partial or full mode?

[BenM]

Hi,

 

I know this Q has probably been asked lots of times before but I was wondering if you could give me an indication to whether you think partial or full mode would be better for my fat frog for this event?

 

We've got 8 MAC500s, but they're paired up (one set has tilt/pan mirrored), so its only 4 fixtures. We've also got 2 Chromabanks, I think set to a mode with 9 parameters.

 

We've also got 39 generic channels.

 

We'd like to be able to program chases using both intelligent and generic fixtures although we'd like to be able to FROG the pan/tilt sometimes. We'll also be using the cue stack to create about 50 or 60 cues, of which 40 will be chases using the intelligents and generics. In the non-chase cues the macs will just sit still and not change (or will, but it'll be a snap change that'll happen and then stay there (ie, cue after a chase)).

 

We'd also like to use submasters for some of the most useful presets/chases (ie, working lights and a few presets on submasters, plus houselights (which use 3 of 39 channels) on a sub. We'd also like a few simple mac chases in the subs.

 

So, I'd lean towards full, but I understand programming generic-only subs in full mode is not possible, without having to define the mover's attributes (as we'd sometimes be using more than one sub at a time).

 

Thanks,

Ben

[Haytech]

Hi Ben,

choose the partial mode - this increases your possabilities.

In partial it is possible to get submasters with generic chasers

and have others with mac or chroma chasers.

 

why do you group your macs together ?

fatfrog has 12 fixture channels if you give each mac a fixture botton you can get great effects.

[BenM]

ok. I'd have thought full was better but there you go.

 

is there a bad thing about partial mode or is it just seperate the LTP against the HTP? If I program a sub in partial with some fixtures at 100% in brightness (the HTP channel) then would that be included or do I need to 'tag' them?

 

we group them as its easier to control 4 and they are paired up (as in opposite sides of the stage, in a symmetrical shape) so its a lot easier. there is no real reason why we'd want to seperate them to do individual effects.

 

the chroma's are also paired

 

Ben

[sp]

there is no real reason why we'd want to seperate them to do individual effects...the chroma's are also paired :)Ben

 

Haytech's right you should at least try having your macs seperate. Put them each on their own fixture and turn on the FROG function, I'm sure it would look great.

 

sp

[K-Nine]

If you want to run separate chases with your fixtures on the submasters without affecting the main 'look' from the memories on the playback stack (playback X) then you should run the desk in PARTIAL Mode.

 

In full mode - everything ie all generic channels and ALL fixture parameters are recorded into the memory/submaster data. Consequently, everything will be output when you play the memory or raise the submaster.

 

Partial mode gives you a lot more flexibility especially with the submasters.

 

Remember though that even in partial mode the HTP channels (generic channels and fixture brightness parameters) are ALWAYS RECORDED, so if you don't want any generic channels or particular fixture brightnesses to come on when you raise the submaster fader, ensure that all unwanted HTP channels are set to zero when you record the submaster data.