Lighting and control
Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M
Match firmware and DMX mode before separating the RGB plate from the white beam or reusing a pixel-mapped show.
Ask GLMedia about renting Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M for your event. Availability and configuration are subject to confirmation.
Model and purpose
- Manufacturer
- Chauvet Professional
- Model
- Chauvet Professional Color STRIKE M
- Documented product
- COLORSTRIKEMV2; manual Rev. 15 / DMX chart Rev. 10
- Light / movement
- 14 RGB sections; 28 white sections; 180° tilt
- Control / connectors
- DMX, RDM, Art-Net, sACN; IP-rated 5-pin XLR, etherCON and Powerkon
- Power / environment
- 100–240 VAC, 50/60 Hz; −10 to 45 °C; 12.1 kg; IP65 with installation conditions
A tilting strobe/wash combining a color plate with white tube elements. It can create broad color looks, white bursts and segmented patterns, but the available controls and pixel grouping depend on the selected personality. Plan the look around the actual fixture and software rather than treating all strobe profiles as interchangeable.
Prepare your rental inquiry
- Date, city, venue and setup, event and pickup schedule.
- Intended use, area dimensions and equipment already supplied by the venue or production.
- Wash, effect or accent use; location and target area.
- Required zone or pixel control, profile and cabling, subject to model functions.
Specify equipment only or whether setup, programming, operation and strike are also needed. Scope is confirmed in the proposal.
You do not need a final equipment list: tell us the result you want and the part you need help with. Availability and scope are confirmed in the proposal.
Features and connections
The cited manual lists 8, 11, 13, 24, 30, 47, 68, 74, 96 and 97 channel modes. The official change history adds the 96-channel personality in 4.0.7; verify that the installed firmware offers it before patching.
Network in/out, DMX in/out and power input have different functions. Select the intended Protocol and match IP/universe for Ethernet control or address/mode for wired DMX. Prepare compatible IP-rated cables/caps, the fixture profile and a documented electrical circuit allowance.
The mounting bracket requires a suitable rated clamp and verified support; overhead use requires a safety cable. Leave clearance for tilt and ventilation. Alignment pins do not establish the load capacity of an assembly.
Prepare the system
- Record SKU, fixture firmware and component versions from Information, then compare the console profile with that revision. Save the show and current fixture settings before changes.
- Match Protocol, DMX Channel and DMX Address/Start Address to the actual patch. Check the full footprint for overlaps and the universe boundary. A different personality changes the following addresses as well as the controls.
- Acclimate the fixture after a large temperature change. Connect grounded, protected mains, never a dimmer or rheostat. Test one isolated unit at low intensity with documented steady-light settings and a clear tilt area before using strobe effects.
Questions and troubleshooting
Why can I not control the white beam separately from the color plate?
Check the personality and its master hierarchy before editing console libraries. For the documented 30-channel mode, the common intensity control can limit both sections.
- Confirm the exact mode on fixture and console. In that mode, compare channel 3 Master dimmer, channel 4 Plate dimmer and channel 5 Beam dimmer in the official chart.
- On an isolated unit, keep the shutter in its documented no-flash state and test each section at a safe low level while checking the common master. Inspect the console’s main and cell controls where its profile uses separate selections.
- Compare actual DMX values before recording independent cuelists. If the raw route works but the console controls differ, preserve the profile and investigate its mapping rather than opening the fixture.
Why is a pixel pattern grouped, reversed or ignored after changing mode?
Channel count does not alone describe pixel layout. The 68-channel chart groups physical pixels; the 96 and 97 modes have different control assignments.
- Compare the selected mode’s pixel map and the order expected by the show. Do not assume a JDC1 profile gives an exact match simply because a forum reports successful cloning.
- Record Pixel Invert and LED Array Swap before changing them. The manual says array swaps can survive a factory reset, so a reset does not prove the default pixel order. Test one segment at a time.
- If the mode provides pixel/desk priority, inspect the correct mode-specific channel. Firmware 4.0.7 changed pixel priority behavior and strobe interaction; compare the matching chart instead of copying values from another mode.
An intensity fade feels delayed: how do I separate curve, cue and signal?
A reported delayed response is a symptom, not proof of a faulty fixture or a setting that affects every attribute.
- Compare one fixture’s Dimmer Mode with the intended response: OFF is linear; DIM1 is faster and DIM3 is slower. Record the original setting and compare an isolated steady-light fade.
- Compare the console’s fade and delay times with actual outgoing DMX changes. If DMX changes promptly but intensity fades differently, investigate the fixture’s dimmer response; do not extrapolate that result to tilt or every parameter.
- Record firmware and repeatable conditions if the problem remains. Official history identifies a Beam FX correction in 4.0.5 for the 30-channel mode; it is not a universal cure for slow response. Plan version changes outside the active show with the applicable procedure.
Quick reference
| Selected footprint | Highest starting address |
|---|---|
| 30 channels | 483 |
| 68 channels | 445 |
| 96 channels | 417 |
| 97 channels | 416 |
Precautions
- Maintain at least 50 cm from adjacent surfaces for ventilation and keep flammable material outside 20 cm. Keep the tilt path clear, avoid direct viewing and coordinate strobe use and audience notices.
- For outdoor IP65 use, power/data connections need suitable sealed cables and unused ports need secured covers. Do not submerge or treat the rating as approval for permanent extreme, saline or flood-prone installation.
- Inspect housing, lenses and cables; stop if damaged or seriously malfunctioning. Disconnect before cleaning and refer internal repairs to qualified service. Adjustable PWM requires a camera test with the actual exposure settings; it does not guarantee universal flicker-free footage.
Terms on this page
- DMX
- A data protocol controlling lighting functions; each model defines what its channels mean.
- RDM
- Management communication for querying or configuring compatible equipment over a compatible path.
- PWM
- Modulation of LED output; interaction with a camera may produce recorded bands or variations.
- Patch
- Assignment of fixture, profile, address and universe in the control system.
Documentation and sources
- Color STRIKE M — exact product
- User Manual — Rev. 15
- DMX chart — Rev. 10 / V4.0.7
- Official firmware change history
Consulted October 22, 2026. Procedures use manual Rev. 15, chart Rev. 10 and the official version history. Installed firmware and menu options must be confirmed on the unit. Community reports identified questions;