Ready… GO

Port Lighting Systems, of Seabrook, NH is holding an open house in honor of their 25th Anniversary, and ACT Lighting will be there. The event takes place March 10, 2010 at Port Lighting’s offices beginning at 4pm. You can grab a cocktail, enjoy some food, mingle with other entertainment lighting industry guests and check out some new gear. ACT Lighting’s Brian Dowd will be on hand with a grandMA2 Full Size console.

Port Lighting’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
March 10, 2010
4:00pm – 9:00pm
Port Lighting Systems
24 London Lane
Seabrook, NH 03874
(Directions)

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RSVP to andrew@portlighting.com

This post is ACT Lighting content. You may reproduce, but only in whole – not in part. You can visit Port Lighting’s website here.

This week’s Quick Tip is comes from a question that gets asked in training classes quite often: What’s the difference between Remove and Release?

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First, let’s talk about where you’ll see it on the console. When you’re recording over a Cue that already exists, the options to Remove or Release can be seen in a Pop-Up window along with the expected Merge and Overwrite options (see screenshot above). Additionally, you can also find these options in the STORE OPTIONS window. Removing and Releasing are not the same as deleting an entire Cue. These options are specific to attributes and should be used when you want to remove certain values (but not all values) from an existing Cue.

So, what’s the difference? Let’s say that you have 3 cues controlling multiple fixtures in a single Sequence. Then, imagine that you want edit the Dimmer value of a particular fixture in the Sequence. In Cue 1, your fixture’s intensity goes to 100%. In Cue 2, your fixture’s intensity drops to 50%, and in Cue 3, the level drops again to 25%. Now, say we want to get rid of the value of 50% in Cue 2. So, you select the fixture – put a hard value (any value) on the Dimmer attribute and STORE over Cue 2. If you choose REMOVE, then the value of 50% in Cue 2 is erased, but allows the value of 100% to track through during Cue 2. In Cue 3, the fixture would, of course, crossfade to 25%.

If you chose RELEASE when re-recording Cue 2, then the value of 50% would still be erased – but, the value of 100% from Cue 1 would not track through. In fact, when you play Cue 2, the Dimmer attribute of your fixture will actually be released: in other words, this Cue will actually relinquish control of the Dimmer. Again, when you play Cue 3, the value will crossfade to 25%.

Here’s a chart showing you the values of the fixture in each cue in each of the situations detailed above:

Keep in mind that using RELEASE doesn’t necessarily tell the attribute to return to it’s default value. In fact, all it does is Release that particular Cue’s control over the attribute. If another Sequence is active and could potentially take control of that attribute, then it will.

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.

Earlier this month, ACT Lighting held a demo of the grandMA2 console line, along with the MA Lighting VPU at LMG’s headquarters in Orlando, FL. In addition to the open house, Joe Cabrera of ACT Lighting also offered onsite grandMA training.

Steve (BOZ) Bodzioch, Lighting Design & Services Manager at LMG was good enough to grab a few pictures of the event and share them with us.

If you didn’t make it out to yesterday’s Open House Event at MainLight Industries, here’s some photos of what you missed. The grandMA2 Full Size console, networked with the new MA Lighting VPU media server controlled the output of the SoftLED curtains along with the Main Light MF/V units and various other fixtures.
Special thanks to John DiEleuterio of MainLight for snapping these great shots!

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We’ll soon have news about another opportunity to get your hands on the grandMA2 next month in New Hampshire.

Ever notice how some Views have different colors on the ViewButtons? ViewButtons with a red background are actually Macros. If you’ve taken the grandMA training course at ACT Lighting, then you’ve already used at least one. In our training showfile, there is a ViewButton that affects one of the external monitors- causing that screen to toggle between 2 pre-recorded Views. A common question is how to set this up.

First, let me explain what is actually stored here. The Viewbutton is assigned to trigger 1 particular Macro in our show. That particular Macro fires a View and then triggers the assignment of a second Macro. That second Macro then appears on the same ViewButton. When fired, this second Macro opens a different View, and then immediately assigns the original Macro back to the ViewButton. Sound confusing? Think of it like this: The first time you hit ViewButton 18, the Executor Window is opened on your external monitor. The next time you hit that same ViewButton 18, the Tracking Sheet will open on the external monitor. This one ViewButton actually toggles between multiple Views instead of just one. In our showfile, it swaps between two Views, but you can set up as many as you like.

Here’s how to do it: Let’s assume that you have already recorded two Views on your console. Next, we need to make two Macros.

In your 1st Macro (let’s call this Macro 1), set the following lines:

Line 1: View X
Line 2: Assign Macro 2 Viewbtn 18

In your 2nd Macro (let’s call this Macro 2) set the following lines:

Line 1: View Y
Line 2: Assign Macro 1 Viewbtn 18

In each Macro, the first line will open the View of your choice, and the second line will swap the Macro assigned to the ViewButton. Of course, substitute your preferred number of Viewbtn in your syntax and ASSIGN the correct View numbers for X and Y. Don’t worry about timing the Macro: these lines can be performed without a delay.

Assigning a Macro to a Viewbutton:
1. Hit ASSIGN followed by the ViewButton you wish to store to
2. In the “Viewbutton Assign Options” window that will pop up, select MACRO
3. The “Select Macro” window will open, allowing you to select any of the Macros stored in your showfile.

**Tip: Technically, since each of these Macros contains a ViewButton assignment command, that would take care of the ViewButton assignment.

Keep in mind that you can assign any Macro to any ViewButton – it doesn’t have to be a Macro related to Views or toggles. If there’s a certain Macro you use a lot, consider putting it on a ViewButton and thus giving yourself a one push hard-key access. I love hard keys.

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.

For immediate release.

The prestigious Boston arts institution, the Boston Symphony Orchestra just went through a major overhaul of their lighting and video systems – ultimately upgrading to a grandMA2 light and an MA Lighting VPU. In fact, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is the first installation in the United States to utilize the MA Lighting VPU.

The upgrade was a truly collaborative process involving the Symphony Staff, their Technical Director, Russ Costa, Designer Rob Smith, Lighting Equipment Supplier High Output, Inc and A.C.T Lighting.

Russ Costa, Technical Director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra approached High Output, Inc of Boston for assistance in determining which product could help him consolidate their lighting and projection systems into a single, more powerful installation. “It’s always hard when you want to upgrade a system that’s currently working without too much issue, but as soon as I was able to show the capabilities of the system and the savings that we’d see, it was an easy pitch. Using the grandMA2 along with the MA VPU allows us to eliminate the extra Show Control system and the additional projectionist. The grandMA2 is our single, unified control solution for both lighting and video.”

Jess Klarnet, Director of Production at High Output, Inc was instrumental in placing the right product for Russ’s needs. “The timing of the Boston Symphony Orchestra project could not have been better, for High Output was in the process of determining what product line in which to invest. We have had success with the grandMA and the Boston Ballet and with additional input from Rob Smith and other notable programmers we decided that the MA line was the right choice. Brian Dowd, our representative with A.C.T Lighting, was instrumental in pulling together a demo that included grandMA2 light and the MA Lighting VPU. As an aside, the technical support through out this process including this successful Holiday Pops season was outstanding, kudos to Jason Baeri.”

“Knowing the reliability of the grandMA line, I was confident the VPU would be just as solid,” says Rob Smith, who served as the Video Designer/Programmer and a content creator utilizing a grandMA2 and the MA Lighting VPU. When the Boston Pops perform, certain video scenarios need to be met. One of the regular set pieces is a custom built DMX controlled roll down screen. The screen measures 42′ wide by 21′ high, split into 3 sections that can be individually controlled, and is capable of opening or closing in just under 2 seconds at top speed. “The grandMA2 allowed us to program the automation moves of the screen precisely with the video from the VPU. Adding that to the lighting cues gave us a fully synced show that was controlled by one operator.”

Rob continued to creatively use the MA VPU to meet the additional video needs of the Boston Pops. “The easiest is displaying images from a Broadway show or Hollywood film. During the holidays, Sing-A-Longs are a crowd favorite. The MA Lighting VPU allowed us to add a new level of creativity by being able to animate backgrounds and layer the words over the top as opposed to the old slideshow style. The most critical style of playback was handling what we call “streamers”. Two files would start simultaneously, one being projected to the audience, the other being sent to a monitor at the conductor’s podium. The conductor’s version would have colored lines that scroll across the screen in time with the music so changes would happen at precisely the right moment in the film. We never experienced any lag between the files even with HD quality movies.

“The MA Lighting VPU’s ability to have any number up to 32 layers available was a unique feature that we took full advantage of. New Year’s offered a rather eclectic mix of music, from Opera to Disco to current Top 40 hits. We were able to create image files that could be mapped to the architecture of the iconic organ pipes of the Symphony Hall. Highlighting the individual architectural elements with lighting fixtures would have required 32 color-changing luminaries. We accomplished the same look with one VPU and a pair of 12k projectors -and we weren’t just limited to colors and a handful of gobos – the possibilities are endless.”

High Output, Inc has served as the lighting equipment provider to the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the past 20 years. High Output Inc offers the grandMA2 light along with the MA Lighting VPU as part of their extensive rental inventory.

Staff at the Boston Symphony Orchestra involved in this installation included Pam Smith as grandMA 2 Lighting Programmer, and Mark Rawson – lighting technician, along with the aforementioned Rob Smith as grandMA2 and VPU Programmer and Video Content Creator; Russ Costa – Technical Director and Margo Saulnier, Assistant Artistic Director to the Boston Symphony.

MA Lighting is exclusively distributed by A.C.T Lighting. A leading importer and distributor of lighting products, A.C.T Lighting, Inc. strives to identify future trends and cutting-edge products, and stock, sell and support their inventory. The company provides superior customer service and value for money to all of its clients.

For more information call 818-707-0884.

Copyright © ACT Lighting 2010. All rights reserved.

This week’s Quick Tip comes from programmer Paul Sonnleitner.

The syntax on the GrandMA lighting console is both powerful and flexible. It’s easy to sometimes overlook how a simple macro, however, can make common actions even easier.

How often does a designer say to a programmer, “Okay, take this exact look and record it as cue X”? While recording the existing values of all channels is the standard behavior with some lighting consoles, only the active values in the Programmer are, by default, recorded with STORE on the GrandMA. While a programmer can change the store default settings via holding down STORE on the GrandMA, the resulting cue can contain more than desired as all attributes of all channels/fixtures will be stored with the new cue. How can this request be best accomplished without all the tracking baggage? How about creating a simple Macro to help?

Create a Macro that does the following:
• IfOutput (This selects all fixtures that have an intensity above 0%)
• On Preset 1 thru 9 (This activates all parameter information for previously selected fixtures)
• IfOutput At 0 (This selects all fixtures with an intensity at exactly 0%)
• On Preset 2 (This activates the Dimmer information for the fixtures at 0%)
• Off Group 999 (This deactivates any fixtures stored in Group 999* so they will not be stored in the cue)

This macro takes the value of all parameters of all channels/fixtures currently above zero intensity into the Programmer, and only the intensity value of all channels/fixtures currently at zero. This means when the new cue is stored, only the intensity of channels/fixtures that are off are brought into the new cue so fixtures not adding to the new look won’t be fading out and moving and changing color, for instance; they’ll fade out and all their other attributes will track. Other manufacturers might call this a Snapshot cue or a Snapshot record option, and it’s very useful when building a lot of states quickly, such as when cueing a television show.

* Notice the macro’s last lines; any channel/fixture recorded into Group 999 (choose your own macro number that you will be unlikely to use in a show) won’t be recorded into the new cue, regardless of level. Houselights and hazers, for example, would be good choices for members of Group 999.

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.

UPDATE: DUE TO IMPENDING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED TO FEBRUARY 18TH.

ACT Lighting, in support of Main Light Industries, will be participating in a Manufacturer’s Day Thursday, February 18th. Along with ACT Lighting, representatives from ICD Coemar will also be available. This event is open to anyone and everyone in the entertainment lighting and video industry. Hosting the event, and offering their warehouse space, is Main Light Industries – a popular distributor and rental house for ACT Lighting products.

At the event, you can meet and greet with ACT Lighting’s Vice President of Sales, Brian Dowd, along with Technical Support and Training Specialist, Jason Baeri. During the day, get hands-on time with two grandMA 2 Full Size consoles, the MA Lighting VPU media server, the iPix BB7 LED Beamlight and the rechargeable GDS LiteWare RGB LED Uplighter.

The event on February 18th runs from 10:00am to 4:00pm in Main Light Industries’ shop. You can RSVP by emailing John DiEleuterio at john@mainlight.com or by visiting the Event Page on Facebook.

Main Light Industries can be found at:
1614 Newport Gap Pike
Wilmington, DE 19808 US
302.998.8017

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Are you using QUIKEYS in your showfile? QUIKEYS allow for on-screen access to both buttons that are found as hard keys and others that aren’t. As their name implies they’ll help speed up your programming. Why in the world would you want a second, on-screen version of something you already have as a hard key? Well, some of the QUIKEY options allow you to bypass having to hit that hard key multiple times. For example, if you find that you’re constantly using ALIGN <> (SYM), you can set a QUIKEY for this that will save you from having to hit the ALIGN key 4 times. Also, keep in mind that not all hard keys are found on every model in the MA line. If you’re using a Replay Unit- these keys can be invaluable.

Creating a QUIKEY is easy. Simply open the QUIKEY pool, hit the EDIT key and touch any empty QUIKEY cell (alternatively, you can right-click in the cell). The console will open a new window showing you a list of all possible QUIKEYs that can be added.

Some of my favorites include the ENCODER SPEED option which allows you to toggle between coarse and fine (cause sometimes I just don’t like pushing down on the encoder, ok?); FLIP especially for working with yoke-based moving lights (but it can also be used on mirrored fixtures to help create symmetrical positions); BLOCK and UNBLOCK for fixtures in cues; and, of course, the selection tools: ALL, ODD, EVEN, INVERT, SHUFFLE, and the CCOPY options (Circular Copies – forwards and backwards). In fact, I like Circular Copies soooo much, I think I’ll have to dedicate an entire Quick Tip Tuesday to talking about them. Look for that in the future.

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.