Master Links

THANKS Anders .. I thought you should be able to, hadn't yet done it, and thought I'd ask before trying.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On a different note .. I used WFA for the first time last night .. I discovered I needed to set the sequence to "Chase" to make it work .. I did not find this documented in the manual ..

Dave:

On a different note .. I used WFA for the first time last night .. I discovered I needed to set the sequence to "Chase" to make it work .. I did not find this documented in the manual ..

Hi Dave,
What times are you using [wait] or [follow on]?
If you use [Wait], you have to assign the time to the step you want to wait. If you use [follow on], you have to assign the time to the previous step and change the [W] to [F] by pressing [Modify] in the [WFA] field in the seq step in seq.

If you want that for the first step I think you have to insert a 'dummy' step, otherwise there is nothing to count from..

I hope that helps

Florian 

THANKS Florian ...

What I attempted to do was create a looping "chase" sequence w/ times & levels applied vs a stepped chase w/ BPM. 

What I discovered, and I'm not sure this is the "correct" procedure.

I linked the last step to the first, selected "W" in WFA for all steps, set WFA Time to .5.

When I initiated the sequence, only the first step executed until I set the sequence mode/type to "Chase".

+++++++++++++++++++

with regard to follow on ..

are times referenced to only the first steps start for all steps in the sequence or is each steps start based upon a previous steps start ?

THANKS Florian ...

What I attempted to do was create a looping "chase" sequence w/ times & levels applied vs a stepped chase w/ BPM. 

What I discovered, and I'm not sure this is the "correct" procedure.

I linked the last step to the first, selected "W" in WFA for all steps, set WFA Time to .5.

When I initiated the sequence, only the first step executed until I set the sequence mode/type to "Chase".

+++++++++++++++++++

with regard to follow on ..

are times referenced to only the first steps start for all steps in the sequence or is each steps start based upon a previous steps start ?

In regards to the chasing seq, the second way is the easiest. you can assign times to any chase. If you then set BPM the desk simply ignores the times and snaps through the cues.
As far as I remember your first way should also work, but I remember some strange behavior. I think you might have to run through  the seq at least  once to make it work, but I am not entirely sure anymore. The first method  is the  one  i do prefer. 

In follow on the time you set starts counting with the previous step for every step.

Hope that helps

Florian 

OK ....

If you note the time of this post ... it's been a late nite ... prayerfully someone will be able to help before tomorrows show.being stupid I guess .. but I'm having an incredibly difficult time linking masters .. I've attached my play file ..

I've set up a FollowOn Sequence, Set Chase, Set Single Shot .. loaded it to master 7.

In main playback Seg, in step 2, I select link to master page and set 1, link to master; and insert 7, target = 100.

I beleive this method has worked for me in the past, but obviously I've erred somewhere.

When I've previously done this, I seem to recall my result being the master/chase being engaged at full regardless the level of that masters slider.

This evening when I was creating specials and testing the master links I was seemingly able to engage the master, but the masters slider needed to leave home to set levels so I'm not entirely sure whether the master started because the seq step in main or the master slider set it off.

If anyone can point out my stupidity ... I'd certainly appreciatte it ....

I was curious so I took a look at your file.  It took some digging but I did find the problems.

Here we go.
I think the biggest thing hanging you up was that you had Modify Sequence turned on.  This is a mode that disables master links and auto follow actions.  It's useful sometimes but can really get you if you miss it.  To turn it on or off look at the LCD panel on the console, with the encoders for movers, under the Misc. softkey there is a softkey for Modify Seq.  When this mode is on it also diplays a little box on the upper right of the playback screen below the Build box.  You can also toggle this mode under Setting>Crossfade.  I'm betting this will get the console working the way you're expecting.

The next problems were in the timings.  If you open the Master Editor from the Browser you'll see that Sequence 23 has a time of 1:00.  You want this to be 100% instead.  When it's set to 100% it will follow the timing of the master link or the fader or whatever is triggering it.  If it's set to a time it will always follow that time no matter what.  You can also set it to other %s and it will be at that % of what's triggering it.  To change it back to 100% go to that box type in 100, hold C/Alt and hit Modify.

If you open the sequence editor for sequence 1.  Type 1 then Seqence.  Then go to the master links column and open that master link you'll see that the in time there is also set to 1:00 instead of 100%.  Changing this is the same as it was for the master.  To change it back to 100% go to that box type in 100, hold C/Alt and hit Modify.  This will make the master trigger as soon as you hit go for that cue.  If you wanted it to delay some after you hit go you could put a wait time on the master link.  You don't really want a time on this particular master link because the chase you have built is so fast that it will have completed both of its steps before the master finished fading up.  Effectively you'll have run the whole chase with the master at 1-2%.

The last thing that was getting you was the Wait/Follow times in the chase itself, Seq 23.  I think you want both steps of that chase to be Wait times (W).  Just go to the WFA box and hit modify to toggle through the options. 

 The way I like to think of WFA is like this.  Wait is how long a cue will wait in the B fader before it goes.  A follow is when the next cue will go based on when you pushed Go.  Also a Delay is how long something will wait to react after it's told to go, usually by the Go button.  If this still seems confusing let me know and I'll elaborate more.  It's confusing, especially if you work with other consoles where the terms Wait, Follow, Delay can often mean slightly different things.

 I'm sure you would have figured it out after you found the Modify Sequence thing but I thought after little sleep step-by-step might be more pleasant.

Good luck,
Mat

Matt .. change your login name to life saviour ...

THANKS ..

A couple more things about Master Links in general.

The easiest way to insert them is to be in your preset live, hold insert and tap the master button for the link you want to insert (the gray one).  The quirk that will get you is that the master won't start/fade up until you back up one step/cue and hit Go again.  Personally, I would like it if the master started when you inserted it without having to go back.  Maybe the next update?  It's important to go back and trigger the master link after you insert it or it won't work quite right when you try to insert a master link to take it out.  If the master is running (the master link has been triggered in an early step/cue) and you hold Insert and tap that master button again it will insert another master link with a target of 0% to take it out.  Again you have to back up a step and hit go to get this to execute.  If you don't want to assign any custom times to your master links this is the fastest and easiest way to get them in.  Even if you do them this way you can still go into your sequence editor and make any changes to the master links you might want to.

Dave I think you'll want to insert an other master link for Seq 23 in the step after it's triggered.  You won't see any effects on stage since you're chase is set to single shot but it will make things cleaner in the console and you'll have the master available again if you want to insert another master link.  Otherwise the master will still be up and when you insert the master link the target will be 0%.

-Mat

THANKS Matt .. that's exactly what I end up doing .. adding a link to take it out ..

with chase set to single step .. Congo shouldn't require the take out, don't you think ? .. release 5.1a .... ;-)

THANKS for all your help ..

Thanks Mat - I hadn't seen this thread until now! (Possibly I shouldn't be working on Sundays either but hey...)

Dave:

I think a little explanation of what Master Links do may help.

A Master Link is a command to the console that says the following:

1. Master X must have <specified> content on it - defined in the Master Link List
   
• This is activated once the Sequence Step enters the 'B' field.
• If the fader is empty, it's always loaded onto the Master regardless of fader level.
  
• If the fader is not empty, it's only loaded if the fader is at 0%.
  
2. When the Step runs, this Master Fader moves to TargetLevel% using the following timing:
• In : Time to fade from current level to TargetLevel%
• Wait : Time to stay at TargetLevel%
• Out: Time to fade back to 0% after Wait

• The In time is always used.
  
• Wait and Out are only used if TargetLevel% brings the fader upwards.
• The Out Time is only used if Wait is not blank.
  

Finally, Congo couldn't take the master out automatically as when a Single-Shot chase finishes it is showing the last step - Congo doesn't know how long you want to keep that last step!

The best way to do a single-shot chase "Bump" on a Master is to put some values into the "Wait" and "Out" times for the activation Master Link - that way it jumps to Full, holds for a moment and then fades out all in one step.

I think this is easier to read than separate in/out Master links for one-shot chases or fast in/out bumps.

(In fact, you could do your entire 'Burst' with one preset and no chase at all, just put the In, Wait and Out times to the values you wanted for the 'pulse'. However, I would prefer to leave it as a chase as it means that you can manually activate it!)

THANKS Guys !!

Things are a bit clearer ..

Dear Mat,

You are awesome.

I read this post when you originally made it, and mentally filed it away for future use, since I never have need to write chases or use master links. Today I did, and I had some questions, and you answered them...two months ago. Merci beaucoup.

 A