Used good condition ETC Obsession II worth buying?

[hobbsies]

I am considering purchasing a used obsession II to rent to people and for my own theatre company, but I have some questions about it:

Is an obsession II used but in good condition worth owning? I'm looking to use it at my small theatre company that is planning on using mostly conventional tungsten fixtures, but upgrading to LEDs and movers within a few years. How is programming intelligent fixtures on this console compared to express or ion? What are the major programming differences between an obsession and an expression? What is the point of the large CPU that comes with it? Is it better to save for an element? It sounds like its not possible to convert shows between other etc consoles without paying large sums of money.

Any experiences, likes and dislikes about this board would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Will

 

[Pie4Weebl]

The OBII was a great console for theatres with large conventional rigs 10 years ago. Most places I know who used them have ditched them for EOS's as they are not gracefully aging. Save your money and get an GIO if you can afford it.

 

[SteveB]

The OBII was a great console for theatres with large conventional rigs 10 years ago. Most places I know who used them have ditched them for EOS's as they are not gracefully aging. Save your money and get an GIO if you can afford it.

Actually, I'd skip the Gio and go for the Ion. Probably 80% of the functionality at about 1/3 the cost. Get 2 touch screens and a fader wing. I like the button layout on the Gio/Eos better then the Ion, but found the Gio touch screens a bit cramped as compared to the add-on touch screens on my Ion, where the screen buttons are larger and result in fewer errors. But demo both. I would not be getting an Element for controlling ML's. It does it better then Obsession/Expression, but the Ion and up are MUCH better at it.

As to the OP.

Major differences between the Obsession and Expression based consoles and a modern ML controller like the Eos family. If you are even contemplating movers, I would not be getting an Obsession (or Expression).

In both the Expression and Obsession, every channel is an attribute. Thus you are constantly manipulating attributes (color, intensity, beam, focus) via channel levels. The Obsession has a "command line" syntax that is similar to the Eos family, but that's pretty much the only similarity.

The Eos family has a channel controlling intensity for every type of fixture - LED, Incandescent or ML. If the console knows the fixture is a Martin MAC 700 then once you adjust intensity, all the attribute controls land on the encoders and in the moving light functions. There is far better separation of those attributes as well, using Palettes to save favorite settings for things like Beam (Gobos, edge focus, beam size), Focus, Color, etc... thus much easier and faster to manipulate. Then the touch screens allow layouts of Direct Selects that are one button screen pushes of those (and other) console functions. Obsession and Expression has nothing like this and it becomes painful to deal with ML's once you have used a console designed from the outset for these functions.

Lot's of good articles on the ETC website detailing a lot of the philosophical differences.

 

[hobbsies]

Major differences between the Obsession and Expression based consoles and a modern ML controller like the Eos family. If you are even contemplating movers, I would not be getting an Obsession (or Expression).

In both the Expression and Obsession, every channel is an attribute. Thus you are constantly manipulating attributes (color, intensity, beam, focus) via channel levels. The Obsession has a "command line" syntax that is similar to the Eos family, but that's pretty much the only similarity.

The Eos family has a channel controlling intensity for every type of fixture - LED, Incandescent or ML. If the console knows the fixture is a Martin MAC 700 then once you adjust intensity, all the attribute controls land on the encoders and in the moving light functions. There is far better separation of those attributes as well, using Palettes to save favorite settings for things like Beam (Gobos, edge focus, beam size), Focus, Color, etc... thus much easier and faster to manipulate. Then the touch screens allow layouts of Direct Selects that are one button screen pushes of those (and other) console functions. Obsession and Expression has nothing like this and it becomes painful to deal with ML's once you have used a console designed from the outset for these functions.

Lot's of good articles on the ETC website detailing a lot of the philosophical differences.

This is really what I wanted to know. Thanks for your advice. We are considering an element, but I saw an obsession for $1500 and wanted to know if it was worth it and if it was similar to the expression in programming movers and LEDs.

 

[JohnD]

BUT the obII is so cool looking, that's got to be worth something. And floppies are so much compact than thumb drives.

 

[MNicolai]

For $1500, it's an excellent console for handling the next couple years of existing conventionals. If plan to buy a few LED's or a few movers at a time, it's not a bad transition console while you set aside funds for a more modern console.

I don't care for it when it comes to programming non-conventionals, not because it can't but because I've become accustomed to what more powerful, more modern consoles can do.

At $1500, it's a steal considering Elements are about $5k and Ion's are about $10k. In the $1k range the modern analogue is a Smartfade console. The OBII would smoke a Smartfade.

 

[Footer]

This is really what I wanted to know. Thanks for your advice. We are considering an element, but I saw an obsession for $1500 and wanted to know if it was worth it and if it was similar to the expression in programming movers and LEDs.

If you have nothing right now, go for it. The console is pretty much a direct rip off of strand light pallet... ie it is a true tracking console and I believe it will handle scrollers rather nicely. If you need a console now and don't have the cash for the ion, it will hold you over. Don't expect to sell it in a a few years. Personally, I would offer a 750 to a grand for the console and see how things go.

 

[hobbsies]

It's HUUUUGGGGEEE. I don't even know if it would fit in the booth we're building including the sound board, pc, and room for an SM book. However, I appreciate the advice. Thanks!