The ADJ FREQ 16 Strobe is an LED strobe that consists of 16 beams.
When I patch this strobe into the Wolfmix the 16 beams start lighting immediately.
When you use the STROBE button the 16 lights start flashing.
Of course, the BLIND button has no effect until you turn the master level down, but then the STROBE no longer works.
I would expect the 16 lights to be off normally and light up via the STROBE, WOLF and BLIND button.
How can I best set up this strobe fixture?
CH 1-16: beam 1..16 Dim
CH 17: master dim for all beams
CH 18: STROBE for all beams.
ADJ FREQ 16 STROBE setup
Re: ADJ FREQ 16 STROBE setup
When I set the 16 beams not as DIM but as color WHITE. And channel 17 as DIM for all beams. Then I have a slightly better effect.
Re: ADJ FREQ 16 STROBE setup
Right - this is how Strobe is designed at DMX. Unfortunately this is an older standard and NOT including todays smart/automated DMX Controllers like the Wolfmix with its own "automation" inside. So this process is failing for a few special fixtures.
To understand:
Strobe NEVER(!) switches ANY(!) lights ON by itself. Strobe can only be applied to "lights" (Color/Dimmer channels) which are already somehow activated or switched ON by any of the regular RGBWAU channels or on a ColorWheel by the Master Dimmer. The Strobe then - when is activated, is sending very short, very quick DMX values of 000 ( = channel dimmer off by the selected strobe frequency) to all Color/Dimmer Channels, whether it is at full ON (255) or half ON (127) or even (when already) 000. That is the reason why:
a) you can have any strobe on any Color you like because you have to activate the Color before it strobes
but also
b) strobe NEEDS an activated dimmer/Color channel to "insert" his "000" DMX value (Lights OFF) breaks into an activated "255" DMX value (Lights ON) dimmer/color channel).
That is also the reason why it is a bit tricky to create Strobe (ONLY) fixtures (mostly 2 Ch - 1= LED/Dimmer, 2 = Strobe) on Wolfmix, because in order to Strobe you first need to have the LEDs ON. Mostly this is either a "Color dimmer (white)" or simply "Master Dimmer". When it is a Color Dimmer you have to set to ON before you can Strobe. Master Dimmer are always on by default 255 - so they are On immediately and act a a "steady Blinder". You can make the (Master) Dimmer default 000 ( = OFF), right. But now applying Strobe, nothing is switching the Master Dimmer (LEDs) to ON (255) now! And if they are on 000 already, the Strobe interrupts (-000) will not be visible! So you have to manually enable a "light" to turn ON with a positive dimmer value, before you can apply Strobe to it.
Knowing the "mechanics" of STROBE, what can you do?
a) (you discovered already) Use a Color Dimmer (i.e. White) - switch it ON first, apply Strobe, after that switch it OFF again. You will then have STROBE AND(!) BLINDER function (coming to it in a second...). You can "bundle" this ON/STROBE/OFF into a regular Preset, when press the PRESET now (not the Strobe), WHITE goes ON, it Strobes, if you release the Preset it goes (auto)OFF again.
b) you can create a "Strobe" Automation, where you JUST press the STROBE button and your "Dimmer" goes ON, you Strobe, and when release it all goes OFF automatically. BUT you have to take another DMX Channel Type for the "Dimmer" function to make it work. This workaround then ONLY works for STROBE. Because you "take away" the "Dimmer", the BLINDER cannot find "a Dimmer" anymore on your fixture - so the BLINDER function will not work here. (Actually most user prefer the "automated" version over the "Dimmer/Blinder" version, as they want it to (auto-)Strobe, and they can use the BLINDER function with their other fixtures then).
To understand:
Strobe NEVER(!) switches ANY(!) lights ON by itself. Strobe can only be applied to "lights" (Color/Dimmer channels) which are already somehow activated or switched ON by any of the regular RGBWAU channels or on a ColorWheel by the Master Dimmer. The Strobe then - when is activated, is sending very short, very quick DMX values of 000 ( = channel dimmer off by the selected strobe frequency) to all Color/Dimmer Channels, whether it is at full ON (255) or half ON (127) or even (when already) 000. That is the reason why:
a) you can have any strobe on any Color you like because you have to activate the Color before it strobes
but also
b) strobe NEEDS an activated dimmer/Color channel to "insert" his "000" DMX value (Lights OFF) breaks into an activated "255" DMX value (Lights ON) dimmer/color channel).
That is also the reason why it is a bit tricky to create Strobe (ONLY) fixtures (mostly 2 Ch - 1= LED/Dimmer, 2 = Strobe) on Wolfmix, because in order to Strobe you first need to have the LEDs ON. Mostly this is either a "Color dimmer (white)" or simply "Master Dimmer". When it is a Color Dimmer you have to set to ON before you can Strobe. Master Dimmer are always on by default 255 - so they are On immediately and act a a "steady Blinder". You can make the (Master) Dimmer default 000 ( = OFF), right. But now applying Strobe, nothing is switching the Master Dimmer (LEDs) to ON (255) now! And if they are on 000 already, the Strobe interrupts (-000) will not be visible! So you have to manually enable a "light" to turn ON with a positive dimmer value, before you can apply Strobe to it.
Knowing the "mechanics" of STROBE, what can you do?
a) (you discovered already) Use a Color Dimmer (i.e. White) - switch it ON first, apply Strobe, after that switch it OFF again. You will then have STROBE AND(!) BLINDER function (coming to it in a second...). You can "bundle" this ON/STROBE/OFF into a regular Preset, when press the PRESET now (not the Strobe), WHITE goes ON, it Strobes, if you release the Preset it goes (auto)OFF again.
b) you can create a "Strobe" Automation, where you JUST press the STROBE button and your "Dimmer" goes ON, you Strobe, and when release it all goes OFF automatically. BUT you have to take another DMX Channel Type for the "Dimmer" function to make it work. This workaround then ONLY works for STROBE. Because you "take away" the "Dimmer", the BLINDER cannot find "a Dimmer" anymore on your fixture - so the BLINDER function will not work here. (Actually most user prefer the "automated" version over the "Dimmer/Blinder" version, as they want it to (auto-)Strobe, and they can use the BLINDER function with their other fixtures then).