Chauvet Stage Designer 50 User manual

User Manual

Page 2 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Before You Begin.......................................................................................................... 4
What Is Included .............................................................................................................................4
Unpacking Instructions....................................................................................................................4
Claims..................................................................................................................................................... 4
Text Conventions ............................................................................................................................4
Symbols ..........................................................................................................................................4
Disclaimer .......................................................................................................................................4
Product at a Glance ........................................................................................................................4
Safety Notes....................................................................................................................................5
2. Introduction................................................................................................................... 5
Features..........................................................................................................................................5
Additional Features .........................................................................................................................5
Product Overview............................................................................................................................6
Product Overview (cont.)........................................................................................................................ 7
Common Terms ..............................................................................................................................8
Product Dimensions........................................................................................................................8
3. Operating Instructions.................................................................................................. 9
DC Power........................................................................................................................................9
Setup...............................................................................................................................................9
Page Selection................................................................................................................................9
Master Faders...............................................................................................................................10
Crossfade Mode ................................................................................................................................... 10
Chase◄►Scene Mode........................................................................................................................ 10
Channel Mode ...................................................................................................................................... 10
4. Record Mode ................................................................................................................11
Enable Record ..............................................................................................................................11
Create a Scene .............................................................................................................................11
Playing a Scene ............................................................................................................................11
Record Clear.................................................................................................................................11
5. Edit Mode......................................................................................................................12
Enable Edit....................................................................................................................................12
Delete a Scene..............................................................................................................................12
Delete a Step or Steps..................................................................................................................12
Insert a Step or Steps ...................................................................................................................12
Modify a Step or Steps..................................................................................................................12
6. Playback Options.........................................................................................................13
Audio Triggering............................................................................................................................13
Speed............................................................................................................................................13
Show Mode........................................................................................................................................... 13
Beat Mode............................................................................................................................................ 13
Speed Modes ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Fade..............................................................................................................................................14
Single Chase Mode.......................................................................................................................14
Mix Chase Mode ...........................................................................................................................14
7. Other Functions............................................................................................................15
Black Out.......................................................................................................................................15
Dark...............................................................................................................................................15
Hold...............................................................................................................................................15
Blind and Home.............................................................................................................................15

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 3 of 21
Reverse Functions ........................................................................................................................15
% or 255........................................................................................................................................15
Add Kill..........................................................................................................................................15
Full On...........................................................................................................................................15
Master Reset.................................................................................................................................15
Physical Fader Assignment ..........................................................................................................16
Auxiliary Controls..........................................................................................................................17
MIDI Operation..............................................................................................................................18
Setting MIDI In/Out............................................................................................................................... 18
MIDI Control Chart................................................................................................................................ 18
MIDI File Dump..................................................................................................................................... 18
8. Technical Specifications..............................................................................................19
Returns .............................................................................................................................20
Contact Us .........................................................................................................................21

Page 4 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
1.BEFORE YOU BEGIN
What Is
Included
•Stage Designer 50
•External Power Supply
•User Manual
•Warranty Card
Unpacking
Instructions
Carefully unpack the product immediately and check the container to make sure all the
parts are in the package and are in good condition.
Claims
If the box or the contents (the product and included accessories) appear damaged from
shipping, or show signs of mishandling, notify the carrier immediately, not Chauvet.
Failure
to report damage to the carrier immediately may invalidate your claim. In a
ddition, keep the
box and contents for inspection.
For other issues, such as missing components or parts, damage not related to shipping, or
concealed damage, file a claim with Chauvet within 7 days of delivery.
Text
Conventions
Convention Meaning
1—512
A range of values
50/60
A set of values of which only one can be chosen
Settings
A menu option not to be modified
Menu > Settings
A sequence of menu options to be followed
<ENTER>
A key to be pressed on the product’s control panel
ON
A value to be entered or selected
Symbols
Symbol
Meaning
Critical installation, configuration, or operation information. Not
following these instructions may make the product not work, cause
damage to the product, or cause harm to the operator.
Important installation or configuration information. The product
may not function correctly if this information is not used.
Useful information.
Disclaimer
Chauvet believes that the information contained in this manual is accurate in all respects.
Howeve
r, Chauvet assumes no responsibility and specifically disclaims any and all liability
to any party for any loss, damage or disruption caused by any errors or omissions in this
document, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or a
ny other
cause. Chauvet reserves the right to revise the content of this document without any
obligation to notify any person or company of such revision, however, Chauvet has no
obligation to make, and does not commit to make, any such revisions. Download
the latest
version from www.chauvetlighting.com.
The works of authorship contained in this manual, including, but not limited to, all design,
text and images are owned by Chauvet.
© Copyright 2015 Chauvet & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Electronically published by Chauvet in the United States of America.
CHAUVET, the Chauvet logo, and
Stage Designer 50 are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Chauvet & Sons Inc. (d/b/a Chauvet and Chauvet Lighting) in the
United
States and other countries. Other company and product names and logos referred to herein
may be trademarks of their respective companies.
Product at a
Glance
Use on Dimmer
x
Auto Programs
x
Outdoor Use
x
Auto-ranging Power Supply
P
Sound-Active
P
Replaceable Fuse
x
DMX
P
User-Serviceable
x
Master/Slave
x

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 5 of 21
Safety Notes
Please read the following Safety Notes carefully before working with the product. The Notes
include important safety information about installation, usage, and maintenance.
•Always connect the product to a grounded circuit to avoid the risk of electrocution.
•Always disconnect the product from the power source before cleaning.
•Make sure the power cord is not crimped or damaged.
•Never disconnect the product from power cord by pulling or tugging on the cord.
•
Make sure there are no flammable materials close to the product when operating.
•The product is not intended for permanent installation.
•Always make sure that the voltage of the outlet to which you are connecting the
product is within the range stated on the decal or rear panel of the product.
•The product is for indoor use only! (IP20) To prevent risk of fire or shock, do not
expose the product to rain or moisture.
•Always install the product in a location with adequate ventilation, at least 20 in
(50 cm) from adjacent surfaces.
•Never connect the product to a dimmer or rheostat.
•Never carry the product from the power cord.
•The maximum ambient temperature (Ta) is 104 °F (40 °C). Do not operate the
product at higher temperatures.
•In the event of a serious operating problem, stop using the product immediately.
•Never try to repair the product. Repairs carried out by unskilled people can lead to
damage or malfunction. Please contact the nearest authorized technical assistance
center.
•To eliminate unnecessary wear and improve its lifespan, during periods of non-use
completely disconnect the product from power via breaker or by unplugging it.
Keep this User Manual for future use. If you sell the product to someone else, be
sure that they also receive this document.
2.INTRODUCTION
The Stage Designer 50 is a universal intelligent lighting controller. It allows the control of
48 channels with 24 faders. Each scene/chase can contain up to 1000 individual steps,
or looks. On the surface, when in playback mode, there are 12 physical faders for the
playback of the saved programs. There are 4 pages of scenes to play back on Page A,
and an additional 4 pages of scenes to play back on Page B. Programs can be triggered
by music, midi, automatically or manually. Channel assignments can be reprogrammed
for ease of controlling different fixtures. On the surface you will find various programming
tools such as A/B master faders for live control, and Fade and Speed time faders for on
the fly adjustments. It also has an LCD display for easy navigation of controls and menu
functions.
Features
•48-channel DMX-512 dimming console
•4 pages with 12 scenes each yields 48
total playback faders (simultaneous
playback)
•48,000 programmable steps
•2 programmable aux buttons
•Adjustable chase and fade times
•Re-assignable channels
Additional
Features •3-pin and 5-pin DMX connections
•Built-in cross-fading, dark and kill
buttons
•MIDI in, out and thru (with file dump)
•Direct audio input
•Sequential linking or simultaneous
playback of chases
•Override chases on the fly
•Beat-activation, tap sync, auto run,
midi in/out
•6-space (6 U) rack mount
•Polarity selector

Page 6 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
Product Overview
Front Panel View
2
1
3
6
5
8
9
11
14
16
17
18
15
12
31
32
7
24
10
19
13
30
1
2
29
28
27
25
26
22
23
20
21
4
4

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 7 of 21
Product Overview
(cont.)
Front Panel
Item
Button/Fader/LED
Function
1
Channel Flash Buttons
Temporarily sets fader output to 100%
2 Channel Faders
Controls channel output. 13/37–24/28 also control scene
playback
3
Scene Playback Indicators
LEDs indicate which scenes are playing back
4
Channel Indicators
LEDs indicate which channels are outputting
5
Dark
Temporarily sets all outputs to 0%
6 Down / Beat Rev
Lowers selected value / Reverses chasing direction of all
scenes set to a tempo
7
Mode Select / Rec Speed
Cycles operating modes / Programs a tempo for a scene
8 Up / Chase Rev
Raises selected value / Reverses chasing direction of all
scenes controlled by the speed fader
9
LCD Display
Displays the current state or mode
10
Page / Rec Clr
Cycles scene banks / Clears unsaved steps
11 Delete / Rev One
Deletes a step in a scene / Reverses chasing direction of
selected scenes
12
Aux 1
Patchable, used to control a channel
13 Add Kill / Rec Exit
Temporarily blinds all but selected channels / Exits from
Record and Edit modes
14
Insert / % or 0-255
Adds a step or steps into a scene / Toggles percent and 0–255
15
Aux 2
Patchable, used to control a channel
16
Edit / All Rev
Activates Edit mode / Reverses chasing direction of all scenes
17 Record / Shift
Activates Record mode, programs a step / Enables alternate
functions of buttons
18
Audio / Page A_B
Activates audio triggering / Toggles channel page
19
Step
Continues to next step in Show and Edit modes
20
Audio Level Fader
Adjusts audio sensitivity
21
Blackout
Sets all output to 0% / Restores normal output
22
Speed Fader
Sets scene playback tempo
23
Full On
Temporarily sets all outputs to 100%
24
Hold
Temporarily freezes playback to current state
25
Fade Fader
Sets fade times
26
Tap Sync
Sets playback speed when tapped repeatedly
27
Home
Deactivates blind on a selected channel
28 Master Fader B
Controls total output of manual fader settings and Preset B
channels
29
Blind
Temporarily deactivates a selected channel output
30
Master Fader A
Controls total output of scenes and Preset A channels
31
Park
Toggles Single and Mix chase modes
32
No Function
Reserved for future use
3-pin DMX
Out DC
Power In
Audio In
MIDI Thru
Polarity
Switch
Back Panel View
MIDI Out
MIDI In
5-pin DMX
Out
Remote
Input

Page 8 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
Common Terms
The following are common terms used in intelligent light programming:
•Fixture: Any lighting or effect product, including but not limited to lights, fog machines, and
dimmers.
•DMX: Stands for Digital Multiplexing, an industry standard communication protocol used to
control fixtures. For more information, download the DMX Primer from
www.chauvetlighting.com.
•
Channel
: A single DMX value, from 0 to 255, assigned to a single function or set of functions
for a fixture.
•Blackout: A state where the light output of all fixtures is set to 0/off. Usually temporary. For
example: in theater, this allows stage sets to be changed or moved without being seen by the
audience.
•Fader: A component that moves smoothly up and down to set a desired value. Also known as
a slider.
•Step: A lighting state, in which the DMX signal is constant and unchanging.
•
Scene: A set of one or more steps arranged one after the other.
•
Chase: For this product, it is synonymous with Scene.
•
MIDI
: Stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, an industry standard method of digitally
representing musical information.
•Speed: The amount of time for each step in a scene.
•
Beat: A pre-recorded speed.
•Fade: The amount of time it takes to switch between steps in a scene, in which one step fades
out while the next fades in at the same time.
•Playback: Programmable memory of steps or scenes that can be executed during a show or
directly by the user at any time.
•
Page: Refers to either Page A_B for channel selection, or Page 1–4 for scene selection.
Product Dimensions
19 in
483 mm
10.5 in
267 mm

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 9 of 21
3.OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
DC Power
The Stage Designer 50 has an external, auto-
ranging power supply and it can work with
an input voltage range of 100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz. To determine the product’s power
requirements (
circuit breaker, power outlet, and wiring), use the current value listed on the
label affixed to the power supply’s back panel, or refer to the product’s specifications chart.
The listed current rating indicates the product
’s average current draw under normal
conditions.
•Always connect the product to a protected circuit (circuit breaker or fuse). Make
sure the product has an appropriate electrical ground to avoid the risk of
electrocution or fire.
•To eliminate unnecessary wear and improve its lifespan, during periods of non-use
completely disconnect the product from power via breaker or by unplugging it.
Never connect the product
to a rheostat (variable resistor) or dimmer circuit, even if the
rheostat or dimmer channel serves only as a 0 to 100% switch.
Setup
1. Place the Stage Designer 50 on a level surface, or rack-mount it. When rack-
mounted, it occupies six rack spaces (6U).
2. Plug one end of the external power supply into the product’s back panel and the other
end into a grounded/protected power outlet.
3. Plug in your DMX cable(s) to the lighting fixtures you wish to control
as described in
their respective manuals.
If you are not familiar with the DMX protocol, download the
DMX Primer from www.chauvetlighting.com.
4. For first time use only: Reset the Stage Designer 50 system. (See Master Reset)
Black Out must be turned off at start-up, or there will be no DMX output. To toggle Black
Out, press the <BLACKOUT> button. The indicator LED will be on if Black Out is on, or off
if Black Out is off.
Page Selection
The Stage Designer 50 has 24 faders, but 48 channels of DMX output. This works
because the channel outputs are split between two Pages: Page A and Page B. Page A
sets the faders as channels 1–24. Page B sets the faders as channels 25–48. At startup,
the product will be set to the page that was set when it was powered down. The LCD
display will show which page is currently set.
To toggle between Page A and Page B:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
2. Press the <AUDIO / PAGE A_B> button.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
Channel pages A and B are unrelated to the pages in the Scene Bank (1–4).

Page 10 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
Master Faders
There are two MASTER faders: A and B
. Their functions depend on what mode the
product is set to.
To toggle through the modes, tap the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button
repeatedly.
Crossfade Mode
In Crossfade mode, MASTER fader Acontrols the output of the PRESET A faders,
while MASTER fader Bcontrols the output of the PRESET B
faders. In this mode,
PRESET A and PRESET B will control the same 12 channels a
t all times. On Page A,
they will control channels 1 – 12, and on Page B they will control channels 13 –
24. This
mode allows the user to fade smoothly between two preset looks at will, as well as
control the channels live without the need to program a scene or scenes.
To operate the Stage Designer 50 in Crossfade mode:
1. Start with both MASTER faders all the way down.
2. Press the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button repeatedly until the yellow
indicator LED for 1-12A / 1-12B is lit.
3. Compose the first look with the faders in PRESET A (1 / 25 –12 / 36).
4. Slide both MASTER faders up simultaneously. PRESET Awill be active.
5. Compose the next look with the faders in PRESET B (13 / 37 –24 / 48).
6. To switch to PRESET B, slide both MASTER
faders all the way down
simultaneously.
7. Repeat steps 3 – 6 as desired.
Chase◄►Scene
Mode
In Chase◄►Scene mode, MASTER fader B
controls the total output of the currently
selected scene. MASTER fader A
, on the other hand, controls the output of the physical
faders 1 / 25 – 12 / 36.
To set the product to Chase◄►Scene mode, press the
<MODE SELECT / REC
SPEED> button until the red indicator LED for Chase◄►Scene lights up.
To utilize MASTER fader Bin Chase◄►Scene mode:
1. Move the MASTER fader B
to its maximum position (fully down) for maximum
effect. Adjust it for desired Record Mode and Scene Playback output. See
Playing a
Scene for instructions on playing back recorded scenes.
To utilize MASTER fader Ain Chase◄►Scene mode:
1. Move the MASTER fader Ato its maximum p
osition (fully up) for maximum effect.
Adjust it for desired manual output.
2. Move faders 1 / 25 – 12 / 36 to desired override positions.
NOTE
: Faders will only override the recorded scene while new positions are higher
than recorded positions.
Channel Mode
In Channel mode, MASTER fader Bhas no function. Only MASTER fader A
will control
the output of all channels.
To set the product to Channel mode, press the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button
until the green indicator LED for 1-24 A lights up.

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 11 of 21
4.RECORD MODE
Enable Record
For all programming functions in the Stage Designer 50 system, Record
mode must be
enabled.
To enable Record:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
2. While holding <RECORD / SHIFT>, tap the flash buttons in the following sequence:
<1 / 25>, <5 / 29>, <6 / 30>, <8 / 32>. (1, 5, 6, 8.)
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. The Record LED will light up.
To exit Record:
1. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>.
2. Tap the <ADD KILL / REC EXIT> button. All Channel LEDs will flash.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
Create a Scene
The Stage Designer 50 allows the user to pre-
record programs for playback, known as
scenes or chases.
To create a scene:
1. Enable Record.
2. Press the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button until the green indicator LED for 1-
24 A lights up.
3. Compose t
he first step (Step 000) for the scene by moving the faders to the desired
positions.
4. Press the <RECORD / SHIFT> button to save the step to temporary memory.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the desired number of steps have been programmed, up to
Step 999 for one scene. After pressing <RECORD / SHIFT>
, the display will read
Step _ _ _ (the current scene number).
6. Select the page (Scene Master) in which to save the scene, by pressing the
<PAGE / REC CLR> button until the LED indicates the desired page.
7. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>, and tap a flash button (<13 / 37>–<24 / 48>
) to
save the scene to that fader for playback.
8. Continue programming, or exit Record.
Playing a
Scene
Once a scene is recorded and saved, it can be recalled and played back using the fader to
which it was assigned. To select a scene for playback, follow the instructions below:
1. Press the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button until the red indicator LED for
Chase◄►Scene lights up.
2. If necessary, use the <PAGE / REC CLR> button to select the page to
which the
desired scene is saved.
3. Push the MASTER fader Bto its maximum position (fully down).
4. Set the SPEED and FADE faders to the desired positions. (See Speed and Fade for
more information.)
5. Bring the fader for the scene you wish to play back up to the desired output level.
Adjust the output level of the scene by moving the scene’s fader.
6. Adjust the total output of all scenes with the MASTER fader B.
Record Clear
While recording a scene, if you wish
to start over and erase all unsaved steps, follow the
instructions below:
1. Do NOT save the scene.
2. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
3. Tap the <PAGE / REC CLR> button.
All Channel LEDs will flash, indicating the steps
have been cleared.
4. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
5. Continue programming, or exit Record.

Page 12 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
5.EDIT MODE
Enable Edit
In order to make any changes to the steps in a scene or scenes, Edit must be enabled.
To enable Edit:
1. Enable Record.
2. Press the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button until the red indicator LED for
Chase◄►Scene lights up.
3. Use the <PAGE / REC CLR> button to select the page to which the desired scene is
saved.
4. Press and hold the <EDIT / ALL REV> button, and tap the flash button (<13 / 37>–
<24 / 48>) of the desired scene.
5. Release <EDIT / ALL REV>
. The selected scene LED will light up, indicating the
product is in Edit mode.
To exit Edit:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT>button.
2. Tap the <ADD KILL / REC EXIT> button. All Channel LEDs will flash.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. The controller will be back in Record mode.
Delete a Scene
To delete a single entire scene, do the following:
1. Enable Edit for the scene to be deleted.
2. Press the
<DELETE / REV ONE>
button three times.
Delete a Step
or Steps
To delete one or multiple steps within a saved scene:
1. Enable Edit for the scene to be edited.
2. Use the <STEP> button to cycle through the steps of the scene until the desired step
is selected.
3. Press the <DELETE / REV ONE> button once to delete the selected step.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all unwanted steps have been deleted.
5. Continue editing, or exit Edit.
Insert a Step or
Steps
To insert a steps or steps into a previously saved scene:
1. Enable Record and record the step or steps you wish to be inserted.
2. Enable Edit for the scene into which you wish to insert the new step or steps.
3. Use the <STEP> button
to cycle through the steps of the scene. Select the step you
wish to be after the inserted step or steps.
4. Press the <INSERT / % or 0-255> button to insert the new step or steps before the
selected step. All Channel LEDs will flash.
5. Continue editing, or exit Edit.
Modify a Step
or Steps
To modify an existing step within a previously saved scene.
1. Enable Edit for the scene to be edited.
2. Use the <STEP> button to cycle through the steps of th
e scene until the step to be
edited is selected.
3. Press and hold either:
•The <DOWN / BEAT REV> button if you wish to lower a value.
or
•The <UP / CHASE REV> button if you wish to raise a value.
4. Tap or hold the <FLASH> button of the channel you wish to edit. Tapping will change
the value by 1 at a time. Holding will cause the value to rise or fall smoothly.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 until all desired modifications have been made.
6. Continue editing, or exit Edit.
Moving the channel faders in Edit mode has no effect on the recorded scene. The
changes will not be saved.

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 13 of 21
6.PLAYBACK OPTIONS
Audio
Triggering
The Stage Designer 50 is capable of responding to sound. It can use either its own built-in
microphone or an alternative audio source, through the audio line in
jack on the back
panel.
To enable audio triggering:
1. Play back a scene.
2. Press the <AUDIO / PAGE A_B> button. The indicator LED above it will light.
3. Use the AUDIO LEVEL fader to adjust the sensitivity.
The steps of the scene playing will now be triggered by sound.
To disable audio triggering, press <AUDIO / PAGE A_B>
again. The indicator LED above
it will turn off.
Speed
Unless a beat
has been recorded, a scene’s playback speed will depend on the position of
the SPEED fader. Adjusting it up or down
will affect the amount of time before the next
step is triggered. When it is moved, the display will read SPEED _ _m_ _s_ _
with the
currently set time in minutes, seconds, and milliseconds.
The fastest speed is 20
milliseconds. The slowest speed is 5 minutes or 10 minutes, depending on the speed
mode.
Speed controls will not work if Audio Triggering is enabled.
Show Mode
The
SPEED
fader also has a setting for manual triggering, called show mode. Unless a
beat has been recorded, show mode can be enabled by doing the following:
1. Play back a scene.
2. Move the SPEED fader to its lowest position, labelled SHOW MODE
. The display will
read SPEED 29m07s12.
3. Tap the <STEP> button to trigger the next step, exactly when you desire.
Show mode will only work with the SPEED fader at its lowest position. Any higher, and the
<STEP> button will not have any effect.
Beat Mode
Scenes can be set to run at a user set speed or beat. This can be done with the SPEED
fader or the TAP SYNC feature.
To record a beat with the speed fader, follow the instructions below:
1. Play back the scene you wish to set to a beat.
2. Press the <PARK> button until the LED (yellow) indicating Mix Chase is lit.
3. Move the SPEED fader to the desired position.
4. Press and hold the <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED> button
and tap the flash button
of the scene playing back.
All channel and scene LEDs will flash, indicating the beat
has been recorded.
To disable a beat recorded this way, and return control to the SPEED fader:
1. Play back the scene with the beat you wish to disable.
2. Press <PARK> until the LED (yellow) indicating Mix Chase is lit.
3. Move the SPEED fader to its lowest position (SHOW MODE).
4. Press and hold <MODE SELECT / REC SPEED>
and tap the flash button of the
scene playing bac
k. All channel and scene LEDs will flash, indicating the beat has
been disabled.
To record a beat with the TAP SYNC feature:
1. Play back the scene you wish to set to a beat.
2. Press the <TAP SYNC> button.
3. Wait the desired time and press <TAP SYNC> again. The d
isplay will read the time in
between presses, and the steps will be triggered at that speed.
4. Repeat step 3 if necessary to get the timing right.
To disable a beat recorded with TAP SYNC, move the SPEED fader.

Page 14 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
Speed Modes
The SPEED fader has two modes, 5 min and 10 min.
To set it to 5 min mode:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT>button.
2. Press the <5 / 29> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. The LED indicator for 5 min mode will be lit.
To set it to 10 min mode:
1. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>.
2. Press the <10 / 34> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. The LED indicator for 10 min mode will be lit.
Fade
The FADE fader sets the period of time each recorded step takes to fade in and out. The
higher the value it is set to, the longer the dimmer curve for the system.
•FADE value can not be recorded.
•
The maximum FADE value is 10 minutes. The minimum is instant.
Single Chase
Mode
In Single Chase mode, the Stage Designer 50 will cycle through all activated scenes, at
the speed set by the SPEED fader, TAP SYNC, or Audio Triggering.
To operate in Single Chase mode:
1. Press the <PARK> button until the LED (red) indicating Single Chase is lit.
2. Bring the fader or faders for the scene(s) you wish to cycle to the desired output
level(s). The Stage Designer 50 will cycle through them in order.
Recorded beats/speeds will not work in this mode.
Mix Chase
Mode
One of the features of the Stage Designer 50 is the ability to layer scenes. This allows
two or more scenes to output simultaneously.
To layer scenes together, do the following:
1. Press the <PARK> button until the LED (yellow) indicating Mix Chase is lit.
2. Bring the fader or faders for the scene(s) you wish to play back simultaneously up to
the desired output level(s).
3. Adjust the output of each scene as necessary.
•Manual cross-fading of scenes will only work properly in this mode.
•Recorded beats/speeds will only work in this mode.

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 15 of 21
7.OTHER FUNCTIONS
Black Out
Black Out stops all DMX output from the controller. Functions will still work during Black
Out, but there will be no DMX output. To toggle Black Out:
Press the <BLACKOUT> button.
The yellow indicator LED for Black Out will be lit if Black Out is active.
Dark
At any time, pressing the <DARK> button will temporarily black out the controller.
Releasing <DARK> will restore DMX output. Scenes playing back will continue while
DARK.
Hold
While a scene is playing back, press and hold the
<HOLD>
button to freeze DMX output to
its current state. Release <HOLD> to unfreeze. Although DMX output will freeze, the
scene will continue.
Releasing <HOLD> will cause the output to jump to the step currently being processed.
Blind and
Home
Pressing the <BLIND> button and a channel’s flash button at the same time will black out
that channel.
Pressing the <HOME> button and a blinded channel’s flash button at the same time will
restore its function.
Reverse
Functions
There are four reverse functions available to the Stage Designer 50:
1. Beat Reverse: pressing the <DOWN / BEAT REV> button will reverse the playback
of all scenes that have a beat recorded. This is effective even in Single Chase
mode.
2. Chase Reverse: pressing the <UP / CHASE REV> button will reverse the playback
of all scenes that do not have a beat recorded.
3. Reverse One: pressing the <DELETE / REV ONE> button will reverse the playback
of selected scenes.
4. All Reverse: pressing the <EDIT / ALL REV> button will reverse the playback of all
scenes.
NOTE: Reverse functions remain the same with Audio Triggering activated.
% or 255
The Stage Designer 50 can display fader and auxiliary states as DMX values or as a
percentage out of 100. To toggle the number system:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
2. Press the <INSERT / % or 255> button.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. The number system will have changed.
Add Kill
Pressing the <ADD KILL / REC EXIT> button during playback will toggle Add Kill mode,
which will be shown by the indicator LED being lit.
In Add Kill mode, pressing a flash button <1 / 25>–<12 / 36> will bring that channel to full
output and black out all other channels. The scene will continue to play back in the
background, but only the selected channel will output.
Releasing the flash button will cause the output to jump to the step currently being
processed.
Full On
Pressing the <FULL ON> button will cause all 48 DMX channels to output 100%.
Releasing <FULL ON> will restore normal function. If a scene is playing back when
<FULL ON>
is released, the output will jump to the step currently being processed.
Master Reset
To reset the product to factory settings, deleting all scenes, settings, and data, do the
following:
1. Enable Record.
2. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
3. While holding <RECORD / SHIFT>, tap the flash buttons in the following sequence:
<1 / 25>, <3 / 27>, <2 / 26>, <3 / 27>. (1, 3, 2, 3.).
4. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. All channel LEDs will flash.

Page 16 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
Physical Fader
Assignment
This feature allows the user to change the DMX output assigned to a fader. For example,
the user can make fader 3 (which normally only outputs DMX channel 3) output any or all
DMX channels they wish.
If two different fixtures have the same function (such as red LED output), but must be
assigned different DMX addresses, the user can combine the desired channels of both
fixtures into one fader channel. Moving that fader will then cause both DMX values to
change at the same time.
To alter the physical fader assignments, do the following:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT>button.
2. While holding <RECORD / SHIFT>, press the <6 / 30> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
4. Press the <FLASH> button of the DMX channel you wish to assign to a different
fader.
5. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>.
6. While holding <RECORD / SHIFT>, press the <FLASH> button of the fader you wish
to assign.
7. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
8. Repeat steps 1–3 until the desired assignments are set.
9. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>and the <ADD KILL / REC EXIT> button to exit
the mode.
Example:
To change fader 1 to output DMX channel 9:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT>button.
2. While holding <RECORD / SHIFT>, press the flash button <6 / 30> three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
4. Press the <9 / 33>flash button.
5. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>.
6. While holding <RECORD / SHIFT>, press the <1 / 25>flash button.
7. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
All physical faders can be re-assigned to output on multiple DMX channels. There is no
limit to the amount of channels that can be assigned to a single fader. If desired, up to all
48 channels of DMX output can be assigned to a single fader.

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 17 of 21
Auxiliary
Controls
There are two Aux knobs, both with a flash button. They can be assigned to act as
shortcuts for DMX channels. There are 3 auxiliary modes, called functions:
1. FUNC 01: Disables the auxiliary knob and flash button.
2. FUNC 02: The auxiliary knob and flash button functions exactly as the original fader
and flash button did.
3. FUNC 03: The auxiliary knob sets the output value of the auxiliary flash button.
(Example: Set the knob to 255, and the channel will output 255 when the flash
button is pressed.)
To assign a channel and function to an Aux knob and flash button, follow the
instructions below:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
2. For:
•Aux 1: Press the <7 / 31> flash button three times.
•Aux 2: Press the <8 / 32> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>. The display will show the current status of the Aux
being set.
4. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT> again.
5. Press one of the following flash buttons:
•<1 / 25> for FUNC 01.
•<2 / 26> for FUNC 02.
•<3 / 27> for FUNC 03.
6. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
7. Press the <FLASH> button of the channel you wish to assign to the auxiliary.
8. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>.
9. Tap the <ADD KILL / REC EXIT> button.
10. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
NOTE: Record mode does not have to be enabled to assign or disable auxiliaries.
•If an auxiliary is set to FUNC 02, the original fader and flash button for the assigned
channel will not function.
•If an auxiliary is set to FUNC 03, the original fader and flash button will still function,
but the highest value between them and the auxiliary will take precedent.
(Example: If the fader is set to 200, and the Aux knob is set to 255, the <Aux> flash
button will override the fader. If the Aux knob is set lower than the fader, the <Aux>
flash button will have no effect.

Page 18 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
MIDI Operation
The Stage Designer 50 can also respond to an external MIDI controller, using “note-on”
commands. All other MIDI commands are ignored.
Setting MIDI
In/Out
To assign the controller a MIDI channel to receive and send MIDI commands, do the
following:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
2. For:
•In: Press the <1 / 25> flash button three times.
•Out: Press the <2 / 26> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
4. Select the MIDI channel (1–16) by pressing the corresponding flash button
(<1 / 25>–<16 / 40>).
5. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT> and press the <ADD KILL / REC EXIT>
button.
6. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
NOTE: The controller will only respond to commands on the assigned MIDI channel,
and only output on the assigned MIDI channel. To output all MIDI input, connect to
MIDI THRU.
MIDI Control
Chart
MIDI Note FUNCTION (TURN ON/OFF)
22–69
Trigger scenes 1–48 (100%)
70–117
Activate Channel 1–48
118
Full-On
119
Dark
120
Hold
121
Toggle Audio
122
Chase◄►Scene mode
123
1-12A_1-12B mode
124
1-24A mode
125 Step
126
BLACKOUT
127
Toggle Page A/B (1–24/25–48)
MIDI File Dump
MIDI can be used to copy the saved memory contents (also called the show) from one
Stage Designer 50 to another Stage Designer 50. The process is called MIDI File
Dump, and will not work with any other device.
To perform a MIDI File Dump, first prepare the controller to receive the programmed
show. Follow the instructions below, on the controller you wish to receive the file dump:
1. Press and hold the <RECORD / SHIFT> button.
2. Press the <3 / 27> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
The display will read MIDI FILEDUMP RECVING 000%.
Next, connect the MIDI IN jack on the receiving controller to the MIDI OUT jack on the
sending controller. Then set up the sending controller to send the file dump. On the
controller you wish to send the file dump, do the following:
1. Press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT>
2. Press the <4 / 28> flash button three times.
3. Release <RECORD / SHIFT>.
The display will read MIDI FILEDUMP SENDING 000%.
The file dump will begin immediately, and the numbers on both displays will show the
progress. The process can take several minutes to complete. During the file dump, all
other operations will cease to function.
When the file dump is completed, press and hold <RECORD / SHIFT> and press
<ADD KILL / REC EXIT> on both controllers to exit MIDI mode. Then release
<RECORD / SHIFT>.
If an error or power failure occurs, the file dump will be interrupted and stop.

Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10 Page 19 of 21
8.TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions and
Weight
Length
Width
Height
Weight
19 in (483 mm)
10.5 in (267 mm)
3.5 in (89 mm)
9.9 lb (4.5 kg)
Note: Dimensions in inches rounded to the nearest decimal digit.
Rackmount
6U
Power
Value
Stage Designer 50
External Power Supply
Input Voltage
Fixed
Switching
Range
12 VDC, 500 mA
100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Voltage Selection
Fixed
Auto-ranging
Thermal
Maximum External Temp.
Cooling System
104 °F (40 °C)
Convection
DMX
Output Connectors
Channels
3 and 5-pin XLR
48
Ordering
Product Name
Item Code
UPC Number
Stage Designer 50
09080283
781462202637

Page 20 of 21 Stage Designer 50 User Manual Rev. 10
R
ETURNS
In case you need to get support or return a product:
1) If you are located in the U.S., contact Chauvet World Headquarters.
2) If you are located in the UK or Ireland, contact Chauvet Europe Ltd.
3) If you are located in Mexico, contact Chauvet Mexico.
4) If you are located in Benelux, contact Chauvet Europe BVBA.
5) If you are located in any other country, DO NOT contact Chauvet. Instead, contact
your local distributor. See www.chauvetlighting.com for distributors outside the U.S.,
UK, Ireland, Mexico, or Benelux.
If you are located outside the U.S., UK, Ireland, Mexico, or Benelux, contact your
distributor of record and follow their instructions on how to return Chauvet
products to them. Visit our website www.chauvetlighting.com for contact details.
Call the corresponding Chauvet Technical Support office and request a Return
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number before shipping the product. Be prepared to
provide the model number, serial number, and a brief description of the cause for the
return.
Send the merchandise prepaid, in its original box, and with its original packing and
accessories. Chauvet will not issue call tags.
Clearly label the package with the RMA number. Chauvet will refuse any product
returned without an RMA number.
Write the RMA number on a properly affixed label. DO NOT write the RMA number
directly on the box.
Before sending the product, clearly write the following information on a piece of paper
and place it inside the box:
•Your name
•Your address
•Your phone number
•RMA number
•A brief description of the problem
Be sure to pack the product properly. Any shipping damage resulting from inadequate
packaging will be your responsibility. FedEx packing or double-boxing are
recommended.
Chauvet reserves the right to use its own discretion to repair or replace returned
product(s).