Questions about Resolume, DMX and Hardware

[blabberbytes]

First Off I wanted to start by saying I'm a complete noob and Don't know much but have been trying to read a lot about the subject matter.

I'm trying to control RGB LED strips via Resolume. So far I have the Enttec Pro MK2. From my understanding I need a LED/DMX Driver and a power supply.

So my question is what what hardware I need to accomplish this? And specific brands/links/products you can point me to? What is your set up? I dont know enough about the topic to do a proper search for this via google. I have been trying, but have been failing miserably. I actually bought a DUMB DMX RGB LED controller but I want to be able to control individual pixels so this isnt want I wanted.

Please HAAALP!

[Joris]

Getting started with LEDs can be a bit overwhelming, as there's a lot of different things involved (what type of strips to get, how to control them, how to power them, where to get them, how to assemble them) and there's a lot of information to sift through on each topic.

I'd start by reading the info in these forum topics:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12529&p=53591#p53591
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=13297&p=54794&hilit=dmx#p54794

...and then come back with specific questions.

[blabberbytes]

Will it be possible to control individual pixels on 12 different strips with the MK2? Or do I have to get the Enttec ODE?

[Joris]

Whether or not you can individually address each LED is more a property of the LED strip, not the DMX device. You can recognise an individually addressable LED strip by the IC chip next to each LED.

Either way, these Enttec boxes limit you to 170 pixels (ODE) and 340 pixels (MK2). If you want to drive lots of pixels, take a look at the DigiDot, which gives you just over 2000 pixels from a single box.

[blabberbytes]

Oh ODE only does 170? I thought it could do 16 universes since it is using the artnet protocol? What am I not understanding?

[Joris]

It's an Art-Net to DMX converter. You can send it 256 Art-Net universes, but it can only output a single universe of DMX.

Really, when you're thinking about doing LED strip stuff, don't bother with Enttec. Especially if you want to run the lengths that you do.

[blabberbytes]

Okay will I be able to accomplish running 12 Led strips with separate animation patterns with one digidot being that each of the 4 outputs has 3 universes? There's not much documentation about the digidot. How does the LED's connect to them? The drivers I've been seeing look more like this one:

http://www.advateklights.com/pixlite-control/

What would be the advantages of the Digidot over something like this?

Thanks for your help btw. LED stuff is rather confusing.

[Oaktown]

Thanks for your help btw. LED stuff is rather confusing.

I think part of the confusion comes from what's what. Are you trying to control LED Strip instruments (ie. Colorblaze 72 or Chauvet Colorstrip) or RGB LED pixel strips. You can call both of them LED strips but they are very different in the way you deal with them.

RGB LED strip instruments usually take 120/220V AC, plug into a non dimmable outlet and have a DMX (3 and/or 5 pin) and/or Artnet in an through ports. You can control these directly with the Enttec ODE or MK2

RGB LED pixel strips take 5/12/24V DC and typically need to be wired for power & control with a 4-wire cable for VCC/GND/Data/Clock . You can control these directly via Artnet with the Digidot C4 (4-wire) or via DMX by using an Enttec ODE or MK2 plus a DMX-SPI decoder such as a Ltech LT-DMX-2801.

[pixiebossman]

Depending on how many universes you have to control, Enttec also do the 'pixie driver' (takes in DMX).
for non pixel led tape (constant voltage... all the LEDs do the same thing at once) there is the CV driver (takes in DMX).
you can control both kinds of these tapes with the 'pixelator mini' and varying 'Plinks' (Takes in ArtNet).

[blabberbytes]

Oaktown, I am Interested in connecting 12 RGB LED pixel strips and controlling them all separately with Resolume. Will I be able to do all 12 with the Digidot or the pixelator min? The Enttec ODE and MK2 can't do it apparently.