I alluded to this last week. We have another new desk to discuss.
Building on the acceptance of Smartfade, we have tailored ML to run moving lights. A few items - right off the bat, because you are wondering - it handles 24 moving lights and 48 dimmers channels over 2 DMX ports. It allows you to run your show "hands on" using faders, or using a cue stack. It handles moving lights in powerful - yet very accessible ways - in the same desk.
I believe a college student running their first show and a "weekend warrior" earning a living on corporate gigs, fashion shows or tent events will be able to enjoy the desk equally. We packed a lot into this small form factor and that is what I mean by VALUE. This desk smacks of it!
What have we done for beginners? For starters - patching lights is very simple and the included library is immense - the same library you'll find in our larger consoles. One patched the moving fixtures will immediately move to home positions- ready for the lamp to come on.
The 24 buttons in the upper left of the desk are "direct selects." In the default mode you use them to select fixtures. Later they can be re-purposed to select color/beam and position palettes, effects and more. They are RGB backlit and will always indicate the color of their associated fixtures(!)
Next - you'll find the faders on the desk are also "multi-purposed." In their default mode they will map to the first 24 parameters for the ML's. Yes - this means you can control pan/tilt and other parameters for selected fixtures using encoders. It works really well and you have 24 parameters at your fingertips. Now if this sounds disgusting to you - 1. Give it a look, you may be surprised, 2. you can use the encoders to do the parameter control just as well - so don't snub the desk yet.
For the advanced and beginner users alike we offer Hue/Saturation color mixing. Set the Hue to red, adjust the saturation down to get pink! Great for those who are not CMY savvy as well as those who are. (Of course CMY and RGB are available via the encoders!)
Built in effects are available - both shape effects for pan/tilt as well as single parameter chase effects. The effects can be applied over static looks and get recorded to the cue stack or the fader based memories. They are easy to use.
SmartFade ML does not require a monitor -- but, for those who wish to see their data on screen as well as onstage - we will be releasing a software package that will allow for data viewing AND much more. Look for more on that later.
You can see SmartFade ML at the USITT trade show, March 15-17 or at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt Germany, March 28 - 31. Look for more information online here. We plan to ship the product by June 1.
Smartfade ML represents value. More value to come in 2007!
David