Control/Dimming - Motorized Fader Lighting Console

[TimmyP1955]

Does anybody make one? It's silly to need a monitor so that when you switch pages, make adjustments, and then return, you can see what your fader levels were. I suppose one could use a Yamaha O1V, O1V/96, or LS9 plus a MIDI-DMX contraption, but that would be a bit of a waste :-)

[Gildebrand]

Have a look at GrandMA.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by TimmyP1955

Does anybody make one? It's silly to need a monitor so that when you switch pages, make adjustments, and then return, you can see what your fader levels were. I suppose one could use a Yamaha O1V, O1V/96, or LS9 plus a MIDI-DMX contraption, but that would be a bit of a waste :-)

ETC Eos

--Sean

[derekleffew]

["Flying Faders" is a trademark of Martinsound (much like "Effects Engine" is a trademark of FPS/HES/Barco), so I've renamed this thread.]

Besides the above, Wholehog III and Maxxyz also come to mind as consoles using motorised (for our English-speaking, non-US friends). Notice anything common among all these consoles? Hint: They're all the top-of-the-line, flagship consoles from each manufacturer. Reason: Motorized faders add considerably to the cost of a console, thus it's doubtful you'll ever see an Element or other console with motorized individual channel faders. In fact, all of the above consoles use their motorized faders neither for channels nor submasters, but for executor, sequence, or cue list masters, and most, if not all, expansion wings lack the capability.

Yes, it's nice, sometimes, when the consoles have them, but hardly a deal breaker. Makes much more sense for a digital audio console to have them when recalling scenes and such than for a lighting control console, where single-parameter (intensity-only) fixtures are giving way to fixtures that also require control of position, color, and beam attributes.

IF you feel you are being hindered by the lack of motorized faders, TimmyP1955 (and not trying to pick on you ), you can search for a console with enough handles so you don't ever have to change pages (though, depending on your needs, you'll likely be hard pressed to find one).
OR, as we often advise here on Control Booth, stop depending on the channel faders or submasters to set levels and USE the keypad. Until the Element's LTP handles, channel/sub handles were of limited use for editing anyway, because, after initial recording, additive subs could only make things brighter, but couldn't decrease intensity.

The days of ninety channel QM500s, Celco Golds (and Insight 108s) and two-scene presets (sorry, SteveB ) are over. But by all means, embrace the grandMA, Eos, and Maxxyz.

[avalentino]

Actually, Eos uses its motorized faders primarily for submaster and grand master control, to eliminate the need to do fader matching when pages are changed. Since the default position for the faders running cues is full, the motorized faders are not used to track fade progression.

:-)

Anne Valentino
Eos/Ion Product Manager
ETC

[soundman]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

["Flying Faders" is a trademark of Martinsound (much like "Effects Engine" is a trademark of FPS/HES/Barco), so I've renamed this thread.]

Besides the above, Wholehog III and Maxxyz also come to mind as consoles using motorised (for our English-speaking, non-US friends). Notice anything common among all these consoles? Hint: They're all the top-of-the-line, flagship consoles from each manufacturer. Reason: Motorized faders add considerably to the cost of a console, thus it's doubtful you'll ever see an Element or other console with motorized individual channel faders. In fact, all of the above consoles use their motorized faders neither for channels nor submasters, but for executor, sequence, or cue list masters, and most, if not all, expansion wings lack the capability.
.

You must have a very customized hog 3 because the production models that the rest of us are driving do not have motorized faders.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by avalentino

... Since the default position for the faders running cues is full, the motorized faders are not used to track fade progression.

I believe none of the other consoles' motorized faders track fade progression either. (But wasn't it fun, thirty years ago on a 2-scene, setting a time fade, inaccurately via a rotary knob, then moving the masters quickly and watching the LEDs follow as the crossfade completed!?)

As long as you brought it up (and seeing as how wrong I was about the Hog3, see below--I guess I'm just not that good in classes --I may have this point wrong also) can you explain the oddity about a cue list master not controlling the intensity of the cue list on the Eos?

Originally Posted by soundman

You must have a very customized hog 3 because the production models that the rest of us are driving do not have motorized faders.

You are correct; I was in error. The last time I touched a Hog3 was at a class in 2002, which led me to my conviction that I would never touch one again. I know we talked about it in the class, but I must have mis-remembered the responses. Original post has been edited, thanks for paying attention.

[metti]

I think that the Jands Vista might have them two but not on the playbacks. Feel free to correct me if Im wrong.

[TimOlson]

I think the grandMa implements this the best - changing the page doesn't release the previous page. you can have as many cuelists playing as there are pages available to fill - on the grandMa it's in the 900 cuelist range.

by paging back and forth, the faders jump to the correct place for each list.

using a submaster playback for one single dimmer channel can be quite useful, and if you are in a situation where there is no cueing time then having that special on a handle can be just the ticket.

peace,

Tim O