Control/Dimming Light controller (and tech support) recommendation

[bigtim]

I'm a very small time lighting guy in a couple of small community theaters and I don't post on CB much and certainly don't post shameless plugs - until now. In the past couple of years, we've purchased (what for us) was a huge step up in a light board - Lightronics TL 2448. Yeah, I know, not much, but no one where I work had ever seen what this board could do (which is kind of scary). We were up against channel limitations (48 with it and wanted to be able to do more. Because of a short thread on CB, I found a link to the BlueLite X1 lighting controller (DMX Controller | Lighting Controller | Stage Lighting | Theater Lighting | Architectural Lighting: Innovate Show Controls). I sent an email to them requesting info and within hours heard from Craig Spredeman. Now, I'm not much of a tech guy, not within 100 miles of Gafftaper, et al (great guys, BTW) which Craig can now attest to. He spent hours with me over the next several days walking me through the software and even sent me a demo of the X1 Mini (single 512 universe) to try out. One word - amazing. For the money (software and support are free and the MINI hardware is only $399), I don't think there's anything out there that could come close. All we have are conventionals, but they're at the bottom end of what this thing can do. LEDs, gobo rotators, moving lights, colorscrollers? No problem. Need to hook up MIDI? Yep, it can do that, too. Honestly, I'm not sure what it's limitations are. If you're looking for an inexpensive lighting solution that does much more than you pay for, take a look. Get with Craig and ask away. You won't be disappointed.

 

[kicknargel]

Glad you're so satisfied. After watching their video, I didn't get any sense of the workflow for controlling conventionals in a theatrical style show. Is there a good setup for fast keypad entry, or is everything via the mouse?

 

[AhClem]

(Thanks BigTim )

There are keyboard equivilents for almost every function that you would access using the mouse (the possible exceptions are switching between Flash/Latch/Solo modes; I can't find keyboard equivilents for those).
In addition, you can connect a low cost (or high cost, if you want ) DMX console as a DMX input device, giving you the advantage of having simultaneous, multiple channel control using real faders rather than having only the mouse and/or keyboard to use when you set up or run your show.

You can download the software and take a look at it for yourself at:
LIM Show Control - Support

and if you have any other questions, please contact me at [email protected] (or visit the website and call) and I'll answer everthing I can.

 

[jglodeklights]

Played with the software in demo mode. Everything is via mouse or touchscreen input. Also, only really able to include fixtures in one group that is determined by the name you assign to them. Also preset based, very much like ETC Congo. As I can't see outputs I can't tell if not including a fixture in a cue will cause its level from a previous cue to stay our if the software kills its level.

 

[jglodeklights]

(Thanks BigTim )

There are keyboard equivilents for almost every function that you would access using the mouse (the possible exceptions are switching between Flash/Latch/Solo modes; I can't find keyboard equivilents for those).
In addition, you can connect a low cost (or high cost, if you want ) DMX console as a DMX input device, giving you the advantage of having simultaneous, multiple channel control using real faders rather than having only the mouse and/or keyboard to use when you set up or run your show.

Notes about this:
-Keyboard input is ONLY for switching between selections, and not inputting channel levels.

-control via external DMX is only for the 24 Submasters, and not individual devices. Also controls Live playback of chases and events list.

 

[AhClem]

Notes about this:
-Keyboard input is ONLY for switching between selections, and not inputting channel levels.

-control via external DMX is only for the 24 Submasters, and not individual devices. Also controls Live playback of chases and events list.

No, you can use the Tab key to cycle between the 24 submasters, the X/Y fader, and the GrandMaster (the "controls"). Whichever 'control' has the "focus" can then be controlled using the PgUp/PgDn to raise/lower that level to 100%/0%. The up and down arrows let you fade up and down. In addition, the top two rows of keys (1 - = and Q - ] ) can be used as "bump buttons" for the two rows of submasters (1 - 12, 13 - 24) without changing "focus". Keyboard shortcuts also allow you to assign a cue to the active control.

Yes, the default for DMX input is to use channels 1-24 (being output by the lighting console) to control the 24 submasters, but since you have the ability to create 1,000,000 cues, and you can save 24 pages or 24 submaster assignments, you can create cues containing a single device and assigIn it to a submaster. I usually end up having two or three pages with only a few submasters reassigned (specials of some sort, or pages designed to different songs, etc.).
As you mentioned, if you use the Advanced DMX Input settings you can select to have control Loading a Preset Page (ch.25), GrandMaster (ch.26), the eight X-Y CrossFaders, the Event List Transport Control (Play,Stop, Record), and using channels 39-47 to set the SMPTE Time Code in the Event List.

Our upcoming release will add considerably more capability (96 subs, 16 event lists, ArtNet Input), but send me an e-mail ([email protected] ) and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about the current version, our upcoming release, or find out what kind of features you'd like to see added.

 

[jglodeklights]

No and Yes. I believe Nick was specifically asking in regards to the typical command syntax of, "1 @ 30; group 27 @ 67; etc." In which case, no, you can not do that.

And, Ah! Interesting. I was confused by the language of "Preset" versus "Page." That makes more sense now.

You will get an e-mail shortly with some thoughts about application to theatrical use.