Control/Dimming Jands Vista

Grog12

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There's a good chance I'll be working on one of these a lot...so I thought I'd ask for the communities opinions, likes, dislikes and tips and tricks.
 
I've used a T4 a few times and have really enjoyed working on it.. it did randomly crash on me once but I didn't lose everything.. it rebooted and kept running smoothly..
 
Great disk. Takes a little getting use to, but very easy to use once you understand how cueing works.

As rosebudld said, they crash. I normally take two out when I spec it. I haven't done a show yet where it hasn't crashed on me. I have never had data lose with it crashing however. With this in mind, spec two desks, or make sure all your fixtures have hold last DMX command, including dimmers. Otherwise the lights might go out all the sudden, which would not be a good thing.
 
I actually using the PC version out on tour right now. It works quite well. I find it difficult to change things on the fly sometimes, however I admit that I am not completely well-versed in the operation and I don't have a physical desk, just a laptop. It is a tracking console which takes some getting used to if you haven't worked one before. The biggest thing I would advise is if you are trying to change a look on stage, make sure you are in normal mode and not free. So much aggravation over that mistake. :oops:
 
My, and only my, personal opinion is this: IF you're young and adaptable to news ways of thinking, and IF you can wrap your mind around playing back clips instead of cues, the Vista is a very powerful console.

However, when we did a survey of the top 20 concerts of 2007, not one used a Vista. It is, at best, the fifth used console family for rock shows and sixth in theatre use. Since it's introduction (in 2003?) I've yet to see one in my arena. I believe there are two in Las Vegas, both owned by a trade show company.

Grog12, I suggest you read the posts on the other light network forum. Everyone over there seems to be highly enamored of the Vista, which is why I hang out here. Their misdirected enthusiasm causes me to look at the desk with even more skepticism. Sort of like when my mother forced me to eat liver. Today, I enjoy liver and onions occasionally. Turns out what I disliked was the way she was cooking it.:)
 
I personally really like the Vista simply because it's been the first desk I have sort of got to know, it works well for me also because the timeline is something I am used to (from AV type stuff) but I can imagine since it is quite different to the norm. But from a very beginners point of view its a very easy desk to get some great looking effects without too much 'learning' as it were. But to agree with others i know of its problems with crashing being a windows based system :p and we have had some problems with it when new software releases come out and with the last one not being able to save any showfiles (something you don't really want on the major musical for the year).

That's my 2c im interested to hear of others experiences...Btw this was on a T2
 
How does it stack up side by side to my favorite MA? Same line of thought? Or is it like moving from a Express to an X24?
 
I do agree with it being least used, but most user friendly for new users.. however, I'd still take a Grand any day first.
 
Here's a quote from a Vista owner and user:

"As you know I work with a different board every show. -- I've been working on the WholeHogs -- well, ever since the WholeHog I. Fabulous board - came just in time. To keep current with my job I have know how to program all the Hogs, (I prefer the ones with the 3 software, but not the 3 itself (bad hardware), the GrandMA, the Avo Pearl, and of course all the ETC's (although I haven't had a chance to work on the EOS or ION).

After programming all the boards that have come and gone since the late 70's - I find the Vista to be the easiest board I've ever encountered. So, youth need not be the criteria for being able to understand a Vista. I'm pushing <undisclosed>.

That is why it is so popular with the Mega-Churchs. They can sit any volunteer (almost everyone has some computer experience these days) down to it and they can program within minutes. (The very down side to that is - that doesn't make them lighting people, . . .!)

PSAV is buying Vistas for all of their properties --- some 700 in total, I think. Many of the European Vista Ops - are working it on rock and roll tours. I've done large shows (12 universes) with it here in Chicago.

What makes it easy - is that it is a computer. Not just a digital lighting board with a hard drive. Anyone who has navigated a computer can find their way around this board. Anyone who has work with interfaces like , Vectorworks, Photoshop, even Microsoft Paint etc. - can find familiarity with the Vista's interface. And yes because it is a computer - keyboard shortcuts are very useful, - and fast. It is on a Linux platform, and as much as I've used it - except for when I have been beta testing - I have never found it to crash. When it did choke, while I was beta testing - it comes back quickly without the show disappearing.

What tends to put people off - is the timeline. If they realized it's the capability of just being able to drag and drop, shorten and extend parameters with infinite control - maybe it wouldn't sound like a learning curve. And, it's all about the visual.
Personally, I see it as the technology that lighting boards of the future will all adapt to in one form or another."


Almost ALL people either love or hate the Vista. I know very few people who dislike the grandMA.
 
Check.

I have talked about this a decent number of times here and I have to say that the Vista is my favorite desk to date. We liked them so much we bought 4 of the i-3 with wacom 21 inch tablets.

This desk may not be popular, but it is life changing. I wish I were kidding about that. I am coming from the GrandMA and a brief stint with the Martin Maxxyz (aka, the boat anchor) and can't imagine a desk that is easier or more fun to use than the Vista.

And powerful.

Now that being said, for the time being, the grandMA knocks the crap out of the vista if you are running media and other complex automated junk. As far as running the DL3's and other large softLED type stuff or vast arrays of LEDs I would prefer a grandMA, but the vista folks update the software like crazy and very soon they will be up there doing the same things the grandMA is doing so well, but they WILL do it, you just have to work at it differently than a grandMA.

I use the Vista all day for movers and conventionals without a problem. Hasn't crashed once since April and is so easy to use, every time I program I am still amazed at just how great this thing is.
 
I think one of the big differences is WHAT you are doing on the console, not how. If you are designing/programing/board op it is a fine desk. If you work like most theatres, where you have a LD, a programmer, and sometimes a separate board op, its not the console for you. It thinks of things in the way a designer thinks and the way a designer wants things to move, not how a programer should think.

....to each his own....

Hey look, its a vista thread now!
 
I think one of the big differences is WHAT you are doing on the console, not how. If you are designing/programing/board op it is a fine desk. If you work like most theatres, where you have a LD, a programmer, and sometimes a separate board op, its not the console for you. It thinks of things in the way a designer thinks and the way a designer wants things to move, not how a programer should think.

....to each his own....

Hey look, its a vista thread now!

I couldn't disagree more. As a designer with a programer it didn't think anything like I thought. For godssakes why are split times on it so friggin hard to do? One of the simplist things in the world...and the programmer (a vista designer/programmer) had the world of issues.
 
I couldn't disagree more. As a designer with a programer it didn't think anything like I thought. For godssakes why are split times on it so friggin hard to do? One of the simplist things in the world...and the programmer (a vista designer/programmer) had the world of issues.

That is actually my point exactly. This thing is designed to be programed by the designer and ran by the designer. This is the reason why it is so popular by people that do one offs and corporate AV type of stuff. Its not designed to be handed off to another person to operate, or to have someone tell you when to "go". That pen is supposed to be in the hand of the person designing so they can "paint their vision".
 
That is actually my point exactly. This thing is designed to be programed by the designer and ran by the designer. This is the reason why it is so popular by people that do one offs and corporate AV type of stuff. Its not designed to be handed off to another person to operate, or to have someone tell you when to "go". That pen is supposed to be in the hand of the person designing so they can "paint their vision".

You're still not answering my question. I am a designer...I think like a designer. My programmer is as well a designer. He understands design wise what I want....we communicate to each other not as programmer and desgienr but designer to designer....he's even running the dang thing....and yet split times and the vista are like oil and water.

Look I know all boards do things differently. But I really don't agree that this is a designers board....far from it. Hell that's not completly true...maybe a rock designer...maybe a corparate designer. But for me...in dance..theatre...opera...Hell like I've said I'm just glad he's the one doing the programming.

And because its late and I'm mildy ranting. I paint with light god****it. The board is mearly the ferul on the brush with which I paint. Not the entire painting.
 

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