I’m trying to put together a system to allow guest LDs to talk to my ArtNet system without having to futz with networking their hardware. My initial solution was to install a NETRON EP4, set all the ports to “input” mode, and have my Chamsys MQ50 handle the merge in the desk.
The only trouble I’m running into is that when I disconnect the guest LD, if they do not manually zero their outputs, the NETRON node leaves their last frame of data on the ArtNet network and everything that heard that frame get sent just gets stuck at the last value sent. Unfortunately, not all hardware on the network is capable of switching to an LTP merge mode, so that’s not a viable solution. Given that I won’t be intimately familiar with the touring hardware that comes through my venue, I won’t be able to help every guest LD through this on their end, and that is problematic.
I already have a feature request sent to Chamsys to allow LTP ArtNet merges in software, but the real fix would be to issue a firmware update for the EP4 that either allows its signal loss modes to work in reverse, when running from hardline DMX input to the ArtNet network, or allows its “send value” input trigger to send values down its configured ArtNet output lumiverses instead of just the hardline DMX outputs. Either or both of those features will fix this situation for me— is there any chance we could have them implemented?