MARTIN 2501 CONTROLLER (01) PDF MANUAL

The Martin 2501 controller is a simple yet effective device that provides access to basic color change functions within the Martin Professional range of intelligent products (excluding Roboscan Pro 1220). It also allows access to stand-alone programs within connected units.

The Martin 2501 controller can control all of the Martin Professional range of intelligent products in any combination, up to a maximum of 32 units per controller. There are no limits on the type and variety of units that can be connected.

Before switching on, ensure the voltage selector switch is set for your local power supply. If necessary, connect a three-pin plug to the mains cable using the Brown wire for the Live connection, the Blue wire for the Neutral connection, and the Green/Yellow wire for the Earth (Ground) connection.

Use the XLR cable that came with the controller to connect it to the first unit on the link. Then, link up the rest of the units with XLR cables. These can be supplied by your local Martin dealer or can be standard 3-core balanced microphone cable. Remember to insert the terminating-plug that came with the controller into the last unit in the link to ensure correct and error-free communication.

To turn the controller on, press the red switch on the left-hand side of the unit from the Off position to the On position. If there is a good power supply, this switch will light up, and a hard reset signal will be sent to all units in the link. This is the only way to perform a hard reset on the units in the link.

To change the color of all units in the link, use the seven buttons on the left side of the controller. These are labeled [White], [Red], [Green], [Blue], [Yellow], [Strobe], and [Black]. Press the relevant color button to change the color, or press the [Black] button to black-out all units.

To access the strobe facility, press the button marked [Strobe]. All units will begin strobing. There are three different strobe rates programmed into the controller. By pressing the [Strobe] button again, you can access these different rates. The button works in a cycle mode: First press for Rate 1, Second press for Rate 2, Third press for Rate 3, and Fourth press returns to Rate 1, continuing this cycle.

If a strobe command is sent to a unit that cannot strobe, the command will simply be ignored.

When changing color for either the RoboZap or the RoboZap MSR 1200, some movement will occur on the mirror drum. This feature is programmed into the controller, with movements varying for each color change and lasting for different periods. After selecting a specific color, you can still access the movement by pressing the same color button again, which sends the signal for the mirror drum to move to the unit again.

Stand-Alone functions and sequences are contained within the Eprom inside the lighting unit itself. These sequences are not programmed and are random; the controller only starts them. Pre-Programmed sequences, however, are actually programmed and stored inside the 2501 Controller, meaning the controller accesses and controls these sequences from within itself.

There are two modes for the Stand-Alone sequence: Auto-Trig and Music-Trig.

There are four totally different Pre-Programmed sequences programmed into the 2501 controller.

To access these sequences, locate the two right-hand buttons marked Stand Alone and Program on the controller. Follow the markings beneath these buttons: [Color], [Zap], [Center], and [Scan] for product groups, and [Black] for [All] units. These buttons correspond to relevant product groups, and the [All] button controls all connected units.

To access the Stand-Alone sequence within a unit, press and hold the button marked Stand-Alone, then press the button for the product group you wish to run. That product group will automatically start running its Stand-Alone sequence in Music-Trig mode, where each beat of music heard by the unit’s in-built microphone will trigger a change in the unit’s output (e.g., color or movement).

While keeping the Stand-Alone button pressed down, press the same product group button again. The units will then change to run the sequence in Auto-Trig mode, which does not require sound input. Further presses of the same button combination will toggle the Trigger status between Music and Auto.

Unlike the Stand-Alone function, all sequences within the Pre-Programmed section of the controller run on Auto-Trig automatically.

To access Pre-Programmed sequences, press and hold the button marked Program, then press the button for the product group you wish to run. The first Pre-Programmed sequence will begin. To access other sequences, press and hold the Program button again and press the same product group button again. The controller will then run sequence Two, then Three, and so on. When running sequence Four, pressing the buttons again will revert back to sequence One, and further presses will continue this cycle.

The First and Second Pre-Programmed sequences contain only color and gobo information for Roboscans. Movement of the mirror is only available in sequences Three and Four.

You are able to run one product type at a time in this mode, or all products together. You ARE NOT able to run a combination of different units together, such as Robocolors and RoboZaps. The controller does not work in this way.

Yes, at any time you can change between different function sections of the 2501 controller. For example, if RoboZaps are running a Stand-Alone sequence, pressing the [Red] button will stop them from running stand-alone and change their color to Red.

Yes, color selections will work on all units regardless of software version.

Yes, strobe selections will work on all units with built-in strobe effect regardless of software version.

Pre-program mode will work on the following products:

Robocolor/Robocolor II Controller, Robocolor MSD, Robocolor Pro 400

RoboZap, RoboZap MSR

Centrepiece

Roboscan 804, 805, 1004, 1005, 812

Roboscan Pro 218, Pro 518.

Each product type connected to the 2501 controller has its own relevant dip switch setting. This setting is the same for all products of the same type, regardless of how many units are connected to the link. For example, if you have a link with 10 Robocolor controllers and 10 RoboZaps connected, all Robocolor Controllers should have a dip switch setting of 1 (100000), and all RoboZaps should have a dip switch setting of 4 (001000).