ETC Congo

[SimonW]

Maybe the rock and roll console suppliers should combine forces with theatre console suppliers to produce a desk that can be fully mutli purpose,

 

Like the Hog2, you mean :-)

 

Seriously, over the last few years I've had the opportunity to use, in anger, new desks from a variety of vendors, including Avolites, Martin, ETC and Jands. None of them were as bug free, or feature complete, as I would have

liked in their early incarnations.

 

Like it or not, the rush to bring new desks to market leads to most of them appearing with a long 'known issues' list, and many features not yet implemented. The reasons for this from the manufacturers perspective are readily apparent - being "first to market" brings significant sales benefits, as well as providing cash flow to fund the continued development effort.

 

From a designers / specifiers point of view there are also reasons for using new boards, however. When purchasing, buying a desk that's likely to remain current through out its lifetime (which may be in the region of 10 years) is vital. When either designing/purchasing there are often significant price breaks on new-to-market technology, which can make using a board that you _know_ isn't quite ready still be an attractive proposition.

 

In all of these situations, I've found the best way to deal with issues to be to speak directly with the manufacturers. I'm not sure that posting lists of 'the bugs I've found in version xyz' to public bulletin boards will result in their being fixed quicker, or in better service from the manufacturer in future.

 

Simon.

[andy_s]

In all of these situations, I've found the best way to deal with issues to be to speak directly with the manufacturers. I'm not sure that posting lists of 'the bugs I've found in version xyz' to public bulletin boards will result in their being fixed quicker, or in better service from the manufacturer in future.

 

Simon.

 

hear hear. we've got congos sensor dimmers and unison: we've found some good things some not so good, but we talk to ETC and they've been pretty helpful and supportive. there's no point just bleating about it on the web - talk to the people who can sort it out for you. Generally, reputable manufacturers want you to be happy with what they supply, and happy with the service they give you afterwards.

[AndrewR]

Maybe the rock and roll console suppliers should combine forces with theatre console suppliers to produce a desk that can be fully mutli purpose,

 

Like the Hog2, you mean :-)

 

 

Simon.

 

or the Vector or the MagicQ..... its not actually that hard to make such a desk apparently

 

 

In all of these situations, I've found the best way to deal with issues to be to speak directly with the manufacturers. I'm not sure that posting lists of 'the bugs I've found in version xyz' to public bulletin boards will result in their being fixed quicker, or in better service from the manufacturer in future.

 

Simon.

 

hear hear. we've got congos sensor dimmers and unison: we've found some good things some not so good, but we talk to ETC and they've been pretty helpful and supportive. there's no point just bleating about it on the web - talk to the people who can sort it out for you. Generally, reputable manufacturers want you to be happy with what they supply, and happy with the service they give you afterwards.

 

Well actually I was looking for people to discuss they way they have been working round the issues. Its handy to know for instance that untill some point in august using intensity chases could cause you problems as they seem to be exempt from the grand master. And maybe its also in the public interest get these things into the open. Especially when so often in this industry people will buy equipment because someone else said it was really good.

 

And I haven't actually posted a list of bugs

 

I am in contact with ETC and they are promising to fix all the problems...

 

I guess I'm old fashioned, but good programming doesn't have bugs. I realise we are long past the days of people planning their programming that well but hey.

 

I realise that getting your product to market first in incredibly important, but it doesn't justify releasing a desk with fundamental problems. I always wonder what people are thinking when they try and re-invent the wheel. The pearl is still an industry standard, essentially unchanged since its release. And how long has it taken for the Hog3 to come along? And the Vector owes most of its thinking to Hog2.

 

Strand, ETC, High End, and AVO all have enough brand power that they can and should take the time to ensure that their products are not just finished but actually a genuine improvement on the previous generation. Nobody is touching the Hog3 because it has a rep for being horribly unstable, and despite High End having a very long time to work on it, they have damaged their reputation with the rush to market. Strand seem to be taking a slow and certain route, staggering the release of the 300 and 500 replacements, and whist they may be only small improvements, no doubt people will wait for them. Avo just keep rolling on, safe in the knowledge that the pearl keeps the cash rolling in, and building on the proven formula. From my perspective ETC have rushed the Congo out of the door as a project that they had picked up, gave them some good PR at Eurovision and are now trying to jiggle about to minimise the sales impact on the Eon.

I know that ETC will fix all the problems in the end, that doesn't help me opp shows in the mean time!

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that Pearl and Hog will still be the most common desk I see toured in for at least 5 years (with 520i's for theatre stuff!)

 

P.S. Ibiza is great this time of year!