Chauvet Obey 4 DMX Lighting Controller vs American Dj DJ RGBW4C Lighting Controller?

[stunningbabe]

Please advise me which one I should buy :

 

http://www.shopping.com/xSBS-american-dj-supply-american-dj-rgbw4c-4-channel-rgbw-controller-Chauvet-Chauvet-Obey-4-DMX-Lighting-Controller~PRDLT-105174422-128851877

[StratGuy22]

Get an obey 40 there's not enough channels on an obey 4

[BillESC]

Agreed.  Obey 40

[StratGuy22]

Quote:

 

The Chauvet Obey 40 is a universal DMX-512 lighting controller that can manage up to 12 intelligent lights with up to 16 channels each, for a total of 192 DMX channels. The Chauvet Obey 40 gives you control over 30 banks of 8 scenes for 240 scenes total, 6 sets of chases, program fade and speed time into each step, reversible sliders, re-assignable channels, fog & strobe control, and the sequential linking of chases. MIDI compatible, The Chauvet Obey 40 DMX Lighting Controller works on beat activation, tap-sync, and auto run, and fits into a 3-space rack mount.

Features

Universal DMX-512 controller

Controls up to 12 intelligent lights of up to 16 channels each

192 DMX channels of control

30 banks of 8 scenes, 240 scenes max.

6 sets of chases containing 240 scenes each

Program fade and speed time into each step

Reversible sliders

Re-assignable channels

Sequential linking of chases

Fox and strobe control buttons

Grab any fixture on the fly

Beat activation, tap sync, and auto run

Polarity selector

 

 

What this means is you can control up to 12 lights with up to 16 channels each. Your moving heads will have much more than 4 channels.

 

With the obey4, both your wash lights will have to be run exactly the same. With the obey40 they can each have their own colors, plus more scenes etc etc.

[stunningbabe]

Thx Stratguy...but how do I individually control The RGBW for the Obey 40? I dont see any 4 separate Control buttons for that....but it is found on Obey 4.

[StratGuy22]

There's 2 ways to do it.

 

And this is where the DMX address comes in.

 

Fixture button 1 are sliders 1 - 16

Fixture button 2 are sliders 17 - 32

Fixture button 3 are sliders 33 - 48

 

Etc.

 

The DMX universe is generally 512 channels or sliders. If you address light a as ADDRESS 1, then when you press fixture button one, the first 4 sliders will control:

 

Red

Green

Blue

White

 

For the next fixture you can either address it as 17, and then when you press the second fixture button, they first 4 sliders also control

 

Red

Green

Blue

White

 

On the second fixture.

 

You can control them independently by pressing fixture button one, and making it all red. Then deselect fixture button one and press fixture button2. Now you can make the second light green.

 

If you were to press both fixture buttons, and you moved the red slider, both lights would turn red.

 

With the obey 4, you will control both lights the same. You can't have independent control of the lights. Plus if you add any other fixtures. The movers say, then There's no room on the mixer to control them.

 

 

[twostone]

If your fixtrues use dip switches you'll need this to help with the DMX  addressing.

http://www.chauvetlighting.com/chauvet-dip-switch-calculator/

 

 

[TheDoctorMo]

Not to add confusion to the addressing, but if you run your lights in 4ch mode, you can assign Light#1 to channels 1-4, then Light#2 to channels 5-8 all on Fixture 1's faders.

The fixture buttons only provide a quick access to groups of 16 channels.  There is no reason you can't combine multiple lights across a single fixture grouping. If you are so inclined, you can overlap fixtures so that turning up the blue channel on the first light also turns up red on the second light.

On the other hand, if you have a light fixture that has, for example, 28 channels, you can still control each channel even if your controller states that it can only handle fixtures with fewer channels.  You would just need to use 16 channels of the first fixture button's grouping, in addition to 12 more channels on the next fixture.

It can be confusing to start, but, being a programmer, it's fun, for me, to tinker with this stuff.  Just remember, you can't break lights by having incorrect DMX addressing, even though DMX manuals tend to lead you to believe this.  Feel free to experiment.

[StratGuy22]

Could be similar.

 

 

How much is an obey40? $120? Doesn't get much cheaper than that.

[stunningbabe]

ya...$120. DO bear in mind that I have to pay 3.2 times more than you Americans due to the insanely high tax by our corrupt Gvernment for electronic devices.

The Chinese knock off is only $35...so I do save a lot.

 

[StratGuy22]

What it you buy an obey40 from eBay?

[stunningbabe]

ebay sellers sell the same price...$119- $120

[StratGuy22]

Like a value added tax when they hit the border?

[stunningbabe]

Stratguy22...I have ordered the chinese Knock off Dmx Controller. Am waiting for it to arrive in 1 week.

[StratGuy22]

Good stuff. Once you get your hands on it, it will start to make more sense.

[stunningbabe]

Thanks Stratguy22. Yes...i agree.  cant wait for it!