Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

We have 10 Einstein lights mounted in the ceiling with various modifiers. We are using the cyber commander to create groups which allows us to shoot a number of set-ups quickly as the CC was designed for.

I am unable to find a way to create different groups that use the same channels but at different power levels without it affecting those channel power levels in different groups.

For example: Group 1 has: Ch1/Main Light, Ch2/Fill, Ch3/ Hair - all three of these lights have had their power levels adjusted individually in the FLASH section with

Group 1:
Ch1: at F11, Ch2: at F8, and Ch3: at F5.6

I would also like to create a

GROUP 2 with:
Ch1: at F11, Ch2 at F8, and Ch3: at F8 ( for example )

But when I go into Group 2 in the Flash section and increase channel 3's power, I notice that now in Group 1, channel 3 has also increased a stop, and now both group CH 3/Hair Lights are at F8.....

Am I missing something, or is this not possible ?

Thanks for any help

When I make changes like you have done here, I save each one on my SD card as a setup rather than in groups. It works for me.

RMS

Thanks for your idea RMS.

If this is the only way to do this than I will definitely look into it.

I'm guessing when you want to switch back and forth you go: Setup->open memory-> select saved setup name ?

First, is group 1 channel 1 the same physical light unit as group 2 channel 1? Or, is it a different light, just using the same channel and frequency?

If it is the same light, then the power of one light will be constant among the groups, as groups are not setups in and of themselves, just a selection of lights within a set up. To get what you are wanting, you would need to save a set up with CH3 at 5.6 in the save as menu as, say, SD50. Then have the set up with CH3 at f8 saved as SD49. OR, no more of a change than you are making, it will be just as fast to increase the power on the one light.

If the lights are different physical units, then instead of assigning them CH1-ch3, assign them ch1-ch6, and have 2 groups of 3 lights each. Or you can have ch1 and ch2 in both groups, then use two lights for hair, 3 and 4. Have 1, 2, and 3 in one group, and 1,2, and 4 in another group.

There are several ways to skin a cat, but one light at two different powers in different groups is not one of them.

Yes it would be the same light, being used in different groups with the hope of having different power outputs.


Great, looks like storing a variety of set-ups will be the solution.

I can create a setup called blonde, and another called brunette. ;)


Thanks for your speedy replies and input.
Cheers

A personal tip: when saving set ups to the SD card, don't save them to SD1, then SD2, SD3, etc. Start with SD50, then 49, 48, etc. When you are in the Open Memory screen, you have to scroll all the way through CH1-CH16 to get to CH1. If you go the other way, you can get to SD50 within a few clicks.

thanks for the time saver - mucho appreciated.

I did run into a problem that I think I created. When I was playing around with saving different setups, I first tried saving it to Internal 1, or 2... but I am not sure if this did anything. Then I saved to SD2, as SD1 was blued - which my guess is it had a previous setup saved to SD1.

Then for some reason the lights stopped communicating and would not fire at all. Perhaps I lost or overwrote that connection ???

So my associate suggested I remove the SD card and then put it back in. When I tried removing the SD card, the lights popped. I put the SD card back in, and still the lights would not turn on or off via the commander.

It seemed the only way I was able to re-establish the previous communication with all my lights was to physically unplug the AC from the power, than plug them back in. Once I did this then I was able to turn them all on via the cyber commander.

It was alot of work climbing ladders and unplugging lights in this event. Perhaps I should have gone to the fuse box directly... but didn't think of doing so at the time.

Do you know what might have gone wrong ?

If there was a rapid change in settings, and the receivers were triggered during the update cycle, it is possible for the receivers to lock up, which removing and reapplying power would resolve. Yes, you can use a breaker, or you can unplug them at the wall outlet to do this, if you are using AC powered receivers. Removing the battery from battery powered receivers will fix the problem as well for those units. Switching the frequency from then back to the current frequency will work for all receivers.

However, since the lights triggered from the card removal, I would be confused if this was the case, as the lights should not trigger from the card removal in this circumstance (though it is normal for them to fire under otherwise working conditions). I would not expect (though it is possible) for all lights to stop at once. It is usually only some of the lights.

I would be more inclined to think it was either a frequency change in different saved set ups, and/or a settings change among different set ups.

If you find this is happening often, try changing frequencies, but be aware a saved set up saves the frequency as well, so the saved set up will need to be re-saved with the new frequency. Also, be sure the firmware is up to date with version 40 firmware. This will appear at the bottom of the screen when a battery is removed and re-installed.