Re: DMX daisy Chaining (was space conversion estimate)

T-bird Leader David McCall radioed the tower, on 2/24/2006 10:09 PM:

"Ron Killmer" <killjay@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:43ffc508$0$53293$38cefb40@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The empty wire pipe point is one I was trying to promote. Far easier to expand functionality or upgrade an existing function when the provision was planned for in the beginning.

Anything you can rent should get a lower priority than things
that are hard to do after the fact. Conduit, Raceways, Hanging
points for flying trusses. Basic lighting positions, Orchestra pit,
Fly and wing space, I'm sure we could go on and on.

Any of us can tell stories of loading docks 10' off the ground,
Stage doors less than 3' wide. How many places can you
remember where the only ways from stage left to stage right
were; cross the stage,or Go outside.

I'll bet we could make a good thread about where you need
to run wires, sooner or later. There's the obvious, but then there
is the need for power and other services in the center of the
room, or the run from the booth to the dressing rooms.

There are so many things that are so much more important
than how many S4s or what console to buy.

David



I agree on your points of both current and future usability. It's every show in my local venue that I bitch about the lack of comms with Dressing, Box Office and other key crew and staff coordination points.

My horror story is two docks, one right and left wings, that are 11 feet over the stage floor. Docks are 12 feet wide, thus killing use of 14 foot flat storage in those areas. These serve no function aside from the stage left dock mounts 10 winches for the movable fly's. The stage right dock only needs to be 4 feet wide to access the dimmer room.

Another that points to the importance of theatre techs participating in the spec'ing of a facility. Catwalks that empower access to FOH fixtures with out safety compromises. Local venue has two FOH catwalks that require getting off the catwalk and attempting to kneel on the iron frame of the suspended ceiling just to get hands on the fixture for aiming and focus. Have a constant fear that I may slip onto the drywall and it and I will be falling onto the backs of theatre seats. Not how I want to die, slit in two by a seat back.


--
Ron K.
Lighting Designer
Light Works
.