ETC Inspire - Help

[Wolf]

Hey I am having trouble finding any information on a lighting console (ETC Inspire) that I will be in the near future. I personally did not see this board I was only told by one of my fellow technicians who went to the venue. He said it was a verily old board, but he did say it had a monitor (which im happy about). So any information you could send my way on the ETC Inspire I would appreciate it.

Thanks

[derekleffew]

The reason you're having difficulty is because you have the wrong name. Please choose from the list below (Note that console names are creative nouns, and "Aspire" is a verb. ETC Aspiration and Exasperation would be interesting choices, though.):

Mega Cue
Channel Track (Mega-Cue)
ELC (Entertainment Lighting Console)
Concept (96) 125
Idea (wood sides)
CH-2 (LMI)
Concept 250
Vision
CH-200 (LMI)
Expression 1
Designer (LMI)
Concept 500
Impression 1
Insight 72
Insight 108
MicroVision
Acclaim 112, 124, 136, 148
Acclaim 312, 324, 336, 348
MicroVision FX
Idea 12, 24, 26, or 48
Obsession
Expression 2X, Concept 2X
Obsession 600, Obsession DRC
Insight 2, Impression 2, Insight 2X
Expression 2X Universal
Insight 2X Universal
Express 24/48, 48/96, 72/144, 125, 250
Insight 3
Obsession II
Expression 3 (400, 800, 1200)
Expression 3 LPC
Emphasis
SmartFade
Congo
Congo Jr
Eos
SmartFade ML
Ion
SmartSoft

Once you find out what it is, we'll be glad to help.

[Darthrob13]

My money is on one of the Insights.....(c'mon Insight/Inspire pretty darn close).

[dramatech]

I know that I must be wrong, considering all the research that Derek has done on consoles, but I could swear that I saw an ETC Inspire at Florida State University in their Lab theatre a couple of weeks ago. The kid assigned to operate it was quite upset that he had to use it, and I ended up playing with the board until I understood it well enough to teach him some basics. The board was a two scene preset, with twelve channels and 8 submasters. Running vertically down the center of the board was four buttons that allowed programming the submasters and some other functions that I never figured out. It looked to be extremely old, but was ETC for sure.

[DiscoBoxer]

I would check out Lighting solutions for Theatre, Film & Television Studios and Architectural spaces : ETC The guys over at ETC are pretty good and they have a forum on their website that might be of help. If not, let me know. I am going to ETC's headquarters in mid-December to do some training for my team and to check out some new products.

[sclausenETC]

Ooh, ooh!! Pick me!

I think what you've got there is an Acclaim console, originally developed by LMI and brought into the ETC line of consoles in 1990. It's the only one that had 8 submasters on it... If it has a monitor on it, I'm guessing it's an Acclaim 300 of some flavor.

You can find the user manual for this console at our Web site using the "Downloads" search at the top of the home page (Lighting solutions for Theatre, Film & Television Studios and Architectural spaces : ETC). Use the following search criteria: Product Line = Controls, Product = Acclaim 300

Do I win something? ;-)

Thanks & have a good holiday weekend!

Sarah

Sarah Clausen
Controls Product Manager
ETC, Inc.

[gafftaper]

Do I win something? ;-)
Thanks & have a good holiday weekend!
Sarah

Jimmy tell her what she's won!..
Well Sarah, you've won three exciting days and two fun filled nights in Seattle at the Casa del Toddler... at Casa del toddler, We've got a Bunkbed and enough animals for everyone! Transportation not included.


Thanks Sarah, It's great having the ETC crew around.

[Sony]

Jimmy tell her what she's won!..
Well Sarah, you've won three exciting days and two fun filled nights in Seattle at the Casa del Toddler... at Casa del toddler, We've got a Bunkbed and enough animals for everyone! Transportation not included.


Thanks Sarah, It's great having the ETC crew around.

Isn't there usually a clause on the bottom of those contests that anyone with any close relation to any employee of the company is not eligible to win the contest.

hehe

[derekleffew]

Back to original topic. sclausen may have helped dramatech, but no one has helped OP Wolf. Are you able to contact someone at the venue? Now we're all curious.:neutral:

This seems a good time to reiterate how important it is for every venue, no matter how small or ill-equipped, to develop a Tech Info Packet. See http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/c...o-packets.html. It would be great if all information was collected in one central location on the interwebs. Many sites have tried and failed, one was even a commercial venture. I've mentioned before that reading a theatre's Technical Specifications immediately gives one an impression of the skill level/knowledge of its technicians, which can be more useful to a user than the inventory list. Peruse Stagespecs Online - Online portal for Theatre and Entertainment Industry Professionals sometime. Fascinating.

[Wolf]

So I forward some of this to my friend who had gone to the venue and he said that it sounded just like what Sclausen had described. So I guess it is Acclaim 300.

So did ETC buy this product way back when?, and how could it be the Inspire and Acclaim?

[Wolf]

Well im still trying to find out what board it is and information on it that a friend of mine (and myself) will be using he swears it is an ETC Inspire witch I cant find (although my friend says it sounds just like what drmatech described) (This is the other thread describing what he told me and others http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/l...pire-help.html). So im thinking now that there is an ETC Inspire under that name out there somewhere OR it’s an ETC Acclaim. So to what I am hoping someone can supply, I would greatly appreciate if someone had a picture of either an ETC Inspire or the ETC Acclaim (I found the manual and sent the sketch pic to him but that is of the 100 sires and it would most likely be the 300 hundred series that is this broad)

Thanks

[avkid]

Acclaim 112

[JohnA]

Hi,

I just happen to have a picture of the Acclaim 300, as it is used in one of the schools where I volunteer. The preset channels comrise the left side of the board. The submasters & softpatch are on the right hand side.

Hope that helps,

John Adamson

[gafftaper]

Wolf, although she didn't directly say it, I'm pretty sure that Sara Clausen was confirming the other posts that there's no such thing as ETC console called "Inspire".

The best thing would be for you to get your friend or someone who works at the theater to e-mail you a picture of the console and post it here. Then someone can tell you what it really is and help you find the manual.

[Wolf]

Wolf, although she didn't directly say it, I'm pretty sure that Sara Clausen was confirming the other posts that there's no such thing as ETC console called "Inspire".

The best thing would be for you to get your friend or someone who works at the theater to e-mail you a picture of the console and post it here. Then someone can tell you what it really is and help you find the manual.

yeah after sending him the pictures of the acclaim he is sure that is not it. I will be meeting with him as well as the former TD of the theatre (it may be the TD for the dance group im not entirely sure) at the theatre and I will be sure to take a picture and all the information I can find on the console and report back here.

Thanks for all of you for trying your hardest to help with this, also any further ideas before I actually see this board would be fine.

Thanks

[dramatech]

Sarah was correct and the picture from AVKID was right on. The board that I used, the day I mention, at FSU, was an Acclaim. I'm sorry that I hadn't responded more quickly, but I'm 250 miles from FSU and my computer seems to crash after I do quick posts on controlbooth. I have a lot of issues with my computer that will hopefully be corrected after a visit from "affordable geeks"

[gafftaper]

Sarah was correct and the picture from AVKID was right on. The board that I used, the day I mention, at FSU, was an Acclaim. I'm sorry that I hadn't responded more quickly, but I'm 250 miles from FSU and my computer seems to crash after I do quick posts on controlbooth. I have a lot of issues with my computer that will hopefully be corrected after a visit from "affordable geeks"

Apology accepted now hurry up and get that computer fixed! You are letting CB down! We need to hear everyone's voice. Post more!

[Grog12]

Apology accepted now hurry up and get that computer fixed! You are letting CB down! We need to hear everyone's voice. Post more!

I bring nothing to the table.

I only post because gaff told me too.

[sclausenETC]

Ok, I'm willing to admit it when I'm wrong - but in this case I know we did not make a console called "Inspire". Now I really want to see a photo of this mythical desk! And for the record, I've been trying to upload a PDF of the Acclaim 300 datasheet, but have been thwarted by the gods of forum postings. :-( I've posted at our forums instead in case anyone is really interested in knowing what the Acclaim 300 looked like.

And I'm not so sure that the proffered prize was worth winning... ;-)

Thanks!

Sarah

Sarah Clausen
Controls Product Manager
ETC, Inc.

[Wolf]

So sorry I didnt get back to my own thread sooner but without further adieu...

I got to the venue a few weeks ago and looked at the board. It was a ETC Vision. I could have lost it. I have no idea how my friend got Inspire out of Vision ugh.

but if you still like to pass any tips about this console on that would be fine.

Thanks for ALL you help.

[Malabaristo]

The manual is available here on ETC's website. If you're familiar with programming an Express/Expression style console, you won't be completely lost. Some things are arranged bit differently, of course, and it's fairly limited: 100 channels, 200 cues. There were a lot of different output options at the time, so it's hard to know what you'll have available for that.
One thing that may be important for you to know is that the floppy drive is Double Density (720k formatted). If you use the more common 1.44M, High Density disk, you may have problems reading from or writing to disk reliably. If you want a backup you can count on, then you'll have to scrounge up some proper DD disks... good luck with that.

[derekleffew]

Good call on the disks, Malabaristo. Also be aware that the video out is 9pin TTL monochrome, but I believe there's also B/W composite on a BNC jack. Sadly, it's the lack of VGA output that dooms most older consoles (from all manufacturers, not just ETC), and not, necessarily, the feature set.