Too Much Ion

Now you understand how its difficult to switch from the Obsession/Eos/Ion to the Expression.  I read Kixwy2's reply and that hopefully well help.  Some other things to think about.  

1. Where is the RELEASE button? (Even the training guy had to call tech support for this) I use release constantly. When I release something I want it to go out or to revert instantly - I don't have time to wait the 5 second fade it takes the Ion to clear out my command.

Sneak is almost the equivalent of release.  Assert is will also set the cue back to the state of the cue programmed.  Changing the assert time and the sneak time in setup should help, but if instead of rolling the wheel up you could type [ch] xx [@] level [sneak] (insert a time) and it will move to that level in the time specified and you don't have to keep messing with the wheel.  Don't worry about waiting for it to finish the command, just keep typing.  It will finish the command when it does and you don't need to wait for it.

2. The extra step of having to press "Enter" every time I want to bring up a channel is driving me crazy.

Just think of it as a "are you sure."  I get nervous when I don't get to type the enter.  It's just a syntax issue.

 
3. What's with the Park-Park? Why not just park? (this goes for all double click functions)

In the need to save buttons they've added this double click command (that's the only reason I can think to have it) I find it annoying too, but as with all things new, sometimes we just accept that that's what it is.

 
4. I need to create Subs in blind mode.

 I don't have a board in front of me right now, but if you double click sub or hit [blind] [sub] you should be able to help you.  Someone who's done this more than I should be able to tell you (BrentFJ?)

5. Why GoToCue? If I'm in Cue 5 and the actors skip a page of dialogue, I should be able to press Cue 9 - GO. It seems inefficient to have to learn two different command lines to complete the same action.

[Load Cue] [9] [enter] - [Go].  One more keystrokes.  Same outcome.

6. Same issues with cue runtimes. If Cue 6 has a time of 10 and cue 7 has a time of 5, I can't jump to Cue 7 - both cues will run out their times together! That's no good if you've been running a two minute sunset and the performer gets to the end of the song, and the blackout, before it's over.

This is an awesome feature, but if it bothers you block the cue that has to complete and it will force the other cues to finish in that time.  Block is the equivalent (almost) of an "allFade".
7. This is a pretty standard situation for me: Oh look, the MC decided to go to CS instead of DSL like he said he would. Okay, Channel 3 @ sneak up using the wheel; Channel 5 @ sneak out using wheel - RELEASE; Channel 3 @ (wait until he's done talking) sneak out using wheel - RELEASE. Notice no "enter". The Ion is not helpful here.

Again, I would use 3@Fl Sneak 8 enter to put it up in an 8 count, 5@0 sneak 10 enter to take out in a 10 count, when he goes back to his blocking type assert enter and it will restore the cue to programmed in the assert time.  If you don't put a number after the sneak it will move in the default sneak time. 

9. Clearing out a cue - Do I have to go to Cue 0 every time? This doesn't help me program any faster.

Does the Rem dim button help?   

Best of luck.  Hope any of this helps.  I'm sure you can sell the board on e-bay for a good price if you decide you hate it.  I would be interested in buying it off you if its going to sit in the closet.  But that makes me sad.  Good luck.

I think I addressed a lot of what you said in my reply to Kixwy2. Thanks to you both for trying to talk me off the clocktower... I'm an ETC supporter but this one has me going wiggy.

I don't think RemDim is what I'm looking for when I'm programming. I need to be able to revert back to the original cue I'm building from, or to clear out anything that isn't saved into a loaded cue.

I just looked at my board and even though my manual gives me information on them, I don't have a SELECT ACTIVE key - or a SELECT MANUAL key. I only have a SELECT LAST key. Am I missing something? If I had a Select Active key that might actually be helpful. Is that an Eos reference that somehow got into the Ion book?

I can cope with everything else (I think), I just want my GO button to work like it's supposed to and I want my Release button back. Too much to ask?

TechieMom:

I just looked at my board and even though my manual gives me information on them, I don't have a SELECT ACTIVE key - or a SELECT MANUAL key. I only have a SELECT LAST key. Am I missing something? If I had a Select Active key that might actually be helpful. Is that an Eos reference that somehow got into the Ion book?

In Ion, hold down the Select Last key, then Select active appears in the softkeys on the LCD screen. Annoying I know.

Do you have the universal fader wings? It seems to me that you are looking for something more like the Insight which has a good number of subs. With the fader wings, you can run your show more "on the fly" rather than bothering with all the syntax frusterations. 

TechieMom:

I just looked at my board and even though my manual gives me information on them, I don't have a SELECT ACTIVE key - or a SELECT MANUAL key. I only have a SELECT LAST key. Am I missing something? If I had a Select Active key that might actually be helpful. Is that an Eos reference that somehow got into the Ion book?

In Ion, hold down the Select Last key, then Select active appears in the softkeys on the LCD screen. Annoying I know.

Do you have the universal fader wings? It seems to me that you are looking for something more like the Insight which has a good number of subs. With the fader wings, you can run your show more "on the fly" rather than bothering with all the syntax frusterations.