Luke Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 I had an encounter with one of these yesterday, and already I love it.. Mmmmm.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 I had an encounter with one of these yesterday, and already I love it.. Mmmmm..<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Where did you encounter an MMS?! There can't be that many left in the country by now (well, not in working theatres, anyway). The only one I'm personally aware of is in an am-dram venue in Southend-on-Sea - and that one contains a couple of modules from the old 1975-issue Theatr Clwyd MMS, which is the first memory desk I ever got my grubby little paws onto! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Blimey, I thought they'd been consigned to history. The last one I remember was at the Palladium (?) in the early 80s. The Royal Exchange in Manchester had one when it first opened, too (state of the art back then). Up to 480 channels, wow! :( Tell us more. What sort of condition is it in? Will you be using it again? Any chance of getting some pictures up and maybe doing a quick "getting started" guide? The Strand archive has some old brochure info from 1973here. Ahhh... memory numbers :D So simple, so powerful, so under used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 Gareth; Do you mean the New Empire Theatre? IF so, that is where it is. It was given to Danny, the technical director, by the Aldwych theatre in london. It's 35 years old, so enevitably, Danny had to restore it and now it's the main lighting controller in the theatre upstairs at the Empire. Danny reackons its the only one still in use in a live enviroment in Britain, if not the world. You can read up about it here: http://www.newempiretheatre.co.uk/emphtml/2pdanmms.htm I can get more images on Monday and post them probably Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 That name sounds familiar, Luke. I saw it a few years ago when I toured a show into the Cliffs - one of the technical guys from the New Empire was a casual on the fit-up, he mentioned the MMS and invited me down to take a look later in the week. At that time, it looked as though it had been very well restored and was in really good nick. If you lift out one or two of the modules (can't precisely remember which ones, but I think possibly the core store and/or the submasters) you'll see that they say "Mold Arts Centre" - they came out of the MMS that was installed in Theatr Clwyd in Mold when it first opened in the mid-70's, and survived until 198? when it was finally taken out of the control room to make way for the Galaxy 2 .... I was there that day, and running the last cross-fade on it was a very solemn moment for all concerned, I can tell you!! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 Funny - danny told me exactily the same story that you came and saw that it was from your Arts center. Its the back-up slider module, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Funny - danny told me exactily the same story that you came and saw that it was from your Arts center. Its the back-up slider module, I think.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yeah, the backup module (probably the faders, but might have been the pin patch) sounds about right. (Couldn't remember if it was that one or the core store.) I bet none of our younger members reading this thread have the faintest idea what a pin-patch or a core store is! :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Pin patch I can do you for, core store - hmm, I'm guessing this has nothing to do with internal parts for the Death Star then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 Gareth; I'm only 15 but with tuition from Danny, I know the desk basics pretty much inside out. :( I'm gonna be seeing Danny on Monday - I'll tell him that you're on the forum; he might be interested to know.. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Gareth; I'm only 15 but with tuition from Danny, I know the desk basics pretty much inside out. :( I'm gonna be seeing Danny on Monday - I'll tell him that you're on the forum; he might be interested to know.. :)<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Spooky! :D I was only a couple of years younger than you are now when I first got to play with the MMS at Mold. It was all very mystifying at first for someone whose experience thus far was pretty much limited to the SP40 in the school drama studio! Having looked around Danny's website, I also remember him showing me his "home made" lighting desk, too - IIRC it was the resident lighting desk in the downstairs auditorium while the MMS was on duty upstairs ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 I think we've mimic'd each other thus far.. I started using a Zero88 Lightmaster XLS at my school shows. Then, I looked at the MMS and thought, 'that looks stupid - there aren't any faders'. Now Danny's shown me how to use it, it seems so much more easier that conventional desks. Yeah.. Danny's desk is the dogs #########.. he based it on the MMS and added all the stuff that the MMS didn't have i.e. a highlighted intensity meter xD. Thats pretty much the layout now.. Danny's desk takes pride of place in the control room downstairs, whilsts the MMS takes its seat in the upstairs theatre (Mezzanine). Danny has also constructed 6 Moving Lights that can do a sweap of the stage in .3 of a second.. but that's another story.. :( EDIT: Sorry, lightnix.. completely missed your post. The desk is in PRESTINE condition, I will be using it again and there are some pictures on the site that I posted.. I could get some more some time for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomLyall Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 Does anyone have the link for danny's website so we can see this desk?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted October 16, 2004 Author Share Posted October 16, 2004 http://www.newempiretheatre.co.uk/emphtml/2pdandesk.htm The first picture makes it look grainy and small.. it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 16, 2004 Share Posted October 16, 2004 I'm afraid you've lost me with pin-patches and core store (can I help it if the oldest desk I've used is an MX?! :() but I have to say thanks to you Luke for that post - whiled away quite a bit of this afternoon reading about the desk, Danny's other desk and the history of the theatre in general - all very interesting! Cheers,Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted October 17, 2004 Author Share Posted October 17, 2004 My pleasure. Theres tons of really interesting information on their site.. did you read about how they converted the old ABC-Cinema into the theatre it is now? http://www.newempiretheatre.co.uk/emphtml/00newhist.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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