You have that backwards. PerformANCE was first and large; PerforMER came about two years later and was small enough to tour.I never played with a Performance. I only recall what folks told me about how it functioned. I don't recall anything like this on the larger Performer desk.
And yes, Performer is the only one I know of with an unlabeled gold button. I'm pretty sure the Performer I didn't have it, and I don't know what they did with Performer IV, but I think not. So really we're only looking at Performer II/III.
See the thread https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/1984-wont-be-like-1984-kliegl-performer.21488/
From https://www.theatrecrafts.com/bhc/equipment/kliegl-performer :
FROM STEVE TERRY, 3 Jan 2020:
"The Performer was the outgrowth of the TI 99000-based Performance--which was a Kliegl response to the Century Multi-Q from David Cunningham. Performance was physically huge and cost in the neighborhood of $40,000. It was the first implementation of a 16-bit on-chip microprocessor in a lighting control system. Production Arts bought one of them to run a big animated Coca-Cola sign for trade show applications. It needed a roadbox the size of a small house. Performer used the same processor.
Performer was dreamed up by Gordon and Steve Carlson. The first implementation of the hardware was executed by Precision Controls, Kliegl's electronics subcontractor. It was fairly unreliable, but still sold a lot. Production Arts ordered five of them at $15,000 each. These Performer I units can be identified by the red top on the enclosure. They were the first memory consoles in history suited to rental use. There was no FedEx at the time, but the frequent replacements could be shipped by Greyhound bus.
About 18 months later, the Performer II/III was released. Steve Carlson did the PCB layout, which eliminated the very unreliable mother/daughter two board arrangement of Performer 1. Performer II/III has a black top cover. Production Arts bought about 15 of these units--they rented for $500 the first week and $250 per week thereafter.
I remember the Lighting Dimensions article on this. IIRC, the hardest part was the stripe underline.Production Arts bought one of them to run a big animated Coca-Cola sign for trade show applications.
This picture
indicates the "Gold Access Button" is also used for Dimmer Check, but I have no recollection of that.
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