Blizzard Lighting PROKONTROL MH User manual

PROKONTROL
TM
MH
Blizzard Lighting, LLC
www.blizzardlighting.com
Waukesha, WI USA
Copyright (c) 2013

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. GETTING STARTED 3
1.1 What’s In The Box? 3
1.2 Getting It Out Of The Box 3
1.3 Powering Up! 3
1.4 Getting A Hold Of Us 3
1.5 Instructions on Our Instructions 4
2. INTRODUCTION 5
2.1 Features 5
2.2 General Overview 5
2.3 The ProKontol™ MX Pin-up Pictures 5
2.4 Button and Fader Functions 5
2.5 Common Terms 7
3. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 8
3.1 Setup 8
3.1.1 Setting Up The System 8
3.2 LCD Menu Navigation 8
3.4 Fixture Adressing / Patching Fixtures and Faders 9
3.4 Fixture Patching Instructions (Step by Step) 10
3.5 System Functions 11
3.5.1 Resetting the Systems 11
3.5.2 Delete All Fixture Patches 11
3.5.3 Data Back-Up 11
3.5.4 Load Data 11
3.5.5 Send Fixture Update File 11
3.5.6 RDM DMX Address Setup 12
3.6 Manual Fixture Control 12
3.7 Fade Mode 12
3.8 Built-In Movement and Color Effects 12
3.9 Scenes and Chases 13
3.9.1 Scene Editing 13
3.9.2 Chase Editing 13
3.9.3 Run Scenes 13
3.9.4 Run Chases 13
3.9.5 Fade In/Out Time of Color Channels 14
3.9.6 Firmware Updates 14
4. APPENDIX 15
4.1 A Quick Lesson On DMX 15
4.2 Keeping Your ProKontrol™ MH As Good As New 16
4.3 Returns (Gasp!) 16
4.4 Shipping Issues 16
4.5 Tech SPECS! 17

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
1. GETTING STARTED
What’s In The Box?
 •1xPROKONTROL™MHDMXController
 •1x9VDC,800maAC/DCAdaptor
 •AWarrantyCard&WarrantyInfo
 •ThisLovelyUserManual
1.2 Getting It Out Of The Box
We could tell just by lookin’ atcha. You’re a bit of a control freak, aren’t ya? Just kidding!
CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve purchased a GREAT little DMX controller! Bravo! Now that
you’ve got your PROKONTROL™ MH, you should carefully unpack the box and check the
contents to ensure that all parts are present and in good condition. If anything looks as if it
has been damaged in transit, notify the shipper immediately and keep the packing material
forinspection.Again,pleasesavethecartonandallpackingmaterials.Ifaxturemustbe
returnedtothefactory,itisimportantthatthexturebereturnedintheoriginalfactory
box and packing.
1.3 Powering Up!
Allxturesmustbepowereddirectlyoffaswitchedcircuitandcannot be run off a
rheostat (variable resistor) or dimmer circuit, even if the rheostat or dimmer
channel is used solely for a 0% to 100% switch.
AC Voltage Switch -Notallxtureshaveavoltageselectswitch,sopleaseverifythatthe
xtureyoureceiveissuitableforyourlocalpowersupply.Seethelabelonthextureor
refertothexture’sspecicationschartformoreinformation.Axture’slistedcurrent
ratingisitsaveragecurrentdrawundernormalconditions.Checkthextureordevice
carefully to make sure that if a voltage selection switch exists that it is set to the correct
line voltage you will use.
Warning! Verify that the voltage select switch on your unit matches the line
voltage applied. Damage to your xture may result if the line voltage applied does
not match the voltage indicated on the voltage selector switch. All xtures must
be connected to circuits with a suitable Ground (Earthing).
1.4 Getting A Hold Of Us
If something is wrong, just give us a call or send an email. We’ll be happy to help, honest.
Blizzard Lighting
N16 W23390 Stoneridge Dr. Suite E
Waukesha, WI 53188 USA
www.blizzardlighting.com
414-395-8365
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer:Theinformationandspecicationscontainedinthisdocumentaresubject
to change without notice. Blizzard Lighting™ assumes no responsibility or liability for any
errors or omissions that may appear in this user manual. Blizzard Lighting™ reserves the
right to update the existing document or to create a new document to correct any errors
or omissions at any time. You can download the latest version of this document from www.
blizzardlighting.com.
Author: Date: Last Edited: Date:
J. Thomas 8/5/2013 J. Thomas 8/7/2013

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
• Please keep this User Guide for future use. If you sell the unit to
someone else, be sure that they also receive this User Guide.
• ALWAYS make sure that you are connecting to the proper voltage,
and that the line voltage you are connecting to is not higher than
thatstatedonthedecalorrearpanelofthexture.
• This product is intended for indoor use only.
• Topreventriskofreorshock,donotexposexturetorainormois-
ture.
• Makesuretherearenoammablematerialsclosetotheunitwhile
operating.
• ALWAYS disconnect from the power source before servicing or re-
placing fuse and be sure to replace with same fuse size and type.
• DO NOT operate at ambient temperatures higher than 104°F (40°C).
• In the event of a serious operating problem, stop using the unit im-
mediately.NEVERtrytorepairtheunitbyyourself.Repairscarried
out by unskilled people can lead to damage or malfunction. Please
contact the nearest authorized technical assistance center. Always
use the same type spare parts.
• Make sure the power cord is never crimped or damaged.
• Never disconnect the power cord by pulling or tugging on the cord.
• Avoid direct eye exposure to the light source while it is on.
Caution! There are no user serviceable parts inside the unit. Do not open the
housing or attempt any repairs yourself. In the unlikely event your unit may re-
quire service, please contact Blizzard Lighting at [email protected].
1.5 Instructions on Our Instructions
We try to make these manuals easy to read and as fun as reading an instruc-
tion manual can be. Because there are buttons, switches, sliders and knobs
galore on most of our products, it makes sense to refer to things in a consistent
fashion. So, when you see text formatted in certain ways, it should say to you
“Hey! Look at me! I MEAN something, dammit!”
Special Text What It Means
LCD Textdisplayedonthexture’sLCDcontrolpanel
<MENU> Button <X> to be pressed

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
2. INTRODUCTION
2.1 Features
• DMX512 standard with RDM protocol compatibilty.
• 512 DMX channels
• Controlsupto32xtures,eachwithuptoof18DMXchannels
• Fixture starting addresses and channels can be soft patched
• 32 chases, able to run 5 chases simultaneously
• 32 scenes, all scenes are able to be operated simultaneously
• 9built-ineffectbuttonsformovingheadxtures,plus 7 built-in
color effect buttons
• USBportforrmwareupdatesanddatabackup
• Sound control via built-in microphone
2.2 General Overview
The ProKontrol™ MH is a universal intelligent lighting controller with RDM
protocol compatibilty. Once properly patched it it’s the perfect controller for
anymovingheadxture,allowingeaseofusewithitsdedicatedPANandTILT
wheels.Itallowsthecontrolof32xturescomposedof18channelseach.
Programs can be triggered by music, midi,automatically or manually. You can
run up to 5 chases, and all scenes can be executed at the same time.
Onthesurfaceyouwillalsondavarietyofprogrammingtoolssuchas16
universal c-hannel sliders, quick access “Movement” and built-in “Color Effect”
buttons, plus an LCD display indicator for easy navigation of all controls and
menu functions.
2.3 The ProKontrol™ Pin-up Pictures
proKONTROL MH
™

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
Number Button/Fader/Connection Does...
1NUMBER Buttons
Functions differently in different
modes.
2FIXTURE Button
When activated, the 16 number but-
tonsxtureselection.
3MOVEMENTButton
When activated, the 16 number but-
tons built-in movements/macros.
4SCENE Button
When activated, the 16 number but-
tons scene playback
5CHASE Button
When activated, the 16 number but-
tons are for chase playback.
6PAN/TILT Wheels
Functions differently in different
modes.
7USB Port
Usedforrmwareupdatesanddata
backup. FAT32 and FAT16 supported.
8REC/ENTER Button REC/ENTER
9MENUS/ESC Button MENUS/ESC
10 BLACKOUT/DEL Button BLACKOUT/DELETE
11 RUN MODE/SWAP Button RUN MODE/SWAP
12 LCD Screen LCD Screen
13 Faders Adjusts the DMX output value
14 DMX Out DMX Out (3-pin)
15 DC Input DC Input
16 Power On/Off Power On/Off
Number Buttons
• In CHASE mode, press a number button, the chase will be activated or
deactivated.
• In SCENE mode, press a number button, the scene will be activated or
deactivated.
• InMOVEMENTmode,pressanumberbutton,themovementwillbe
activated or deactivated.
• InFIXTUREmode,pressanumberbutton,axturewillbeselectedor
deselected.
Faders
• In FIXTURE mode, move a fader to adjust the DMX output value.
Pan/Tilt Wheels
• In CHASE mode, PAN/TILT wheels are to adjust the chase speed and time
respectively.
• InSCENEmode,nothingdenedinPAN/TILTwheels.
• InMOVEMENTmode,PAN/TILTwheelsaretoadjusttheMOVEMENT
parameters.
• In FIXTURE mode, PAN/TILT wheels are to adjust the output values of PAN/
TILT.
2.4 Button and Fader Functions

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
2.5 Common Terms
The following are common terms used in intelligent light programming, so pay
attention! We’ll be using many of them throughout the manual.
• Blackoutisastatebywherealllightingxtureslightoutputareset
to 0 or off, usually on a temporary basis.
• DMX-512 stands for Digital MultipleXis an industry standard digital
communication protocol used in entertainment lighting equipment.
For more information read the DMX Primer and DMX Control Mode
Sections later in the manual.
• Fixture refers to your lighting instrument or other device such as a
fogger or dimmer of which you can control.
• Programs are a bunch of scenes stacked one after another. It can be
programmed as either a single scene or multiple scenes in sequence.
• Scenes are static lighting states.
• Sliders are a delicious small burger or sandwich, but here they are
used in the same context as faders.
• Chases can also be called programs. A chase consists of a number of
scenes stacked one after another.
• Scanner refers to a lighting instrument with a pan and tilt mirror;
however, in the ProKontrol™ MH controller it can be used to control
anyDMX-512compatibledeviceasagenericxture.
• MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, and is a
standard for representing musical information in a digital format. A
MIDI input would provide external triggering of scenes using midi
device such as a midi keyboard.
• Stand Alonereferstoaxture’sabilitytofunctionindependentlyof
an external controller and usually in sync to music, due to a built in
microphone.
• Fade Slider is used to adjust the time between scenes within a
chase.
• Speed Slider affects the amount of time a scene will hold its state. It
is also considered a wait time.
• Shutterisamechanicaldeviceinthelightingxturethatallowsyou
to block the lights path. It is often used to lessen the intensity of the
light output and to strobe.
• PatchingreferstotheprocessofassigningxturesaDMXchannel.
• Playbacks can be either scenes or chases that are directly called to
execution by the user. A playback can also be considered program
memory that can be recalled during a show.

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
3. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
3.1 Setup
3.1.1 Setting Up The System
Plug the AC to DC power supply to the system back panel and to the mains
outlet.
PluginyourDMXcable(s)toyourintelligentlightingasdescribedinthextures
respective manual. For a quick lesson on DMX see the DMX Primer section in
the Appendix of this manual.
3.2 LCD Menu Navigation
Press and hold the <MENUS> button for 2 seconds to enter/exit Menu Mode.
The menu options are as follows:
01. Patch Fixture-Topatchxturesstartingaddressesandthe
channel position, etc.
02. Reset Factory - To restore the factory settings.
03. Delete All Fixture Patch - To delete all patch settings.
04. Fade Mode - To set fade time mode.
05. RDM DMX Address Setup - To implement RDM functions.
06. Data Back Up - To back up data to a USB memory stick.
07. Data Load - To load data from a USB memory stick.
08. Send Fixture Update File-Tosendthextureupdatecode.
The PAN wheel is used to browse between the menu options.

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
3.3 Fixture Adressing / Patching Fixtures and Faders
Thiscontrollerisprogrammedtocontrol18channelsofDMXperxtureonits16
faders plus the PAN and TILT encoder wheels.
To take full advantage of your ProKontrol™ MH, you’ll need to patch in the DMX
addresscodesofthexturesandfaders.Theaddressofthexturesandfaderscan
bechangedasneeded,butrstlet’sjustlookatthedefault values.
The default Fixture Patch Settings are:
Page Fixture DMX Start Address Page Fixture DMX Start Address
A
1 001
B
17 289
2 019 18 307
3 037 19 325
4 055 20 343
5 073 21 361
6 091 22 379
7 109 23 397
8 127 24 415
9 145 25 433
10 163 26 451
11 181 27 469
12 199 28 487
13 217 29 505
14 235 30 (Blank)
15 253 31 (Blank)
16 271 32 (Blank)
Fader DMX Ch. Fader DMX Ch. Fader DMX Ch.
1/R (Red) 1 7 7 13 13
2/G (Green) 2 8 8 14 14
3/B (Blue) 3 9 9 15 15
4/W (White) 4 10 10 16 16
5/D (Dimmer) 5 11 11 PAN 17
6 6 12 12 TILT 18
And the default Fader Patch Setting are:
In the above table, R=RED, G=GREEN, B=BLUE, W=WHITE, D=DIMMER
DMX START ADDRESS + FADER CHANNEL, - 1 = FADER DMX ADDRESS
Forexample:Withthesedefaultxturepatchsettings,theFIXTURE1PANDMX
addressis17,soxiture2PANDMXaddresswouldbe35.
BeforecontrollingaxturewithoutRDMfunction,youneedtopatchthexture’s
DMX starting address. For example, if you are patching a moving head, you
must patch the pan/tilt channels of the moving head to PAN/TILT wheels on the
ProKontrolMH.IfyouarepatchinganLEDxture,then,youmustpatchtheRed,
Green, Blue, White and Dimmer channels to the corresponding faders respectively.
The ProKontrol MH will then be able to correctly run all of its built-in movements
and fade in/out effects with the patch setting.

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ProKontrol MH Manual Rev. A © 2013 Blizzard Lighting, LLC
3.4. Fixture Patching Instructions (Step by step)
Followthesestepstobeginpatchingyourxtures:
1. Press and hold <MENUS> for 2 seconds to enter Menu Mode.
2. Rotate the PAN wheel to locate: 01. PATCH FIXTURE.
3. Press <ENTER>toconrm.
4. Selectaxture(onlyonexturecanbeselected).
5. Press <SWAP> to switch between the four settings: DMX START
ADDRESS, FADER CHANL, FADER REVERSE and COLOR FADE.
6. In DMX START ADDRESS,rotate the PAN wheel to adjust the DMX
start address; press <ENTER> to save, or press <DEL> to delete
the existing DMX start address.
7. In FADER CHANL, rotate the PAN wheel to select a fader name
within “1/R” to “TILT”. Rotate the TILT wheel to adjust the address
of the corresponding DMX channel within 1-40. Press <ENTER> to
save the patching or press <DEL> to delete the existing patching.
8. In FADER REVERSE, rotate the PAN wheel to select a fader name
within “1/R” to “TILT”. Rotate the TILT wheel to select YES or NO;
YES means to set the corresponding channel reverse; NO means
inverse. Press <ENTER> to save the setting.
9. In COLOR FADE,you can enable or disable the fade in/out time of
thexture’scolorchannels.RotatethePANwheel,selectYESor
NO; YES means to enable; NO means to disable. Press <ENTER>
to save the settings.
10. Tocopyapatchedxturetoanewxture,press and hold the
numberbuttonofthepatchedxture,thenpressthenumber
buttonofanewxture.
11. Press <ESC> to exit patch setting.
*DMX START ADDRESS + FADER CHANNEL, - 1 = FADER DMX ADDRESS
Example: If FIXTURE 1 is set to 11 as its DMX starting address, and its 1/R
fader channel is set to 1, when you move the 1st fader the output of the 11th
DMX channel will be changed.
But, if FIXTURE 1 is set to 11 as its DMX starting address, and its 1/R fader
channel is set to 10, and you move the 1st fader, the output of the 20th DMX
channel will be changed.
When patching, a “!” mark will be shown in the LCD display when there is
a overlap in the patching of DMX channels. This will need to be corrected,
otherwise the DMX output may run in error.