ETC Emphasis Lighting Control System, User Manual

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44 Emphasis Console v1.4.0 User Manual
Preset vs. Tracking
Preset and Tracking are terms used when thinking about how your cue data is stored,
edited, and what affect it has on playback.
Preset
Typically, each cue you store will take a complete picture of the output of the system and
store it as the cue you designate. There are ways to modify how much of the stage picture
you store (see Record Cues, page 89 for more information). This philosophy is called
preset . In a preset system, each cue stores data for every channel, regardless of whether
that channel’s level is moving. Each cue is a complete picture of the intended stage look,
and each cue is played back in its entirety.
When you edit channels in cues, you need to keep in mind that you are typically editing only
one cue at a time. If you want to change a channel (or channels) level in a series of
consecutive cues, you can either edit each cue one at a time, edit using the Spreadsheet
display (see Spreadsheet, page 113 ) or Tracksheet display (see Tracksheet, page 116 ), or
use a Track Record to accomplish this task.
Tracking
In the Emphasis Control System, tracking refers to channels that are recorded at the same
level from cue to cue – those channels appear to track from one cue to the next. Track
editing is a very powerful tool and requires that you understand some basic terms. A track
edit can make very significant changes throughout your show, so use it carefully.
A Track record will change the current cue, and subsequent cues for channels that remain
at the same level until the cue that contains a move instruction for those channels. As an
extreme example, if you Track Record a channel into cue #1 that has not been used
anywhere in your show, that channel will be recorded into your entire cue list at that level,
because it is not told to move in any of those cues. If you make changes to a number of
channels in a cue and then Track Record, each channel will stop the track at it’s own next
move instruction. See Track Record, page 91 for more information.
Back Track is used to track record backwards from the current cue. Track Record will only
record levels into subsequent cues. Use Back Track to record levels into previous cues. As
with Track, the levels will be recorded until they encounter a move instruction or an Allfade
cue. See Back Track, page 91 for more information.
Fill Track is used to track in both directions from the current cue. Use Fill Track to record
forward and backward in the cue list at the same time. As with Track, the levels will be
recorded until they encounter a move instruction or an Allfade cue. See Fill Track, page 92
for more information.
An Allfade cue will stop a Track Record at a certain cue number by forcing all channels to
“move”, even if their level tracks through to subsequent cues. Channels at zero will be given
a move instruction to “be at zero”, and all other channels will be given a move instruction to
“be at your level”. This will appear to a Track Record as a brick wall, and will stop channels
from tracking forward beyond this cue. See Allfade, page 88 for more information.
A Blocked Channel creates a move instruction on a channel basis, rather than a cue basis
as Allfade does. The Block setting remains with the channel as cues are copied or updated,
but are lost if the cue is re-recorded. It is possible to Backtrack over a Blocked channel’s
level, but it is not possible to Track Record over it. Blocked channel’s levels will track
forward normally. See Blocked Channels, page 111 for more information.