Mover Cues on Express 48/96

[derekleffew]

You can make it easier by writing macros and linking the macros to your cues. For a show I just did on an Expression 2 I had cue 96 which ran a look into the A/B fader while typing in "cue 500 B/C Go cue 97" this way it would run both cues and then get me back in place for my next cue. Cue 97 contained a macro that cleared B/C at the end of the effect...

Your macro could have been slightly more elegant, and would not have had the 5 keystroke delay had you used <AutoLoad>. I'm not positive of the exact syntax but it without looking at the namual, but it should be something like: "AutoLoad Q96 AB Q500 CD GO-AB GO-CD Q97" AutoLoad is akin to Kliegl Performer Gold Cues.

 

[derekleffew]

A sneaky way to overcome the board's single cue list is to write effects/sub-routines (did we ever figure how to do this?) on the subs and then use macro's to <SubXX BumpON> and <SubXX BumpOff> each stack. At one point during the Volcano I had both faders and 13 submasters active, but it's easy if triggered by SMPTE time-code. Yes, we WERE using DMX to control natural gas jets, flame balls, and high pressure water effects, but an Allen-Bradley PLC was supervising to make sure no one or no gear, did anything unsafe. The Exp2x sort of suggested to the PLC, "Hey if it's okay with you, would you mind shooting a flame ball now?"

Macro links are definitely an asset on the express. The main reason that I use them when programming (especially ML) on an express is to call sub bumps. You can bump a sub from a macro, so you can get a page of subs that is effects, moves, and so forth, and then call them with macros from the cue stack.

 

[zac850]

The disadvantage is like SerraAva said, if you run the routine on the C/D faders and then hit GO on the A/B faders while the routine is running on C/D, the A/B fader will go on the "Next Cue" which will potentionally be one of the cues in the subroutine.

I'm not quite sure why this would happen? I assume if your using subroutine cues, you put all of the cues called in by subroutines at the end of your cue stack, say 800 or 900 range. If you fire cue 99 in AB, cue 100 (Subroutine) in CD and then hit go again in AB you should have cue 101 running in AB while cue 100 (subroutine) runs in CD. Since cue 100 is calling cues in the 900s you should never have issues with running a portion of the subroutine incorrectly. You will need to figure out a way of clearing the effect out of CD, but you can just make a macro that clears CD (just make the macro hit the clear button on CD) and link it to whatever cue you want the effect to end on.


Derek, I don't believe you can write subroutines into subs. You can write normal pile-on subs, effects subs and inhibitive subs, to my knowledge thats it.

Also, the console has an autoload function? I never knew that. For what we were doing it worked perfectly well with the 5 keystroke delay, as the effect look lasted for around 12 seconds.

 

[soundman]

Any time I need to fire an effect that has to span more than one cue I record it on a sub and fire it with a macro. Getting the effect on the sub is easy just go into blind build it like normal than hit record and instead of typing in a cue number hit the bump button on the sub. To fire it go into the macro editing and create a new macro and simply hit that bump button and thats all for that macro. The macro will both fire and release the effect because thats just how bump buttons work. Create a link to the macro in the cue you want it to start and stop and your golden.

 

[jmabray]

Derek, I don't believe you can write subroutines into subs.

this is true. This capability is only available on the Emphasis.

Why is no one talking about {ONLY} and {SOLO} commands here. If you recorded the effects using these commands you should be able to only effect the pan and tilt of the fixture that you are working with while keeping the rest of the intensities on stage perfectly normal.