Davidmk

Now you two have me worried that my setup is wrong. I thought button one was c# and triggering pb1. I'll have to get my desk out and see what I've done. I haven't been able to try it on stage yet although the 1-64 file is an amended version of one I've used on a few live shows so it ought to have been right. The desk is still on the last-but-one version of ZerOS - don't know if that makes a difference. It thought it looked OK on Capture though. Apologies for any inconvenience caused though.

Best of luck. Patience and the event display will be your friends but shout if you need more help.

Almost certainly that, not absolutely sure about Channel but, if it isn't 0 then it probably should be.

I can't remember. I'll look it up and get back to you.

You can't do this freely, note 1 triggers playback 1, no choice about that. To keep things simple I use playbacks 1-127 for midi which is the first 5 and a bit pages, the remaining playbacks on page 6 (128-144) are multi-cue and with cues triggered from the midi controlled playbacks and I start "normal" programming on page 7

Yes these are files you can load to your Novation, obviously you may want to change the displayed colours and the "flash/latch" settings but it may save you having to work out which note (in the required A to G natural/sharp and octave number) you need which is probably the most tedious and error prone part of the process. Please note that there are a couple of intentionally un-programmed keys, notably the last one in the 65 to 127 file (which would have been the non-existent note 128. Also worth noting that the Novation has four pages. I use two Novations and program both with both files, that way it doesn't matter which is which - I just select page 1 on the left one and 2 on the right. If all your pads are "flash" then you probably only need one Novation to trigger 127 playbacks (I've not tried it!). You will find that it is useful to see what the pads are actually sending and you can find that using the Z key (system info->events if my memory serves). "Flash" should send a note-on when you press the key and note-off when you release, "latch" should send a note-on when you press it the first time and note-off when you press it again. I keep putting flash & latch in quotes because these are ZerOS terms, the Novation equivalents should be obvious but I don't remember them.

You might find these useful... FLX PBs 64 to 127.syx FLX PBs 1 to 64.syx

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).