I'm sure you remember the 10 scene / 100
dimmer preset consoles of the late 60's. There was one in nearby Toronto.
Knees to shoulder high on the right side of the booth, one IA brother stood presetting 10 scenes / 50 dimmers.
Knees to shoulder high on the rear wall, a second brother stood presetting 10 scenes / 50 dimmers numbered 51 through 100.
The head LX sat facing out the window with his
console in front of him.
His
console was essentially two horizontal rows of 10 pushbuttons with a vertically oriented cross
fader between them.
Actuate
button 1 on the upper row and
fade the
fader up.
Actuate
button 2 on the lower row and
fade the
fader down.
Snap cues: Move the cross
fader quickly.
Ten minute fades simulating high noon transitioning to dinner time: Move the cross
fader in very small increments while keeping an eye on your clock.
If the same look appears multiple times over the course of the show. Remember to skip over its pushbutton for re-use in another scene, perhaps in act 2.
Other than the above, there were 4 to 6
house light faders.
Possibly
orchestra level, 1st balcony, 2nd balcony.
Orchestra pit downlights, curtain
wash, cleaning / work lights and a master. What more could you conceivably wish for?
From memory, I believe the "
console" was from Century lighting in the U.S. Purportedly there were 1 or 2 others in Canada. Three or four scene / 20 to 40
dimmer consoles were far more common.
Timed fades?
DMX?? You're hallucinating. Analog,
wire per
dimmer, was the order of the decade.
Compatibility of control
voltage levels /
polarity between different manufacturers??
You ARE on cheap drugs; right?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard