Stock Plot

[AtlanticSmith]

I have a black box that is consistently used as a thrust instead of arena. I have 9, 10' areas, and only 24 dimmers. Dimmer Doubling is out of the question, as I only have a handfull of S4 lights (mostly Altman and Colortrash)

I know a 3-light plot might be best (left, right, front), but that is still 27 dimmers needed... What should I combine to pull this off?

I'm thinking of combining the left and right of the upstage-most areas; but then, should I do that for ALL areas, so I have 6 available dimmers in case I need to add a special to the mix?

 

[RonHebbard]

I have a black box that is consistently used as a thrust instead of arena. I have 9, 10' areas, and only 24 dimmers. Dimmer Doubling is out of the question, as I only have a handfull of S4 lights (mostly Altman and Colortrash)

I know a 3-light plot might be best (left, right, front), but that is still 27 dimmers needed... What should I combine to pull this off?

I'm thinking of combining the left and right of the upstage-most areas; but then, should I do that for ALL areas, so I have 6 available dimmers in case I need to add a special to the mix?

Hello! I'll offer a few thoughts along with a few questions. If you choose to pair left and right in a single dimmer, do you have to haul out a ladder and run cables or are all fixtures in individual circuits and you organize your combining at an easily accessed hard patch? Either way, I think I'd lean towards beginning with your 9 areas on 18 dimmers with your front lights patched as 1 fixture per dimmer and your L and R sides paired in a second dimmer per area. Begin with this and see how far you can get in terms of keeping the director and yourself happy. This will leave you six dimmers available for all manner of creative problem solving for things such as: A dimmer fails, you need to add specials, you want to add back lights, you want practicals such as table lamps and / or wall sconces, you decide to add an overall warm wash and an overall cool wash, the mayor shows up and you need to highlight his seat in the audience, yada, yada.
When you think you're totally happy with the levels in all your LXQ's, don't forget to go for a walk during a rehearsal and view your performers from as many angles as you'll have paying patrons. Sometimes viewing the performers from other than where you were when you set your levels can be very enlightening. Please pardon this punishing pun.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[AtlanticSmith]

Thanks Ron. That's what I was imagining.

I will have to run jumpers from installed circuits which are hard wired to the Rack. (never thought I'd want a patch panel) what's more amusing, is that we have them doubled but running Right to left, not up to down... So... I'll be buying/building a huge amount of Two-fers.

 

[kicknargel]

You have to balance area control vs. color control. If your three points for each area are right front, left front and back, you might keep the RF and LF all independent and twofer the backs across areas. In that kind of situation I often have a warm and a cool in the two fronts, and can get different moods by adjusting the relative intensities. Then if the back is fairly saturated, it's less important to have good area control of it.

 

[RickR]

+1 to @kicknargel
and to ganging the upstage areas. Leave the DS as individuals for those intimate little moments and to combine with others in several ways.