Control/Dimming Coming this summer---MA3

[JohnD]

Just saw this, a new MA console.
www.actlighting.com/MA/products/grandMA3/
And some prices too!
http://prolightingsupply.com/grse2coandac.html
Official release at Prolight & Sound, Frankfort, April 10.
EDIT: Oh yeah, the OnPC command wing now has motorized faders.

 

[pyrotechnician]

Here is the link to the official MA announcement:

https://www.grandma3.com/

Even the onPC command wing will have motorized faders

 

[JohnD]

Wow, count the touch screens:

 

[TimMc]

I've seen Beta test units in the wild, had a discussion with my shop LD who swore #3 didn't exist. Yesterday he sent me a link to the product announcement... There is also an MA3 light or ultralight, which I have seen in use as well.

 

[soundlight]

I'm glad they're finally coming back to the small console format at the bottom end with the Compact and Compact XT. We've been asking for that all along with MA2 as the 2 Ultralight wasn't really lighter, it was just a feature-stripped 2 Light. Dual encoders look nice, will be very useful for framing shutters. Could be nice to have an encoder set that has P/T/edge/zoom/&c for making focus positions with gobos in.

 

[Judge]

They look great, esp the compact models - they were indeed sadly lacking from the range. The software and screens certainly look easier on the eye - I never cared for the MA color pallet there, this looks much more sophisticated.
As indeed it should be for the most expensive lighting desk in the world. I wonder how much more expensive though?

 

[DavidJones]

Blue planet pulled the pricing off of their site; looks like they went like before they were supposed to. SO MANY sizes! Its likely that the FULL Size and Light will be the only rider friendly versions, with the bulk touring/rental of the market purchasing LIghts.
Currently, of the MA2 series, the command wing is the best selling unit. Lots of people buying them for small touring packages, so I can see that the Compact and XT potentially take over that market segment, and the Command wing becomes what it really was intended to be, a studio programming surface.

I can almost see the XT being rider acceptable, but I think it will miss the mark with the lack if the small screens for the encoder/fader bars and built-in keyboard, and that is probably intended by design. Personally, I don't use the small screen(screen 1) on the MA2 that much, but we won't know how important that is until we see the software.

I think the Compact will probably be the worst selling. Dual screens are really the minimum, with MA2, I would imagine screen space is even more important to the workflow in MA3, people would probably rather buy a wing and PC, touchscreens, etc for less money.

The CRV I only see as useful in a studio, theme park, or large church or theater where the console will NEVER be moved.

 

[JohnD]

Going by my memory, while Blue Planet had the prices up they seemed to be maybe 10% higher than the MA2.

 

[soundlight]

I can almost see the XT being rider acceptable, but I think it will miss the mark with the lack if the small screens for the encoder/fader bars and built-in keyboard, and that is probably intended by design. Personally, I don't use the small screen(screen 1) on the MA2 that much, but we won't know how important that is until we see the software.

I think that the Compact XT will be the desk that a lot of the smaller touring houses jump on, both for size and price. The footprint and the fact that it has the X-Keys on it will be a huge benefit, and the ability to split playbacks up more flexibly will mean a smaller desk is more potent than before. It appears that the executor strip is broken up in to 4 sections: Knob + Button, Knob + Button, Fader + Button, and Button (bottom). If these are each assignable to a different playback, then that's 60 playbacks where you used to have 30. I'd be truly impressed if that's the case, and it's all speculation for now, but I can hope! Obviously some executors will need more than one button, but some won't.

 

[DavidJones]

If you consider the MA2 Light as the minimum standard now, it has 15 faders and 35 executor buttons. From the pictures, looking at the faders it appears they you can indeed have an individual assignment for each of these items, and considering all of those encoders, that is a crap-load of playbacks/masters/speed/rates, etc. As long as the missing screens are not a dealbreaker, It would be nice to have a sub-$50k console that is rider friendly.

This seems like the natural progression of MA, Series 1 eventually had 5 sizes, but only a Full Size was rider acceptable, MA2 Full and Light are acceptable, but the light is more common, It would sure be nice to see the Compact XT on riders. I figure as screen space is mostly utilized while programming if you are just loading your file and cloning a show, playbacks are more important.

 

[TimMc]

Why do lighting desks that cost $35,000 - $50,000 lock and and/or fail sufficiently often that you need to carry two of them? Ditto for audio desks like $90,000 DigiCo where it's been wise to have a hot spare waiting in a vom, wings or loading dock...

IOW, why do we, as professionals, accept a level of failure that would rightfully enrage purchasers and operators of automobiles, and would bankrupt the car maker? Inquiring mind wants to know....

Now return this thread back to its original track...

 

[robmerow]

Why do lighting desks that cost $35,000 - $50,000 lock and and/or fail sufficiently often that you need to carry two of them? Ditto for audio desks like $90,000 DigiCo where it's been wise to have a hot spare waiting in a vom, wings or loading dock...

IOW, why do we, as professionals, accept a level of failure that would rightfully enrage purchasers and operators of automobiles, and would bankrupt the car maker? Inquiring mind wants to know....

Because they are computers. Not only are they computers, but they are computers in proprietary cases designed and built by non-computer-companies. And to make it worst, we put them in crates, throw them in a truck, and drive them around the country in freezing cold and stifling hot temperatures.

I am still a fan of PC versions of consoles with command wings from lighting manufacturers. Let the people who design and build computers for a living design and build the computers & let the people who program lights sell you the hardware to make interacting with their software easy. I personally find a clean PC to be no less stable running lighting software than a desk - and a heck of a lot cheaper and easier to find a replacement in a pinch. If you're MA and backup MA crash ten minutes before a show it's alot of phone calls to find one local. If your rackmount, shock-mounted PC fails ten minutes before a show then just reach into your bag and pull out your laptop. Problem solved.

 

[TimMc]

Hi Rob, yeah and cars have a dozen or more computers inside, CAN and LAN wiring, etc.

It's an old axe I'm grinding. My craft is primarily audio and ever since Soundcraft was unable to build a power supply that would continue working at 120v AC (the UK PSUs were always okay), or 30 years ago when Yamaha's big console PSU were more delicate, we got started on the "necessary redundancy" path and I fully understand the commercial necessity of the show going on.

It's the idea that show-critical equipment is not designed and built to the task. In fairness, touring IS much harder on gear - stage hands of dubious quality, volunteers, inmate labor... and the transportation itself. Those are all things that a majority of consoles (LX or audio) don't need to deal with as they are installed and spend the rest of their service life sucking dust into the box and I can understand those buyers not wanting to pay for a level of robustness they do not need.

My POV is different - I manage a regional sound/light/video shop. I'm not a designer or a music tour PM/LD where adding a spare (or 2) to the pack for an arena tour is almost inconsequential to the budget... it's on the local and regional work where the client balks about paying rental for a duplicate of a primary piece.

FWIW I've gotten pretty good at fixing transport-related problems with pork-branded LX desks...

 

[soundman]

Why do lighting desks that cost $35,000 - $50,000 lock and and/or fail sufficiently often that you need to carry two of them? Ditto for audio desks like $90,000 DigiCo where it's been wise to have a hot spare waiting in a vom, wings or loading dock...

IOW, why do we, as professionals, accept a level of failure that would rightfully enrage purchasers and operators of automobiles, and would bankrupt the car maker? Inquiring mind wants to know....

Now return this thread back to its original track...

If cars didn't break down or need service tow truck companies wouldn't exist. The difference is if my car doesn't start or has transmission issues I am late to work. If the lighting desk locks up mid show the consequences are more profound. I can call a cab to get me to work. Coming up with an full size MA 2 in some cities is not as easy.

 

[samiwas]

Why do lighting desks that cost $35,000 - $50,000 lock and and/or fail sufficiently often that you need to carry two of them? Ditto for audio desks like $90,000 DigiCo where it's been wise to have a hot spare waiting in a vom, wings or loading dock...

IOW, why do we, as professionals, accept a level of failure that would rightfully enrage purchasers and operators of automobiles, and would bankrupt the car maker? Inquiring mind wants to know.....

Do desks fail that often? In my decades of production, I can only think of a few times where we've needed the backup desk. But the reason you carry one: that one time you DO need it.

My POV is different - I manage a regional sound/light/video shop. I'm not a designer or a music tour PM/LD where adding a spare (or 2) to the pack for an arena tour is almost inconsequential to the budget... it's on the local and regional work where the client balks about paying rental for a duplicate of a primary piece.

A lot of situations do not need a duplicate of the primary. A local regional facility running on an MA Light could probably use a command wing or possibly just a laptop to get through the night, depending on production. My command wing/all-in-one setup with three touchscreen is backed up by a simple cheap laptop. Most places would not require two full size consoles unless they are doing some heavy programming and playback consistently.

 

[Lyle Williams]

Products are not reliable because we buy on features, not stability.

Aviation products are designed with the opposite mindset. Sparse features but virtually zero software crashes.

 

[JohnD]

If anyone hasn't looked lately, there is a lot more info available now.
https://www.grandma3.com/products/
The console also supports GDTF, so we'll see how many other companies get involved with that.
The compacts are MA3 only, and don't support recent MA2 programming.

 

[JohnD]

There is also this on youtube:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

EDIT: What is also interesting is there is also a video posted in late January which was about the MA2 mode in use on the MA3. Somehow I missed that one. I wonder how long before prices are posted.

 

[Judge]

Interesting that they have dropped the trackball. I wonder if the edit section still has Please and Oops buttons, or have they gotten over that little joke yet?

 

[JohnD]

Well, it's June, are they here yet, has anyone seen prices?