Cue Light Systems

http://www.leonaudio.com.au/index.htm#Cue Light is what I've seen being used a number of places. It's fully digital and addressable.

Footer said:

All of the LED/modular systems are great if your in a black box or cueing the rail etc. However, they are not going to work for deck shifts in a large venue. Its common to have 2-3 different baskets on each side of stage, hanging at least 20' off deck from service truss. They have to be bright enough to compete with full stage lighting and be seen from 60' away. None of the LED systems do that. They also have to be able to be seen when they are not on. Also, not something the LED systems do well. Don't get me wrong, the LED systems are great, but they are not perfect.

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I must have missed this quote earlier, but I couldn't agree more. My school uses the Leon Audio system that has just been posted, and while it's admittedly much easier to set up and strike on a regular basis, they're nowhere near as effective or versatile as traditional baskets. As Footer said, it's much more difficult to see them from far away, and most systems don't allow you the flexibility to have three different colors at various positions around the theatre. And, for me personally, it's much easier to take cues from an on/off state of a switch rather than waiting for a dim yellow LED to change to a dim green LED, then start flashing at me.

For example, most big shows these days will have three cue lights at the rail, and they do this by plugging a ~30' length of colored rope light each cue light circuit, then running the rope light behind the arbors along the length of the rail. So no matter where you're standing on the rail, the cue lights are always directly in front of you. Try finding an ideal place to put three LED cue lights where they can be easily seen from anywhere along the rail - not to mention the difficulty in determining which cue light you're actually supposed to respond to. A friend at the Vivian Beaumont tells a story about the automation operator who used to unscrew the spare cue light lamp and stick his finger in the socket so that he could take a nap and would be woken up when the SM put him in standby. Probably not the most important design goals of cue light systems, but try to do that with an LED!

What, I swear this thread was empty when I posted my reply :S

I'm gonna blame Tapatalk and my 3G provider...

One of the things the CBMods do is to merge similar threads to try and reduce the clutter.
I don't know if one of my colleagues has done that in this instance, but I would not rule it out...

rochem said:

I must have missed this quote earlier, but I couldn't agree more. My school uses the Leon Audio system that has just been posted, and while it's admittedly much easier to set up and strike on a regular basis, they're nowhere near as effective or versatile as traditional baskets. As Footer said, it's much more difficult to see them from far away, and most systems don't allow you the flexibility to have three different colors at various positions around the theatre. And, for me personally, it's much easier to take cues from an on/off state of a switch rather than waiting for a dim yellow LED to change to a dim green LED, then start flashing at me.

For example, most big shows these days will have three cue lights at the rail, and they do this by plugging a ~30' length of colored rope light each cue light circuit, then running the rope light behind the arbors along the length of the rail. So no matter where you're standing on the rail, the cue lights are always directly in front of you. Try finding an ideal place to put three LED cue lights where they can be easily seen from anywhere along the rail - not to mention the difficulty in determining which cue light you're actually supposed to respond to.

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I have the Leon Audio system and initially had the same issues. I got them to custom burn new firmware so that the outstations operate in a "US" way- green light stays on until turned off. That way our SM's and crews don't have to relearn how they take cues. I also built a relay system that uses Leon Audio relay stations to activate line-voltage relays that switch on our three colors of ropelight on the flyrail. It has been working fine for almost 4 1/2 years.

Our crews have never had an issue seeing the LEDs on the Leon Audio outstations- even across the stage during a bright scene.

-Todd

I'd never seen the rope light system on a fly rail until I moved down to Atlanta. Now I see it in just about every theatre here. Usually four colors, red, blue, clear and amber. A great idea that I can't believe I never thought of!

I'll have to get pictures when we complete ours. Its rope light behind the T-track so, the lineman only has to look towards the rope he is already going to be pulling on to get cued. We also put squawk boxes above their heads for load in and out, so instead of a clunky headset while boxes are moving, its a box wired out of the way with drop down hand mics to talk back to the system. (we also have 1 on the loading bridge, and 2 up above our grid.)

We went with a Red, Blue, White, Green coloring scheme since the shows that come through use 3 of those colors for cues.

Has anyone used the LogiCue system from NuDelta Digital? If so, what did you think of it?

NuDelta Digital

cpf said:

If you're up to DIYing it, could easily do it with ethernet, Wi-Fi, generic RF, a low-speed 2-wire serial connection (over XLR) daisy-chained to all the cue lights (in descending order of price).

Orrr, for a cut-and-dried solution, use Easy to use Digital Theatre Cue Light this system, and the relay outstation model controlling low-voltage lamps powered from wall-wart supplies.

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I am interested in using a wifi wired cue light as I have recently designed a wifi cue light to use between smartphones and 8 channel between tablet and phones.
I posted up elsewhere on a forum and they suggested that it would be also good to control wifi enabled existing cue lights. No experience in how to find them so any help would be good.
Plus how to have them separated on channels? my app plus video is at www.stagecue.eu if you want to see what I have got to so far, It will have later updates as time progresses

The stagecue is kind of interesting - and probably very right priced - but I worry about it being there when you need it.

I've become fond of the Leon Audio - which does have relay stations to control 120 volt loads like rope light or baskets - but also for simplicity and low cost. I wouldn't call it "fully digital" because it doesn't really easily live in a network world, but that keeps it actor and stage manager friendly as well. Topology free in terms of wiring - wye, diasy chain, whatever at will - is a bonus as well.

EustaceM said:

Cue light system

Does anyone know of a non-permanent cue light system?
Warn cast & crew. Aknowledable button. Go button.

Hopefully one that additional stations can be added when need be

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I have developed this originally on Android Tablets but now on iPad as of today 27.8.14 if of interest

The iPad 8 channel controller + free remote cue light apps is officially launched today.
For those that have been waiting for the iPad version it has now arrived.

3 NEW FEATURES:
999 Cue Lists, exportable by csv to Dropbox or create on Excel and import from dropbox. Individual channels can be programmed on the iPad or if more convenient in Excel.

Cue List rolling numbers show on the FREE Remote for iPhone. So you know where you are in the show See image here.

Now cross platform capability already built in with the Android Phone App. (we are hard at work on the Android app to make it cross compatible and should be ready in a few days) You will be informed of the free update here.

REMOTE APP LINK:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stagecue-remote/id909599978?mt=8

8 CHANNEL IPAD:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stagecue-8-channel-master/id909617868?mt=8

Or look at Stagecue.eu to pick up the links from there for apple and android.

thanks
Jon

Anyone have a Leon Audio cue light system installed that a client could come look at? They don't have any demo units in the US. Client is in Houston TX. Thanks.

BillConnerASTC said:

Anyone have a Leon Audio cue light system installed that a client could come look at? They don't have any demo units in the US. Client is in Houston TX. Thanks.

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The Long Center in Austin has one. I'm not on staff there anymore, but I can pass along contact info.

-Todd

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Wow - fantastic if you could. Muchas gracias. (Not intended to be racially insensitive!)

Just curious for those who use permanent cue light systems like Leon Audio, do you typically run temp cabling per show or have permanent cabling installed? For leon system it looks like audio tie-line cables could re-purposed for cue-light signals pretty easily, but is that the usual approach? (I've never worked on a show with a cue light system, always been interested in them)

No idea what "usual" is but in our work, we tend to install conduit, wire, and receptacle plates just for cue light system. Seems to make sense but there is some additional expense. We haven't found that all systems really could work on one network but the concept has appeal, I admit. Current project has three or four totally separate networks - all with their own switches and patch bays - for one theatre.

Interesting, any reason you decide not to share conduit with intercom? (I would think the intercom and cue light receptacles would show up side-by-side in a lot of areas)

Here is a non permanent cue light system over wifi if any help.
It can run phone to phone or 8 channel iPad to 8 phones, a mix of Apple and android is possible too.

Very stable in use I hear!

Www.stagecue.eu

Jon Shepherd said:

Here is a non permanent cue light system over wifi if any help.
It can run phone to phone or 8 channel iPad to 8 phones, a mix of Apple and android is possible too.

Very stable in use I hear!

Www.stagecue.eu

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So in ten years, do you believe this one will have no more failures than, say, the Leon Audio system or a system of switches and lights? In a mission-critical situation, would you be as comfortable relying on wifi and tcp/ip as on hard wire and simple switches? I would not. And over ten years, which will cost more? Can't help but believe the wifi and network will ultimately have more components replaced and need more time - which is not always a concern but in a professional setting is and is a real cost. Old fashioned cue light systems would last 20-30 years. I don't believe any tablet/smart phone/network system will come close to being operational in 20-30 years, and when you really just want the simple functions of a cue light, does it matter you <can> do more? Are the benefits really worth the greater complexity?

Jon Shepherd said:

Here is a non permanent cue light system over wifi if any help.
It can run phone to phone or 8 channel iPad to 8 phones, a mix of Apple and android is possible too.

Very stable in use I hear!

Www.stagecue.eu

Click to expand...

Good idea, until the show gets helps up while the flymen is watching this on his screen...