Memory Lighting Control Systems

[derekleffew]

1968, Century Memo-Q by George Van Buren
...
2008, PRG V676

edit: The Master List now appears at http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/c...s-history.html. Feel free to make any additions, provided they are accurate.

[Darthrob13]

2008 Strand Palette II, Palette VL

[SteveB]

It was time to open up some of the manufacturers catalog binders still on the shelf.

- Colortran Prestige 3000-2000-1000 at least as early as March 1985, according to the date on the brochure. Possibly the intro's were 3000, then 2000, then 1000, as the 1000 brochure has an August 1985 date.

- Colortran Channel Track and Patchman were built by ETC for C-Tran, BTW.

- Colortran Patchman brochure has a 1982 date on it. My operations manual says 1983

- I have a TTI catalog with 2 memory consoles, the catalog is dated 1981.
- The PTR Prompter - 24,36,48 & 60 channel versions, single CRT, Cassette or Floppy storage, designed to be portable as it has a handle on the front.
- The D-1999 Lighting Control Center, full sized desk, 120 channels.

- From the Strand Century book:
- A LightBoard XP - no date, 4000 dimmers. Possibly around 1990 as it is shown with the DC90 dimmer
- The July 1981 catalog of the Light Palette shows it simply as Light Palette, no I, II etc...
- I have a 1977 SC catalog for the baby brother of the Multi-Q, called the Micro-Q, which I used in one of my spaces at BC. 2 scene controller with memory add-on modules.

- My Express 250 serial numbers give a June 1997 manufacturing date and I'm pretty certain they were introduced at least a year earlier, as I had a demo. from Ken Romaine at the Pro Arts NJ location long before we purchased.

Great list, BTW.

Steve B.

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by SteveB

...I have a TTI catalog with 2 memory consoles, the catalog is dated 1981. ...

Is one of them the DataCue?

edit: DataCue was made by Teatronics, not Theatre Techniques, Inc. (TTI). Always got the two companies confused.

Many of the above dates were from when I first encountered a console, so the introduction is certainly to be earlier.

[Van]

When was the "Micro-Star" introduced? and does it count? It was an Apple IIe based kit with lighting software, you could wire up to an analogue board, and make it into a CCC < computer controlled console>

[SteveB]

Originally Posted by derekleffew

Is one of them the DataCue?
[/COLOR]

No, just the info as I posted. I really don't recall either of these units, only remembering a TTI unit that looked like the C-Tran ColorTrack and Kliegl Performer. Both of these TTI units [Edit: In the brochure I have] had separate CRT's - shown on their own rolling stands.

ColorTrack was shown in the music video done by Phil Collins and Phillip Bailey - "She's an Easy Lover" - 1984, btw.

Additionally, right around the into of the Kliegl (Thorn) Q-File was the baby brother - Q-Level, which used faders to build looks, then recorded. Also a Thorn unit.

I'm away for a week or so, but will need to get these brochures scanned and e-mailed to you. Some cool stuff.

SB

[Sean]

How about the Mantrix MX from Strand? Anyone use that one?

I'm guessing it was released ~1992 or so.

--Sean

[MNicolai]

Oh, c'mon, the Congo (Jr.) wasn't that bad that it's not even list-worthy.

[cdub260]

Originally Posted by Van

When was the "Micro-Star" introduced? and does it count? It was an Apple IIe based kit with lighting software, you could wire up to an analogue board, and make it into a CCC < computer controlled console>

I remember that system. Orange Coast College had one when I was a student there.

[Van]

Originally Posted by cdub260

I remember that system. Orange Coast College had one when I was a student there.

Yeah a lighting designer named Tony Nye and i installed one in the Tsa-La-Ghi theatre's board. It was 96 channels of Kleigel fun!