Robin D

There are differences but as the LED's age you will get more so. Personally I've never found it a problem as so rarely projecting onto an empty set with all white walls etc. Even the soft talent will be wearing clothes I assume and every surface type reflects colour differently. How do you cope with different skin tones? Back in the day, filters burned thin and let more light through. Didn't change them every show. If you really need a hotspot or two to be identical, use same type and age of fixture onto the same surface. I would stop obsessing and remember that theatre is about 'suspension of disbelief' in the audience. You are sketching a picture in their minds, not trying to create reality. To get an absolutely even mix you need each unit exactly the same difference from the target, hitting at the same angle. Even then the beam from next door unit will encroach.

I don't know the device, but I take it you have found the manual at https://marshall-usa.com/pdf/CV565-CV365_Manual.pdf and been through the trouble shooting section? Are you certain your laptop supports HDMI 'in' and is it configured to use it? Many do not, despite HDMI being a 2 way protocol) meaning a HDMI to USB converter with appropriate driver is required (preferably USB-C for video.) My current laptop has no HDMI either in or out.

Could be a number of things unfortunately.. Sorry but I am struggling to understand what you are describing, but if we start with some questions it might help. To confirm: If you connect the dongle to just the Roboscans they work fine. If you connect just the Mac's, do they work fine? Are you terminating the DMX line? I know most of these units are supposed to self terminate, but putting a known terminator as the last in the line, may make a difference and rules out self termination as a possibility? Have you tried just adding one device at a time? It may be just one of them with a fault that is causing the issue and then taking the rest of the line down. If these devices have master/slave settings, (I don't remember) then are they all set to slave or standalone. If any are set to master, they will output DMX onto the line to try to control the devices downstream. Why are you using a phase reverse cable? If it's because Mac's need it, then you need another before linking on to the Robo's to reinstate it as normal. If that is the case, put DMX through the Robo's then phase reverse, then Mac's ending with a terminator. Does everything work then? Are you certain you have not patched the devices in the software with an overlapping DMX address? Consider getting a DMX splitter and running them on two separately terminating lines? Are you using DMX cables or microphone cables. The latter work 9 times out of 10, (or perhaps 99 times out of 100) but the 1 in 10 can be a nightmare to debug. What dongle and software are you using? Can you borrow a proper desk and try that to prove it's not the dongle causing issues especially with DMX timing. Good luck.

If stage weights are out of budget, you can make your with a few square kids beach buckets, thin strips of timber and bags of postfix cement plus a cheap screw in handle for each weight. Cut the strip of timber to fit the bucket then an offcut of timber screwed to it at least the depth of the lip on the brace. Place in the bottom of the oven with a couple of layers of clingfilm over it. If the bucket has ramparts, cut a sheet of ply to cover them. Next cut some strips or squares of timber slightly longer but at least two knuckle widths of the handle size and at least as deep as the handle once fitted. . Cast the concrete, then insert the top squares of timber such that the concrete comes above the final handle height. Allow to set. and turn out, Drill the finished item to fit the handle. Do it properly and they will stack, albeit not as tidily as the proper stage weights. Did this for an Amdram group near where we lived years ago, but can't find the photo's. If I remember rightly, it cost us a bucket per weight as we ended up cutting the bucket away.

And of course privacy and GDPR (video is data) needs consideration. Make sure the University hierarchy are aware of what is planned. I don't think it will be an issue as the policies and procures to be followed should already be in place. If it's to be put onto social media, any performance of copywrite material must explicitly allow recording and sharing. That also includes rehearsals.

The Behringer C2 are cracking little units at the price. Put them up against some Rode M3's in a venue and no-one in the tech team, yet no-one, (except the Op on the desk) could tell any difference in sound quality. Very sensitive to noise coming up a stand though. easier to hang if you can.

Was there line of sight from the mic to the receiver? Or did the audience act as a barrier? Has similar with some Trantec units and had to move the receiver rack to solve it. Yes phones are an issue. Ask that they turn them off. Not all will but 200+ looking for a signal, and a lot probably looking for WiFi will create a lot of RFI. Not everyone will do as you ask, but many will if you point out that it's not the most modern of equipment you are using and by leaving them on, they may well spoil their child's performance. Had another issue when going back to a venue where all had worked seamlessly on a prior occasion to find I had placed the racks within a few feet of a newly installed WiFi access point.

If you can find one in bone china, it will be much stronger than normal china and less likely to break if dropped, although it might chip. Almost any charity shop/car boot/ antiques shop will have a choice. The other option, is to put a suitable rug down where the china is likely to be knocked so it has a soft landing. The problem with melamine ones is they do not 'sound right', and the chink of a cup meeting the saucer, is part of the atmosphere. (NB: The sound can be sucessfully mic'd with a carefully placed boundary or lavaliere if its a big venue.

Just to update this. A call to Monacor in Germany gave me the current UK distributor who are Epic Audio. https://epicaudio.co.uk/. Neil there has proved very helpful in arranging a return to their workshop via a more local distributor. I am still chasing the church warden with the other questions, but it looks like a resolution may be on the way. Will try to remember to update as and when the matter concludes.

I will endeavour to find out more. 👍

Hi @sunray and thanks. What is the device you have pictured please? Some sort mains filter?

Thank you @bruce. I have not t witnessed the crack. No fluorescent tubes. Nothing with motors. The organ is out of use as they don't have anyone to place it, the bells are hand pulled (by a prize winning team), heating is by tubes under the pews. Lighting is all incandescent (or candles). Heating is always turned off before the service starts I am told. It's an 8th Century church updated in Victorian crimes. Nothing appears to have changed recently. The power is the same supply to the whole village, so while I may be on a different phase, it's actually been reliable since the substation was upgraded about about a decade ago. The lace was rewired less than 20 years ago. There is only the one set of sub plus pillar. Everything stays connected all the time. I suspect a problem with the internal PSU, but it could be many things. Ian reports that there is no pattern in terms of how long it's been on. I guess I will have to find time to go down to have a play to see if I can recreate the problem.

Our village church purchased one of the from a dealer who no longer exists a few year back. Perhaps 6-8 years. I am not an attendee but know the church warden well and have previously done sound and lights for concerts. Now it emitting a loud crack every so often. I suggested he contact the UK agent, no response received, or Monacor on Germany, also zero response. He rang Germany and no answer. Does anyone know anything about the company or have a current contact, or know anyone likely to undertake a repair please? Monacor Active Speaker System. model C-RAY/8 number 25.5630, Maker, Monacor International. Germany. Google shows the UK distributor as 'permanently closed'. The main website is still up and running. If I need to I will dismantle it myself, but have a lot on at the moment so would rather not. Thanks in anticipation. Robin

I have some LEDJ 9hex10 that have been faultless. (Fingers crossed).

I had similar in our local church (Dating to the 8th century) for a funeral of a village and church stalwart that was being streamed for overseas family. Someone else was handling the video, I just had to give him, and those sitting in the overspill marquee outside, the audio feed. The vicar wanted to move about so radio mic was the obvious answer. All worked great until they turned the organ on (a very old electric organ in a beautiful walnut cabinet). Terrible interference as soon as the vicar walked anywhere near the organ which is placed to one side of the aisle. Given the timescale... the coffin was already being carried in lead by the vicar. It was a couple of quickly placed Behringer C2 cardiods (No sneering please, they are cracking little units and great value for money.) plugged straight into the desk. I had taken them down to the church as originally told they would have a choir, but that didn't happen so I hadn't rigged them. Fortunately I had already run in a convenient snake from near the alter for the pulpit mic, through the priest door, back in through a tower window to the desk otherwise I would have been well and truly stuffed. Proves the old adage that you can test things in isolation, but environmental factors can still get in the way!