Sort of Help Request - FLX

[IJazzI]

Hi

 

Ok, so I'm getting used to using a memory desk after having used a manual for many years! I've worked out how to program the fixtures to dimmers and soft patch, I've managed to work out colourising LEDs even and that setting them above my normal lights on the channels is a good idea..! However I can't help but miss the good old "hit the flash buttons for specific lights" days on music nights. I've sort of worked out how to manually create a chase using my selection of colours and that tapping the button below sets a tempo but I always liked changing on the fly to suit the music. Is there a way to run the desk in a kind of semi-manual mode? Eg: Assign certain LED light colours to a certain fader and make the flash work as a flash button rather than a select button?

 

Probably a terribly nooby question I know but I'm still trying to pick this up and the Stage Electrics training day is 2 weeks off..!

 

The guide is quite useful but it doesn't seem to mention any way to do it, (although I'm just skimming it really I admit).

[keredyelesob]

Hi. On the flx you can record the lights to a playback stack. So one stack only has one cue (known as a submaster on the other zero88 desks) then when you hit the flash button, the scene recorded will flash. If not you may need to change the button behaviour for the playback. If it is led colours you want to flash this works the same way. Not ideal but it does work. Hope this helps you. Let me know if i haven't explaind to well and i will try again.

[kgallen]

To add to keredyelesob's comments:

 

If you want a button to control strictly just e.g. the red elements of your LED fixture (so you can add/remove red to the colours already showing rather than force the fixture red) then you need a slight change to your programming of the playback. You'll need to have SmartTag off - when you go to record, hold the record button down and you should get a record window on the internal screen. Also I think you'll probably need to set the colour recording to "individual". I don't see the Record Window in the User Manual, and I'm not at the desk, so guessing a bit here. However the point is you need to gain exact control of what information is recorded to the playback - hence turning SmartTag off, and that within colours you only want to record information about the red element (the colour parameter red), not the red, green, blue etc (the colour whole attribute) all together.

 

As a refresher on terminology:

attribute = colour or beamshape or position

parameter = e.g. red (of colour) or gobo (of beamshape) or pan (of position)

 

Setup+Playback button ("flash button" if you like) to change the button function to flash (default is "Go" I think).

 

ETA: Draft1 User Manual p50 suggests Fader Controls... (in Setup+Playback) can be used to isolate the fader to colour in the way you require. However it doesn't elaborate on how you might restrict it to control individual colour parameters (as opposed to the whole colour attribute).

[Jon Hole]

ETA: Draft1 User Manual p50 suggests Fader Controls... (in Setup+Playback) can be used to isolate the fader to colour in the way you require. However it doesn't elaborate on how you might restrict it to control individual colour parameters (as opposed to the whole colour attribute).

 

"Fader Controls..." is used so the physical fader controls the level of those attributes, rather than them getting triggered at the "trigger level". So, for example, by default, if I move a fader to 5%, the intensity will come on at 5%, and the Colour, Beam and Position data will get fully triggered to their positions over their fade times.

 

If I then say "Fader Controls... Colour", only Beam and Position will get fully triggered, and Colour will only move 5% from the previous colour to the new colour. As I slowly move the fader up, Beam and Position won't change (As they've already been fully triggered) but colour will get closer and closer to it's end value. If I start moving the fader back down, colour will return back to the previous colour, whereas Beam and Position won't change (until I go below 5% when they'll release).

 

I often use this with position, and record a fader with the position of my moving lights pointing up at the ceiling above the audience. Then, if I have all the moving lights running effects over my stage, I can use this fader to pull that effect out into the audience (around 50%) or keep going and put the effect up onto the ceiling.

 

To filter what's being recorded into a cue in the first place, you need to use "tagging" and the record window.

 

In the record window, under the "attributes" heading, you can choose which attributes to record.

 

Green means all parameters within this attribute (as per position below)

Red means tagged parameters within this attribute (as per intensity, colour and effect below)

Off (blue) means no parameters within this attribute (as per beamshape below)

 

[kgallen]

Hi Jon,

 

Thanks for the detail, that's really interesting.I didn't see the "green/red button" info in the User Manual.

 

It would be great to be able to capture all of these "application ideas" somewhere. Clearly when developing and spec'ing the console you tried out many scenarios from your own usage and refined the operation. Certainly on the course you had some good examples - with a small number of key presses you were generating some fundamental building blocks onto playbacks. As yet I'm failing to really replicate these in the same slick way! (More sick than slick!)

 

Maybe there could be a subforum for FLX for "application ideas/examples" - this would allow users to exploit the power of the console and the efficient programming methods you've built in. Also it could capture the key "tricks" required e.g. "at the step, SmartTag must be turned off so only xyz is recorded" etc.

 

Thanks,

Kevin

[keredyelesob]

 

"Green means all parameters within this attribute (as per position below)

Red means tagged parameters within this attribute (as per intensity, colour and effect below)

Off (blue) means no parameters within this attribute (as per beamshape below)

 

I like this functionality, Jon do you know if you will be porting this across to the Solution desk as well?

[Jon Hole]

Maybe there could be a subforum for FLX for "application ideas/examples" - this would allow users to exploit the power of the console and the efficient programming methods you've built in. Also it could capture the key "tricks" required e.g. "at the step, SmartTag must be turned off so only xyz is recorded" etc.

Happy to make some subforums... let me know the sort of subforums you'd like within the FLX one and I'll get them created.

 

 

I like this functionality, Jon do you know if you will be porting this across to the Solution desk as well?

I'd like it to, but no plans set in stone yet.

[kgallen]

Happy to make some subforums... let me know the sort of subforums you'd like within the FLX one and I'll get them created.

 

 

See earlier answer given by one JonH!

 

http://zero88.com/forum/topic/7327-should-flx-have-subforums-how-do-i-bugs-errors/

 

Plus the one in this thread!

[IJazzI]

Very useful. I'm getting to grips with the software and desk and finding it really useful.

 

Thanks for the help!