Barney

Thanks FLB, I think I've got hold of a load of tungsten sunstrips (as suggested by Rob) at £10 each (hire), so that should be problem solved. We get the right visual effect but also the bonus of controlling each lamp independently. Cheers for the offer though. Kind regards, Barney

Thanks Rob. It's a short-run local youth theatre show, so LX budget is minimal. As I could do with covering 2 runs of 6 metres I was thinking that acquiring some old MR16 units that someone doesn't use anymore may be more cost effective than 12 metres of LED units. I could use LED tape (that I already have), but would prefer the look of discrete 'lamps' as they will be front-facing. Cheers, Barney

Howie! Yes, thanks Gareth. Thumbs up. Now, if anyone has any Howie Battens knocking around that they want to move on, that would be great!

Hi all, I'm on the search for some MR16 battens (to purchase), like the ones Thomas used to make. Can't for the life of me think what we used to call them, so Google isn't helping! Don't suppose you have any or know of someone who is looking to shift some on? The 3-circuit (30 lamp) ones would be ideal but anything considered! Have a show at the end of Feb where they would be ideal to sit around the prosc arch. Thanks in advance for any help! Cheers, Barney

Hi, Wondering if anyone has knowledge of the BSS Audio Soundweb products? I have a very simple audio system at work that includes a Soundweb Blu-50 controller. It has been working (mainly)fine for years, but was decommissioned 6 months ago and has now been installed in a new rack. The problem I am having is that the unit randomly drops offline and stops passing any audio. Looking at the Blu-50 front panel, the three LEDs (COM/STAT/ERR) are solid orange (or occasionally slowly blinking). It also disappears from the Audio Architect software and Netsetter utility. After a random amount of time, anywhere from a few minutes to a good half hour, the unit will restart and suddenly output audio again without intervention. If you manually power cycle the unit, it will also start up ok. This is happening regularly (many times per day). Power is currently supplied via POE+ but I get the same issue when using a dedicated PSU. Has anyone got any experience of these units and what may be causing the problem? CPU usage is around 25%, so shouldn't be due to the processing load. Tips or suggestions would be most welcome! Thanks, Barney

Hi BR, I've been asked by a friend to help out with some basic lighting and sound for a performance in Portsmouth on Saturday 14th August. Not a lot of detail at the moment, but it involves some simple lighting of singers in windows (probably 6) - the audience will be outside. Kick-off is about 7pm, finishing around 9pm, so will hopefully still be light - it just needs something like LED tape around the inside of the window frames. DMX control would be useful to highlight particular windows at certain times. Sound is a bit more complicated and I'm waiting to hear what is required. I would guess a handheld mic for each window, plus maybe a couple of rifle mics for any chorus members outside the building (TBC). A floating radio mic might be helpful too. A couple of speakers on stands outside. I have all the lighting kit, but it's a bit too far away to be practicable for me and I would need to hire the sound equipment anyway. Does anyone have experience and can recommend a company (or individual) that is local to Portsmouth area that would be able to assist? Budget is (I'm told) about £500 all in, but preferably less ;) Thanks in advance, Barney

I do some occasional work at a venue nearby where the install company (SLX) labelled the bars from upstage (cyc) to downstage. Thus LX5 is nearest the pros. However, everyone who works there refers to the bars the other way around, i.e. LX5 is the most upstage bar. This seems to be the standard way of doing things, as others have suggested. The circuits run from SR>SL on each bar though, which I think makes sense. Cheers, Barney

He wasn't :D

Ah, so long ago!

Hello Daniel, Which version of software are you currently running? I have manuals for the more recent software (some quickstart guides here) but the hardware needs some mods for later versions. Cheers, Barney

Hi Graeme, Sent you a PM a week ago - any chance you could send me a couple of pictures and dimensions? Oh, and how much it would cost, obviously! Thanks, Barney

Cheers Rob, Indeed, they are fairly simple! The basic info in the user manual was useful (if not exactly matching what was constructed!), and I also found some details of the PCBs etc online. I was trying to find out which fasteners / what order I needed to get the various modules out, but I worked it out through trial and error on the first one ;) Thanks, Barney

As an easier (for me) alternative, is anyone willing to make one for me? Quotes appreciated. Barney

Hi all, Does anyone have a maintenance manual for the SCX600 Mania scanner by Martin? Or some tips for properly taking apart and cleaning? I've aquired a few units and could do with some tips on general cleaning procedures and/or advice on which bits to unscrew to get to the optics, fans, and colour wheel! If there are any common faults to look for when thoroughly stripping them down that would be great too. Thanks, Barney

Thanks Gareth, I'll give them a try.

Thanks - was just looking at the Chauvet stuff but it all seems to be discontinued now :(

Thanks Jon, That's certainly one option I can look at. Do you have any particular recommendations for decent addressable festoon? In the most simplistic version, I guess I'm looking at a string of about 70-80 lamps to make up all the lettering... Barney

Hi all, I have been tasked with looking into a Chicago illuminated sign for an upcoming production in June. Ideally, I'd like some LX control over each letter, but it's not crucial. Does anyone have something available that they would be willing to either hire (10 days) or sell on? You know the sort of thing - the letters made up of individual lamps. Size-wise, I would guess something like 2 metres / 8 ft or so across would be fine. The venue doesn't have fly bars per se, so we would need to find a way of dropping it in when required / hiding it when not. All do-able though (and has been done before). There was talk of projecting this onto the cyc instead, but I'd rather have a physical sign. If there is nothing available, can anyone recommend a place to go to get this manufactured for a fair price? If we went down this route I'd probably look at LED options, to allow for colour changing etc. Budget is currently reasonably negotiable but it's still am-dram. Thanks, Barney

Thanks for the info David, I'm playing about with some soundscaping in our open-plan reception/foyer/cafe space. This looks like another good option to try out - I'll let you know if I have any issues or suggestions once it's been up and running for a while. First, I need to find a laptop that's not been locked down by IT! Thanks again, Barney

That's a really good idea, and I'll look into it. But I understand, in this case, the curtains will be fixed to the set (no track).

Hello BR, Dragging up a bit of an old query, but did anyone ever get any further with this? I'm after a couple of DMX controlled winches that could be used for an essentially non load-bearing use. Think: using a line to swag open/close some lightweight curtains on a window element. The curtains would obviously be fixed at the top, so the line only needs to take a nominal (sideways) load (say 1kg) and there is no danger of failure causing injury (other than being hit by some d0m3stic curtains). Of course this could be done with some fishing line and manual operator - and budget may ultimately dictate that - but it would be nice to automate this for this particular case. Total travel distance would need to be a couple of metres. Usual disclaimer for using DMX to control safety-critical elements etc (particularly scenery moves) fully understood. Ideally to purchase, but hire could be an option if necessary. Hope someone has some bright ideas! Cheers, Barney