Basics of light circuitry please

[xander]

I also think that there is (still) some confusion between hard patching and soft patching, but I am not going to go into it because I think Sony already did a fairly good job of explaining the differences. All I would like to add is that an additional benefit, (although not the original reason for using a soft patch) is that one can, theoretically, assign channels to all of your units on the plot, and using a visualizer or not, using a desk or an OLE, write some or all of your cues for a show before/without ever knowing where a unit is going to be plugged in. One could come into a space with a show entirely written (as is the case with most tours) and simply soft patch the correct instruments/dimmers to the correct channels and you are good to go.

-Tim

 

[WooferHound]

You guys are calling the dimmer output patch a Hard Patch
Everyone in my city calls them a Hot Patch
It must be an Alabama thing ?

 

[Les]

You guys are calling the dimmer output patch a Hard Patch
Everyone in my city calls them a Hot Patch
It must be an Alabama thing ?

Technically, a Hot Patch is changing the Hard Patch while the circuit is live. A Hard Patch is so-called because it's a physical change to the connections, kind of like 'hard'ware being something tangible that you can physically interact with. Soft Patch is obviously known as such since it is done through software and no physical changes to the electrical connections ever take place. I know you know this Woofer, that bit of info is mostly for future searches.

 

[derekleffew]

Perhaps the wiki entry Patch, Types of (Lighting) - ControlBooth might help to illuminate.