Media servers and fat frogs

[Philyus]

I have a show coming up that I have already patched on a fat frog lighting desk and have now been told that I might have to control something called a catalyst on it as well for some effects that need to be sent to the video department. Does anyone have any hints or tips on what I should look out for?

Thanks

 

Phil

[GRisdale]

Might be an idea to let them know how many channels you have left available to them so that they can plan accordingly - if you haven't already. Media servers can (but don't have to) swallow universes for breakfast, and you only have one...

 

Gareth

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

If you want to do some reading on Catalyst itself, you can find the documentation here: http://www.highend.com/support/digital_lig...atalystMain.asp

 

(Bad Iphone doesn't like link function)

[tokm]

Does anyone have any hints or tips on what I should look out for?

Quite honestly.... ok, ask them to supply you with a more suitable desk. Something such as a Hog or Grand MA, or perhaps an Titan loaded Avo Expert or D4. Seriously, running a server from the the frog just won't be a nice experience in the least, its just not designed for dealing with something with that many channels and of that type of fixture.

 

How complex is the show they're wanting to do.. could it be something you could just do off the catalyst's interface.. i.e. fade a layer or the master out up at the right time, fade out then fade up another layer with the next image/video?

 

T

[Philyus]

Does anyone have any hints or tips on what I should look out for?

Quite honestly.... ok, ask them to supply you with a more suitable desk. Something such as a Hog or Grand MA, or perhaps an Titan loaded Avo Expert or D4. Seriously, running a server from the the frog just won't be a nice experience in the least, its just not designed for dealing with something with that many channels and of that type of fixture.

 

How complex is the show they're wanting to do.. could it be something you could just do off the catalyst's interface.. i.e. fade a layer or the master out up at the right time, fade out then fade up another layer with the next image/video?

 

T

 

Thanks guys, I think the show is going to be fairly simple. Would a hog or a grand ma desk be fairly easy to pick up to operate with or should I try and find an operator?

 

Thanks

[Ben]

Thanks guys, I think the show is going to be fairly simple. Would a hog or a grand ma desk be fairly easy to pick up to operate with or should I try and find an operator?

 

Thanks

 

That sort of depends on you, best thing to do would be to get hold of the desk and try it out, or get some training in advance but some people find picking up a desk easy where some find it really hard.

[paulears]

Well I'm familiar with lighting on Hogs, Chamsys and a few others, and I've also been on the Hippo training - and there is no way in the world I'd take on a job that involves using these with video without plenty of time for experimentation and familiarisation. Even making them talk properly (not just lighting up) LED arrays takes some doing. What is a simple show? Every show is simple until somebody needs something you don't know how to do .....NOW!

[Tomo]

Thanks guys, I think the show is going to be fairly simple. Would a hog or a grand ma desk be fairly easy to pick up to operate with or should I try and find an operator?

Coming from a Frog range onto either of those consoles will be difficult as the control paradigms are as completely different as it is possible to get.

- You really need at least a little bit of formal training to transition away from the Frog range onto almost anything with a real numeric-entry keypad, as the basic concepts are quite different.

(Even before you get into the Preset/Tracking/Movefade/Crossfade HTP/LTP concepts)

 

To be honest, programming your first media server with anything will be a difficult learning experience. Add an unfamiliar console to the mix and you have a nightmare.

 

There's two real choices here.

If the Catalyst can be run in "Presets" mode, then use your Fat Frog to control it in that mode. Presets mode allows recall of pre-built looks and sequences in the Catalyst server itself and is very easy to control from the lighting console.

- However, if they want any changes at all to the looks and sequences, that can only be done inside the Catalyst server.

 

Alternatively, get someone in who has experience with media servers, and use the console that operator is most familiar with.