Avolites Launch New Pearl

[DSA]

Thanks Nic, however I would be really interested to hear from people who use this desk hard in a theatre application. I am currently helping to spec a new lighting desk for what is effectively a theatre, and I do need to get pros and cons together for each of the possibles. The pearl has been thrown into the mix, and it begs the question - why not! Unless someone can give a good reason for the Cue Stack being awkward etc. then I will have to assume that it is OK, and try and get a demo etc.

 

Our budget is not massive, and at the price point, it appears to be a very powerful contender, and could prove to be very useful in all sorts of applications, which would be great for us - with a view to the future. Equally we can't afford to make a mistake in the choice!

 

Come on - there must be someone with some impartial advice to give on this important issue!

 

David

[Tomo]

Pearls are quite simply not designed to do theatre.

 

They are designed for busking and Rock'n'Roll - and they are very good at it.

 

However, some of the features and the decisions behind them make them poor theatre desks - it's far from impossible to run a theatre-style show from a Pearl, but they really weren't designed to do it.

 

The way Theatre Stacks work on a Pearl (and Sapphire) is that you build a Chase, assign times to each step of the chase (this is referred to as Complex Steps in the manual) and then Connect the chase to the Sequence Control area.

You also need to Unlink every step except those that you want to automatically follow-on - which is the exact opposite to a theatre-style desk.

 

I've never had to do it in anger, and it's been a long time since I used a Pearl so I've probably missed out something!

 

This makes it much more complex to create theatre shows on a Pearl than on a console designed for theatre use.

[niclights]

That, essentially is how I see it. But just for clarity you do not need to use complex (individual timings per step) chases to unlink. Every step in a chase can initially be unlinked globally by using [edit times], select chase and toggle [link]. You can step through these chases without connecting via playback add button but you do need to connect (automatic if last chase started) for stop/go/forward/back/manual override etc.

 

Surely there are people here who do have Pearls (software identical to Expert) in use in Theatres who can say what the real problems are? I know there are many installed like this. It would be useful to hear!

[J Pearce]

I have worked on amdram musicals where we have used a Pearl, but we have always run the show from the subs.

 

Because the LD normally runs the show auto timings aren't needed (and even if they were used they would likely have to be over-ridden at some point in the show because of cast not being where they should be).

[Ken Coker]

For an overview of how lighting control systems might be described, check out:

 

Stage Lighting Controls

Ulf Sandstrom, Focal Press, 1997

ISBN 0 240 51476 9

 

Broadly, he differentiates between a "live" desk, a Pearl for example , and a "command line" desk such as an Expression 3 or a Strand 520.

 

It would be worth looking at the thread LX Desk where many of the pros and cons of such systems are debated.

 

There may well be many theatres with Pearls in; the point is, are they used to do theatre with? As the above thread shows, I hope, there are many other factors for specifying a desk other than price.

 

KC