Best Board?

[Ali2580]

As others have mentioned, it all depends on individual preference rather than people's opinions as everyone is different. I have read a reply saying the ETC Congo is a bad choice but I love that desk (in a non-weird way!) and I learnt how to programme it in seconds yet some people may not like it.

 

Try different desks and see which ones you think are best and also if it is for students - do you want to purchase a desk that they will be using in the industry or just for them to begin on?

 

Hope you find what your looking for.

 

 

 

 

Ali Ogilvie

[gareth]

But Ali, it's not just a question of learning how to program a desk - it's also to do with how easily and intuitively it does what you want it to do, and how well that fits in with your particular preferred way of working.

[Ali2580]

Well yeah but I was just using the programming as an example of how easy I found the Congo to work with. There are other reasons why I like the Congo but that was just one example. However, many other people may think differently. All down to opinions...

[richard_cooper]

Thirdly - Congo - hmm, possibly the most overrated desk on the market right now. I personally don't like them - maybe that's because I haven't spent enough time with them to get to know them properly. but generally I find that I can work out fairly quickly whether or not I like a control system and I just can't take to Congo at all. I'm not the only one either - I'm currently touring a mid-scale show around the Welsh touring theatre circuit, and the theatres we visit are full of Congos sitting forgotten and forlorn in dark corners while the old Strand 520s and 530s continue on active duty. Why? Because the Congos simply are't as good as the 10+ year old desks that they were intended to replace. Eos/Ion/Element, on the other hand, are well worth a look.

 

It's weird how much I can agree with Gareth even though I love our Congo Jnr. I bought it as a replacement for a 520 which died around the time the old Strand went under. At the time it seemed the obvious (and for budget, size, features, etc, possibly the only) choice.

 

Initially I struggled horribly with it, but there was a point when I finally "got it" and since then have loved the thing, the V5, and V6 updates have moved it forward by a long way. The problem seems to be that initial learning curve.

 

If I had to replace our 520 a few years later, then the Ion would have won hands down, even though I (now) personally prefer the Congo (I've used both), purely as it'a a bit more of what other people expect.

 

Its one of those consoles that students with no previous experience seem to pick up easily, but those of us with experience of, say, the Strand way struggle.

[bjkered]

Just to say these "Which Lighting Board Topics" are now most all time Boring topic ever on the BLUE room

 

Dare I say we just go Around and around the same old thing and nothing new.

 

Any way that is my two pence and I doubt I will ever Comment or read one agin so good bye to this topic

[david.elsbury]

If you don't like the topic so much, then one would wonder why you would put a post at the end of it, bumping it back up to the top of "new posts" instead of letting it die quietly away... beggars belief really, doesn't it... ;)

[gareth]

Just to say these "Which Lighting Board Topics" are now most all time Boring topic ever on the BLUE room

 

Dare I say we just go Around and around the same old thing and nothing new.

 

Any way that is my two pence and I doubt I will ever Comment or read one agin so good bye to this topic

So don't read them, then! Are you one of those people who watches TV programmes that they hate, just so that they can complain afterwards about how much they hated them? You are Mary Whitehouse and I claim my prize! ;)

[LJS]

I know alot of you dislike these 'which is better' posts but I just wondered which one people like more. I know that some of you may not wish to answer which is fine but I just wondered which would be better in a theatre with (to quote my recent *best boards* post);

 

"We run around 70 generic lamps, have recently purchased and run a series of LED pars, as well as running 8 intelligent lights.

The new desk will need a minimum 250 channels but more is better as we already run 48 Dimmer channels and are looking to upgrade."

 

any suggestions welcome.

 

ORB - http://www.orbdesk.com/spec.php

Element - http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=na...p;q=ETC+element (cant find link so thats got loads on google.)

 

Thanks

[dmoffat]

ETC Element I believe has a software limit of 256 DMX channels, and as such may restrict you. This is despite having two seperate universes, there is a maximum of 256 patchable channels.

 

ETC Element does not have rotory encoders, and is not build to deal with moving heads. It is a good theatre desk, and happy with generics, Scrollers and LED fixtures, but moving heads are just slightly more long winded to use, in my opinion.

 

I would not use that as justification for not using the desk, just adding comments so you can make up your own mind.

 

The ETC element is a fantastic desk, which I fell in love with over the summer.

No comment on the orb, as I have not had enough of a play.

[paulears]

Moderation: This topic looked at a specific question, and has generated a large amount of comment and debate - and has been one of the more useful topics on this common subject. The last two posts were a new version of exactly the same initial question.

 

Please - it is bad enough having to revisit the same question multiple time - which annoys many members. There is no point starting yet another which desk topic, when you already have one on the go that is still being added to.

 

I have merged both topics.

[Tomo]

ETC Element I believe has a software limit of 256 DMX channels, and as such may restrict you. This is despite having two seperate universes, there is a maximum of 256 patchable channels.

Not quite true.

 

The Element has either 250 or 500 Desk Channels.

A 250 channel Element could be upgraded to 500 at a later date if required.

 

Each Desk Channel is essentially an individually controlled 'fixture', which could have any number of attributes and channel parts.

For example, a Source Four fitted with a gobo rotator and a scroller would only take up one desk channel, even though it has three parts and several DMX addresses.

 

Element has 1024 DMX output addresses, which can be patched to the Desk Channels (or parts thereof) as required.

[Pattern123]

I am looking to upgrade from a Frog at present as well, currently the two front runners to replace it would be 1) the Ion, as mentioned previously, I do prefer it to the Congo simply because of the command chain facility, which is 'comfy' for anyone who has used Strand in the past, and useful for students to learn. 2) the Avolites Pearl Tiger, which looks like it's the ###### quite frankly, though I want to play with one before I make the final decision!