Grand MA

[Pie4Weebl]

I'm doing a small ML gig (4 technobeams, 4 studio colors, 2 color blazes) and was thinking this might be a nice opportunity to expand my range of boards I can use. I was looking at trying out the GrandMA. For a one day rental its $50 more to go for the Full size than the lite. In your opinion is it worth it? So the extra screens and buttons make the shows easier to run? The show is a concert with few cues pre-planned so I would be doing it all on the fly.

I might just play it safe and get a hog if its cheaper.

[jmabray]

The Full size is definitely worth the 50 extra bucks.

The problem is that that particular console is not one that you can just "pick up" on the fly, at least in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, its a superb desk. But find someone to give you some training on it before you try to use it.

[SerraAva]

I agree with jmabray. Its not something you will really pick up in one day. If you can't really play with it for a couple days at least, I would get something you are more comfortable with. If you really want to try it out and can't play for more then the day, play with the off line editor to see the ins and outs of the Ma first before ordering. Just realize that having the console and the off line editor are two different things onto themselves. Now, as for the question so 50 bucks worth a Grand Ma over a Ma Lite, hell yea.

[SerraAva]

Link to Ma's website for Off Line Editor in Software and scroll down: http://www.malighting.com/lighting_consoles.html?&tx_lightpowerpdb_pi1[parent_gruppe]=215&tx_lightpowerpdb_pi1[produkt_id]=1&tx_lightpowerpdb_pi1[bereich_id]=2&cHash=4c641d52cf

[soundman]

If I were I would get the MA over the hog if you know your way around the hog. I couldn't think of a better time to test drive a new desk (well save a showroom) then a show with some cmy, some movers and some LEDS should give you a taste of everything. If you understand the ideas behind the hog switching to the MA wont be too much, just keep the mannuel handy becasue what your lookingfor mightbe called something differnt or locatedin a differnt place.

[Grog12]

If you've ran a hog a lot you should flop over into g-Ma pretty easy. Take the time to download the editor as others have suggested because setting up your views is what will take you the longest.

Yes spend the extra 50.

And download this http://www.actlighting.com/Downloads.../Thesaurus.PDF which is a reference guide to grandMA for hog programmers. I've been using it in reverse since I learned a MA first.

[jonhirsh]

Um... Honestly for $50 more its not that big a deal but; it is serious overkill as you know. It will not make your life any easier, as some one who is new to grandMA just rember you will need to set up your windows from scratch or use the Demo show to get you started. This is a time consuming process, it is three times more time consuming on an grandMA vs. a grandMA lite.

I would stick with the lite. If you could have the desk for a day or two or could go to the demo room at the shop and play with it then get the ful size console.

The Hog will always be cheeper then a fulsize grandMA but the reason for that should be obvious. The hog was more popular.... but things are changing.

JH

[SerraAva]

I actually have the Ma far more popular then the Hog now a days. Use to be everyone ran a Hog II, now I see nothing but Ma's for tours, sometimes an Avolites for the old school rockers. Biggest grip I have with the Hog III is being so PC based, its more prone to crashes which is why the people I talk to on the tours say they take the Ma over the Hog. The last Broadway tour of Fame, the guy had 3 Grand Ma's, one which sat at back of house to run the show, one off stage in case the one out front went down for whatever reason, and one that he rolled around on state to update focus and minor programing. Boy was I jealous. Best part was anything done on the one automatically reprogrammed the other two through Ma Net.

There has been more mix up as far as board of choice goes now. The Eos and Ion are extremely easy to work with from what I hear and the Jands Vista is a cool new way of thinking about how to program things.

[Pie4Weebl]

in the end the $$ won and im going for an iPC which will be a good bit cheaper.

[SerraAva]

Good luck with the show Pie4Weebl. Still give the off line editor a try for next time.