Marijan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Worth considering, though, that Strand 500-series outnumber ADB desks in UK theatres by a factor of loads-to-one. More over, I could give you at least a couple of examples of venues which have ditched their old ADB desks in favour of Strand products, and none at all that have gone the other way.Well, in the UK. That`s enough for me. You don`t even drive on the right side. :( Maybe the reason that you in UK prefer Strand desks is because it is UK company. I work for national TV and we are all very satisfied with ADB desks. I was working with 520 on Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair and a lot of live concerts for a concert hall and I`ve never been familiar with it. And nobody that ever worked there. It is very hard to improvise on 520. On the other hand it is very easy with ADB Phoenix/Mentor. You can just load into the submaster whatever you want and it is easy to make changes. Those desks are reliable and stable and during the last two years never crashed. I have also very good cooperaton with people from ADB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lxkev Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Zero 88 Frog 2........It's not a strand 500, but it will load a strand patch and shows :D ..... :) Easy to use :) Good for busking :) Good for theatre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJones Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 not sure about great for busking... I would like to be able to do avo style palletes on the strand. other than that I love the strand to bits. it's on my level! :D AndyJones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokm Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Zero 88 Frog 2.... will it ever actually work properly for me or not be so easily beaten in ways its supposed to excel at by an old Pearl 2000! :D Not to mention, wheres the fixture support when u want it, ok I know frog personalities are easy to nock up, but why bother when I can just go to the avo download website and get one thats already made! Sorry real zero88 frog hater, love the beta pack racks though! RE: strand 520i replacement.. no need, must agree with the people who are saying its hard to improve the 500 series, its been around for years and still keeps up with everything that gets thrown at it, it ran lasers during panto a few years ago as well as LED kit & HE DL1's.. what other desk that age did that on its own without some form of major tweaking. Tom p.s. Mods, delete or edit this post if you feel it has too much zero88 bashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhaynes199 Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'm a huge fan of the Strand range, esp the 520. It will be around for a while and Genlyte would be crazy to end production / support for what is possibly one of the most used desks in the West End at the moment and which has been for a long time. I would say however that the ETC Congo should be investigated, I am using it for a panto this year and is a great versatile little desk which combines theatre stacking with a Pearl-like ability to get a moving light show up and running in a matter of minutes. Ideal for receiving venues whose gigs alternate between rock and roll band setups to more traditional musicals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Zero 88 Frog 2.... will it ever actually work properly for me or not be so easily beaten in ways its supposed to excel at by an old Pearl 2000! :) Not to mention, wheres the fixture support when u want it, ok I know frog personalities are easy to nock up, but why bother when I can just go to the avo download website and get one thats already made!Tom Hi TomI would encourage you to come along and take a look at the Frog 2 at PLASA. We've been working extremely hard on the software side of things over the last few months and have improved the desks performance and reliability beyond all recognition. There are also a whole host of new features which make the console an extremely powerful 500 series replacement, but equally as suitable to a Pearl user. With regards fixture types, please let me know the fixtures you're having trouble with. We have a fixture database totalling 1500 fixtures, which is available free of charge and with a single downloadable file from our website. There is a complete list of all supported fixtures here. If there are any fixtures missing from the database which you require, please get in touch with me and I'll ensure they are added to the next library release. I'm also happy to knock up the fixtures for you and email them across, this generally takes under an hour (during office hours, assuming I'm not elsewhere... thats the reason we provide the tools to do it yourself :D) As Kev says above, the Frog 2 is now capable of loading a Strand Show File (after a quick run through Showport, available on the Strand website). This includes Submasters, Cues (including multipart fades) and the Patch data. p.s. Mods, delete or edit this post if you feel it has too much zero88 bashing.We're not here to censor, merely to ensure the smooth running of things. I'm always happy to answer criticism, although a topic on the Strand 520 is probably not the best arena in which to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhaynes199 Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Lifted straight from ALD news: A second film adaptation, Dirty Dancing, will open at the Aldwych Theatre, after successful productions in Australia and Germany. The London production will feature lighting by Tim Mitchell, working with associate lighting designer Adrian Barnes and production electrician Keith Johnson. Mitchell’s design includes Vari-Lite VL3500Q Spot, VL2000 Wash, VL1000TS Spot and Martin Mac700 Spot units, Robert Juliat Aramis followspots, ETC Source Fours, White Light VSFX cloud effects and Rainbow colour scrollers, with control from a Strand 500-series console. At the Shaftesbury Theatre, the music of seventies sensation BoneyM forms the basis of the musical Daddy Cool, which opens in mid-September. The lighting for the show is being designed by Rob Halliday, making use of Vari-Lite VL3000Q Spots and Washes, High End StudioColors and Martin Mac700 Spots as well as ETC Source Fours and Rainbow colour scrollers; control will be from a Strand 500-series console. Working with Halliday on the show are production electrician Ian Moulds, programmer Vic Smerdon and assistant lighting designer Anna Macinnes. At the Haymarket, the touring production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers will arrive in London. Lighting designer David Howe’s rig includes Martin Mac2000 and Vari-Lite VL1000TS Spots, and Clay Paky Alpha Wash Halo washlights as well as ETC Source Fours and Source Four Zooms, Strand Cantata F and Alto F fresnels, Thomas 4-cell battens and Rainbow colour scrollers, again all running from a Strand 500-series console. So that's 3 big West End shows that are still using Strand 500 series consoles. No sign of its demise just yet.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strand600X Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I think until the Strand/Genlyte 500 replacement comes into been. I am not even gonna think about changing the 500 I have untill it completely dies.....BazOpera North :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liquid Nik Posted August 31, 2006 Share Posted August 31, 2006 Just going to jump to the defence of ADB. I have been using a phoenix 10 for 6 years now and with isis+ software for the past 3. While I'll agree it has its own quirks, so do all desks.I've found it will do all I ask of it and it's been outstandingly reliable, one blue screen in 6 years and that was my own stupid fault. I'd rate it easily equal to any strand desk. Please don't underrate it because it doesn't have a blue touchy-feely rubberised finish or have Strand etched into it! In the hands of an experienced op its easy to use and very powerful. Sorry for the rant but there have been very few positive comments about what is a very good all round desk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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