Just wanted to share with the group that I had good success recently with a MIDI connection between our Expression III and a rented SmartFade ML. I wrote traditional cues for our conventionals on the Expression, which fired corresponding "step" numbers on the SFML for the VL1000s that were part of our rig. Flawless.
I liked the flexibility to run all my cues as planned, but also pull up a memory fader on the SFML when needed.
This combination seems to be a good option for TV studios like ours who only add movers for special programs. The small footprint of the SFML allowed me to add a temporary wooden extension to the countertop in the TV controlroom so it could be side-by-side to our Exp3.
While the SmartSoft display on my laptop is a good option to have, but it's kind of clunky and could be improved. Saved show on the SD card and on the laptop. My local rental company (High Output) provided a metal laptop stand so the computer could be placed right above the console. Nice!