paulfurze Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Hi Blue-Roomers We're about to put together plans for a new sound & lighting control station.If at all possible could I get pictures of anything that you know of.We're looking for basic layouts and ideas mainly hence no specifics or sizes given but its about 3m x 2m - so no glastonbury sizesOurs will have 2 operators one for sound and one for lighting and its planned to be open not enclosed. So what sorta things to you have in there with you? (Selfs, drawers, storage for spare fittings/bulbs etc, not fridge's or a wine rack! :** laughs out loud **: I'm not sure of the BR policy on putting lots of photos is a thread but if we're not allowed then please email then to controlbooth AT octsys.demon.co.uk - you know what to do with the email address to make it correct. Thanks,Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky-zulu Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 I work at a Studio theatre in Oxford with an open control station about the same size as the one you describe - I'm up there tonight for a show and will see if I can get some pics of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted July 8, 2011 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Paul, it would probably help if you would tell us what sort of venue this is for and what type of events you host. A DJ booth in a club and an opera house control room would probably look rather different! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulfurze Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Sorry maybe should of put a little more detail.Its our town hall.It has a balcony that holds about 80 and the main room about 450.Events are right accross the board. http://www.stonehave....uk/Events.htmlCurrently the Stonehaven Folk Festival is in there this w/e but they have to hire a sound firm to supply a PA etc.We have just landed a lottery bid and are now on with installing a system. The booth will contain the sound & lighting desks. Although the lighting itself is a later project. What I'm after is ideas for the things that you sometimes see and think 'thats a great idea'. I know we need space for the mixer, light desk and efx rack but what other things do you have at your control stations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Personally, our space is fixed, but the contents shifts almost continually - I don't think I could design something permanent without doing the show first, and then working out what was wrong with it and changing it for the next, which would add or remove things. Sensible stuff like does one operator need to get to everything without moving, or rising from the seat, if you decide a seat is important - but for two hander operation will the single op layout work - I know my one wouldn't (this week). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unfathomable Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 In ours we also have all the patch bays for audio and DMX wiring, as well as for amplified signals. Makes it very handy to access during shows, and in the fast set-ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainwave-generator Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 If it's 'open not enclosed', I would be tempted to get stuff fitted into flight cases, so whoever is using it can set it up as they wanted. You can use EDAC connectors to make sure everything wires up in the right order, but still give people the flexibility to arrange things as desired. A roadtrunk turned on it's end makes a nice surface to stack cases of gear / drawers / shelves on, while an 8x2 steeldeck makes a good table (on wheels if desired) to stick sound and light consoles on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Do we need to edit the title? I've never actually heard of a control station, as a proper name for where things are done from - US/UK has different terms already - so where has this one come from? When I first read the title I though we were talking about some clever kind of gizmo - like the hifi folks use to control every single feature of their home cleverness! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbaileypro Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I know that you haven't mentioned any video facilities but if you do have a projector then video patching becomes very handy. Have a few inputs/outputs that you can patch (eg if they want to use a laptop at the side of the stage with a PPT etc) or run a dvd from the control room. Also you need plenty of sockets, hopefully with their own supply from the rest of the room, maybe even have a few 16A etc sockets if you ever hire anything in that uses these. Always go over the top with sockets and running cables as there will always be a time when you wished you had more of something. I think they key thing that everyone will agree on is that it needs to be as multifunctional as possible. I don't know if this is possible but if you are looking a securing the control room independently then maybe something like shop shutters could be pulled down around the area and then locked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulfurze Posted July 11, 2011 Author Share Posted July 11, 2011 I know that you haven't mentioned any video facilities but if you do have a projector then video patching becomes very handy. Have a few inputs/outputs that you can patch (eg if they want to use a laptop at the side of the stage with a PPT etc) or run a dvd from the control room. Also you need plenty of sockets, hopefully with their own supply from the rest of the room, maybe even have a few 16A etc sockets if you ever hire anything in that uses these. Always go over the top with sockets and running cables as there will always be a time when you wished you had more of something. I think they key thing that everyone will agree on is that it needs to be as multifunctional as possible. I don't know if this is possible but if you are looking a securing the control room independently then maybe something like shop shutters could be pulled down around the area and then locked? Shop shutters is a brill idea!We were wondering how to secure it and leave it as an open format. We can put shutters in - Fantastic idea - many thanks for that.Thats exaclty the sorta thing I was hoping would come up - stuff we'd never think of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisky-zulu Posted July 11, 2011 Share Posted July 11, 2011 I haven't been able to upload the photos I took last Friday as of yet, but the theatre I work in utilises fixed racks and cases for the equipment, all with lockable covers. The space is designed for one or two operators to be up there and has the LX patch bay on the back wall, with all the cabling on hooks underneath the the desk on which the LX and sound boards are on. The sound board (A little A&H Mixwizard 16) is in it's own case that's built onto the desk and can be padlocked shut when not in use.The racks have a couple of MD players and CD players for playback, a 31 band dual channel GEQ and an effects unit, with all the cabling loomed into the back of the case for the Mixwizard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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