Automated Fixtures looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, macs

[oakvillecub]

hey there,



Anyone have any suggestions on buying a new board, we are looking to purchase 3 boards that will be networked together so all boards
can control the same dimmers.




we need something that can be very user friendly for moving likes like macs and scrollers, etc , our boards will be used by many people. most
with little experience.

probably looking at something that can handle around at least 1000 channels, maybe 96 faders ? any suggestions, we know use a strand light pallete?


thanks

 

[jglodeklights]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

First, read the Help Me Pick a Console Thread.

Second, find a local rep or reps to demo multiple consoles. They will be able to best evaluate your needs (beyond just the console, ie networking them).

That said, I like the EOS family from ETC. You have four choices from which to choose to best match the scale of each venue you have to work in, and they are designed to network.

 

[soundlight]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

Before I recommend something, it's probably useful to get a bit more information. What kind of venue will the consoles will be used in, and for what kinds of performances? How much automated gear (moving lights, scrollers, &c) will you be using? Do you really need 96 faders? Consoles these days are moving away from more faders and towards more outputs and more advanced controls. Between 24 and 48 is much more common, or using fader wings to get the number of channels that you want.

 

[chausman]

While it still depends on the answers to MarshelPopes questions, I would second the ETC Eos or Ion. I can't comment on the Gio yet. I like the Ion, because it doesn't look intimidating for new users, and it's (Eos included) syntax is very straight forward and logical without too much though needed.

 

[oakvillecub]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

While it still depends on the answers to MarshelPopes questions, I would second the ETC Eos or Ion. I can't comment on the Gio yet. I like the Ion, because it doesn't look intimidating for new users, and it's (Eos included) syntax is very straight forward and logical without too much though needed.

thanks for the quick responses.



We are presently using a strand light pallete, i am looking at the eos family , We are probably looking for 3 identical boards to network at about 15k each i would think, and remote ipacs for each board, We are use to the strand straight forward theatre type board but i am looking towards a touch screen to run mac intelligent and elation LED lights on the fly if need be.

thanks all

 

[derekleffew]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

... we are looking to purchase 3 boards that will be networked together so all boards can control the same dimmers. ...

Three boards? I can maybe see the need for two--one in the booth and one on stage. But with iPad/iPhone remotes and laptops as clients, even that may be unnecessary.

Some theatre productions will use a conventional console and a moving light console for during tech/programming, then later merge both shows into one console for the run of the show.

The grandMA2 family consoles are the most advanced at multi-user/multi-session, but are far from the most user-friendly.

 

[chausman]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

thanks for the quick responses.



We are presently using a strand light pallete, i am looking at the eos family , We are probably looking for 3 identical boards to network at about 15k each i would think, and remote ipacs for each board, We are use to the strand straight forward theatre type board but i am looking towards a touch screen to run mac intelligent and elation LED lights on the fly if need be.

thanks all

The Gio would probably be slightly out of your price range, but it sounds almost perfect. An Ion with touch screens, and possibly a few fader wings to have more faders for each console.

The grandMA2 family consoles are the most advanced at multi-user/multi-session, but are far from the most user-friendly.

I think a GrandMA would be about the worst match for the criteria. At around 70k for one, and (apart from the Obsession II and all it's sharp looking edges) the most intimidating looking computerized consoles, for a new user.

 

[shiben]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

I think a GrandMA would be about the worst match for the criteria. At around 70k for one, and (apart from the Obsession II and all it's sharp looking edges) the most intimidating looking computerized consoles, for a new user.

Tons of touch screens=touch what you want to do. Just more work in the pre-setting. It might have some intimidating industrial design, but it feels like your flying a stealth bomber or batmobile, so is much more acceptable to me. I dont really understand the reason for needing more than one, much less three, but as Derek said, the MAs are excellent at networking. I would personally get an EOS as your primary console, then run two ION consoles with no fader wings on them, touch screen per, especially if you are using them as glorified RFUs, just because I think they are the best combination of intuitive use, power and features, and networking for someone who is a new user, and I think they are pretty comfortable to use. However: What exactly are we trying to do with this setup? I cant for the life of me come up with a scenario where this kind of system is needed or preferable to something else.

 

[TimMiller]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

I personally would go with the road hog full boar by Highend systems. The full boar has networking support between consoles where one runs as the show server and the others will run as a client. You can also run hog pc on your network so you can have virtual consoles or it can run as an active backup. I also do not understand why you need 3 consoles. I run console then a backup pc. This will also allow me to vnc to the backup from remote devices such as IPhone or tablet to use as an rfu. Also with the hog you can have an unlimited number of dmx universes and channels. It is all designed so that you can have multiple programmers working on the same rig.

 

[SteveB]

Re: looking for suggestions on the most friendly user board for moving scrollers, mac

I personally would go with the road hog full boar by Highend systems. The full boar has networking support between consoles where one runs as the show server and the others will run as a client. You can also run hog pc on your network so you can have virtual consoles or it can run as an active backup. I also do not understand why you need 3 consoles. I run console then a backup pc. This will also allow me to vnc to the backup from remote devices such as IPhone or tablet to use as an rfu. Also with the hog you can have an unlimited number of dmx universes and channels. It is all designed so that you can have multiple programmers working on the same rig.

The OP would have a tough time finding room for 10 Playback wings to get the 96 faders he's looking for.

As well, everything you list on the Hog in terms of the ability to network it all together as well as i/aRFR options is available on the ETC systems.

But, the Hog is a somewhat better ML controller then an Eos family desk and my first though was Grand MA, but 96 faders ?. Plus 3 Ions with faders and touch screens equals a GrandMA price wise, unless it's the MA on PC playback unit, but then you lose a lot of the wonderful functionality of the full sized MA.

I suspect an Eos family would end up the best choice and would actually just say get a bunch of Ions with however many wings you need, plus touch screens. The footprint is smaller then Eos/Gios and allows easier access to 3 wings.

But why 3 on a network ?, what's the need ?.

 

[Footer]

First question, what don't you like about the strand? An ion is more of a lateral move then an upgrade. What strand console do you have exactly?

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