Atomic 3K issues

[iadwm]

I had a some Atomics set up on playbacks - grouped intensities and duration and separate rates. All in mode 2. Quite randomly, the rate's would 'stick' on a value. I would have to select the fixture and wheel it to zero to clear it. Then after a bit it would happen again for a different value.
Anyone had this? I've noticed it on all Pearl 2004 software including the most recent.

Staying with Atomics....I read somewhere about an Atomic DMX 'trick' that Bruce Ramus described , problem is is don't rember what the trick was or where I read it! Any ideas?

Cheers,

Andy

[niclights]

I have experienced a similar problem.

Two PB's, one containing fast rate/no duration, the other no rate/long duration. (Both mode 0)

Occasionally when switching between the two something gets confused and the long duration PB is stuck with the fast rate/no duration values (the PB's are definitely at zero!). A combination of hitting [clear] and raising/lowering the relevant PB's seems to work. I've never been too sure what clears it - always a bit of a frenzy of faders/buttons.


I doubt this is anything specifically to do with the Atomic personality, just something is being missed somewhere in the key reading.

I have also noticed a couple of other ones:

PB in mode 2 containing a combination of dimmer and shutter values to strobe various fixtures. Quite often the dimmer OR shutter does not get output. Raising/lowering will fix.

PB containing a combination of dimmers (actually controlling LED fixtures) sometimes acts as if it is stuck on a very low% after flashing with the Add button. Add will no longer control until PB is raised/lowered.

All this is in RMT

I wonder what that 'trick' could be?

[iadwm]

Cheers Nic,

I've got the show up on the desk at the moment - will it do it ? Like hell it will !

I've never been able to clear it with <clear> , even lowering and raising the playback that stuck, only raises to 100% and lowers to the value it's decided to stick at. So, wheeling it to zero and then <clear> was the only option to resume normal service.

I've only used Atomics in this way for dance events, so it's never been that much of a problem if the strobes erm....run over, shall we say. It would not be a good look for live though.

As for Bruce's Atomic thing....I've just remembered it was an interview about the current U2 rig, so it must have been recent(ish). And was something to do with the behaviour of DMX data and how that could be used to get a new effect.
(or something!)

Regards,
Andy

[niclights]

Damn things never happen when you want them to!

It does seem like something occasionally gets missed/stuck in key reading/cycles.

I found the Bruce Ramus thing! Not sure if I fully understand what he is saying and whether it is specific to the 'Hog or not so I'll do a transcript for now...

"...I've found a way to do two separate things at once and they go off on this beautiful random pattern...I basically tell the strobe to come on randomly but to ramp up with full intensity, and then I tell the fader to be at zero intensity. Consequently, they just get all confused and do these things where there is no facility to programme (sic?) them unless you do it wrong."

(TPI Issue 74)


er? hmmm. sounds a bit dangerous to me!

[iadwm]

Ah well done mate! Yeah, that was it.....

"..tell the strobe to come on randomly but to ramp up with full intensity, and then I tell the fader to be at zero intensity...."

Hmmm...ok....

Final comment on my Atomic problem. I have only ever noticed this happen with Atomics. Which points to a personality problem doesn't it?
I mean, if playbacks were sticking with random values all over the desk, it's going to be pretty noticeable!

<Add> does seem to aggravate it, even more so with <swap>.

Regards,

Andy

[CoenCo]

Try setting the speed and duration channels to fading instead of instant.That could solve your problem when using mode2 playbacks..
In my experience instant channels don't get reset after releasing mode2 playbacks.

[iadwm]

Thanks for the thought CoenCo, but I had the channels set to fading.

I think Niclights is on the right track with key reading idea, because I noticed that the 'stuck' value was increasing by one, for every press of the <swap>, this was happening on both rate and duration for two fixtures. Once the value had got up to around 10ish, the next press would cause it to jump to 100.

This behavior does not seem so extreme with <add>.


Regards,

Andy

[clublights]

I've had this happen too... I thoguht it was just me or somethign random withthe rental desk I was useing........


any solutions yet ??

[niclights]

It is quite rare. But I don't think a solution was found.

The revisit to this old topic does allow me to mention that I think similar things happen with other fixtures/attributes if you are unlucky.

I have not had time to think it through fully, but specific example is I have faders to make use of the built-in strobe function on Chromazone. These faders will contain the relevant LTP value along with effect rate & level in HTP (custom personalities). Occasionally the desk will output as if the particular PB fader is stuck 'just on'. Raising/lowering fixes.

I'm sure all these issues are related and ultimately come down to fast operation and the Pearl hardware struggling & sometimes making mistakes with key reading.


I would also enjoy adding that I don't remember experiencing any of the above on the Expert.

[clublights]

LOL well glad it is fixed in the expert.. but fat lot of good that does me when 2/3rds of the venues on my next tour all have inhouse 2004/2000's


I guess the problem just seems pronounced with the 3k's