Ready… GO

The FREEZE key is all about asserting Priority. By default, both playback and “captured” values in your Fixture Sheet work on an LTP (Latest Takes Precedence) basis. Let’s say that you have selected a group of lights and rolled their dimmer values to 50% in your Fixture Sheet. Then, you play a cue that takes those same fixtures to Full. On stage, your lights would increase their output from 50% to 100% in whatever time you had specified in your cue: thus overriding your original captured values. Following the same LTP rules, if you simply rolled those lights’ intensity back to 50%, your stage would immediately become dimmer.

On some consoles, “captured” attributes always have a higher priority than playback – and LTP doesn’t apply to their programming windows. On the grandMA, using the FREEZE key would give you this type of ability. FREEZE essentially holds any captured values in the Fixture Sheet at the level you have set, regardless of any cues played afterwards. Think of the FREEZE key functionality as a mode – a lot like how BLIND and HIGHLIGHT are modes. When the FREEZE key is lit, you’re in “Freeze mode” and nothing in playback can override the attributes you have captured, or are working with, in the Fixture Sheet.

The FREEZE key:
-Does NOT park any attributes
-Does NOT override parking
-Does NOT clear the Fixture Sheet when it is turned off
-Does NOT freeze parameters that are not captured in your Fixture Sheet

Some programmers (especially those coming from other consoles) choose to leave the FREEZE key on all the time. This may make them feel more comfortable, and works perfectly fine. Personally though, I recommend playing with the functionality. I find it very handy during live shows to have FREEZE turned off for the majority of the time. For example, lets say I have to bring up a new look in the Fixture Sheet for that unexpected Bassist solo, but I know that the lights I’m temporarily using are needed in the next cue: when we do a fly-out over the audience. Well, with FREEZE off, I know that when I hit GO, the console will automatically transition from my temporary bassist look into my fly-out (in the time that I’ve specified in the cue). This means that I don’t have to worry about busking in a nice looking transition, or even having to hit the CLEAR key.

Obviously, it works both ways. Using the same example, if I get the feeling that my Bassist is going to keep going with his solo through my next set of cues, I can simply hit the FREEZE key anytime before I hit GO, and whatever attributes are in the Fixture Sheet will be retained regardless of what my cues’ instructions for those fixtures may be. The rest of my rig will follow their cue instructions, but my Bassist will still be lit until he’s finished — or until I simply tire of lighting him — whichever comes first.

Quick Tips are exactly what the name should imply. We’re adding these to our blog in an effort to help programmers and operators of all levels. If you’d like to suggest a Quick Tip, drop us a message on this blog, or on our Facebook page, or even via Twitter.

Tags: grandMA programming, tips

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under MA Series 1 Consoles, Quick Tip Tuesday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.