COLORado 1 Quad Zoom: DMX setup and zoom troubleshooting

Select the personality in PERS, set RUN to DMX and match ADDR to the patch address. The console profile must match both the exact model and that personality. Having COLORado in the profile name is not enough.

Test red, green and blue separately at moderate intensity. If a control operates the wrong function, check the mode and address before replacing cables. If the functions match, test the next fixture. Calculate its starting address as the current address plus the channel count; also check the end of the universe.

First rule out blackout, a closed grand master and a playback taking control. Then test one color component. AR2.D has a dimmer in addition to RGBW; ARC.2 has no separate dimmer channel. An incorrect profile can leave a required control at zero.

If it does not respond, connect the fixture to an output and cable that work with another unit. If control returns, isolate the earlier cable run, node or patch. If it still fails, compare its behavior with the local control described in the manual. That helps separate the DMX path from light output; it does not by itself prove a circuit board has failed.

First check that the personality includes zoom. AR2.Z does; ARC.2 and AR2.D do not. Under SET → ZOOM, BASE allows full travel and POS.1/POS.2 apply limits. Record the selected setting before testing BASE.

With the fixture accessible and no audience facing the beam, move the control slowly. If full travel returns, check the programmed limit and restore the setting required for the show. Otherwise, inspect the profile output values and compare another unit in the same mode. Do not force the optics or repeatedly reset the fixture to mask a mechanical fault.

Check SET → DERR: SAVE holds the last state; BLAC turns off the LEDs on signal loss. The manual also uses BLACK in its menu map. Compare the option with the display on your unit.

Outside show time, select a recognizable test state and simulate signal loss. Observe both disconnection and recovery. Agree on the behavior with the operator: holding a wash may help, but can also leave a stage lit when it should be dark. Do not treat this feature as a substitute for emergency lighting.

Run the actual show cues at their intended zoom and intensity. Inspect the result from the audience position and, if cameras are involved, at the shoot’s exposure and frame rate. A full-output test does not necessarily represent a slow fade or saturated color.

Record mode, universe, address, zoom limits and DMX-loss behavior on the setup sheet. Confirm appropriate power, mounting, safety cable and connections before handover. If movement is irregular, or you notice odor, visible damage or abnormal temperature, take the fixture out of service for inspection; do not open the housing during setup.