Multiple memory pages

[ice]

When working with a lot of different memories it's getting more and more difficult to remember where certain programs were locate, and there's no real quick way to find them. I wonder why you guys made 1 single list with all memories? I think it won't be too hard to make a few different pages of memories (for instance by pressing the "memories" button and selecting a page with the channel flash buttons?) and it would increase the speed of working i think, because now you can quickly move from one page to another.

In this way, when working with a few different fixture types one can easily create a memory page per fixture, and with partial programming only program the fixtures in a certain page. For instance; a page with all movindhead-spots, one for the washes and one for a couple of scans (or something like that).

It would be kind of similar to the way the submasters are used (with the different pages), but now the flash buttons and faders are missing, right? This is just an idea, I think there are several possible ways to deal with this problem; but the huge list of memories as it exists now isn't working too well for me I guess.

[K-Nine]

The Memories screen is designed as a single list of memories because it represents the memory stack which the Playback X uses for replaying the memories, theatre style with the Go button, typically in numerical order.

 

If you wish to group your memories, there is no reason why you couldn't have one set starting at number 1, another at 101, the next at 201 etc.

Using the keyboard for numeric entry makes moving between memory numbers much quicker than scrolling using the cursor keys. Naming of memories also makes it easier to remember what each memory contains.

 

Changing the memory stack from a simple list to a number of pages (cf submasters) would not be a trivial exercise and would significantly alter the current user interface and possibly upset other users.

 

It would appear from your post that you are not using the memories as a sequential memory stack ... is that correct ?

 

Could I ask how you are using the programmed memories ?

 

If you are only programming scenes, could you program submasters directly with channel data, with the different fixtures programmed on different pages ?

[Lightson]

Hi Ice, I also would have liked pages of memories but you could probably get around that by doing exactly as K-Nine suggested and grouping washes at 50 to 100, spots at 101 to 150 etc. Then you could use the first "page" as an index and name all your groupings. (Mem 1 washes 50 to 100. Mem 2 spots 101 to 150. Mem 3 ... You get the idea) Nothing recorded on them except the jump to number of that group. Need a colour wash, use the keyboard and hit memory 1 or whatever and the jump to takes you to the group you want, then select from that group. With a little fooling with it you could probably make it work fine. Just thinking out loud. B Hulme

[ice]

Ok that is indeed a solution to my problem, however the memory number thingy should be selected right? But that's not a big problem I guess.

 

I do use the memories screen as a stack in sequential way, but not on all occasions. We provide lighting to a number of different kinds of events, such as musicals (sequential), concerts (mostly sequential) but also stuff like house-party's. In those occasions it's very convenient to have groups of scenes / chases; for each type of fixture an own group. This way (with partial programming) one can make a list of scenes in each group and combine whatever suits the music.

Especially when it would become possible to program a scene just for gobo effects, colors etc. it would increase the flexibility tremeandously! Then it would be possible to create a list of movements, a list of gobo programs, a list of color chases and maybe even dimmer chases. Working like that, you can easily create a lot of programs with just limited time. But that also would mean many different memories, and a huge list in the memories screen.

 

I'm already using a pen and paper to write down where certain groups of memories are located, so I can access them as quickly as possible. And I guess a pen and paper shouldn't be used when working with a computer; that thing is made to replace them

 

What other way is there to solve this kind of programming problems? And the submasters are no option by the way: 12 programs per group just isn't gonna be enough I guess, and the pages don't have a "naming" thing, right?

 

 

I just want to be able to work really, really quick in a live situation. That would give me a chance te keep up with the music and create the neatest effects. Searching for memories by scrolling / typing (and then again have to look for the right memories; the font size isn't that big... it usually takes a bit of searching) isn't working for me right now, but maybe it will with a bit of explanation?

[richard]

I find that the Submasters are usually OK for these things, I place different types of chases/scenes on each sub (ie movement on 1, colour on 2...) and have different 'moods' for each on different pages, since the frog has page overlay this means that you can easily jump between different moods, and combine whatever you like. I can then add to that by using the palletes, and put pre-programmed sequences on the memory stack.

 

I do end up writing some stuff down on paper, but then I do that while using a hog, and since that is around 20x the price of a frog I don't thing that Z88 have too much to worry about!

[ice]

I find that the Submasters are usually OK for these things, I place different types of chases/scenes on each sub (ie movement on 1, colour on 2...) and have different 'moods' for each on different pages, since the frog has page overlay this means that you can easily jump between different moods, and combine whatever you like.

 

Ok, but programming seperate submasters for movement / color / gobo etc isn't possible right (or am I missing something here)? And when you have about 5 pages (lets assume seperate programming of those items is possible, as it hopefully will be in the next upate) with 12 scenes / chases per fixture (that's fairly realistic right?) you couldn't even fit 2 fixture types on the desk.

 

It's not that I'm programming that much scenes / chases at the moment, but I do want to keep a nice and fairly quick structure when the partial programming gets updated... that's gonna increase the number of memories dramatically I think (the idea of seperate movements, colors and gobos is very attracting to me), and I want to keep this option open to prevent problems like this when te update is released.

 

I am open to different solutions, but for now I still think it's going to be a bit of a mess when working with a lot of different fixtures in disco shows (all this stuff doens't really apply to concerts / bands because you would program more items into your scene's so working in a sequential way is possible).

[richard]

Using partial programming you can put solely colour or gobo or position attributes into a chase, as you can with a memory.

 

I usually merge the different fixtures into one for a lot of these chases, there is a limit to how much you can do, but I don't usually find it too bad.

 

When you consider a pearl has about the same limit it really is not too bad!

 

I would find that trying to use multiple memories would be rather confusing, as knowing what you have active at any one time would become a little difficult.

 

If you wanted the functionality you say, I would have thought that the mambo frog would be more suited to your requirements.

 

Richard

[ice]

If you wanted the functionality you say, I would have thought that the mambo frog would be more suited to your requirements.

 

Too bad the console isn't mine, and working as a 18 year old student doesn't pay that much