Hi Everyone,
I have used the ETC SmartFade ML on a couple of shows now, and I must say, this is a really nice console, especially considering the price. The build quality of the desk isn't amazing - I've already had a few issues with buttons sticking, faders getting stiff, etc. However, that's mainly because I've been using it "out on the road" on live outdoor shows, where the console really is thrown out there in the elements (something that our Hog 500 and Event 408 never had an issue with, as they are basically built like bricks!). The SmartFade ML seems like a really great theatre or in-house desk, but if looked after nicely, it certainly can handle bigger live shows with ease.
The best part about the SmartFade is not the actual physical console (which isn't anything special really - although I do love the fact that you can easily throw it in your suitcase with ease!) - but the software. Creating new fixture libraries is a breeze, the colour palette functionality is magical - there are just so many cleaver ideas thrown in there! I've used lots of consoles over the years ranging from the smaller Hog's and Events, to the larger GrandMA's and Vistas, and I must say, although I would always prefer a GrandMA over a ETC SmartFade ML, when budget is a issue, I would be happy to have the SmartFade in my rig any old day.
My only suggestion so far would be... wouldn't it be great to have motorised faders! The ability to control all the moving light parameters via faders is really handy - but the fact that you have to put all the changed faders back to 0 and up again to regain control of your memories is a tad annoying. Motorised faders would easily fix this! I know this has been suggested before, but I wanted to shed some new ideas on the proposal...
Now, I'm not suggesting that ETC go and rebuild the whole console. BUT! What I would love to see would be some way to interconnect something like the Behringer BCF2000 to the console either via MIDI in/out or USB interface. Personally, I think this would be an easy thing to implement from a programming perspective - you could basically do everything over MIDI. In fact, thinking about it, you could probably do this now by connecting the BCF2000 to your computer, then using a 3rd party tool to get the BCF2000 to trigger key presses on the SmartSoft application.
How amazing would it be if you could buy a ETC SmartFade ML, then a few extra BCF2000's, and have a separate BCF2000 for memories, another for chases, and leave the console just for moving light parameters!
This would transform what is already a terrific little console into one of the most powerful on the market given the price. The BCF2000's are cheap (and there are also other alternatives out there other than Behringer's products!), so that's a bonus as well.
ETC techs - is this possible? Just throwing the idea out there...
Thanks so much for creating such a fun, easy-to-use console! To be perfectly honest, when I first saw the desk I was a little scared, as I needed to use it with a whole heap of moving lights that weren't in the fixture library, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw how easy it was to set up and get rolling.
What made me even happier was the fact that I could hook up the console to my laptop, then control the desk via my iPhone using screen sharing! Very handy! In fact, that leads me to my second suggestion - any chance of a proper iPhone app? It would be really great if I could control the console (i.e. remote focusing) using a more friendly interface than trying to control it via screen sharing on the tiny iPhone screen. Again, it's certainly technically possible - just needs to be implemented!
Happy lighting!
Best Regards, Chris!