Problem with Internal Bonds/links on Pearl Tiger

[maxjones2000]

For the next show (next week) at school, I will probably need to use the theatre stack function on our Pearl Tiger. However, after trying it before (sometime last year), I am aware that the software on our console thinks that the theatre stack masters are on playbacks 12+, but obviously being a Tiger, they cannot be.

So yesterday, after having to take the 'lid' off the desk to change the internal battery thing, I thought I'd have a look at the internal bonds/links and see if they were set correctly for the Tiger so that the theatre playbacks would be 7-10. After looking at how ours are set and at how the manual says they should be set, I cannot see why the theatre stack faders arent working, because our bonds/links are set correctly for the Tiger!

When I go into theatre stack mode, on the 'confirmation page', it says that "Playbacks 12-15 are set for the Theatre masters", but after looking at how the bonds are set, they're not (well at least I dont think they are..)!! So, I have emailed Avo technical support with images etc, and they are looking into it and I am hoping for a reply sometime on Monday. However, I could really do with knowing if they are set correctly for Monday morning at the latest- hence why I decided it would be good to post on here and see if the Avolites gurus on here can come up with anything! I have linked to the images I have taken of the links within our console below, and have also included an image of what the manual says they should be, so I'd appreciate it if someone would mind just checking that I am looking at it the right way etc!! :** laughs out loud **: (sorry the images arent very clear etc - the lighting was rubbish at the time!)

 

http://www.flickr.co...es2000/?saved=1

 

Also, if the theatre stack isnt going to work, I wouldnt overly object to just programming each scene that was supposed to be in the theatre stack onto a submaster/playback and then just manually fade up and down (or set fade times). However, when doing this, is there any way to make the change much easier when going from like PB10 on page A to PB1 on page B without having to have a blackout (where you flick to the next page)? Thats the only problem I can see with doing it this way.. :blink:

 

Thanks very much and I'm sorry if this is a bit of a 'tall order'!

 

Cheers,

 

Max J :P

[niclights]

I can't imagine why changing page would cause a blackout, but hey.

 

Anyway, please read this document from the FAQ's section: How to use Theatre Stack on a Pearl Tiger.

 

Your links are currently set to use a wing. The details on the PCB are perhaps misleading, but the document makes it clear, along with the correct way to confirm.

[timsabre]

The Pearl Tiger manual which Avo have on their website is wrong (was based on a misunderstanding of the PCB legend). There is a later version which has it corrected, I am not sure why they haven't put it up. Anyway as Nic says, links 2-3 is the correct position to move the Theatre Masters to playbacks 7-10.

[maxjones2000]

I can't imagine why changing page would cause a blackout, but hey.

 

Anyway, please read this document from the FAQ's section: How to use Theatre Stack on a Pearl Tiger.

 

Your links are currently set to use a wing. The details on the PCB are perhaps misleading, but the document makes it clear, along with the correct way to confirm.

 

Hi Niclights, Thanks very much for the help! That document makes it all make sense now! Also, RE the stuff to do with the blackout, I was under the impression that if you had a scene stored on PB10 on Page A and this was being outputted, when I want to fade to the scene stored on PB1 on Page B, I would have to lower the PB10 fader on page A, change the page and then raise PB1 on Page B, causing a brief B/O when the page is switched (because I didnt think that you could lower PB10 on Page A when you have page B selected..)? I cant think of any decent way to word that properly!! Thanks :)

 

 

The Pearl Tiger manual which Avo have on their website is wrong (was based on a misunderstanding of the PCB legend). There is a later version which has it corrected, I am not sure why they haven't put it up. Anyway as Nic says, links 2-3 is the correct position to move the Theatre Masters to playbacks 7-10.

 

Aha, that makes sense now..I was wondering what was going on!! Thanks!

 

So, sorry if this is a bit of a stupid question, but how do I change it to links 2-3? Is it a matter of resoldering them in place, as I can safely say I'm not the best solderer in the world!! I've looked on the Avo website about how to change the links but there's no overly clear instructions on how to do this..sorry to ask..

 

I've also done a quick Google and nothing came up... Is it unsoldering the links and then re-soldering them in the correct place?

 

Thanks very much!!

 

Max :)

[Smiffy]

Hi Niclights, Thanks very much for the help! That document makes it all make sense now! Also, RE the stuff to do with the blackout, I was under the impression that if you had a scene stored on PB10 on Page A and this was being outputted, when I want to fade to the scene stored on PB1 on Page B, I would have to lower the PB10 fader on page A, change the page and then raise PB1 on Page B, causing a brief B/O when the page is switched (because I didnt think that you could lower PB10 on Page A when you have page B selected..)? I cant think of any decent way to word that properly!! Thanks

 

I'm going to give you the idiot proof method to sort this one out for you. It's not necessarily the right way to do it, but it will enable you to keep the transition clean...

 

Do a PHOTOCOPY copy of the last playback on page A, to the first playback on Page B (or whatever pages you are transitioning)

 

clear out the programmer

 

bring all the faders to zero

 

put the first fader on the new page that you just photocopied to up.

 

Make the changes that you want to make to that cue, and then MEMORY > STORE > MERGE over the top of itself.

 

Edit your timings

 

Now you can clear out the programmer again

 

Put the last fader on the previous page up

 

Move the roller over a page leaving that last fader up (it's red LED should be flashing to tell you that the active cue is on a different page)

 

Bring the first fader of the new page up

 

The transition should be happening

 

Slowly fade out the last fader of the page with the flashing led

 

You are now fully active in the new page, and the last fader of that page has changed over to the new page too.

 

Hope that helps

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy

 

E2A

 

So, sorry if this is a bit of a stupid question, but how do I change it to links 2-3? Is it a matter of resoldering them in place, as I can safely say I'm not the best solderer in the world!! I've looked on the Avo website about how to change the links but there's no overly clear instructions on how to do this..sorry to ask..

 

If like me you have no finger nails, a pair of thin, long nosed pliers will do the job. The links are NOT soldered. They just pop on and off. If they are unused then they are generally only sitting over one of the two pins and facing away from the second pin. (if that makes any sense).

 

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT KNOW YOU, YOUR POSITION AT THE SCHOOL, OR YOUR ELECTRONICS COMPETENCE, I OFFER THIS ADVICE TO YOU ON THE EXPECTATION THAT IF YOU ARE NOT COMPETENT OR AUTHORISED TO PERFORM THIS TASK THAT YOU WILL GET SOMEONE THAT KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO DO IT FOR YOU. I AM NOT; CANNOT; AND WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF YOU SCREW THIS UP AND DAMAGE THE CONSOLE.

 

Cheers

 

S

[maxjones2000]

Smiffy, Thanks VERY much for that!! That really is an idiot proof way of doing it - thats quite clever!

 

Oh okay thanks Smiffy. That sounds nice and easy. I'll ask about that on Monday, and If I'm allowed to, I'll do that.

 

Thanks again :** laughs out loud **:

 

Max

[niclights]

The links are more typically called 'jumpers'. Very common. As Smiffy said, long nose pliers are the answer but it's not difficult and low risk.

 

While there might be reasons why you would do the copy/merge stuff it's really not necessary. You can lower a playback running from one page while on another.

So, to confirm, change to page A, fire PB10, change to page B (PB10 from page A continues to run), fire PB1, lower PB10. The cue from page A is killed and the same playback from page B now becomes available. There will be no blackout, at least not caused by changing page.

If you wanted to fire a cue from one page that exists on the same playback as one already running from another page then you would have to kill the first to get the second. Ideally you would avoid this at the programming/planning stage. However, if you find yourself really stuck mid-show then you could make a copy of the running cue to a different playback on a new page. Then you could raise the copy, lower the original and thus free up the playback.

[Smiffy]

Hi Nic:

 

Agreed it's low risk but if he does balls something up, then I don't want an invoice from his school for a new desk. Hence the disclaimer.

 

With regards the copy/merge I agree that it isn't really necessary. However given that the OP was asking about programming for theatre, I chose to give him a method that would keep his transitions tidy in a similar manner to a tracking console, at the same time as explain the methodology for running through cues in sequence and changing a roller page over.

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy