'offline' button

[X-Terminator]

I'm not sure where to post this topic, in the suggest a feature section or overhere.

 

Is there a button on the mambo frog that puts the desk in a kind of 'offline' mode ?

 

Say you have adjusted some parameters (submasters, memories, sx buttons and fixture output changes) then you press the 'offline' button and everything remains as set, but when you make changes, lets say change submasters, affect fixture outputs and change sx buttons, the changes you make are not directly visible, but remain in some kind of buffer. When you press the offline button again, all changes are send to the fixtures. This is useful in a 'break'. You set a scene, when there is a 'break' you push the offline button, make your changes and when the 'break' ends, you hit the offline button again and all fixtures receive the new parameters.

 

Does this feature exist within the mambo ? Or does this post belong in the 'suggest a feature' section?

 

 

Greetings.

[sam.henderson]

Have a look at THIS THREAD.

[X-Terminator]

This link does not fully answer to my post.

The problem is, that I don't need to EDIT my memories / submasters, just change values (bring up / down other submasters, run other memories) without immediatly affecting the dmx output. The output needs to be affected when I push the 'offline' (or whatever you like to call it ) again. So I can give certain commands, without the crowd noticing what I'm about to do, until I 'release' the commands.

 

Lets say we have the following scenario:

 

1) A show is running (submaser 4 & 6 are up, sx button 26 is pressed and memory 2 is running)

2) I push the 'offline' button

3) Everything remains as set ( the crowd doesn't notice anyting)

4) I make changes (pull down submaster 4 and bring up submaster 5, push sx button 27, make memory 10 running, and affect the color of my fixtures via the pallet). These changes are put into a buffer, all this without the crowd noticing. (Kind of editing blind, but It's not actually editing)

5) I push the 'offline' button again

6) All the new parameters are send to the fixtures

7) A new show is running in just one handle (pressing the offline button)

[GLX]

Pop out the dmx from the desk

[X-Terminator]

Well, no sh*** (xcuse me french) but I already thought of that

Only problem is, the martin fixtures are smart enogh to continue what they were dooing, but the switchpacks and other fixutres don't

 

So... other solution ?

[sp]

This would be a brilliant feature that I would use endlessly - I've asked about it before on the forum (can't find the link just now) and I seem to remember the answer was no.

 

sp

[sp]

Found it now. - In this instance I was asking about submasters...

 

If you are using submasters, then the answer, unfortunately, is no. As soon as you move submasters faders 1,2 up they will begin outputting whatever data is programmed onto them.

 

However, if the data you have recorded onto subs 1 and 2 is only generic channels - you could always set up the same 'scene' that you require on the preset faders, and then raise the A or B Master as appropriate, at the required time.

 

So for generics you could just use the preset A and B faders, but if you're using intelligents as well then I don't think there is a way.

 

sp

[X-Terminator]

Well, I can't see where the problem is, all output needs to pass the dmx controllers inside the board, and the mambo has 2 unused function keys available, for instance the F4 key could be used to accomplish this, when it's pressed, the currend dmx output is buffered and send, while making changes continiously to the universes. When the key is pressed again, everything returns to 'normal' mambo function.

 

Perhaps this post should be moved to suggest a feature then ?

[Paul]

Is anyone aware of any other desks which have this 'offline' feature, or are we making up new ideas here?

[ice]

I don't really get the use of these things... just take some time to pre-program your show and everything can be done with just one great blue button. There are other things I find more important to be fixed than such a feature.

[X-Terminator]

The use of this button is, that this mambo is used in a discotheque. You can never predect what record the DJ is about to put on the turntables. And if I pre-program entire shows, then the creativity a lightshow is gone. Each evening is has it's own unique show, therfore I don't use pre-programmed shows, the memories are only used for scenes with my intelligent lights.

 

As some records have great 'breaks' followed by a nice climax, it's handy to preset your scene during the break. This buy's you time to change individual parameters during a show.

 

As you can see, I'm not the only user on this board that is in need of such a feature, so I think it should be considered REALLY important.

[Pipo]

Hi X-terminator

 

I completely agree with what you're saying!

 

What you could do is use the solo function, have a few easy scenes programmed on the subs, put the flash-function into solo, hit and hold the disered sub, and change the parameters.

 

One problem, you will have to choose:

Use conventional lighting for the break, then set your parameters for the automated fixtures and on the climax, let the flash button go.

Or you could use a few automated fixt. for the break and the rest you can with the climax.

 

What I also often do is program a simple two step chase, first step: slow movement, dark colors, second step fast movement, strobe , white, ....

set the trigger to manual and transfer it to a sub. When you have the climax just hit the step button to alter the scene, and then you can always change B,C,P.

[ice]

The use of this button is, that this mambo is used in a discotheque. You can never predect what record the DJ is about to put on the turntables. And if I pre-program entire shows, then the creativity a lightshow is gone. Each evening is has it's own unique show, therfore I don't use pre-programmed shows, the memories are only used for scenes with my intelligent lights.

 

As some records have great 'breaks' followed by a nice climax, it's handy to preset your scene during the break. This buy's you time to change individual parameters during a show.

 

As you can see, I'm not the only user on this board that is in need of such a feature, so I think it should be considered REALLY important.

 

I get your point, but once again; when you've got some subs with heavy movement, strobes etc; the same effect can be made by raising the sub. I don't know any lighting desk which has such a function, so that makes one wonder how they've managed al those years without it!?

 

Just spend some more time behind the console, and pre-program your 20 submaster pages in an efficient way. I understand a mambo has SX buttons to which you can your fixtures, so use those wisely and I'm pretty certain I can create the same effect you can without the use of such a function (no offence...!)

[X-Terminator]

Using the solo is one way to do it... programming a bunch of submasters another way.... (I think I'll go with the first one).

 

But as I can see by other users comments, It would be a nice 'feature'...

 

Hope this gets to the engineering dept.

 

 

Greetz....

[X-Terminator]

Well as it seems, the 'solo' sx button is not THE effective way to do the trick. As I need to constantly push it down...

 

Hope this feature gets implemented....

[Laubfrosch]

Hi X-.....,

 

well I get your point of view. As Sp wrote why don´t you use the "solo function"?

 

I read through all the posts here and my first idea was a kind of "Temp Overlay" instead of the harsh Solo Function.

 

regards

 

Sven

[ice]

You can hold the SX, lower the rest of your faders and release it.. takes only a second I guess.

[stagefrog]

Hi X-Terminator

 

The feature you are asking for is a really useful feature. I've asked about it before on this forum: http://support.zero88.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=873

 

To all reading this topic:

I know some consoles that are offering such a feature, often called "Blinde-Mode": for instance: the HOG-Consoles-Family (HOG500, HOG1000, HOGII, HOGIII). You see we are not making up new ideas here.

 

To use the solo function doesn't help, but I agree, that a propre pre-programming of your console, is very useful - but it doesn't cover all situations (especially in live)

Sometimes it is needed to change more than just one fader at once. But with only two hands it isn't possible without such a "Blind" Mode.

The "Blind" Mode keeps the current DMX-Datas on the output while changes you make aren't sent immediately to the output. At the Time you quite the "Blinde" Mode the changes affect the DMX-Datas on the output.

With this mode you are capable to do multiple changes not in a sequence but all at once.

 

regards stagefrog

[Martin]

I wuold like the build-mode, I use the desk live and i dont know that type of music they are going to play so cant pre-program!

[stagefrog]

Hi Martin

 

That's the point! Most of the shows I have to do the lighting are Live Acts. So you hardly ever know what kind of music is going to be played, except, that you know which style of music it's going to be (Rock, Pop, Classic, Funck....) Therefor it's almost immpossible to preprogram. Of course, you can do some slow and some faster chases and moves, but you never get the right thing. And if you like to make changes they are immediately visible on stage.

Elsewise, with a blind mode, it would be possible to start the show only with good programmed color and beamshape palettes and some nice positions. The moves you set while the show is running and it won't have an immediate influence on the stage until you quit the blind mode. Thus, the possibility that you get an adequate light on stage would be much bigger.

 

Even better would be the possibility to program the changes you made in the blinde mode to a submaster, palette or memory. In my opinion this shouldn't be a problem if it is possible to program down to the individual parameter level. If I am right zero88 is planning to allow the programming down to the individual parameter level in the next software update, I guess :?:

 

Regards

stagefrog