DMX Output Mapping
Control data from the console may be output from the XLR sockets on the console, and by Art-Net or sACN universes over Ethernet.
All consoles can control up to 64 universes except T1 which is limited to one single universe (fixed at universe 1), T2 to two universes (fixed at universes 1-2) and T3 to sixteen universes (fixed at universes 1-16 - expandable with optional extra licence).
The console itself will generate DMX output for up to 16 universes, above that you can network the console to one or more Avolites TitanNet Processing (TNP) nodes. This off-loads the DMX processing, allowing the console to control up to 64 universes of DMX in total (a TNP will not increase the number of universes available from T1 / T2 / T3).
Apart from T1/T2/T3, the software does not actually limit the number of universes from a single console to 16, but performance of the console may be degraded depending on the complexity of the content and the number of fixtures patched. A warning will be shown in the processing load section of the TitanNet overview.
Configuring DMX Outputs
From the System menu (press Avo + Disk) select DMX Settings.
The window will initially show the node tab relating to the console itself. It shows a list of available DMX nodes (places where you can send the DMX to) on the left, and a list of the available DMX lines (outputs generated by the console) on the right. Each DMX line can send data to one or more nodes. If you assign more than one node to a line, those nodes receive duplicated data. If you have Art-Net/sACN nodes or TNP units connected they will show on the left hand side.
On the right hand side, under each DMX line there is a list of which nodes are linked to that line. The default setting on a new show is for the physical DMX outputs on the console to be linked to the first DMX lines.
To assign a node to a line, click on the node on the left hand side (e.g. on Expert DMX A) and then on the line (right hand side) you want this node to be assigned to. The node will be removed from the pane on the left hand side as it is not unassigned any more, and will appear on the right hand side under the line it is assigned to.
To delete a node from the DMX lines, click on the button. To delete all nodes from a line, click on the Group delete button (the button on the DMX line). To delete all nodes from all lines, click on the button close to the header DMX lines.
In order to change the assignment, i.e. to assign a node to a different line, you need to delete it from the line it is assigned to (by clicking on the ) first - the node now appears as unassigned on the left hand side - and can now assign it to a different line.
When patching Art-Net and sACN nodes you can patch a number of universes in one go: select the first node you want to assign (i.e. sACN: Universe 1) on the left hand side enter values for Universe and Quantity with the softkeys, and then click on the line from which on you want to assign this. Titan will then patch the number of universes on consecutive lines.
You can show information about the DMX nodes once they are assigned, or the DMX output modules, by clicking the button. For Ethernet/network type nodes, this allows you to set detailed properties such as IP address ranges and net masks.
If you have TNPs connected, these can be individually configured using the tabs across the top of the screen.
When transferring shows between different console types, and especially when you have used the simulator, it's a good idea to check the DMX output settings to make sure the settings are what you expected. If you created a new show on the simulator, no outputs will be connected.
Module Properties
A module is a method of sending DMX (such as Art-Net, or sACN) and can be thought of as a collection of nodes.
You can set properties for DMX512 outputs, Art-Net or sACN by going to the DMX Settings window (from the System menu (press Avo + Disk) select DMX Settings). The left-hand side of the DMX Settings window lists the possible output nodes on this console, split into different module types. Click the icon at the right hand side of the module type (DMX Output, Art-Net, Streaming ACN or Visualiser).
This allows you to adjust settings for each module, and for the network protocols to select which network adapter to use to output the protocol. All consoles except Quartz and Expert have two network adapters, Quartz has one, and on Titan PC Suite (Titan Go / Simulator) this depends on your computer; many laptops will have a wired network adapter and also a WiFi (wireless) adapter, both of which will be shown.
DMX Output Properties
DMX output: Allows you to temporarily disable the output
Merge Priority: A value between 0 and 200 where higher numbers have priority, 100 is default. For this DMX output, sets the priority of the DMX from this Titan console over incoming sACN being merged from other sources. You also need to set up DMX Merge using Network DMX Node Settings.
Break Length: Adjusts the DMX spacing which can be helpful for slow fixtures. If fixtures or dimmers show an occasional glitch try increasing this number. Some dimmers will require this to be 4000us in order to work smoothly. Default 968uS.
Mark After Break Length: Usually this will not need to be adjusted, but it can be increased to give fixtures a bit more time to receive the first DMX channel. Default 76uS.
Extra Stop Bit: Enabling this adds an extra Stop Bit to each byte which gives slow fixtures a bit more time to receive the DMX data. This option can sometimes solve issues where fixtures can be seen regularly glitching.
sACN Properties
DMX output: Allows you to temporarily disable the output
Merge Priority: A value between 0 and 200 where higher numbers have priority, 100 is default. Sets the sACN priority parameter of this sACN universe being output from Titan. The priority is used on devices receiving multiple sACN streams to determine which data is output.
This is often used to connect a backup console into a system by giving it a lower sACN priority setting than the master.
Block RDM: If enabled, RDM traffic is blocked on this module.
Synchronization Address: If not zero, sets the universe used to synchronise the DMX frames sent from the console. Listening devices will receive all DMX frames and then wait for a packet on the synchronisation universe before using or retransmitting the DMX frames. Synchronous sACN reduces tearing effects which can result from non-synchronised universes. If set to zero, synchronisation is disabled.
Ethernet xxx: Selects whether you want this protocol outputting on this Ethernet adapter. If there are multiple adaptors in the system you can select more than one, and identical information will be sent out on each one.
Art-Net Properties
DMX output: Allows you to temporarily disable the output
Continuous Art-Net DMX: The Art-Net specification allows the console to only send out changes in the DMX. This setting makes the console send the Art-Net packets continuously even if there is no change.
Always Broadcast Art-Net DMX: Sets all Art-Net packets to Broadcast mode, meaning they are sent to all nodes. Otherwise the packets are addressed to the specific node they are intended for, which reduces network traffic but requires more careful setting up of network addresses.
Block RDM: If enabled, RDM traffic is blocked on this module.
DMX Overrun: Some Art-Net nodes ignore changes until they are sent more than once. If this option is enabled then at least 3 packets are sent for every change
Legacy Mode: If enabled, Art-Net is broadcast continuously from the console at a high rate. May affect console performance.
Ethernet xxx: Selects whether you want this protocol outputting on this Ethernet adapter. If there are multiple adaptors in the system you can select more than one, and identical information will be sent out on each one.
ArtPoll messages can be disabled via a registry setting. This is occasionally needed for Art-Net fixtures which don't support ArtPoll. If you need to do this or if ArtPoll messages aren't being sent when they should be, contact Avolites Support for instructions on how to change this.
DMX Overview
If you select the DMX Overview tab at the top of the window, you can see all the TNPs which are connected and which output lines they are allocated to.
The left side of the window shows the 64 possible DMX output lines on the console. To the right of this are the processing nodes which are connected, the top one being the console itself. Each node shows how the lines are allocated to the physical outputs on the device. Clicking this area will open the detail tab for the node.
Clicking any one of the nodes will show detailed information about that node on the right, including the IP address, number of available processing slots, number of lines assigned, status of the connection with the node, and the processing load of the device. If more lines are assigned than the maximum number of slots, a warning will be displayed.
If a show is loaded that had fixtures and lines assigned to processing nodes which are no longer found on the TitanNet network, a dialog will appear listing nodes in use and available nodes, giving you the option to reassign the lines.
Network DMX Node Settings
The Network DMX Node Settings window allows you to set up how the local Titan output will combine with sACN universes from other sources in a system where you have multiple consoles or processing nodes connected. From the System menu (press Avo + Disk) select Network DMX Node Settings.
To assign a universe to an output port, click on Patch Titan Lines or Patch External sACN Merge, set Universe number then click on a port to assign.
To remove an assignment, click on Clear sACN Merge then select a port.
For local DMX outputs, you can set the priority of the Titan output vs. the sACN stream using the Merge Priority option on each node, see DMX Output Properties .
The DMX Output switch can be used to disable all DMX output.