Chase in a static cue?

zac850

Well-Known Member
My schools musical is called 1940's Radio Hour. It is the set of a radio show that takes place in the 1940's (hence the title). In this show I have an applause sign that I want to flash at the end of songs, in an otherwise static cue. I want the sign to flash on and off 3 to 5 times and then go out, preferably without me needing to press the "go" button.

What would be the best way to do this? Could I link part of the cue to a submaster and have the sub programed with the cue?

I'm running an ETC Express 125.

I want this to be as easy and painless so that I don't spend 5 minutes per cue I want in tech...

Thanks guys!
 
Hi from a quick look at the manual there seems to be a lot of answers with varying degrees of success. There are effects. Links to subs etc. The one that caught my eye seems to be the simplest that is "follow cues".

All this does is wait a set time once a cue has started then runs the next cue. So it makes it fairly simple. The basic steps would be 1) Cue to turn sign on, 2) Cue to sign off, 3) Cue to sign on , 4) Cue to turn sign off etc as many times you want it to flash. Then you edit each cue to set it as a follow type with the time of how long from the start of the cue until the next cues starts. Unless you change anything else at the end of the applause sign all the cues just need to be is a copy of the stage lighting for the song and add in/ take out the applause sign. The last cue where you take out the applause sign for the last time in the sequence doesn't need a follow cue if the rest of the scene statys the same. If the scene does change then use a follow cue on it to enter the next cue automaticaly.

Depending on how you want it too look you could put a zero fade in/out time on the sign cues for a sharp look, where the sign snaps on and off.

The guys who have these boards may come up with a simpler method but this one should work reasonably well and will not take to long once you get the hang of it.

Hope this helps as a starting point.
 
zac850 said:
My schools musical is called 1940's Radio Hour. It is the set of a radio show that takes place in the 1940's (hence the title). In this show I have an applause sign that I want to flash at the end of songs, in an otherwise static cue. I want the sign to flash on and off 3 to 5 times and then go out, preferably without me needing to press the "go" button.

What would be the best way to do this? Could I link part of the cue to a submaster and have the sub programed with the cue?

I'm running an ETC Express 125.

I want this to be as easy and painless so that I don't spend 5 minutes per cue I want in tech...

Thanks guys!


Easy Quick and Painless....just program the light into a submaster and use the bump button as manual flash on and off..each time you press the button the light will pop on and when you release it will go off. Cue you are in then does not matter--sub master will always work to activate the light... You have 10 pages of 24 subs if I remember right on that console..so piece of cake...

Here is how you do it.. Bring up the light and ONLY that light on Stage live--press RECORD and then SUB and then press the button under the submaster you want to assign that light to--the little light will pop on on that button..or even faster just press RECORD and the Submaster button you want it in..and poof you are done..instant flashing light that you operate and will be more realistic--since most of those old style applause lights were operated by an on/off swicth manually...you can blink faster or slower or whatever you want...

cheerios....
-w
 
Yes, I was thinking of programing a chase into a sub (I forget how, but I did it once and it wasn't hard). However, last year I ran a show half on cue's and half off subs, and I missed a few cues each show because I forgot to run the subs.

I think there is a way to create a macro to link to a sub, and you can include a marco in a cue. I'm going to look into that.
 
What do you mean?

I tried to have a chase in the sub and running the chase as i recorded the cue, but instead it recorded the look of the instant I recorded the cue, not the chase. What kind of link do you mean? A link to a sub or a macro that links to a sub?
 
Its fine, I have the PDF manual saved on my computer, I wasn't aware of this. I'll check now. Thanks

EDIT: I just checked the manual and didn't see anything about linking to a sub, I'm loading up virtual PC and the offline editor to try it out and see if it will let me.

EDIT 2: I tried it on the offline editor and could not see a way to link to a sub as part of a static cue. I think I will end up creating a macro and just linking to the macro.
 
Heres my best idea: First create the effect that flashes your sign. Then record that effect to a sub (for example well use sub 5). Now, write a macro, not by using the LEARN function, but by going into macro editing in the setup menu. Create a macro that bumps macro 5, then insert a macro wait of hoever long you want the flashing to continue, then bump sub 5 again. Now when you want to create the cue that executes the effect, press LINK, then ENTER MACRO then 5.
 
Skip the effects section, PITA, IMO, same with Subs, Macros, etc...

How 'bout the following:

Q 25 (as example) is the static cue

Q25.1 is the static look PLUS the first channel for the first light to flash, 0 count. Make 25.1 a follow of 25 with delay of however long you want to wait in the Q before the flash takes place, or no follow, just press GO according to the action/song

Q 25.2 is the same static look, plus the next flashing light to full and the first flash to 0, autofollow, 1/2 second delay or whatever

Q25.3 - ditto Q25.2, just the next flash channel

Infinite control of when the first flash takes place, how long it stays on, how long between, etc... easier to understand compared to an effect.

If you really want to get fancy, write the effect, load to a sub, create a macro in the static cue to fire the sub after a defined delay....


SB
 
I usually program on an Expression 3, but have some experience on Express consoles. As far as I know the Express 125 has dual playback faders, so why not just write two cues. One would be the static cue loaded into the first fader (A/B on the Expression) and the second cue would be a chase with the sign programmed to flash on and off loaded into the second playback fader (C/D on the Expression). This way you're just running the chase on top of the existing cue. I've done this, for example, with a cyc light chase in one fader and several static wash cues in the other for a dance show. This is the simplest way I can think of to make this happen. Hopefully this all makes sense and I haven't misinterpreted your question.

All the best.
 
OK, this is something I never understood. Why the need for 2 playback faders?

And I have a feeling that I am going to end up programing it as a sub and make a macro bump the sub. Seems easiest for what I'm looking for.
 
So this post is ancient but this annoyed me a lot and then I remembered it's way easier than all of those round about ways...

go into blind where you probably record your effect subs since it's so much easier..

Select the effect sub you want in the cue so if you wan sub 12 just hit sub 12

then hit record but don't press sub... press cue... this will automatically allow all of those steps to be copied as an effect cue ... type whatever cue number you want i would say really high like 500 or something and then just link it when you need it unless you know the exact place you want it...Hope this helps someone in the future... and also if you record it as a effect cue in the first place you can dumb it onto a sub as well just so you have it readily available in case you need a random fun effect.


~John
 
The first answer is the best way to do it. Assign the dimmer to a sub and use the flash button. If you can write push go then you should be able to write hit sub flash whatever number. I see no need for any crazy linking, using macros, multible playback masters and all the oher suggestions. While they will work, it is going by leftfield to do a simple thing.
It is an example of guys being so geared to using cue stacks that they forget they can actually work live.
 
Wow all of this and no one said step cue?

This is simple.

go to a blank cue, hit: Type 3 Enter than hit Blind, now add the channels and how long u want each one to stay on for
 
As with many boards there numerous ways to get to the same end. My point is too many newer operaters get too dependant on technology and have no idea how to really run a board. Instead of doing a ton of mental jumping jacks trying to figure out how to put a simple sign turning on and off into a cue stack, simply put it on a sub and either run the dimmer up and down or use the flash button.
Having done shows with 100 to 150 cues an act with completely manual boards, I simply don't understand the aversion to running cues manually. This isn't a slam on newer guys but just trying to make aware there are easier ways that may be outside your confort zone.
 
Wow all of this and no one said step cue? ...
I suspect that no one answered "step cue" because no one knows what that it. The correct term is Effects Cue.

...I simply don't understand the aversion to running cues manually. This isn't a slam on newer guys but just trying to make aware there are easier ways that may be outside your confort zone.
There is validity in that argument. However, from the designer's perspective, his mission is to enable the lighting to be reproduced every night exactly how he intended. Since the 1979's Light Palette GO button, the object has been to make every cue operate from that button, as called by the stage manager. The LBO is reduced to being a button monkey.

How I'd do it (On an Express(ion) 2X or later):
Record an effect that flashes the sign as desired.
Copy this effect to a submaster.
Write a macro that includes [SubBumpOn, MWait-xx, SubBumpOff]
Attach the above macro to as many cues as necessary.
 
I think running a show manually (or semi-manually) every once in a while is a great way to stay sharp. But I do remember this funny story which involves exactly what mstaylor is referring to. There was this show at my local community theatre where the glare of a sign had to flash at about 1 flash per second through a frosted window for an entire scene. This scene was about 25 minutes long. The light board operator told me that sometimes she would zone out and find herself forgetting to flash the sign, and would instead just be holding down the bump button, or that she would notice that as the scene went on, her flashes would become longer, with longer durations in between. The show had been performed about 5 years prior to her telling me this story, and she had done dozens upon dozens of shows in the same theatre since then, and with all the crazy things that happen there, she never forgot that one experience.

This was done on a Colortran Status, and I'm not sure if it had an effects section. It probably did, but I'm sure it was VERY cryptic.
 

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