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    Viktor
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96 intensities on smartfade ML

Hi all,

 I´m concidering Smartfade ML for our theatre. Our presto is doing a good job but I often miss the possibility of adding some moving lights. The problem here is that the venue has 96 dimmers installed. I never use all of them but I would be a fool to buy a desk that can´t control them. Would it be possible to have a 24ch dimmer as a device? With two of these I would have a 96 dimmer desk with moving capabilities.

Regads

Viktor

  • Interesting...

    You can always sacrifice any/all of the Devices to become simple dimmers, giving you up to 72 dimmers.

    While you could easily build a user personality with all except the Colour Mixer (Hue & Sat) faders attached to individual 'dimmers', they would behave like attributes rather than dimmers - unaffected by the GM etc.

    In the next version of Smartfade ML you'll be able to set any attribute to Fade With Intensity, and then they'll be affected by the GM and the 'Intensity' fader.

    To be honest though, I couldn't recommend SmartFade ML for your theatre, because it doesn't really have the capacity to run the equipment you currently have.

    As you are currently using a Presto, the Congo Jr would be the logical upgrade as it uses the same syntax and programming style.

    I'm guessing that budget is extremely tight, so one thing that's worth remembering is that the Congo Jr operates fine without any wings attached at all, so it may help your accountants if you suggest buying the Congo Jr in one year and then any wings you need later.

    There are two different ranges of fader wings that can attach to the Jr: the Master Playback Wing (40 faders) and the cheaper Universal Wings (20 or 40 faders)

    - If you are rarely using more than 20 faders on your Presto, the new 1x20 Universal wing may be the best option for you.

  • in reply to Richard
    Another possibility might be to purchase a SmartFade 2496 to operate the 96 dimmers and then add, now or later, a SmartFade ML for moving lights.  Smartfades may be linked via MIDI to operate in parallel, increasing the channel count.  SmartFades linked in this way allow operation of memories, sequences and the stack all linked together, as if you had a larger lighting board.

  • It's worth considering whether you really need all 96 dimmers to be controlled independently.  The Smartfade ML has 48 intensity-only channels available that can have multiple dimmers patched to them.  I disagree that the ML doesn't fit your needs just because you have 96 dimmers.  It all depends on how you're going to make use of it.

    That said, there may be other reasons why a Congo Jr would be better for you.  The similarity in syntax would make learning very quick, and it's obviously a much more powerful console--both with conventionals and moving lights.

  • in reply to MPenisten

    Hi again,

    Thanx for your answers. Mpenisten, good point there about not needing to control them all independently. Though I guess the old presto will have to continue doing a good job (once in a while accompanied by an e:cue-laptop for moving).

     I´ll get the smartfadeML for our concerthall instead. That way I still get to hang out here with you guys.

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