ETC microVision FX User manual

Lighting control system
Version 1.33
User Manual
Copyright 1991-95 Electronic Theatre Controls
4080M1002 Revised June 1995
microVision
FX

Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)
warrants to the original owner or retail
customer that for a period of one year
from date of delivery of a portable
system or energization of a perma-
nently installed system (up to a
maximum of 18 months from delivery)
its products will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship under
normal use and service. Warranty is
limited to 90 days for rental equipment.
Warranty does not cover any product or
part of a product subject to accident,
negligence, alteration, abuse or misuse
or any accessories or parts not supplied
by ETC. Warranty does not cover
“consumable” parts such as fuses,
lamps, color media or components
warranted directly to the owner by the
original manufacturer. ETC’s warranty
does not extend to items not manufac-
tured by us. Freight terms on warranty
repairs are FOB ETC factory or desig-
nated repair facility. Collect shipments
or freight allowances will not be
accepted.
ETC’s sole responsibility under this
warranty shall be to repair or replace
at ETC’s option such parts as shall be
determined to be defective on ETC’s
inspection. ETC will not assume any
responsibility for any labor expended or
materials used to repair any equipment
without ETC’s prior written authoriza-
tion. ETC shall not be responsible for
any incidental, general or consequential
damages, damages to property,
damages for loss of use, time, profits or
income, or any other damages.
Limited warranty
The owner’s obligations during the
warranty period under this warranty are
to notify ETC at ETC’s address within
one week of any suspected defect, and
to return the goods prepaid to ETC at
their factory or authorized service
center.
THIS WARRANTY IS CONTINGENT ON
THE CUSTOMER’S FULL AND TIMELY
COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF
PAYMENT SET FORTH IN THE
“TERMS AND CONDITIONS”. THIS
WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU
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OWNER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT NO
OTHER REPRESENTATIONS WERE
MADE TO HIM OR RELIED UPON HIM
WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY AND
FUNCTION OF THE GOODS SOLD.
This written warranty is intended as a
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modify, explain or vary this warranty.
Acceptance of, or acquiescing in, a
course of performance under this
warranty shall not modify the meaning
of this agreement even though either
party has knowledge of the perform-
ance and a chance to object.

table of contents
Chapter 1
Introduction
............................................................................................... 1 - 1
MicroVision FX features...................................................................... 1 - 2
Using this manual ............................................................................... 1 - 3
Text conventions ................................................................................ 1 - 4
Pile-on convention .............................................................................. 1 - 4
Getting help ........................................................................................ 1 - 5
Customer service ............................................................................... 1 - 6
Chapter 2
Installation
................................................................................................... 2 - 1
MicroVision FX back panel .................................................................. 2 - 2
Installing your console and monitor .................................................... 2 - 3
Installing two monitors ................................................................. 2 - 4
Monitor connectors and pinouts .................................................. 2 - 5
Connecting dimmers .......................................................................... 2 - 6
Digital outputs (DMX512 and D192)............................................. 2 - 7
AMX192, CD80 analog multiplex output (optional)....................... 2 - 7
Analog wire-per-dimmer output (optional) .................................... 2 - 7
Analog wire-per-dimmer input (optional) ...................................... 2 - 8
Installing printer .................................................................................. 2 - 9
Printer connectors and pinouts .................................................... 2 - 9
Parallel printer .............................................................................. 2 - 9
Installing Infrared Remote Focus Unit (IRFU) ................................... 2 - 10
IRFU receiver unit to console connector and pinout .................. 2 - 12
IRFU transmitter to console connector and pinout..................... 2 - 12
IRFU transmitter to receiver unit connector and pinout ............. 2 - 12
Installing Remote Go ........................................................................ 2 - 13
Remote Go connector and pinout .............................................. 2 - 13
Installing audio input ......................................................................... 2 - 14
Audio connector and pinout ....................................................... 2 - 14

iv MicroVision FX
Chapter 3
Entering softpatch and
system settings
..................................................................................... 3 - 1
Entering softpatch .............................................................................. 3 - 2
Entering numbers of channels and dimmers................................ 3 - 3
Entering one-to-one softpatch ...................................................... 3 - 4
Creating custom softpatch ........................................................... 3 - 5
Using channel zero ................................................................ 3 - 5
Patching dimmers to channels............................................... 3 - 6
Additional patching features ......................................................... 3 - 8
Proportional patching ............................................................. 3 - 8
Capturing channels in softpatch............................................. 3 - 9
Unpatching individual dimmers ............................................ 3 - 10
Softpatching to a Strand CD80 dimmer rack........................ 3 - 11
Entering system settings .................................................................. 3 - 12
Setting default full level .............................................................. 3 - 13
Setting default up and down fade times .................................... 3 - 14
Chapter 4
Tutorial
.............................................................................................................. 4 - 1
Lesson 1: Display, channel and operation modes............................... 4 - 2
Display modes.............................................................................. 4 - 2
Stage and Blind screens ............................................................... 4 - 3
Channel modes ............................................................................ 4 - 5
Record functions .......................................................................... 4 - 7
Lesson 2: Working with cues ............................................................. 4 - 8
Cue 1: Creating a cue in Stage .................................................. 4 - 10
Cue 2: Creating a cue in Blind ................................................... 4 - 12
Cue 3: Creating a cue with modified fade times ....................... 4 - 14
Cue 4: Creating linked cues....................................................... 4 - 16
Cue 5: Creating a cue using Rem Dim ...................................... 4 - 18
Inserting cues............................................................................. 4 - 20
Copying cues.............................................................................. 4 - 21
Deleting cues ............................................................................. 4 - 22
Viewing cues .............................................................................. 4 - 23

Table of Contents v
Lesson 3: Playing back cues ............................................................. 4 - 24
Selecting cues ............................................................................ 4 - 25
Timed fader pairs ....................................................................... 4 - 26
Playing back cues ....................................................................... 4 - 26
Go to a different cue .................................................................. 4 - 27
Controlling fades manually ......................................................... 4 - 28
Modifying cues on stage ............................................................ 4 - 29
Back key ..................................................................................... 4 - 30
Clearing fader pairs .................................................................... 4 - 30
Lesson 4: Working with submasters ................................................ 4 - 31
Submaster pages ....................................................................... 4 - 32
Recording a submaster .............................................................. 4 - 33
Recording submaster on a different page .................................. 4 - 34
Modifying submasters ............................................................... 4 - 34
Copying submasters .................................................................. 4 - 35
Deleting submasters .................................................................. 4 - 36
Lesson 5: Creating and working with chases ................................... 4 - 37
Creating a chase......................................................................... 4 - 38
Setting chase output levels ........................................................ 4 - 40
Setting number of submasters in a chase .................................. 4 - 41
Controlling chases with audio input ........................................... 4 - 42
Lesson 6: Saving your show on disk ................................................ 4 - 43
Formatting disks......................................................................... 4 - 44
Recording a show on disk .......................................................... 4 - 45
Reading a show from disk .......................................................... 4 - 46
Lesson 7: Track record function ....................................................... 4 - 47
Using record to create tracks ..................................................... 4 - 48
Recording modified cues............................................................ 4 - 49
Inserting cues............................................................................. 4 - 51
Blackout cues and tracking......................................................... 4 - 53

vi MicroVision FX
Chapter 5
Using print and disk options
............................................... 5 - 1
Print functions .................................................................................... 5 - 2
Bold printing ................................................................................. 5 - 3
Cue sheet ..................................................................................... 5 - 4
Cues ............................................................................................. 5 - 5
Patch ............................................................................................ 5 - 6
Real time programs ...................................................................... 5 - 7
Stage display ................................................................................ 5 - 8
Submasters .................................................................................. 5 - 9
Disk management ............................................................................ 5 - 10
Storing disks............................................................................... 5 - 11
Formatting disks......................................................................... 5 - 12
Recording a show on disk .......................................................... 5 - 13
Reading a show from disk .......................................................... 5 - 14
Chapter 6
Accessories
................................................................................................. 6 - 1
Infrared Remote Focus Unit (IRFU) .................................................... 6 - 2
Real Time Clock .................................................................................. 6 - 4
Setting Real Time Clock ............................................................... 6 - 5
Creating or editing real time programs ......................................... 6 - 8
Enabling/disabling real time programs ........................................ 6 - 11
Deleting real time programs ....................................................... 6 - 13
MIDI.................................................................................................. 6 - 15
Interfacing with MIDI ................................................................. 6 - 16
Message formats ....................................................................... 6 - 17
Message definitions ................................................................... 6 - 18
Remote Go ....................................................................................... 6 - 19
Analog inputs .................................................................................... 6 - 20
Analog outputs ................................................................................. 6 - 21
AMX192 outputs .............................................................................. 6 - 22

Table of Contents vii
Chapter 7
Reference
....................................................................................................... 7 - 1
And ..................................................................................................... 7 - 2
At ........................................................................................................ 7 - 3
Back .................................................................................................... 7 - 4
Black out ............................................................................................. 7 - 5
Blind ................................................................................................... 7 - 6
Bump switches................................................................................... 7 - 7
Captured channels .............................................................................. 7 - 8
Chan ................................................................................................... 7 - 9
Chase controls .................................................................................. 7 - 10
Clear ................................................................................................. 7 - 12
Clear all cues .................................................................................... 7 - 14
Clear all submasters and submaster pages ...................................... 7 - 15
Clear fader pairs................................................................................ 7 - 16
Clear system..................................................................................... 7 - 17
Cue ................................................................................................... 7 - 18
Delay time ........................................................................................ 7 - 20
Diagnostic system clear.................................................................... 7 - 21
Enter ................................................................................................. 7 - 22
Fader wheel ...................................................................................... 7 - 23
Full .................................................................................................... 7 - 24
Go ..................................................................................................... 7 - 25
Grand Master.................................................................................... 7 - 26
Help .................................................................................................. 7 - 27
Hold .................................................................................................. 7 - 28
Link ................................................................................................... 7 - 29
Minus (-)............................................................................................ 7 - 31
Page ................................................................................................. 7 - 32
Patch................................................................................................. 7 - 33
Plus (+) ............................................................................................. 7 - 34
Potentiometers (Pots) ....................................................................... 7 - 35
Power ............................................................................................... 7 - 36
Rate potentiometer .......................................................................... 7 - 37
Record .............................................................................................. 7 - 38
Rel .................................................................................................... 7 - 39
Rem Dim .......................................................................................... 7 - 40
Setup ................................................................................................ 7 - 42
Stage ................................................................................................ 7 - 43
Step .................................................................................................. 7 - 44
Sub ................................................................................................... 7 - 45
System Settings Menu ..................................................................... 7 - 46

viii MicroVision FX
Thru .................................................................................................. 7 - 48
Timed fader pairs .............................................................................. 7 - 49
Track ................................................................................................. 7 - 50
Appendix A
Error messages
...................................................................................... A - 1
Appendix B
Specifications
.......................................................................................... B - 1
Interfaces ............................................................................... B - 1
Cue capacity .......................................................................... B - 2
Display functions ................................................................... B - 2
Playback controls ................................................................... B - 2
Keyboard functions ................................................................ B - 3
Channel functions .................................................................. B - 3
Fader wheel ........................................................................... B - 3
Chase function ....................................................................... B - 3
Size and weight ..................................................................... B - 3
Index .......................................................................................................................I - 1
Keyboard illustration .............................................................Last page

chapter1
introduction
MicroVision FX allows you to create a wide range of dramatic, on-stage
effects using up-to-the-minute theatrical lighting technology. This
chapter includes information to orient you to the console and the
manual. It includes the following sections:
• MicroVision FX features
• Using this manual
• Text conventions
• Pile-on convention
• Getting help
• Customer support

1 - 2 MicroVision FX
MicroVision FX features
MicroVision FX provides the following features:
• Six manual faders that control programmed submasters
• Five pages of submasters memories
• 125 control channels
• Proportional softpatch that accommodates up to 512 dimmers
• 200 cue capacity per show
• Disk drive that can store up to five shows per 3.5-inch disk
• Two independent, timed, fader pairs used to playback recorded cues
• Chase function
• Support for the following optional accessories: Infrared Remote
Focus Unit, Real Time Clock, parallel printer, and Remote Go