Long Sequences on SX buttons

[mezzman]

My client who owns a nightclub and a Mambo Frog wants to have long sequences triggered off of the SX buttons so he or the barback can wander over to the board every so often and change the program. I'd like to be able to program multiple consecutive memories and have them run in a loop when an SX button is pushed. So far I am unable to do this. I can run cues linked via the jump function on the Playback X, but when I transfer the first cue in the loop to a sub or SX button, only the first cue is output.

I tried using the chase option, but I do not have control over the timing or fade from cue to cue, which is what I need to do.

[K-Nine]

When you transfer a memory (scene or chase) onto an SX Button (or a submaster) you are only transferring the data for that single memory.

 

The memory stack (playback X) and SX buttons (and submasters) are independent playback mechanisms, you just happen to be using the same source of channel data from the memory.

 

Why does it have to be played back from an SX button :?:

 

You can achieve what you want using the memory stack and jumps and run it from the playback X.

 

Program each 'sequence' as a number of memories with a jump back to the first memory in the 'sequence' to produce a loop effect. Start each 'sequence' on an easily remembered memory number (eg 1, 101, 201, 301 etc.)

 

You can then simply select the start memory of your chosen 'sequence' as the next memory and press the GO button. This becomes easier if you have an external keyboard attached

 

If you only had six or less of these 'sequences' of memories you could set up the remote switches such that each remote did a Go Mem Number (Go Memory 1, Go Memory 101, Go Memory 201 etc.)

[mezzman]

I figured that would be the case...ah well! The remote switches idea sounds good though. I'll try it out.

The reasoning behind running looped cuestacks from the SX buttons is simplicity, just hit the button and the thing goes without you having to mess with manually loading the cues in the Playback X. We'd just prefer that all the 'operator' needs to worry about touching is the SX buttons and the subs. Many times I have found that someone 'accidentally' did something causing the lights to stop working (not to mention a 'what have I done?' phone call at 3am).

It would be nice to have this 'idiot proof' ability when needed. I have seen many club managers/owners/non-tech people's eyes glaze over when they see the console, it all just goes way over their heads and they can never remember the simplest instructions on how to properly get around the desk.

 

How hard would this be to implement? Also I've been thinking macros would be nice to have for utilities like home fixture, douse lamp, etc.

[K-Nine]

If you make the SX buttons, or submasters start running sections of the memory stack then potentially you could be running the same stack at different points from several different places at the same time !! I am sure there would be issues with this.

 

Macros would seem a possible solution but I am not sure how many new features we intend to put into the frog series of desks - we have already increased it's feature set dramatically since the range was introduced several years ago.

 

Homing fixtures - simply select the fixtures required and press the HOME button

[KWR88]

Something else that may be worth considering is a Frog box and touch screen.

This would let you load the mambo frog show into it and be able to use the screen to recall 130 of the memories. If the triggers are set auto on these and you use jumps etc this will then run until you trigger something else.

The advantage of this is it is simple to use, you can name the cue on the screen and the touch screen could be mounted behind the bar so your customer would not have to walk all the way to the desk.

No more glazed over exprssions ;-))

 

It is also possible to fit a card into the Mambo frog and connect the touch screen direct to this but if it’s an older mambo then the metal work may not be set up to have the card fitted.