What do you want in a small console?

[nickjones]

I'm building a small lighting console, with the hardware I'm using I'm limited to 128ch, but that's better than nothing, I've built a prototype which is just a 5 channel console with 5 faders and nothing else. So now I'm moving onto building a larger one, it's for me more than anything else, but I'm also considering trying to sell them, my target market is schools with a small lighting inventory (no more than sort of 40 dimmers and perhaps a few LED pars or something) in need of a small, reliable and most of all cheap console.

So my question to you is what do you want from a small console?

I'm working on cuestacks and basic chases, I've got a small LCD built in to display current cue, previous cue & next cue, and it also displays outputs. Is a VGA screen necessary for you all? I've put on a nice big out of the way Go button, as I hate teensy little ones. I'm still not set on a layout for the console yet, in it's current state it's a thousand tiny pieces across my kitchen bench, and I clear a plate sized space every time I need to eat.

 

I can send data to it through serial and have written up a quick interface so one can send DMX values to it from your computer, I've also got a $3 Serial-USB converter so I can do this on any computer.

 

I've got a rather cool idea in terms of colour control, but I'll wait and see with that one. It's the only thing this console would have that others wouldn't, and for now I want to keep it under wraps.

 

As well as what you like, what don't you like? What drives you nuts? And how much do you prefer faders over rotary potentiometers?

 

Cheers,

Nick

[paulears]

Faders over rotaries? Can you grab a bunch of rotaries in a panic and slap them up or dow

[TomM]

And how much do you prefer faders over rotary potentiometers?

 

Faders for intensity/dimmer attributes

Rotaries for anything else

[Andrew C]

Faders for intensity FTW. Don't put the GO button anywhere crowded, or away from the front edge. Have a STOP and BACK button near it.

 

If it for schools, it has to be bomb proof, and have proper, clicky, buttons, not a membrane switch. Easy to maintain too please!

 

I like a display so I can "see" what is happening, and what is scheduled to happen next.

 

Desks in schools have to do some things that real world kit doesn't. It needs to work as a desk, a teaching tool (logical syntax please) and it needs to occupy the kid(s) who can't act.

[nickjones]

Okay, so I've got faders now instead of pots, I'm currently doing pages over more faders, and I've got no command line yet, I'm going to have to distribute the processing into a computer to do much more. Thanks for your input thus far, and I'll get back to you once I've got that sorted.

 

One last question. How do you like the console? On a big board with loads of space, in smaller space saving box? I'm currently looking at mounting it in a pellican case. Your ideas?

[maxjones2000]

One last question. How do you like the console? On a big board with loads of space, in smaller space saving box? I'm currently looking at mounting it in a pellican case. Your ideas?

 

This sounds stupid, but I quite like the console big and nicely spaced out (like an Avo Pearl). Another thing that would be good is a beat/tempo set button. At school we have a Zero88 Jester *shudder* (and a pearl tiger :) ) and the one thing the Jester lacks (other than an effects engine!) is a beat set button, instead it has a little knob that you turn to the alter the speed of the chases etc. In a school where the kids operating, as Andrew C said, are the ones that 'cant act' and have no genuine interest in lighting, it be much better to have a button that they hit in time with the music and it syncs chases etc. to that speed, rather than having it concentrate and adjust the little knob - which is a pain.

 

Thats probably quite complicated though and would chock the price up...

 

Hope this Helps

 

Max :blink:

[swampman]

I would like it to be an improvement on the Strand backup 301 console: simple but does the job

 

-simple set of 12 faders (or memories) with pages (at least one set externally accesible via DMX/Midi/hardwire),

 

-Able to record DMX states from an input or attachable to a PC (using MSWindows/Linux/OSX like Chamsys, but simpler interface) : to load/store a show or modify it.

 

-two sets of flash buttons: one set for FF per (memory) and another with specific (programable level memory) function with selectable Flash or Swop in groups: fog machine, or even sets of colour scroller/moving head position etc - this would allow kids/teachers learning how to control at least some other effects albeit at a basic level. (like on the smaller MAlighting consoles: Aux buttons and pots; or the FEAR Far Eastern Asia Risk desks with dedicated fog m/c buttons)

 

-If you need chases and effects consider the option of having the complicated programming on the PC and the desk as an interface - less low level programming.

 

-Lockable to avoid fiddly fingers deleting the show memories just before curtain up!!

 

Is it vital that we use theatre (timed) memory stacks ? Following a script and cue list, and manually setting and fading each scene (on two presets or even programmed memories) leads to mental concentration and discipline much lacking nowadays ! However, that is a teacher's view not a salesmen's.

 

Having built analog consoles to a commercailly usable (!) prototype stage with pin matrix etc. be warned of the time cost involved, especially adding programming and (de)multiplexing. But where the koalas live is big and I'm sure many schools could make use of it.

[karl]

Another possible market for a simple desk would be small amateur groups.

 

There seems to be a real shortage of technical people in the amateur world and acting types are notoriously bad with technology. If you could produce a desk that was very simple to program / operate it could be a god-send.

 

Something like a bunch of sliders (one per channel) that can be used to set up a lighting state and a knob to set the fade time then press Record to store it. Repeat as necessary.

 

A Go button to fade to the next state and a Back button to go back when they get it wrong.

 

An Up and Down key to select the required state.

 

A Delete key to delete a recorded state and an Insert key to insert a state before/after the current one.

 

To edit a state call it up with the Up/Down and Go button twiddle the faders and hit Record.

 

That's it. No other distractions or complications.

 

Well, maybe the ability to make a state into a chase - perhaps a Record Step button or some such. But definitely nothing cleverer than that!

[boatman]

I guess it depends on what hardware you are using, but a means of backing up the whole desk state to a USB stick would be high on my list.

[LightingRyan]

At my hall (In a School) we have a leap frog 96 and what I don't like is the constant checking on what buttons you have pressed when recording a cue. A simple Cue-- Record--- Enter like on the Etc Express 96 would lovely. My only suggestion most of the things I like have already been coverd.