Lighting Equipment Gotchas

This page documents known quirks, limitations, and non-obvious behaviors of lighting equipment used by Maryland Productions (MP) and Event Revolution (RV). These are not failures, but operational idiosyncrasies that can cause confusion, wasted time, or incorrect assumptions if not understood.

This page exists to prevent repeat mistakes and speed up troubleshooting in prep and on-site.

Purpose

  • Capture non-obvious behaviors of lighting equipment.

  • Prevent incorrect assumptions during prep and show setup.

  • Reduce troubleshooting time caused by known quirks.

  • Share institutional knowledge across technicians and freelancers.

  • Serve as a living reference for lessons learned.

Who This Page Is For

  • Lighting technicians

  • Lighting leads / LDs

  • Warehouse prep staff

  • Project Managers reviewing lighting scope

  • Freelancers unfamiliar with MP/RV inventory

Anyone working with MP/RV lighting gear should review this page.

Important Notes

  • These are known behaviors, not defects.

  • Do not assume all units of the same model behave identically.

  • Always test your specific unit when behavior matters.

  • When in doubt, document new findings and add them here.

If a gotcha causes real risk, it should also appear in the relevant SOP.

Known Lighting Equipment Gotchas

Cameo SP5 Fixtures

Wireless DMX Compatibility

Wireless DMX Compatibility - Cameo SP5 units support Wireless DMX via G5 W-DMX. - Not all SP5 units behave identically with regard to DMX passthrough.

Critical Gotcha

  • Only some SP5 units pass W-DMX signal through the physical DMX output.

  • Other units will:

    • Receive W-DMX correctly

    • Output no DMX on the wired DMX port

Implications - You cannot assume SP5 fixtures will act as a wireless-to-wired bridge. - Daisy-chaining wired fixtures downstream of an SP5 may silently fail. - Mixed behavior can occur within the same batch of fixtures.

Best Practices - Never rely on SP5 fixtures for W-DMX passthrough. - Use dedicated W-DMX receivers for wired downstream fixtures. - Test passthrough behavior during prep if attempting hybrid setups. - Clearly label any units confirmed to pass W-DMX (if kept in inventory).

This is expected behavior for this model and firmware combination.

Dimming Behavior Inconsistency

Observed Behavior - Cameo SP5 fixtures exhibit inconsistent dimming response between units. - Differences may appear in:

  • Low-end fade smoothness

  • Perceived brightness at identical DMX values

  • Response curve near 0–20%

Two fixtures set to the same intensity value may not visually match.

Implications - Smooth fades may appear uneven across a group of SP5s. - Low-intensity looks can expose unit-to-unit variation. - Matched intensity cues may look inconsistent on camera. - Programming by eye on one fixture may not translate cleanly to others.

Contributing Factors (Suspected) - Firmware differences between units - Internal calibration variance - LED binning tolerances

These variations have been observed even when fixtures appear externally identical.

Best Practices - Avoid relying on SP5s for critical low-end fades. - Do not use for film critical work. - Test dimming response during prep, especially for theatrical or camera-facing looks. - Use grouped programming and visual balancing where possible. - Consider applying:

  • Console-level dimmer curves

  • Per-fixture intensity offsets

  • Do not assume dimming behavior is consistent across the fleet.

Programming Guidance - Treat SP5 dimming as acceptable but not precision-matched. - For applications requiring extremely smooth or matched fades:

  • Test carefully

  • Or consider alternate fixture choices

This behavior is considered a known characteristic of the SP5 units in inventory and should be accounted for during design and programming.

Mixed Firmware Behavior (General)

  • Identical fixture models may have: - Different firmware versions - Different default personalities

  • Behavior may vary between units even if externally identical.

Best Practices - Standardize firmware where possible. - Verify DMX modes during prep. - Do not assume mode consistency across the fleet.

Wireless DMX Is Not Transparent

  • Wireless DMX systems do not always behave like a wired cable.

  • Some fixtures: - Receive wireless DMX - Do not forward it - Or require explicit configuration to do so

Best Practices - Treat wireless DMX as an endpoint unless explicitly documented otherwise. - Use dedicated transmitters and receivers. - Avoid hybrid chains without testing.

Fixture Power-On Defaults

  • Some fixtures: - Default to last-used mode - Default to a manufacturer demo mode - Require manual confirmation to enable DMX

Best Practices - Power-cycle and verify control mode during prep. - Never assume DMX mode persists across power loss.

RDM Behavior Is Inconsistent

  • RDM support varies widely across fixture models.

  • Some fixtures: - Respond inconsistently - Drop off RDM discovery - Misreport parameters

Best Practices - Use RDM cautiously. - Do not rely on RDM for mission-critical addressing unless verified. - Fall back to manual addressing when necessary.

Passthrough Assumptions Are Dangerous

  • DMX passthrough is not guaranteed, even if a fixture has: - DMX In - DMX Out

  • Wireless + wired passthrough is especially inconsistent.

Best Practices - Never assume passthrough without testing. - Label known-safe passthrough devices. - Use opto-splitters or nodes when reliability matters.

Operational Lessons Learned

  • If a lighting setup feels “almost right,” it probably is.

  • Silent failures often indicate passthrough or mode assumptions.

  • Test edge cases during prep, not on-site.

  • Document anything unexpected immediately.

Institutional memory prevents repeated mistakes.

How to Add New Gotchas

When a new behavior is discovered:

  1. Confirm it is repeatable.

  2. Identify affected models and firmware if possible.

  3. Document: - What was expected - What actually happened - How to avoid it

  4. Add it to this page.

  5. Notify warehouse and department leads.

This page should evolve continuously.