Re: PC based lighting... Re. Diagnosis of Dead Desk


andybroom@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Frank Wood wrote:
>
>
> > The point I was trying to make is that sometimes PCs
> > behave unpredictably. This is not what you want of a lighting control.
> > You need total reliability.
>
> Whilst that statement is true in itself, Frank, No-one has yet managed
> to get there! - I certainly don't know of a computer based (NOT windows
> based) lighting desk which has never ever crashed on someone.

Well, our antique Strand Duet never crashed, that I heard of, apart
from the time when some dink added a can of Coke to it. The ARRI (now
ETC) Impuls which suceeded it was just as reliable. We did buy a
Reflexion back up, which has never been used for real. This stores six
pages of ten states of DMX data, and sits in the DMX line. Provided
that you load all the states in, of course.
>
> Clearly you wouldn't have channel faders, but then few fully
> computerised boards do these days.

Our Insight does. They are so much more convenient than punching in
numbers and playing with a wheel.
>
> A mouse or trackball will function quite happily as a wheel assuming
> the software supports it.
>
> Obviously if you are going to use the PC keyboard then you have to
> remember (or have a crib sheet) which key does what.

I am all in favour of clearly labelled, single function controls.

.