Stu Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 From someone who uses an Expression on a weekly basis, I have to state now, I hate them. With a passion. Beneath the admitadely easy to use interface, anything more complex than plotting a simple scene is a bloody nightmare. Why we don't have a 530i I really don't know. As a theatre desk, I would only ever spec a 530i or 550i. If money was tight I would of course use a 520i, but I can really think of no other desk out there I would ever consider using for theatre shows with a mixture of moving lights and generics. Plus I like the moving light software on a 5x0i (now I've got to grips with it) and find it really easy to use! :) I also agree with the comments on the MX48 - what a desk :P S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 What, even better than the Strand MX48 for live and dirty shows?! SI dont think Strand could EVER be considered a Live desk. This one can! 48 submasters, with 4 pages /6 live chases (with the ability to control chase function, speed etc at the touch of a button, no menus!), with 4 pages Means there isn't alot you can't do with a Live generic rig on an MX48... S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted October 21, 2003 Share Posted October 21, 2003 I have to agree that the Strand MX is a great desk for unscripted work!The only major problem being I have an awful habit of pressing the flash buttons by mistake, especially when they are set to solo and there is nothing on that channel. :) Oh yeah and there was that one time we tried to run a couple of macs off one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Stu, If you haven'tthe money - you could look at the 300's. I tour one to every venue, and it has exactly the same capability as the 500's, movers etc. The only thing that it is short on is internal memory. But a neat desk, and much more affordable than the 500's!mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 22, 2003 Share Posted October 22, 2003 Hi Mike I don't think money is problem - more the convincing of the need for it :P All been there I'm sure. Plus I think I could break a 300 just by looking at it! :) S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 What, even better than the Strand MX48 for live and dirty shows?! SI've got a job with an MX coming up - am I right in thinking that basically it's a stripped-down gsx, and that you programme it in the same way? I'll try and download a manual again later, but the page kept sticking earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Not really - it's a subs-only desk. Certainly not a GSX, stripped-down or otherwise. They're ok, but I'd make sure a venue tech who knows it is around if I were you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Subs only? You can crossfade from sub 1-1 to 1-2, etc, using the C+D faders... make sure the desk is set to the correct options in the setup though - can't remember off the top of my head but its documented in the manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 ooops....you're right.... Still it's no GSX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 They're ok, but I'd make sure a venue tech who knows it is around if I were you...Sadly (and, somewhat predictably!), not an option. Looks like James has got some homework, then! Thanks both. Edit: Managed to download the manual after all. All will be well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 What, even better than the Strand MX48 for live and dirty shows?! SI've got a job with an MX coming up - am I right in thinking that basically it's a stripped-down gsx, and that you programme it in the same way? I'll try and download a manual again later, but the page kept sticking earlier.Oh the MX. Even after a year away from it I can still remember how to op it, and record to it, so I'm going to try and give you a little advice! :P Ok - I'm sure you can work out the basic merits of the desk, but I'll explain it all just to expland some wierd Strand logic later on. The desk comes in 3 flavours (12, 24 and 48) for the amount of channels you can use on the 2 way preset. No WIDE mode, which is annoying. However you can patch upto 512 dimmers (DMX) or 384 (?, D54), and patch several dimmers onto one channel number. All the Instructions here are me remebering from an MX48 flavour, so for the other versions, please adapt to situation and enviroment! Now to record a scene, set the faders you want to use on Preset A (The one with the Green faders [or green tinted faders] I think) to what the % you need. Then press Record (DR on the desk). Now it'll give you an option on how you want to record. If you goto the top option make sure it's set to Preset A. It could also be set to Output I think. If you then press the flash button under one of the channel numbers, it'll save it to 'cue' 1.xx (whatever you pressed). So you can have 1.01 to 1.48, then 2.01 to 2.48 and so on, upto 4 pages. If I were you, I'd leave 1 spare in each block of 12, so if you need to insert a scene, you can, instead of reprogramming each bloody scene (most annoying I'll tell you). So when oping the show, by using Preset Faders C/D you can cycle through each scene by slamming both faders from top to bottom (and then the other way on the next cue) each time you have a cue. But make sure the last cue has finished fading before going to the next, or otherwise it'll either A) go back or B) do nothing. To add fade times on each 'cue' or 'scene' you need to go into the Scene mode (press the left button of the 3 under the display, I think! :wub:) and then press Time, which I think should pop up above a soft button somewhere - here you can then set your times on all the cues. Manual will tell you what to do I'm sure, if this isn't quite right. Using the Setup mode you can also set Manual Fade Times to Preset A/B (live faders) and Preset C/D (Cue stack faders) or either or. Or something like that. Now should you want to record a chase, you'll need to do the following. Press RECORD, and then hit a flash button on the Live Panel along the DR bit of the desk, which are numbered 1-6. Then for each step you want to record, press the flash button under each channel, until your happy with your selection, then press STEP. Do this til you have all the steps you need. On the last step don't press Step or you'll get a blank one. You can also program in the Chase style here (Random, Build etc and Forwards/Reverse and Bounce). What you can't do is edit the step time, which is done with a fader below the Live Panel. Should you want to run it in Sub mode - press a button above the Preset A/B faders (or somewhere nearby) and the Pink Preset (Preset B) becomes a panel off 48 submasters, with each fader directly accessing each 'cue' or 'scene' (i.e. 1.01 or 1.38 would mean using Fader 1 or 38. I'm sure this is obvious!). Once again, you have 4 pages of submaster, by using the Scene Page toggle option on the 'Home' LCD Screen (use the arrow keys to get to it, and toggle using + or -) You can't program Chases to Subs nor Cues (which, quite frankly, is an arse) so you have to do that Live from the Live Panel. Hope none of this is condesending, it's not meant to be at all! Just the MX is a funny little desk at the best of times, so it can be not as straight forward as it should be. But for what it is, it's quite powerful. Add a GO button, ability to insert cues, and add chases to cues, and you'd have a bloody good desk. Oh and no command line, so bugger all like a GSX... Just in looks only! <_< (A LSX [or is LBX] is a little more similar). Hope this helps James. If you need anymore help, PM me. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Oh and no command line, so bugger all like a GSX... Just in looks only! (A LSX [or is LBX] is a little more similar). It's an LBX (determined to get something right tonight!) which is a GSX with a manual fader for every channel attatched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 It's an LBX (determined to get something right tonight!) which is a GSX with a manual fader for every channel attatched.Ah righty - many thanks. Don't hear of many LBXs to the pound. Is it a bit of a rare beast? S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryson Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 I think they were quite expensive compared to gsxs, hence the difference in frequency. They were mostly bought by places that needed to provide fader-per-channel for the am-drams and other folks. (See also why I've just bought a 300 48/96) The last one I saw was in the Priestly Centre in Bradford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James C Posted November 6, 2003 Share Posted November 6, 2003 Stu, you're a gem and a gentleman! I was hoping to borrow a GSX from a school I know, as it's the desk I probably know best (except for a couple of zero88 concoctions that despite knowing well, I still loathe!). However, that seems unlikely now, and having popped in for a quick play with the MX, and having read your above dissertation on operating one, I'm sure all will be well. Essay title: The MX is to the GSX what the Lightmaster is to the Sirius. Discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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