Unpacking: Thank you for purchasing the Mega Tri Bar™ by Ameri-
can DJ®. Every Mega Tri Bar™ 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 Mega Tri Bar™ is part of American DJ’s continuing
pursuit for creating high quality affordable intelligent fixtures. The Mega
Tri Bar™ is a DMX intelligent LED color bar. This wash can be used in
a stand alone mode or connected in a Master/Slave conguration. The
unit can also be controlled via DMX controller. This wash has five operating modes: Sound Active mode, Auto mode, Program mode, RGB
mode and DMX control mode.
Customer Support: American DJ® provides a toll free customer sup-
port 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 8:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. Pacic Standard Time.
Voice: (800) 322-6337
Fax: (323) 582-2941
E-mail: support@americandj.com
To purchase parts online visit http://parts.americandj.com
Rev. 7/15
User Instructions
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
American DJ®.
PLEASE recycle the shipping carton when ever possible.
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.
Mega Tri Bar™ Features
• Mulit-Colors
• Electronic Dimming 0-100%
• Built in Microphone
• 5 Operating Modes
• DMX-512 protocol
• 7 DMX Channel Modes
• IR Wireless Remote Control Compatiable (Not Included)
Mega Tri Bar™ Warranty Registration
The Mega Tri Bar™ carries a 2 year (730 days) limited warranty.
Please fill out the enclosed warranty card to validate your purchase
and warranty. You may also register your product online at www.
americandj.com. All returned service items whether under warranty or
not, must be freight pre-paid and accompany a return authorization
(R.A.) number. If the unit is under warranty you must provide a copy
of your proof of purchase invoice. Please contact American DJ® customer support for a R.A. number.
• 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.
• Be sure that the local power outlet match that of the required volt-
age for 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 o 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 operate this unit when it’s cover is removed.
• 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 out`
doors 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-supply cords should be routed so that they are not likely to
be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them,
paying particular attention to the point they exit from the unit.
• Cleaning -The fixture should be cleaned only as recommended by
t he manufacturer. See page 11 for cleaning details.
• Heat -The appliance should be situated away from heat sources
such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances (inclu d ing 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 appliance does not appear to operate normally or exhibits a
Termination reduces signalerrors andavoids signal transmission problemsand interference. It is always advisableto connect a DMX terminal, (Resistance120 Ohm 1/4 W) between PIN 2 (DMX-)and PIN 3 (DMX +) of the last fixture.
POWER
SOUND
REMOTE
CONTROL
INPUT
POWER
INPUTOUTPUT
Power Supply: The Mega Tri Bar™ contains an electronic ballast,
which will auto sense the voltage when it is plugged into the power
source. With the electronic ballast you do not need to worry about wall
voltage, this unit can be plugged in anywhere. Also be sure to only use
the included I.E.C. power cable supplied with the unit.
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
dierent manufactures to be linked together and operate from a single
controller, as long as all xtures and the controller are DMX compli-
ant. 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 Operation):
The Mega Tri Bar™ has 7 DMX channel DMX modes. The DMX address
is set on the back panel of the Mega Tri Bar™. Your unit and your DMX
controller require a approved DMX-512 110 Ohm Data cable for data
input and data output (Figure 1). We recommend Accu-Cable DMX
cables. If you are making your own cables, be
sure to use standard 110-120 Ohm shielded
cable (This cable may be purchased at almost
all professional 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 cannot be split.
Notice: Be sure to follow gures two and three when making your own
cables. Do not use the ground lug on the XLR connector. Do not connect the cable’s shield conductor to the ground lug or allow the shield
conductor to come in contact with the XLR’s outer casing. Grounding
the shield could cause a short circuit and erratic behavior.
1
2
XLR Male Socket
1 Ground
Figure 3
DMX512 OUT
3-PIN XLR
2 Cold
3 Hot
Special Note: Line Termination.
used, you may need to use a terminator on the last unit to avoid erratic
behavior. A terminator is a 110-120 ohm 1/4 watt resistor which is connected between pins 2 and 3 of a male XLR connector (DATA + and
DATA -). This unit is inserted in the female XLR connector of the last
unit in your daisy chain to terminate the line. Using a cable terminator
(ADJ part number Z-DMX/T) will decrease the possibilities of erratic
behavior.
Termination reduces signal errors and
1
avoids signal transmission problems
3
and interference. It is always advisable
2
to connect a DMX terminal, (Resistance
120 Ohm 1/4 W) between PIN 2 (DMX-)
and PIN 3 (DMX +) of the last fixture.
5-Pin XLR DMX Connectors.
connectors for DATA transmission in place of 3-pin. 5-pin XLR xtures
may be implemented in a 3-pin XLR DMX line. When inserting standard 5-pin XLR connectors in to a 3-pin line a cable adaptor must be
used, these adaptors are readily available at most electric stores. The
chart below details a proper cable conversion.
3-Pin XLR to 5-Pin XLR Conversion
Conductor5-Pin XLR Male (In)3-Pin XLR Female (Out)
LED Display On/Off:To make the display stay ON all of the time
press the MODE and UP buttons at the same time. To make the dis-
play turn OFF after 20 seconds, press the MODE and DOWN buttons
at the same time.
Operating Modes:
Dimmer Mode:
In this mode you can adjust RGB colors to make your desired color.
1. Plug the fixture in and press the MODE button until “CoLr” is dis-
played.
2. Press the SET UP button to enter the RGB mode. Adjust the RGB
colors using the UP and DOWN buttons. Press SET UP to move on
to the next color in the RGB mode.
Program Mode:
In this mode you can run 1 of 14 built-in progrmas.
1. Plug the fixture in and press the MODE button until “Pr.XX” is dis played, “XX” = 01-14.
2. Press the UP or DOWN buttons to find your desired and program
and press SETUP. The programs and controls are listed below.
• Pr.01 is static color program. There are 7 colors to choose from.
Press the SET UP button to enter the static color submenu. Use
the UP or DOWN buttons to scroll through the static colors.
• Pr.02 - Pr.12 are programs where the programs speed or fade time
can be adjusted. Both modes cannot work at the same time.
Note: You must have Program speed set to the lowest speed if
you want to run the fade mode.
Select your desired program and press the SET UP button.
“SP.XX” will be displayed, this is the program speed. You can ad just the speed from 01-99. 01 being the slowest, and 99 being the
fastest.
Press SET UP again, and “FD.XX” will be displayed, this is the fade
time. You can adjust the fade time from 01-99. 01 being the slow
est, and 99 being the fastest.
• Pr.13 - Pr.14 are programs where the program speed or fade time
can be adjusted, and also the color(s) can be selected.
Select your desired program and press the SET UP button.
“SP.XX” will be displayed, this is the program speed. You can ad-
just the speed from 01-99. 01 being the slowest, and 99 being the
fastest.
- Press the SET UP button again to adjust the Fade speed.
“FD.XX” will be displayed, this is the fade time. You can adjust the
fade time from 01-99. 01 being the slowest, and 99 being the fast est. Press the SET UP button to enter one of two color adjust-
ment modes. Use the UP or DOWN buttons to scroll through the
differnet color selections. You can also press the SET UP button
again to enter another color adjustment mode.
- Press the SET UP button to choose your color(s). The first set of
colors are controlled by the program speed. When you press SET
UP again you will find a second set of colors, these are controlled
by the fade speed. One set of colors must be set to off for the your
chosen program to work.
Example: if your running the first set of colors (program speed) then
the second set of colors (fade program) must be set to off.
Auto Mode:
1. Plug the fixture in and press the MODE button until “AUTO” is
displayed. A factory program will now run. The run (loop) of the pro-
gram can be adjusted by pressing SET UP and then using the UP
and DOWN buttons to adjust the loop amount.
Example: If “n.003” is set for the loop, the unit will run each program
3 times.
Sound Active Mode:
In this mode the Mega Tri Bar™ will react to sound, changing and fading through the different colors.
1. Plug the fixture in and press the MODE button until “SU.XX” is dis played, press SETUP. “XX” = 00-31 which is adjustable sound sen-
sitivity levels.
2. The fixture will now change via sound. You can adjust the sound
sensitivity by pressing the UP and DOWN buttons. The sound sen sitivity can be adjusted from 00 - 31, 00 being the least sensitive,
and 31 being the most sensitive.
Master-Slave Operation:
This function will allows you to link units together to run in a MasterSlave mode. In Master-Slave operation one unit will act as the con-