Lighting
Martin MAC One troubleshooting
The Martin MAC One problems live-event techs bring to Ask Roadie most (also called MAC 1). Pick your symptom, or describe your own in plain words, and get the likeliest fix first, with the manual page when there is one.
Common MAC One errors & problems
What techs run into most, and what's usually behind it. The step-by-step fix for your exact unit is in Ask Roadie.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Display stays dark even though something seems wrong, or I want to see logged faults
Likely cause: Techs often think a fixture is dead when ERROR MODE is just set to SILENT; the ERROR LIST and status LED expose faults regardless of display state.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Firmware update failed or fixture shows BANK (BANK NO ACCESS)
Likely cause: A partial/corrupt transfer leaves the new bank unusable but the old bank intact, so a clean re-flash resolves it without bricking the fixture.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Head fan error: display shows FAN HEAD FAN 1 ERR or FAN HEAD FAN 2 ERR
Likely cause: The head fans are the primary cooling for the LED engine.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Head will not do mechanical moves and display shows COLD (FIXTURE COLD)
Likely cause: Lubricant/mechanics and condensation risk make cold starts unsafe; the firmware intentionally blocks movement until warm.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Tilt is off or will not correct position; display shows TIER (TILT ERROR), FBET (TILT FBACK ERR) or TSER (TILT SENSOR ERR)
Likely cause: Tilt relies on the same magnetic feedback system as pan; a transient timeout clears on reset, a persistent sensor read failure is a hardware fault.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Visible flicker on camera / broadcast shoot with the MAC One
Likely cause: LED fixtures dim by PWM; matching/raising the PWM frequency relative to the camera shutter removes visible banding/flicker on video.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
What DMX modes/channel counts does the MAC One have and how do I pick one?
Likely cause: Mismatched personality vs.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Zoom stuck or wrong angle; display shows ZOER (ZOOM ERROR), FBEZ (ZOOM FBACK ERR) or ZSER (ZOOM SENSOR ERR)
Likely cause: Zoom position uses a car position sensor with its own indexing; re-homing plus stored calibration re-references it.
Not on the list? Describe it your way, or paste the error code off the display. Ask Roadie works the problem with you until it's fixed or you have a clear next move.
How Ask Roadie helps with the MAC One
- 1. Pick the Martin MAC One. It's already in the list.
- 2. Describe what you're seeing. In your own words, or the error code off the screen.
- 3. Get the likeliest fix first. Steps in order, the manual page when there is one, and a note when other techs have confirmed it.
- 4. Still broken? Tap 👎 and it keeps going from where you left off.