Salazar Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 This is a question for the left ponders, more specifically, Atlantic Canada. Last summer we rented an ETC Express 24/48 Console from Christie Lights in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (NS) for a show that ran for a month and a half in Baddeck, NS. Yes, I know the Express is over 15 years old now but it did the job. There are only 24 conventional dimmers in the space, no movers, no LED's, no other intelligent fixtures. All we needed was a reliable board with memory, a GO button and DMX output. We're doing this show again this summer. I program the cues in advance through the rehearsal period and a local operator runs the actual performances (as he lives in Baddeck while it is a two hour return trip for me each day). That board is no longer available so I'm asking who knows what else is out there for a reasonable cost. Really, any reliable memory console with a GO button and DMX output will work, a Strand GSX or LBX, another Express, whatever. An ETC Element would be overkill for this show. Rental Period: June 11 (or 12) - August 3, 2016 Lighting Console, Monitor and a 50' DMX cable Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barreller Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 If you simply need a go button try MagicQ with a £10 dongle!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 That strikes me as a less than helpful suggestion. No doubt Bryson will be along soon to offer you a Canadian point of view :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barreller Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Sorry if think I was being flippant David. It was simply a very low cost solution to the problem. It seems that the requirement is for a system which can be simply operated with no frills and MagicQ running on a laptop would provide this. I find that MagicQ can be used exactly like this when less skilled personell have to operate a lighting plan. I was genuinly trying to help. :) :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IRW Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Showtec Showmaster 24, or one of it's many aliases? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 That strikes me as a less than helpful suggestion. No doubt Bryson will be along soon to offer you a Canadian point of view :) I'm technically further from Baddeck, Novia Scotia than our members in London, so not sure I would be much use... ;) Random thought: I know a lot of people have recently upgraded from Express/ion era consoles to Element/Ion/Eos - is it worth calling round your local theatres and asking if they still have an Express in the cupboard they might rent you for beer? I know I do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salazar Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 That strikes me as a less than helpful suggestion. No doubt Bryson will be along soon to offer you a Canadian point of view :) I'm technically further from Baddeck, Novia Scotia than our members in London, so not sure I would be much use... ;) Random thought: I know a lot of people have recently upgraded from Express/ion era consoles to Element/Ion/Eos - is it worth calling round your local theatres and asking if they still have an Express in the cupboard they might rent you for beer? I know I do... Hi Bryson, Actually, that's what I'm sort of hoping for, perhaps someone who lurks who may pop up and say "We've got one we can rent you!" I know what every theater within 100 km has and none have a spare console of any kind that isn't just a manual (no memory) board (except for one venue that still has a 30 year old Strand Lightboard M with no DMX out, just AMX, anyone remember those?). Perhaps I'll try calling Neptune Theatre in Halifax (and so on) to see what is about. I know Tour Tech East (in Halifax) had an Express that was available last summer but their price was too high (in my opinion) for a 15 year old board which is why Christie got the rental last summer. Christie can get us one from Toronto if I can't find anything local. I thought I'd try here first though, just to see if anything local popped up. Perhaps it's time I have a look at MagicQ with a £10 dongle! Who sells the dongle in Canada, anyone know? How good a laptop will the show have to purchase for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 How good a laptop will the show have to purchase for this?Ive run it on a basic no frills netbook and an old dell 800mz laptop without any problem.My main magicq machine uses an intel atom n270,so again nothing special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Perhaps I'll try calling Neptune Theatre in Halifax (and so on) to see what is about. Chris Oliver who is the TD at the Neptune used to work here in my venue some time ago. Worth an ask. Perhaps it's time I have a look at MagicQ with a £10 dongle! Who sells the dongle in Canada, anyone know? How good a laptop will the show have to purchase for this? The MagicQ dealer in Canada is Theatrixx: http://www.theatrixx.com/en/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salazar Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 How good a laptop will the show have to purchase for this?Ive run it on a basic no frills netbook and an old dell 800mz laptop without any problem. My main magicq machine uses an intel atom n270,so again nothing special Thanks Hippy, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable leaving a somewhat non-technical crew with a laptop and and a dongle that times out after 5 hours and has to be rebooted. The MagicDMX Full comes in at about CAN$130.00 with the current disastrous exchange rate. I'll have to think about that a bit. ...and I'll wait a few days and see if anyone pops up with a console. This did get me thinking though. I already know how to use an ETC Element so I could buy the ETC Nomad, 256 Output Kit (256 channels of output) and an ETC Gadget - USB to DMX Interface and then I'd have an emergency backup for a few of the local theaters I work in (one of which has said ETC Element 60/500). That would cost a bit less than the console rental and I'd actually have something at the end of the run I could use elsewhere... It would need the upgrade to 512 channels to be of much use at the venue with the Element but it would get us out of a bind in an emergency with just the 256 channels. Hmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 The nice part with the Nomad is you can use it as a remote station for any venue with an Ion/Element/Gio/Eos (and ignore the channel output limit if it's networked to a real console). Saves lugging the console out to the production desk.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salazar Posted February 13, 2016 Author Share Posted February 13, 2016 The nice part with the Nomad is you can use it as a remote station for any venue with an Ion/Element/Gio/Eos (and ignore the channel output limit if it's networked to a real console). Saves lugging the console out to the production desk....I think Element supports Mirror Mode operation only. Correct me if I'm mistaken. Nomad can act as a remote for the others, Ion/Gio/Eos. Mirror mode would still be useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Nomad can also remotely operate an Element (as long as you start it in Element mode). I programmed a show a couple of weeks ago using exactly that setup. You have to be the same user, so you can't operate both simultaneously, but it works. From http://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/Eos-Family/Element/Features.aspx (My italics.)Fully synchronized backup (and a second programming surface) through another Element, ETCnomad™ or ETCnomad Puck™. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Allen Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 As a starting point for Canada, B&H photovideo have a range of 24 channel two preset lighting desks for around USD$400 that would do what you want, as they can record stacks for your show. Main disadvantage is that they are limited to 48 channels, so will not be too useful if you want to use led's, but instead of hiring, you have it in your venue for people to use all year round. You can buy a cheaper 12/24 desk, but not easy for operators to use. These desks are similar to the Showtec or Botex 24/48 desks and may suffer the same problem, very noise push buttons. Something else to consider is the " Led Commander" series of desks. Cheaper because you do not have 24 faders, you need to set your 24 dimmers up as three fixtures, each with 8 channels, so fixture 1 is dimmers 1 - 8, fixture 2 is dimmers 9 - 16, fixture 3 is dimmers 17 - 24. You program your stack or show as a chase and put your nominal fade time such as 4 seconds on the time fader and step through the show. Advantage is that you would still have have five fixtures available after you have set up your 24 dimmer channels, to use as led's and you can softpatch multiple DMX channels to a fader. I have just set up a fringe show using 16 led fixtures, some are RGBWAU/V, three single channel dimmers for conventionals, onto a LED Commander. Operators have recorded the 8 different shows as scenes or chases. Only disadvantage is the noisy push buttons and getting used to the desk, which was chosen because of the very low budget and very small footprint of desk space available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 I've also taken the liberty of linking to this thread on the Atlantic Canada section of the CITT's forum. I'm not sure if it's particularly active, but someone might take notice.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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