How to program chases on Express 24/48?

The 30 second answer that should get you started...

Go to Blind.

Pick an empty submaster.

[Sub] [1] [Enter]

Press [Type]

I think its 3 for Effect. This will now bring you to the effect screen. You can now enter steps. A step can have one or many channels in it. Check your softkeys. Many of the effect functions are accessed via softkeys.

When you think you have it, record your sub. [Record] [Sub] [1]

Now if you go live, and press bring up that submaster, you will get you effect on stage. The sub will act as an intensity master of the effect, so if it is too bright, you can bring the sub down and it will be dimmer.

You can also press the bump button on the sub to start the effect. Press again and it will stop the effect. The fade up / out time of pressing that button is defined in the Sub screen.

If you want that sub to fire at a certain moment in the show, write a macro that presses the bump button. If you are unsure of the syntax, you can always Learn the macro.

Then for the cue that you want the macro in, you can link it to the macro that presses the bump button. repeat the process to turn the macro off.

You can of course also set a cue as [Type] Effect, but I find these much harder to work with especially if you want the effect to run over several cues.

Sorry for the quick and dirty, but hopefully that will get you started.

That is a pretty good quick and dirty approach. 

I have always found ETCs manuals very clear.  What specifically don't you understand in the manual and maybe we can help you that way?

Like on a cheap modern-er lighting controller can you Tap-sync or control the speed of the chase while its happening, i ask because im doing a charity concert i have mostly halogens and a few L.E.D. cans and i want them to chase and control the speeds of it, i have a cheap modern controler that can handle the channels, but it only has 6 chases available and there is no grand master for dimming.