# Lighting Console Basics



## jmac (Dec 31, 2008)

Forgive the basic inquiry, here, but I come from limited experience, primarily with low end Leprecon boards.

First some background for perspective (I know you need this to answer my questions; I've been reading the other posts!). In our community theater venue, we have to rent everything, and it's all rather bare bones. We get everything up on Monday, and run shows (musicals) for the following two weekends (6-7 shows total). I function as lighting designer, electrician and board operator, and work evenings only (this is obviously not my full time job) and have done about 5 shows like this so far. So please don't mention movers to me yet, as much as I would like you to.

Minimal conventional lights only. Size: 24-channels with dimmer packs on low end. Biggest show had 48-dimmer rack plus couple dimmer packs, some DMX strobes and 36/72 console. Each show, it's likely a different model Leprecon board, sometimes fully functional, often not. I have been using the boards as memory consoles, programming a preset for each cue. I have not yet tried programming a cue stack, because I generally have my hands full trying to learn the basics of lighting design, trying to learn a different board, get rusty Altmans with bare wires to work, and repeatedly editing presets (seems cumbersome on these boards..) because of my novice state.

I run the show by manually raising and lowering preset "y" faders, and adding in channels on the "x" faders to fix problems when needed.

Looking ahead a bit, I would like to learn how to use the better boards (I think probably not meaning a $35,000 Full Hog right now, whatever that is) but maybe try one that can manage a color scroller or left elbow, I mean right arm, someday, if I could sneak one into the rental order...

But what I'd really like to do is have my own console (that could handle some modest amount of the "fancy stuff" as I hopefully grow into it), and so I could be with it for more than two weeks, two or three times a year. Then maybe I could learn what all it can do, figure out things like cue stacks, chases, how to program scrollers and movers, etc., and rough pre-program a show ahead of time which would allow more time for learning how to focus, etc., etc. during tech week. At this point, I am just toying with the idea, as it is a big expense, and I have a wife, and kids...

So I've been researching numerous verbages on Smartfades, Ions and Baby Palettes and the like. Here are my first questions (I know you were wondering if I had any), so I can start to understand what I'm talking about:

Sub-Masters and Playback Faders: Are these the same thing? Are they something other than a slider that can be programmed to run one or more channels? Do they refer to hardware and/or software capability? For instance, the Ion specs. say it can connect to 6 fader wings of 40 (or 240 total), for a maximum of 300 submasters and/or 200 playback faders! What does that mean?? Why are those 3 numbers different?

Also, are the submaster/faders used more for programming the show or running the show, or both? Not having used a "go" button yet, I think I might be uncomfortable not having a bunch of sliders, and some of these boards don't have many. But maybe, I just need to learn a new way of doing things?

Tracking: Should I be learning this concept at this point? That is to say, is everything going this way, or is it useful primarily for big shows with lots of ML's, etc.? 

Playbacks: Palette says it has dual memory playbacks. Does this mean it can store two cue stacks simultaneously, like for two shows, or Act I, II?

Encoder Wheels: How do they make life easier for programming movers?

One last consideration: Our summer show is outdoors, and it is hot and humid in the afternoon, and then cool and dewey by 11pm. We pack it all up each night, and things get knocked around some. Do these newer computer style boards hold up in such conditions, like the Leprecon boards seem to? Do they come with flight cases?

Ok, that's it for starters. I apologize if I gave too much life story. I'm new to forums, so please bear with me. Let me know if I should limit a post to one or two questions. Thanks, this place has been of great benefit to me in a short time already!


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## rochem (Dec 31, 2008)

Oo goody, I love these kind of questions! I'll do my best to stay simple and include just the basics (something I usually have trouble with), but if you want a more in-depth explanation, just say so. Happy reading!

Alright, first question - submasters and playback faders. A submaster is, as you probably know, a simple slider that can bring a bunch of channels up to a certain level. You simply set a look on stage, then record that look into a submaster. From then on, whenever you bring that submaster up, that exact look will be replicated (and if you only bring it to 50%, then the look will be reduced by 50% intensity). It's pretty good for a smaller show that may just be renting out a facility. For example, at my school we have a number of submasters programmed, and the lighting person can just adjust the colors and look on stage by changing which submasters are up. As for playback faders, it took me a while to understand this too. Basically, once you get into using cues (with the GO button), each cue will be run in a Playback Fader. The fader basically "fades" the previous cue into the next cue. The fader on the board will consist of the GO button, the two sliders (up and down), and probably some combination of CLEAR, BACK, and such. That's what the fader physically would look like. For most shows, you will probably only use one fader. When you would use more than one fader is if you had multiple cues running at once - for example, you start off a scene with a very slow sunrise on the cyc which takes about 10 minutes to complete itself. However, other light cues also need to occur during this period. Basically, if you need cues to occur independently of eachother, and with different fade times, you'll need to use another fader. However, I can guarantee you that you will NEVER need 200 playback faders .

The fader wings on the Ion are pretty simple. See this link to the ETC page on the Ion. When you order the Ion, it generally comes only with the normal console - in the picture on that site, that would be just the console to the left. You can choose to order Fader Wings, which are really just sets of submasters that can be used with the Ion - an example of this is the right side of the photo. To keep costs down, the standard Ion does not come with any submasters, as you can see. So many organizations will choose to buy a fader wing as well so they can use submasters. There are different sizes of fader wings, and the number is basically just the number of sliders that you'll get. You definitely do not need as many fader wings as they say you can have, I would recommend getting one fader wing since you are used to working with submasters.

As for "a way of doing things" - in professional theatre, submasters are never used to run a show. In order to keep the lighting as consistent as possible, every look is recorded as a "cue - very similar to a submaster except that it has a set fade time and can do other things. The cues are recorded as numbers, and are simply triggered in numerical order by pressing the GO button for each cue. In most theatre shows, the Light Board Operator comes in with almost no knowledge of the show. He puts on a headset, and the Stage Manager will call every light cue to him. Every time the SM says "Go", he presses the GO button. Since it is a show that does not change from night to night, this setup works best since it has the most consistency. I would HIGHLY recommend learning to run a show like this, as it is definitely the most efficient way to make sure the lighting works exactly as desired. Another advantage is that cues can do lots of changes instantly, and in very quick sucession right after one another. Submasters are used to run the show often in concerts, but they are also used in situations where a group is only renting out a space for a day or two. There will be a large number of submasters programmed, such as "Blue Wash", "Front Warm Wash", "Red Wash" and such, and the person at the board can simply mix and match those looks to create whatever he wants. This is the more versatile of the choices, since you can change the lighting looks instantly, but it does not offer the consistency desired for a theatrical performance.

For programming the show, many people have different opinions on this. Professionally, all programming is done via the keypad, and this is something you should learn if you don't know how to do it already. Some designers will make it easier on themselves and program a number of submasters for different looks to help them when they program the cues for the show. For example, if a designer wants a blue wash on stage, rather than going through each channel that is in the blue wash, she can simply bring up the pre-programmed "Blue Wash" submaster and record that look into the cue. (NOTE: I am intentionally leaving out Groups here for simplicity - if you want to learn about these also, just say so.) The vast majority of the higher-end boards will have no Channel sliders at all, so you should learn to program from the keypad as soon as you can. Remember that Ion picture? All those sliders (which were in the Fader Wing) are NOT channel sliders, they are submaster sliders. And to program a submaster, or anything else, you need to use the keypad. It's pretty simple in concept, you basically just select the Channel Number and then select what intensity you want it at. Just make sure that before you get a new board, you are very comfortable with programming via the keypad - at first it seems like it would take too long, but it actually becomes much faster after you learn some of the shortcuts you can use. (Again, not including those here.)

Tracking is a concept which will drive you insane if you use it accidentally, so I will give a brief explanation here. However, it is a tricky concept to grasp at first, so dont worry about it too much. Let's pretend you've cued your entire show - your board is there and you have around 50 cues programmed in for your show. Then you go decide to hang some running lights backstage - they will be simple small instruments hung on the ends of each electric and pointed into the wings, gelled blue. To save time and energy on running cable to each of these lights, you decide to just plug them into some spare dimmers on the electric. Great. But now, you realize that you have to go through your entire show and add in the "Worklight Channel(s)" into each and every cue. Sounds like a big waste of time, right? But not to fear. With Cue Tracking, when you add a channel into a cue, the channel stays at that level until it receives a change. And that makes little to no sense to you. Let's look at the difference. So Console A is a Non-Tracking Console, and Console B is a Tracking Console. Console A says "unless I receive specific instructions to keep at this level, then the channels are going to Zero", while Console B says "I have this channel set, but I'm too lazy to actually change it until I'm specifically told to". So in the case of Console B, when you program the new channels into the first cue of the show, you will discover that the channels are now recorded into every cue in the show! (This is a gross oversimplification of Tracking, just enough to make sure it doesn't screw you over. There is an excellent article on Tracking in the CB Glossary which you can check out if you wish, but don't worry if you don't fully understand it at first.)

Alright, last couple questions. I don't personally have experience with the Palette (someone will come along who does), but I can give a basic description of Cue Lists. Traditionally, you could only record one Cue List in a console - so, there could only be one Cue 1, and only one Cue 7. If you needed to have multiple shows loaded into the board, you would generally start your first show at Q1, your second show would start at Q500, and maybe your third at Q800. This was not the idea situation, but it worked reasonably well. When you have Cue Lists, this problem is avoided. Generally, the newer boards can support more Cue Lists than you'll ever need. Lets say there are two shows running in your theatre at the same time, Show 1 on one night and Show 2 on the next night, then repeat. In an older board, you would probably end up having to reload the appropriate show from a disc each night, wiping out the show from the previous night. This is not fun, because what if you forget to put the correct show in, or what if it doesnt work? With different Cue Lists, you can simply choose what Cue List you want to use - Cue List 1 for show 1 amnd Cue List 2 for show 2. It's very easy to work with both cue lists, and it saves you time and worry. Also, you can program a quick cue sequence, maybe for a dance show that is just here for one night, without having to worry about clearing the memory on the board.

Encoder Wheels: They really do help with movers. When you program via the keypad, as I said, you basically type in the channel number to want to modify and then type in the level you want it at. It's usually easy to guess about where you want it, and then you can easily move it up and down until it's exactly what you want. For movers, this isn't the case. Positioning of movers is provided by changing the number in the channel, but it is much harder to guess a good number. Traditionally, you would run your finger along the Trackpad until you got the mover pointed exactly where you wanted it, and making small changes would be very difficult - and often, you would press too hard or something and the mover would fly off in another direction. An encoder wheel just provides something you can turn - similar to the old telephone turn-wheel things on older phones - that makes selecting a value much easier, faster, and less painful on your fingers from the constant use of the Trackpad. That's basically all it is - another way to change levels. There's no fancy software capability attached or anything, its fairly simple.

I'm not sure if you're aware or not, but most of the console manufacturers offer an offline editing program for their consoles. This allows the user to program and update the show at home (without seeing the stage obviously) when time in the theatre is limited. However, it can also be useful for familiarizing yourself with a certain board. This summer I did a show where I never saw or used the board until 5 days before the show. But by using the offline software and the manual extensively, I came in with the entire show programmed and saved on a disc, and with an extensive knowledge of exactly how the board worked. With just minor level changes in the cues (which took under an hour), the show went into tech week with full lighting after me only spending about an hour in the theatre.

I am going to leave the recommendation of preferred boards to others, as I am very familiar with the ETC line, but not much outside of that. I apologize if I insulted your intelligence here a little bit, but I tried to explain almost everything rather than assuming what you already knew. I also apologize for the length of this post, although I still have a long ways to go to beat out Ship. The CB Glossary (which is currently not very functional, but you can still search for things) has information on a lot of this, and I would recommend looking there. If you don't understand anything I wrote, just say so and someone will try to clear things up.

To all CBers. Yes, I realize I vastly oversimplified things here, but that was done on purpose. I intentionally didn't include all the details of everything, just to keep the amount of information to a manageable level. Please dont kill me. :neutral:


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## cwhitson (Dec 31, 2008)

Well put....!

I would recommend that whatever board you do go with that you go with one from ETC. Whether it is an older board or a newer one....it will be VERY EASY to find someone who can help you out with it as it is one of the most used and very easy to program and make changes whether using the board or the offline software. Unless you live in a remote area, finding someone who can even show you in person how to do intermediate level programming would not be hard.

Good luck....it all comes with time. Just don't try to over do it. Try one new thing at a time until you get good a using it and recognizing problems. Otherwise you will go nuts when something goes wrong.


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## Grog12 (Dec 31, 2008)

Ladies and gentlemen you know what my post is going to be.....The first thing to do when programing with a Leprecon is:


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## lieperjp (Dec 31, 2008)

Grog12 said:


> Ladies and gentlemen you know what my post is going to be.....The first thing to do when programing with a Leprecon is:



Use a hammer???

rochem, nice post!

Just a warning, don't be too worried about using movers. Small regional theatres really don't need them and can get by without them. Expand your horizons by starting with a few color scrollers or a few Right Arms or iCues. Don't force them into your design - you're not designing a rock show here. Light should support, not detract, from the action on stage. 

Also, if you are nervous using a "GO" button, a few hints: 
1. Plan your show carefully. Go through your script page by page and insert numbers that correspond to cues. Don't forget to include cues for house lights (if applicable) scene changes, black outs... everything. 

2.Program it all into the board.

3.Then run through the show using the "GO" button to double/triple/quadruple check that everything is the way is supposed to be. It makes life a lot easier, though also somewhat boring if it's simple up-down cues... 

4. BACK UP YOUR SHOW in case something happens... BACK UP often and to one or two disks.

Also, learn in Tracking mode (if you go with an ION that's default.) I learned Cue-2-Cue and it's really hard for me to do tracking now...


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## xander (Dec 31, 2008)

Roche did a pretty good job answering your questions. My two cents is simply this:

Any board you buy new these days will program automated fixtures. Some better than others, but it is all really just a matter of personal preference. If you go with a used board, then you will have to decide what will fit your needs in that department. If you are just looking for scrollers, rotators, moving mirror, or right arm, then again, any board using DMX512 protocol *can* control those, some will be easier than others though.

I think your biggest decision to make will be to go with a tracking console or non-tracking console. Since it is your first step into real computerized control, I think it is the biggest difference between boards; speaking from experience. I learned to program in the ETC family (non-tracking, up to the Ion). The first time I used a tracking console was a disaster. It is simple enough to get used to a different syntax or operating system as you move from one brand to another, but tracking is a whole different way of working. Anybody that grew up on ETC will say that it is the easiest to learn, but I know people that grew up on Strand and they will say the same thing. Which ever you choose to start with will stick with you for the rest of your life--that's not to say that you have to stay with one brand/board/style forever, I just mean it will stay with you, like anything you do for the first time.

All of that being said, I would research what kind of dealers and repair shops you have in the area. You don't want to buy something that you can't get fixed or get replaced quickly or efficiently--you don't want to have to ship it across the country just to get it looked at. So when you find your dealers go to them and ask questions. Any good dealer will set you up with a board and let you try it out in shop. They aren't going to teach you how to use right then and there, but if they are like the dealers in my area they will be glad you help you out.

The only thing that I noticed that Roche didn't answer is the durability question. No, boards these days are not going to like wet weather. That is just simply because they are highly technological pieces of equipment made of tons of little circuits. But, if you take care of the equipment and make sure it doesn't get wet, it will last you a long time. You can buy flight cases for anything out there but I don't think any are going to come with it at no extra charge.

While, I like these forums and are greatful they are here, go to your local professional theatre and talk to the ME. Find out what they use. Maybe they can teach you something. And there is just nothing better than talking to someone in person.

-Tim

P.S. While you are used to doing sliders and presets so you will probably want something with sliders, you really need to start learning the keypad as soon as you get a new board. It is much faster and you need it in order actually use any of the abilities a board has to offer other than intensity up-down. You might think about getting a board without sliders for cost's sake and then keep using whatever you are using now and practice with the new board until you are comfortable.


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## SteveB (Dec 31, 2008)

Rochem has written a very good reply, but as is the norm with CB, he will discover the great variety of differing experiences the users bring to the forum. and that caution must be taken to avoid absolute statements such as "As for "a way of doing things" - in professional theatre, submasters are never used to run a show."

And although he goes on to state " Submasters are used to run the show often in concerts, but they are also used in situations where a group is only renting out a space for a day or two. (snip) but it does not offer the consistency desired for a theatrical performance."

As example, I'm a professional, been doing one-off's in my road house for 27 years and the vast majority of my shows (on an ETC Express 48/96) uses 2 scene preset as well as submasters. We have no need to attempt consistency, as that is only desired when an event is the same, day to day, which one-offs are not.

A correction is then needed to explain that submasters, as well as the term used on many consoles that are designed for manual control (Avo's, Leprecons, Ions with a LOT of submasters) - Playbacks, are built in features to allow the LD/Operator to create lighting looks in a quicker fashion then can be achieved using a keypad and typing in "Ch's 1 thru 5 @ Full". 

Thus there is still a need and use for manual control and one of the many features the ETC Ion allows (any console with submasters allows) is to have a single submaster or playback to function simply as a channel fader. Sometimes it's something as simple as the channel controlling the curtain warmers, or whatever, but every submaster console allows this function - to run a show manually, when it is often much faster to stick a piece of tape on the board and label the subs as Red Bax, or DC Sp Bax, etc... Often enough, this is much faster then referring to a magic sheet and calling up levels via a keypad. 

Thus the need for manual consoles

As a comment on multiple cue lists, one of the best examples I saw for the need for multiple cue lists was the NY City Ballet. A company with 100 or more dance pieces in their repertoire. In years past, with consoles that only allowed a single sequential cue list, they might have a disk with 6-7 dance pieces on it, labeled 1-99 for Sleeping Beauty, 101 thru 199 for Swan Lake, etc... then swapping disks to get Cue 1-299 on disk 2 for a Twyla Tharp piece, then to a third disk to get the latest Cues 401-499 for Apollo.

Each nights repertoire would be different and to say that disk management was an issue, is an understatement. 

Thus a console such as Eos helps to simplify life as each piece can have a start number at 1, with the cue list label reflecting the ballet name. Changing the rep order is much easier now.

Steve B.


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## iLightTheStage (Jan 3, 2009)

I didn't read all of Rochem's answer, but I would suggest getting a used ETC Express 48/96. The learning curve isn't intense at all, and you can use the board as a two-scene preset (kind of the way you've been using the leps) or with submasters, or with a GO-button. This will still allow you to control simple intelligent lighting (scrollers, right arm, etc). 

You might even find that your local rental shop would allow you to come in and play with one when they are slow. This is one of the best ways to learn a board, and the rental shop often agrees to it, because it means that you are more likely to rent that from them. I would definitely recommend trying to rent a board you are interested in a few times before making the leap to purchasing.

Hope that helps.


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## waynehoskins (Jan 3, 2009)

The major drawback to an Express is that it's an inherently preset board (as opposed to tracking), and before the forum blew up yesterday and forgot everything since New Year's Eve, we had all come to the conclusion that tracking is the way to go for the future.

But if it weren't for all the shiny new boards being tracking boards and talking Light Palette syntax, an Express would be a perfect fit. Actually, it wouldn't be terrible, but a new shiny tracking board might be a better fit.


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## iLightTheStage (Jan 3, 2009)

waynehoskins said:


> The major drawback to an Express is that it's an inherently preset board (as opposed to tracking), and before the forum blew up yesterday and forgot everything since New Year's Eve, we had all come to the conclusion that tracking is the way to go for the future.
> 
> But if it weren't for all the shiny new boards being tracking boards and talking Light Palette syntax, an Express would be a perfect fit. Actually, it wouldn't be terrible, but a new shiny tracking board might be a better fit.



True, but I think he has a long way to go until he needs to worry about tracking vs. non-tracking. It sounds like he is mostly self-taught and looking for something to learn on. Once he fully knows an Express, I don't think the jump to a tracking board is that hard once your basic knowledge is set. 

I was also just thinking of the price point of a brand new Ion vs. a used Express. I just personally feel that the Express is among the simplest of boards to lay a good foundation on while still having quite a bit of power (for what it is). But I can also see your argument for learning the more prominent style of programming.


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## icewolf08 (Jan 3, 2009)

iLightTheStage said:


> True, but I think he has a long way to go until he needs to worry about tracking vs. non-tracking. It sounds like he is mostly self-taught and looking for something to learn on. Once he fully knows an Express, I don't think the jump to a tracking board is that hard once your basic knowledge is set.
> 
> I was also just thinking of the price point of a brand new Ion vs. a used Express. I just personally feel that the Express is among the simplest of boards to lay a good foundation on while still having quite a bit of power (for what it is). But I can also see your argument for learning the more prominent style of programming.



Here is another thread that I had a great post in, that was lost. Cest la vie...

As I have said many times on CB, there is absolutely no reason to get an Express in this day an age. Yes, they were great consoles. Yes, 90% of the high schools in the US had one at some point. Yes, it is an easy console to learn, but it is outdated technology and it is not worth spending that kind of money on outdated technology. Ion doesn't have to be a hard console to learn, that is the beauty of Ion, it can be simple for the people who need simple, and complex for those who need. It also leaves great room to grow for those who may not use all the features today, but may in the next few years.


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## rochem (Jan 3, 2009)

iLightTheStage said:


> True, but I think he has a long way to go until he needs to worry about tracking vs. non-tracking. It sounds like he is mostly self-taught and looking for something to learn on. Once he fully knows an Express, I don't think the jump to a tracking board is that hard once your basic knowledge is set.



I would actually have to disagree with this. In my brief experiences, I have found that tracking is something that is hard to learn after you've been running a cue-to-cue console your entire life. A local school near me got a new Ion this year which was an upgrade from an old preset board, and I spent many nights there doing nothing but explaining tracking and helping them fix mistakes when they forgot about tracking. I had a really good post here before the forums forgot everything, but basically tracking is more in line with the way a designer thinks about lighting, making it easier once you get the hang of it. I'd say get a tracking console if at all possible, but what console specifically is a little harder to pin down.

As I have only ever used ETC boards, I am obviously somwhat biased towards towards them. At my school we currently have an Express 48/96 which is great for the new students just trying to learn about lighting, but it is also capable of running a fairly complex show pretty easily. The main disadvantage is the limited channel count and the difficulty in programming movers, although you can program one or two in when needed. A step up from that would be the Ion, which is more complicated, but much more user-friendly once you get used to it. Also, with the Ion programming movers, scrollers, or other DMX devices is much easier. And it's a tracking console. The one disadvantage of the Ion is that by the time you buy all the accessories for your Ion, your price has gone up significantly. As I stated previously, I would recommend getting one fader wing to help ease the transition into more advanced boards and for shows where you don't have the time, ability, or desire to program in each cue. If the Ion with fader wing, monitors, keyboard, etc. is out of price range at the moment, then a used Express would be your next best option. As others have said, the best way to find a board you like is by using them. If there's other theatres, community, high school, or professional, in the area, maybe try seeing if you can play around with their board for a day. If not, spend a couple hours at a rental shop and have a sales guy show you the basics of each board and see which you like best.


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## lieperjp (Jan 3, 2009)

rochem said:


> I would actually have to disagree with this. In my brief experiences, I have found that tracking is something that is hard to learn after you've been running a cue-to-cue console your entire life.



Speaking from personal experience, I couldn't agree more with this statement. I taught myself Q2Q programming, and I've been using it for every show. My last show I tried programming in tracking mode (I have an Innovator 48/96) and for the life of me I couldn't figure it out. (Not that I was trying too hard, I just wanted to get it done as I had a few papers to write that weekend as well.) Learn tracking mode!

I mean, if lights are just going to be up/down... light to blackout to light to blackout... it's not really necessary to go tracking. But if you want to try exciting things, learn tracking. It will make your life easier.


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## JChenault (Jan 5, 2009)

Several on this thread have said that the Express is not a tracking console. It will happily work as a tracking console if you 'Track' your cues instead of 'Rec' them. 

There are a few things it does not do intuitively in a tracking mode ( like explicit cue only) but the basic concept of tracking is present.

I know because I have been using this board in tracking mode for the last 10 to 15 years.


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## icewolf08 (Jan 5, 2009)

JChenault said:


> Several on this thread have said that the Express is not a tracking console. It will happily work as a tracking console if you 'Track' your cues instead of 'Rec' them.
> 
> There are a few things it does not do intuitively in a tracking mode ( like explicit cue only) but the basic concept of tracking is present.
> 
> I know because I have been using this board in tracking mode for the last 10 to 15 years.



Express is inherently a Cue-Only console. Yes, you can do a track record, but it is not the same as a tracking console. A tracking console always tracks, and Express is not capable of doing this. The track feature of Express does not function fully the same as an inherently tracking console. I could go into the nitty-gritty of it, but ultimately Express(ion) is a cue-only platform with limited tracking capabilities.


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## xander (Jan 6, 2009)

We had covered this before the server crashed and lost everything...someone, not sure if it was the same person mentioned the Express could be a tracking console as well. Like icewolf said, it is not a tracking console. Period. The track record button allows you to perform a certain function that is extremely useful, but it is in no way a tracking console. End of story.

-Tim


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## joeboo46 (Jan 6, 2009)

Also may want to look into an Express 125 or 250 it eliminates the two-scene preset option but honestly i question the practicality of a two scene preset console today. Plus this might eliminate some cost also. Also allows for tracking and will allow to install fixture personalities for small moving light applications, such as i-CUE or scrollers. I think the Express is one of the best consoles to learn on all you need is a little knowledge and you can figure it out.


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## jmac (Jan 6, 2009)

Well thank you all for the valuable discussion and education. Very helpful. I believe I read all or at least most of your posts before they vanished during the server upgrade, so they were not posted in vain, and I responded to several, but my replies and further questions seem to have been lost in the shuffle as well...

It looks like Ion would certainly be a big step to the future and give me lots of room to grow for a long time. From what most of you say, it does seem like tracking is probably a good way to go, before I get too entrenched in cue only logic. So that looks like a good choice, except the cost may be a little steep for a personal "hobby" board for me. I don't imagine there are any used ones out yet.

Anyway, I have downloaded the Ion offline software and manual, and have started playing with it, to at least see where things are heading, and to see what the learning curve might be. So far, it looks impressive to me, and also perhaps a bit daunting at first glance. (One problem I have is our community theater does not have a permanent home; we just rent for 2 weeks for each show, so I have no place to play around with things..). I need to perhaps volunteer at another local venue to get some more experience.. But I think I could get the hang of it and grow into it.

Alternatively, given we will be lucky to get any kind of scroller, let alone a ML in the next 2 years, a used Express would certainly be more than enough to meet our needs, and would be an upgrade from the past rental Leprecons. But as was said, that is investing a still fair chunk of change in yesterday's technology..

Question- is it best to look for an Express 48/96, or would a 150 or 250 be ok (given either has plenty of channels for us)? Difference in cost?

I've also read discussions here on the Strand Palettes which look promising as well, except some seem limited in submasters and you can't add wings (?). How do they price out vs. Ion? I think I would prefer the Ion, but can probably get a better deal with the Strands, because I have a better relationship with the local Strand rep.

Finally, in talking with ETC today regarding questions with the software, when asked, they mentioned there will likely be an Ion "Jr" coming out, hopefully in late spring, but they are not allowed to say much yet. Perhaps less channels (100 is plenty right now for us) and a few less features, and $2K +/- less?? That might be just the ticket. Anybody else have any scoop or comment on that?

Thanks again for sharing all your experience and advice!


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## jmac (Jan 6, 2009)

joeboo46 said:


> Also may want to look into an Express 125 or 250 it eliminates the two-scene preset option but honestly i question the practicality of a two scene preset console today. Plus this might eliminate some cost also. Also allows for tracking and will allow to install fixture personalities for small moving light applications, such as i-CUE or scrollers. I think the Express is one of the best consoles to learn on all you need is a little knowledge and you can figure it out.



Yes, even with the Leprecons, I have never even tried two-scene preset mode.


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## JChenault (Jan 6, 2009)

icewolf08 said:


> Express is inherently a Cue-Only console. Yes, you can do a track record, but it is not the same as a tracking console. A tracking console always tracks, and Express is not capable of doing this. The track feature of Express does not function fully the same as an inherently tracking console. I could go into the nitty-gritty of it, but ultimately Express(ion) is a cue-only platform with limited tracking capabilities.




Putting on my stupid hat for a moment - If you Always 'Tracked' and never Recorded on the Express(ion) in what way would it's tracking capabilities be limited? I am aware of some minor deficiencies, but not of anything major. What am I missing?

IE would you mind going into the nitty-gritty ( or give me a pointer )

Thanks


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## jmabray (Jan 6, 2009)

> Finally, in talking with ETC today regarding questions with the software, when asked, they mentioned there will likely be an Ion "Jr" coming out, hopefully in late spring, but they are not allowed to say much yet. Perhaps less channels (100 is plenty right now for us) and a few less features, and $2K +/- less?? That might be just the ticket. Anybody else have any scoop or comment on that?



Yep, there is something to that rumor. ETC has long recognized and said that there was a void in their product line up with the discontinuation of the express line of consoles - particularly at a given price point. So anyone who has been paying attention, would have seen this coming. But that's about all I know as well at this point.


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## icewolf08 (Jan 6, 2009)

JChenault said:


> Putting on my stupid hat for a moment - If you Always 'Tracked' and never Recorded on the Express(ion) in what way would it's tracking capabilities be limited? I am aware of some minor deficiencies, but not of anything major. What am I missing?
> 
> IE would you mind going into the nitty-gritty ( or give me a pointer )
> 
> Thanks



It has been over three years since I have done serious programming on Expression, but if I remember correctly using the TRACK button really only works once you have cues written. Using TRACK when you have no subsequent cues really only functions as record as the consoles don't know where to track to. Since the console inherently thinks in cue-only it doesn't know to hold a channel at a level until you change it.

It was my understanding that that the TRACK record button will only track through cues where the level of a channel is the same. While this sounds the same as a tracking console, on a tracking console you can track changes only where there are no commands on a channel. On an Express or other cue-only consoles each cue puts a command on every channel in every cue, so in it's version of tracking if a channel was at the same level in every cue and you changed the level in cue 1 it would change in every cue. However on your tracking console channels only have commands where you put them, so you might record cue 6 first then go back and record 1-5. If you have channel 2 at 50 in all of the cues and then go back to cue one and change it, it will only track up to cue 6 where you recorded a hard command (even though it is the same level).

I don't remember offhand if Express(ion) has any form of block cue, and I am not going to go look it up at the moment. The differences are subtle enough to be frustrating, and different enough to make it not a tracking console.


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## derekleffew (Jan 6, 2009)

icewolf08 said:


> ...I don't remember offhand if Express(ion) has any form of block cue, and I am not going to go look it up at the moment. ...


Changing a cue's TYPE from the default "Xfade" to "AllFade" inserts a hard level value, or a hard-zero if a channel is unused, and thus acts as a blocking cue.

From the manual, _Expression_3_v3.1_User_Manual.pdf_:

> Allfade
> An allfade cue forces all unused channels to zero intensity when you press
> [Go] and clears the other fader. Allfade is useful for forcing an end cue
> when tracking channels. For more information on using allfade cues for
> tracking, see Chapter 8 Track.



Another way to tell if a a console is inherently "preset-style" or "tracking" is how console memory is allocated. Expression specifically states 

> 600 cues, 500 groups, 100 preset focus points, Effects with up to 100 steps each, 2,000 macros/regions.


 The total number of cues available on a true tracking console will vary depending on how much information is (how many channel are) used in each cue. Some give this as a percentage of memory remaining; others don't tell the user anything.


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## meatpopsicle (Jan 6, 2009)

I'm going to hop into the fray here...I think that, while last decades technology, the express line of consoles is still a valuable piece of equipment and its a mistake to end the line. Hardware upgrades could be found... And, while I'm driving an ION at this moment I know a ton of people that aren't going to approach an ION. The concept of a single cuestack, cue to cue, console is still valuable. In the movie and tv industry that I work in there are many that are just able to get the dmx/cue only boards and they aren't going to need or want an ION, no matter how simple. Middle schools, High schools, choir directors, band leaders, politicians assistants, Dance teachers (Dance teachers, people, think of the dance teachers, ); the chances of these people mastering the ION, simple as it is, is slim to none. And there is a hole in the sub 5000.00 price point. Limit it to 125 channels, or 96, but I don't think Joe community theatre, with 36 tti dimmers and lep is going to spring for the ION. An Ion would be his whole yearly budget.

If there wasn't a market for the analog console there wouldn't be any working now...and I think the same is true for the Express. Is elegance is in its simplicity.

rant over....sorry...I've kept that one in for a while


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## Esoteric (Jan 6, 2009)

I don't know about anyone else, but I cut my teeth on the Expression/GBX type consoles and I am sad to see these type of consoles dying a slow death. Don't get me wrong I love my Hogs and Grand MA and Avos, but try to get a church to spring for a Road Hog or even for the Vista/Ion series. Then there are the lower level consoles (think the 100, 200, 300 series) that are basically turning into what we called DJ consoles back in the day. I miss the theater style cue stack, where I can program something and then just have a volunteer hit the go button when called.

*sigh*

Discontinuing the Express was the worst idea ever.

Mike


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## lieperjp (Jan 6, 2009)

I think the discussion over the death of the Express console has been beaten to death in this thread already. Feel free to read and post.


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## Esoteric (Jan 6, 2009)

Probably so. I am thinking of picking up a couple of cheap Lee Colortran boards, but I cant find anyone with expertise in them. I used one 10 years ago, but I there are some things I can't seem to remember.

Mike


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## avalentino (Jan 7, 2009)

Hi everyone. In reading this thread, I thought it might be useful to try to bring a little more clarity to the concept of tracking versus track editing. To start with the easiest concept first.

Almost all desks support track editing functions, regardless of their underlying philosophy as a tracking or preset desk. On a tracking desk, by default, changes to cue data will go forward through the cue list until a move instruction (or block) in encountered. This behavior can be overridden by the [Q-Only/Track] button. If this is appended to a record/update in live, or a level change in blind, you are telling the desk to impact only the specific/selected cue. Most tracking desks have setup option to default the desk to Q-Only mode, wherein the [Q-Only/Track] button now forces a track through the cue list.

On a preset desk, the [Track] button forces the move forward, in a similar manner to a tracking desk. These are behaviors of "track editing," and I believe these ideas were covered earlier in the thread, so forgive me for restating....

The more fundamental difference is how cues get their content in the first place. This is truly what defines a desk as a tracking or preset desk. For the most part, if you happen to be cueing in sequence, you'll not really notice this too much - but you need to know about it.

The following is a pretty simplistic description, but its a place to start. 

Let's assume that you have written cues 1 - 10. Those cues contain channels 1 - 10. You then add channel 20 to the stage live. You then do a selective store to create cue 4.5. (whatever the syntax of your desk, something along the lines of channel 20 record cue 4.5). 

What will happen on a preset desk is that cue 4.5 will contain only channel 20. Any channels that were active in the previous cue (cue 4) will be driven to zero.

If you did that very same action on a tracking desk, cue 4.5 will contain channel 20 at its current level, and any values in cue 4 will track into cue 4.5.

Depending on the desk you use, you'll see the behavior exhibited in different ways. On a desk with a programmer, if you store a cue, you will get whatever is in the programmer, and any channels not in the programmer, but in use in the previous cue, will track in (unless you override that behavior). 

On a tracking desk without a programmer, selectively storing a cue provides similar behavior to working with a programmer. Inserting new whole cues does a lot of cleanup for you automatically, to assure you get the look that you currently want, without moving a lot of non-intensity parameters if it isn't necessary to move them. 

For anyone new to a tracking desk, its generally a good idea to work in blind spreadsheet mode for a bit (almost all desks have spreadsheet editing, where you can view a range of channels and a range of cues). Make changes to cues and watch what happens - add new cues and watch what happens. And then play around in live creating new cues between existing cues to make sure you understand how the data is being handled. Delete cues using both tracking and cue only to make sure you understand the impact on subsequent cues. 

There are lots of overrides provided in desks to this basic behavior, but this is pretty much the underlying idea. So, in a nutshell, track editing is different from tracking. Tracking desks are very powerful and fast, but require a deeper understanding of the underlying data structures to be used safely. Preset desks have a simpler rule set, but may require more work for certain editing tasks. 

I hope this helps. 

Anne Valentino
Eos Product Line Manager
ETC


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## derekleffew (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks, Anne! While we have you here, care to illuminate: 
1) The difference and similarities between a "tracking" and a "move fade" desk?
2) The difference and similarities between "track" and "trace"?

3) How to determine the source of an intensity or parameter onstage? (What the h3ll is telling that light to do THAT?)


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## xander (Jan 7, 2009)

Like every thread on here we have strayed from the OP's question. To get back to that:
It sounds like you might have a lead on Strands which I think you should follow up on. I don't have experience with Strands personally, so I can't tell you anything that you can't read for yourself. However, if you do end up going ETC which you seem to have an incline toward, than here is my personal opinion.
The Ion is the perfect low end, yet quality desk. It has everything that the Express(ion) has plus the ability to hold its own in the current and future markets. Some people have talked about the old days of a single cue stack and having joe schmo come in and hit the "go" button. You can do that. But, with the Ion (and not the Express) you can also have up to 200 cue lists for when the need arrives. It is as small (or smaller depending on how many fader wings you add) as the Express, but it still has 4 encoder wheels to dramatically increase your speed and ease of parameter editing. With the Ion your base is 2 universes and 5000 channels, while the Express 24/48--that a lot of people are pushing--is limited to 96 channels. That's like, 3 (of course it depends on the fixtures) moving lights and leaves no room for your conventionals. There are lots more features like this that really put the Ion at the top of the pack for low end, quality desks. Everyone is complaining that discontinuing the Express series they are losing a market, but how much do you think the Expresses cost when they were new?! The only reason that they are cheaper than an Ion is because they are all out of date and used.
With all of that said, I also think that for your current needs a used Express(ion) would suffice. And, used of course would be cheaper. For your needs you could get an Express 125 and be covered, and that would be the cheapest Express(ion) out there.

Final thought:
The theatre I work at just bought a used Express 24/48 last year for $3,400. The base Ion is $5,000. For someone making a personal purchase that $1,600 difference is a BIG deal. But, if I were here when the company was purchasing, I would have fought tooth and nail for the Ion because of the expansion it offers for the future. If you are looking at using this desk for the next 10-15+ years, then I would have to recommend the Ion. The extra it would cost up front would pay for itself in the longevity of its usefulness.


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## avalentino (Jan 7, 2009)

derekleffew said:


> Thanks, Anne! While we have you here, care to illuminate:
> 1) The difference and similarities between a "tracking" and a "move fade" desk?
> 2) The difference and similarities between "track" and "trace"?
> 
> 3) How to determine the source of an intensity or parameter onstage? (What the h3ll is telling that light to do THAT?)



Happy to do so. But a little history might be a good idea first. When the first computerized desks appeared on the market in the late 70's, basically they were computerized versions of analog systems already in use. Most of the world was using multi-scene preset desks of some type or another. And then you had a small group of users (mostly between the East and Hudson Rivers, south of 57th Street and North of 41st Street) who were using resistance dimmers (aka. piano boards). 

Computerized versions of multi-scene preset desks yielded the following philosophies:
HTP - since a dimmer could have multiple "handles" and since multiple masters could be up at once, if a dimmer was receiving more than one instruction, it followed the Highest Level.
Preset - each cue was completely stand-alone. If you looked at the cue sheets that you wrote to run a multi-scene preset desk, each cue contained a value for every dimmer that you wanted on stage at that moment.
State: when a cue was replayed, then, the entire contents of that cue would be executed (since each cue was duplicated in its entirety, and since each active light had an actual move instruction - even if it was the same level as it had been in the previous cue.) 

Computerized versions of piano boards yielded this:
LTP - since a dimmer only had one "handle", clearly the last level that you gave it is the one it would use.
Tracking - if you looked at the cue sheets that you wrote to run a piano board, only the things that were actually changing were written down. So, only the delta was "recorded".
Move fade - when a cue was replayed, only the move instructions were executed.

Tracking and Move Fade are closely aligned, since they were both ideas derived from piano boards - and they both have to do with moves versus tracked data.... But one has to do with the cue contents and editing (tracking), while the other has to do with what is executed. 

In the Eos/Ion world (just like Obsession), you see "tracking" and "move fade" tied together as they would be on a piano board. Let's say in cue 1, channel 1 is at full. It tracks forward until cue 20, where it moves to 50%. You are in cue 5. If you manually set that channel to, say, 75%, it will remain at 75% until you execute cue 20.... where it recognizes a "move instruction." It will then fade to 50%. ... this is all "in sequence" ... if you take a cue out of sequence, the entire contents are (by default) replayed.

The same idea then, is used to manage cue list ownership. Who is telling a light what to do, and how is that ownership traded off? In Eos/Ion, that is also managed through moves. So, going back to our cue lists above. Cue List 1/Cue 1. Channel 1 at Full. Tracks forward to Cue 20, where it moves to 50%. You write Cue List 2/Cue 1, where you set channel 1 to 75%. Run cue 1/1. Light goes to full. Run cue 2/1, light goes to 75%. If you then hit the go button to run 1/2, the light will stay at 75% - because the value for that channel in that cue is a track.... and tracks are (by default) not executed on an in-sequence go. You can use assert functions to override that basic behavior.... that forces a tracked value to be replayed. Does that make sense? 

Track versus trace. Track determines how changes should move FORWARD through the cue list. Track this change forward until you encounter a move instruction and stop. Trace determines how changes should move BACKWARD through the cue list. Trace this change back to the "source" of the move instruction. So, if you are in cue 5, adjust a light, realize it should be at that level through the whole scene... [Update] [Trace] [Enter]. The desk will look for the cue that was giving that light its current instruction and change the value there. The behavior moving forward through the cue list is based on track/cue only.

In Eos/Ion world, [About] is your friend. Leave it open. If you select a channel, it will give you the "properties" of that channel.... which includes the source of the current value (we are adding another way to access that information shortly.).

Hope this helps. Sorry if anyone was bored with the history part!!


a


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## lighttechie5948 (Jan 7, 2009)

I'd Reccomend playing around with a ETC Express 24/48. It has 96 Chans, which should be more than enough for what your doing now. It can have 24 submasters x 10 pages for a total of 240 subs. The board's software is basic and easy to learn. It handles color scrollers and moving lights, but it's limited in those areas. You can only choose color scroller color by percentage not by a visual color, and same with moving lights. I wouln't put more than 2 or 4 movers on an Express (I don't think you could even fit 4 on an express 24/48 if you have other conventional) But overall, the express boards are good for community theaters and high schools. Look at the free offline edition available at etcconnect.com


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## waynehoskins (Jan 7, 2009)

I enjoyed the history lesson.

I hadn't realized that HTP and LTP were related in the same manner as Preset and Tracking, or that piano boards were in (professional) use as late as they were .. but history makes sense now. Thanks!


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## avalentino (Jan 7, 2009)

We old folk are useful for something  !

And resistance dimmers were actually in fairly broad use throughout America.... we sort of joke about them being specific to the NY market. By the mid-to-late 70s, they'd largely been replaced in the professional market. But the University that I went to for undergraduate work had resistance dimmers in the large theatre and a multi-scene preset in the small theatre. 

a


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## Esoteric (Jan 7, 2009)

We had a piano board at the University I went to. We had to run it as part of our mid-term in lighting technology.

Mike


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## derekleffew (Jan 7, 2009)

It would _almost_ appear as though Broadway shops Four Star, BASH, and Vanco never purchased anything new between 1950 and 1980.

I know one university that had a large autotransformer installation in its blackbox until the Lightboard M, in 1985. On the mainstage, a Light Palette replaced a sixty-dimmer, five-scene preset in 1980. Funny, we didn't seem to have nearly as many issues with this tracking vs. preset-style business back then.


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## STEVETERRY (Jan 7, 2009)

avalentino said:


> Happy to do so. But a little history might be a good idea first. When the first computerized desks appeared on the market in the late 70's, basically they were computerized versions of analog systems already in use. Most of the world was using multi-scene preset desks of some type or another. And then you had a small group of users (mostly between the East and Hudson Rivers, south of 57th Street and North of 41st Street) who were using resistance dimmers (aka. piano boards).
> 
> Computerized versions of multi-scene preset desks yielded the following philosophies:
> HTP - since a dimmer could have multiple "handles" and since multiple masters could be up at once, if a dimmer was receiving more than one instruction, it followed the Highest Level.
> ...



I'm having fun reading these posts...

If anyone knows more about console design philosophy than you, I'd be shocked.

Want to write a book?

XOXO

ST


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## icewolf08 (Jan 7, 2009)

Might I suggest that we add Anne's posts to the WIKI on tracking?


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## derekleffew (Jan 7, 2009)

STEVETERRY said:


> ...Want to write a book? ...


One can read more of Anne's thoughts (and those of other "entertainment lighting software pioneers") in a dialogue with Robert Bell in his book, _Let There Be Light_, Entertainment Technology Press, 2004.



icewolf08 said:


> Might I suggest that we add Anne's posts to the WIKI on tracking?


As soon as the wiki is again editable, my friend.


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## xander (Jan 8, 2009)

derekleffew said:


> One can read more of Anne's thoughts (and those of other "entertainment lighting software pioneers") in a dialogue with Robert Bell in his book, _Let There Be Light_, Entertainment Technology Press, 2004.


What are you, her publicist?  Thanks for the heads up. I would love to read it, but $66 is really expensive.


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## STEVETERRY (Jan 8, 2009)

xander said:


> What are you, her publicist?  Thanks for the heads up. I would love to read it, but $66 is really expensive.



And while it's full of pearls of wisdom (even mine!), it sure isn't a $66 book. Look for a used copy.

ST


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## TimMiller (Jan 8, 2009)

I am not going to say jump out and buy an ION. I would never ever own one. What you should look into depending on your budget is something along the lines of a strand 200 series console, they run around 500-1000 and are fully patchable and easy to run. (i am not a strand person, but i put one in at an install that was running 2 6 ch dimmer packs and it worked perfectly for running cues and subs). If you want to spend less look at the liteputer (dont laugh, its actually not a bad console for the money) 135: DMX Controllers ($200 & Up) last console on the bottom for 275. I have 2 in my rental inventory, and everyone who has rented them has first said what the heck, then they come back and say its not a bad console. It will allow you to patch any of the 512 dmx channels to 96 circuits. Then if you want to spend more than 1000 i suggest looking at the avo tiger (Avolites Limited - The Lighting Control Company). It will run you around 3000-4000. It will control 2048 dmx channels. so you can run 2048 dimmers if you would like. You can also run any moving light under the sun that accepts dmx. Its a very sweet console for the money. Its on my list of next console to buy to keep in the garage/under the bed incase of an emergency. Also a cool thing about the avo consoles is they all read the same show disks. So you can save a show on your tiger, and say you are doing a really big show, but you want to build on your current show, so load your show disk you made on the tiger onto a bigger console such as the D4 or pearl. Your show will load up the programming syntax is exactly the same across all of their products whether new or old. For the price of an ION i can get a road hog which gives me 4 universes of DMX just like the tiger, plus its a whole lot more user friendly. I know costs drives, and these are all console i have used and strongly recommend. And yes i did spend a frustrating weekend with the ION so i have made an attempt at using it.


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## jmac (Mar 12, 2009)

Ok. Crunch time here. One last pass before I jump-

As mentioned earlier I have a good relationship with the local Strand rep. and can get a Classic Palette II for what I think is a great price. Can't get similar deal with Ion with fader wing. Just wondering if I will regret not waiting for Ion Jr., a/k/a Element. Problem is, it will not be available in time for upcoming show, and I can't really afford to even wait until next week, to see what it is..... I don't want to suffer thru another show with a rental Leprecon.

Any more thoughts on how the Classic Palette will stand up to the Element, assuming it will be a toned down Ion maybe w/o the encoders, but will likely have integral submasters. Any compelling reason to think I will regret going with Classic Palette?

Gafftaper, still happy with your Classic?? Sounds like you got thru your episode last week or so, ok...


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## icewolf08 (Mar 12, 2009)

jmac said:


> Any more thoughts on how the Classic Palette will stand up to the Element, assuming it will be a toned down Ion maybe w/o the encoders, but will likely have integral submasters. Any compelling reason to think I will regret going with Classic Palette?
> 
> Gafftaper, still happy with your Classic?? Sounds like you got thru your episode last week or so, ok...



I have seen Eos, Ion, and the Strand Palettes. They are all great consoles. After hearing about Gaff's support experience, maybe Strand is trying to/starting to turn around their service issues. From everything you have said, it sounds like you would be plenty happy with the Classic Palette. Like ETC, Strand is continually updating and developing the software and they are listening to customer suggestions.

It is a big purchase, which can be kinda scary, but I think that if you have seen it, touched it, used it to turn your lights on and off and you are happy then there is no reason not to commit.


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## fredthe (Mar 12, 2009)

If you do go with the Classic Palette II, be sure to check out the open source software page at www.openpalette.org, and the rest of the Strand development forums at strand-dev.com &bull; Index page


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## gafftaper (Mar 12, 2009)

The biggest problem with Strand's customer service has been that they have had a reputation for just outright dropping old product support while ETC will repair ANYTHING they have ever made. 

I was talking to my local Strand authorized repair guy and he said he thought the following... the primary reason for product abandonment in the past was that Strand kept getting purchased by smaller and smaller companies. New ownership would say, "I never made that product why should I support it?" and another line would get the axe. Now, Strand is owned by a mega company in Phillips. They have deep pockets and he felt they are more likely to be in it for the long haul and see the benefits of maintaining their product line for years to come. 

Second thought, This console is just a PC with USB interfaces. As long as those control surfaces still work on top, and USB is a protocol that is used, you will be able to keep the console itself running by connecting it to another computer. You could literally install a laptop computer inside the case and keep running this thing for decades as long as the go button still works on the outside. SO, if Strand did abandon support for this console in 5-10 years you wouldn't be on your own trying to find a proprietary part. You could keep it going with the help from the computer repair shop down the street. 

Finally, you are buying a console from a brand new product line so you are on the front edge of the wave. 

One last note, it turns out the problem with my Classic Palette was caused by a bad power switch not the power supply. The switch was made by a known manufacturer. Just got a bad one from the production lot.


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## jmac (Mar 12, 2009)

Thanks Alex, Fred & Gaff. Sooner or later one has to do something. You pushed enough to get me over the edge. Ordered the Classic Palette II today. Thanks, and stay tuned. I'm sure to have lots of questions....


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## gafftaper (Mar 13, 2009)

Jmac go register at strand-dev.com and start reading today. The website is inhabited by the Horizon software developers. Lot's to read and learn.

EDIT... well what do you know I see you are already hanging out there.

As for your question over there about tracking. Tracking can drive you crazy when you go back to edit cues if you aren't paying attention. So, learn this trick right now! Once you have all your cues recorded initially, when you go back to change or edit something you can create all kinds of havoc in the cue stack by saving in tracking mode. Sometimes you want your changes to track in that case just resave. But if you don't want to effect the cues around you, hold "SHIFT" and press "Record" then click the "cue only mode" box in order save a change in a cue without effecting cues around it. This little trick can save you a LOT of insanity.


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## jmac (Mar 15, 2009)

gafftaper said:


> Jmac go register at strand-dev.com and start reading today. The website is inhabited by the Horizon software developers. Lot's to read and learn.
> 
> EDIT... well what do you know I see you are already hanging out there.
> 
> As for your question over there about tracking. Tracking can drive you crazy when you go back to edit cues if you aren't paying attention. So, learn this trick right now! Once you have all your cues recorded initially, when you go back to change or edit something you can create all kinds of havoc in the cue stack by saving in tracking mode. Sometimes you want your changes to track in that case just resave. But if you don't want to effect the cues around you, hold "SHIFT" and press "Record" then click the "cue only mode" box in order save a change in a cue without effecting cues around it. This little trick can save you a LOT of insanity.




Yes- I found the Strand forum. Thanks.

And thanks for the tip on editing in tracking mode. That looks essential!

So with tracking, it looks like it is best to plug in all the cues sequentially at first (?). Then come back and fine tune, using the tip you mentioned? In the past I have tended to set up the most used or "basic" scenes, and then modified them to make derivations for other scenes. But this was not necessarily done chronologically thru the script. 

Is it best to go thru chronologically at first??


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## gafftaper (Mar 15, 2009)

Yes. Definitely program them all in chronological order. The console doesn't care, but you'll drive yourself crazy if try it out of order with a tracking console. 

Always remember, If I make a change to a cue in the middle of the stack that change will stay in effect until another cue tells it not to be that way. 

The good part of tracking is, if you run your equity lights on a dimmer and forgot to program them in, by editing the first cue, your equity lights will stay on the whole show. Also the console is watching ahead for cues with intelligent gear. It will pre-move fixtures with moving capability and pre-load color into fixtures with color changing capability. 

It's different to get used to but it can be very helpful once you learn how to use it to your advantage.


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## derekleffew (Jun 9, 2009)

STEVETERRY said:


> I'm having fun reading these posts...
> 
> If anyone knows more about console design philosophy than you, I'd be shocked.
> 
> ...


Perhaps, oh, I don't know, a WHITE PAPER.pdf on Console Design Philosophies? 

ControlBooth has really made the big time when we're influencing/inspiring manufacturers!


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## avalentino (Jun 10, 2009)

White paper done!! Thanks for the prompts!

Anne


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