Clarity (PC) Cue Crossfade Time

[Brendi2334]

Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening CB,

I'm currently in the process of teaching new students brand new software LSC's Clarity (PC) and explaining examples of programming and recording cues. This is going to be a really easy answer for someone, but at the moment it has completely just flown over my head.

I am recording a "test show" that consists of 3 cues, (A, B & C) all different lighting "states"
I have looked at adjusting the cue fade in/out time
and what is happening when playing back cues A to B, or B to C is that the lighting levels will dip slightly (50% ish) before the next cue has a chance to come up, and it doesn't look smooth or professional.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I want a scene to transition smoothly, without the lights slightly dipping before rising to the next cue, doesn't my previous cue fade out time have to be longer than my fade in time for the next cue, or am I just processing this incorrectly.

NB: I am set in cue-only mode which I plan to use.

Example: Scene B to Scene C Transition
Scene B [5 in 10 down] >>> Scene C [3 in 7 down]

Please let me know, as I'm eager to get this off my mind.
Thanks!

 

[derekleffew]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if I want a scene to transition smoothly, without the lights slightly dipping before rising to the next cue, doesn't my previous cue fade out time have to be longer than my fade in time for the next cue, or am I just processing this incorrectly.

No. While I have never used Clarity, The only time you should see a dip over all is if the Down time is shorter than the Up time.
Try this: Set the exact same levels for all channels in both cues A & B. Cue B Time 5. Cue B go. There should be no perceptible change on stage. If there is, the software is not written correctly.

Now make it more complicated.
Q#: ch1 ch2 ch3
_A: _50 _FL _00
_B: _50 _00 _FL

An Up time would apply only to ch3. A Down time only to ch2. The level of ch1 should never change no matter what time is applied.

See also the terms crossfade, split, dipless and lead/lag fade.

 

[JChenault]

What Derek said - but one addition.

In Derek's cue example
Q#: ch1 ch2 ch3
_A: _50 _FL _00
_B: _50 _00 _FL

If what you are seeing is that as you fade from Cue A to Cue B - Ch 2 goes 'dim' faster than ch 3 goes 'Bright' when you look at it - there is likely an issue with the dimmer curve that the console is putting out - or the response curve of the dimmers. This is when you need to do a lead/lag fade to make it look right.

The issue is that the amount of light, as experienced by your eye, is not usually proportional to the level of the channel. So as you go to Cue B from cue A, and you are 10% into the cue - Ch 2 will be at 90% and CH 3 will be at 10%. It is unlikely that the combined brightness of both lamps as perceived by your eye will be 100%. This is usually why you set different values for up and down times in a fade - to correct for the {dimmer curve / console curve / filament curve / physiological response in your eye} to what is going on.

But do the test Derek suggested to make sure there is not an issue with the software. Not every system is as good as ours. ;-)