The Avolites Discussion Forum

Greetings All,

I'm trying to learn pearl2004 thru the simulator.
i don't have chance to get in touch with the desk.

i've read the manual and written down some notes on the basics.
but there's still alot that i can't figure out by the manual.

1, once i record a playback. and run it. the content of the playback was left behind the programmer. is there any way to stop the content of the playback being left into the programmer?.

2, after programming, i want to clear it. like odinary desk, pressing clear will clear off everything. but in pearl, i press 'clear button' it only removes the intensity. but the rest of the attributes stay behind.
any idea to press clear to clear all like orindary desk. (not including the located fixture feature).

3, a)i saved a all white intensity in playback 1,then i left the playback 1 running after that i save only iris random EFX on playback 2. when i try the playback. there's intensity mix in the playback 2 eventhou i didn't save intensity in it.
(is it because i left playback 1 running, and the content was left behind the programmer which got saved along with the EFX which i didn't notice before?)

4, palette, i know about this one,. just wanna make sure. how many palette do i have, and how do i access them?. i only know the 30buttons below the handle fader.

please instruct,

Best regards,
Justin

Many questions!

There are a few crucial things I think you may be misunderstanding. These all relate to one another:

Programmer:

In the Pearl the Programmer contains things that will be recorded when you store Memories/Chases/Palettes. Data that is in the programmer will be denoted by a 'm' or 'w' in the LCD screen inbetween the handle number and associated value. This is attribute dependant - ie you can press an attribute button to see whether data for that attribute has been edited/going to be stored.

Example: (say, with Colour attribute button selected)

1w50 in the screen shows that the fixture on handle one has a colour value of 50%, which has been edited by the wheel and is in the programmer ready for storing.

2-FF in the screen shows that the fixture on handle two has a colour value of 100% but it not in the programmer.

The [Clear] button removes information from the programmer.

Information in the programmer will always override that in playbacks.


Record by Fixture/Channel:

When using Record by Fixture, if any one attribute is edited then all current attribute values will be stored regardless of whether they are in the programmer or not.

When using Record by Channel only information in the programmer will be stored. This is usually the best way to work and gives you full control.


LTP/HTP

The majority of desks designed to operated 'intelligent' fixtures are able to work in both of these modes. 'Highest Takes Precedence' is the normal way of controlling lamps. On the Pearl this is used mainly for the Intensity/Dimmer channels. If you have two faders both containing the same intensity values, the higher of the two used will prevail. Bringing the faders to zero will remove the output.

All other attributes are normally 'Latest Takes Precedence'. For example: For a particular fixture you store a colour value of 50% on Playback 1 and a colour value of 25% on Playback2. Raising PB1 will set that fixture to 50% colour. Now, with PB1 still at full if you raise PB2 the fixture will change to 25%. The value will remain even when you zero the PB's.


So, now I will try to answer your questions with the above in mind!

1) Running a Playback will not place any information in the programmer. There are two possibilities: Either the information is still in the programmer from when you edited it, ie. you did not press [clear] before running the PB, or, it is attributes set by LTP that are remaining. This would be correct.

2) As stated above, [clear] removes information from the programmer only. If Intensity had been edited by a preset fader and the fader was still up, then the intensity output would to stage would also remain. The only way to 'zero' attributes for a fixture is by using the 'locate' function as you mention.

3) Perhaps the intesity value was still in the programmer when you stored PB2, or, you were using Record by Fixture, or, you ran PB1 and PB2 together which then combined. That is also correct.

4) 200 Palettes. There are a few ways of accessing/storing/editing:

Preset Add:

The palette paging option in 'user settings' allows you to recall by Preset Add button in banks of 30. You change bank with the Fixture Page buttons, ie. Fix Page 1 = 1-30, Fix Page 2 = 31-60 etc. Obviously you can only access up to palette 120 using this method. You can also store/edit and delete using these buttons.

Numerical Recall:

Type palette number and select softbutton B (recall palette)
The only way to store palettes above 120 is numerically.

Palette Menu:

Press Palette/Focus button (depends on desk version)
You then use the softbuttons to select pages (10) and then palettes (sets of 20, split into four screens)
The beauty of this is that the palettes can be labelled (legending)
You currently cannot store/edit or delete from this menu.

Notes:

Palettes are recalled by attribute and according to the focus mask rules. Ie. If 'Dimmer' is selected all attributes stored in a palette will be recalled. If Colour, then colour wheel and CMY will be recalled etc.

If you use 'Quick Palettes' User Setting, then all fixtures in a palette will be recalled unless you select a fixture.

Palettes can be recalled by time, either by entering a time in seconds and then pressing the relevant Preset Add button, or via the Focus menu where the time value will remain until set to zero.

There is currently no way to delete palettes above 120. The workaround is to set all fixture attribute values to 'OFF' and then to store.


All this relates to the latest version of the software (2004 v1.1), especially all the palette stuff and related user settings. Be sure to check version through the System mode when using the actual desk. A 2004 board will not necessarily have the 2004 software.


Ok. I seem to have re-written part of the manual.... hope that points you in the right direction!

I understand of the record by chan/fixture now.
but im not quite clear with the programmer.

as i test, ran a playback. then move around th p/t for the fixture.
(by moving the p/t, it puts the fixture into the programmer right?)
after that i pressed 'clear button', the p/t still remain the same.
shouldn't the p/t is to be remove and went back according to the cue?

thou i know after pressing 'clear button' the information in the programmer is empty.

what i'm trying to do is like,

running a playback,. then i change the color,. after sometime.
i want to clear out the color i just change and had it went back to the original color on the playback.



5, why doesn't the intensity lit up when i push the fader of fixture on the simulator?

6, can i store an EFX into the pallette?

Pressing [clear] will stop the information from the programmer overriding the playback, but the p/t will stay in the position you left them because that was the last information they were given (LTP)
Lowering and raising the PB will then move the fixtures back to the position defined in the PB.

Again, pressing [clear] after adjusting a colour will only stop you from overriding colour information running from a PB. If the PB just a simple memory containing colour, then you would need to lower and raise the PB to get that colour back.

It is essential you understand LTP. All modern desks use this mode as it is much more suitable for intelligent fixtures than HTP.


5) can you explain what you mean? visualiser or LED's?

6) If by 'EFX' you mean shapes, then no.

5, on the visualizer i mean. raising the fader of fixture will move intensity. but the fixture on the visualizer didn't light up.

6, yes shape that is.

can you please describe how one usually run their show and use the programmer then clear it?
is it as you said fade out then in again to have the PB active again?

how about smoke machine and fan?. do you usually saved it into a PB too?

Does it light up with 'locate'? If not, then have you clicked the 'simulator' radar button under DMX - that links it. Also it must be in Run mode, not design. Do you have a dongle? If not then you can only use the demo theatre.
If it lights up with locate, but not just with dimmer, then it is because the fixture requires other attributes to be raised to see any output, such as shutter/iris/gobo/colour.

The simple answer to using the programmer during a show is don't, except in an emergency. There should be no reason to if you have programmed efficiently except for maybe nudging the position of a mover onto an artiste perhaps. Make use of palettes. Alternatively you could deliberately not program a specific attribute of a fixture into the PB's and then only control it by wheel. Also, it is very bad pratice to run the console in the 'programmer' key position. Always run shows in Run Mode Normal or Run Mode Takeover. Only switch to programmer if you have to do some last minute edits.


There are many ways to use the console depending on preference and what you are doing - touring/theatre/busking. One of the most important elements is the patch. Spend time on this and you can make programming/operation much easier, especially by using Preset Faders wherever appropriate to keep PB's free. Smoke and Fan are a very good example of using Presets to control. As I mentioned above, it is wise to avoid programming PB's with any fixtures you intend to control by preset, most importantly if you are using Run Mode Takeover (palettes)

Essentially experience is the key. You can only gain limited understanding from the visualiser and the manual. You need to be using it in the real show situation. That way you will learn what does and doesn't work and find your ideal way of programming/operating.

for the 4 page of fixture button.
when i press it once more it start blinking. what does that do?

For each page there are a possible 60 handles. With the exception of Dimmer attribute, the LCD can only show information for 30 handles.

ie. FP1 Steady light = handles 1-30
Blinking light = handles 31-60

FP2 Steady light = handles 101-130
Blinking light = handles 131-160

etc.

so that makes 4 page of 240 movers and 240 generics.

when saving palettes for the rest of the page, i have to press the unblink. right?

Combination of 240 dimmers or intelligents, but not both! You can patch dimmers on top of intelligents, but only when the intelligent specifically needs it. This is called a 'pending' dimmer.

Not sure about blinking/steady for palettes. I don't think it matters, though I can't remember if I originally tested this or not.
It does not affect selection of fixtures AFAIK - ie. to select handles in the upper bank (x31-x60) you must hold down [shift] + Swop button, regardless of the LED's status.

about the palette, I on the palette page in the user setting.
so now i have acces to all presets of 4 pages.

I have each attributes of 120 presets button right?.
pressing another attributes button put me into that attributes preset only.

is it correct?

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly.

Assuming you use 'record by channel' you can store and recall different fixtures and attributes on top of one another in a palette.

ie. You can store the colours for all fixtures on palettes 1-10. You can then store the gobos for all fixtures on 1-10 also.

Attribute recall works according to Focus Mask. Put simply, using the example above, if you select Dimmer attribute and recall a palette you will get both colour and gobo. If you select colour attribute you will only recall colour.

If you use Quick Palette, then if no fixtures are selected information for ALL fixtures stored is recalled. If you select fixtures, only information relevant to those fixtures will be recalled.


You really need to just try these things on an actual desk and experiment. It is very hard to describe and understand these functions here.

while using the simulator.
i can't use the normal run mode. it always stuck to takeover mode.
i'm sure the way i set it is correct.

is this a bug ?
or i'm missing something?

With the key in Run position use Softbutton A to toggle between RMN and RMT. Works here.

somehow it work again.

about preset using on smoke.

i understand i can use the preset button on normal run mode.
can i still use it in takeover mode?