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ETC "Express" Questions
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Atlantic Illumination Entertainment Lighting
Oct 29, 2012, 7:57:04 AM10/29/12
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Hello, All.
I am doing lighting design and direction at a theatre for a musical
production. They have an ETC "Express" board. I am familiar with this
board, having used this model in the past. However, I have just been asked
late in the schedule of rehearsals to program in three sequence effects:
two chases and a once-through sequence. Because this is something I have
not needed to do before, I have run into some issues.
1/ Programming the sequences and modifying their parameters is easy
enough, especially in `Blind' mode. I have each of the three sequences
programmed to a cue of its own. However, the sequences won't run when the
master `Dwell' is set to `Hold'. I don't want that feature anyway and want
each to run as a chase until `Go' is pressed to advance to the next cue.
I can eliminate this by setting the master Dwell to some number that is
longer than a given sequence needs to run, but I'd prefer to have each run
as an ordinary cue that is stopped when advanced to a succeeding cue.
2/ Taking the above workaround into account, when the first sequence cue
is run, it is fine, but channels from the previous (non-sequence) cue stay
on. If I run two sequences in a row, one channel from the first sequence
always stays on. One must twice push `Clear' to stop this, but of course,
the stage goes black.
3/ Regarding the third sequence, how does one run it through its steps
once and have it stop automatically without repeating?
--------
I have studied the manual for several days and tried everything I
could; I have asked others to look at the manual in case I have overlooked
something or misunderstood the instructions -- all to no avail.
To make matters worse, the manual for the board does not seem to
exactly match the software version used, so some steps outlined in the
manual do not coincide with what happens when they are applied to the
board. )-:
Help! The show has a preview this Sunday and a soft opening the next
day.
--
Richard Bonner
http://AIEL.chebucto.biz/
I am doing lighting design and direction at a theatre for a musical
production. They have an ETC "Express" board. I am familiar with this
board, having used this model in the past. However, I have just been asked
late in the schedule of rehearsals to program in three sequence effects:
two chases and a once-through sequence. Because this is something I have
not needed to do before, I have run into some issues.
1/ Programming the sequences and modifying their parameters is easy
enough, especially in `Blind' mode. I have each of the three sequences
programmed to a cue of its own. However, the sequences won't run when the
master `Dwell' is set to `Hold'. I don't want that feature anyway and want
each to run as a chase until `Go' is pressed to advance to the next cue.
I can eliminate this by setting the master Dwell to some number that is
longer than a given sequence needs to run, but I'd prefer to have each run
as an ordinary cue that is stopped when advanced to a succeeding cue.
2/ Taking the above workaround into account, when the first sequence cue
is run, it is fine, but channels from the previous (non-sequence) cue stay
on. If I run two sequences in a row, one channel from the first sequence
always stays on. One must twice push `Clear' to stop this, but of course,
the stage goes black.
3/ Regarding the third sequence, how does one run it through its steps
once and have it stop automatically without repeating?
--------
I have studied the manual for several days and tried everything I
could; I have asked others to look at the manual in case I have overlooked
something or misunderstood the instructions -- all to no avail.
To make matters worse, the manual for the board does not seem to
exactly match the software version used, so some steps outlined in the
manual do not coincide with what happens when they are applied to the
board. )-:
Help! The show has a preview this Sunday and a soft opening the next
day.
--
Richard Bonner
http://AIEL.chebucto.biz/
Atlantic Illumination Entertainment Lighting
Nov 1, 2012, 7:26:43 AM11/1/12
to
UPDATED:
Atlantic Illumination Entertainment Lighting wrote:
> I am doing lighting design and direction at a theatre for a musical
> production. They have an ETC "Express" board. I am familiar with this
> board, having used this model in the past. However, I have just been asked
> late in the schedule of rehearsals to program in three sequence effects.
> 1/ I have each of the three sequences programmed to a cue of its own.
should be set to `Hold', which allows the chase to run and then go to the
next cue when `Go' is pressed. This was as I understood it, but it had
seemed that setting to `Hold' prevented the chase to run. That was not the
case. I am not sure why the chases had not previously run, but it
appeared to be a `Step' problem.
> 2/ When the first sequence cue is run, it is fine, but channels from the
problem lies with `Track' or `Background' settings, but nothing there
stops this problem. I also looked into `Follow" to no avail.
Making a new sequence exhibits the same problem, so it appears to be
a Global Default setting. Yet, going through `Setup' reveals nothing that
was able to stop this "previous cue" problem.
Does anyone know how to run a chase set up as a cue by itself as
opposed to running on top of the previous cue?
Atlantic Illumination Entertainment Lighting wrote:
> I am doing lighting design and direction at a theatre for a musical
> production. They have an ETC "Express" board. I am familiar with this
> board, having used this model in the past. However, I have just been asked
> 1/ I have each of the three sequences programmed to a cue of its own.
> However, the sequences won't run when the master `Dwell' is set to
> `Hold'. I don't want that feature anyway and want each to run as a
> chase until `Go' is pressed to advance to the next cue.
*** Update: I resolved the issue here and the chases now run. Dwell
> `Hold'. I don't want that feature anyway and want each to run as a
> chase until `Go' is pressed to advance to the next cue.
should be set to `Hold', which allows the chase to run and then go to the
next cue when `Go' is pressed. This was as I understood it, but it had
seemed that setting to `Hold' prevented the chase to run. That was not the
case. I am not sure why the chases had not previously run, but it
appeared to be a `Step' problem.
> 2/ When the first sequence cue is run, it is fine, but channels from the
> previous (non-sequence) cue stay on. If I run two sequences in a row,
> one channel from the first sequence always stays on. One must twice push
> `Clear' to stop this, but of course, the stage goes black.
*** This is still the main issue. I have had locals suggest that the
> one channel from the first sequence always stays on. One must twice push
> `Clear' to stop this, but of course, the stage goes black.
problem lies with `Track' or `Background' settings, but nothing there
stops this problem. I also looked into `Follow" to no avail.
Making a new sequence exhibits the same problem, so it appears to be
a Global Default setting. Yet, going through `Setup' reveals nothing that
was able to stop this "previous cue" problem.
Does anyone know how to run a chase set up as a cue by itself as
opposed to running on top of the previous cue?
Atlantic Illumination Entertainment Lighting
Nov 5, 2012, 8:42:28 AM11/5/12
to
FINAL UPDATE:
As you know if you have been following this thread, I was having
trouble getting an ETC "Express" board to run a chase while not keeping
the previous cue's lights live on the stage. I was given several
suggestions from locals here in the Halifax area but none of them worked.
With the deadline looming, I called the theatre's former technical
director. He suggested a work-around and came in on Saturday -- one day
before we did a public dress rehearsal. He set up the board to have a
blackout cue lasting `0' seconds with an automatic follow to the next cue
which was one of the chases. This worked perfectly and the "Follow"
feature meant that stage manager did have to cue the preliminary blackout
herself each time because the chase cue was run automatically when the
"Blackout" cue was invoked.
Essentially, the "Blackout" cue cleared the previous cue's lights
before the chase ran which is what I needed. We ran the show in front of
invited guests last night and the cues were fine. We are ready for
tonight's soft opening.
--------
What annoys me is that the default behaviour for this model board
appears to be chase-on-top-of-previous-cue, and there seems to be no way
to alter it. )-:
As you know if you have been following this thread, I was having
trouble getting an ETC "Express" board to run a chase while not keeping
the previous cue's lights live on the stage. I was given several
suggestions from locals here in the Halifax area but none of them worked.
With the deadline looming, I called the theatre's former technical
director. He suggested a work-around and came in on Saturday -- one day
before we did a public dress rehearsal. He set up the board to have a
blackout cue lasting `0' seconds with an automatic follow to the next cue
which was one of the chases. This worked perfectly and the "Follow"
feature meant that stage manager did have to cue the preliminary blackout
herself each time because the chase cue was run automatically when the
"Blackout" cue was invoked.
Essentially, the "Blackout" cue cleared the previous cue's lights
before the chase ran which is what I needed. We ran the show in front of
invited guests last night and the cues were fine. We are ready for
tonight's soft opening.
--------
What annoys me is that the default behaviour for this model board
appears to be chase-on-top-of-previous-cue, and there seems to be no way
to alter it. )-:
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