mnorwood

No, Linux Show Player's show-files use the extension .lsp, and are json-formatted text. Three questions come to mind: What is it that the "someone" that gave you the file expect you to do with it, and do you trust the "someone" enough to be confident that the file is safe to interact with? Is it possible to ask the "original tech" what program they used, or what type of machine it ran on (Windows, macOS, Linux, iPad)? (Or get someone or the "someone" to ask for you.) When you say it "has audio files in", do you mean that the .SHOW file acts an archive and contains the audio files within itself, or merely references to media files that are held external to the .SHOW file?

You might get better results asking on the ETC forums. You'll also need to specify which Control you wish to Change the value of. As @neilalexrose pointed out, Control Change messages are not MSC (MIDI Show Control), but a type of MIDI Voice Message. EOS permits sending these via what it calls "MIDI Raw Strings", either (as Neil suggested) as part of a Macro if the command to be sent is always the same, or as part of the Execute functionality on a cue if the command differs each time. The appropriate part of the Manual [Tab 100] is the section "Show Control", subsection "MIDI Raw". For sending a specific message on a specific cue, see this page. The page describing the macro method is, IMO, spectacularly unhelpful (could do with usage examples, along with descriptions of/comparisons between the "MIDI", "MIDI_Raw", "MIDI_String", and "Send_MIDI_Raw" commands), but as a guess (without an actual desk in front of me) the macro contents should be something like "Send_MIDI_Raw <your_message>" (e.g. I'd expect "Send_MIDI_Raw B0 01 0C" to set Control 2 on Channel 1 to a Value of 12).

You've stated that you wish the lamps either On or Off with no dimming. Does the ghosting occur if you put the device into "switch mode" as per the instructions in the manual? (Assuming it's not already in that mode...)

To me it seems like the Maplin branding has been sub-licensed to Switch Electronics for the purpose of selling to the "Professional" market. There exists https://www.maplin.co.uk which doesn't share the same theme, has the following as the opening to their Terms of Service: and, most damningly, at the bottom to the page, the link to "Professional Supplies"* points to https://pro.maplin.co.uk. As to https://pro.maplin.co.uk, it's Terms and Conditions reads: It could be clearer, but I think that brand sub-licensing or service sub-contracting** is what we're seeing here. * - "Professional Supplies" in this case appears to be components, wires, tools, and parts: the main www.maplin.co.uk site seems to only sell what one might term "finished" products - those aimed at an End User, rather than those that a hobbyist, electrician, or technician might seek. ** - As Switch Electronics' business model appears to based around supplying components to hobbyists and small businesses, it makes sense for Digital-First to sub-contract that side of the Maplin business out to them instead of competing with them. (If you can't beat 'em, join 'em get 'em to do the work for you.)

It's also a no-go with the Audio-Technica beltpacks at one of the venues I run shows at. I reckon I could probably get my rechargeable AAs into them with the use of a small rubber mallet, and back out again with a set of pliers, but I really don't want do that! Mind you: I've also labelled all my batteries so I can identify/keep track of them, which doesn't help in that regard... I have three sets of 32 batteries (96 in total, all Ni-MH), swapping after every other performance run (as each pair lasts 8+ hours), with each set being a different make (Eneloop, Ansmann, Ikea) and sourced from a different retailer (Battery Logic, CPC, Ikea). Each set is colour coded and each battery is numbered, so I know where each battery should be at any given time, and also to make sure the same batteries end up in the same beltpack night after night (so if there is a problem, it doesn't leapfrog around the cast). Like cedd above, I also use JapCell's 16-way chargers (model BL-16000) and agree they work well. I also have some Technoline BL-700N 4-way chargers "at home", which have a built-in "test" function (charges and then discharges each battery at a constant rate, then spits out an approximation of that battery's capacity) the results of which I keep in a database (having each battery uniquely identifiable really helps here), and from which I get charts that highlight potential problems and (should eventually) show battery degradation over time. As to passing the cost on to a group that's employing me to run sound for them (as I never hire or loan the batteries out to others): I roughly calculate how much it would have cost to have used single-use batteries, based on prices on CPC at the time of putting together the invoice, and charge them that. Thus, it's no more expensive for them than it would have been otherwise (and they get to feel good for being "Green").

Hmm. Not sure if it's what you're suffering from, but one of the venues I work at has an Altair wireless basestation along with both wired Tecpro Series 2 and ASL beltpacks. We've observed that turning on the "Remote Mutes: Buzzers" switch on the front of the Altair basestation causes everyone on a Tecpro beltpack to hear a sort repeated bouncy-whoosh sound, along with hearing everyone else sounding like they're talking through a fan (e.g. choppy). Those on ASL or the wireless Altair beltpacks are not affected. (Nor am I when I'm using my rack-mounted Tecpro Series 1 headset station.) The current running theory is that the switch places a regular pulsed signal onto the audio line that, whilst outside of human hearing, causes a volume limiter inside the Tecpro2 beltpacks to duck the incoming audio repeatedly. The solution we've found is to not engage the switch. Then hope no one presses the "call" button from any beltpack, as it causes the Altair wireless beltpacks to emit an audible beep-beep-beep (and no: not into the headset - which would make sense - but out loud for everyone backstage and in the audience to hear...). (Yes: you can turn the buzzer off on each beltpack individually, but its very easy to re-enable again by mistake.)

I've not tried it myself, however I'm aware that Hencilla Canworth offer "Media Freelancer Insurance" which includes kit-cover both in own-premises and away on hire. The policy wording (found at the bottom of this page) seems to imply (at least to me: admittedly not a lawyer) that they might cover equipment left in a van, so long as the kit is hidden from sight and the vehicle is locked and otherwise secured. Plus, if you're a member of Bectu, you get a discount.

According to this article from 2021, the applicable patent number (which doesn't appear to be silkscreened or otherwise printed on the product) is US9479870B2. My electronics know-how is insufficient to tell whether or not it makes sense.

I think it's not so much that people don't like the idea of being informed about emergencies, it's that they're sceptical about this (to them: "New") System or those perceived to run it, and/or they don't know enough about it or why it's needed instead of using preexisting systems. Or to put it another way: at the moment people see it as yet another Government Scheme that Costs The Taxpayer and Inconveniences The General Public. I would imagine that the first time it is used "for real" in this country will be the point at which most people form their first proper impression of it. If that is a situation where it is seen to be of help and clearly saves lives, then folks will start to think favourable of it. If it is seen to just sow confusion and/or panic, then not so much.

Hold on: this is something that you don't appear to have mentioned previously. Let's get this straight - the original complaint was that fixtures were failing well before their life expectancy, and now we find out that there are sometimes "violent electrical storms" that have been known in the past to take out (hirers') fixtures[*]! Forgive me if I'm missing something or this is a stupid question: but has it been completely ruled out that the storms are not causing the venue's equipment failure woes? ([*] - And in a play-season prior to the requirement for hirers to use different power sockets came into force if I'm getting the chronology correct; implying that surges are not being stopped/mitigated by the house power distro racks.) It would help in this regard to have a better idea of where the power sockets are in relation to the lights. @Heptagon do you have a diagram (e.g. a lighting plot that shows positions of fixtures (both venue and hired) and power sockets) that you might care to share with us?

One of the configuration options listed for the DMX Scene Controller, mentioned on this page of the manual for the EchoAccess App, is a "DMX Active Action" with possible values of "Preset, Off, Sequence, None". It doesn't elaborate on what the "Off" action actually does, however. (Does it turn whatever sequences or presets are running at the time off? Turn preset/sequence recall off? Turn the DMX output off? Turn all Echo-attached devices off? Or just all devices that identify themselves as lights off? Turn itself off?) You could try asking on the ETC Community Forums. There does exist this five-year old topic with a reply (from an ETC employee) that states that "The DMX input is only for setup of the scenes that are stored in the controller". Thus - unless ETC have added the functionality to the firmware in the intervening years - it is possible that what you want is not available. It might be the solution here is sticking a DMX merger/switcher in between the Echo DMX Scene Controller and the ArcSystem Driver(s), with a preference for the feed from the lighting desk. (Alternatively, there exists a "Keyswitch Station": one of its configurable capabilities is to lock out the button stations in a space when activated, preventing recall of any presets until deactivated again. Bit of a faff having to remember to do it manually (and you have a key to keep track of), but if you frequently suffer outside hirers bringing in their own consoles who plug into the house-DMX lines before patching the houselights (causing the auditorium to suddenly plunge into darkness) it might help ameliorate the situation.)

If the laptop in question has the physical connections for two external video outputs then (in theory) you should be able to tell Windows/Powerpoint to use one for the presenter view and the other for the slides. You might need to deactivate the laptop's built-in screen (within Windows' display settings) to force the presenter view to show up on an external screen; and it might need some testing to make sure that the two views are fed to the correct destinations. But yeah: it might be easier just to split the main output. Does the presenter need the presenter view (e.g. to read notes)?

Personally, I maintain a plain-text file with events written in the form specified by RFC5545 ("Internet Calendaring Specification"), which I then upload to a web host. This then gives me a URI that I can "subscribe" to within various calendar applications (MS Outlook, Apple iCal, etc.) as needed. I try to remember to re-upload the file every time I update it locally, and Outlook et al. poll the URI occasionally and keep themselves up to date. As simple as it gets, really - although this approach admittedly does require a certain familiarity with RFC5545 syntax. But ultimately what I have is just a file on a web server - no Google (or Microsoft), no calendaring software required to update it, no additional financial expense (I'm paying for the web hosting anyway).

To quote a relevant article on the ETC support website:

@jturner8, as we can't see the unit in front of you - and the manual appears to be incorrect - could you perhaps tell us what menu options you do have? (e.g. what are the differences from the chart shown on page 6 of the manual?)

I might possibly be able to save you even that much - I know of a venue in Yorkshire that took the opportunity of the Covid break to finish transitioning to a fully LED lighting rig. They now need to get rid of their old tungsten-based fixtures, and (AFAIK) are offering them away for free. There's no doubt several somethings there that you could cannibalise for their lamp holders.

Does this happen on all faders? How long has this been happening? The first thing that comes to mind is that the faders might need recalibrating. It's an option under Setup > Utility > Calibration.

Behringer generally bundles release notes inside the downloadable zip file containing the firmware, and it looks like this time is no different: ---- (Edit to add:) There's also this discussion thread on the Music Tribe community forums... https://community.musictribe.com/discussions/254855/313612 ...which seems to mention an additional improvement that might be contained within the latest firmware release? (It might even have been the impetus for a new release after three and a half years.)

How have the USB sticks been formatted? Section 5.17 of the x32's manual states that all USB sticks should use the FAT (File Allocation Table) filesystem, specifically FAT12, FAT16, or FAT32. (Note: exFAT is not in this list.)

The sound team that comes in with one of the external hirers (a "professional" theatre school) at one of the venues I do work for use near-field-positioned monitors at the mix position*. However: the team spend some time sounding out the venue and comparing what their near-fields are giving them compared to our FOH system so that they can mix accurately. I myself have tried using a similar approach when mixing pantos/musicals at the same venue, using similar monitors, but I wouldn't rely on them to be my only source of reference. If memory serves, the aforementioned team used to use Canford "diecast powered speaker"s (76-361 on the Canford website), but I've more recently observed them using Fostex 6301 of some variety. I myself used Canford 76-361s. ---- * - or at least they did pre-Covid: during the lockdown we took the opportunity to sort out the in-house system, notably installing delays so that the mix position is actually covered, so they might not feel the need for their near-fields anymore.

Forgive the correction, but Neutrik appear to do more than three: here's a couple more that Neutrik claim to be switchcraft-pinout compatible, and they look to be standard-D cutouts: NC6FSD-L-1 - https://www.mouser.c...xNIwkoaGQ%3D%3DNC6MSD-L-1 - https://www.mouser.c...sYzFIWA0A%3D%3D

Speaking as someone who helps maintain a system with a Symetrix Radius 12x8 EX, what you're describing sounds familiar - I've seen something similar happen post-firmware update (although I can't remember if it's all the LEDs that chase in this case, or just the top row). In this case it's perfectly normal - the firmware update process wipes the current Site File - and the corrective action is to reapply the Site File from backup. If no-one has performed (or will admit to performing) a firmware upgrade (and if I'm correct that the flashing indicates a missing/unusable Site File), then it is possible Stuart may be correct: the Site File may have got corrupted somehow and thus the device thinks it doesn't have one. You could check the state of the Site File by "Pull"ing the file from the device via Composer, then "Open"ing the block representing the device itself and seeing if it shows any internal routing. Failing that, you might get some success asking on the Symetrix community forums - https://forum.symetrix.co/ (And be specific about whether you have a "12x8", "12x8 EX", or a "12x8 NX") (And If it turns out it *is* a failed battery, please do tell us as it means I might need to check the unit I have access to...)

My big bugbear with AmDram (and dance schools) is that you have to repeatedly remind certain folks to pull smoothly - instead they yank at the rope causing the curtains to move in abrupt start-stop motions. Appearances aside, it probably isn't good for the rope/pulley system. More on topic: at a different venue the (horizontally opening) house curtains are motorised, and run at a fixed speed. No acceleration or deceleration - they start and stop abruptly. The venue's tech spec claims that the prosc opening is 7.3 metres (~24 ft) wide (so with overlap with each other and the prosc arch itself each side probably runs roughly 4m (~13ft)). I've never timed how long they take to fully open or close, but estimate from memory somewhere between four and six seconds. (I realise the OP was asking more for vertically opening tabs, but just as comparison...)

(Speaking as a freelancer, rather than as a manager:) One of the venues I work at uses a product named "When I Work". It's primarily accessed via web-browser (iOS and Android apps exist); and workers can set their availability, request "open" shifts and to swap assigned ones, and get a calendar-feed of their shift assignments. While I can't speak for the management features, as a worker it seems to work okay. I wouldn't recommend Microsoft Teams + Shifts if you have freelancers or casuals: another of the organisations I do work for has transitioned to using it for the tech rotas and, whilst it is an improvement than the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet-based solution used previously, it has its drawbacks. Notably, the app seems to make the assumption everyone is a full-time employee: it's not possible to, as a worker, directly indicate when you're not available; instead having to make "time-off requests", each of which then needs to be "approved" by a line-manager before it appears on the shift-calendar. Having to manually "approve" every "request" probably wouldn't scale well with lots of freelancers. Another downside is that the resultant work-shift-calendar is only exportable to a (static) Excel spreadsheet (and only by someone in a management role). This means that having a webpage (or dropbox or whatever) where staff can quickly check shifts would require someone manually exporting and uploading the spreadsheet after each schedule alteration. (Assigned shifts also don't appear in Microsoft Outlook's calendar, despite Shifts and Outlook both being part of Microsoft's office suite.) I have another client/employer that uses a mix of Microsoft Excel and Google Calendar. Sometimes the shifts listed on both even match! If you have freelancers who also do work for other employers, have you asked them what their other employers use?

Well that just raises more questions. The User Manual of the Digipage (available here), is adamant than none of its cat-5 connectors are compatible with Ethernet (which also rules out Dante) and, from the pin-outs provided, are also not compatible with Arc. So connecting the Symetrix with the Digipage via Cat-5 cable is liable to cause damage to one or both units. The "Arc" indicator on the Radius 12x8, when a compatible device is connected, turns solid green. The intermittent flickering could be an indication that the Symetrix is unsure of what's plugged in. The "Input A1" is (fairly obviously, I'll admit) the status indicator for Analogue Input 1. As with the LEDs for all the input and output indicators on the front, the LED gets brighter the hotter the signal, until it exceeds a threshold (not sure what, possibly +3dB) at which point it turns yellow (until the signal falls below the threshold again). If it turns Red, the signal's clipping. A constant unwavering green glow would indicate an incoming signal at a constant volume. Not quite what I'd expect from a show relay mic. I don't believe you've mentioned the Symetrix xOut 12 before. How is this connected into the rest of the system? You haven't mentioned your position within the theatre (are you in-house technical? visiting?), nor how much authority you have to be making cable/routing changes (don't want to be suggesting things, only to get you yelled at by your boss/management). It does seem a little odd that a "Major theatre in London" (to quote from your user profile) has what appears to be an entirely undocumented system. And it's still unclear as to what relation the old comms rack had. Was this all previously mounted in that and was unplugged so the rack could be removed, and you/your colleagues forgot to label cables before unplugging them? Or is this a new system to replace what was in the rack to begin with? Is it perhaps possible to put together a diagram of how you think things are currently connected (with question marks next to connections you're unsure about)?