Would this work?

[tom_the_LD]

I would suggest using the Pearl for everything - as others have suggested.

 

I would also suggest instead of using the cue stack on the pearl that you program to the playbacks. This gives you more control over fade times etc. and is very easily done. It's also very easy to program moving light stuff onto playbacks so I would suggest this route.

 

It would be possible to create loads of palettes for the movers and then also use these in the show (using run takeover mode) if you needed to. For example if there's a bit you think "this might look good" then select the fixtures, type a number (so it gives it a fade time e.g. 5) and then click the appropriate palette button. Remember to click CLEAR afterwards. Again this is where things start getting more complex.

 

Play with the Pearl sim and visualiser as this will help you a lot.

 

I would also suggest looking at "Record by fixture" and "Record by channel" if you have time.

[maxjones2000]

Whatever, as I and others have suggested all you need to do is play with the simulator and visualiser. They're both free and perfect ways to learn.

 

I have been trying to use the simulator and offline visualiser however there are no martin mac 250 entours on the visualiser so I have to make do with TrackSpots (which aren't very good) and the fixture list on the simulator is just random letters and codes and the only one I recognise is the trackspot... When you click patch and then select the fixtures it comes up with a list of folders like my computer, so if you click cancel it comes up with random codes etc. The simulator is good though.

 

By live, I mean having colous, gobos and positions programmed onto the flash palette and then just make up the lighting as you go along if you know what I mean. Cheers

[tom_the_LD]

By live, I mean having colous, gobos and positions programmed onto the flash palette and then just make up the lighting as you go along if you know what I mean. Cheers

What type of event is it?

 

If it's theatre I'd strongly suggested programming as much as possible onto the playbacks as this will look neater. Rock and Roll you can get away with a lot more.

 

I guess it also bottles down to experience on the Pearl and the programming time you have available.

[maxjones2000]

What type of event is it?

 

Its a musical, with Rock 'n Roll songs - Its Return the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton

 

What's "Record by fixture" and "Record by channel"? Cheers

[paulears]

Well I don't like Avos at all, never have - but I have to say that given a choice between a Jester and a Pearl for Forbidden Planet, then I'd pick the Avo - no choice!

 

The show is a typical theatre style show - but has plenty of scope for manual playing for the busy music sections, and it's a really powerful control.

 

However - to balance this, it's not a terribly intuitive desk to work with no knowledge at all. I'm not sure if I'd like to run a complex show on one without plenty of time to experiment. It would also help if you could find an experienced programmer to show you the tips and tricks.

[maxjones2000]

It would also help if you could find an experienced programmer to show you the tips and tricks.

 

Yeh, I got the programmer that came into school in February to show me some things. I've found with the Pearl that if you make a chase of all the scenes and then unfold them onto playbacks that works quite well (I've just been messing with the simulator and finally understand it )

[niclights]

there are no martin mac 250 entours on the visualiser

Yes there are. MT_Mac250En and MT_Mac250Ex for extended mode. If you ever need to find out look at the Fixture Personality Library under Visualiser. 'Name on desk' is what you are looking for.

 

When you click patch and then select the fixtures it comes up with a list of folders like my computer, so if you click cancel it comes up with random codes.

Well, the idea is to select a directory where your personalities are, not to cancel. If you don't have any then you can download them from the library linked above.

 

What's "Record by fixture" and "Record by channel"?

By channel records only values in the programmer. By fixture records all values for any selected fixtures. It's vital you understand the programmer and these modes. Please read the manual.

[tom_the_LD]

Definitely program in advance - do not attempt to do Forbidden Planet on the fly. A show like that has the potential to look fantastic with some carefully plotted chases and the like.

 

Do make sure you create many useful palettes though. A palette for every colour on the wheel and maybe a cycle palette, a palette for every rotating gobo and maybe some rotation options, loads of position paletttes and if you have any space then a prism and prism rotation palette.

 

Look in the manual for the different record modes.

 

I wouldn't recommend running a show like planet off a Go button - recording onto playbacks allows you to mix different chases and moves for a song as and when you like.

[tokm]

it's just that I think it would be simpler (as I'm only a yr 11 student) and it might be worth having both desks going next to each other

Quite the opposite, you'd have two desks to look after, more things to go wrong/wrong buttons to get pushed. The idea of having generic and ML desk op's was once common place, but this was primarily due to desk design. But now with desks being capable of handling the entire rig, its just so much more sensible to keep LX control central.

 

With the Pearl is it possible to have a cue stack going and then when it comes to a song switch over to running JUST the moving lights live?

I'm still struggling to see why you'd want to run the ML's live are you trying to make your life harder unnecessarily?

 

Just program some cues in the stack for during each song, it'll make your life much easier and will look the same each night. Here's a simple example:

 

Cue1... acting - ML's @ 0%

Cue2... more acting - ML's move to correct pan/tilt position, colour, etc, but dimmer still @ 0%, ready to go for cue 3

Cue3... song - ML's @ 100%, doing whatever you want with them/whatever you've programmed

Cue4... end of song - ML's slowly fade out

 

....

 

Cue 10... approaching next song - preset ML attributes

Cue 11... ML's on for song.

 

If your dead set on 'running the ML's live' or as we tend to call it, 'busking', I'd say you should at least keep the dimmer control of the ML's in the hands of the stack. i.e. when Cue3 goes, it just brings up the dimmers in each fixture to 100% and you can then play to your hearts content. Like I said before, you'll still have to program a few bits in for use during these 'live control' scenes, so the work load doesn't change, better off doing it once and recording it than having to replicate it each night.

 

Sounds strange, but I want to run the moving lights live for the experience on my CV as I have used a cue stack for theatrical and for a public speaking thing, have learnt about rigging and designing so its only live to tick of now.

Personally, I'd say putting something on your CV that's so 'against the grain' of normal industry practice, won't stand you in good stead. Better to say LX Operator for RTTFP where I carefully programmed the entire show including 6 moving lights, etc.

 

Another thing I've not seen mentioned yet, why you only using the ML's during songs? Depending where you have them rigged you can use them for specials, gobo washes, backlight, etc.. Bit of a waste of money to only have them there to flash and spin around!

 

T

[maxjones2000]

That's a good idea actually, using the cuestack to adjust the dimmer on the moving lights then play 'until my heart is content' during the songs.

 

The only Thing I have found while playing with the pearl simulator the last few days is that there is no obvious way of setting fade times for a cuestack. Also, would I set each scene onto a submaster/playback of set it to work off the 'go' button?

 

Just got to convince the teacher now who wants me to 'busk' the songs which I am more than happy to do, but he also wants to use the jester desk.

 

Thanks everyone! ;)

[tokm]

The only Thing I have found while playing with the pearl simulator the last few days is that there is no obvious way of setting fade times for a cuestack.

In the theatre stack menu - Soft Key C/Set Times. Make sure you type the cue number you want to edit the times of into 'input step' line before hitting aforementioned button.

 

Perhaps you should get your teacher to read some of the comments in this thread. Should convince even the most stubborn believer in the Jester! We all understand his thinking of having two desks, but erm, (in this instance) its wrong , same with only wanting to use the ML's during songs.. make them earn they're expenditure.

 

Just program the entire show on one desk and be done with it!

 

HTH, T