# Martin Maxxyz Console



## BenFranske (Mar 15, 2004)

Has anyone had a chance to play with (or see in person) one of the Martin Maxxyz consoles? I've heard a lot of great things about it from other LDs.


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## digitaltec (Mar 15, 2004)

I have experience programing it, what do you want to know about it? I will tell you this, I still prefer the Grand MA.


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## BenFranske (Mar 16, 2004)

Out of curiosity why is that? I heard that Martin basically let top LDs design it in the hopes it would be widely accepted.


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## digitaltec (Mar 16, 2004)

Your right with the fact that Martin did ask programmers to put input into what that wanted to see in a console. There were a few LD's that stayed with the project untill it was complete. Don't get me wrong, it's a great console. The overal construction of it makes it de-structable. You can take a hammer to the touch screens and they probably wont break, thought I would not try it. Which im sure you can see is why it is starting to become a highly used console on tours for that reason. The Maxxyz alot of great features. Some examples are: 8 Universes and the DVD/CD/CD-R drive which helps eliminate bad floppy disks. I can't really say to many bad things about the console. It runs Martin Lighting with eaze. A few drawbacks I see is no offline editor, Not an easy console to learn, Has alot of featues that will only work with Martin fixtures. But, if you are going out on a huge rock and roll tour with an all Martin rig and want to take a top of the line console with you then the Maxxyz will do the job.

There are two other consoles that if you get into moving lights you will probably run into. These consoles being the Hog II, and the Grand MA. Now given that you asked about the Maxxyz, I won't go to far into these consoles. Th Hog is by far the most popular moving light console on the market. They are everywhere. You find them from small rigs to House of Blues to even medium size tours. It's an easy console to learn and will run most rigs without major problems. The Grand MA is probably the most used moving light console in theaters and most major tours. With some time playing with the console at home (via offine and visualizer) and some time acually programming the console, Im sure you will find many advantages to using the Grand MA. Like I said Im not going to get to far into other consoles but, if you or anyone else wants me to elaborate on these consoles let me know.


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## Nephilim (Mar 16, 2004)

Blue Man Group's Complex tour used Hogs. Don't know if that qualifies as large...


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## BenFranske (Mar 16, 2004)

Yeah, I have experiance with the Hog and Grand Ma, I just haven't had a chance to see the Maxxyz yet because no one in town (Twin Cities, MN) has one yet. Sounds like your issues could probably be solved with future software upgrades. As long as the board doesn't have any major flaws it sounds like it could do pretty well. Hopefully I'll have the chance to see one sometime soon.


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## digitaltec (Mar 17, 2004)

BenFranske, you did not know what the Grand MA is, but you have programmed it? You may be right with some of your comments but I have noticed over the past year or so that Martin is slipping. That have focused so much of their engrgy to clubs and DJ's that I feel that there pro gear is not up to todays standard. For instance, that are currenly working on their version of the "PDA DMX remote" but if you have seen any demo pics or even used it you will see that its about the size of a shoe box. I personally again have been using Grand MA's version and will soon be getting the HES version. So many people are set on Martin gear. Now dont get me wrong, Most of their fixtures I would use any day (Maybe except the Mac 300) But you have fixtures like the DL1 and the HES Technobeam ( I belive the technobeam is the best scanner on the market today) I don't know much about Vari*Lite fixtures because I have yet to run into them much so far. But you got alot of moving light fixtures that most people overlook. Eh, the more I read what im writing it makes it seem like I dislike Martin. Like I said, I will use a Martin fixture anyday, but im still not set on their line of consoles for the most part. They just are not user freindly and dont have much support for their consoles in terms Manuals, off-line editor & visualizers. This might not mean to much to you, but I dont always have time to sit down at a console and program it. But I do usually have time at 2AM to sit at home and program via my home computer. Heck, I just programed a show tonight via the ETC offline edit. Now all I have to do is show up, pop my disk in, and I'll be able to run the show within the hour. I don't have to spend 4 hours on Friday sitting at a console programming. All I have to do now is fine tune the cues and effects. You see how simple it makes life by including a free download? The Maxxyz is still a great console. I mean how many consoles do you know of that have "ground effects"  . Over time im sure the console has a great chance of becoming very popular. But If you could learn any console in and out, I would say the Hog II. You will run into that console more times then any other console ever made except the ETC Express  . I would download the manual for the Maxxyz and Light Jockey (Light Jockey is just a computerized console from Martin and is not similar to the Maxxyz in anyway except you can play around and program fixtures) and play around with stuff. Everyone has different opinions on everything. Im sure you will get your time on the Maxxyz very soon. It's a great console to know, just not one I would pick if I had a chooice at this time. I kinda went back and forth but Im sure you seem my point and ideas. I'll try to let you know of tours that might be coming through your area that is using the Maxxyz. Glad to chat about this stuff anyday. 


Nephilim, Blue Man Group is a big show. Are you talking about the latest tour (Complex) or the shows? The tour was a huge sound show and have alot of different lighting/ video applications that is not seen often. I got to say, those guys put on one heck of a show. I'll have to look into my archive of what equipment they took out with them.


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## RonaldBeal (Mar 17, 2004)

Joel Young, programmer for the latest Brittany Spears tour just put up a review of the Maxxyz on the lightnetwork. "Forums.delphiforums.com/lightnetwork" This may answer some of your questions.


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## Nephilim (Mar 17, 2004)

The tour used Hogs, I saw one myself  The Vegas show uses a Compulite Spark 4D and two Compulite Sabres. Dunno about the Tubes shows.

I'm a huge BM fan... heh.


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## digitaltec (Mar 17, 2004)

Nephilim, Just looked up the lighting equipment from the Complex Tour:

21 VL1000AS ERS Luminaires
21 VL2000 wash luminaries
6 VLM mirrors
36 HES Studio Beams
19 Thomas 8-lites with Morpheus large format Color Faders 
35 Martin Atomic Strobes
L& E Ministrips
6-lamp PAR-64 bars
HES Wholehog II with HES Wholehog Wing 
ETC Sensor Rack
Altman UV705s
Altman UV703 Fresnels 
Wybron Eclipse Large Format Dousers
Le Maitre G300 water-based hazers
1 HES Catalyst media-server with 1 HES Catalyst Moving Mirror head


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## avkid (Mar 18, 2004)

i now feel like i am in the stone age with my Lee Colortran Scene Master 600 plus


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## digitaltec (Mar 18, 2004)

avkid, your still one step ahead of the game no matter what console you are using. As long as the console still works, that's all that matters. There are even alot of professinal venues that are not using what we whould consider new technology. I have ran into Colortran consoles in a few places and it seems like a decent line of consoles. Don't worry about what equipment you are using. The part you do want to worry about is if you know how to work it properly . You can go out and buy the top of the line everything, but if you dont know how to use it what good is going to do you. You got to grasp the basics before you can worry about advanced lighting projects. I have seen it to many times that high school students are too worried about learning the gear and having the gear then dealing with simple tasks like power distro, color mixing, beam angles, etc. Got to take it one step at a time. If you dont understand the fundamentals then you will never understand the art of lighting.


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## ship (Mar 18, 2004)

Oh’ I don’t know about the Grand Ma being that popular. We don’t own any. If they were wanted or requested we would. The Hog II is and has been the king for most industry work at least that I’m aware of. The Hog III while Lighting Network cites Peter Gabriel Tour as having taken it, I did some checking today and the specific board was not listed on the equipment list meaning it’s either the Maxxyz or the Hog III and the crew chief is not in town to ask or I would. I’m suspicious of this because our programmers / designers don’t trust the Hog III at this point - it’s not dependable but the Maxxyz as opposed to just one of the Hog III boards, we have at least six of the Martin board and no Grand Ma’s. More specifically, every designer/programmer I have talked to say they love the Maxxyz, and any that have used the Hog III have said the Hog III is not ready for touring yet. Smaller shows now use the Hog II, with and without wing, larger tours use the Maxxyz and the designers love it. The Maxxyz is for at least us the main new lighting board used and requested. It would give me great pleasure to tell the person bragging that it’s a Hog III on Perter Gabriel’s last tour that they were actually using a Maxxyz - he he he. But I could not confirm or deny it. Given the line of debate about High End it appeared on, such a comment would only add fuel to the fire. Fun in a way to take away the only example of a show having used the light board, but I could not prove it either way. 

Choice of what board to use is very dependant upon reliability, features and personal opinion. As I said, the designers I know do not like the Hog III but they love the Maxxyz. I don’t use any of the light boards but know what they are proud of using much less how much they bitch if they have to use a Jands, Hog I or Hog 500. They take the Hog II without a problem, especially if they can have a wing, but the Maxxyz boards are also and especially never in stock.

But I agree that one in the hand is worth two in the air. Never used any of the above light boards. Once did a show with a Vision that was always crashing. That verses a 24 channel two scene preset board, don't know what worked out to be better. It certainly was easier to program a memory board than work on cue sheets. Than again, the two scene preset was dependible and it had indipendant mode for an alternative control ability of the lights. In the end I guess, what I had I made do with as best I could and to it's fullest ability. If it could not do something than I figured how to mark art still - memory board or not.

Your tools might not be the most recent, but in skilled hands any tool is worth more than a toy in an amatures hands no matter how much more expensive.


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## BenFranske (Mar 19, 2004)

> BenFranske, you did not know what the Grand MA is, but you have programmed it?


If I ever gave the impression I did not know what the Grand MA is I'm sorry about that. I've had experiance with everything from ElectroControls and Kliegl analog and AMX consoles to ETC Expression and Insight DMX consoles to ETC Obsession, Avo, Hog II, Grand MA and LightJockey systems.

Like ship I've only heard good things from other pro LD friends, and as I have not seen the Maxxyz yet I remain curious about what those who have think about it. As to Martin focusing on the DJ market, they are doing quite a bit there but a huge number of tours are using MAC2000 profile/performance/wash fixtures. I agree Martin has certainly lagged behind others with console and control capabilites, but maybe the Maxxyz is their attempt at correcting this...


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## Radman (Dec 13, 2004)

This topic is almost a year old, but...


RonaldBeal said:


> Joel Young, programmer for the latest Brittany Spears tour just put up a review of the Maxxyz on the lightnetwork. "Forums.delphiforums.com/lightnetwork" This may answer some of your questions.



I just had some "real world experience training" yesterday with Joel. My uncle is was playing lead trumpet in Bette Midler's "Kiss My Brass" national tour, and for the last show they came to the Target Center in Minneapolis. Joel Young was running lights (I forget the technical name.) I got to spend the day with Joel and at the end of the show I got to run the last 3 songs! They were actually using 2 Hog II's linked by MIDI, but he said that Maxxyz is the way to go. He said that they are coming out with a new software version AND an offline anytime now.


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## SuperCow (Dec 13, 2004)

Accroding to the Maxxyz website, it should be out by early 2005, I believe. It looks like a really nice console. I like the idea of having the Moving light attributes on belts, as opposed to on the wheels that ETC and Flying Pig use. That seems more intuitive to me, especially for things like pan and tilt.

I really like the visualizer fully incorporated into the system. And the DVD/CD drive. Apparently you can actually watch DYD's on the console. I'm not sure how useful that it, but it's a nifty little feature. Ditto the LCD labels for the faders. Sure beats board tape! And apparently the faders are motorized. Seems like a bit of an extraneous feature as far as I can see, but please correct me if there's a specific application for that feature.

One thing that I'm not too big on is the small amount of submasters. Persoanlly, I like to do things on the fly alot. I like to have everything on a submaster, so that I can intuitively control levels for all aspects. I think I'd run out of room really fast, without having to resort to multiple pages. But, I suppose the Maxxyz is more geared towards people who have their shows programmed into cues. And anyways, you can always buy the wing, which adds another score of submasters.


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## digitaltec (Dec 13, 2004)

I am directly tied to the Maxxyz now and as soon as get the offline sotware, I'll let control booth know.


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## SuperCow (Dec 13, 2004)

How so? Oh, right, cruise ship. I seem to remember reading a post on the LightNetwork about someone on a ship who had one. Actually, come to think of it, he was from the same ship that's in your signature (M/S Norwegian Dawn).


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## Radman (Dec 13, 2004)

All I need now is a high position on a touring production.

Also, the maxxyz is in theory cheaper in the long run for a touring production to rent than say a hog II console. Figure $400 a week per hog, at 2 hogs for 8 universes of control and a backup each for a total of 4 hogs and $1600 a week. For the maxxyz, $750 a week with one console for 8 universes of control an just one backup needed for a total of 2 maxxyz and $1500 a week. Add in monitors, cases, misc equipt for midi linking the hogs, space saved in transport, plus time saved during load-in and -out and setup/teardown, it is well worth your while moneywise and otherwise to go maxxyz. (Rental fees I "quote" from Joel, they should be close.)


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## SuperCow (Dec 13, 2004)

What would you suppose the Maxxyz would run at, new? I'd bet it would be a fairly steep figure. Speaking of which, how much does a GrandMA go for brand new, too?


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## Radman (Dec 13, 2004)

Reatails at $38,629.00, can get it with 2 seconds of looking for $27,799.00 from http://www.dentertainmentgroup.com , in an ad on google


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## SuperCow (Dec 13, 2004)

That's a lot less than I would have guessed. I would have thought it would be up there in the six figure area.


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## Radman (Dec 13, 2004)

If I remember it's either around the same as a GrandMA or way less, I can't remember.


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## SuperCow (Dec 13, 2004)

I just did a quick search for the GrandMA. $46,000, converted from the original 26, 000 pounds sterling.


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## Radman (Dec 13, 2004)

Same digit count. Close enough.


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## SuperCow (Dec 13, 2004)

So, I take it that those, along with the Hog 3, are the most expensive consoles?


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## digitaltec (Dec 21, 2004)

To answer a few questions:

MA Lighting Retail Prices (10/6/04):

grandMA; $45,500
grandMA light; $30,500
grandMA ultra-light; $19,800

(Keep in mind those are retail prices. I have seen the grandMA going for 35K new)

Norwegian started using the Maxxyz in Nov. 2003 I believe. The tech you are speaking of is Jason McCulley. He is currently aboard the Dawn and I will be taking over for him soon. 

You can be sure for plenty of updates and tons of pictures once I go aboard the Dawn.


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## ship (Dec 21, 2004)

In reading "the Dawn" I inserted "the Darwin" and had all kinds of thoughts about both decoration and chances for returning from the cruise. A whole new "Love Boat" meets "Survivor" type of theme boat. Hey if they can totally screw up "Gilligan's Island" into some lame "Survivor" knock off, a cruise ship will be next. Remember you heard it here first thus I get the royalties. 

Watched 15min of Gilligan today during lunch, will have been much better in less a game show and more a test of getting off the island in a real way given this was the basis of the origional TV show. Hey, I'm a real millionare, big deal as you compete for a life preserver. Hit the coconut with the hammer and send the life preserver up the rope etc. Stupid! Will have been much better to present problems such as a 18" hole in a boat to patch or various current and raft challenges, if not just abandonig them with cameras pre-set and making it a group challenge to get off instead of winner takes all on some beach with a host and lots of crew.

Other reason I mention this is beyond you being an old salt now or soon to be in more than just lighting, or having passed King Neptunes' party in the near future, can we call you "the Captain" as your new title in a more benevolent way than a seamen?  Have fun out there or in prepping as a land lubber a few more months.

Before you go, you might check out the movies Ghost Ship and what's that one with Christoper Lee about a cruise ship trapped some 40 or so years under the sea? Never know when it might be useful.


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## Mayhem (Dec 21, 2004)

ship said:


> In reading "the Dawn" I inserted "the Darwin" and had all kinds of thoughts about both decoration and chances for returning from the cruise. A whole new "Love Boat" meets "Survivor" type of theme boat. Hey if they can totally screw up "Gilligan's Island" into some lame "Survivor" knock off, a cruise ship will be next. Remember you heard it here first thus I get the royalties.



Long hard day at the office Ship?


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## digitaltec (Dec 21, 2004)

Thanks Ship!


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## ship (Dec 22, 2004)

What, are you inferring that I would push some of my co-workers towards a cruise ship - specifically the "Darwin" line? 
Na, it was a decent day.


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