Picking A Lightboard

[waynehoskins]

I've run myself into a bit of a pick-a-lightboard conundrum, so I thought I'd see what some of you guys thought.

The application is a two-preset portable board, DMX, that can be used at gigs in the local high schools or other venues when we do outside gigs - youth rallies and such. We already drag out full PA and video, but we've always made do with the venue's lighting.

There's not much to do about dimmers or plot, and we don't have the time, resources, or feeder access to go about flying truss and hanging our own independent plot. But the board, that's usually the problem.

The venue we deal most with has what's probably the most dreadful board ever made, an EDI Minstrel. It's all kinds of counter-intuitive. The patch is always crap on that thing, and you know the rest of the story.

So I'm looking for a two-preset DMX board, 24/48 at largest, with softpatch, that's moderately compact, intuitive, and doesn't require the use of an outboard video monitor (especially for patch).

That last bit is the kicker. Most everything these days takes and pretty much requires a monitor.

LCD/LED display for at least patch, and keypad for patching, no stupid encoder wheel for that. Oh yeah, moderately inexpensive too.

Of all the current offerings, Strand's 200 series seems to be the winner. But I don't mind an old board; in fact, the one I cut my teeth on back in high school came right to mind first: an old Teatronics Producer II.

ETC's boards are all out because they (all but Smartfade) require a monitor, and I don't like the way Smartfade plays.

The board doesn't need much in memory capabilities or for controlling movers; for those applications we'd really need a different board anyway (Microvision or Express or Palette or other memory board for theatre, Hog or Grandma or other ML board for movers). For most of what we do, even a 12/24 might fit the bill.

Anybody have any other suggestions? Tried-and-true is good. I don't mind 20 years old (like the Pro2). No Behringer, ADJ, Elation, Chauvet, NSI. I'd like to stick with at least a known name (Teatronics, Lep, ETC, Strand, CT, Kliegl, ETA, EDI, Avolites). Looking in the sub-2K class, ideally cheaper, older, and used.

[John at SBC]

My new favorite small format light boards: ETC Smartfades.
http://www.etcconnect.com/product.ov....aspx?ID=20014

[waynehoskins]

I saw the Smartfade at USITT 05, and I really wanted to like it, but I never could like it. Plus, for effectively the same money, I think Strand's 200 blows it out of the water. the 200 has a keypad, the Smartfade don't .. and I'm too used to using a keypad.

Perhaps it's those Lep 1500 and 1600 series boards I've used that has me hating the idea of having only an encoder wheel to program the thing, but I'd much rather have a keypad.

Actually, I think I'd really like a Preset Palette, but those are shiny and new and probably pricey.

[John at SBC]

I'll need to check out the Strand board. Hopefully they're at InfoComm this year.

[waynehoskins]

Today I took my car for a visit to the car doctor, and while I was waiting I read through the manuals for Strand's 100, 200, 300/500, and new Palette lines.

I think for my application the 200 or 300 is a good fit, 100 would be if it offered softpatch.

What really impressed me was the PaletteOS manual, describing the way you interact with the Palette line. It looks really cool: they've added another hardware abstraction layer, and the "programming language" is interpreted against the fixture library and patch at runtime, so you don't have to rewrite your cues if you have to change for one show from Color 250s to Mac 2Ks.

I want to see these things in person...

[John at SBC]

Originally Posted by waynehoskins

Today I took my car for a visit to the car doctor, and while I was waiting I read through the manuals for Strand's 100, 200, 300/500, and new Palette lines.

I think for my application the 200 or 300 is a good fit, 100 would be if it offered softpatch.

What really impressed me was the PaletteOS manual, describing the way you interact with the Palette line. It looks really cool: they've added another hardware abstraction layer, and the "programming language" is interpreted against the fixture library and patch at runtime, so you don't have to rewrite your cues if you have to change for one show from Color 250s to Mac 2Ks.

I want to see these things in person...

I don't think Strand will be at NSCA/InfoComm this year, but I'll look around and report back if they are.

[MPCC Media]

The ETC 48/96 is what we have and we love it! In your case, it would allow you for some expansion for the future. But don't spend a single dollar on a board until you know for sure that it will work with what you have!
Why don't you want the monitor?

[waynehoskins]

I'm normally the biggest proponent of the Express line, they're a great fit for theatre and install.

The big reason I want something without a monitor is that this will be chiefly a gigging board, used where we have as long as three hours and as little sometimes as one hour to load in the whole nine yards (still don't know how we pulled off that one-hour one). The trailer's already full with PA and video (and sometimes trussing), so the more compact the board is, the better. Also, the monitor is another thing to forget, and to have to find space for back at Improvised FOH. I guess an LCD isn't bad, but I'd rather not have to have one.

We're interfacing to DMX everywhere I know of, so compatibility is a nonissue.

More a Get-Me-Out-Of-Trouble board than a proper board. But the chief trouble is Patching, and when there are more logical dimmers than manual handles (not uncommon), even with a 4896 you'd have to patch.

Plus, this thing can't justify the 5K for a 2448 or the 6-7K for a 4896. It could, however, justify the 1.5K for a Strand 200, and certainly a Stupid Good Deal on an older board like a Producer.

[John at SBC]

What about trying to pick up a used Hog 250? They're out of production, but the frame size alone has me drooling.

[Les]

The HOG 250 is more of a mover board, or a programmed board.

It doesn't really do rock n' roll, fly by the seat of your pants stuff. Typically we're lucky to have time to even label the console with what light is focused where with what gel, let alone program any cues. And just as often it's either Wayne or myself operating both audio AND lights while the other is running video.

But, if we get into movers (hopefully, one day) that would be a great console to look at.

The chief concern is it needs to be a 2 scene preset board that we can run on the fly and have a good soft patch system (no encoder wheels).

[james tucker]

I like my churches Fat Frog.

A little clunky - but great for rock and roll stuff.

[waynehoskins]

So I'm dragging my old thread back out again. I found the perfect board for the portable gig stuff: Strand's Mantrix/2 with a Response converter after it. Two-preset of 12 (or 24 in the larger frame), 8 subs, and a pro patch module.

But I find myself in another sort of Pick-A Lightboard dilemma, which I'm apparently quite good at finding. We need a memory board at the church. We have a Lep 500/24 two-preset analog board, and I have plans in the works to upgrade dimming, finally. But what memory board should I get?

Basic criteria:
- moderately compact (Express/250 size or smaller)
- theatre stack that works like it should (I think this may be a trouble for Smartfade)
- some degree of manual control .. not necessarily two-preset, but at least some sub handles
- DMX control
- proper programming and patch syntax (I don't care if it's Expression or Light Palette syntax, just one of them)

I'm not opposed to last-generation boards; I'd like to stay within the past 15-20 years. In the interim, the Mantrix/2 will work, and if we need true memory, I have an MLP/1 that could be pressed into service, though it's 30 years old now.

Options that have come to mind:
- Basic Palette (drooling over it, but man, the price tag is pricey for us)
- Strand 300
- Strand 200 (but it doesn't have a proper theatre stack)
- Microvision/FX (but the stupid Go buttons are on top, and it takes a CGA monitor)
- Express/250
- Strand GSX

Ideas?