# using light board to control fogger?



## NHStech (Apr 14, 2011)

This post will show my ignorance, but, how does one go about hooking up a dmx fogger/snow machine, etc. so it will run off a light board on cue. I would prefer this to someone standing offstage with the wired remote control. My light board is an etc express 125. I do not have a dmx fogger, but am considering one.


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## jglodeklights (Apr 14, 2011)

DMX512 is a system by which you have 512 different control channels, or addresses. When you are soft patching dimmers, you are telling the board what address each dimmer is at and which of your console control channels you want it at. The same concept applies to any other DMX controlled device, it has an address that you can usually assign it on the device itself. Fixtures like foggers, scrollers and moving lights may require more than one DMX address. 

For example, Chauvet LED 200B units have 6 addresses/control channels. The value channel 1 is at controls what mode the unit is in. If the unit is set to RGB color mixing mode by leaving address/channel 1 on the unit at 0, that means channel 2 is the intensity of the Red LEDs, Channel 3 is the Blue LEDs, 4 is the Green LEDs, channel 5 is the strobe effect and rate, and channel 6 dims the unit. To patch this unit will require 6 consecutive DMS addresses, and on your Express 6 different control channels on the board. If the unit is addressed at 1, you will need to patch DMX addresses 1,2,3,4,5 and 6 into channels on your Express. If you address it at 7, you will need to patch DMX addresses 7,8,9,10,11 and 12 into channels on your Express. 

Foggers usually have 3 or 4 different control channels to vary fan speed, density, etc. So you would need to patch each one into a different channel. 

Another option is to patch it as a moving light on the Express, by loading a profile for it, if one is available, from a floppy disk you've saved it to using Express Offline software. Not difficult. I much prefer the level of control DMX foggers/hazers offer compared to DJ style "Push-button" ones.

To get DMX data to it, will depend on your set up. If your dimmers pass through DMX, you can add a line out the back of them to run to the Fogger(s). If not, you will need to use a splitter to split the DMX coming out of your board or use the second universe (DMX Addresses 513 to 1024)


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