Control/Dimming Strand Neo Compact 10?

[sotonfan]

Our theater was an early adopter of the original NEO. We'd been using LF already, and it made sense at the time to go for the console, especially as the price was right. We really wanted it to be a good move. But after several hardware failures, components going bad, and embarrassing software glitches during road shows - to say nothing of the ugly looks we got from every visiting LD who saw the board - we cut our losses and got an Ion Xe20. Haven't looked back. It's refreshing to have a board that has a huge user base around the world, and to know that if you are having a problem with a cue you can be SURE it's your fault and not something in the console. Maybe they've ironed out all the glitches by now, but it was too late for us.
Having said all the above, I completely agree with all the compliments being sent Martin S's way, and I would also include the support folks in Dallas - I got to know them all - they did their level best to help us out at every point.

 

[DNT]

It pains me to say it, having been a Strand user for years, with the 520 being the highlight and the Palette the low point. However, for me the only worthwhile option is the ETC Eos system. You can get consoles at all price levels, from Nomad to TI. The IonXE would be my recommendation. I am a freelancer with no association with ETC, but for me, it’s a no brainier.
I battled in one venue with the Palette, and constantly found myself saying “if this was on an Ion, there would be no problem”. That venue now has an ETC Gio@5 and are delighted with it. A friend of mine was also an early adopter of the Neo, and although he has managed to come to terms with it, most visiting LDs won’t use it. He has had hardware problems with it as well.
I am reading with interest about Strand maybe reinventing itself and wish them well coming back from the abyss. That were once the go-to brand, but that space is now occupied by ETC.
Denis

 

[gafftaper]

But I'm willing to go against the tide and be a Strand "stan" (in the parlance of our youth, @gafftaper can help me out with the lingo)

Yeah @StradivariusBone, in my experience the cool lingo for being a Strand user is to be "The Forsaken" , "The Marooned", or "The Shipwrecked"... or any other synonym for a person who has been "Strand-ed".

I loved that console, but after they sold the company every other year, it was pretty clear that the corporate level wasn't particularly interested in customer service for products they didn't sell. Whatever you do don't try to buy a universe upgrade on an a 7 year old Palette VL.

 

[MNicolai]

Whatever you do don't try to buy a universe upgrade on an a 7 year old Palette VL.

My university roadhouse had a Light Palette VL when they upgraded from tungsten to Desire/Selador. It was a nightmare trying to get that to play nicely with the color paths between cues and busking. Tried to talk with Strand about some feature enhancements for the next OS release that would seriously improve that but that feedback fell on deaf ears. Within 6 months we had an Ion.

 

[gafftaper]

My university roadhouse had a Light Palette VL when they upgraded from tungsten to Desire/Selador. It was a nightmare trying to get that to play nicely with the color paths between cues and busking. Tried to talk with Strand about some feature enhancements for the next OS release that would seriously improve that but that feedback fell on deaf ears. Within 6 months we had an Ion.

There are a few good people at Strand still who will bend over backwards to help customers with Palette/Light Palette consoles. Pathway (who owns the Horizon software those consoles were based on) will do anything they can to help you with software issues. But the general feeling i get from the company today is they are doing as little as possible to support users of products they didn't sell. Yes, some of those consoles have been around 15 years and just need replacement. There is a point where support gets a bit silly and you should just buy a new console, I understand that. But these support issues started while those consoles were still brand new. There was that buy out around 2007 or so which resulted in a huge portion of Strand's staff being laid off (was it Genlyte?). That's when it all went down hill. Before then I was very happy with Strand Products and the support I was getting. Since then it's all been very hit and miss.

 

[VRommel]

There are a few good people at Strand still who will bend over backwards to help customers with Palette/Light Palette consoles. Pathway (who owns the Horizon software those consoles were based on) will do anything they can to help you with software issues. But the general feeling i get from the company today is they are doing as little as possible to support users of products they didn't sell. Yes, some of those consoles have been around 15 years and just need replacement. There is a point where support gets a bit silly and you should just buy a new console, I understand that. But these support issues started while those consoles were still brand new. There was that buy out around 2007 or so which resulted in a huge portion of Strand's staff being laid off (was it Genlyte?). That's when it all went down hill. Before then I was very happy with Strand Products and the support I was getting. Since then it's all been very hit and miss.

Gafftaper: Strand was "Carsoned" in 2006 and "Dutched" in 2008. Before that, it was always a struggle with someone in the UK ownership/management ranks who thought they knew better. There's a libretto for a tragic opera here if someone cared to set it to music.

 

[jon.hole]

Thanks for sharing all this - every comment (both negative and possitive... admitidly they aren't evenly distributed between those two categories!) are being passed up to Sameer, our Buisness Leader of Strand, Vari-Lite, Zero 88 & Color Kinetics.

If anyone faces further issues like mentioned above - software issues, hardware reliability, licence upgrades, feature requests, etc - please reach out to me and I'll do my best to help where I can - [email protected]

 

[gafftaper]

Thanks for sharing all this - every comment (both negative and possitive... admitidly they aren't evenly distributed between those two categories!) are being passed up to Sameer, our Buisness Leader of Strand, Vari-Lite, Zero 88 & Color Kinetics.

If anyone faces further issues like mentioned above - software issues, hardware reliability, licence upgrades, feature requests, etc - please reach out to me and I'll do my best to help where I can - [email protected]

Thanks for stepping forward and taking some hits @jon.hole I definitely was a Strand fan at one time and wrote quite a bit about how Strand went out of their way to help me back in the early 2000s. But support has been so inconsistent since then. My best example would be about 2 or 3 years ago when I was quoted a price of about $14,000 to unlock four additional universes in my 5 year old Palette VL. It's hard to look at that price quote and get a message that current ownership cares about legacy customers. I bought a new ETC console with 8 universes for about the same price as a 4 universe upgrade.

 

[Calc]

I'll jump in too, to make sure you realize that none of the animosity is directed at you Jon. I don't think there are any of us that are rooting against Strand. We're just trying to make sure you realize where you currently stand, in hopes that it'll help you swing things in the right direction.

 

[gafftaper]

I'll jump in too, to make sure you realize that none of the animosity is directed at you Jon. I don't think there are any of us that are rooting against Strand. We're just trying to make sure you realize where you currently stand, in hopes that it'll help you swing things in the right direction.

Absolutely correct Calc! Although ETC gets a lot of love, the industry is better with healthy competition. We would all love to see Strand return to being a great alternative option.

 

[thelatinist]

After a lot of discussion with local dealers, I decided to move forward with a quote for an IonXe 20. It’s a lot more money, but I’ve spent too long working with an off-brand console with sketchy support, and I want my students to get experience with the brand they’re most likely to meet in the future.

Jon, I thank you for your offer of help.

 

[jon.hole]

Jon, I thank you for your offer of help.

No problem at all Enjoy your new system!

 

[ndp]

Jon, nice to have you here.

We've had our Strand 200 for many years, and recently gave it a refurbishment and cleaning last year. It has served us well and still makes the occasional appearance.

More competition in the industry is always super valuable. You're doing the right thing and it seems like you really care about turning some of the negative perception around. With that, I wish you luck.

- Nick

 

[almorton]

We still use our GSX from time to time.

 

[RonHebbard]

We still use our GSX from time to time.

There's an LBX still normally in regular use in Hamilton, Ontario; and it will be again once the theatre re-opens post Corona chaos.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[almorton]

I had to bin my LBX as the battery had leaked and corroded the tracks beyond repair. I salvaged the panels, though. Worth opening it up and replacing the battery before it goes the same way. There's space inside tbe case to mount the battery off the motherboard where it can't do any harm, unlike the GSX which is much more tightly packed.

 

[RonHebbard]

I had to bin my LBX as the battery had leaked and corroded the tracks beyond repair. I salvaged the panels, though. Worth opening it up and replacing the battery before it goes the same way. There's space inside tbe case to mount the battery off the motherboard where it can't do any harm, unlike the GSX which is much more tightly packed.

The battery has been replaced several times along with three faders that "nobody" spilled Coke into then put the cover back on; a week to 10 days later, it was quite the sticky mess.
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard