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M
MSR
(Medium Source Rare earth) High efficiency discharge lamp with a high color temperature (approx 5600°K). Provides around 50% more light output than a incandescent lamp of the same wattage.
MULTICABLE (MULT, MULTI)
A cable designed to supply power from dimmers to multiple separate lighting instruments down a single multi-conductor cable. Standard multi-cables can carry the equivalent of 6 or 12 standard stage cables corresponding to the same number of circuits. A break-out is used at either end to break the multi cable apart into individual circuits. Multicables have the advantage of being much smaller than bundles of multiple stage cables.
MULTICORE
A flexible electrical cable composed of several well-insulated cores covered in a strong PVC or rubber covering. Enables a number of different circuits to be carried down one piece of cable. Both lighting and sound multicores are available. Sometimes known as a Multi or Snake.
MULTIFACETED REFLECTOR
a low voltage halogen reflector lamp that is used in lighting applications where precise beam control is required, such as accent lighting. Some MR lamps, such as projection lamps, are designed for line-voltage operation.
MULTILEVEL BALLAST
multilevel ballasts allow fluorescent and HID lamps to be switched between two or more lighting levels. The device that activates the change in light output may be a photosensor, an occupancy sensor, or a timer.
MULTIPLEXED (MUX) SIGNAL
All modern lighting desks use this serial form of communication with dimmers. All the information from the desk is transmitted along a single pair of cables to the dimmer where a de-multiplexing unit (demux box) decodes the string of data and passes the correct piece of information to the correct dimmer. The industry standard protocol (language/standard) for multiplexing is the digital USITT DMX512 (introduced in 1986, based on RS485 data protocol). However, new protocols are continually being added to keep up with more demanding equipment.
SMX is a communications protocol which enables digital dimmers to "report back" to the desk on any faults (eg blown lamps). RDM (Remote Device Management) is an emerging upgrade to DMX512 which will include bi-directional communication between controller and device. DMX512-A (officially ANSI E1.11) is a new standard under development at ESTA which is backwards compatible with DMX512 but has stricter safety parameters and offers some upgrades of functionality. Among the older protocols (pre DMX512) are D54 which uses a stream of analog voltage levels and was the Strand standard, and AMX 192 (US Standard, introduced around 1975) which can control up to 192 channels and uses a 4-pin XLR connector. (AMX stands for Analog Multiplex).
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