connectivity solutions

so i tour with a macbook pro and:
-Enttec DMX USB pro
-Radial USB pro DI box
-Korg Nanokontrol 2
-USB midi interface

too much power and too many USB connections.
and if i want to switch to DMXking eDMX4 pro i need power over ethernet...

how would you do this?

it alway seems like a good solution to go for an ethernet node. poe or not it should have it's own power supply. so you can go for dmxking eDMX line of products, or enttec ODE. both are great. the only difference I see, it's the software IP editor who only run on windows for dmxking and osx/windows for enttec.

my usb / audio interface has it's own power supply also. I don't like to be dependent from any laptop power for anything like dmx or audio.

for the korg nanokontrol and other usb device, you can get a active usb hub if you feel like it, but the laptop should supply enough power for such devices.

Hi Birt,
IMHO, POE solution is the way to go as you have only one pouwer generator for all devices (the POE switch), and moreover when the full range of device will be rj45 available, every devices will be able to talk each others thru rj45 cables.

++

POE seems nice but it adds an extra device and power supply.
and my USB doesn't have enough power either for everything so i would need a hub with a power supply there as well.

if there's a combination of both devices that could be something.


as i see it more and more manufacturers are making everything USB powered but normal USB ports can't follow the power requirements.


oh and the enttec ODE only has one DMX out so for me it has no advantage over the USB-DMX i use now.

oh and the enttec ODE only has one DMX out so for me it has no advantage over the USB-DMX i use now.

it's not just a matter of output / input. dmx over ethernet is more reliable/practical than usb in many aspect, imo

if you need more than one output and also an input go for the DMXking. you'll need a poe router. a router is always useful in a foh, for dmx / midi / video / osc purpose.

you can't go wrong with a dmxKing eDMX4

well that's what i hear a lot. but nobody specifies the aspects they're referring to.

so i could use more than 1 output and maybe an input. but a router as you say can be useful in a foh if i would use it for anything else. i don't. i travel as light and minimal as possible. every device i don't really need is just annoying and adds connections that can fail.

if i could find a poe injector that is also a powered USB hub it would be useful. or if the DMX over ethernet device had it's own power supply and some USB ports. none of the manufacturers think of extra connectivity. even if they promote using more than one device (like the Nanokontrol) they don't add the possibility to daisy chain them.

I feel you, it's hard to find the perfect hardware. maybe you should consider building your own device with an arduino + dmx shield



as why is dmx over ethernet better thanks usb, just a few points :
- it does usually gets its own power supply (so it will never stop. usb/dmx devices can stop if too much usb devices are plugged to one source and result with a blackout)
- you can use it thru a network
- it doesn't need any usb driver / library (it's network so it's compatible with most computer / os. no problem. everyone is struggling right now with el capitan and usb dmx pro...)

my advice : if you need to invest to an ethernet device : go for dmxking, you won't regret it (for example, if your computer crash, the device will keep the last state until you reboot it and feed it with dmx, enttec ode : nope)

regarding the size of your kit : I'm sure you can manage to include a poe router in it.

regarding a hub with poe / usb / etc. : I wouldn't trust any kind of hub like that anyway. I rather focus on keeping my audio / video / dmx signal as clean and reliable as possible. even if I need to purchase a bigger pelicase. I don't like to worry about hardware.


I hope you'll find the perfect kit for your need. keep me posted about your decision

well i might go DIY. i have no experience with Arduino but i have with electronics.
i could buy a POE injector with built-in power supply and add USB ports to that using the same power supply. just make it one device.

that way i have one station to connect everything and only need 1 usb and 1 normal network cable to connect my computer.