American DJ MB DMX User Manual

MB DMX™ General Information

Unpacking.....................................................................................3

Introduction..................................................................................3

Customer Support.............................................................................3

Safety Precautions...............................................................................4

Features.........................................................................................5

Registration..............................................................................5

Set-Up

DMX Linking...................................................................................6

Data Cable Requirements............................................................6

Termination................................................................................7

5 Pin Conversion.........................................................................7

Linking...........................................................................................8

Operating Modes

Stand Alone.................................................................................10

Master/Slave..................................................................................10

DMX ......................................................................................11

Mounting...................................................................................12

Breaker Reset.....................................................................................12

DMX Traits......................................................................................13

Master/Slave Quick Reference Chart.................................................14

Warranty.........................................................................................15

Specifications..............................................................................16

Revised 2/03

User Instructions

American DJ®

4295 Charter Street

Los Angeles Ca. 90058

www.americandj.com

©American DJ Supply® - www.americandj.com - MB DMX™ Instruction Manual Page 2

MB DMX™ General Information

MB DMX™ Safety Precautions

General Instructions: To optimize the performance of this product,

please read these operating instructions carefully to familiarize your­self with the basic operations of this unit. These instructions contain
important safety information regarding the use and maintenance of
this unit. Please keep this manual with the unit, for future reference.

Unpacking: Thank you for purchasing the MB DMX™ by American

DJ®. Every MB DMX™ has been thoroughly tested and has been
shipped in perfect operating condition. Carefully check the shipping
carton for damage that may have occurred during shipping. If the
carton appears to be damaged, carefully inspect your xture for any
damage and be sure all accessories necessary to operate the unit has
arrived intact. In the case damage has been found or parts are miss­ing, please contact our toll free customer support number for further
instructions. Do not return this unit to your dealer without rst contact­ing customer support.

Introduction: The MB DMX™ is a unique intelligent mirror ball motor

that may be operated in three modes; DMX-512, Stand-Alone, or Master/
Slave. The MB DMX™ allows you to control the operation of a mirror ball
motor as well as the lamps via DMX operation. You may also link sev­eral MB DMX™ motors together to obtain universal speed and rotation.
An optional MINI/C black out controller may be purchased separately.

Customer Support: American DJ® provides a toll free customer

support line, to provide set up help and to answer any question should
you encounter problems during your set up or initial operation. You
may also visit us on the web at www.americandj.com for any com­ments or suggestions. Service Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacic Standard Time.
Voice: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Safety Issues:

• To reduce the risk of electrical shock or re, do not expose this
unit rain or moisture

• Do not spill water or other liquids into or on to your unit

• Do not attempt to operate this unit if the power cord has been
frayed or broken

• Do not attempt to remove or break off the ground prong from
the electrical cord. This prong is used to reduce the risk of
electrical shock and re in case of an internal short

• Disconnect from main power before making any type of connection

• Do not remove the cover under any conditions. There are no user
serviceable parts inside

• Never plug this unit in to a dimmer pack

• Always be sure to mount this unit in an area that will allow proper
ventilation. Allow about 6” (15cm) between this device and a wall

• Do not attempt to operate this unit, if it becomes damaged

• This unit is intended for indoor use only, use of this product
outdoors voids all warranties

• During long periods of non-use, disconnect the unit’s main power

• Always mount this unit in safe and stable matter

• Power cords should be routed so they are not likely to be walked
on, pinched by items placed upon or against them.

• Heat -The appliance should be situated away from heat sources
such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.

• The fixture should be serviced by qualified service personnel when:
A. The power-supply cord or the plug has been damaged.
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the appliance.
C. The appliance has been exposed to rain or water.
D. The fixture does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a
marked change in performance.

Warning! To prevent or reduce the risk of electrical shock or re, do

not expose this unit to rain or moisture.

Caution! There are no user serviceable parts inside this unit. Do not

attempt any repairs yourself, doing so will void your manufactures
warranty. In the unlikely event your unit may require service please
contact your nearest American DJ® dealer.

©American DJ® - www.americandj.com - MB DMX™ Instruction Manual Page 3

©American DJ® - www.americandj.com - MB DMX™ Instruction Manual Page 4

MB DMX™ Features

MB DMX™ Set Up

• Micro-Stepping Motors for Smooth Rotation

• Uses Two DMX Channels

• DMX-512 Protocol Compatible

• Variable Head Rotation Speed

• Built-In Rigging Point

• Stand-Alone or Master/Slave Operation

• Linkable

• Two Built-In DMX Controlled AC Power Sockets

• Heavy Duty Mirror Ball Motor

• Rated for 20” Mirror Balls

• Optional Mini/C Blackout Controller

MB DMX™ Product Registration

The MB DMX™ carries a one year (365 days) limited warranty.
Please fill out the enclosed warranty card to validate your purchase.
All returned service items whether under warranty or not, must be
freight pre-paid and accompany a return authorization (R.A.) num­ber. The R.A. number must be clearly written on the outside of the
return package. A brief description of the problem as well as the R.A.
number must also be written down on a piece of paper and included
in the shipping container. If the unit is under warranty, you must pro­vide a copy of your proof of purchase invoice. You may obtain a R.A.
number by contacting our customer support team on our toll free
customer support number at [phone]. All packages returned
to service not displaying a R.A. number on the outside of the pack­age will be returned to the shipper.

Power Supply: Before plugging your unit in, be sure the source
voltage in your area matches the required voltage for your American
DJ® MB DMX.™ Because line voltage may vary from venue to venue,
you should be sure your unit voltages matches the wall outlet voltage
before attempting to operate you xture.

DMX-512: DMX is short for Digital Multiplex. This is a universal pro-

tocol used as a form of communication between intelligent fixtures
and controllers. A DMX controller sends DMX data instructions from
the controller to the fixture. DMX data is sent as serial data that trav­els from fixture to fixture via the DATA “IN” and DATA “OUT” XLR ter­minals located on all DMX fixtures (most controllers only have a DATA
“OUT” terminal).

DMX Linking: DMX is a language allowing all makes and models of

different manufactures to be linked together and operate from a sin­gle controller, as long as all xtures and the controller are DMX com­pliant. To ensure proper DMX data transmission, when using several
DMX fixtures try to use the shortest cable path possible. The order
in which fixtures are connected in a DMX line does not influence the
DMX addressing. For example; a fixture assigned a DMX address of 1
may be placed anywhere in a DMX line, at the beginning, at the end,
or anywhere in the middle. When a fixture is assigned a DMX address
of 1, the DMX controller knows to send DATA assigned to address 1
to that unit, no matter where it is located in the DMX chain.

Data Cable (DMX Cable) Requirements (For DMX and Master/
Slave Operation): The MB DMX™ can be controlled via DMX-512

protocol. The American DJ® MB DMX™ is a two channel DMX unit.
The DMX address is set on the side panel using the dipswitches. Your
unit and your DMX controller require a standard
3-pin XLR connector for data input and data
output (Figure 1). If you are making your own
cables, be sure to use standard two conductor
shielded cable (This cable may be purchased at
almost all pro sound and lighting stores). Your
cables should be made with a male and female
XLR connector on either end of the cable.
Also remember that DMX cable must be daisy
chained and can not be split.

©American DJ® - www.americandj.com - MB DMX™ Instruction Manual Page 6©American DJ® - www.americandj.com - MB DMX™ Instruction Manual Page 5

Figure 1