Who makes a light console with presets?

[ksteele]

I have a new ETC conventional lighting system with a SmartFader 24/96 console. The SmartFader does not support presets. By presets, I am referring to assigning scenes to buttons on the console and playing the scenes back by simply pressing the appropriate buttons. It offers "stack" or "cue" mode, but not direct access to the scenes.

I need a console that will allow me to set a custom scene, then assign the scene to a button including the amount of time it takes to fade in. I should be able to recall the scene simply by pressing the button. I would like about 24 of these preset buttons.

Does anyone make a lighting console under $4000 with these features?

[Footer]

Originally Posted by ksteele

I have a new ETC conventional lighting system with a SmartFader 24/96 console. The SmartFader does not support presets. By presets, I am referring to assigning scenes to buttons on the console and playing the scenes back by simply pressing the appropriate buttons. It offers "stack" or "cue" mode, but not direct access to the scenes.
I need a console that will allow me to set a custom scene, then assign the scene to a button including the amount of time it takes to fade in. I should be able to recall the scene simply by pressing the button. I would like about 24 of these preset buttons.
Does anyone make a lighting console under $4000 with these features?

Well, very few consoles have a true button for that feature, most higher end consoles can do that on a pallet on a touchscreen. I would look at the DJ market, they might have something with a tactile control. On most consoles you could write a simple macro or a "goto" button to do that rather easy.

[jmabray]

Originally Posted by ksteele

I have a new ETC conventional lighting system with a SmartFader 24/96 console. The SmartFader does not support presets. By presets, I am referring to assigning scenes to buttons on the console and playing the scenes back by simply pressing the appropriate buttons. It offers "stack" or "cue" mode, but not direct access to the scenes.
I need a console that will allow me to set a custom scene, then assign the scene to a button including the amount of time it takes to fade in. I should be able to recall the scene simply by pressing the button. I would like about 24 of these preset buttons.
Does anyone make a lighting console under $4000 with these features?

Ummm.. The Smartfade will do this - or at least something very close to this.

Record a memory to a fader. Bring in the fader at the time that you want your "preset" to occur in

It's not exactly a button press, but it's pretty close....


go here for more info....

Jeff

[zac850]

For less then $4,000 you can get a used Express, they all have 10 pages of 24 subs.

I've also used an NSI MC 1616. It's got 16 bump buttons. Cross fade time is controlled by a fader, not programed into the button, but besides that it seems close to what your looking for. For an extra $50 you can get it with DMX in addition to Microplex.

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by zac850

For less then $4,000 you can get a used Express, they all have 10 pages of 24 subs.
.

Correct. You can easily configure ea. of the 24 Sub's bump buttons to fade in/out in a prescribed time, with a push of the button.

A simple Express 24 would work well. Probably would have been a better choice to begin with.

SB

[gafftaper]

I believe there are some new Strand consoles that might allow you to do what you want but budget might be a problem.

Personally I like the Used Express 24/48 idea.

If you can push your budget up you can push buttons all day on a Congo and not run out of presets.

EDIT check out the new Strand Sub Pallet... 128 submasters. Price is the only question.

[Grog12]

grand-MA makes one. You use the executor buttons to do exactly what you want. Basically you assign a cue list to one of the executor buttons. Pricing wise you probably want to look at the Micro or the Pico...but it still may be a little spendy.

[stantonsound]

For a few hundred bucks, you can pick up a NSI MLC 128R or MLC 16. Both do this. You just set the stage how you want it, push record twice, then the scene button. You control the fade time between the two scenes with the turn of a dial. Both support several hundred scenes, and you can use conventional or moving fixtures. These are great boards for smaller shows or taking a small show on the road.

[Grog12]

Ooof...so for the record my suggestion doesn't make your budgetary constrictions. By any means.

[JD]

Originally Posted by stantonsound

For a few hundred bucks, you can pick up a NSI MLC 128R or MLC 16. Both do this.

Yea, a lot of the super cheap boards like the Elation Scene Setter 48 not only allow sequences on demand, they will do proportional overlap of scenes. In fact on that board, you can set the lower 24 channels as submasters for preset scenes which can all contain proportional channel dimming. Unfortunately, you can't stack DMX boards! ummm... however, let me interject a sneaky way of doing that- If your dimmers and instruments are set to hold the last value given, you can actually use a double pole switch to hard switch between DMX lines. (in other words, use more than one board!) Nobody talks about it, but it's been working for me for years. (Back in network IT biz, we used to do this with network lines.) I always figured hashed data packets would be a problem, but I guess they get a clean one in about one 44,000th of a second and are happy as I have not run into any glitches. Needless to say, the switch should be in a shielded box and needs to keep the circuit common (pin 1) and case ground separate. (Warning- these are my results and may not be yours!)