New to HES and lookin assistance

Good evening,

I own a small lighting company in Antigua ( which is in the Caribbean ), and i have an inexpensive and easy to use pc based dmx controller which is good for the price range of events that i normally do. but it lacks the flexibility i require event though i am a novice at pc based dmx solutions. I have been guided towards the direction of the 3PC and from what i see along with the little reading of the help section provided, has cemented me in the direction of the software. What i am not verse with is what all i will eventually need to run my system from the 3PC.
My system consist of conventional dimmers, moving heads from American DJ and Arctic, and laser from Laserworld, Antari hazer. I am looking for a rack mounted dmx 1U unit with 4 or more dmx universe. If there are other devices i would need to know about, i am here reading and will ask questions as they come to mind.

Looking forward to some responses.

Ingram
  • 0
    Hi Ingram, welcome to the Hog.

    What software are you using now? What is the flexibility you are lacking?

    I prefer the Hog PC over any PC based system I've used thus far, but because it is a console software first, there might be some things that seem strange at first. That being said it's also a wonderful tool for learning how a Hog console operates- I always point people in the direction of the software to get their feet wet. It's a free download, so feel free to play with it.

    One of my favorite things about Hog is this user forum right here. Users from all over the world and the support team from HES are right here to answer any questions and can be an invaluable tool for learning the system

    As far as DMX output you have a lot of options. While the most direct option would be a DP8000- an 8 universe (expandable to 16) DMX output device that fits a 1U rack space. It connects to the system via ethernet so a little bit of networking knowledge is a plus (but it never hurts to learn new things :D). A DP2000 (4 DMX out and rack mountable) is also an option but I believe that can only be bought second hand now.

    The DMX widgets are another great option and connect to the system through USB. The DMX widgets control 1 universe a piece and have a special rack mount. There is also the super widget which can output 4 universes but as far as I know does not have a rack mount kit. Keep in mind whatever you are using to output DMX right now will not work with Hog.

    If you are looking for a bit more control out of a PC based system you might want to consider the programming and playback wings they make the whole system come together quite nicely. If you are looking for a complete solution though, you may want to skip the PC and look at Road Hog or a Road Hog Full Boar. They both have 4 DMX outputs from the console itself and are completely self contained. The FB is a bit more expandable if and when needed.

    I hope this helped and please feel free to ask any other questions you might have.
  • 0
    Ok. Can i get a ball park figure as to cost for a DP8000? And thanks for the info.
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