Chroma-Q VISTA 3 Software User Guide

: June 6, 2024
: Chroma-Q

Table of Contents

Warranty Statement:
Safety and warning information:
Product overview
Vista USB DMX channel dongles:
Powering on & setting up the Vista MV/EX
Technical specifications:
Maintenance:
Documents / Resources

THIN< IT. CREATE IT. DO IT.
Vista MV & EX Control Surface Setup Guide
vistabychromaq.corn

Warranty Statement:

Vista by Chroma-Q warrants to the original purchaser, with proof of purchase, that its delivered products shall be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of 24 months from date of shipment.
Vista by Chroma-Q will repair, or at its option, provide an equivalent item or replace, the defective product during the stated warranty period. This warranty applies only to the repair or replacement of the product and only when the product is properly handled, installed and maintained according to Vista by Chroma-Q instructions. This warranty excludes defects resulting from improper handling, storage, installation, acts of God, fire, vandalism or civil disturbances. Purchaser must notify Vista by Chroma-Q in writing within 14 days of noticing the defect. This warranty excludes field labor or service charges related to the repair or replacement of the product.
The warranty contained herein shall not extend to any finished goods or spare parts from which any serial number has been removed or which have been damaged or rendered defective (a) as a result of normal wear and tear, wilful or accidental damage, negligence, misuse or abuse; (b) due to water or moisture, lightning, windstorm, abnormal voltage, harmonic distortion, dust, dirt, corrosion or other external causes; (c) by operation outside the specifications contained in the user documentation; (d) by the use of spare
parts not manufactured or sold by Vista by Chroma-Q or by the connection or integration of other equipment or software not approved by Vista by Chroma-Q unless the Customer provides acceptable proof to Vista by Chroma-Q that the defect or damage was not caused by the above; (e) by modification, repair or service by anyone other than Vista by Chroma-Q, who has not applied for and been approved by Vista by Chroma-Q to do such modification, repair or service unless the Customer provides acceptable proof to Vista by Chroma-Q that the defect or damage was not caused by the above; (f) due to procedures, deviating from procedures specified by Vista by Chroma-Q or (g) due to failure to store, install, test, commission, maintain, operate or use finished goods and spare parts in a safe and reasonable manner and in accordance with Vista by Chroma-Q’s instructions (h) by repair or replacement of engines without factory training.
The warranty contained herein shall not apply to finished goods or spare parts which are sold “as is”, as “second-hand”, as used”, as “demo” or under similar qualifications or to Consumables (“Consumables” is defined as any part(s) of goods or part(s) for use with goods, which part(s) of goods or part(s) for use with goods are consumed during the operation of the goods and which part(s) of goods or part(s) for use with goods require replacement from time to time by a user such as, but not limited to, light bulbs). The warranty contained herein shall not apply unless the total purchase price for the defective finished goods or spare parts has been paid by the due date for payment. The warranty contained herein applies only to the original purchaser and is not assignable or transferable to any subsequent purchaser or end-user.
This warranty is subject to the shipment of the goods, within the warranty period, to the Vista by ChromaQ warranty returns department,by the purchaser, at the purchaser’s expense. If no fault is found, Vista by Chroma-Q will charge the purchaser for the subsequent return of the goods.
Vista by Chroma-Q reserves the right to change the warranty period without prior notice and without incurring obligation and expressly disclaims all warranties not stated in this limited warranty.

Disclaimer:
The information contained herein is offered in good faith and is believed to be accurate. However, because conditions and methods of use of our products are beyond our control, this information should not be used in substitution for customer tests to ensure that Vista by Chroma-Q products is safe, effective, and fully satisfactory for the intended end-use. Suggestions of use shall not be taken as inducements to infringe any patent. Vista by Chroma-Q’s sole warranty is that the product will meet the sales specifications in effect at the time of shipment. Your exclusive remedy for breach of such warranty is limited to refund of purchase price or replacement of any product shown to be other than as warranted. Vista by Chroma-Q reserves the right to change or make alterations to devices and their functionality without notice due to our ongoing research and development.
If you experience any difficulties with any Vista by Chroma-Q products please contact your selling dealer. If your selling dealer is unable to help please contact [email protected]. If the selling dealer is unable to satisfy your servicing needs, please contact the following, for full factory service:

Outside North America:
Tel: +44 (0)1494 446000
Fax: +44 (0)1494 461024
[email protected]| North America:
Tel: +1 416-255-9494
Fax: +1 416-255-3514
[email protected]
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For further information please visit the Vista by Chroma-Q website at www.VistaByChromaQ.com Chroma-Q and Vista by Chroma Q are trademarks, for more information on this visit: https://www.vistabychromaq.com/trademarks-and-disclaimers/. The rights and ownership of all trademarks are recognized.
Important notice:
As per the requirements in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for product approval, please refer to the OSHA web pages http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/ for information on the list of Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) and the scope of recognition.

Safety and warning information:

WARNING!
**** Read the safety precautions in this section before installing, powering, operating or servicing this product.
The following symbols are used to identify important safety information on the product and in this document:

Safety Hazard.
Risk of severe
injury or death.| Fire Hazard.| Hazardous Voltage.
Risk of severe lethal
electric shock.| Refer to User
manual.

Warning!

Read the user manual before installing and operating the Vista MV and Vista EX control surface. For future reference, keep and use the manual.
Safety precautions given in user manual must be followed at all times and the manuals of all the devices you connect it to. Observe all the warnings printed on devices and in manuals. Make sure whoever is involved in working on or using the Vista by Chroma-Q TM products has carefully read and understood all the safety precautions and listed warnings.
Install, connect, operate and service devices only as described in this manual and in connected devices’ manuals and only in accordance with local laws and regulations. All Vista by Chroma-Q TM manuals are supplied with devices and are also available for download from www.VistaByChromaQ.com.
The Vista MV and Vista EX control surfaces do not have user-serviceable parts. Refer any operation not described in this manual to [email protected].

If you experience difficulties with any Vista by Chroma-Q products please contact your local dealer.
If your local dealer is unable to help, or you are having trouble finding what you are looking for on our website then please contact [email protected].
PROTECTION FROM ELECTRIC SHOCK:

Use only the cables specified in this manual and on the Vista by Chroma-Q website at www.VistaByChromaQ.com to interconnect devices in the installation. If the specified cables are not long enough for an intended cable run, consult Vista by Chroma-Q for assistance in finding or creating a safe alternative solution.
Isolate the installation from power immediately if any product, power cable or power plug is in any way damaged, defective or wet, or if it shows signs of overheating.
Do not immerse a Vista MV and Vista EX control surface in water or expose it to rain or mist.
PROTECTION FROM BURNS AND FIRE:
Do not modify the Vista MV and Vista EX in any way not described in this manual or install other than genuine Vista by Chroma-Q parts. Use only accessories approved by Vista by Chroma-Q.
PROTECTION FROM INJURY:
Never try to repair the product. Repairs carried out by unskilled people can lead to damage or malfunction. Please contact the nearest authorized dealer or contact [email protected]

Keep this User Manual for future consultation. If this product is used by another user, be sure that they also receive this document.

Product overview

Welcome to Vista by Chroma Q™
Launched in 2004, the Vista control system has been adopted by a large range of leading lighting designers, specifiers, rental and production companies, venues, shows and events worldwide. Continuing its legacy, the Vista 3 software has been developed to dramatically enhance the existing feature set whilst also introducing a host of major new features.
To make the most of the latest Vista 3 software the Vista MV and EX have been developed to provide accurate physical control.
An external Windows or Mac computer is required to host the Vista software. More information on this can be found in the “set up” section of this document.
The Vista MV control surface:
The Vista MV is a cost-effective, compact, control surface that is capable of delivering small to large-scale shows.
Featuring 5 customizable playback faders and 15 assignable buttons, the Vista MV ensures that you have enough physical controls, whilst providing the flexibility to adapt to any genre of show or event. The Vista MV also features 4 function keys, which, when combined with the 15 playback buttons offer up to an incredible 75, user-definable, actions per page, providing unrivaled control from a unit that is so compact.

Key features:

Compact design
USB powered
2 physical DMX outputs
5 playback faders
Grand Master intensity fader
15 assignable buttons
4 function keys
Unlimited pages
RGB backlit keys
DMX channels determined by dongle

The Vista EX control surface:
The Vista EX control surface provides large amounts of physical control within a compact footprint, capable of delivering small to large scale shows.
Featuring 12 customizable playback faders and 60 assignable buttons, Vista EX ensures that you have enough hands-on control for even the most demanding of shows, whilst providing the flexibility to adapt to any genre of production or event. Vista EX also features 4 function keys, which, when combined with the 60 playback buttons offer up to an incredible 300, user-definable, actions per page, providing unrivaled control from a unit that is so small.
Key features:

12 playback faders
60 assignable buttons
8 encoders
Dedicated master cue list playback controls
Grand Master intensity fader
12 user keys
4 function keys
Unlimited pages
2 physical DMX outputs
RGB backlit keys
DMX channels determined by dongle

What’s included in the box:
Keeping the original packaging is strongly recommended for the ease of transportation and if the item needs to be returned.
The Vista MV and EX control surfaces are supplied with:
Vista MV included items:

Ref	PART NUMBER	DESCRIPTION	QUANTITY
1	675-1000	CHROMA-Q VISTA MV USB CONTROL
SURFACE	01
2	1915-0005	USB 2.0 Type-A to Type-B cable	01
3	675-0701	QUICK START GUIDE CQ VISTA MV	01

Vista EX included items:

Ref	PART NUMBER	DESCRIPTION	QUANTITY
1	676-1010	CHROMA-Q VISTA EX CONTROL SURFACE	1
2	1915-0005	USB 2.0 Type-A to Type-B cable	1
3	676-0701	QUICKSTART GUIDE CQ VISTA EX	1
4	676-0601	PSU 12VDC 5A 60W IEC XLR-4 pin 4FT	1

Vista USB DMX channel dongles:

In addition to the Vista MV / EX, a Vista DMX channel license is also required to enable data output from a computer running the Vista software. This license is supplied in the form of a USB dongle. Multiple license dongles can be used within a single system to achieve the sum of their individual channel counts.
Vista software packages (USB dongles) can be sold separately or purchased alongside a Vista MV/EX at the time of initial purchase.
Available channel counts are:

128 channels
256 channels
512 channels
1024 channels
2048 channels
4096 channels
8192 channels

If purchased with a Vista EX, the vendor can install the dongle internally.
Contact your dealer to install the dongle to the internal USB port on the control surface (EX only). If you choose this option, we recommend using a qualified service person. Please contact your nearest authorized dealer or contact [email protected] for detailed installation instructions. Dongles can also be plugged into any available USB port on the host computer.

Powering on & setting up the Vista MV/EX

Downloading & Installing the Vista 3 software:
Ensure the latest Vista 3 software is installed on your Windows or macOS system.
The latest software and installation instructions can be downloaded from www.vistabychromaq.com/download
Host Computer System requirements:
The latest computer system requirements can be viewed at https://www.vistabychromaq.com/vista-by-chroma-q-faqs/
Powering and connecting the Vista MV/EX:

Turn on the computer and install the latest Vista3 software (if not installed already).
To power on the Vista MV/EX control surface follow steps #3 and #4.
The Vista MV runs on a 5VDC power supply so it can be plugged directly into the PC/MAC using the USB 2.0 Type-A to Type-B cable.
The Vista EX control surface can only be connected to the mains supply between 100-240VAC using a 12VDC 5A 60W power supply adaptor (XLR-4 pin) unit which is supplied with the control surface.
Connect the DMX channel dongle to a USB port on either the control surface or the host computer. Skip this step if the dongle has been installed into the internal USB port (EX only).
Connect the USB cable supplied with the control surface from the input USB port on the control surface (Type B) to an output port USB 2.0 (Type A) on the Windows or macOS computer system.
If using Windows, the system may respond with a “Found new hardware” dialogue box asking “Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software?”
Select “No, not this time” and click “Next”.
When the computer displays the “What do you want the software to do? “Select” Install the software automatically (Recommended) and click “Next”.
Launch the Vista 3 software.

Power LED operation:

The back-panel LED on continuously indicates that the USB link between the Vista control surface and host computer is complete and ready for transmission. Once data communication occurs, the LED flashes.
Control surface installation:
An external uninterruptible power supply can be connected if mains blackouts are anticipated.
Pin-out information:

Description	Type	Pin Outs	Function
DMX512	Neutrik XLR 5-pin
Female “D” type	1

External PSU Pin-out information:

Description	Type	Pin Outs	Function

Power supply
(12 VDC External
PSU)| Neutrik XLR 4-pin
Female
NC4FX-B| 1
2
3
4| Ground
NC
NC
12 VDC

Technical specifications:

Control surface	Vista MV	Vista EX
Net Dimensions** (WxHxD)	200mm x 65mm x 280mm / 8″ x 2.5″ x 11″	535mm x 75mm

Vista MV technical drawing & dimensions:

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Maintenance:

With care the Vista MV and Vista EX control surfaces will require little or no maintenance. If the front panel requires cleaning, wipe with a mild detergent on a damp soft cloth. DO NOT spray liquids onto the front panel. DO NOT use solvents for cleaning the front panel. Warning: Do not allow the entry of liquids of any sort into the control surface chassis.

Author: Vista by Chroma Q
Published Date: 3/15/2021
Manual P/N: 675-0701
V2.3
www.VistabyChromaQ.com