ceecrb1 Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 I own a chamsys PC wing and regularly use an extra wing and up untill recently I have been very happy with chamsys. Recently I´ve become freelance and I am doing more and more operating in more varied jobs and needing more and more universes or styles or specifc things or generally long all night busking.Under these situations the PCwing setup is just leaving me short.. for a few reasons.First, there are just not any exectute buttons, if chamsys could just incorporate even 4 more S and add/swop buttons (like the extra wing has) to the PC wing and base consoles.. Life would be so easy... I mean I always "loose" 2 sub masters to the blinders and strobes.. in almost every job.. (think grandMA consoles, faders + executes). I was playing with an MQ60 the other day and I really liked it.. I would buy one RIGHT now if it didnt need an extra wing... or if the execute screen could set certain execs to work as flash rather than toggle... like I said... if it just had a few playbacks but the flash only style like the extra wing.... I´m also visiting many festivals and finding that 2 universes just doesnt cut it any more... even if the local crew had just a few lights, they may stretch out over 4 universes for cabling issues etc etc. So if you had the money to invest in just one "perfect" console... ie the best case cenario that you could take to everything.... what would it be?I´m leaning towards the grandMa pecifically for those execute buttons, possibly the micro or ultra light plus an artnet node..... But I have never had the chance to use any Malighting consoles so no idea what the end experience is.I do some basic programming on hog2 for a cinema complex, but those are rackmount units, its just not the same as busking a show with a proper console....A really minor option I would like is the ability to take it as hand luggage on planes as I do fly to some jobs as spain is so big it sometimes works out cheaper to just go to (eg bilbao) the day of the job and come back home on an early flight with no sleep... rather than drive, hotel and drive back after being kicked out of a hotel with only 3 hours before the cleaners ask you to leave.. Its summer time, so autumn is the best moment to buy, after the summer tours, redundancy cheque arrives plus various other things. Maybe chamsys could produce/sell a "mini extra wing"... just some flashes and two or four submasters?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wol Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Maybe chamsys could produce/sell a "mini extra wing"... just some flashes and two or four submasters?? http://chamsys.co.uk/playbackwand :P ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceecrb1 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Maybe chamsys could produce/sell a "mini extra wing"... just some flashes and two or four submasters?? http://chamsys.co.uk/playbackwand :P ? which is the same price as an extra wing... Yes ok this can be wireless/network... 4 vs 24 at same price.... It makes me think twice :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patakskrause Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Avo Tiger Touch would seem a better bet than a hog/MA: it's kickass for busking (10 main, pageable playback faders, 10 additional static playbacks and 10 macro/executer buttons), and I've seen a number of people get it into hand luggage. They're incredibly well built and the programming syntax is pretty similar to MagicQ, so you shouldn't have too much trouble making the switch. It can pump out more than enough universes for what you describe. Hope this helps mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niclights Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Just wanted to point out that everything on the Avo TT is now pageable, including the 10 faders at the top right of the console and the macro/executors buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patakskrause Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Just wanted to point out that everything on the Avo TT is now pageable, including the 10 faders at the top right of the console and the macro/executors buttons. Yet another reason to buy a TT http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandMA_the_2nd Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 If you are looking for the perfect console that can handle any size of show then it wouldnt be an Avo, it suits a purpose but its not the answer to the question you asked... surely you would go for a proper console that can handle any size or nature of show... that would be MA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 or if the execute screen could set certain execs to work as flash rather than toggle.they can ,or at least it looks that way in the version im running here,in the exec design window,the right hand soft button "item type" gives fader and latching or flash for the buttons and finding that 2 universes just doesnt cut it any more... even if the local crew had just a few lights, they may stretch out over 4 universes for cabling issues Artnet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceecrb1 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 and finding that 2 universes just doesnt cut it any more... even if the local crew had just a few lights, they may stretch out over 4 universes for cabling issues Artnet? So you think artnet has arrived to spain....... think again :D Not totaly true, its obviously used when connecting to media servers etc etc.. but 99.999999% of the time its "oldschool" multicore cable with DMX. Spain = price before quality... ie "why go artnet when that DMX multicore drum has been working fine for the last 15years with no maintenance?" or if the execute screen could set certain execs to work as flash rather than toggle.they can ,or at least it looks that way in the version im running here,in the exec design window,the right hand soft button "item type" gives fader and latching or flash for the buttons bloomin h&k is that a (relatively) new feature? I remeber asking about exactly this a while ago and was told it wasnt an option...Must´ve been added and slipped past me.... off to go try it on the touch screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam L F Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Grand MA2 Lite, does the job, I personally have no use for the full size, covers me for TV, busking, theatre and anything in-between! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceecrb1 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 Tried the execute window flash thing... It is by no means reliable, neither using the touch screen or directly a mouse click.. for a typical "flash with the beat" test. It seems to only accept every 2nd press, not sure if its computer speed or some window refresh issue with magicq or something........needs more investigation... edit..Ok it seems to work "perfectly" when you add the same flash twice and flash from one to the other 1,2,1,2,1,2 style ... Just not repeating the same exec.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 bloomin h&k is that a (relatively) new feature? I remeber asking about exactly this a while ago and was told it wasnt an option...Must´ve been added and slipped past me.... off to go try it on the touch screen. Not hugely new, no. While the screen faders don't have the feel or control of the real thing, a custom Exec grid (or two or even more, fired up by various Layouts) give you a good range of options. You can also set an Exec to jump to a different layout, giving you page control to jump between grids. Edit to add: I wouldn't use screen execs for beat controlled stuff. Doesn't make them any less useful for a load of other things. Perhaps consider how you run your show and pare down your needs for available physical faders and flash buttons. The title of this thread suggests : What would you buy if you could only have one console for everything that might come up. For me that would be an MA, prolly a smaller one for most situations. But then your post seems to ask more about what you can do to solve specific issues or make further enhancements to your current setup and known system. That is really a different question to that suggested by the thread title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceecrb1 Posted June 27, 2013 Author Share Posted June 27, 2013 The title of this thread suggests : What would you buy if you could only have one console for everything that might come up. For me that would be an MA, prolly a smaller one for most situations. But then your post seems to ask more about what you can do to solve specific issues or make further enhancements to your current setup and known system. That is really a different question to that suggested by the thread title. To be honest its a bit of both... In the last 2 months since I became freelance I have been opping more lights than I have over the past few YEARS... Even though I´d count myself as more a sound or video tech.. I have been "set free" by a lighting company, so I seem to be "famous" around here for lighting. Where I was happy with my pc wing for the general smaller jobs I was doing, things seem to be unfolding in a maner I didnt expect so it seems like now is a good time to invest in the best option for me.. and I´ve not decided if that is just a case of buy an extra wing and a usb 2 universe output or an artnet node... and deal with dragging many flightcases and dealing with usb cables everywhere...OR change to another console that might get rid of the need for wings.Like I said earlier. for me the PERFECT setup wouldbe an MQ60 if it had a few execute buttons as well as the 10 faders. I´d litterly have bought the first one that came into the country, I was stood infront of it a while back with my card ready to come out of the wallet... But it just seems silly to buy a console and still need the entire extra wing for the lack of 4 or 5 flash buttons for the "usual effects" I´ve been looking into it for a few weeks but have got as far as I can without having had any hands on experience with the brand/desk I may end up "blindly" ordering...Valencia is a very pearl (or chinese copy of ) and chamsys (usually just a usb-DMX output, no wing) city.. so dont even have much of a chance to go play with peoples consoles in warehouses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leggy Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 If you're happy using Hog, then don't forget the Hog 4 has 12 Command Keys, which can be "executors" (or practically anything else you can think of). So 22 playbacks in total. The Nanowing is the pc version, and would travel well as hand luggage. You have to buy a widget for output, but it can accommodate two so you could end up with 8 universes.For a bit more cash (and considerably bigger) there is the Roadhog 4, which is a fully featured but fairly compact console. Leggy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonkiDonki Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 If you are generally happy with your pc/extra wing setup and would like to just add more DMX outputs; this is a good option.http://chamsys.co.uk/snakesysb4 http://chamsys.co.uk/resources/images/products/b4/B4-angle-large_290.jpg I have one and find it to be a fantastic tool. Used with a switch & access point it allows me to run a spare pc as hot backup with automatic programming tracking as well as having a dedicated DMX input too. (you can connect the b4 directly to your pc but if you go for a switch, get one with POE, it will save a few of those pesky cables) I guess to get everything in one package via Chamsys you would need to step up to an MQ200 of some description? As for alternatives to Chamsys the GrandMa's are fantastic but pricey while the Avo's; especially the TT, is a great bit of kit and good value for money. (The only thing I find disappointing on the TT is the screen; it is a very dim panel with a narrow viewing angle. Pretty awful from a seated position) Hmmm, thinking about it; I wonder if it would be possible to run an execute window on an Ipad with flash buttons that would be responsive enough for a bit of a busk? Anyone tried that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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