The SpecialFX.it ML-CS01 Cold Sparks Machine, Standard Fixture ID 061, is a vertical sparks machine that can be controlled by any of the DMX-capable firing systems, such as Piroshow, Pyromac, PyroSure, fireTEK, Cobra, and Mongoose. It generates spark fountains approximately 3-5 meters high, with variable height specified in the DMX signal.
Figure 1 – SpecialFX.it ML-CS01 Cold Sparks Machine
The Cold Sparks Machine has variable height levels (“gears”). The Finale 3D effects catalog contains Cold Sparks Machine effects for a range of durations and three heights (small, medium, and large). You can create your own custom duration or height effects as described below.
The Cold Sparks Machine has a two-channel DMX personality. The first channel turns the sparks fountain on and specifies the height. The second channel turns the “Pre-Heat” mode on. In Finale 3D, Cold Sparks Machine “Sparks” effects will control the first channel. The Cold Sparks Machine “Pre-Heat” effects will control the second channel.
Table 1 – DMX channels
| DMX Channel | Meaning | Effect in Finale 3D that controls channel |
| Channel 1 (DMX Channel Base + 0) | Sparks off (0-9 = OFF) or on at varying height (10-255; 255 = max) | Part numbers SFXIT1100 – SFXIT1106 representing spark fountain effects with small, medium, large height at durations of 1sec and 2sec; you can adjust the durations of effects after inserting them into the show, and you can also copy/paste effects into your My Effects collection and modify their duration there to create a palette of options to add to the show |
| Channel 2 (DMX Channel Base + 1) | Pre-heat on (50-100 = ON). | Part number SFXIT1103, “SFXIT-CS01 [061/0000] With Pre-Heat / Safety Channel” |
Instructions
To design a show for SpecialFX.it ML-CS01 Cold Sparks Machines, please follow these steps:
- Set up. (A) Follow the flame set up instructions in the Flame systems basic instructions and Exporting a firing system script for flame systems. Depending on your DMX controller, you may choose to give each Cold Sparks Machine its own DMX universe, or give each Cold Sparks Machine a channel range in a shared DMX universe. (B) In the real world configure each physical unit’s “Start Address” to be the start of the channel range you allocate for it. (C) In Finale 3D configure the “DMX Channel Base” of the fixture to match the Start Address exactly.
- Add the Assorted DMX supplier catalog to your Finale 3D account. Login to the finale3d.com website. At the top of the page, go to “My Account > Supplier Catalog Settings” (www.finale3d.com/supplier-catalogs-settings/). Find the Assorted DMX supplier catalog in the table, and turn the switch to ON. Then launch the Finale 3D application and synch to network. The Assorted DMX catalog will appear as one of the available collections in the effects window, which you can choose from the selector at the top of the window.
- Add spark fountain effects to the show and adjust their durations. (A) Right-click on the Cold Sparks Machine positions to add compatible effects from the context menu or to filter the effects window to compatible effects. Although the catalog contains effects with short durations, you can adjust the durations of the effects on the timeline after inserting them. Add a “With DMX Pre-Heat / Safety Channel” effect (e.g., part number SFXIT1103) and adjust its duration to cover the time range you want the pre-heat mode ON.
Choosing the DMX channel ranges for fixtures
Each Cold Sparks Machine fixture requires two channels, so if you are putting multiple fixtures in the same DMX Universe, you need to set the Start Address on the fixture in the real world and the corresponding DMX Channel Base on the fixture in Finale 3D to a range of channels that doesn’t overlap with others. A DMX universe has channels 1-512. If you want to pack as many fixtures into the 512 channels of a DMX universe as you can, back-to-back ranges are the most efficient. Some DMX firing systems only support 50 or 100 channels, so you may not have all 512 channels to work with.
Table 2 – Example channel ranges for Cold Sparks Machine fixtures in a DMX universe
| Fixture | DMX Channel Base | Channels Used |
| 1 | 1 | 1-2 |
| 2 | 3 | 3-4 |
| 3 | 5 | 5-6 |
| 4 | 7 | 7-8 |
| 5 | 9 | 9-10 |
| 6 | 11 | 11-12 |
| 7 | 13 | 13-14 |
| 8 | 15 | 15-16 |
| 9 | 17 | 17-18 |
| 10 | 19 | 19-20 |
| … | ||
| 256 | 511 | 511-512 |
Table 3 – Example files and downloads
| Download link | Explanation |
| User manual–cold spark machine.pdf | SpecialFX.it ML-CS01 Cold Sparks Machine user manual |