First, we have some incorrect terminology going on here so I'm going to attempt to explain the
Strand console line: There are two lines
Palette and
Light Palette.
Palette comes in the following formats 16 subs, 32 subs, 128 subs, and in a 32/64 and 48/96
preset configurations. The
Palette line runs from somewhere under $5k to a around $15k (depending on
channel counts, universes, and
console configuration). Their higher end series is named
Light Palette (yeah that's not confusing at all). The Light Palettes are up in the
Eos price range. There are three different
console configurations for
Light Palette. All have 12 playback faders, 4
encoder wheels and have a faster CPU, more memory and more channels/universes than the
Palette line.
Light Palette Live adds 48 subs to this configuration.
Light Palette VL ads 24 subs and a section of 100 fully programmable keys. All consoles from both product lines run the exact same software. There is very little you can do on a $30k
Light Palette that you can't also do on the $7k
Palette (within the obvious restrictions of universes and channels). Access to some things is on the lower end boards is done with a
mouse instead of encoders... but the functions are all still there. If you compare the buttons on a
Palette to a
Light Palette, there are only one or two buttons that they add for the big board (and those functions are available via the
mouse on the low end boards).
Second to
Sony, Unfortunately I only know list prices but I can tell you that an
Ion with one
wing panel has a list price of about $2000 more than a Basic
Palette. If you say you can get an
Ion with a
wing panel for about $5k, then you should be able to get a Basic
Palette for a lot less than that... but I haven't asked for that price quote so I can't give you an exact number.
Also as I've said many times prices depend on many factors. Your sales guy may decide he doesn't like me, or he may have just found out that his kids need braces when I ask for a quote. If your dealer sells more
ETC product than mine they will get a better wholesale price than mine. If you spend $500 a year at your local dealer and I spend $100k a year, I'm going to get a better deal than you because the over all profit they make off of me is much larger, they can afford to cut me a deal to encourage me to keep shopping there. If you are purchasing a $100k lighting package including a
console and I'm just getting the
console I'll pay more than you because there is more room for them to make you a deal and still make a profit. Thus just because you can get an
Ion and
wing panel for $5k doesn't mean I can... even from the same sales guy.
Third
Alex and Steve, my problem is not that
ION is intimidating or difficult to learn, it's a fabulous
console that anyone can learn standard functions on in a few minutes. With at least one
wing panel it's a great
console for any application. Furthermore I fully agree with
ETC's decision to get rid of 2 scene presets as well. My problem is the price.
Ion is not a true replacement for the
Express line because it isn't priced the same as the
Express line. From what I've been told list price on an
Express 24/48 was about $2500 less than an
Ion with a
wing panel. For many small all
conventional fixture venues that's just too much to pay for a
console that they will never scratch the surface of it's capabilities. Things are not likely to change any time soon in funding for high schools. Yeah once in a while one hits the jackpot and gets a few moving lights that they have no way to control but the vast majority of them are no where near that tech
level. Again the nice thing about the basic
palette is that you can upgrade the
channel and universes if you need to AND you still have all the new software functionality of their most expensive consoles.
Finally, My apologies to
ST and the ETC crew. I sound like I'm endlessly bashing your products and harping on this issue, when in fact I'm a huge fan of your consoles. So while it's unrelated to this discussion, for the sake of fairness it's time I
point out that there is a similar problem with the
Strand console line that I haven't mentioned before.
Let's say you are a university or mid sized theater/church. You've got a large inventory of
conventional gear, you've got some scrollers, some rotators, and a half a dozen movers you use regularly. You don't have a Vegas budget but you do have enough to add a little equipment each year... and you are slowly building your inventory of intelligent toys. I think this is a fairly common scenario especially at the university
level. Now look at the
Strand line... 2 scene
preset (out of date concept), 125 subs (not bad if you are
busking but programing all those subs without encoders would suck), the 32 sub Classic
palette is a great option for this type of theater... but wait no encoders again. Where are the encoders? Well you have to go all the way to the $30k
Light Palette series to get encoders. True the
Strand consoles have access to all controls of intelligent gear by using the
mouse... but that's NOT the same as encoders. I asked if they planned to
release an
encoder wheel expansion
wing panel and was told not at this time. So in the same way that
ETC has missed the
mark on the low end by not offering a cheaper option without intelligent gear in mind, I think
Strand has goofed up the middle part of the market by not offering a little better option
with intelligent gear in mind.
(Sorry Rob, it was time to be fair and share the criticism a
bit.)