable. Two DMX channels for each DMX controlled playback are used if this button is selected.
- Page 68 PULSE MX Remote controller configuration This feature allows you to control by an external DMX device up to 288 manual cues that means you can have all the cues of all the console banks on your finger tips. One or two channels can be used to control each manual cue: one channel is used to control manual cue slider and the other one is used to manage the flash and release commands.
- Page 69 PULSE MX If the new configuration is error free, it will be activated and saved on the disk and the configuration window will be closed, otherwise an error message will appear. Cancel It aborts all the changes made and goes back to the Setup Menu.
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Page 70: Expansion
PULSE EX - 9 - EXPANSION 9.1 OPERATING ELEMENTS AND CONNECTIONS Front panel Fig.56 1. PLAYBACK STATUS 2. FLASH KEYS 3. INTENSITY MASTER 4. TRIGGER KEYS 5. SELECT/PAUSE KEYS It is possible to connect up to maximum two expansions per console. Fig.57... -
Page 71: Connection To The Console
PULSE EX 9.2 CONNECTION TO THE CONSOLE The expansion is connected to the console via the single cable provided (6 pin phone cable with a “pin to pin” connection) and does not require a power cable. Connecting is very easy: • Make sure that the console is switched off • Connect the connection cable between the Exp.1 (or Exp.2) switch and the socket on the rear panel • Switch on the console... -
Page 72: Glossary
PULSE - 10 - APPENDIX 10.1 GLOSSARY Attribute (or Parameter): every single function of a fixture which is controllable via DMX or Artnet such as: dimmers, pan, tilt, color wheel, gobo wheel, etc. Bank: a group of 12 manual cues associated to as many controllers. It is possible to store up to 288 manual cues arranged in 24 banks containing 12 manual cues each. - Page 76 DIGILITE Via Appia, km 136,200 - 04020 Itri (LT) - ITALY Phone +39 0771 721966 - Fax +39 0771 721977 www.digilite.eu - email: info@digilite.eu digilite.eu DIGILITE is a brand distributed by the company Music & Lights S.r.l.
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