Jester 24/48 & movers

[mishaanker]

Hello all, first post, could use some advice!

 

 

 

I've just started a new job as technician to a school, and there's been no crossover with the previous post holder, so I've been having fun, finding things out as I go along.

 

Anyway, this has lead me to a confusing juncture, in which I've found two mac mini's, apparently being controlled by a jester 24/48 (not the ML!). The faders don't actually seem to do anything to move the movers, so I'm wondering if the previous technician had an extra wing or midi controller plugged in? Other possibility is that he used the other desk available in the school. I'm 90% sure this is a bullfrog, but at the time of posting there's a lesson on and I can't get in to check.

 

 

The other curious feature, is that the faders, in preset mode, seem to access flash functions on a series of small LED profiles, which look like tiny pars with very long top hats, not something I've ever seen before. Most things in the school were seemingly installed 10 years ago and haven't been changed since, which is making things difficult, the jester in particular, flashes and activates the wrong lights if you brush the faders wrong, so a replacement is on the cards.

 

 

 

For the time being, is it possible to programme the mac heads from the jester or frog, or, as I suspect, am I barking up the wrong tree entirely?

[Stuart91]

The Jester has a DMX input, and scenes/submasters can store data from the DMX input as well what the desk is producing. So it is possible to set up the movers using another desk, hook that desk up to the DMX in on the Jester, and then store scenes or submasters that control the movers. The BullFrog can certainly control Mac Minis so it would be an easy way to get basic control off the Jester.

[timsabre]

I presume you mean Martin Mini Macs, not mac minis which are I believe a type of computer.

 

A Jester 24/48 could control mini macs on its own, it would be a bit of a nightmare to control on faders but we did used to do it like that back in the day....

[mishaanker]

I do mean the martin mini macs yes, although I've been having separate mac mini trouble! Why must everything have the same name?

 

 

 

At least it is possible to do then, I just couldn't see how, but I suppose slaving it to the bullfrog makes sense, thank you.

 

 

 

Now I've just got to work out what's programmed, and what is failing desk electrics.

[timsabre]

If the faders are flickering when touched it sounds like someone has dropped something heavy on them and damaged the tracks.

Keith, the service tech at Zero88 will be able to help you out with fault finding if you give them a call, they are really helpful on the phone.

[Hilary Watts]

The other curious feature, is that the faders, in preset mode, seem to access flash functions on a series of small LED profiles, which look like tiny pars with very long top hats, not something I've ever seen before. Most things in the school were seemingly installed 10 years ago and haven't been changed since, which is making things difficult, the jester in particular, flashes and activates the wrong lights if you brush the faders wrong, so a replacement is on the cards.

 

 

I've just acquired a Zero88 Lightmaster XLS desk which is from an earlier generation of consoles but, if I am interpreting the OP correctly, showed similar symptoms. When in preset mode, bringing up one of the top row of faders (ie not a fader which could have a scene or 'memory' stored on it even if the desk was not in preset mode) would often cause the indicator LEDs for various other channels to flicker or illuminate continuously. This was repeatable and was clearly not just a random flickering. I eventually discovered that the cause was that the sliders of one or more of the faders in the vicinity of the fader which was being moved were not making contact with the track when at the bottom of their travel and this was apparently allowing stray currents to flow through the LEDs for other channels. If you 'wiggle' one or more of the nearby faders which are at the bottom of their tracks it is possible to get rid of the fault so that only the correct LED illuminates.

 

I cleaned and lubtricated the faders with compressed air and a little Caig Fader F5 and the desk is now working perfectly again. It may be worth while doing a similar job on the jester but first do read the warnings on this forum about the perils of using switch cleaner on faders and see this article and also the Caig guide.

[mishaanker]

HIllary, that does sound like a similar problem, although as it's in a school a heavy weight being dropped on it is equally possible! Will have a proper investigate of it, and probably ring the zero 88 guys too. Thanks all!