Link Chamsys with Strand???

[Badger_Mushroom]

Hi there,

I'm hoping to pick some brains with regards to linking lighting desks if that is OK? Let's say I have a rig of various generics and a few movers. I want to busk the movers from a small Chamsys and groups of generics via subs on a Strand 520i. Now, the simple solution is obviously just to use seperate DMX lines and seperate the rig between generic and intelligent fixtures. However, is it possible to link the Chamsys with the Strand in a Master/Slave sort of scenario? The reason that I ask is that I might want to programme both movers and generics on the Chamsys, but then have the luxary of a number of subs on the Strand to alter over the top of the programming live during a show. Is it as simple as DMX out on the Chamsys - DMX in on the Strand - DMX out on the Strand and to the rig? I've done this before with the Jester ML24 and the 12/24, but these are the same manufacturers so I wasn't sure if it would still work. Any help on this would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Mr Steve]

I've done this with a QCommander and a Strand. Out from the QC and in/thru the Strand. If you can find the manual for Genius it's in there. I can't remember at all how to do it from memory as I haven't tried since 2005. But you can.

[gareth]

You need the Communique software on your 520i if you want to be running a DMX feed from the MagicQ into it.

 

Another option is a DMX merger - this kind of thing (other mergers are available). You can combine the two mux streams into one, and address your fixtures/dimmers to respond to the relevant addresses on the combined stream.

 

You could run the whole thing from the MagicQ, though ... even with only 10 playback faders it's quite possible to busk a small mixed rig - I've done it many times with my MagicQ PC wing. It just needs a bit of thought about how you set things up in the first place, and making best use of the physical faders that you have by stacking more than one thing onto them.

[J Pearce]

As Gareth hints at, the trick to programming something like a MagicQ desk is to think vertical not horizontal.

Each fader is a cue stack not just a submaster. If you have 5 different colour looks program them as a stack (looping at the end) and step through them. Similarly for beam looks etc. Call positions using the command line or an execute window and you'll be amazed what you can do with 10 faders.

I'm not a Chamsys expert so can't tell you the button presses to get to that point sadly, but there are many here who can.

[Badger_Mushroom]

Wow, thanks a million everybody, great responses. I see what you are saying about the 'vertical thinking' (great description), but as I have the Strand at my disposal, I might as well utilise it. I'm a little concerned that I didn't think about the DMX merger solution; this seems like the perfect route to go down for me and a very affordable one too. Thanks again everybody!

[gareth]

With respect, "because it's there" isn't the best reason to be using a different console to run your dimmers. Seriously, give some thought to combining everything onto the MagicQ and putting in a bit of prep time to get the desk set up in a way that's useful to you - you won't regret it.

 

A couple of times in recent years, I've found myself in a situation where I was forced to do as you describe - run some moving lights from my MagicQ PC, and a bunch of dimmers (old, hardwired, analogue, no way to get DMX to them) from the in-house Sirius48. It would've been so much nicer to be able to have everything on one console.

[Badger_Mushroom]

But bigger is better....! :D

 

In all seriousness though, I do require both desks in order to save some money getting the PC Wing as opposed to a bigger Chamsys console. The rig is quite varied; about 7 different types of generic fixture in the roof, then there's extras that sometimes get added to that and floor stuff, plus another fader for houselights - it's just not the ideal option for me. Add to this we often get rock and roll gigs where I want to be able to have dedicated flash keys, not to mention individual fader control of various specials - I need both desks for what I do. I've done the stack busking many times before on the Wholehog consoles which worked very well, but those times I was blessed with a rig primarily of movers. Believe me, and I'm going to annoy a lot of theatre people on here by saying this, if I could throw the Strand off a cliff and never see it again, I wouldn't hessitate. Not criticising the desk and what it was made to do and did very well, it's just simply not my cup of tea. But then again, I am a [relative] young 'un that has been spoiled with modern technology.