Unlimited Submasters/Memories

[davidlighting]

Dose anyone no of a small, cheap, lighting desk with unlimited sub-masters/Memoreys or a computer controlled system with a wing panel of Unlimited Sub-masters/Memoreys. :o

 

I already have the "LC2412 Behringer" I am looking at the "maXim MP" and the desks from "zerro 88". But what I do not understand is if you don't have lots of sub-masters how do they do big shows it in the theatre's because they wold run out of them so quickly.

 

Thanks, Dave.

PS: If anyone has any tips about my posts please PM me.

[BlueShift]

Strand 200 series. And this should be in the lighting forum - im sure the mod squad will be along shortly...

 

Good guess! We're now in Lighting! :o

[mac.calder]

The LSC maXim has a boat load of sub masters - If you go for the maXim XXL you have 810 submasters (9 pages - 60 red and 30 blue) - each of which can store a chase, scene or theatre stack

[Shez]

I was also going to suggest a MaXim but I think it's a bit over the OP's budget of £550...

[Brian]

Dose anyone no of a simple lighting panle with lots of submasters

Hi, give us a clue. How many is 'lots'? And would you consider a PC based solution or do you want real faders?

[davidlighting]

Where can I find a small cheap desk with Unlimited Sub-masters/Memoreys.

 

Thanks, Dave ;)

[Meduza]

Unlimited?

 

All desks are limited in one way or another, even if there is very many...

 

What do you really need it for ?

 

I understand that you need more than you allready got and that you want control over ML's from your other post...

 

What is the budget ?

 

What kit is it going to be used with ?

[Ynot]

Where can I find a small cheap desk with Unlimited Sub-masters/Memoreys.

 

Thanks, Dave ;)

** laughs out loud **!

Dave, hi again.

This sort of question is very subjective.

There are a LOT more things to consider when looking at what desk to invest in for the future, and to be honest, in your position, I think you'd be best served by talking to a local hire company and seeing what desks they have in their inventory. They may then allow you to go down and look at (maybe play a little with) one or two. Short of that, do some research on the net on the pages of Strand, ETC, AVAB, Zero 88, Jands, etc etc, and look at what they're offering on paper.

 

The words 'cheap' and 'unlimited' (or even 'lots of') seldom occupy the same sentence. And with regard to subs and memories, I suspect most mid-range desks (ie those worth even a second look) will have more than adequate of both to cater for most am-dram events.

 

Be careful what you decide you want to look at. You can go for a behringer LC2412, but few here would recommend it! It is most certainly a cheap desk, but that's borne out by the build quality and components used.

 

Like I've said in the other post - try looking at renting a better desk when needed (through your group) and assessing that against your needs. That will give you a better idea of what to aim for eventually.

 

Tony

[Stu]

But what I do not understand is if you don't have lots of sub-masters how do they do big shows it in the theatre's because they wold run out of them so quickly.

Well in theatre shows the lighting is programmed into cue stacks, effectively a big pile of submasters linked together with fade times programmed into each cue so that the desk will automatically fade them in and out in the right time. So if on your Behringer LC2412, you had house lights on sub 1, then the first lighting state for a play (for instance!) on sub 2, then a change to nightime on sub 3 etc etc, then a normal theatre show (and desk) would have them all as cues, house lights & preset CUE 1, blackout CUE 2, light on bedroom CUE 3, crossfade to nightime CUE 4, all with the times programmed in, so all the operator has to do is press GO.

 

It's not that common to light a show off submasters when you have a decent desk, maybe only for a one night local school of dance show where you need to busk as you don't know whats comming up.

 

Stu

[Brian]

Dose anyone no of a small, cheap, lighting desk with unlimited sub-masters/Memoreys or a computer controlled system with a wing panel of Unlimited Sub-masters/Memoreys...I already have the "LC2412 Behringer"

Several of the software based systems, for instance Light Factory, allow you to use your existing DMX console as an extension submaster wing.

[stuartglen]

lightfactory has ten pages of submaster, each page can contain 512 submaster, so a maximum of 5120 submasters.

 

However when using your LC2412 Behringer as a submaster wing, in wide mode (48 channel) this would give you 480 submasters (10x48)

 

However you would need to use a mouse in addition to faders to access all submasters.

 

Is this enough for you?

[paulears]

David - I think you are getting a bit advanced too quickly - pay a visit to the library and read some of Francis Reids books - they are very good grounding in the basics, certainly the cue perspective needs to be be really understood, with states (or looks, scenes - whatever you call them).

 

the snag with running a cued show from subs is that as you say you need far too many. Also, some desks make altering what is in them quite difficult. Busking, music style desks have subs as standard, but they are often not just a simple 'store'. They can contain chases, or individual sequences of cues. Theatre style desks have subs mainly used for channels or groups of lights that get used often, and do a certain job. In my theatre, there is a thrust to the stage, over the old pit - the advance truss can pick people up nearly to the edge, but not quite - so if people stray forward, I've got a 4 colour wash from some bars further out into the audience, just to bring in low, as required.

 

There are so many ways to work a lighting control - the modern ones make it worse by giving even more ways of doing things - we all have favourites, and hatred for some makes is rife!

[WiLL]

But what I do not understand is if you don't have lots of sub-masters how do they do big shows it in the theatre's because they wold run out of them so quickly.

 

 

Theatre shows tend to run from memory stacks rather than submasters, reducing the operators job to just pressing the 'go' button at the desired point. Most desks have at least 999 memories available, normally with a further stack of 'point cues' (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) etc to fill in any gaps. so unlimited subs not so much of an issue.

[mumbles]

Slightly off topic here, but with a desk with 999 cues, does it allow you to have 999 sets of .1, .2, .3 etc, or is it 999 "states" with the .1, etc to allow you to enter more cues in later, but with each point, still counting as a seperate on of your 999 cues. Never had enough cues to find out, but always been puzzled. :huh:

[WiLL]

that depends on the desk, and it's memory size. I've never had to use over 999 lx cues in a show, so I've never maxed one out. Nearly crashed a hog a couple of times but that was only about 750 cues. To be frank if I ever do a show which uses more lx cues than that, I'll shoot myself.