Control/Dimming Colortran Innovator 48/96

[ifbattleboy]

I am using a Colortran Innovator 48/96 at my high school, and noticed that there is a second monitor hook-up spot, it just doesnt have the hook-up. I was wondering if anybody knows what is required to get one put in.

Also, is there any other way besides using a floppy disk to save/load lighting cues. Floppy drives are scarce at my school.

 

[NickJones]

Coltrain innovator is an old console, and so I doubt that you could do it through USB. Get yourself a USB FDD drive, it will sort you out. But there isn't much you can do with it, if I remember rightly there is no OLE, so you can't even play with your shows on a computer. If you mean you want floppy disks, ask around, I have about 30 kicking round with Strand shows on them.

As for the second monitor what is the "second hook up spot" do you know the type of connector? Is it VGA? Pictures are nice, there are Innovator users on here that will probably be able to give you more help than I can.

Nick

 

[theatre4jc]

The secondary monitor is something you'll have to purchase from a dealer. It's basically another VGA card. I used this board for many years. You really don't need it. But if you want it just contact the nearest Colortran dealer and they can get for you. Real easy to install.

As far as saving, the only way is the floppy drive. Luckily the board will hold the current show in memory when turned off and back on. But it will only hold one show at a time.

 

[ifbattleboy]

I was able to find an off-line editor that I could use to create cues on a computer, and then load to the board. That was why I was hoping to find another way besides floppy to be able to save. Creating cues from home would be a lot easier that having to put up with our dance company while recording cues. Its so much easier to do it when you are alone.

With the vga card. Does it have to be a special card made just for that light board? Or could it be just any vga card I would have laying around the house?

 

[derekleffew]

... if I remember rightly there is no OLE, ...

Off-Line Editor available here: Off-line Editor Ver 1.01.zip.

 

[David Ashton]

you need the special card made for the board

 

[DAE]

From memory this is a 386 computer but they still do ok if you know how to use them. In some ways an old 386 can be more reliable than a flashy new computer that has too much junk running on it.

The VGA card is a bolt on card, not the plug in ISA card you normally use on 386 era vintage pc's. Browse the auction houses and on line equipment sites for another cheap Innovator to use as spare parts and to get the video card out of it.

There used to be domumentation on line on how to reflash the firmware using the floppy drive. If you are planning to keep the Innovator, it may be prudent to get copies of all manuals, software etc for Ron.

 

[itie]

hey i using the same board at my high school but mine has the second video card in it already. i have to two say having two monitors is nice when running a sow because you can see you cue progress on one monitor and your stage on or devices on another. but it is over kill if money is a problem, i have ran that board without a monitor before.

if you go to the leviton website and get to the colortran board you can download the manual, free off-line editor, and more specs. they also have specs for their other equipment. my school has only colortran lights too.

the floppy drive is a dumb design thing but if the board is old then it makes sense i was under the impression that the innovator was a fairly new board since my school is only 3 three years old. i ended up going to fry and picking up a $6 internal floppy drive for the computer in the booth to use the editor. ebay has usb ones for like 20 buck last time i check could be less.

 

[icewolf08]

Want to save to something other than a floppy? I don't know if it will work, but you can try one of the floppy to MMC (or other flash media) adapters, like this one made by FlashPath.