maXim in Schools

[BlueShift]

Thanks for that mac.

 

I did like its slightly more versatile structure over the event 408, although the 408 has a more conventional layout.

 

Cheers

[HDnL]

that can be an option, you can also look at the frog range from zero88

 

but still I know which would be my console of choice in this matter..

 

 

for speed first hit <Select> and ten turn the wheel, and it is as said not endless.

and as mentioned before, with the patpad you can make it is complicated as you wish but you can start running full size shows simply by some extreme fast option's like (Record), at that point you will feel it is little different then a conventional controller but you can make great shows with it.

[DeanAU]

My 2c.

 

Patpads give me the - stupid nail thing.. and NO WHEELS! :X

[James S]

We bought our LSC Maxim LP (yes, with the patpad) a few years ago from a company called stagetech in Bracknell (who have now gone bust).

It’s a great desk for both conventional and effects however, there are some problems I would highlight:

 

On the first versions – the plastic skin peels off at the back (they have since replaced this with a different one to prevent this)

 

The gooseneck lamps they sell are £75 each! If you buy cheap ones from farenell/ CPC and rewire the XLRs it makes it look really cool! (be carefull when rewiring them as the wiring is funny – if you get it wrong the desk wont startup!)

 

Ours keeps resetting in the middle of shows – yes it is really inconvenient (I think this is a one off with our desk)

 

It doesn’t like some monitors (flat screens mainly)

 

You cant insert scenes in between two others like on an ETC as the scenes are on the sliders not numerical memories.

 

The disk drive on the back is upside down (no not because it is made in Australia but because it costs $40 more to put it the correct way up.

 

Despite all these faults, it is a great desk and you get the best support I have come across (the LSC forum is great).

If you get the patpad ask for the training CD.

 

The best advantage for a school is that it is really intuitive to use.

 

Hope this helps.

[mac.calder]

We bought our LSC Maxim LP (yes, with the patpad) a few years ago from a company called stagetech in Bracknell (who have now gone bust).

It’s a great desk for both conventional and effects however, there are some problems I would highlight:

 

On the first versions – the plastic skin peels off at the back (they have since replaced this with a different one to prevent this)

 

The gooseneck lamps they sell are £75 each! If you buy cheap ones from farenell/ CPC and rewire the XLRs it makes it look really cool! (be carefull when rewiring them as the wiring is funny – if you get it wrong the desk wont startup!)

 

Is the wiring provided on the forums or something?

 

Ours keeps resetting in the middle of shows – yes it is really inconvenient (I think this is a one off with our desk)

 

It doesn’t like some monitors (flat screens mainly)

 

That is odd. It is lucky that I would be using a CRT monitor then (as all school IT departments have an excess of CRT monitors)

 

You cant insert scenes in between two others like on an ETC as the scenes are on the sliders not numerical memories.

 

A lot of desks seem to have that problem, although if you want to add a scene before the last programmed scene (ie you finished scene 20 and realised you missed 19) you can just assign it to the grab master, then program the scene over the top, then move the scene back from the grab master to the next scene along. (or blue fader if using >L). Or you just use stacks.

 

The disk drive on the back is upside down (no not because it is made in Australia but because it costs $40 more to put it the correct way up.

 

I don't see that as being a problem, since the drive is on the back - it means that if you hold the disk as if you were inserting it the right way up into the front, then lean over the desk, it is the right way up... actually I think I prefer it upside down. If it was upside down on the front or sides... that is a different story.

 

Despite all these faults, it is a great desk and you get the best support I have come across (the LSC forum is great).

If you get the patpad ask for the training CD.

 

The best advantage for a school is that it is really intuitive to use.

 

Hope this helps.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[paulears]

I fully understand the desire frorm the staff involved to get really great desks for school use, but the reality (in my own experience) is that the simpler, the better. Modern moving lightdesks do have an operational method that while being very suitable for fast moving, busking with large numbers of clever movers, schools don't have them. Unless blessed with very large budgets for both kit and staff - both in terms of skill level and time available, a complicated desk ends up being under used I think it is a shame that great desks end up being set up to operate a handful of dimmers using the faders and that's it. A desk at under £300 could do this.

 

The kids, and sometimes staff just want a few colours and areas. So my old college had a strand 300 that had subs pretty well patched one to one to 24 dimmers. Some people used the memory, but not 'properly'. An Avo Azure sits in a flight case never seeing daylight as the concept of pages, chases, and non-theatre operation means it is too complicated for basic use and only has a few manual faders for the one-per light operational method. Technician time is so tight that there is no way the two technicians can program and operate a show and the teacher doesn't have time. So, a one to one fader patch on the strand is the name of the game. I've fiddled with a maxim, and watched the videos and just wonder if they are really good in a school enviroment, with non-technical people working them. Let's be honest, most performing arts departments, even at 16+ level aren't usually well endowed with people who did well at GCSE maths, physics, dt type people (and that includes staff!)

[James S]

Is the wiring provided on the forums or something?

 

It may be - I think we worked it out from a diagram on the back of the desk/ manual. I can send you the pin config of ours if you want.

 

There is loads on the forum about which monitors work etc as well as a large fixture file database.

 

The scene issue isnt too bad - just a bit annoying at times

 

LSC staff are always really helpful and are active on the forums

 

In terms of using the patpad - we find that we use more movers (hired) now because we can control them as opposed to before.

[HDnL]

problem with monitor is not known here, have a 15'' tft hanging on the maxim, I do recall there being problems with the gooseneck lights and them being replaced for original.

 

upside down floppy drive, who cares??

I think those little things dó not care when purchasing a desk..

[BlueShift]

an upside down floppy drive is better because then you can eject the disk while leaning over because otherwise, if it were the right way up, you wouldnt because as you pressed the eject button your hand would be blocking the slot so the disk wouldnt eject. By having it upside down the button is now 'bove' the slot making this possible.

 

Think about it, they didnt stick it upside down because they couldnt be bothered to have it the other way now did they... :)

[mac.calder]

Sorry about the thread necromancy...

 

Think about it, they didnt stick it upside down because they couldnt be bothered to have it the other way now did they... ;)

 

LSC decided to hold a training day today down here in australia (as well as a tour of the manufacturing area) - and if you want to know why it is upside down - here is why. The desks are built upside down. Ie: instead of the motherboard being attached to the base, with a ribbon cable to the faders etc, if you flip the maxim, take out the screws and lift off the base, you have direct access to the motherboard, fader boards etc. The entire motherboard is upside down, so when you flip it, it is the right way up - which makes it easier to service.

 

When I started this thread, I was a tad iffy on the board - however the latest firmware upgrade (we were using the 2.01b version) was as solid as a rock when compared with earlier versions. I also learnt some great tips and tricks. For the money, I would say it hands down beats the opposition - especially as the latest firmware doubles the number of movers available etc (red bank can have movers assigned as well).

[jfitzpat]

I fully understand the desire frorm the staff involved to get really great desks for school use, but the reality (in my own experience) is that the simpler, the better....

 

The kids, and sometimes staff just want a few colours and areas. So my old college had a strand 300 that had subs pretty well patched one to one to 24 dimmers. Some people used the memory, but not 'properly'...

 

I agree pretty strongly with this. I actually think that over-equipping leads to poor lighting and fewer learning opportunities for the students.

 

When you teach a kid to run a complex desk you are generally not passing on a skill with much long term staying power. Color, contrast, angles, focus, transitions, etc. are all things that, if learned, will be useful for a long time. What I see happening a lot in schools is there isn't even enough time to fully teach the desk, so students learn a simple subset that, in turn, impedes learning and creative expression on the rest. I just saw a production where everthing always faded together at the same rate - the reason, the student had never been taught how to setup a multipart fade or even how to override the default fade time...

 

Part of the problem is that 'pros' make the recommendations for schools. The 'pro' should already know the basics and is often woo'ed by 'sexy'. But you really want to approach the problem as a Teacher of the lighting profession, not a lighting professional.

 

-jjf

[Tom R]

MaXim desks are extremely good for school lighting desks in my opinion. They are incredibly easy to use and therefore extremely versatile for school use - I agree with what Paul said lighting needs to be simple and thats what you get with the MaXim. Movers are not that important for most schools right now, and so the design means you can buy the desk and then, in the future, if you realise that you use heads more and more often then you can buy the PatPad.

 

If you are going to ABTT Lighting Logic will be there and I'm pretty sure there will be a maXim for you to look at...