lost dmx control TOO MANT TIMES pearl expert 6.1

[mixman420]

again...

[clublights]

I've had quite the opposite experience...

My Pearl 2000 is quite old ( serial number in the 1600's ) yet still keeps ticking with minimal care and it spends too much time in a VERY dusty Horse arena ( dirt floor that constantly kicks crap in the air )

Last year I had an Expert out on the road that took two MAJOR Baths (punters spilled drinks right on the desk) After getting the boards to dry out enough .. the show went on ...

I've seen a pearl dropped out of the case ( not latched all the way ) and fall 4 feet to the concrete floor.... not a damn thing wrong with it .

But f you still feel it's a boat anchor....


I'll take if off your hands for cheap ..

[mixman420]

I feel bad about the last post its just so frustrating, when consoles crash at the worst possible moment, our old pearl was a tank and well. Maybe this pearl ex is crazy? Creative stage has been very good about this issue and in no way was that last post directed at them. those guys are awesome. its just a screwy console.. I still will be extremely nervous walking away after SC, to get dinner. ..i guess I'll see if other pearl experts last..

How Long has your pearl expert lasted?.

[clublights]

My company currently doesn't own one

But the ones I used last year were first year made I believe ( serial in the 200's ) NEver had any rel issues ( other then the bathes )

I assume you were in a hotel ballroom on at least the last gig ?

Was the room "staticy"?

I've seen gear go down ( and killed computers before) with static build up on you .. then you touch the desk and blam..... no more desk/computer/soundboard...

It's tough and EXTREMELY annoying when gear goes down esp during the show .

Just keep trying to test it to get it to break ..

Try to bring a spare desk with you if you can for shows .. or if you can keep your show on one DMX universe.... grab a Titan One . Cheap back up for any problems ya might have .

[niclights]

I completely understand your sentiments although I do think you have been very unlucky. In my experience confidence in a console will either be 100% or 0%. There is no inbetween. One fault in a show is all it takes.

In terms of hardware I have two consoles here, one of which was the first to leave the factory. Both are still going strong despite seeing a lot of use.

ECN's aside, the only hardware issues I've had are faulty keyboards, one faulty main playback, one dead channel on a Usb hub and a very unfortunate PSU issue where a screw fell inside the ventilation slots causing a short to case during vibration. But I identified the problem, removed the offending screw and there was no lasting damage. I never found out where the screw came from....

Overall I consider them to be well built and particularly like the fact that they are designed to be opened up and worked on without voiding warranties. On the road things happen and most of us are competent enough to plug a loose cable back in without too much drama.


While it is no excuse for hardware or software failure I do like to have backups wherever possible. I am well aware this is not always an option, whether it be down to cost, shipping or even just having enough space.
My ideal setup for large events is two complete consoles powered from a UPS (including external displays) with DMX routed through an A/B switch unit. Pretty much an instant swap with no complications.
Alternatively there is the Showsafe option which requires less space and does away with the need for the switch. The disadvantage is it does not cover all hardware eventualities, for example PSU failure. If you go the Showsafe route I highly recommend spending time making sure it is working correctly with some test switching before the doors open.

Hopefully in the not too distant future there will be some software improvements to assist with backup.