Davidmk

How are you planning to use faders in this context? I've been wanting to do that but - even using intermediate software + laptop + etc - I haven't seen a way to do it. I'd be absolutely delighted to be shown the way on this one if you can crack it.

That's correct. You will need a USB to midi interface. There is one that Z88 recommend but I used a Kenton USB midi host mk2 bought on ebay for about £88

Novation launchpad mini mk3. Novation supply software for the mk3 that allows you to configure the 64 notes each pad sends, the colour of the backlight and whether the key is "flash" or "latch". I have two of them which allows me to trigger the first 127 playbacks (there are only 127 midi notes). Most of these playbacks have one cue that uses a macro to trigger a cue from another playback and are controlled by "flash" buttons. A few directly control something like an effect and are controlled by "latch" buttons. For example... I have a bank of LED pars, I create playback 130 with 15 cues that set the pars to different colours and 1 that releases the playback then I create playbacks 1 to 16, each with one cue. Playback 1, cue 1 fires playback 130, cue 1; playback 2, cue 1 fires playback 130, cue 2 and so-on upto playback 16 which fires cue 16 and releases the LEDs so they can go back to whatever (unreleased) playback was controlling them before pressing a button (or default if there isn't one). It is horribly tedious to set up but it works. Stowedout did a topic on this, it's pinned near the top of the FLX page, he uses a different approach that you might find interesting.

I've replaced my touch screen monitor with a reconditioned Windows tablet and a docking station and set up 3 connection configurations for different circumstance. My main configuration is a DMX King Artnet node and a Netgear router on stage with two 30m cat6 cables to FOH. The tablet then connects wirelessly and/or wired (through the docking station). Where there is an existing DMX connection to the stage I drop the node & router on stage and the long cat6 and just connect the tablet wirelessly to the desk using a PQI mobile router. As I don't fully trust wireless connections and WiFi routers can have issues if there are other networks and/or smart phones searching for connections, the tablet and the desk are set up as fixed I/P adresses and both routers have been set up to give those fixed adresses to them. I can then use a cat5 crossover cable (or a standard cable with a crossover adaptor) to connect the docking station direct to the desk without a router. The advantage of using a Windows tablet (rather than iPad or Android) is that it can run the Artnet configuration, the fixture editor and the Zero88 monitor as well as the software for configuring my Midi devices thereby removing the need to pack a laptop. Apart from that the same configurations should work with other tablets equipped with the appropriate network adaptors. There's nothing special about the routers apart from the configuration which I had to do manually, mostly by trial and error. Make sure you save and backup your configurations and can connect to your routers with something that can make a wired connection and upload the backup The Windows tablet can do this but iPads and Android with wired adaptors should be able to do it as well. The picture below shows the tablet on its docking station and (underneath, left to right) the PQI router, a crossover adaptor and a crossover cable (these are usually labelled by the manufacturer as you can see in the photo).

I can see the sense in that. It's a shame in this specific situation but that's life.

Hi Edward What relevance do groups and/or pallettes have in this context? For example, if the existing fixtures were put into a group, then the positions/colours/beams/effects were recorded, using that group, and then those palletes are used (with the group) to record the cues, what would happen if the new fixtures were added to the group?

Until Z88 come back with a better answer, try checking the lease time in the router, make it as long as possible (see last few entries in the old topic "Control Beamshape Parameter with Fader" By martin-144, March 1 in FLX). You may even find a setting that forces the router to give the desk the same I/P address every time it connects (this is still DHCP but more predictable) and that would also be worth a try.

VGA, HDMI, DVI...these are all about sending the. Video to the monitor - if it is displaying correctly then they are not a problem. Touch needs a USB connection as well so have you connected a USB lead between the monitor and the desk? Is this connection good (plugs both ends fitting snugly in their sockets)? Have you tried a different USB cable (one that you know works because you've used it for something else)? Have you calibrated the screen (as detailed in the manual)? Lastly, if this is your monitor and if I have read the specs correctly then this is a single touch monitor, for most things this will be fine but you won't be able to select a range of colours in the colour picker (for example) as this requires multi touch. As always, Z88 may come in with better advice.

Following on from Lluk above. If the monitor isn't displaying correctly then as well as checking the monitor is set to DVI, check the resolution in the desk settings is either Auto Detect or matches whatever the monitor is set to. Monitor settings are covered on page 67 of the manual.

Guess you've done the obvious check on the USB connection to the desk (I don't have that monitor but, on mine, the USB can be a bit precarious). If that is OK then go into settings (press setup and select settings on the left of the screen) and calibrate the monitor. If all else fails, restart the desk with the monitor connected and switched on. Z88 people may have other/better suggestions.

Of course, auto groups, had forgotten those. The rigs I use normally only have small numbers of fixture types so I've always grouped manually. They are ideal for this situation though.

Thanks Edward. That was roughly what I was planning as regards defining the pixels but do I define each pixel as simple RGB or as RGB + virtual dimmer? I was thinking I might patch small groups of pixels to each of a few channels like... Ch 1001: pixels 1, 4, 7... Ch 1002: pixels 2, 5, 8... Ch 1003: pixels 3, 6, 9... (or something along those lines) but I suppose groups would be more flexible, do you agree? How would you group them?

I've got some WS2812B tape and a Smart Show NetWS-340 ArtNet interface on order but I haven't really thought through how I'm going to use it. I think the interface will look like two universes with 510 channels on each with the channels arranged as pixel 1 RGB, pixel 2 RGB and so on up to pixel 170 RGB. I do music gigs and what I envisaged was putting the tape along the front edge of the stage and having it mimic chases on the backlight wash but I'm open to alternatives. Is anyone using anything similar? If so, any tips or suggestions?

Good spot and useful to know because (a) I could see this causing issues in so many situations and (b) it is hardly an obvious place to look. I'll be checking the lease time in the router I am using next time it is powered up. Thank you.

I came across this website today (when I wondered exactly what the flying term "deads" meant). Apart from being a handy reference it looks like an excellent source if you have to teach lighting (like I do). Even if you know every theatre term, don't teach and have followed all the Z88 suggestions, it also links out to this which you might find more interesting than youtube videos of cats. If anyone has any other serious or entertaining suggestions to keep us amused do, please, share. PS. Stay safe everyone, they will need us when they re-open.

Not used it myself but sound to light is mentioned on pages 43 and 81 of the manual. If you are not a sound engineer then talk to one, you may need something between the two desks (sound desks tend to use a balanced connection on XLR while this input looks to be an unbalanced stereo one and a conversion may be needed).

Worth noting that the word amateur means someone who does something they love. It should not be taken to mean incompetent. In fact, people who are passionate will generally strive to be the best they can be. Keep trying stuff, read books, look at old paintings and watch TV. Look at the light (and the shadows), ask yourself why did they light it like that? How could you do that on your stage?

Martin-144. You might actually want intensity and size on the same fader in which case do set intensity in the programmer (set the other parameters in defaults, see the manual).

Shouldn't do intensity unless an intensity level was set in the programmer. I do this a lot - I light bands, different one each gig and I use moving heads as "specials" to light musicians at the front (the ones that are liable to moving out of a fixed light). I set most of the parameters in defaults, setup an intensity only fader and a second one that 'fades' the zoom, pan & tilt to a position upstage. If they step back out of their light then I just nudge that fader up and it looks like a follow spot. Doesn't help when they go sideways but it gets them most of the time.

Shouldn't be a problem. First you will want a playback for the intensity of the fixture that also sets all the parameters (including the minimum height). Nothing special about that, check the manual if not sure. Now the fun bit. Select the fixture in the programmer but do not turn it on (fixture no. then enter). If you need it on to set this then use the playback fader you recorded. Don't set the intensity on the programmer. Now set the maximum height that you want. De-select all beamshape parameters except this one then record to a 2nd playback. Now, apply the magic, hold down the setup button and press the 2nd playback's button - you should get a screen full of setup stuff for that playback. Under Fader Controls, make sure beamshape is selected (and nothing else). I expect someone from Z88 will give you a better explanation but, in the meantime, give the above a go.

I don't have an S24 either and i don't work for Z88 but I routinely do this on a full FLX and I've had this problem (but fixed it). It looks like one or more of your colour playbacks is recording values, probably zero, for the one or both of the other colours. For example, you may have recorded the red playback with red at full but green and blue at zero then, when you raise red it forces green and blue down (even if their playbacks are up). This won't happen if you follow the instructions exactly but I'd suggest you delete all three playbacks then try again but this time make sure that the colour you want is at full and is selected (blue) and the other two are not (i.e. not blue, doesn't matter what value they are showing). You have to make sure of this msnually because, by default, any change to colour defaults to selecting all the colours - even when you only changed one.

Hmm. Maybe that's a reason for considering a v2. Bit busy at the moment but perhaps I could take a look at that. I just used Windows R, G & B but I could do something like allow the "seed" colours to be input as RGB values. I've also been looking at hue/saturation.

Like it 😊

This topic got me thinking. Since you can upload any image to use as the colour picker I wondered if I could get Excel to generate images that are suitable. Attached you will find examples of a first attempt at this. Now, be warned, I haven't tried these in my desk yet and the proportions haven't been adjusted to match the LCD screen so it may not work as I expected (I don't think there is any way for an image file to damage anything though). There are two picker images. The two way picker has a "rainbow" down the left side and the same, but offset on the right. The intermediate colours fade from the colour on the left to the one on the right. The four way picker has different colours in the four corners, the intermediate colours in left and right columns fade from the top colour to the bottom one then the rows fade from left to right. I have also included the Excel spreadsheet so you can try some for yourself. Note that this does include macros and, while I am confident that my laptop is malware free and the code doesn't access anything outside of Excel, I accept no responsibility for any damage it may cause or be perceived to cause on your systems. Feedback on the usefulness of this would be very welcome as would suggestions to improve it. To use, set all the cells to no fill first then, for a 2 way picker, set A1 to A16 and P1 to P16 to various fill colours then click the 2 way button or, for a 4 way picker, set the four corners to different fill colours (e.g. RGBW) and click the 4 way button. You can use the Windows 10 snipping tool to save the resulting screen as an image that you can load on your desk. Picker.xlsm

Ditto Uriahdemon above (relatively new to FLX and mainly busking bands) To make the most of the available MMFS, I put several cues onto some of them (and on the master playback). That way I can select the individual cues by holding down the Go button and typing the cue number. This works best where each cue "replaces" the others (i.e. you would never want them at the same time). For example. One MFF has a cue for each of the gobos on our moving heads (including "open"). Another has various colour states for the LED PARs (with a 3s colour fade on each cue). The cue doesn't start until you let go of the Go button which I find very convenient - I can get something ready and take my finger off at exactly the right moment. The downside is you can only select a cue on one playback at a time so you have to do them quickly if you want a lot of things at (nearly) the same time. You can improve on this a bit using the remote switches (see my earlier post on them) and/or a MIDI device to fire - single cue - playbacks on other pages. PM me if you'd like to discuss busking for gigs, I'm still optimising how I do it on FLX but I've been lighting professional bands with a couple of other desks for nearly 20yrs so I'm pretty familiar with the problems.