Spectrum ST4 - Getting Started in 5 Minutes

Are you a new spectrum customer? Are you interested in purchasing and want to see how easy it is to get started? You're in the right place!

Welcome to the Spectrum ST4

The goal of this article is to get you up and going with the eMotimo Spectrum ST4 in 5 minutes or less. While eMotimo has a full catalog of online resources to help you unlock the full potential of your ST4, we think the best introduction for this revolutionary motion control robot is to drive it yourself.

Without any additional delay, let's get you going! See the graphic below for everything included with your Spectrum ST4.

(Note: As of 2019, all new Spectrums ship with hard plastic case. Other accessories may be included based on your purchase).

To get started with the ST4, you'll want to mount up the unit to an Arca compatible clamp and plug in the included adapter. The unit will power on automatically; there is no separate switch to turn it on. When you're ready to turn it off, simply unplug it.

All units ship with the wireless remote included. We'll dive into the remote fully in another article, but for now, you can turn the remote on by pressing and releasing the "PS Pair" button. The LED should blink white for a few seconds before turning solid blue, indicating the remote is paired.

Hardware Setup

The graphic above shows the general overview for mounting your camera. Attach the camera to an Arca-compatible L-Bracket and secure the vertical arm of the bracket to the ST4 tilt clamp. With your camera mounted, the following graphics explain connections for motorized accessories like the Fz Focus Motor, Cart, or Turntable to the external M3 and M4 motor ports.

Your First Shot

With your ST4 and camera mounted, slide and focus hooked up, and controller in hand you're ready to start shooting! Up/Down on the D-Pad allows you to navigate the menu. Try navigating to the "Live Motion" menu, and press X to select. From here, you can drive the Spectrum ST4 live.

• Right thumbstick - Drives pan and tilt axis. Inflecting the stick left or right will pan in the corresponding direction. Inflecting the stick up (away from the user) tilts the camera downward, inflecting down (toward the user) tilts the camera upward.
• Left thumbstick - Drives the M3 port. In a standard setup, with a slider motor connected to the M3, Inflecting the stick left or right drives the slide in the corresponding direction.
• R2/L2 (The squeezy triggers) - Drives M4 port. Generally, this is connected to focus or another motorized accessory.
• R1/L1 (the buttons) - Set virtual stops for the Fz motor connected to the M4 port.  If you feel controller vibration, you are hitting a virtual stop.  Hit the options button to clear it.

When driving external M3 or M4 ports, be aware of the following:

• External motor ports do not have stop points. This means that slide and focus can be driven to the limit of a mechanical stop and damage equipment. Take care when driving external ports and be aware of the mechanical limits of your equipment.
• The M4 port is controlled by R2/L2 triggers. Check your controller diagram above to ensure you're using the correct controls. Pressing R1/L1 buttons won't move the motor and these are actually setting virtual stops. If you do accidentally press R1/L1, or are experiencing controller vibration, press the options button to reset the control.

These controls apply to any mode where the ST4 firmware allows you to drive the head. Now that you have an understanding of basic controls, follow the video below to set up your first programmed shot!

Note: Some of the menu options may have changed slightly in later versions of the firmware. All you'll need for now is start point, end point, and duration. Later articles describe these updates in detail.

A Few Final Notes

It's really that easy to get started shooting with the ST4; just select start and end points, duration, and go. Of course, we've only scratched the surface of what the ST4 can do.

 First, we strongly encourage you to read our warnings statement to prevent damaging your ST4.

Up and Running? Want to learn more about the ST4? We maintain a full encyclopedia of support and education resources. If you want to become an ST4 super-user, we recommend this article as a good introduction and road map for those resources.

Problems getting up and going? Reach out to us at help@emotimo.com