The participants include Chris Kennedy, software director with ChamSys Ltd.; Michael Nevitt, Compulite product manager with distributor Creative Stage Lighting; David Lincecum, ETC marketing manager; Fred Mikeska, vice president of U.S. sales & marketing with A.C. Lighting, distributor for Jands; Chris Pease, sales and marketing manager with Lightronics; Ben Saltzman, executive vice president A.C.T Lighting Inc., distributor for MA Lighting; Peter Rogers, senior director entertainment marketing for Philips Lighting; and Peter Kirkup, product manager-Zero 88, distributed by Cooper Controls Ltd.
CPM: What new or recent console(s) do you have available for the HOW market?
Kennedy: The Pro 2010 upgrade for all of the ChamSys MagicQ consoles. Features include a solid-state hard drive with no moving parts; the ability to have two external screens including touchscreens-either USB or serial; more pixel mapping for movies and live camera feeds; and Art-Net II support. This all comes with the release of the 2010 series of consoles containing the hardware upgrade. All existing Pro consoles can be upgraded to the Pro 2010.
Nevitt: The Compulite Vector Violet and Ultra Violet consoles. Features include embedded seven-inch touchscreen, available flip-down 15.4-inch wide touchscreen, video server support, effects and matrix programming, graphical color, gobo and video pickers, and two Ethernet networks for remotes, wings, and multi-user clients.
Pease: The latest feature for the TL-5024 and TL-2448 consoles is our wireless DMX option, which allows you to communicate with the dimming system via a wireless transmitter in the console and a receiver in the dimmer. The wireless operates in the 2.45 GHz frequency range and uses adaptive frequency hopping technology to continually check for interference.
Lincecum: ETC's Ion lighting control console offers simple manual control of basic HOW production needs while also allowing for fully programmed applications using moving lights, LEDs, and media servers. Ion allows a house of worship to choose the number of manual faders that is right for them by adding ETC's USB universal fader wings. The small footprint of the Ion desk-only 19 inches-lets it fit into small workspaces, and the USB-connected faders can be placed wherever space allows.
Mikeska: Jands introduced the Vista in 2004 as a fresh new approach with ‘think visually, work visually' as the core concept. With the Byron software release due this summer, Jands takes the ‘think visually' approach to a whole new level by introducing a true second generation of the software. The Byron release reflects the attention Jands has paid to user feedback as well as a fresh vision to the whole concept of how a console works. The update provides easier and faster ways to do existing functions, and introduces a host of new features. To top it off, the Byron release will be free of charge to current users.
Saltzman: The grandMA2 is a combination of the grandMA software platform and the newest in hardware technology. The system offers intuitive and fast control of conventional or automated fixtures, video media, LED displays or other technology. Programmers have flexibility to create the layouts and views they desire; this unique level of adaptability makes it the ideal console for all types of situations.
Rogers: The Palette VL consoles have proven very popular with HOW customers. They have a rich feature set, powerful moving light tools and are intuitive to operate. They combine the power of conventional and moving light control in a value-priced system. Intuitive to operate, features include an integral trackball, moving light encoders and direct action attribute keys and channel counts from 500 to 1,500.
Kirkup: Our entire console range could be used in houses of worship, however I would recommend our Jester range, which starts at a 12/24 two-scene preset console with memory capabilities and runs through to a 200-channel console capable of running 200 dimmers and 30 moving lights. This range has simplicity and ease of use at the heart of its design.
CPM: Please tell us a little about any new trends you are seeing with consoles and control.
Kennedy: The need for more media and LED controls. We have already integrated these controls into the MagicQ consoles and are expanding them further. The lighting programmer and designer are being expected to control more of the overall visuals of a production.
Pease: Adding multiple universes of DMX to entry-level consoles will be seen more. While many expensive lighting consoles have offered multiple universes in the past, we can expect to see this feature in moderately priced consoles in the near future.
Lincecum: The biggest trends in consoles, particularly for the HOW market, include expanded control of LEDs, using color-picking systems, and the easy integration of moving lights. Moving lights are very popular now, but getting the lights programmed can be more difficult than many technicians expect. Getting moving lights and LEDs highly integrated with the control of dimmers is an important trend.
Mikeska: We see many requests for a single control platform with a series of models that spans a wide price range. They want the same control interface in a small portable desk that they have in their main console. Customers want identical interfaces and syntax across all of their spaces on campus, including the main space, youth rooms and even the portable outreach programs, which makes it so easy to get a volunteer team up to speed.
Saltzman: One of the biggest trends is the control of video shifting to the lighting crew. Flexibility is the key. With continuing advancements in everything from LEDs to media servers, the lighting console is challenged with the task of not just controlling these many and varied devices, but doing so in a way that makes sense to the user. The best way to do that is to allow each user to customize their programming and playback environment.
Rogers: The rise of LED-based luminaires and, in particular, luminaires like the Philips Vari-Lite VLX that have more than RGB color has driven up channel counts and made color-mixing control that is easy to use a must-have for many of our customers. Many of these luminaires require 16-bit control as well, effectively doubling the channel requirements. Many facilities are also either investing in automated lighting or renting it for special occasions, which means that choosing a system with good moving light control is a good idea.
Kirkup: One big trend we're driving towards is the use of Remote Device Management (RDM) in newer consoles. Our Jester range supports RDM so we can remotely discover, patch and configure moving lights from the console without having to get a ladder out or load a fixture personally.
CPM: Are there particular features that your customers are finding popular with your consoles?
Kennedy: MagicQ makes it easy whatever your level of knowledge. New users find the simple 48-channel desk mode an easy way to learn the system and control basic stage lighting. They can also work with our PC or Mac software offline to get familiar with it. More experienced users find the simple patching, automatic grouping and paletting really saves time and makes using moving lights a breeze. Expert users love the advanced programming functions, built-in pixel mapping and easy control of media servers.
Nevitt: Customizable desktop, the ability to define most frequently used features as selectable icons on a desktop; Topo View, which allows quick access to fixtures based on their location and layout on the stage; and Matrix View, which allows faster matrix chaser programming with animated GIFs.
Lincecum: Our auto-marking features that pre-position moving lights automatically is very popular, as are our gel pickers that allow designers to choose from gel colors across various moving lights at the same time. Also, the ability to connect a PC or Macintosh to our ETC Net3 network and view, edit, and control the lighting system from that computer is very popular with our end users.
Mikeska: Jands Vista users are drawn to the platform by the unique visual interface and the timeline-based editing. The visual interface makes the system easy for volunteers to use while providing all of the powerful features required by [professionals like the] current touring LDs for Jeremy Camp, Mercy Me and Toby Mac. The timeline-based editing is instantly familiar to anyone who has done audio and video editing. The free PC and native Mac offline editor also makes the Jands Vista popular, as it allows you to design and program anywhere, anytime.
Saltzman: The networking capabilities of the grandMA2 range of consoles are quite popular. They allow not only for perfectly seamless backup, but also enormous expandability. In the event of a failure, the system will automatically switch to a backup configuration within about one second, leaving the audience completely unaware of any difficulties. The expansion options allow multiple programmers across multiple consoles to seamlessly write to the same show file in real time.
Rogers: We are seeing customers choose touchscreen monitors more now as it makes it easy to point and select control items or ‘pick' a color. Many houses of worship also make use of PowerPoint to support their message during services, and Palette consoles all can directly control presentations as part of a cue, allowing one operator to run presentations and the general lighting.
Kirkup: The presence of a USB port is a lifesaver-everyone has a USB memory stick in their bag or their pocket, and now you can save your show file onto it, so you can easily have a backup.
CPM: Are there features customers are asking for in future development?
Lincecum: Enhanced control of media servers is becoming more important to more customers. Media servers need to be communicated with in more direct manners and via more two-way communication from media server to console.
Mikeska: Jands Vista customers have asked for a new, more visual approach to control media servers and ways to create dynamic effects with their consoles. Jands Vista Byron takes media server control and pixel mapping to a new level by harnessing the power and ease of use provided by Vista's visual approach.
Saltzman: The feature request list is, in a word, extensive. We are exploring new paradigms of lighting control, while at the same time finding ways of simplifying even the most common points of user interaction.
Rogers: As houses of worship continue to become more media savvy, control of multimedia is growing. Users are also asking for simpler point and touch interfaces for sophisticated luminaires that will allow for faster training of what is often volunteer staff.
Kirkup: We're seeing a trend towards more and more people expecting larger channel counts, as LED technology makes things like cycloramas go from being a couple of channels to now 40 or 50 channels.
CPM: Do you find the HOW market uses consoles in a different manner than other markets?
Nevitt: There is an emphasis on the easy-to-use, yet powerful factor.
Lincecum: The HOW market is unique in needing-all in one console-the most basic control setups that can be run by volunteers, and simultaneously, full-featured control over advanced systems of moving lights, LEDs, and multimedia. ETC offers video training for all ETC lighting consoles. That makes training new personnel a lot easier.
Mikeska: We find users combine the preferences common in touring, theatre and corporate AV markets. A single service can draw heavily on the cue-to-cue scripting required by a theatrical console, then take advantage of the live spontaneous features desired by touring professionals while the praise band plays, then require the features found in an A/V-friendly console, such as SMPTE timecode to sync lighting cues to a video clip.
Saltzman: In terms of how they use lighting consoles, houses of worship strike an interesting balance between standard theatrical usage and something more akin to a touring musical act. We see everything from the simplest lights-up/lights-down services to truly extravagant productions. The users run the gambit from dedicated staff with the most in-depth technical knowledge to the most enthusiastic, if less experienced, volunteers.
Mikeska: A console for the house-of-worship market needs to do everything well.
