Best Lighting console for Theatre and Concert?

[KarlG93]

Hi there,

 

I'm trying to get some advice about lighting consoles. I've been using the Chamsys MagicQ software to control my lighting packages for both concert and theatre and I'm looking to swap to something else (mainly because MagicQ isn't on most peoples tech riders).I'm unsure of what works best for theatres and concerts that would be an industry standard. Could you give me any adivce on what to look out for or any particular models to look into?

Thanks again

 

Karl

[Shez]

Theatre and concerts are two very different markets. ETC have the theatre side pretty well covered. Avo is common for concerts. MA does a bit of both. I actually like Chamsys for both as it does a decent job of both.

[paulears]

The little subdivisions of the industry as a whole have their little preferences, so I suppose if you wanted to be a "take any job" lighting person, then you'd need to be familiar with ETC, Avo, Chamsys and MA at the moment. If you take your packages into other places, and wish to integrate with other people's systems, then it's nice to have a brand in a rider, but of course it can't be met on a practical level by every venue. However, I'm not sure it matters that much as most people really familiar with their touring systems can pretty simply patch to house systems, and the only issue is the common one where they're using the systems fixture system to control the rare and massive range of heads on the market.

 

I've noticed though, that many of the touring people are really good at building new files to enable control of these movers - one last week, coming into our venue just read off the attributes in our Magicq patch and within a few minutes had a basic one working in hers. A lighting tech nowadays needs to be excellent on their chosen control, and be competent on the other ones. Since Strand imploded and gave away their supremacy overnight, you can never be sure what's going to be in use, so learning the common ones makes sense.

 

The trouble now is that ALL the popular controls are really expensive, so making the choice very hard, and probably personal. If you swap out your control for another, then what will you spend? five grand plus? If you choose to pick an MA, then what when you get to an ETC venue? The problem is just the same.

 

One thing I discovered during the week. MA were in the press for really going after the Chinese counterfeiters. The controls they are targeting are now appearing here, and oddly, they've made no attempt to copy the internals, just the layout and look. Inside it's likely to run Windows 7 and have all the faders and buttons addressable via midi, so realistically, you could install any of the PC operating systems for the popular desks. I suspect the installation would be behind me, but if the Chinese sold these things under a generic title, make and design, they could be sold as a lighting controller, able to run ANY of the popular systems quite legally, and they'd sell lots. A console with a boot up option to run chamsys, Avo, MA and ETC software? I doubt it will happen - but people tour laptops that can do exactly this and then faff about with wings. Any lighting control purchase leaves you with interface issues if you tour in and out of venues - so swapping just changes the venue list of easy to operate ones!

[Bryson]

That's an interesting concept. An "Any-Console" that's really just a PC, with built-in fader / encoder wings and drivers for all the various softwares, and a place to park your dongle of choice? Kind of fascinating. I wonder if there are any licensing hangups that would prevent it?

[timsabre]

But wouldn't you need different front panel hardware for each console type? Familiarity with the knobs and buttons is what makes you quick on a console.

 

Otherwise you could just run the sim software on a touchscreen. Most consoles have a pc version.

[kgallen]

Aww come on don't you just need one of those keyboard overlays with the legends on like we used to have for games on the ZX Spectrum?

[paulears]

so many labels are the same, but in different locations, and I suppose for the clever computer folk - lcd label strips could work too. If the manufacturers only need you to have a PC and a dongle or other licence, it would be a very useful bit of kit off it could be developed properly. The only key feature nowadays seems to be touch screens, real faders and real buttons. The names are fighting counterfeits, and that's a sensible thing for them to do, but if you look at audio DAWs - there are loads and loads of cheap to mega priced physical work surfaces. It works for the audio people. Hardware controls are starting to be exclusive now, they're gradually cutting away the cheaper models, leaving the bulk now very expensive.

[timmeh2]

Hi

Slightly OT but most consoles with a DMX In can be slaved to another.

I've had an MA running off my Avo Sapphire because I wanted lots of physical faders but the control and power of the latter.

 

All the best

Timmeh