Why rooster?

[Dionysus]

Yoke

not Yolk (admittedly it might explain the origin of Rooster)

Yeah but lots of creatures have eggs and yolks not just chickens, by the same token you could call it Platypusing.
However could be the origin. Still doesn't make it make sense. Im sure some imaginative soul could come up with a better nickname.

 

[kicknargel]

NEVER heard the term "Rooster" before this. Either Yolk-out or Yolk-up.

At the McManus Theatre (Studio at The Grand Theatre in London Ontario) we have to yolk out most fixtures (except for the first electric) simply because if not you are physically hitting the catwalk or unable to focus (depending on the fixture). Other times we have to yolk way out to hit what we are aiming for (getting obstructions out of the way) or such.
With the old Strand Century 6-by-'s they can hang straight down on the catwalk but you would have to have the fixture already pointing out instead of straight down \

I think you might be onto something here. Before hanging, you've got a fixture with the yolk straight up, in line with the fixture. Not thinking it through, you hang the clamp on the pipe, push the fixture forward a little to clear the catwalk and tighten the clamp. Then you loosen the tilt knob and tilt the fixture toward the stage.

Good news is it's an easy fix.

"Rooster" has been common parlance almost everywhere I've worked.

 

[Dionysus]

I think you might be onto something here. Before hanging, you've got a fixture with the yolk straight up, in line with the fixture. Not thinking it through, you hang the clamp on the pipe, push the fixture forward a little to clear the catwalk and tighten the clamp. Then you loosen the tilt knob and tilt the fixture toward the stage.

Good news is it's an easy fix.

"Rooster" has been common parlance almost everywhere I've worked.

Indeed, or just loosten off the tilt before you hang and there you go. I do do this sometimes. Hey Yolk is plumb.

Like many things its all about what you've heard other people call something, so it can be quite regional. Ive heard some things called real wierd names.

 

[ptero]

Just adding my two cents for "yoke" not "yolk", and "rooster" is yoking straight up above the pipe, while "yoking" is tipping out somewhat from simple gravity hung, below the pipe. How's that for mud? At my main space's foh we routinely yoke out 10-15 degrees due to space limitation for bottoms of bodies or shutters depending on the units. Raising them in the yoke is a poor answer for us because everything gets moved around and that leads to constantly refitting yokes for different positions. Ain't got time fo dat! More mud?

 

[AudJ]

Just having fun with this thread - out of curiosity, is there ever a time that a yoke might be angled to the rear of a fixture (probably without shutters, fresnels and such), the reverse of "yoke-out". If so what is that called?

 

[Les]

Just having fun with this thread - out of curiosity, is there ever a time that a yoke might be angled to the rear of a fixture (probably without shutters, fresnels and such), the reverse of "yoke-out". If so what is that called?

Good question! I have used that method for hanging fresnel downlights from the grid in low-trim blackbox spaces. Not sure what it's called, though!

 

[Joshualangman]

"Yoking it back."

 

[TDN]

We have to yoke everything out in both of my spaces, as the hang position doesn't have enough clearance from the kick plate. When I yoke out, I yoke out until the yoke is parallel with the floor. It fixes the pan and tilt so that they are back in line at the floor and you don't have to do any barrel rotations to hit certain points on deck. Yoking out to 45 degrees makes focus a lot harder, and it's not that much more difficult to point all the instruments straight out.

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

For me it isn't about being hard to do, its about how far you have to lean out to change a hell or top hat.

 

[kicknargel]

Just adding my two cents for "yoke" not "yolk",

Oops.

 

[JonathanHarpur]

Rooster's new for me as well - but a day where I don't learn something new is a day I haven't been pushing myself enough. (Thanks!)
The french term is "en canard" for what I often refer to as a "side hang" - think canard-style wings (I miss the Concorde) - "Top hung" and "bottom-hung" would be the equivalent terms for "rooster-" and "plumb"-hung fixtures, as I understand it. So not only roosters, but thanks to the french "canard", also ducks. No wonder people mistakenly refer to yolks, even if roosters don't lay eggs. (...do they?)
Yoking back is pretty commonplace on fixed grid systems or with truss - it's usually pretty annoying on a catwalked system though.

 

[MNicolai]

I've always thought to "rooster" a fixture out was a clever euphemism for "cocking" a fixture out.