MA Lighting recently introduced a new line of lighting consoles: the dot2. This line is designed to be for mid- to small-sized venues, more user-friendly than their grandMA2 line, as well as being easier on the pocketbook. However, it retains the cleverness of the grandMA2 system, including the 3D visualizer. We're taking a look at the dot2 XL-F.
Even though this is positioned “down market” from the grandMA2, it's by no means a light-weight system. At a minimum you'll get four universes of DMX outputs, with the system being able to handle up to eight universes by using an Ethernet-based protocol like sACN or Art-Net, or by adding a dot2 DMX node to the system for frame-synchronous DMX output. So you will get a lot of power and output capability with a dot2 system. While we're reviewing the console version of the system, it's also important to note that like the grandMA2, there's a dot2 onPC software-only version available which, when coupled with a dot2 Node4, gives you a powerful, cost-effective lighting control system. The dot2 onPC software as well as the dot2 3D visualizer can be downloaded free of charge, and can be used together to evaluate the system or for offline editing at no cost. However, DMX will not be output from the dot2 onPC version of the dot2 system without purchasing a dot2 Node4 module.
Physical Configuration
The dot2 XL-F gives you a programmer section with all the buttons and controls for programming and controlling the system, a main executor (an executor is a control that plays back cues), 14 fader playback executors, and + 28 individual playback button executors. The system also includes three touch-screen displays, with the option of connecting an external touchscreen or standard monitor to the system. On the back is a power connector and switch, Ethernet connector, three USB connectors, DVI connector for external monitor, a DMX input jack, MIDI in and out jacks, a jack for contact-closure remote control, a desk lamp connector, an LTC connector for receiving SMPTE timecode, and four DMX output jacks.
Operation
Anyone who has used the grandMA2 will notice some similarities on the dot2. For those new to the MA Lighting way, the dot2 is easier to learn and use than the grandMA2 is out of the box. The dot2 is designed to anticipate what you want to do and guide you to the correct screens automatically. For example, if you select the color screen to adjust the color of your selected fixtures, the Presets window also changes to the color presets. If you store a color into the preset pool, it will automatically name it something that represents the color you’ve selected, such as “Light Cyan”. But, let’s start at the beginning. Patching fixtures involves opening up the Patch & Fixture Schedule window, and picking Add New Fixtures. You select the manufacturer, fixture name, starting ID number fixture count, and starting address number, and press the Ok button in the top corner. Repeat until all your fixtures are patched.
For programming, you select the fixtures you want to work with by the keypad or through touching them on the touch screen, adjust levels and other parameters through the encoder wheels and touch screens, and store the look into an executor by pressing the store button and then a button associated with that executor. Pressing the clear button twice clears out all the current attributes in the programmer. Storing subsequent looks into an executor builds up a cue list.
To create presets, you set all the fixtures that are appropriate to the location and look you want, press Store, and touch a square in the preset pool via the touch screen. Trivial. Executors can be used as a submaster by simply storing one look into a fader executor; they can be a cue list by storing multiple looks into the executor; or they can be chases by storing multiple looks and changing the options of that executor to be a chase. Chase speed can be set through the encoder wheels, or you can hold down the “Speed” button while tapping one of the buttons associated with the executor to set the chase speed to a tap rate. This would be good if you want to run a chase during a live song to adjust the speed based on the beat of the song.
The dot2 has an effects engine built in as well, providing a variety of standard effects with adjustable parameters. Effects for any parameter are easily added and removed, and stored into cues in executors. Parameters can also be fanned in a variety of ways using the “Align” option. Colors can be fanned across the color palette; pan & tilt can be fanned to spread out a set of moving lights easily. Playing back executors is as easy as raising the fader or pressing the play button for the executor. The buttons for any given executor can be reassigned to several different functions. By default, the “>” button is assigned to Go; the “^” button is assigned to Flash. However, for Chase executors, I found it more helpful to change these two buttons to Toggle (starts the executor the first time it’s pressed; stops it the second time), and Learn (which when tapped sets the rate of the chaser). Easy to alter with the dot2.
By default, you see the moving lights move into position when the dimmer comes up in a cue; however, you can set an option per executor to have the lights move in black, which will cause them to move during a previous cue if that fixture’s intensity is 0. This makes programming intelligent fixtures a whole lot simpler.
3D Visualizer
What’s really nice with the dot2 is that, like with the grandMA2, it comes with a visualization program which, if you take the time to set up to represent your lighting rig, can make life much easier for you. The dot2 talks to the visualizer running on a separate PC over a wired Ethernet connection. When you add a fixture to your show on the console, it shows up in the visualizer, and you can use the visualizer’s 3D design tools to move it into the correct physical position, as well as create a representation of your stage and add people and instruments. With a little work, you can create an accurate model of your venue, which then means that your lighting techs could program most of a show from home, and also make it easy to aim lights. It’s actually easier than it sounds.
When you select a set of fixtures on the console, you can then use the visualizer to point to a location on the “stage” where you want the lights to point to, and all the selected fixtures will move to point there. This is known as Follow mode. And they will follow your mouse around as you drag it around the stage and onto objects. Very cool. And there’s no additional charge for the 3D visualizer.
Experience
So, the dot2 is definitely a lot simpler to use than the grandMA2, and most of the functionality of pretty straight-forward to learn. Some of the more advanced features have some quirks that take a little more effort to completely understand. There’s a lot of power to it, and it’s worth climbing the learning curve. There are lots of little keystrokes that are not obvious, and I found myself plenty of times saying “How do I do that again?” But the help system works fairly well – if you’re wondering what a key is for, hold down the help button and press the key—a help screen will come up on the functions it performs, with links to related topics. I could usually get to what I needed pretty quickly. I have spent two and a half days with it, and have gotten pretty comfortable with it. I’d be comfortable programming an event at this point.
Some functions are accessed through oddly named keys. To start a new show, for example, you press the Backup key, where you access functions for creating a new show, loading a previous show, saving a show, etc… Seems like the name “File” or “Show” would make more sense. However, I do love that the typical “Enter” key is called “Please” on the dot2, just like with the grandMA2. It makes me smile. I found that the touch screens were a bit picky – some on-screen buttons are very small, and being a six-foot-tall male, my fingertips are not little. The scroll bars were often fussy to manipulate via fingertip, and a USB mouse doesn’t work with the touch screens, only an attached monitor. It would be nice if a mouse could also be used to work with the controls on the built-in touch screens. I found an issue with one of the fixtures types (a Clay Paky Stage Scan) that didn’t represent the fixture’s strobe capability correctly. A.C.T. Lighting, the North American distributor for MA Lighting, has noted the issue and they are looking into it.
And the last thing I’ll mention is that for the console to talk to the 3D visualizer, or the optional playback wings or DMX expansion node, it only uses the newer IPv6 protocol, not the more familiar xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx IPv4 addresses. Not having encountered IPv6 before, I spent some time trying to understand how to correctly assign an address to my computer before I learned via MA Lighting that with IPv6, you don’t actually need to assign addresses at all, even with no DHCP server available—it “just works”.
The Bottom Line
The dot2 has been fun to play with, and definitely meets just about any church’s needs. The visualizer is very cool, and well worth taking the time to set up. And you can experience it using the onPC version with the visualizer for free—just download them from the MA Lighting website. However, plan on spending enough time to get over the learning curve, and read the documentation/watch the training videos. It takes getting used to, so you need to give it that time for a fair evaluation. And, it’s very much designed to work with the built-in touch screens, so if you’re planning on getting a console, keep in mind that it’s simpler to work with when you have the two or three touch screens in front of you as well, instead of merely a PC screen.
The pricing for the MA Lighting dot2 is POA (Pricing On Ask, which means you have to call your local dealer).
