Avolites Pearl

[b1nuzz]

Ok, so may seem a little stupid, but I have been doing odd jobs for the last couple of months doing fashion shows etc, and I have ben given a pearl 2000 with 2004 software every time.

 

Programming chases and memories onto the rollercue playbacks is OK, I can get my head around that.

 

How do I then make the GO button work like a Cue Go button to jump between memory states.

 

I dont understand how to make it work at all. Does it have to be chases that are then linked?

 

Anyway, there is no point in me shooting in the dark, can someone please explain it to me.

 

Thanks

[marky]

I think you have to set the desk to Theatre Stack mode or something like that and program memories like that. I'm not an expert, so can't be more helpful...I'm sure it wont be long till someone can be more help!!

[Tomo]

I'm guessing that you mean running the Pearl with a theatre stack, so you have a cuelist and hit Go to advance from one look to the next.

 

While the Pearl can do this, it's not what the desk was designed for, and it's not an easy thing to set up.

 

Avolites do some good training courses, so unless you can choose a theatre-style desk instead of the Pearl, your best bet will be to take the training.

The Advanced training course is the one that teaches theatre stack programming.

[b1nuzz]

ah ok. Theatre stack rings a bell.

 

I normally use the desk just off the rollercue playbacks and thats all good, but when it gets to having 30 states, it gets a pain in the backside having to spin the wheel etc and keep on track of making sure you dont put stuff on top of each other.

 

Ill investigate theatre stack stuff.

[dave singleton]

;) only 30?

[niclights]

The [go] button is used to start linked chases that have been stopped or to move to the next step of an unlinked chase. When using this any simple or complex timing information defined will be used. You can also manually x-fade from one step to another by wheel.

If you have more than one chase running (linked or unlinked) that you require control of you must use [connect] & relevant [swop] button to switch control.

 

Unlinked chases can also be 'stepped' through using the appropriate playback [add] button. Making use of this you can have all 15 playbacks running unlinked chases and advance to the next step of any by pressing its add button. There are some instances where you can lose control in this manner but it's quite obscure & one of the items I flagged for fix.

 

Note that you do not have to restrict yourself to all linked or all unlinked in a particular chase. The desk does allow each step to specify whether it is linked or not. The easiest way to have full control of this is to record a chase (ie. the steps in your cuelist/stack) and then [unfold] it. You can then use [edit times] softbutton to specify all the timing and link information for each step.

 

None of this is related to using Theatre Stack mode. I don't understand your last comment.

 

HTH

[b1nuzz]

OK, so maybe I just dont know the best way to use the desk.

 

For example, I turn up at a venue and have a load of movers, that I need to be able to make strobe, strobe and move, move in red, move in green and so on. Is it best to put all of these on playback subs and just fade between them. Use up all the rollercue on page one, and then move to page two.

 

Is that how something like that would be done? Or is it better to use the theatre stack?

[tokm]

None of this is related to using Theatre Stack mode. I don't understand your last comment.

The Go button on Avo desks does what you said Niclights as well run steps on the theatre stack. I know, I've used both functions on the pearl/sapphire before.

 

The pearl manual isn't bad at explaining how theatre stack works. Should get you through programming a basic set of cues.. its just make sure your in theatre stack mode(hit softkey B to enter theatre stack mode, then hit enter), and the relevant subs at the end are up(12, 13, 14, 15), set up a state, hit record menu then record stage (you can enter the in/out/wait times now or later if you want) You can use the record programmer function, but that only records whats in the programmer, not whats left from the previous lx cue, so for example you might have a blue wash up in the last state and the next cue is for a centre special to come up to 80%. If you hit record stage, it records.. well exactly what it says hehe, it records what you see on the stage right there nd then. If you hit programmer, all you've just programmed is the centre special, so if you chose record programmer, thats all that would be saved.

 

b1nuzz, probably best to running the shows your doing off subs. If its a gig style show then best to just make up some states and memory them to subs.. Unless its a theatre show with lx cues being called by the DSM, then you should use the theatre stack.

 

HTH,

 

Tom

[niclights]

One of the great things about the Pearl is its flexibility. There are many ways of programming the above & the way you do is up to your personal preference and what you need to achieve. There is no definitive method. As Tokm says if you were wanting very specific theatre cues then Theatre Stack should be your best option. If you are busking then you need to give yourself as many options as possible without confusing. If you are on tour with a band you could program a song per page.

 

Personally I would program shapes & dimmer masters/chases on Playbacks and strobes (shutter), colours etc. on Palette. I would do this using record by channel for precise control and I would record palettes as single attribute/single fixture type giving single button recall in conjunction with Quick Palettes function (ie. you do not have to select fixtures).

 

If you knew that you definitely wanted a red strobe effect followed by a green non-strobe then it might be better to program these as playbacks, but in my experience it is dangerous to restrict yourself so much unless you know exactly what you are lighting.

 

Regarding roller layout I would always advise people to keep some sort of consistency between pages - ie. PB1 could always be a shutter chase which just varies in type across pages.

[b1nuzz]

Thanks guys.

 

The help is appreciated. I will look into palletes as well then as I havent come across that yet.

 

Thanks

[tokm]

Thanks guys.

 

The help is appreciated. I will look into palletes as well then as I havent come across that yet.

 

Thanks

Its all in the manual....

 

Palettes are ok on the pearl, but can't beat a sapphire for that kinda thing. I was really hoping Avo would stick the side screens for palettes on the Expert like they have on the sapphires, but nope :( must have run out of space!

 

Good luck with your programming; palettes, groups and subs/memories are what the pearl does best!

 

Tom

[niclights]

Don't forget you can label and access palettes via softbuttons when in the 'focus' menu.

[tokm]

Don't forget you can label and access palettes via softbuttons when in the 'focus' menu.

Yeh, buts its just the quick access I like about the sapphires side screens. No faffing around getting to various shapes and palettes. All the position shapes were in one menu, all the colour mix shapes together etc. Sure I know you can get to all of them on the pearl, just I really did find accessing them was easier on the sapphire. Oh well.

 

Tom

[Olie]

No faffing around getting to various shapes and palettes.

 

I am a bit confused, are 60 palette keys and 4 pages not enough to provide quick access to palettes. I generally have trouble filling up the first 30 palettes and if you label them properly it does not involve any faffing around. I admit that the screens on the sapphire do make things a little easier but it was not enough to justify two extra screens and the added cost this would involve. We felt it was far more valuable to include 30 extra palette keys and keep the price down.

 

As for the original post, you realy should come on a Pearl training course if you can. It costs hardly anything and you will learn so much about programming the Pearl.

 

The GO button will control any connected chase and as Nick pointed out if you turn global links off in the chase it will behave like a cue list. The best way to then edit the chase is using unfold.