Control/Dimming Zero 88's New Console

[NickJones]

This will be coming - the to-do list is getting ticked off quickly.

Great, I'm running out of questions!

Flash Memory - the only moving part inside the desk is a cooling fan for the processor, as well as the wheels and trackball. No hard disks to go wrong.

I have had 7 HDD's die on me, hence why I am pleased there is no HDD.

Another neat idea to add to the mix - we've also talked about giving the LD a window where they can write Cue Notes and the desk would automatically append the cue number which is active at the time.

That's a good idea, I was programming on a 500 the day, I use the notes page a lot, but you just can't cram all of the info for a cue, into a cue name. This could be a really usefull feature, when I write my cue sheets, I have the following feilds

• Scene
• Act
• LX Cue #
• Cleared/Cue
• Cue On
• Cue Off
• Notes

It could be a really useful feature to have the name of the Act & Scene in my cue stack, and maybe even whether you are getting Cleared/Cued and in the case of a spoken cue, what the cue actually is. I was working on the paperwork for a show today, I had this layout, and another page for the design itself, i.e., what lights where, colours, effects, stupidly, I had only put the LX cue, not the scene itself, so I spent today, matching it up with the script.

For some reason when I talked to the software guys about this, they got very excited.... watch this space.

Wonder why.... Could be great to have a LAN feature, and maps of theatres. Still, I'm daydreaming there! This really is so cool to be sugesting this. Some day I'm going to be an old man, and my grandson can be complaining to me about some "Relic" the found, and I can say: You know, I sugested some of the features of that console. And it has a 1st Person Shooter built into it!

You can define your own user views, and store and recall these using syntax. Colour schemes can be switched, and we're working on alternatives as we speak (at present there are three).

Great, I wont take of the caps of the faders when bashing my head on the console. The rubberised keys are good like that. You don't end up with a mark of a fader on your head if you have a doze...

Thanks Peter,
Nick

 

[KeeperoftheKeys]

Just wondering, how are you going to do laptop remote a binary platform specific program or something else?

I personally like the way Chamsys (and possibly others) have very smartly changed any device that features a browser and some way of connecting to the Network their desk is on into a remote, they just have a small server running that server a webpage with a commandline form and you can run your commands.
No tie to any platform, will work on smartphones, laptops and computers alike whether they run Symbian, Linux, MacOS, Windows, Solaris, Unix or any other OS that I have not mentioned here.

 

[Anvilx]

Great, I'm running out of questions!

I have had 7 HDD's die on me, hence why I am pleased there is no HDD.

I just have to ask what were you doing that would cause that. I mean i have heard of HDD failures but 7 really. Also were you moving the board that they were in quite a bit?

 

[NickJones]

I just have to ask what were you doing that would cause that. I mean i have heard of HDD failures but 7 really. Also were you moving the board that they were in quite a bit?

This was in a selection of laptops, I also have had 17 mother boards, 3 of which I used, the other 14 the guy fixing it found that when put in, the laptop doesn't turn on. Long story short, say no to Acer Laptop motherboards....

As for the idea of using a HTTP based server, that's such a good idea, I use some software called HFS, it gives me a GUI interface where I drag the files I want to share, and then when someone types my IP into there browser, they get a website listing all the files, its great. But the idea of using it to control a console is fantastic! It would even work with Linux! Yey!

 

[pkirkup]

I just thought i'd drop you all a note to let you know that the first release of software for ORB is now available for download on our website, together with the offline editor, user manuals and quickstarts - Take a look.

We'll have the console at PLASA Focus next week if anyone from the UK is visiting, do pop along and say hello.

Look forward to hearing your feedback.

Kind Regards,

 

[NickJones]

YEY! Now I can have a play!
Nick

 

[lightman02]

All I can say about Zero88 is I have a Fat Frog and use it for smaller shows as well as shows with a few movers. I have had the board for about at least 5 years and it has never failed me and even my rental customers have said they liked it once they learned how to use it. I have been very pleased with Zero88's support and pretty much all feature updates that were requested became true with little time. So as far as I'm concerened they are a solid company, they may not been as well known as ETC, Strand, etc but just because there not a big name doesn't mean their not as good or better. I see alot of people bashing equipment they never used just because they don't like the brand name. Some people hate Lightronics for instance and say they are crap, well I have several Lightronics dimmers and have some packs that are about 10 years old and still work great. Have had more problems with some popular brands and less problems with the not so well known brands. Don't knock a brand just because it's not your brand. give it an honest test, I always do.

 

[NickJones]

Good point lightman02, I have used there Jester a bit, (It moves into our rehearsal space tomorow to replace a 30 year old console) I found the Jester irritating for reasons I explained a few pages back on this post. The people bagging them were Raktor & myself, both who had experiences with the Jester. And as for some Lightronics dimmer packs being 10 years old and still working fine? The installation that gets replaced tommorrow is almost 30 years old. That's a system to work for all that time and die this year. I see what you are saying, and prehaps I have got a bad idea from the Jester, I will come into things more open mindedly from now on
Nick

 

[NickJones]

Okay Peter, If you are still around, what is happening with the Orb now? Have any of the things we discussed been added into the software update? Will we be seeing it at any of the trade shows?
Nick

 

[pkirkup]

Hi everyone

I just thought i'd pop back up to say that we've been working hard on ORB over the last few months and you might be interested to see some of the developments...

The latest software release (5.3.0) adds a non-tracking mode, the ability to use Part Cues and also significantly increases the overall performance of the software. We have also added a lot of other features over the past few releases, details of which can be found in the Release Notes document for this software.

When this thread first appeared people asked if we had a demo video available, similar to the Element one. One has now gone up online - take a look here.

ORB has now been out and about and used on a number of large scale productions including the Opening ceremony of the Games for the Small States of Europe and the BBCs "Scott Mills the Musical". At the PLASA show, ORB was used to run the ShowLED curtain (via Arkaos) which covered the whole of the back wall of Earls Court 2.

I hope this helps update you guys on where we are with ORB - we're working hard to include a lot of the features requested here and elsewhere and, whilst this latest release (5.3.0) answers a lot, we're always happy to hear more feedback.



Peter

 

[gafftaper]

Zero88 has always intrigued me. You are one of my favorites for entry level consoles and the Orb looks like a good product to take on the mid range level of needs. The pricing is my biggest concern. ETC and Strand are clearly your competition. If you are going to compete with them you need to put out a nearly equal product at a lower price. Although I haven't seen a competitive quote price on Orb, your list price seems to be too high.

I was looking a console from one of your competitors at LDI last year. It was a nice console (sort of a remodeled Express with new features) and I thought if they could get the street price down around $3k-$4k it would be a really good option. List price? $10k. :shock: WHY would I take a chance with a lesser known manufacturer when I can get an ETC or Strand product for substantially less?

Best wishes with Orb. I'm sure it will sell well outside of the US where there are less ETC addicts. In the US you've got to get it into the hands of people to see for themselves. I would really recommend you put together a road tour and do local demos around the US. LDI and USITT are great, but you have to get some talk on the street about you if you are going to take on Strand and ETC here.

 

[NickJones]

Okay, question no1,
I didn't see Doom in the realse notes????
Like the Addition of the @ Wheel, I program a lot on Strand boards and I love the ability to make those tiny adjustments.
I have been looking into getting a JesterTXL, but my major problem with it is the size, maybe it's just me, but I like bigger consoles, will there be any chance of a single universe Orb? Plus the Orb looks a lot "sexier" than the Jester.
I played with your OLE,
The screen seems so cluttered, the Strands that I use so much have a page that shows the channels, and the playbacks, it's really neat, if you set it up for dual screen you can have a screen with the Cue Stack, and the other screen has half the screen dedicated to channels, and then the bottom half has FX & Subs. With the Orb, it seems it can only show 96 channels at a time, and I can't add to that, and the cuestack takes up half of the screen rather than just Current Cue, Previous Cue & Next Cue, and it shows channels that aren't patched too?
Is there a setting I haven't ticked?
Nick

 

[Raktor]

I program a lot on Strand boards
...
the Strands that I use so much

I don't think it's really fair that you can say this. Influencing a manufacturer's opinion when you rarely actually use Strand products isn't very ethical. Most people on here would consider "a lot" to be at least every few weeks, and as far as I am aware you very rarely get to use an actual console under show conditions for anything more than a small school production occasionally. I'm not trying to insult you, I just do not think it's fair for you to misrepresent yourself here.

 

[loki]

I don't think it's really fair that you can say this. Influencing a manufacturer's opinion when you rarely actually use Strand products isn't very ethical. Most people on here would consider "a lot" to be at least every few weeks, and as far as I am aware you very rarely get to use an actual console under show conditions for anything more than a small school production occasionally. I'm not trying to insult you, I just do not think it's fair for you to misrepresent yourself here.

+1
*Snap*
And all that good stuff

Btw, It looks like a good console, Might have to get uni to buy one to replace our Leap Frog (Which drives me up the wall when programming it, but is great in live mode)

 

[pkirkup]

Nick,

The screen layouts on ORB can be customised using the VIEW syntax key - VIEW {SIZE} and VIEW {SCREEN} can be used to resize and relocate the currently selected window. Using this it is quick and easy to create a full screen channel view and use the second monitor as your cue lists, etc. Unpatched channels can be hidden using the "Window Setup" button in the channel view, by selecting the "Hide Unpatched" option.

I hope this helps to clear things up for you,

Peter

 

[GavMJM]

Zero88, the English lighting company, has launched a new console.

I'll have you know it's a WELSH lighting company! It's based in Cwmbran, which isn't far from me.

It's great knowing that if our Frog ever dies, we can take it straight to the manufacturer!