Taking common lighting complaints of our readers, On Stage Lighting looks at the really vital skills you will need to succeed as a stage lighting professional and finds a surprising place to learn them. We also bust a myth about life on the professional side of the fence. No wobbly buckets, PC console emulators or LED based duvet covers were used in the making of this article.

Through this site and my professional life I have a fair amount of contact with lighting beginners, many of whom are starting out in stage lighting and some of which hope to make it into the business as fully fledged lighting professionals. When discussing their own lighting set up, be it a small theatre, school or church, there is a common theme:  Dissatisfaction.

Opening with “we currently have crappy old lanterns” or “the rigging positions are bad because..” or “If we had some more kit and a few moving lights…”, there is a general assumption that lighting would be better or life easier if only there were access to the comforts of the modern stage lighting professional.

The Myth of Professional Lighting

Last week I was doing a show of the type that I generally call a Scrapheap Challenge. Take one lighting professional, a pile of lighting kit of questionable standard and see if you can get a show together in time for rehearsals in a few hours time. It’s a reasonably common occurence if you work in commercial event lighting and something that I assume I must display some talent for, based on the number of times a month I seemed to be booked to do such a gig

Notable negatives of this particular situation included:

• A lantern inventory that only partially resembled the one put together by the original Lighting Designer
• Equipment that has probably not heard the phrase “maintenance schedule” uttered in it’s presence
• Cracked lenses, missing focus controls, floppy barndoors.
• A mixture of Source 4 and Strand SL profile spots with a mixture of beam angles not necessarily ideal for the task – all with iffy optics.
• Socapex multicore spiders that were not all marked correctly
• A generic rig that was a bit too big for the 18 channels of dimming that turned up, meaning pairing and plugging up all channels at (and over) capacity
• 2 dimmer channels of the 18 were unusable for various reasons, making the above situation more tricky.Missing infrastructure that meant it was not possible call up more than each 6-way dimmer without repatching the control lines, making the focus a PITA.
• Not enough colour frames and other shortages that really make your day longer.
• I’m sure there was more, I just can’t remember what it was.

The marking and infrastructure issues also made fault finding longer than it needed to be but otherwise things were done, problems were solved and by rehearsal time, we had a show and the quality and suitability of the lighting was never in question.

The point of telling you this unremarkable story of yet another gig is to bust the myth that, in a professional lighting situation, life is easier because we all have better kit, newer toys and a whole host of other comforts not available in school, churches and village halls. We don’t. What professionals do have is the experience of dealing these things and a lighting experience nearly always started the aforementioned schools, pubs and village halls.

A lighting professional is paid to turn in the goods, not to complain about the kit. We also have the professional imperative to get the job done.

But I Don’t Have Enough…..

In Stage Lighting on a Budget, we found out that even the biggest shows suffer from contraints such as not enough channels, fixtures, control availablility etc. The article also runs through common solutions to the problem of not having enough of something, take a look.

My Stage Lights Are Too Old

Lately I have spend some of my time working in a school environment to get their stage lighting up to scatch. We go in, strip their rig out, maintain and fault find before re hanging it for general use and giving every lantern a decent focus. More often than not the lighting kit is old and a small amount of it may be electrically dangerous so that gets fixed up or very occasionally condemned. The rest get a check up and a rub down and are good for another few years yet – the solution is very rarely that they need to buy much new gear. The equipment is old but probably hasn’t been actually used a great deal unlike modern hire equipment that has usually seen a lot of use in its short life.

By the time we leave, a whole new lease of life has been breathed into the rig with a small amount of maintenance and an understanding of how to get the best out of what is there, the focus in particular. Despite great leaps in lighting techology, a conventional lantern is basically a metal box of some kind, with a lens and a reflector and a bulb. Sure, some are better than others but the essence of good stage lighting isn’t the date stamp on any fixture – light comes outta the end, we do something with it.

We Have The Wrong Fixtures

LIke “bad” weather (vs. the wrong clothes), you could question whether there is such a thing as having the wrong lights. There are fixtures that suit a particular purpose, purposes that suit a particular fixture and rigging positions which may or not suit both of those. The thing is these are the fixtures we have, what are you going to do with them. A common complaint starts along the lines of ” We only have PAR56s so….”. A normal PAR 56, last time I looked, spewed light from the end of it like anything else so in my book that’s a perfectly good fixture, especially if you are trying to pretty up a pub band.

If the director wants a tight spot and you only have cyc floods, there could be a problem. It could be resolved by trying to find out the required end result of this spot and suggest a lighting alternative you can do. Or maybe not being able to have a tight spot could be flagged as a must-have in which case the Production Manager will have to be approached for the budget to hire one.

It’s their call, all you can do is the best you can with the equipment you’ve got.

Our Rigging Sucks

This is a common one: “We’ve only got a couple of wind up stands” or “We only have two bars over stage” etc. I’ve done a ton of lighting using wind up stands and still do in the events market. They are quick and very flexible as you often have a number of options of where to put them and half of the lighting design equation is where each fixture is placed (vs. where it points). Only two bars over stage? How about zero bars overstage, then? That’s not a far fetched scenario, last year I lit an 8 metre stage presentation using the only viable positions in the venue which were crosslighting from either side of stage at about 5ft from the deck.

In every rigging situation there are things that you can do, things you can’t and things that “it might be nice if..” In lighting, it’s part of our job to dream up innovative and safe ways to get light sources where we want them or, quite often, to think up an achievable lighting alternative.

My Venue is Special Because…

Everyone likes to think they are special. Equally, everyone likes to think that their venue is the only one in the world that has x, is only as high as y, or you can’t do z lighting in. While every venue is unique, it’s not an option to throw hands in the air and exclaim that everything would be alright if only we were somewhere else. Even purpose built venues seem to come with their own purpose built foibles (which makes them even more frustrating), so the thought of one day walking into the perfect venue for lighting might have to be put on hold for now.

There is a common theme developing: this is the venue we are working in, this the kit we have, this is where we can put it. THIS IS IT.

The Solution? Good Lighting Skills

The solution to this ghastly world of the wrong kit, in the wrong place at the wrong time is lighting experience. The knowledge of what and what isn’t possible. What’s important and what’s not. What works and what doesn’t and having more than one answer to every question.

Basic lighting skills such as a familiarity with lighting angles such as side light and back lighting, the effect of different positions, shadows / reflection and making decisions when you don’t have enough of something are what really counts. While it’s tempting to overdose on finding out about automated gubbins, ethernet control, pixel mapping and learning software version 16 of the GrandHog MaxMA Pro Expert VII, light is still light and (we assume) always will be.

Where Do I Learn Good Lighting Skills?

I can remember the first stage lighting rig that I played with when I was very young. At my local village hall, under the supervision of my dad, there were two bars over stage, a couple of low perch positions Front Of House. Oh, and I think we had one push up stand. Control was done using two banks of domestic light switches (at least it was electric). I can even remember the lantern inventory: 8 x Patt 137 floods, 1 x Patt 23, 1 Furse  fresnel (in Hammerite blue with an orange mains lead) and our new pride and joys, 2 x Strand Minim fresnels (no barndoors). There weren’t too many different things you could do with this rig so Dad kept things pretty simple but always managed to work some creativity into the productions, perhaps the odd gobo hire.

After that, I went on to learn lighting skills in youth theatres, schools and other places associated with a general lack of lighting wonderfulness. All of my current colleagues in professional lighting did the same, finding out how to deal with lighting situations in an often simple environment, without the aid of sizeable budgets, shiny toys or fantastic kit inventories. Instead of deciding that your lighting kit is too old, point your attention using all your available skills to get the best from what equipment you have.

Maybe one day you hope to be in the exhalted(!?) position of a professional lighting tech or designer, getting paid for your own personal contribution to the lighting Scrapheap Challenge that is life day to day gigging.

If you are looking to learn good lighting skills to prepare you for such an undertaking, you’d better hope your learning enviroment encompasses shoddy equipment, lack of facilities, ridiculous deadlines and the general feeling that this time it really is going to be impossible. If you look around and find yourself in such a pitiful situation already, congratulations.

Welcome to the best place to learn stage lighting skills, have a nice day.

Before you complain about old lights, poor rigging positions and the wrong kit, think what wonders it’s doing for your lighting education.

Image by Toholio on Flickr.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

You May Also Like:

• Learn Stage Lighting – The Best Way?
• Lighting Designer – Stage Lighting Education III
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On Stage Lighting returns from two days of too much walking, too much talking and a certain amount of beer to bring you the essential features of the the PLASA London show 2009. We take you to the places on the floor the industry publications don’t reach and look behind the smoke and mirrors.

A year seems to pass so quickly. This week, it was time for scores of backstage ferrets to emerge from the darkness and make the journey to Earl’s Court for PLASA once more. Techies don’t go to shows if they can help it but the promise of free beer and nibbles, and maybe the odd LED to be blinded by, is usually reason enough to get out of show blacks and into a different darkened room for a few hours.

Exhibitors stands spread from EC1 to a large part of EC2, but the “whose got the biggest stand” competition seems to have taken a back seat – for this year at least. What doesn’t seem to have waned is a tendency to fill your stand with vast high power LED arrays, making it much harder for the punters to examine the goods. Perhaps the stand designers need to revisit Lighting Design 101 – Contrast and it’s importance for visibility.

Whether less visitors attended PLASA 09, it’s difficult to say but the atmosphere was a lot less hectic and the stands not so crowded. There were also a number of “regular” exhibitors who were notable by their absence.

So what was there?

LED Trends for 2009

It may come as no surprise, but LED lighting technology continues to feature heavily in the world of fixture making and each year we seem to have a different mode. OK, so this isn’t London Fashion Week but a few years ago we had LEDs on drapes/webbing and LED backlighting systems such as the Martin EvenLED and Schnick-Schnack-Systems.

This year, there were definite themes to the latest “naked and in yer face” LEDS

Panels built on the concept of semi tranparent arrays for media content replay (such as the Martin LC panel) by bending strips and tubes into curved formations and creating 3D LED surfaces. So, curvy arrays – everyone seemed to have one.

Heads have also turned toward improved colour output, with many LED fixture makers boasting better colour rendition. Studio Due showed a new version of the ArchiLED, with improved 4 cell LEDs replacing the individual RGBA ones. Many other high quality LED “bosh” lights were given pride of place including the i-Pix range and the Selador / ETC wash light. I don’t think that the Selador made it to PLASA last year but I was lucky enough to see an early model in the UK round the back of some grotty industrial estate – it featured on the plush ETC stand this year. The feature of the Seledor is that it uses 7 different LED colour sources instead of the common RGB / RGBA (with amber) / RGBW (with white) giving the colour range a boost.

Lighting designers have a requirement for in better colour rendition in LED fixtures and the manufacturers have definitely worked hard in this area.

Other things of note in the LED area were the Vari*lite VLX high power LED wash light and a great little LED moving spot with excellent optics. The Highlight Showtec features a 27 LED array which is (somehow) focussed down to a spotlight capable of projecting gobos and is bright enough to compete with a standard 250w discharge sourced moving spot.

Console Improvements and Departures

At the control end, console creators have been busy refining their current offerings. Not too many “brand new shiny things” rather more backend changes that make real users happy. A major version upgrade hits the Jands Vista software AKA start the code from scratch. Jands decision to start again was to enable them to take the console where users wanted it to go and includes some improved timline editting and media server support. The development is the work of a structured team, part of a growing situation where lighting control developers emerge from the garden shed and embrace a more grown up approach to producing software.

Changes at Cham Sys were even more subtle – moving toward using a solid state hard drive and Linux ProX which apparently is a “good thing”. Not really knowing much (or caring) about operating systems, I didn’t ask too many more questions.

I also decided I wouldn’t ask Avolites whether the “new” thing this year was that the Pearl Expert / Titan software combination was finished and would now be making more friends among Avo users than it has since launch at PLASA08. Issues with hardware and software has currently left the Expert off many operators Xmas list, a situation that can take time to recover from as a manufacturer.

Avo had a genuinely new toy to look at, which made for a more amicable discussion. The Tiger Touch and other associated touchscreen gubbins for the Expert are a major progression/departure/addition/choice (delete as appropriate) with regard to trad Avo User Interface. The new hardware removed many of the buttons and faders from a Pearl Tiger and replaced them with a touchscreen, additional encoder (now 3) and utilises the Titan software which now powers the Expert / Tiger Touch as well as the Diamond 4. It is also possible to create cue stacks on the playbacks.

The more desk savvy of On Stage Lighting readers will be thinking “Touchscreen? Cue Stacks? So, is this Avo finally going down the Hog / GrandMA / Everybody else route.” While Avo says that the Touch concept represents control surface choice for the user, the more skeptical might say that they can see an user interface brick wall coming up with the traditional Avo hardware. In fact, this has been seen as the “elephant in the room”, to those of us outside of the company. How Avo users will react to the lasted hardware is not clear. The amount of choice in the desk market has created a certain amount of unseemly scrambling in recent years and history tells us that hasty releases by manufacturers often lead to woes further up the road.

At the top end, MA Lighting was showing a more complete version of the MA2. Last year, the 2 on show was a lone trial desk. This year at PLASA, the MA stand was dripping with the black and yellow livery of the next generation Rolls Royce of lighting consoles. OK, Mercedes. While the old GrandMA was always a top end piece of kit, the Full size 2 gives the impression of German engineering in which no expense has been spared though I understand that the price ticket remains reasonable for a console of this quality. This is the single most comprehensive lighting control ever: Three 17” touchscreens, quicker responsive faders, lots of software additions, the list goes on – I think you would call it “feature rich”.

Many of the features may provide a glimpse into the future of control surfaces, particularly the fourth touchscreen which is situated below the encoders and integral to the direct control of everything from attributes to FX ramps. A particularly good use is a draggable representation of beam shaping shutters that speeds up the control of modern fixtures. Endoders are great for some things, but this tactile/visual style must be at least part of the future .

Wireless and Batteries

PLASA09 was also about all things wireless. Not only did a number of wireless DMX proponents command their own stands on the floor, a feature of many fixtures is inbuilt wireless capability. Coupled with LED light sources and battery power, wireless control featured in a number of LED products notably CORE Technolgies IP rated (water resistant) LED uplighter and Global Design Solutions Battery LED kit that includes in-flightcase smart charging and even a pack that enables charging via 2 solar panels.

Wireless solutions for both power and control of lighting fixtures is an exciting development. Issues related to the availability of power is rarely to do with a lack of juice, more often difficulty in getting in power the right place – trailing cables everywhere is often not an option. Cable management aside, the time taken to install cabling constitutes a significant part of overall build time. Being able to sling out a load of uplighters and instantly have remote control of colour mixed light for the next twelve hours plus, is a plus in many situations.

CORE and GDS (GDS using the same LEDs as the i-Pix) have the aformentioned high quality of colour output that is important to specifiers.

On the wireless front, the L&SI sponsored Innvoations Gallery contained a number of wire free products including a motor hoist control and wireless RDM (Remote Device management) DMX traffic system. Wires are so last century.

Other interestings

This year was the first opportunity for OSL to have a good look at the ( award winning, as of last night) Robe Robin series of moving heads, the key feature being a Plasma light source. The compact spot and wash lights are similar to 250w MSR/MSD powered head with a pleasing colour temperature and some nice optics. I am not sure I understand how a plasma lamp really works, but the unit was bright, cool and quiet. It also featured a touchscreen menu control for adjusting settings and an internal battery to enable a hire warehouse to set and address the fixture without having to plug into a mains supply. Look, no wires again.

After the prototype debut at PLASA last year, the RSC sponsored Lightlock has found a manufacturer in Total Solutions. The Lightlock was designed as a means of solving the specific problem that moving heads create when attached to a small hanging structure such as a trapeze or pantograph. The unit is electrically powered and senses movement, attempting to eliminate it by creating an opposing force via a moving mass inside the unit.

Although the problem seems pretty specialised, it does allow moving lights to be rigged in ways that have not been possible before and is particularly of interest to designers of TV studios, who use pantograph systems for easy overhead fixture suspension. The cost per unit, in relation to a moving light or pantograph for instance, does not look too outrageous if it allows a specific design problem to be solved.

The unit that Total were showing looked totally different to the original show last year. As well as being a neater unit, I understand that a major revisit of the internal components was necessary to make the Lightlock a commercially viable piece of kit. Apparently, the production version is significantly more kinetically efficient too.

It was good to see the Morpheus, granddaddy of “men in sheds” intelligent lighting, at PLASA for the first time. Showing their established multi stream CMY scroller system, they also brought the Pacific Fader CMY and dowser design specifically for the Selecon Pacific. While the world seems to be full of the ETC Source Four, the Selecon Pacific continues being a great profile spot which has either incandescent and discharge light sources. The Pacific Fader fits the gate of the Pacific, providing CMY and CTO graduated dichroic filters that are DMX controllable creating a wide range of high quality colours. Using a discharge light source, dimming is provided by a further graduated dichroic that a demonstation showed a really beautiful dimming quality. Sure beats mechanical shutters.

On Stage Lighting readers unfamiliar with dichroic colour filters should know that rather than absorbing colour wavelengths, dichroic filters reflect them while the desired colours carry on through. A dichroic dimmer works in a similar fashion, reflecting different amounts of the whole spectrum.

Anytronics were showing the AnyScene 2 which now boasts more DMX channels and the ability run up to 8 panels in tandem. For the unitiated, the Anyscene is a great little panel that allows you to record DMX information via an input and then play it back by pressing one of the playback buttons on the front. This is ideal for installation where you want the end user to have limited control to your highly complex DMX controlled environment, having used the tools of your choice to set the scenes. Anyway, being able to slave up to 8 panels and give any panel control is a really useful addition.

Our favourite product in the non lighting camp? We call it the Tape Trundler and it was an interesting piece of gear for the application of tape to a stage floor. Like a big parcel taping gun with a wheel and a long handle, the dispenser seemed like the answer to the prayers of anyone who had spent hours on their knees taping down Marley (AKA known as dance flooring). Now if you could incorporate laying cables and taping them down into that, I’m in.

So that’s if for another year. The PLASA show is the accepted way to show off your latest innovations and is surely has to be given credit as a part of the engine that drives technology at the current manic rate.

If the smoke and mirrors all get too much, there is always the option of stopping off at the AC Lighting stand and watching someone else make cables.

So, did you get to PLASA this year.  What really caught your eye?  Comments in the box below as usual.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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A quick look at the past, present and future of user interfaces (UI) in lighting console design with the question “Are we actually doing it right?”

So, there we were in the middle of a series of tutorials on the Cham Sys MagicQ when something unexpected happened. Something totally out of the blue. A rumour went around that some students in Bath had used the MagicQ PC and PC Wing as part of a recent show – and didn’t like it! They didn’t get on with it and eventually gave up and swapped it for another controller. The other controller was (wait for it) a Pulsar Masterpiece! (Igor, I thought I told you to round up all the DisasterPieces and crush them?) How could this happen?

At first, this seemed like a case of youthful exhuberance vs. RTFM but I was assured that the User Manual was consulted on this occasion. A further conversation on Twitter brought up the whole question of what makes a good User Interface (UI) for a lighting control. I realised that current console interfaces that work so well for me were evolutions of desks that I already knew, with concepts that are rooted in lighting control history. What if you didn’t have a lighting console history?

What if you had never used a Strand Galaxy or a Celco Gold? Or even a Hog II? What if you only ever used a computer with a Windows style GUI? Would any of these flippin’ desks make sense to you?

What do you want from a lighting control?

• Speed – You want to be able to do as much as possible in the short time available.
• Flexibility – You want the console to give you the flexibility to control your specific show, and there are many kinds of show with different control needs.
• Control – Well, duh.
• To Spend As Much Time As Humanly Possible Looking At The Stage And Not Fumbling With Buttons And Other Input Hardware – Er, like I said.

There are two types of lighting controller: Those you know. And those you don’t.

The first type ticks all the boxes because you can use it’s many functions quickly, mostly without looking at the thing. The second kind is what makes you question the UI and can turn you off that console early on.

Modern consoles have evolved from older consoles and older operators have evolved with them. In stage lighting control we have some versions of our own standards, but they are incomplete and not always obvious to the newcomer. And first impressions count.

Long term vs short term usability

The new generation of techies have grown up in a world full of standards. Across software apps, the File menu has always been Top Left and it’s contents are pretty predictable. Standards are great because they allow the new, the lazy and (let’s face it) the stupid, a better chance of being able make at least some progress. Most PC apps give three or four ways of doing something in an effort that you will find at least one of Keyboard Shortcut / Right Click Menu / Top Menu / Toolbar.

The trouble with these standards is that they have led the world to believe that anything technical can be used, if you just “have a go”. Someone recently asked me to turn the ring tone on their phone off but I had never seen this phone before , how hard could it be? After a couple of unsuccessful attempts (I hung up on their mother and probably deleted at least one of their Contacts) the ringer was sorted. I could use the phone but only to the low standard.

When you become familiar with a UI, your muscle memory tunes into it and things happen automatically. Speed and accuracy are increased, freeing your mind up to concentrate on the end result while forgetting about process. Looking for functions vs. looking at the stage.

Who is the UI working for, the casual prodder or power user – or both?

A Cham Sys problem?

Cham Sys seem to have a great idea – Make a good console with loads of familiar features, add some more and create a platform with possibilities for the future. Make a PC software version that is compatible with cheap DMX output devices and hope to build a fanbase, proficient in your console and specifying the top models in your range.

But…

The first time I saw the MagicQ it was real and was accompanied by the man who designed it. And I had a history of using the Hog II, which the MQ shares many concepts. I liked the Cham Sys as a lighting desk and the fact that it came as a free PC app was a bonus.

Perhaps you and I had a different experience of the MagicQ UI. Perhaps you downloaded MagicQ PC, read the help, tried to make sense of an already alien world. No one can pretend that a lighting desk plonked on a computer screen is the ideal UI for anyone. Hell, I defy anyone to download Grand MA onPC and work out that it’s a half decent lighting console. However, the MA has the kudos of being “the” desk on those shows you read about in L&SI, it doesn’t have to introduce itself to you via a PC screen.

The trouble is, many people encounter tghe MagicQ via the PC version and perhaps with little console history. Is this the best first impression? Is there the tiniest possiblity that what seemed like a great idea to spread your message might actually backfire when you can’t put your best UI face on to the newest users?

Where are we GUIng now?

(ok, enough UI puns for today)

While trying to empathise with the guys struggling with an alien interface, I started to question the future of lighting interfaces and their ease of use for all kinds of users – casual and dedicated.
A lot of my initial thinking on this subject was centered around the physical aspects and I asked a question over at the Blue Room that provoked some interesting opinions. Are we using the right hardware and software? Do current lighting controls only work for me because they were designed by my contemporaries? Would it be better if all UI were further standardised?

So what do you think? What kind of UI do you think would take us into the future of lighting control and cater for all users?

Image by Zach Klein on Flickr

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

You May Also Like:

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UK based touring LD Mark Wynn-Edwards takes time for a chat and to tell us why, despite years of being an Avo man, he now owns and uses a Jands Vista.

The Jands Vista has been around for quite a while but isn’t one of those consoles I see regularly on the road, at least not in the UK. With no particular incentives or word from other LD’s, I have to confess to have left the Vista on the list of ” Oh, yeah. Saw that once at PLASA” desks. Let’s face it, until all your mates start raving about a desk or one turns up in every control position, things remain on the backburner. Maybe I would take a look … one day.

Mark Wynn-Edwards has toured as LD/Programmer with many acts including Grace Jones, The Klaxons, Jamie Cullum and As I Lay Dying (quite a mix, then). Finding out that an LD like Mark had spent his own hard earned cash on a Jands Vista T2….well, it needed investigating! Time to find out what the Vista is all about and what better way than to ask Mark himself.

Mark in the office with his Vista T2

OSL: Mark, people occasionally mention the Jands Vista to me but I don’t know a lot about it. Give me a reference point relating to other desk manufacturers and console types – where are the similarities?

Mark W-E: There are similarities as all desks are controlling the same thing. Running the Vista is like no other – it has more in common with Apple Imovie. I am led to believe Imovie was an inspiration, with the idea of having little “clips” that you place on a time line …..its a great way to work.
Some people have issues with the desk but once you have shed all the console baggage and assumptions, it suddenly makes a lot of sense and you realise that it’s very powerful.

OSL: Most consoles and their associated press releases tell us they are equally at home in any lightng control situation. Do you think that the Vista has a kind of show that it really lends itself to controlling?

Mark W-E: Over the years I have had the desk I have used it for touring Pop, Rock and metal bands , corporate work and TV work – I have yet to use the Vista for Theatre . The console is equally capable in all situations and with a bit of use and thought you can even busk on it ….. contrary to what people think. You can create looks very quickly with just a few touches of the tablet. Very handy for corporate and Tv work when people are wanting and demanding instant looks.

OSL: You have a background in Avolites Pearls, Hog II and others, why did you decide to buy a Vista T2 for your personal desk?

Mark W-E: When I went shopping at PLASA I was looking for a desk to cover all the varied work I do so it would have to be happy in a TV studio or FOH at a gig. At the time I had a Pearl 2000 so I considered moving to a D4 and after a few hours at the Avo stand I was convinced this was what I wanted.

But …..

I went for a walk to think about it (spending a lot of money ) and also took a look at Hog as the III had just come out but we all know how the hog III was in the early days…. Then I saw the A.C lighting stand and this desk called the Jands Vista. Neil Vann gave me a demo and it just clicked – no more number crunching, just working and staying in the train of thought of what I am trying to do with the lights. Simple as..

A week later I was down at AC for training and picking up a Jands T4 …I couldn’t get home quick enough.

Never looked back ………and with each update the desk improves and you get fantastic support from Jands. They also listen to the operators when they ask or suggest options for the desk.

OSL: Like a lot of lighting controls, Jands have a PC version for learning, pre-patching etc. How does the interface compare with the real thing?

Mark W-E: The PC/Mac version is identical to the real desks. I have a version on my Apple that I use to try ideas out, or after a show make changes while they are fresh in my mind to reload the next day. I also use the Apple version to test fixtures with the USB –DMX cable that Jands do. Its a very handy little thing. With the addition of a DMX dongle and one of the many playback wings, you have a fully working Vista desk

I plan to build a super portable version of my desk for those gigs where you fly out do the gig and fly back. And for touring and festival use where you have to use some sort of hell desk at times.

OSL: It is possible for a beginner to make a good start learning on just the PC version?

Mark W-E: The PC/Mac version is an ideal way to learn the console or brush up on what you know.

OSL: Jands highlight two features of the Vista in particular – less keypad style entry and the timeline. I left number crunching behind in the theatre, but timeline has been around in various forms for a while. Tell me why I should fully embrace the timeline as a Lighting Designer?

Mark W-E: The timeline has numerous uses depending on how you use the desk. Its great way to work as you can see precisely when things happen and what the lights are doing .- very handy if you get a rogue fixture doing something it shouldn’t.

If required you can set moments for a show to happen bang on time using the time line. You can add MP3 tracks to the time line this is great as you can program to the mp3. You have to remember to put pauses in there to allow for the band playing it differently.
You can get the desk to Cue other Cues – load media on a server so its ready to go or get fixtures into position so you don’t get that classy moment where lights go woosh across the stage.

Having the desk do all these things make operating a show a great experience and help make the show be quite fluid and live.

OSL: You work on a lot of live music touring. What’s your typical programming and playback style and what kind of notes are always on your programming To Do list?

Mark W-E: How I run my desk varies from contract to contract but normally it’s a page for every song – then each page has the elements of each song on a fader or a button
On the screen I have the control of colours and position or other stuff required -I try to keep it as simple as I can . And a page for the local tech to do the support bands, as always.

OSL: As well as the Vista, your CV mentions Avo and Hog consoles. Do you have any thoughts on the MA and Cham Sys desks?

Mark W-E: I don’t know much about the Cham Sys desks but the MA is very impressive. I have used them a few times at festivals . I love the networking function where you have a master and slave desk. I saw that used to its limit on Chemical Brothers which was impressive.

But now I have the Vista way of doing stuff I get tripped up mentally when I have to go back to number crunching – I am used to doing a drag and drop or a simple click . But I would like to learn more about the MA.

OSL: For anyone just starting out in lighting and hoping to make a career of it there seems to be a lot to know nowadays. The skillset is growing rapidly and I am not sure that I could learn this complex trade in the space of a few years. Do you think that specialists will rule the lighting world of the future or do we just need to start changing the way we train lighting professionals?

Mark W-E: I think there will always be a place for the freelancer who can generally do stuff but high end shows will require and demand specialists as it can get quite technical at times.
The business has been headed in this direction since moving lights first came on the scene, starting with the VL techs . When not working as an LD, I work as a moving light tech, staying up to date. Modern fixtures cost so much to hire and generally you get one spare – you need people who can look at a fixture, know what they are doing and make it work . Not just the crew member who has some tools and is willing to have a bash.

Thanks, Mark.

So, I have resolved to try to make some time for the Jands Vista and maybe follow it up with another article. Perhaps On Stage Lighting readers would like to give the Vista a try – download the PC or Mac version and post your Vista experiences in the comments below. We’d love to hear ‘em.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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Media Servers and Digital Lighting was a quick introduction to “convergence” and the technologies involved in using digital media for stage lighting. Current lighting trends include the use of arrays of fixtures such as RGB LED units to replay images and effects, using Pixel Mapping. This article looks at the basics of pixel mapping and asks if it is possible to re create some of these effects on a budget.

What is Pixel Mapping, exactly?

Pixel Mapping (in the World of Lampie) is the use of software to map and replay media such as bitmaps or video on an array (AKA grid or raster) of lighting fixtures. The fixtures could be anything; moving spots, PAR cans, Birdies but the use of colour mixing LED kit (inc Pixeline, Versa Tube or Color Web) is a common and appealing technique. You effectively get a low resolution screen to display your goodies, made from “pixels” of red, green and blue LEDs. In this article, we will refer back to the RGB LED model as it’s easy to understand.

Displaying the image on the screen is the job of the pixel mapper. Professional lighting media servers have mapping functions, pixel mapping software (like PixelDrive or the Arkaos Pixel Mapper) is available to run on a laptop and some lighting consoles can cope with a degree of mapping all on their own.

Pixel Mapping isn’t projecting media content using a projecter and firing it from the lighting console. The main brief of mapping is to turn your array of “simple” fixtures into a giant telly. The “screen” doesn’t have to be rectangular or even one complete surface – using pixel mapping, you could create some great effects with a long single strip of RGB LEDS or play a huge image across a number of different elements.

How does pixel mapping work?

The pixel mapper treats each fixture as an individual pixel and sends the correct information (usually colour and intensity) to the array.

Lighting fixtures are still commonly controlled using different implementations of DMX. With our LED “pixels” using up at least 3 DMX channels, you can see how even a small surface can use up hundreds of DMX addresses. Some control systems and media servers have their own proprietory network protocol to talk to each other, but talking to the fixtures themselves requires a standardised approach. Currently, the most common control signals are sent using ARTNet, the open source protocol for sending mulitple DMX universes. This can be split down at the surface or go straight into a proprietory control box for the LED sytem.

Pixel mapping is only an interface tool. It lets you create complex effects the easy wasy – with digital media. It certainly beats programming a 1000 step chase of complex RGB levels. It doesn’t have to be a full colour “screen” of LEDs. There is no reason why you can’t send the output to dimmers connected to a grid of PARS.

What information does a pixel mapper need?

Take the simplest system – a 3 x 3 grid of PARs (yes, you can’t display hi res video on this but it’s a good starting point). The pixel mapper needs to know that your array or grid is 3 pixels by 3 pixels – 9 PARs in a square.

The system also needs to know that PAR 1 (DMX dimmer A/001 for example) is top left and that the number runs from Left to Right, Top to Bottom. This means when media pixel 1 is ON, the correct PAR (Top Left) fades up.

If we had a 3 x 3 grid of RGB leds, it would need to know that DMX 0/001 was Red, Top Left; 0/002 Green, Top Left etc. When media pixel 1 needed to be Yellow, it would send 100% ish to 0/001 and 0/002. (If you are wondering what 0/ is, it’s just the numbering system we are using to identify DMX universes this time. The first ARTnet DMX universe is 0)

So, the pixel mapper needs to know the number of fixtures and the shape of the surface plus the positioning (ie. DMX addresses) of the fixtures. Media server pixel mapping software can have the fixture personalities of particular instruments to help with the DMX channels. The personalities are handy for the quick set up of large arrays using common fixtures such as Color Web or Pixeline. In our examples, we’ll just think in terms of a few simple RGB elements.

Pitch or Offset

Many products and layouts have a set pixel “pitch”. This is the distance between each pixel, vertically and horizontally, and is important when mapping onto surfaces where the pixels/fixtures aren’t jammed up tight together.

Mapping a screen image onto a surface with a wide pitch, the image ends up stretched all over. Digital media usually has a 1:1 pixel pitch ( the horizontal pitch is the same as the vertical). If your fixtures were 300mm apart sideways but 1m up/down from each other, the resulting image is stretched and squashed all over the place. Distortion of media might be a nice effect but only if you intended it to happen.

Some mapping layouts consist of a number of different “bits” of surface, spread apart from each other across stage. Getting an entire image to work across all the surfaces requires the actual positions of each piece being entered into the pixel mapper. Getting the heights and offsets correct, in the mapper as well as in the rig, can be time consuming. The final effect is worth it.

Content for Pixel Mapping

The suitability of content for pixel mapping depends on the arrays they will be replayed on. A really low resolution grid like our 9 PARs isn’t going to look much with an XGA full colour image across it. Although it is not always necessary to create media content at exactly the right resolution, understanding how the images will actually look is important. Great effects can be created with a low resolution array and some carefully chosen higher res media but think of the result of 16 million colours on those 9 PAR Cans. A bit of a dimmy, flashy mess. I don’t recommend trying to get those colours using scrollers – heh, heh!

Pixel Mapping on the cheap

We bet that you want ways to experiment with pixel mapping without going the expense of full on media servers or Grand MA’s. Quite a few cheap lighting control software has some form of pixel mapping function including the OSL favourite – Cham Sys MagicQ PC (some tutorials on pixel mapping the Cham Sys are in the pipeline). The onboard array control on the Cham Sys is similar in nature to the system on the Grand MA – creation of grids, applying fixtures and mapping images, text and other effects to them. The MagicQ also has the facility to preview the resulting output in a window, so you can see the result.

Previewing your pixel mapping is ideal when you are looking for a cheap solution to experiment with this kind of digital lighting. Even if with some free pixel mapping software, the chances of being able to set up a vast array of real RGB LEDs to work with are slim. Even getting hold of 9 working PAR cans is a struggle in some places

What cheap pixel mapping options are there?

I have done some hunting around on behalf of the On Stage Lighting readers. Many of the software mappers have free trials but some genuinely free pixel mapping software is .Matrix, a project developed by a student from Tulsa. Although not in current active development, .Matrix maps Quicktime files to an LED Matrix,.outputs ArtNet ArtNet and developer Landy Bible, tells us that current features are stable and show ready:

“.Matrix is stable in my experience, and none of my users have reported any problems with it.
The biggest problem that anybody wanting to use .Matrix will have is getting it working the first time. It relies on Java and Quicktime to do its magic, and Quicktime doesn’t always like to play nice with Java. Typically, reinstalling Quicktime after Java is installed will correct the problem. “

Landy also says that he has currently put extra features on hold ( more I/O devices like the Enttec Pro USB DMX) but hints that if enough people are interested, he would continue working on the software. So, why not download it and let us know how you get on.

On Stage Lighting readers always want to know how they can learn this kind of technology without huge budgets. Do you have experience of any free/cheap solutions for pixel mapping? Tell us about your experiences in the comments box.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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In Stage Lighting Maintenance… we looked at improving the performance of your lighting gear and getting the best from what you’ve got. Continuing the “budget lighting” theme, we uncover tricks of the lighting trade when you don’t quite have enough of something– dimmers, lanterns, control channels, chocolate Hobnobs ….(well, maybe not that)

Image by Jennylynndeesign on Flickr

First, let’s clear one thing up.

You might think that lighting large scale professional productions, the problems of lighting on a budget and technical shortages wouldn’t arise. After all, those guys don’t have to deal with a tiny school hall,only four circuits Front Of House and the spare cable you have is one 4 way 13A block.

In reality, every show is constrained by technical limitations (not only a financial budget) and every LD has to make compromises. How ever many dimmers you have, you will always need a few more. A couple more circuits at stage level would be useful too. And if we could just afford another 12 VL’s (and had room on the truss to rig them – bloody noise boy junk), the colour wash wouldn’t have any holes in it.

Many of problems are the same, whatever size the show. Let’s take a look at some workarounds for this “technical budget”.

Problem: Not enough lanterns

Not having enough lighting sources, especially conventionals, is a tricky one that can only really be solved by creative design decisions. At college, the Head of Lighting told us that every lantern had to do at least 2 jobs – “specials” had to pull their weight too. Perhaps you could use the DSC area toplight instead of a dedicated profile spot. If those breakup gobos were in a neutral colour, they could be mixed with two different colour washes to produce various effects.

On very rare occasions, you might be able to do a refocus during the interval. Provided the original effect is not required in Act II, you can easily reach the fixture and the change can be made behind the tabs. You can’t clear the front row to get the ladders out. The idea of a quick half time refocus could also apply to a simple gel change. Either way, don’t forget to reset before the next show.

If coverage of colour washes is a problem (not quite enough PARs for instance), the old trick is to “cross ‘em over”. Firing a lantern from it’s rigged position across to the opposite side of the stage increases the throw distance (in tight venues, by a significant percentage), making the beam cover a wider area than when lighting it’s own side.

Problem: Not enough lighting circuits

Lighting “circuits” is a generic term for the system of outlets distributing power out to the rig. The circuits may be connected directly to the dimmers but often goes via a patch panel, allowing you to choose which dimmer a circuit(s) plugs into.

A common form of this problem is not having enough circuits in the right place. If only you had two more circuits on FOH1 instead of all those on the fly floor that you’re not using. Many venues are designed with a pathetic number of circuits on the stage floor. You have two options – Sacrifice control or create some more:

“Pairing” up two fixtures, you obviously sacrifice control – the two lanterns will be powered by the same dimmer. Choosing fixtures that can be paired up is a question of lantern focus/job, colour or both. Pick the ones that can work together. Pairing up is limited to the maximum electrical load ratings of your cable, connectors and dimmer channels.

If you want to balance the intensity of two lanterns with a significant difference in throw distance, they probably need to be on different dimmer channels and so can’t be paired up. Although you could be creative with some Neutral Density gel….

Creating more circuits at a lighting position comes down to running a single cable or a multicore of 6 circuits. Spare circuits are often found in the most “unuseful” places, like in the Control Room – not much help if you need another 2 for your US Cyc bar. Having dimmer racks with socket outlets on the front is handy for running extra “ways” locally.

Problem: Not enough dimmers

In our fantasy stage lighting world, every lantern has it’s own circuit and dimmer channel giving us the ability to balance the intensity throughout the rig. Back in the real world, we always seem to end up with more lanterns than dimmers.

Again, pairing up 2 or more fixtures is the solution. If the two circuits are in different parts of the rig, pairing both circuits at the dimmer end of things is common.

Similar to the idea of an interval re focus, we come to a common theatre trick – the interval Cross Plug. Again, this is based on the fact that a particular “special” is only used in Act I while another is only used in Act II. Taping the two circuit plugs together and marking them as Act 1 and Act 2, they live at the patch panel or dimmer rack, waiting their turn. Joining them together saves on confusion amongst the spaghetti or patch cords.

I used to work on theatre shows that had Cross Plug cues that ran to quite a few circuits each time – part of the routine en route for a cup of tea in the Green Room after the first half. There is no reason, of course why a cross plug has to happen in the interval provided there is someone to do it and it can be done silently during the show as the cues dictate.

Problem: Not Enough Desk Channels

This is common in smaller lighting systems with limitations placed by the number of individual channels of control the lighting desk has. Matt recently asked a question about the Fat Frog, which has the ability to control 12 intelligent fixtures and 48 individual dimmer/single DMX channel faders. (BTW, thanks Matt for providing the idea for another article – always appreciated). So while one DMX universe has 512 channels, the actual number of “things” we could control is 36.

Make sure that you are already using Wide Mode if your lighting desk has it.

There are a number of solutions to limited channel control depending your kit. Like “pairing” they all cut down the number of individual levels you can set in the rig, so control “group” decisions are made on the same basis.

Sharing DMX start addresses

This has become more common with the use of LED fixtures on small DMX lighting desks. Setting a group of fixtures to the same start address means they all do the same thing, but this doesn’t always matter. [More on LED Lighting Control...] Setting moving heads or scanners to the same start address is pretty pointless because they share the same Pan and Tilt values. It could get you out of a hole in a disco environment, I suppose.

Setting dimmers to share DMX start addresses can also be a solution, particularly if you find yourself with a load of kit and 6 channel 1 preset controller. You could run 100’s of kilowatts of dimming from one fader if you really needed to.

Patching DMX addresses to desk channels within the console (softpatching) throws up a couple of options. Assigning multiple DMX channels (our dimmers) to one desk fader is one eg.001 + 037 + 095.

The other option is only patching the DMX addresses of kit you actually need. This could happen with a large static rig that you don’t intend every bit. In Jan 2008, I finished a little tour with a show at the Purcell Rooms on London’s South Bank. The house rig was a good size (can’t remember how many dimmers but probably a hundred and something plus scrollers, maybe moving heads).

Now, bearing in mind that in some venues we used 12 ways of dimming and rigged from tripod stands, we definitely weren’t going to need all their kit! (In fact, I seem to remember running the entire rig from a 13A ring main in the Jersey). Having tucked the Zero88 Jester 12/24 under my arm, I climbed the cat ladder to the control booth. Shoving the Strand 520/530i GTE Twin OverHead Cam (or something) outta the way, I nicked a DMX universe and patched up the 24 channels of house rig that were actually required. Anything to avoid using a 500 but that’s another story.

Anyway, patch up only what you need and double up DMX addresses on desk channels using the softpatch facility.

Problem: Can’t afford lampie toys to play with/ Teachers won’t let me buy Var*lites / Our venue was designed by an idiot / The budget doesn’t cover chocolate Hobnob’s….

We’ve hit the limiters with this one. Every show has equipment and technical availability budgets, not just financial ones. Even whizzy nodding buckets and waggly mirrors can’t solve everything (see the Open Letter to Directors). Most of the above solutions simply require compromises which, from a lighting designers’ point of view, often means a reduced degree of control.

The technical answers to the “budget” are not complex. The hardest part is deciding where you can afford make those compromises.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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With financial belts tightening, people are getting reluctant to spend money on new kit. On Stage Lighting looks at getting more out of your existing lighting equipment – lantern maintenance and how to get more 300% light for free.

Image by chikaga jamie on Flickr

My car has never had the brightest headlights. The other night though, I really couldn’t see the road, even with the front foglights on. “It’s no good – I’m going to have to buy some new lamps. These ones have really had it now!” The situation got worse down dark country lanes and a thought suddenly hit me. I get out of the car, chuck a bottle of mineral water over each headlight, and rub the 5mm of mud and grime from the lenses. Off we go again – much better.

The point of telling you this is not because I’m the kind of person that normally washes the car with Evian ( the rest of my car is still filthy). The solution to the problem wasn’t buying new lamps, but cleaning up the old lenses – it improved the light output by at least three times.

Lampies often hear newbie techies complaining about the lighting kit in their school/drama club/church:

The trouble is, all our kit is old, knackered and not bright enough. We need to buy some new lighting gear!

Yes, the lighting equipment in many places is old. Sometimes it is broken. But more often than not it’s just dirty. The traditional time for theatres to do their lantern maintenance is the summer “dark” period – when there are no shows running. Let’s not wait until then. How about getting some lighting equipment maintenance done soon, ready for your Easter shows. You could get 3 times as much light for free.

What you need to maintain stage lights

• Somewhere to work – a table set up on stage or in your lantern store. Close to where most of the kit already is.
• A few tools – some fixtures need a bit of dismantling before you can clean the important bits. Screwdrivers, spanners and Allen keys cover most of it.
• Some cleaning equipment – Lint free cloths, J cloths, dry paintbrushes, vacuum cleaner, detergent, water. Some kind of lantern friendly solvent like Isopropanol.
• Your lighting fixtures – All cooled down and NOT plugged in.

Maintaining Spotlights, Fresnels, PC’s etc

Cleaning – Get rid of the dust

Dust is a pretty big feature in theatres and most of it seems to collect on your lanterns. Start by brushing down the outside of the fixture, using a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment is quick. Pay attention to any cooling vents around the lamp housing (at the back of the lantern), making sure they are clear.

Move the yoke and other parts that might be hiding dust. Lighting hire companies use a compressed air gun to blast the crap out of everywhere but these need to handled with care – they can be dangerous. They also tend to chuck the dust up in the air, letting it fall back down on the kit the minute you have finished cleaning it.

If a spotlight is really grimy, you can use a damp cloth with a bit of detergent.

While we are working on the outside of the lantern, look at the power cable where it goes into the lamp housing. The cable clamp (cord grip) area is a common place for cable insulation failure and conductor breaks (you can spot these by noticing a strain/lump in the outer sheathing. Look along the length of the power cord, looking for kinks or slits in the insulation, particularly where the cable enters the plug. It’s worth gripping the power cable and giving the plugtop a sharp tug – if it comes off in your hand, there’s something wrong

Open up the lantern

Now we’ve got the worst of the external dirt off, we can open up the fixture.

Getting into a lantern varies depending on the type/make but you can usually access the lamp housing via the door used to change the bubble. Often a screw or catch is used to keep it shut. Once into the lamp housing, remove the lamp, taking care not to touch the glass bubble with your fingers. Put the lamp somewhere safe.

On a fresnel style fixture, you should be able to access all of the interior from here. Getting to the lenses in profile spots (ERS in the US) can take a bit more work. Modern fixtures have easy access lens tubes with covers/doors that open or a tube that come off easily, allowing access to both sides of the lens. Older fixtures take some more dismantling – a very common lantern in schools and churches is the dreaded Strand Quartet. (There could be a whole other article on “Why I hate Quartets” but …)

If you are maintaining a lot of Quartet profile spotlights, get ready for some heartache. Quartet lens tubes are notoriously difficult, requiring the removal of 4 long bolts that hold the tube and the entire gate assembly to the lamp housing. Sit the Quartet on its lamp end, lens tube facing up and level with the yoke on the bench to stop it falling over. Remove the 4 long bolts and carefully lift off the tube, making sure that all the other parts don’t lose their position. Stick a couple of bolts back in temporarily while you are cleaning the lens tube, to keep it all together. Othwise, you could end up with a box full of spares instead.

More Hoovering

Using a vacuum cleaner, brush and suck any dust/cobwebs from the inside. You can also suck the top level of dust off the lenses, making less mess when polishing later. Vacuum the inside of any cooling grills and make sure there is no dust left around the lamp tray – dust is combustible.

Cleaning the Lenses and Reflector

Matt recently asked a question about cleaning lenses. This is the bit where you really get value for money – in the form of more light.

Clean and polish up the reflector (silver bit behind the lamp). Most reflectors are often clean on the inside face so you probably won’t need too much elbow grease. If the reflector is spotted, dull or has a lot of marks it’s unlikely you will be able to “polish them out” without taking the mirror coating off. Just give ‘em a clean.

Cleaning the lenses is much more satisfying. Most lenses have a good layer of dirt on them which can be wiped away with a weak detergent/water mix. Avoid getting grease on the lens from fingers, under the sticky dust a lens is usually pretty clean.

You should never use standard glass cleaners or abrasive polishes on the lens – ETC (makers of the Source Four) specifically warns against this in their User Manuals. The Source Four lens has a special coating that can be damaged by the wrong cleaners. If you need to use a solvent, Isopropanol is a relatively friendly to most things , not to be confused with Acetone (nail varnish remover). Isopropanol also evaporates from the lens quickly, leaving very little residue. Old school guys used Meths as a lens cleaner, which does a nice job on glass but is very flammable and I wouldn’t give it any guarantees when it comes to modern lens coatings.

Work on both sides of the lens and don’t forget that profiles spots, particularly zooms, have two lenses.

Visual Inspection Inside

While everything is accessible, check a few points of weakness on any lantern.

Electrical Parts Inspection

Check the interior cable for chafing or splitting of insulation. Make sure that the ceramic parts, including the lamp holder and terminal blocks, have no burns or brittleness. See that screw terminals are tight and have a decent contact/grip of the all conductors (wires) and that no wire “whiskers” are poking out where they shouldn’t. See the section below on testing for electrical safety.

Mechanical Parts Check

Even modern conventional fixtures are pretty uncomplicated. Check all the moving parts such as lens and lamp tray adjustment, lock off handles,yoke and shutters. Anything that needs unjamming and lubricating, a squirt of PTFE spray or powdered graphite should do the trick – they are dry lubricants for use with high temperatures. Don’t be tempted to use oils like WD40 for lubrication You can use it as a rust treatment/penetrating oil but it will need to be thoroughly cleaned off afterwards.

Optics Check

Optical settings of equipment is usually set at manufacture. Just check out that the lenses sit straight in their holders, shutter blades have no nicks in the edge etc. As well as adjustment of the lamp tray, some lamp holders have a height adjustment set by screws and counteracting springs. Again, it’s pretty unlikely that the setting needs adjustment but the goal of height adjustment is align the lamp filaments with the centre of the reflector.

Electrical Safety

If you are based in the UK, all portable appliances must be tested/certificated for electrical safety. The Portable Appliance Test (PAT) applies to stage lighting fixtures too. Electrical tests are beyond the scope of this article and should be carried out by a competent person. However, a large number of equipment failures to pass the PAT are down to poor physical maintenance and can be traced by a visual inspection. Before the PAT regulations came into force, most theatres performed simple electrical and visual checks on lighting kit that did a decent job at testing for electrical safety. Now we have magic PAT machines which sit idly on the bench, while we carry out the visual.

You’ve looked at cable, plugs, lampholders, cord grips and insulation. At least you can send the kit of to be PATed knowing that you’ve done everything possible.

Hang it up again

So, we’ve got shiny, working lanterns with more light coming out the front. Maintaining conventional lighting fixtures is a simple but effective way of keeping your rig working better for longer. It’s not quite as much fun as drooling over the ShineyLites ™ catalogue but sometimes old kit just needs is a bit of lurve. Time for a cup of tea – mine’s "lampie standard" (white with two).

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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On Stage Lighting has a beginner’s guide to media servers, digital lighting and some extra skills that could become vital for future stage lighting technicians. Plus, are us lampies now betrothed to the video department? Or will we never actually get up the aisle?

Image by SweetOne on Flickr

If you watch TV shows, rock concerts or big gigs like an Olympic Opening Ceremony, you see some pretty impressive lighting effects. In the background, scenic elements become walls of moving images, LED matrices throb with funky colours and text. It’s all part of the brave new world – Digital Lighting. The idea of using stage lighting and video projection techniques isn’t new but the systems used are becoming more complex and the boundaries between lighting and vision are being blurred. It’s even got a fancy name – Convergence: the convergance of digital media, projection and lighting technologies. More about that later.

What is Digital Lighting?

“Digital lighting”, using digital media in lighting, refers to a couple of different technologies and applications.

• Digital Projection – Using projector technology to throw light with patterns, colours and imagery. This only differs from standard projection in it’s purpose – to create looks, mood and to light a space with digital media.
• Screens and digital array systems – Using LEDs and other pixel light sources to create a screen to replay digital content. A simple array could be a 3 x 3 grid of pars or a more complex flown cloth with a high resolution grid of 3 colour LEDs. This is where the definitions really get stretched – are “screens” really lighting? Well, it’s all part of the visual experience.

Parts of a Digital Lighting System

• Media/Content – to screen or project media in a digital lighting system, you need content. Pictures, clips, algorithms to render.
• Media Playback – servers, players, anything that organises digital content pixels and sends them down a wire.
• Control Surface – The lighting console in many cases, a method to choose, blend and send the digital content. In lighting, we still think of these as cues (for the moment).
• Control System – The method for the different digital elements to talk to each other. DMX or a network protocol.
• Output Devices – Digital projectors, lighting fixtures or arrays/screens. The stuff at the end of the line where it all happens. AKA Producer Pleasers.

What is a Media Server ?

A media server is any device that produces or plays back content for our projection/lighting fixtures. At the bottom end of the scale we have a single laptop running a Windows screen saver, while top notch media systems might consist of racks of dedicated computing power rendering layers of content to a whole bunch of output devices.Hardware media servers ( the big ones in racks) like Axon (often outputting the the High End DL moving head projectors), Hippotizer and Pandora’s Box. Other software based players can be run on a decent laptop and include brands like Arkaos VJ or Grand MA Video. Hell, you can even use Winamp.

How do lighting consoles control a media server?

DMX512 is still pretty entrenched in stage lighting today and it is possible to control the media content using simple DMX signals. Media control layers have a fixture personality and different parameters or selection values. Layer 1 : Intensity 100%, Playlist 1, Item 4, Play, Loop – each DMX channel has an attribute and a value.
However, DMX is a pretty simple protocol that doesn’t have the two way comms that creates good integration of consoles and media servers. Networks (of some sort) are better – ArtNet is a stage lighting orientated network which has wide support and quite a few manufacturer’s have their own network protocol that enable seamless integration with their own media systems. The Grand MA, MA net and GrandMA video are good examples.The benefits of two way communication include:

• Device feedback.
• Media thumbnails and other tools that aid control.
• Control from the device, as well as control via the desk. This is fed back and can be recorded at the console.

Digital Lighting – General Pointers

• Content can be sent to digital lighting devices using a video signal – VGA, Component, Composite. One media server output = 1 piece of projection content. If you need two fixtures to do different things, you need more than one server output.
• Content can be mixed before outputting. Based on mulitple layers, one media output can have a mix/blend a number of different images/gobos/animations etc
• Digital moving lights such at the High End DL have Pan, Tilt, focus, iris and other “standard” lighting functions as well as projector-like controls. The DL also has onboard media serving facilities that are controlled using a laptop utility, effectively uploading your custom gobos/other wobbly stuff to the fixtures playback system.
• In a DMX controlled system, personalities for the fixtures are created for the console in the usual way, with both DMX and Video sent to each projector

But I don’t want to be a Vidiot!

A straw poll of lampies and video engineers around me suggests that none of us feel very “converged”. There nothing much converging about digital lighting – it’s the lighting department nicking technology from the VT boys for our own personal gratification. The idea of being able to create gobos in Photoshop, animate swirly patterns and play back videos to light the stage with is too good an opportunity to miss.

Let’s face it, no one in the video department really appreciates a well focussed DHA leafy break up gobo. That’s what makes us lampies! Let just borrow their kit.

What Skills Do I Need For All This?

Ok, so you are busting to get out there and learn every bit of kit you can get your hands on. That’s great. In the meantime, there are a number of related skills that a stage lighting technician needs. Many of them are already part of the modern world, particularly for anyone who uses IT ( ie nearly everone).

• The basic optics of projection. Like lighting optics with more emphasis on focus and keystoning.
• Digital file types and organisation. Understanding how digital pictures and movies are compressed and displayed – it’s all pretty simple for the Bebo generation.
• Understanding of pixels, rasters and resolutions. PC screens or projectors. This is also a part of successful pixel mapping.
• Basic networking knowledge. Doesn’t have to mean your brain has it’s own IP address – just enough understanding of how devices interact with each other.
• Using layers and masks. Learn something like Photoshop. As well as being able to produce your media server content, the concepts of such software are used in media server content organisation. Layers, opacity, vector masks and alpha channels plus using RGB or HSB colour mixing.
• Much as I hate to be a Vidiot, the basics of the dreaded world of VT. Signal types and distribution, switchers, frame rates. Understanding these mundane things sets the Lighting Designer free to create, making informed choices based on the technology available. LD’s like Richard Pilbrow have always kept ahead of technology, using it for their purposes while remembering the basics of lighting a show.

So, where do you stand on the whole “convergence” thing? Are screens really a job for the lighting department?
Are we all just one big happy family or is there a limit to how integrated you think LX and VT will be? Personally, any technology I can use to good effect is fair game but what are your thoughts?

Let us know in the comments box as usual. See you next time.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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While this years PLASA is in full swing, On Stage Lighting samples free beverages and meets up with old chums. Oh, and looks at some lighting equipment in an attempt to turn this years trip to Earl’s Court into an important fact finding mission.

For the uninitiated, the Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA) trade show takes place in London every September. A chance for lighting and sound equipment makers to show off their latest offerings, punters to prod and poke shiny kit and everyone to talk bullshit of one kind or another. PLASA08 was bigger than ever with the stands filling both EC1 and an extended area of EC2.

The trick with a visit to PLASA is to make a mental list of stands/kit you want to see. And make it small. The sensory overload caused by so much waggly lighting, smoke and sound systems can easily turn the casual visitor into a zombie – trolling the aisles, mesmerised by seemingly endless LED lighting products. Other distractions that can seriously cut down your ability to get round include the numerous bars, ingestible handouts and the possibility of running into everyone you ever toured with. (That particular PLASA problem seems to ease every year – the show is so busy, you don’t actually see them among the crowds of carrier bag toting torch collectors).

The On Stage Lighting PLASA 2008 list was typically unambitious.

• Zero88 – To have a quick look at their new consoles, the Orb and the Jester TL.
• Avolites – To find out all about their Titan software platform and what it actually means to Pearl Expert users.
• Cham Sys – They always have something interesting.
• Media and wacky scenic ideas that I might be able to shoe-horn onto the odd show (not on this years budgets!!!).
• See what a years worth of development has done to LED technology.

Zero88, the Orb and “The Strand Race”

Zero88 were showing their new models in the theatre lighting console space, the Orb and the Jester TL. A small-mid market Jester, the TL uses a command line / keypad interface to control a larger number of channels than the original Jester 24/48. The Jester range is already popular with users that I know, and a more theatre orientated desk is another sign of a particular bunfight going on amongst desk manufacturers at the moment. Which brings us on the Zero88 Orb.

The Orb is a larger mid-range (?) theatre console with traditional command line control, dimmer channels and moving light capability – all running theatre style stacks and some submasters. This desk is effectively announcing that Zero88 wants what we will call “the Strand market”. Now that Strand Lighting as a brand is currently out of the picture, there are hundreds of theatre users with old 520’s worrying that their desks might not last much longer. The thing about Strand users is they are incredibly loyal to the brand, workflow and syntax of those old theatre desks. And manufacturers know it. ETC have been vying for the affections of theatre chief electricians and big name theatre LD’s while MA Lighting also offers ranges to cater for “smaller” theatre users. Now Zero88 want a piece of the action. ETC (another busy stand) have a brand advantage in this area – many operators in the theatre environment have used Expressions and the new ETC desks use concepts close to their hearts. These concepts have also been alluded to in the Orb.

Zero88 might still have an image problem. They are known for making brilliant desks for the cheaper end of the market, despite making an effort to go “pro” with the Frog2 and new Leap Frog series. Serious theatre users might (quite wrongly IMO) think twice before equipping their venue with a Zero88 desk, based purely on sentiment. Having used the new Leap Frog 48/96 on a gig, I think that Zero are really serious about producing professional level consoles. But does everyone?

Observing “the Strand” race from the outside, it will be interesting to see who wins. On thing is for certain, the nature of theatre users is that they care for and stick with their consoles. This market, like an obscure comet, only comes around every ten years.

Other lighting console stuff

The Avolites stand was runner up in the “completely heaving” awards (second only to the Bandit bar – the free Guiness tipping the balance). Avo always have a decent number of their consoles set up with visualisers, a great opportunity for the young and keen to get their hands on a real Diamond 4. Getting the lowdown on the Titan software, it’s not terribly exciting. Avolites have created a platform across both the D4 and the Pearl Expert which, while adding some useful features now, presumably streamlines their development for the future. Hopefully this will include on board visualisation – something that the new generation of grown up lighting consoles will all need. You can’t expect Avo to keep Pearl users happy, while implementing tons of new features on what is still a “button and fader” desk. There is little point improving the Pearl to the point of changing the interface, operators like it as it is. BTW, it was a little surprising to see the Avolites Azure Shadow still taking up room on the stand (the desk must still have a club following – ahem).

Cham Sys have added a timeline control to their sofware. This horizontal view of fixtures, fade times and other events is becoming more common and is a useful editting tool. Using a timeline to control cues makes sense, especially give the extra complexity of moving lights, media servers etc. Older operators (me) really must force ourselves to using these programming tools more.

Media, Arrays and LED

As last year, the PLASA 2008 show was not for the LED intolerant. Small neat LED units, giant blinding moving LED fixtures and everything in between. The actual LEDs themselves seemed to have improved, particularly their white light capability. Some fixtures from High End included moving LED washlights that could also be controlled as an array, with moving images on the front of each fixture.

Media projector/moving light lovechild fest continued this year with DLP waggly projectors of all sizes right up to a huge BARCO fixture taller than a 5 year old. As if squeezing a digital projector into a moving light wasn’t enough, Robe had also fitted arrays of colour mixing LED either side of the lens. Presumably, the ability to project any coloured moving image just isn’t enough.

With all this digital lighting about, you need media – moving images, layers, alpha channels. The media server hardware such as Catalyst, Hippotizer and the Coolux systems were all showing their latest tricks. After some free German beer at Coolux, I had a bit of play with their incredibly powerful system but failed to create great art in the allotted time. The complexity of such systems are a bit more advanced than the “press buttons until something happens” brigade like myself. Although the media systems and digital lighting are the preserve of shows that can afford them, it is interesting to speculate about the skill set required of a 21st century lampie. Lighting technicians (if that’s what they’re even called) will be need to posses a even wider range of skills than at present. Each part of this brave new visual world – lighting, projection and content – do not yet blend together using our current control systems. But they will.

Anything really new?

Ok, so more LED, more projectors, more array panels… was there anything actually new for us lampies? The PLASA Innovations gallery had some interesting kit but mainly improved versions of things we had already. Apart from the rise of “not at all new ideas” cheap moving light manufacturers you’ve never heard of….

A “magic” box that sensed and mitigated the “wobble” of a moving light bar was a genuinely new application for some pretty clever technology, the stand sponsored by the RSC. I was lucky enough to do some consulting on this product some months ago and it seems that the patented idea has still to find a manufacturer. Hardly surprising, given this interesting oddity has an extremely limited market.

Although not a new idea, Total Fabrications were showing a nice truss tracking system that moves a rigging trolley, fixed inside a truss, by computer. This track system was particularly interesting because the box truss corners and track were curved, enabling travel around corners and a 360 traverse of the entire truss. The track system could also be used vertically, another useful feature for the movement of scenery etc. This particular idea interested us because traditional moving lights have only ever satisfied 50% of the lighting design equation. Where a fixture is focussed is only half of what creates the end result, where the light originates from being equally important. The simple answer is to fill your rig with a moving light every 600mm, meaning you can choose your angles from anywhere in the venue. It would be interesting to use less fixtures and be able alter where they were, particularly vertically, creating dramatic changes of angle.

So, that’s it from PLASA for another year – the Spar shop on Earls Court Road can re-stock with haze fluid and all us techies can crawl back under our stones. If you didn’t manage to get down this year, I highly recommend that you make the effort. For anyone interested in stage lighting and keen on freebies, it’s quite an experience.
If you did get to PLASA, let us know about anything that caught your eye or filled your carrier bag. Stick your comments in the box below.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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A guide to the basics of RDM (Remote Device Management) DMX. How it works and what it does.

What is RDM DMX?

You might know that DMX512 is a one way, serial control signal, the basics of which are explained in DMX Lighting Systems.

RDM is a development built on the DMX512 stage lighting control protocol that enables Remote Device Management of devices such as moving lights, dimmers and other DMX effects. Outlined in ANSI E1.20-2006 and using the existing DMX signal cores (pins 2 and 3), RDM allows two way communication between a lighting controller and the fixtures in rig.

Two way communication allows the controller to interrogate other RDM devices and make changes to their settings. Common uses might be remote setting of DMX start addresses from the console or collecting fault reports from the equipment.

What equipment do you need to use RDM DMX?

Lighting equipment manufacturers are trumpeting the fact that their new Wobbli Buckettes ™ are RDM compatible. This is because, while RDM systems are backwards compatible with “normal” DMX, the main components of RDM DMX need to be able to deal with the new two way system.

So, if you want to use the RDM functions you will need a controller that can do it. This doesn’t have to be the main lighting desk , it could be a laptop. You will also need devices (fixtures, dimmers etc) that have some degree of RDM control. Importantly, you will need to use RDM compatible DMX buffers/splitters in those parts of your DMX system – these gateways must allow the two way communication all the way back to the controller.

You can still use your old 3 core cables – woo hoo – but RDM is not as “easy” as a normal DMX signal. This means that the correct system design, cabling and termination is even more important. Using cheap mic cables won’t be a satisfactory option (not that it is at the moment).

How does RDM work?

Normal DMX values are sent along the line from the controller and “heard” by all the devices in that DMX universe. RDM values are sent back the other way – but not constantly. During an RDM interaction the controller can ask one or more devices for some information, which they then return. The RDM interactions then subside until the next query. In this way, RDM does not eat up 50% of the signal capacity. During normal operation, the RDM part of the signal only accounts for around 10% – 15% of the action.

The controller can also send instructions to the devices, such as parameters setting, without asking for a response.

For the system to work, the individual parts must be indentifiable. RDM uses UID (Unique Indentification Number) fixed within each device, as well as a manufacturer ID. This is an unalterable hardware setting and is not the same as the DMX start address.

To determine the UID of each RDM device on the line, the controller uses a “one off” process called “discovery”. This is a signal and computer hungry process, begun after all devices are connected up. The actual process of UID discovery is a bit like a digital game of “20 Questions” that gradually eliminates all the “players” (devices) until the controller is satisfied that it has the UID of all the RDM equipment.

How do I set DMX addresses remotely?

So far, the RDM controller knows the UID and model of each fixture – but not where it is in your rig. To locate each fixture and set a DMX address the user can cycle through the devices, each one showing themselves. Once a fixture is identified the operator can set the desired DMX address or any other options available. Order is restored.

What else could RDM do?

As well as setting DMX addresses from the floor, two way RDM communication between operator and device brings other uses such as:

• Lamp hours monitoring
• Temperature sensor reporting
• Fault codes
• Fixture mode setting
• Attribute inverting – Pan/Tilt etc.

The benefit of these depend on your rig and situation, but the possibility of more advanced stage lighting control using a simple and robust system like DMX can only be a good thing. Although lighting manufacturers are now building equipment with one eye on RDM, the actual implementation is slow going. Other developments in the integration of networks, media and lighting control might get in the way. We’ll just have to wait and see.

If you have any questions or comments about RDM, put them in the box below.

If this has helped you, consider buying me a beer and CLICK HERE to donate a few bucks to On Stage Lighting (why should I donate?). Thanks, - Rob

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