All the lighting board operator had to do was push the “Go” button to execute the cue. This ensured that the lighting levels and transition times were consistent for every performance. Lighting cues and transition times were pre-recorded and stored in memory. When memory boards made their way into theaters in the late 1970s (thanks to Tharon Musser and her groundbreaking lighting design for “A Chorus Line”), human error was no longer an issue. However, since the faders were still manually set and moved, human mistakes were still made, creating inconsistent and undependable lighting cues. Multiple lighting cues could be preset on several sets of control faders, and the faders were not physically attached to the dimmers, allowing the lighting operator to be remotely located so that they could clearly see the stage. Preset boards soon followed, allowing the lighting board operator a much easier lighting control surface. These limitations created a significant barrier in achieving the designers’ artistic lighting visions. Not only were fast lighting cues difficult or impossible to perform, the human element of manipulating these handles created inconsistent lighting transitions and levels. It usually took several people to manipulate these dimmers. Long handles attached to the dimmers were manually moved to bring up and down the intensity of the lights. These resistance and autotransformer light boards were huge, heavy, and difficult to manage. When I first started my career in lighting design, the way we controlled the intensity of the stage lighting was with manually controlled dimmers. The past half-century has brought dramatic technological changes in how we control the stage lighting fixtures and store the lighting cues. Lighting Control Through the Lens of History Should the console be primarily a prerecorded/playback device, or should it cater to live production where the operator has much more creative control? With so many considerations, choosing a lighting console could either lead to a lighting system that deftly responds to the operator's wishes, or it could become a very expensive piece of lighting equipment that no one on the staff can understand or control. Primarily, the lighting console must fit the needs of the worship experience. Not only does the lighting console have to possess the power to control the entire system, the user interface must match the capabilities of the lighting programmers as well as the lighting console operators. Everything the lighting system is capable of doing is controlled by the operator through the lighting console. The lighting console is the core component of a stage lighting system. Marshall Video products provide accurate engineering of cameras and Panasonic CCU controls are used for each camera.When consulting on a lighting system for a worship center, one of the most important recommendations I make is which console to choose to control the stage lighting. AJA devices are also used at each viewing screen. These cameras and computer graphics are fed into a Ross Carbonite 2 M/E switcher and then broadcast through the facility through the use of AJA Kumo video routing and audio embedding. We integrated Panasonic PTZ cameras with controllers. Studio upgrades were needed to support the broadcast. This was driven by ProVideoPlayer from Renewed vision. For this, we used Absen LED with 2.54pp in a 6’ tall by 20’ wide format. Later, we were approached about adding a video wall backdrop to the stage. These are maintenance-free and have a long-lasting performance at a great price. For this swap, we chose Panasonic 15K lumen laser projectors fired on Draper permanent mount screens that were set out from the wall by 8” to allow for up and down lighting to be used in close proximity to the screens. Subs were also proud-based u nder the stage and Meyer Sound MM4 s were used as front fills and choirs monitors with great success.Īnother undertaking was to replace the projectors. DSpP processing and control are driven by QSC Qsys system with several I/O 8 flex devices and expansion units connected and programmed.Ī new sound system was needed due to non-other than a lighting strike! After several days of consultation with several speaker manufacturers and the music and technical staff, the decision was made to go with Meyer Sound speakers for the mains, monitors, choir, and fills. These consoles employ the use of several DM 64 and 32 input devices that are located behind the stage area in a dedicated room so as to be out of sight. We selected the Allen & Heath DLive series S7000 for the front-of-house and later added the C2500 for Monitor Mix. With the expansion of the main stage and the growth of both the choir and orchestra, they were in desperate need of a new audio control system. CO-DA has enjoyed a long history with FBCIT – Let’s recap some of our projects together.įirst, we upgraded the Front of House Audio Console.
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