So a local theater is getting rid of its EDI Bijou board, and i am getting it for free. This is my first console that i would own, but not the first console i have ever operated. I am trained and profeicient on everything from 12 channel, 2 scene preset boards, all the way to the roadhog. I figured i would ask if there is anything i should be aware of with these boards. I know they have a bad reputation, but free equipment good or bad is free. The board will just for me to play around on, and maybe use it on the occasional small gig.
Bijou Consoles?
- Thread startersnarefire
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Les
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't say they have a bad reputation, just not very well-known. The newest Bijou is probably pushing 15 years old, which could be why you are only hearing about problems. In all actuality, they are a very simple console from both an operational stand point as well as internally. I owned one for a short time before selling it off because I never used it. LavaASU bought it from me and apparently it worked for a decent amount of time before having issues, but it was a fairly old console and it looked like it had seen its fair share of high school productions.
However, service will be hard to get should anything ever happen, since EDI has since gone out of business. Alan Child (a former EDI engineer) is about the only person I know of who could help. He has a website at www.ediserviceandrepair.info. Last I heard, he wasn't set up to repair Bijou consoles in-house, but he is very knowledgeable and helpful and can talk you through most any problem or repair. I don't know of any inherent problems with these boards - just make sure the ribbon connectors stay tight.
However, service will be hard to get should anything ever happen, since EDI has since gone out of business. Alan Child (a former EDI engineer) is about the only person I know of who could help. He has a website at www.ediserviceandrepair.info. Last I heard, he wasn't set up to repair Bijou consoles in-house, but he is very knowledgeable and helpful and can talk you through most any problem or repair. I don't know of any inherent problems with these boards - just make sure the ribbon connectors stay tight.
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Thank you les! I sure appreciate the information, from some of the info i found online parlight is capable of performing repairs, and has a limited supply of parts. Another question i have is how compatible is this board with various dimmers? I wouldn't expect the console to be compatible with newer etc net, or other like dimmers, but anything older or simple like leprecon units, or levitron units would be pretty useful for small gigs. and the like.
Your new old Bijou outputs DMX512, and thus is capable of controlling any DMX dimmer, be that Sensor3, CD80SV, C21, Leprecon, Lightronics, whatever. Or moving light or LED for that matter. Whether you'd want to use the console with moving lights is another matter altogether. But it WILL control them.
If you haven't already, download the User Manual from http://www.dimmer.com/EDI-Bijou_Manual-Rev4_9-04.pdf .
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Oh, you can control movers and LEDs on it! Only major OS issue is the effects don't seem to be able to fade between steps, but rather jump (0-time)... which makes ballyhoos and such a bit seizure-like. The issue with our board is that it dumps memory and settings most times its turned off. Which is a major issue as we were using that board as the 2-scene/idiot-proof board. We've replaced the internal battery which basically had the effect of it usually dumps memory instead of it always.
Yeah, I sorta expect that its a bad capacitor between the battery and PSRAM draining the battery very quickly (seen it on hog2). The problem with that hypothesis is there doesn't seem to be a very definite length of time it holds memory and then dumps. I mean if left off a long time it will, but over 1 day to 2 weeks its anyone's guess! If at least it would make up it's mind how long it holds memory then I could troubleshoot this without needing a lot of expensive stuff I don't have.
And for the record I will always take a constant problem over an intermittent one! Don't know how many time's I've thought I fixed an intermittent problem only to have it behave until we're on site.
And for the record I will always take a constant problem over an intermittent one! Don't know how many time's I've thought I fixed an intermittent problem only to have it behave until we're on site.
No, you can fade between steps. The manual could be better, but moving light control is explained. You can even snap some parameters and have others fade at different rates. I happen to have a Control Freak, which makes using moving lights somewhat easier than doing everything through sliders or keyboard. Bill
Les
Well-Known Member
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