FLX S24 CLEAR LED stubbornly stays lit (7.14)

[kgallen]

First time using FLX S, I own for many years the "full" FLX myself so that's what I'm used to, syntax, external monitor and all that. I'm helping another group out at short notice (isn't that always the way), they have an FLX S24 running 7.14. It looks like newer desk hardware as it has the two 5-pin XLR DMX sockets (I believe initially the FLX S had one 5-pin and one 3-pin).

1. I'm having an issue where the LED in the CLEAR button is staying lit, even when I've done CLEAR-CLEAR and there is nothing shown selected. Sometimes after a while (maybe 10 seconds) the LED will go out on its own but not always. Is it that these lower-end consoles are already really laggy on their UI?
2. If I go into SETUP and come out again the CLEAR LED will extinguish.
3. I don't see this listed as a bug fix in the 7.14.1/.2/.3 release notes. Is this a known issue still?
4. It's not a big issue but I'm in to educate their folk on programming the desk and this issue is kinda annoying...
5. I'm going to propose loading 7.14.3 onto it - and hoping this doesn't brick their desk otherwise I'll be in big trouble!
6. Otherwise, if any of the experienced folk on here have hints and tips or gotchas for a full-FLX syntax user moving over to the "baby" console, they would be much appreciated! Yes I've grabbed a USB keyboard and will try and learn more of the syntax keys that are supported, but probably I can't use that for tutoring their folk! I don't see syntax lines coming up on any internal monitor desktop, is that expected? Rigging an external Monitor over a small LAN isn't going to be practical. Yes I've been watching Edward's FLX S specific videos!

It's payback time folks 😉

Cheers, Kevin

[Davidmk]

Just a guess but does the clear light stay on while a programmer time fade is going on? (And, is the programmer time set at 10s?)

[kgallen]

Thanks David. I guess that’s a good possibility - I had engaged Programmer Time (at 5s) when playing around with it. I guess I’ve never noticed my own FLX doing this!
 

Today I put 7.14.3 onto it and the Clear LED seems to go off straight away. But that could well be because Programmer Time is now off after the effective factory reset!

Had a decent session with the S24 tonight. But still need to hit the manual to find out how some things are performed compared to the FLX! At least I had a USB keyboard plugged in which helped and I did resist using syntax - mostly! Whilst I can name Cues, I’ve not worked out yet how to name palettes or how to Delete individual cues without using the keyboard!

[Davidmk]

Manual says "hold setup and tap the pallette" to name them. Hopefully that same trick applies to naming other things.

Doing a play for an AmDram I was confronted with an S48. I unplugged it and plugged in my FLX so I'm no wiser than you really. Or rather I know less than you since you've already learnt something about Sxx.

 

 

[kgallen]

19 minutes ago, Davidmk said:

Doing a play for an AmDram I was confronted with an S48. I unplugged it and plugged in my FLX so I'm no wiser than you really. Or rather I know less than you since you've already learnt something about Sxx.

That’s my challenge! I’m so tempted to take my FLX in so I can bash syntax then load the showfile into the S24 for their op to run the show.

But I’m going to bite the bullet and use the S24 - especially as I’m aiming to get my local community hall to get an S24 and I’ll have to support users on it, so I’d better learn it!

Thanks for the palette name info - found this along with how to delete a cue in the manual this morning. It seems Setup isn’t always used for naming (for cues you tap the name box) and for Delete cue you have to hit the Z key to get up a number pad - not tapping the cue in the cue list as I was trying! I think I need to create some additional labels for both the desk and keyboard! I was surprised ‘N’ on an external keyboard doesn’t do Name as it does on FLX.

Given the FLX is now discontinued maybe some of the ‘advanced’ features will creep onto the Sxx - processor power and UI allowing  

Still haven’t found a syntax line coming up in any window so I guess you have to type it blind and see what happens! 😆

I’m getting there…! Cheers!

[Davidmk]

Wishing you well on your adventure!

[Jon Hole]

4 hours ago, kgallen said:

It seems Setup isn’t always used for naming (for cues you tap the name box)

If there's a field for name (like a Cue Name, or a Fixture Name in the Fixture Schedule) we don't use SETUP, but otherwise we do (I'm sure there might be an obscure place where that rule isn't true, but for the most part it is!).

4 hours ago, kgallen said:

Still haven’t found a syntax line coming up in any window so I guess you have to type it blind and see what happens! 😆

On FLX S, there's a command line displayed in the Z window and in the Fixture Schedule - but only in those two locations.

[kgallen]

5 hours ago, Jon Hole said:

On FLX S, there's a command line displayed in the Z window …

Ah useful, thanks! The ‘Z’ window is where the daemons live so I don’t go in there that often 🤣

[Jon Hole]

Official response: all the fun stuff lives in the 'Z' window!

Unofficial response: anything we don't know where to put lives in the 'Z' window!

[kgallen]

On 9/30/2024 at 8:52 AM, Davidmk said:

Doing a play for an AmDram I was confronted with an S48. I unplugged it and plugged in my FLX so I'm no wiser than you really.

I had a meeting with the director last night to put together a lighting cue list (I’m panic called in as they’ve been let down last minute and nothing is prepared!). The cue list is pretty long. I think I’m going to chicken out and programme on my full FLX - because I know I can be faster with syntax and I’ve access to eg Lee Filters - than I would be on an FLX S where I’ll feel like I’m programming with an arm tied behind my back. Jon has confirmed that the FLX showfile should run perfectly well on the S24 (obviously staying within the S24’s capabilities) because some other chap will actually op the shows using their S24 after I’ve done a handover at the dress rehearsal. Let’s hope that actually works otherwise I’ll be in double trouble! 

[Charlie Newman]

1 hour ago, kgallen said:

 Let’s hope that actually works otherwise I’ll be in double trouble! 

haha, good luck!

[Davidmk]

I was going to do that for an AmDram but their S48 was not up to date and couldn't run the showfile so I was going to lend them my FLX

The nominated op pulled out last minute because, they said, they wouldn't know how to operate manually if anything went wrong. So I had to run the show myself.

[kgallen]

1 hour ago, Davidmk said:

So I had to run the show myself.

My fear too... [chap doing LX op is a (potentially unreliable) shift worker, never done it before - the guy doing the sound is a Year 9 school kid, who seems perfectly fine, but... he's 13 - ergo there is no-one in tech FOH with any notable experience].

I've updated their FLX S24 to 7.14.3 the same as my FLX, so in theory we're good to go...

[Jon Hole]

37 minutes ago, kgallen said:

I've updated their FLX S24 to 17.14.3

Release software? Ah, that's no fun. Where's your sense of risk and jeopardy?! 😜

[kgallen]

27 minutes ago, Jon Hole said:

Release software? Ah, that's no fun. Where's your sense of risk and jeopardy?! 😜

They were on 7.14 so not too bad..! I think the console is pretty new though, so might have come with 7.14 on it!

(I realise I've been typing 17.x rather than 7.x! Idiot...)

[kgallen]

On 10/10/2024 at 9:47 PM, Charlie Newman said:

haha, good luck!

It did work. Programmed the show on my FLX with syntax bish-bash-bosh no problem. 
 

Loaded the showfile into their S24, worked like a charm. Sat with the op last night during the dress rehearsal, he drove, I stood by to help.

He made a decent fist of it given it was his first time ever. Jumped a few cues - double tapped GO or was a bit eager. Was a bit of a pain going back a cue or two as S24 doesn’t have arrow keys and no USB keyboard attached. I set shift-go as pause but the ‘go back’ doesn’t work unless you’re running a cue, pause then step back.  Chap kept going into Z screen as wasn’t using that button as a shift key. In the end I suggested he use the touch screen carefully to back step cues or bring in a keyboard. 
 

Let’s see if the phone rings later in the week… ‘Hello… he hasn’t turned up, can you…’

Thanks to @Davidmk and @Jon Hole for help and support on this endeavour. 

[Charlie Newman]

 

31 minutes ago, kgallen said:

It did work. Programmed the show on my FLX with syntax bish-bash-bosh no problem. 

Woo congrats!

I wonder if you could setup a macro to use for going forwards and back a cue? I mainly use a fullsize FLX so probably not the best help haha

[kgallen]

34 minutes ago, Charlie Newman said:

 

Woo congrats!

I wonder if you could setup a macro to use for going forwards and back a cue? I mainly use a fullsize FLX so probably not the best help haha

FLX S doesn’t allow user macros and no UDKs either to put one on. But good lateral thought!

[Charlie Newman]

21 hours ago, kgallen said:

FLX S doesn’t allow user macros and no UDKs either to put one on. But good lateral thought!

Ah that's annoying, maybe a future feature? 

[kgallen]

36 minutes ago, Charlie Newman said:

Ah that's annoying, maybe a future feature? 

User macros is one of the FLX vs FLX S product differentiators. FLX S of course doesn’t have physical UDK buttons which is one common place to put user macros (but they can also of course be triggered from cues).