Photo courtesy of Mosaic Church, Orlando, Fla.
Lighting consoles are a bit like coffee—they come in all different blends. Each of them, while being fundamentally the same, has its own unique flavor. Every lighting programmer has a favorite go-to lighting console, but it isn't because theirs is necessarily the best console on the market. It is because it works the way they think—and they understand it. It “thinks” the way they think. Each console has its own programming language of button pushes, mouse clicks, and alphanumeric entries used to make the
lights work. It is this syntax or programming language that gives a lighting console its “learning curve.” Some consoles have a very complicated syntax, making the console harder to learn for the typical church volunteer, while others are easier.
So how does this play into your selection of a lighting console? First of all, don't buy a lighting console because it's what your favorite band or the mega-church down the street uses. Make sure that you spend some time test driving the console and making
sure you, and those that will be using the console, understand how to make it work. Most console companies have some sort of demo software available for download, or they will loan you a console for a few days.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Don't buy a lighting console because it's what your favorite band or megachurch down the street uses.
Before you decide on a console to demo you will need to determine the size of the system that you are trying to control. The type and number of lighting fixtures you are controlling will help determine how many control channels you require.Each fixture requires a minimum of one channel of control to as many as 36 or more each for an LED or moving light. If you had 20 fixtures that used one channel of control, a console that supported 24 channels of control would easily cover your needs. However, 20
fixtures that require 36 channels of control each would require a minimum of 720 control channels and at least two DMX universes. When exploring options, you will quickly find out about the different “flavors” available: standalone hardware consoles with a computer built in, and software-based systems that use an external computer interfaced to custom hardware. Both systems have their pros and cons. Hardware-based consoles tend to be more stable, because their computers and soft-ware are optimized to work together. They also tend to take up less space. However, they are not as easy to upgrade and tend to be more expensive. Software-based programs, on the other hand, tend to cost less since you are supplying the computer.
You only need to buy the software and a hardware interface. They can be easier to upgrade, but their stability depends on the stability of the computer's operating system and the compatibility with other applications on the computer.
Both system types can work very well. Just remember, both are computers and you need to treat them as such. Keep them clean and dry. Save, save, save your files, and keep regular backups in a safe place.
TIME-HONORED ADVICE
Here are a few other things to consider. Look for consoles that are generally accepted by lighting professionals. They tend to have better support. Companies that have been around for years tend to do a better job of supporting their products, and they
also tend to offer more training materials. Lastly, don't forget you are making an investment in your lighting rig. While there. are lots of very inexpensive lighting control software programs on the market, their functionality tends to be limited—and they
may not have the advanced features that you need. Also, the user interfaces are not often volunteer-friendly. Consoles with good user interfaces usually cost more money.
Some say you should spend less money on a console and more money on fixtures. This means less control and more fixtures. However, if your console is difficult to use, you will never maximize the performance or investment in the fixtures.
