ETC 48-96 and bump buttons.

soundman1024

Active Member
So I had a crash course to run lighting for our church today. I had to do service as our LD is sking and didn't bother to train someone avalible to do it. There are 3 people, but 2 of them were on a ski trip and one is an actor who had obligations at a play practice. Anyway All went well except I put my clip board on the light board [ETC Express 48-96] and the clip board hit some bump buttons on the bottom row so some house lights went from about 10-20% to 100. I think it was anywere from 1 to 6 buttons, but I got off of them so fast I didn't have a chance to find out. Anyway I don't want that to happen on sunday. If I put the board in blind mode that can't happen right? If that won't do it is there a really simple way to turn bump buttons off? I'm a n00b to this console and lighting in general, so I figured I would ask the people who would know. I'll probably check it out sunday morning, but I would like to as first.
 
Ya, ypu can disable the bump buttons if you go into the setup page and look around for a bit. i cant say for sure what category it is under, but i know its there.

im sure someone else will fill in the blanks here!
but its there, if you get into that setup menu by hitting the setup button!

happy hunting.
 
press the setup button, then press 1 then enter. That will take you into the system settings. Then type 14, enter. Then It shoud tell you to press 0 to disable or 1 to enable, you'll of course press 0, then enter. and then press stage and that will tke you back to the normal view that your used to.

Also I would suggest you download the offline editor, it will give you a chance to play with the "board" without having to worry about messing anything up.
 
Well, on Saturday I had a chance to check it out. Blind mode didn't disable the bump buttons acturally. I thought it would but it didn't, anyway I was careful and it worked out just find. Odd though, I figured blind would have disabled the bump buttons.
 
Hmm, granted diabling the bump buttons would be good, what about moving the clip board?
 
That is what I did. I was guessing blind would work but I tested it and it didn't so I decided that moving the clipboard made much more sense than bothering with setup. It made alot more sense especially since I am not comfortable with that board.
 
Please excuse my lack of sleep, what do bump buttons actually do?(I was never taught this)
 
Bring up a channel or sub to full or a preprogrammed level. Sometimes they work in reverse, too.
 
I love bump buttons, especially when i'm doing a talent show, or there's a band on stage, it's easier than programing chases, and you can change your timing with the speed of the song.
 
A bump button trick:

In Blind, press the Sub button. No need to press a sub number as the S keys now shows a list of options for the submasters, one of which is Sub List. Note in the list that you can scroll (using the arrows) to the Bump column where you can select a Submaster Bump button to be enabled, disabled or Solo.

Just like on an Avo.

Note that Solo is only an option for Subs, not channels.

SB
 
Bump buttons are great for doing cheep, random chases or things of that nature. However, I have had a few times when I accidently hit the bump button during the show.

Whoops.

The question I will ask is this, how often do you really use the bump button? I know personally I only use then every month or so, because I usually don't have any time to create a random chase.

How often do you use the bump buttons, and for what reason? Do you use it to bring a channel to full or to activate a chase that is loaded into the submaster?
 
i use them for usually find where i have a the light focused and or what the sub looks like.
 
Controllers designed specifically for stage usage as opposed to those designed for more rock and roll will have different features. The bump button for a down and dirty rock band, much less last minute stage design will often find it useful in using a bump button. Need a chase or strobe effect....

You often will get what you pay for in mass market or in something designed for your needs in having more features for some uses, and others for others. I take it for granted for instance that your two scene preset in having these bump buttons does not have a line of switches above each channel. These switches switch the faders from main to off to indipendant mode. A past TTI 1979 era light board I made magic with as a two scene preset, had such switches and in using both the main faders, and certain channels on the indipendant it seemed as if the board could be designed not only as a three scene pre-set board instead of two, but that I could do lots of other things with it while leaving the scene alone. Much less do a cross fade while leaving some things to fade at a completely different rate.

In any case, the bump buttons are more a rock thing and can be useful. I would hope there is a way to on a more expensive board to turn them off, but it is what it is. Learn to use the board for it's advantages, and also learn not to hit them by mistake. Even on a coputer thater board, if you hit the wrong thing, something most likely will happen. Pay attention and don't get lazy around your job at the board and the problem if not turned off should not be one.
 
Yea, thats what I did. It was during the children schoolers concert (pre-k to 4th grade) and I was hanging out with the sound guy on the other side of the booth as he was mixing. As I was moving back to the light board to dim the stage a bit for the kid shift, my hand, in the rush, hit the bump button of my FOH amber lights. It was completely my fault, since I was not sitting at my desk, and, well, my hand hit the bump button.

A word to the wise, watch your hands.
 

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