Looking for advice on a couple of controllers for 2 different venues

[BenEdwards]

Hi, as a side not I have had to register a different user here. I was using funkytwig but have repeatedly failed to recover my password;(.

 

Anyway looking for reconsiderations for a couple of lighting controllers. Both venues have a mixture of casual and experiences users. They are both volunteer run community arts venues (in Bristol).

 

PRSC

 

I got a scanmaster style controller here bit is is no good. What I wanted to do was use it to simply set up a static lighting set (with minimal training) but it seemed only to work with a fairly complex set of programming steps. We have an Obey 6 at The cube that works great in the bar but only controls 6 fixtures. What is great is you press the buttons for the fixtures you wish to change and use the sliders to set them up. When you press other fixture buttons it leaves the ones you have already set unchanged and you can set up the other fixture or fixtures. exactly what we want. This unit with 12 chanels would be perfect.

 

The Obey 40 looks exactly like the scanmaster so not sure if this works in the same way. It does have 12 fixture buttons which is what we need (we have 6 LED parcans and 4 generic tungsten). The abay 70 may be what we want but is getting a little more than we were hoping to spend. Also not sure how simple it is to use.

 

Any suggestions (we use MagicQ on a laptop for more complex stuff but want an easy way of setting up single static set). Would be lovely if we could set up a few sets easily (like the obay 6) and be able to fade between them easily. Simple software is an option but preferably a desk.

 

The Cube

 

Here can spend more but want a desk that is easy to use for casual users and have more complex functionality. We have 11 channels for generic fixtures and want to be able to add LEDs (possibly moving profiles). We really would be like to be able to do on the fly/busking. Again we have casual and more advanced users.

 

Again looking for suggestions.

 

Ben

[sandall]

Have a look at the LightProcessor ZIP desks. They are small, cheapish, & come with 12 or 18 faders, with 3 or 2 banks, giving you 36 channels. You can use them as manual 2-preset desks, or you can easily set up groups & chases. Either would be fine for your static LEDs, but (like any desk that only has faders) they would not be suitable for movers.

[paulears]

Moderation: You could have just asked a mod - I have emailed your old funky twig account

I've merged funkytwig's posts into this new account - so all should now be well. The funky twig account is now dead.Best wishes P

[alistermorton]

Thing is, if you forget your password, how do you log in to ask a mod?

[bruce]

Thing is, if you forget your password, how do you log in to ask a mod?

 

It’s maybe not as obviously highlighted as it should be, but if you’re really stuck you can email admin@blue-room.org.uk

[alistermorton]

Aha - I've not noticed that anywhere.

[Guest]

Hi

 

I would suggest a second hand Zero88 Jester ML of appropriate model (depending on necessary physical faders).

 

Edward

[BenEdwards]

OK, thanks for moderator for helping me get my old account back, not quite got it so will continue with this one.

 

Thanks for everyone's responses. For PRSC we have 6 6 channel RGB parcans and 4 generics so need 40 channels. What we are really looking for is a desk with 12 fixture/scanner buttons and the ability to use the sliders to change the lamps that have the buttons pushed. Don't need any programing functionality as more complex stuff can be done in MagicQ. This is for very casual users/volunteers. Something like a Chauvet Obey 4 (but with 12 fixtures) would be perfect. Could be hardware ow software.

 

Ben.

[Platinum events]

have a look at the obey 40

[BenEdwards]

I just phoned up Chauvet and it looks like the only way to do what I want relatively simply is to use a 48 channel generic desk. Maybe there is some software we can use that is simple to use. Maybe this is not the write place to ask the question as I am guessing this type of casual use is not the kind of thing people are doing here.

 

Found a bit of free software called Freestyle DMX, it not that I am against paying for software but it seems very easy to use. I think with casual use DJ DMX software may be the way to go.

 

Ben

[Richard CSL]

if you press and hold prog on the scan master, now it can be used like the obey 30, ie you can set a fixture to whatever, leave that fixture at that state now select another and change it to whatever, bonus is if you create a look you like

 

you can save it by pressing prog again.

 

 

 

[BenEdwards]

if you press and hold prog on the scan master, now it can be used like the obey 30, ie you can set a fixture to whatever, leave that fixture at that state now select another and change it to whatever, bonus is if you create a look you like

 

you can save it by pressing prog again.

 

Thanks, yes I had another play and now I worked out how to use it is is actually great. It was actually a Scanmaster copy (DMX lighting Designer, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192-DMX512-Controller-for-Stage-Light-System-Par-Can-LED-Move-Head-Beam-Pub-Bar-/371327437713?hash=item5674d70b91).

 

Saving the sets as scenes is very easy and adding chase steps seems straightforward. The manual is not great as it did not point out you can set/unset the scanners while in program mode and set them all up before you save the scene. I actually worked this out by looking at the Obay 40 manual. It also seems to keep the setup when you turn it off (not sure for how long).

 

Not sure how to delete/change chase steps. Would be great if you could step through them and see when scene (i.e. it would actually activate the step). I will probably manually change scenes anyway rather than use Chases.

 

The only slightly ingratiating thing is when you turn it on or go in/out of program mode it does not know where the sliders are until you wiggle them. This is the same for the fadetime slider which means you cant just turn it on and start using it, you have to wiggle the fadetime slider and reset it. Wondering if this is because it is a cheap copy (does the obay 40 or showtech scanmaster have the same issue). I will have a look at scanmaster manual also as this may be better.

 

We have 4 tungston and 6 LED parcan so it is ideal, I think I should be able to control the 4 tungsten from a single scanner.

 

The only thing that it does not seem possible to do is busk the lights. Would be great to be able to use the LEDs programmed and manually tweak the tungsten but I guess I would have to use MagicQ to do this (I often put some or all of the tungstons on there own slider on MagicQ to allow me to do this.

 

Ben

[Richard CSL]

editing is easy just go back into prog mode, select scene and edit the look then press enter.

 

each scanner starts 16 channels after the last, so yes tungsten 4 ch no problem just use the first 4 sliders.

 

Not really a busking controller, but you can select scenes and use the cross fade function even during a chase I think in manual override mode.

 

Good luck