Stevens R. Miller
Well-Known Member
Hey all, my son's (former) middle school's venerable old Innovator 48/96 has finally gone lights-out itself, and the school needs a replacement. There is no drama teacher nor anyone on staff who has responsibility for the thing. What's happened is that the contract director they use to run their fall and spring musicals has been authorized to spend no more than $3,000 to replace it. She, in turn, has asked me for advice.
Now, the Innovator is a perfectly good board, but I've learned by helping them use it that, in fact, they virtually don't use it. What I mean is that, except when someone like me comes along and actually programs cues into it, the kids operate it by memorizing the cues and slamming the individual faders back and forth as fast they can when a scene changes. And that's why the thing has finally died: those little faders were never meant to stand up to being treated like video-game controllers, and a number of them are now bent, scratchy, or otherwise unreliable.
The theater space is a pretty good one, with 48 DMX-512 dimmers controlling instruments on two bars (one stage, one house), two banks of three-color gels, and the house incandescents (in nine subsections). The Innovator has not been wasted for lack of lights or dimmers. But, no one on the school staff has ever really learned to use it. I've suggested that the head of the music department take it on, but she firmly (and courteously) declined. I've suggested that the Technical Education teachers could make it a "module," comparable to model rocketry or wood-working. No traction there, either.
I've run the lights in that theater for a couple of shows, but I gave up on the Innovator (since I knew it was near death) and have used my computer, an Enttec interface, and Stefan Krupop's DMXControl 2.12 software. My setup works perfectly so I'm inclined to suggest to the director that she go the same route: buy an Enttec interface and a good laptop, and let anyone willing to run lights download DMXControl 2.12 and learn to use it. That last part feels like a mixed blessing, though. On the one hand, anyone can run DMXControl 2.12 on a Windows computer, and even program cues and so forth, while completely unconnected to any actual dimmers. That's a big win, because time in the school's theater with the actual hardware is extremely hard to get (as they teach classes in there). On the other hand, however, if no one learns to use DMXControl 2.12, there is no back-up plan, because there will be no big board with lots of faders on it to slam around when the show starts.
Rather than presume I know enough to advise the director (who is a great person, but knows little about the technical side of lighting), I'm here asking for help myself. To summarize:
- Middle school has a 48-channel DMX-512 universe with good lights.
- Their Innovator 48/96 console has died.
- No one on school staff has responsibility for theater lights.
- Contract director has been letting kids run the lights manually with the faders for shows.
- The kids are bright, but there's no guarantee any of them will learn to use DMXControl 2.12.
- Time in the theater to learn how to use a console is almost non-existent.
- They have $3,000 to spend on a lighting control system.
What should I recommend to the director that she buy?
Thanks!
Now, the Innovator is a perfectly good board, but I've learned by helping them use it that, in fact, they virtually don't use it. What I mean is that, except when someone like me comes along and actually programs cues into it, the kids operate it by memorizing the cues and slamming the individual faders back and forth as fast they can when a scene changes. And that's why the thing has finally died: those little faders were never meant to stand up to being treated like video-game controllers, and a number of them are now bent, scratchy, or otherwise unreliable.
The theater space is a pretty good one, with 48 DMX-512 dimmers controlling instruments on two bars (one stage, one house), two banks of three-color gels, and the house incandescents (in nine subsections). The Innovator has not been wasted for lack of lights or dimmers. But, no one on the school staff has ever really learned to use it. I've suggested that the head of the music department take it on, but she firmly (and courteously) declined. I've suggested that the Technical Education teachers could make it a "module," comparable to model rocketry or wood-working. No traction there, either.
I've run the lights in that theater for a couple of shows, but I gave up on the Innovator (since I knew it was near death) and have used my computer, an Enttec interface, and Stefan Krupop's DMXControl 2.12 software. My setup works perfectly so I'm inclined to suggest to the director that she go the same route: buy an Enttec interface and a good laptop, and let anyone willing to run lights download DMXControl 2.12 and learn to use it. That last part feels like a mixed blessing, though. On the one hand, anyone can run DMXControl 2.12 on a Windows computer, and even program cues and so forth, while completely unconnected to any actual dimmers. That's a big win, because time in the school's theater with the actual hardware is extremely hard to get (as they teach classes in there). On the other hand, however, if no one learns to use DMXControl 2.12, there is no back-up plan, because there will be no big board with lots of faders on it to slam around when the show starts.
Rather than presume I know enough to advise the director (who is a great person, but knows little about the technical side of lighting), I'm here asking for help myself. To summarize:
- Middle school has a 48-channel DMX-512 universe with good lights.
- Their Innovator 48/96 console has died.
- No one on school staff has responsibility for theater lights.
- Contract director has been letting kids run the lights manually with the faders for shows.
- The kids are bright, but there's no guarantee any of them will learn to use DMXControl 2.12.
- Time in the theater to learn how to use a console is almost non-existent.
- They have $3,000 to spend on a lighting control system.
What should I recommend to the director that she buy?
Thanks!