a (possibly useful) idea...

[maxjones2000]

Hi, I have no idea what category this should go in, so I thought this would be the best.

 

This may seem a little random at first, but I think it could be quite good (if it hasnt already been made). I was using an offline visualiser recently and thought that you can only get the very best results if you use a moving lighting desk, which is really expensive, especially for a student market.

 

So, I thought, wouldnt it be great if there was a cheap, portable, 'plug-n-play' lighting desk that was only for use with visualisers, that connected through a standard USB 2.0 port, and had a special, compatible visualiser with it. It could be the size of a standard-size computer keyboard, with for example, 5 subs (and then have like 10pages of 5), 10 submasters/playbacks, 3scroll wheels and the standard controls of a normal ML lighting desk.

 

It could be the price of a normal, top-in-the-range keyboard, as it would not give out DMX, but only have a standard wire that plugged into a USB, and the software detects its connection and then it gives out a signal that the software regonises (like a normal keyboard signal - or whatever) and then the lights work via this (sorry that doesnt make much sense!)

 

Basically, I think that this product would be beneficial to the student market, who to be honest, have no hope of affording a full, £4500 lighting desk (well I dont), and may not have the space to accomodate a full-size lighting desk (again, like me).

(to make it clearer, as its not that clear above, this would not have any DMX output, and can only be used with a special Offline vis.)

 

Soo, your probably thinking that I'm just plain strange, but I think it would be really beneficial to the student market who are learning the basics of visualisers and dont have the money, or the inclination to buy a full-size, decent lighting desk.

 

What do you think? (does this already exist??)

oh, and I know there are on-screen desks, like the pearl sim. and Hog2PC, but the only problem, is that you cannot do 2 things at once (like push up 2 faders at once), as you only have one cursor!!

 

<_< ;)

[jacet]

But the entire point of using a visualiser is so that you can program your show without having the rig built! Therefore by using a desk that can't actually control real lights it's kind of a bit pointless. I can understand that you want a cheap interface to learn with but the hard part of using a visualiser is usually the design / build stage which you would have completed before you need to plug in a desk...

Also you'd learn a lot more about programming styles from doing this with the off-line editor of industry standard desks than some cr@plins usb interface.

 

At least that's what I think...

[maxjones2000]

But the entire point of using a visualiser is so that you can program your show without having the rig built! Therefore by using a desk that can't actually control real lights it's kind of a bit pointless. I can understand that you want a cheap interface to learn with but the hard part of using a visualiser is usually the design / build stage which you would have completed before you need to plug in a desk...

Also you'd learn a lot more about programming styles from doing this with the off-line editor of industry standard desks than some cr@plins usb interface.

 

At least that's what I think...

 

Hi

To be honest, I actually hadn't thought of that <_<

 

I just thought from a learning point of view - but actually what you said makes sense, whats the point if its nothing like the real desk (or any real desk..)... ;)

 

The only problem with offline editors, is not being able to do several things at once like you can with a real desk..

 

Max

[niclights]

The only problem with offline editors, is not being able to do several things at once like you can with a real desk..

But they exist only to permit programming/learning a console when you don't have access to it.

 

The only point I can see to your idea is to practice operation, yet this will always be specific to particular desks, so you still end up needing the real thing.

[paulears]

What exactly is the actual point of a visualiser? I've managed for years without one, simply because I've never needed one. For some shows, I can see the appeal, and the necessity of being able to programme a show away from a venue - so when you actually apply power, it's not the first time you've seen the effect your design can produce, and all the horrible stuff like patching, and grouping has been done.

 

What I never find in visualisers is the ability to display the quality of the light you'll get. Sure, you can see the beams, and bits of the 'set' light up, but the visualisers are not there to produce photo style images of what the light looks like when it lands on different pigment colours, or costume, or even the faces of the cast. It's great for music events and saves loads of time seeing if things just look right.

 

I don't really see that beginners to lighting need any of this. A swatch book, the ability to draw rig plans, and most importantly, to be able to read them quickly and alter things on the spot is far more useful than a visualiser - which almost certainly bolts on to a particular off-line version of a control. So you have to learn a control, then use that to produce the visualisations. If the control is not going to be present, what's the point, apart from general interest.

 

Out of all the computer software I've bought, and sadly, I do buy lots, I don't have a need for visualisation software, and I'm curious as to why other people do?

[matt_beal]

and all the horrible stuff like patching, and grouping has been done.

 

And of course given a bit of organisation with a spreadsheet and decent plans, you still don't need any kind of physical or visualised rig to do this in advance.

[peternewman]

oh, and I know there are on-screen desks, like the pearl sim. and Hog2PC, but the only problem, is that you cannot do 2 things at once (like push up 2 faders at once), as you only have one cursor!!

Some of these desks, Hog 2 PC for example, will accept MIDI in, so you can hook up good value MIDI interfaces such as the Behringer BCF2000 and then do two or more things at once. The BCF2000 for example has eight faders, eight rotary encoders and a fair selection of other buttons, you just need a bit of setup in MidiOx to get it going.

 

Obviously other people's comments above still apply and are relevant. Anyway if you just want to learn it, you could always programme the crossfade you are trying to do with two faders into the cue stack and run it that way, given its only playing/demoing stuff then having to run it a few times to get times right shouldn't matter.

[mostlyharmless]

Isn't DMX an easier interface to make than USB. Therefore why would your USB desk be cheaper than a real lighting desk if the two were exactly the same other than the interface?