[KOJ123]

I play in a band and use a small two pod/1 firing box le maitre pyro unit - we only use a couple of 1200b smoke flashes at the end and I set them off from the stage whilst playing

The key is obviously never in the unit when I am not next to it (health and safety first peeps) but I always miss a couple of notes when pressing the damn red button - is there any known foot controller for said Le Maitre pyro system and if not is there any person out there who would like to quote for building me one?

Any help appreciated so I keep my fingers on the bass and my foot on the pyro ....

Speak soon

KOJ

[kitlane]

My guess is you won't get a very positive response to this. Any pyro, however small, is potentially hazardous. The person firing it should be giving their full attention to the pyro and its surroundings. Moreover, what stops you from arming the controller at the beginning of the song then someone accidentally stepping on the footswitch at the wrong time. I can't imagine anyone will want to take the risk of advising you on how to achieve this and potentially being party to a mishap.

[adam2]

Whilst in principle a foot operated controller could be made no less safe than a hand operated one, in practice the concern would be that if the operator does not have their hands free, that very strongly suggests that they are unable to give full attention to the safe use of said pyro.

I do not feel that playing music and firing pyro at the same time is entirely safe, owing to the liklehood of distraction.

I have seen foot pedal pyro firing units, but only for filming purposes, not used on stage in conjunction with music.
The requirement was for an actor to fire a gun, loaded with a blank cartridge, whilst a pyro was fired at the same time so as to simulate the impact of a bullet on a vehicle tyre. It proved near impossible for the pyro operator and the actor to "fire" at the same instant.
The effect was easily achieved by the actor pushing a foot pedal at the same time as pulling the trigger of the gun.
To gaurd against prematurly firing the pyro, an operator had to hold down a "dead mans handle", this they did only very shortly before it was needed.

Something similar might serve the needs of the O/P , but it does require a second person, which is presumably what they wish to avoid.

[Ynot]

Kit is right I believe that you won't find many (if any) of the seasoned experienced heads here countenancing what you're trying to do.

You mention 'safety first' but in all honesty that doesn't quite ring true for the idea of a foot-pedal-fired explosive effect on a stage where anything could happen.
Assuming these 1200B effects (Le maitre LARGE theatrical flashes) are fired at the climax of a song we're likely talking 3 or 4 minutes or more between you arming the firer and then depressing the fire button - leaving said mechanism open to an ill-timed depression by either yourself, another band member or even a punter, depending on the size and type of stage/venue and the amount of movement the band does on stage. And whilst I'm sure you'd say that you'd be making sure that you'd be stationary throughout said song, I'd challenge that on the grounds that there is every likelihood that you CAN get distracted from safety simply because you are already involved in doing what you're there to do - playing the bass...

I'm equally sure that there may be others here who'll contradict this viewpoint, and suggest ways of doing what you want, and there's nothing really to prevent you from trying.
BUT I would advocate you stop and consider the potential results should the plan go horribly wrong. We could point you at a number of videos on the web where clubs have suffered disastrous consequences of people with too little knowledge and experience with pyrotechnics, many of which resulted in death.

That might sound rather fatalist and over-reactionary to what is a fairly simple enquiry, but if there's one thing we DO take seriously here on the BR it is safety.

[Andrew C]

Actually looking at this realistically, there are covered foot switches that are used to control machinery far more dangerous than a pyro. Further, a small band, well rehearsed, would know to keep the area clear, and even a drummer should be able to work out go/no go in these circumstances.

One like this would do, I'm sure there are cheaper.

[chrishandcock]

I agree that you could quite happily be playing and be completely aware of the risks for pyro. An option I was thinking was two foot switches, so you would have to press both together to trigger it. That would stop another vand member possibly triggering it early. (deadman type thing?)

[Andrew C]

chrishandcock, on 29 February 2012 - 04:17 PM, said:

. An option I was thinking was two foot switches, so you would have to press both together to trigger it.

Your chances of remaining upright would be reduced.

[brainwave-generator]

Do you not have any friends (who could press it)??

[MarkPAman]

You could have the guitarist press a dead man's handle pedal, which would confirm the she's not standing over the pyro

[gordontech]

Im another vote for no Im afraid. I've had pyro's go off incredibly close and indeed under me. It's not a pleasent sensation. I'd cut the pyro's or miss a few beats before I cooked a bandmember.

[rossmck]

I'd vote no.... That said I once saw an act (in a space I was working in) that had a 'small pyro effect' fired with some sort of home-made switch attached to the guitar itself.... I said no to that too (for a whole number of reasons) though!

[KOJ123]

Thank you for all of your responses - while I appreciate your concern for health and safety I'd like to point out that the two times we have come close to danger with regards setting off these pyros is when two member of theatre local crew demanded they fired them on the grounds of 'health and safety' then proceeded to set them off at the wrong time because he did not know our show - the guitarist was perilously close at one venue and a member of audience in another because the said 'technician' couldn't see the front of the stage from his position in prompt corner!

Just before I set the things off in our performance there is a 10 second vocal solo (in which I turn the key) a 5 second drum intro to the final ending (wherupon I have a chance to survey the stage and the surrounding area of the pyrotechnics) and then press the button (at the right time for our show so the rest of the artists know it is coming) and then if there was a problem of any sorts there is always an in house technician at prompt corner and / or we would stop the show!

It puzzles me that some people can't see the bigger picture. If at any point there was a proximity issue or I deemed it unsafe then the pyros would not be fired - all I was asking you gentle folk was if there was a foot control to fire the thing so that the split second I had to look down to find the big red button with my finger could be eliminated - until 10 seconds before detonation anybody could step on the damn thing as the key is not turned to the standby position!

I appreciate your health and safety concerns but unlike my times of working at the BBC (where a sound technician is not even allowed to boil a kettle without taking a course) sometimes in touring theatre it is possible to be completely safe and also achieve many things. I'd love to have a separate, highly trained member of our touring staff who's only job would be pyrotechnics (hell I'd even like someone to pack up my amplifiers after the gig) but in small scale, self financed touring productions this is not always affordable or possible.

All I was asking blue room forum was if there was a foot pedal / operator to fire a pyro! Thanks to those that did forward or reply some options and apologies to the others.

I'd rather detonate a pyro at the right time in my show than have somebody from local crew, highly trained in pressing a big red button detonate it at the wrong time!

I look forward to your replies!

[kitlane]

As they say in my locale "Don't get a cob on".

The reason we couldn't "See the bigger picture" is because you didn't tell us. Why didn't you give us all the detailed information in your original post? You are a new member to the forum with little information on your profile. We all have to be cautious about the advice we give to people.

How about this? You have two switches in series, one acting as a dead mans handle. The in house tech holds this closed from a few seconds before the cue but you do the firing. If the tech sees something untoward s/he can release the handle.

Look at it from the point of view of the venue. If something goes wrong they will be held partly responsible.

It has been alluded to already, but read this article

Station Nightclub Fire

Then google for the video and watch and listen as 100 people die. It's quite sobering.

[gordontech]

To that same effect.


A "highly trained technician" is insured and holds full liability. Although largely these in house courses are crap and simply teach the person the difference between a switch and a button it is better they do it. On a technicial forum you are going to find more people who are from the technicial side and are liable when a band marches in with their ideas.


None of us are saying you can't do it. Just that in our opinion you shouldn't as for a large part of venues the buck stops with us. I can see that the effect you have described would be very cool but this post is opinion based.

[Ynot]

Indeed.
The Station fire is just ONE of those videos I referred to in my first response.

And I'd echo the point about the WHY some of us are advocating caution here - as a new member we do not 'know' you in any way. Your credentials are yet to be verified by way of us judging your post material. You may very well be one who takes safety very seriously, completes a fresh RA for every venue you visit and are 100% competent in the execution of each aspect of your shows that you perform in.

Then again, you may not be any or all of those things.

Bear in mind that this is NOT your average social networking forum but a place populated with a good number of very experienced professionals, and amateur technicians alike (as well as our fair share of teens and wannabes). And on the whole, one of the things we take VERY seriously is the advice we like to see given out on certain aspects of this business we call show. Pyro, for many here, is just one such topic.

My main concerns I have already laid out, and that stems from the view that at any stage in a show, you really should only have one thing to worry about. The fact that you have concerns about interrupting the fow of your playing to first arm and then fire a pyro suggests that there IS an issue.