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13.
Introduction to DORTRON’s consoles
If you have used intelligent lighting before, this section explains the
thinking behind how DORTRON’s consoles work and tells you what
everything is called.
13.1
Operating the console
The console has three main modes, set using the keyswitch; these are
Program (used for programming a show, allows everything to be
changed), Run (used when running a show, allows limited user
override but no changes to programming) and System (used for
configuring the console).
The operation of the console is based around the LCD screen. Seven
Softkeys allow you to select the options down the right hand side of
the screen. These options change depending on what the console is
doing. In addition there are the blue Command Buttons which give one-
button access to some functions.
13.2
Controlling lights
To an DORTRON’s console, a light is either a Dimmer (single intensity
control channel) or a Fixture (Multiple control channels)
All Fixtures have a Personality File which tells the console how to
control the fixture. You don’t need to know how the fixture works, you
just tell the console what you want to do with the fixture (such as
change colour) and it knows which controls to change to get the effect.
You tell the console what fixtures/dimmers you have and their DMX
addresses by Patching them. When you patch, you allocate a Handle
to the device. The handle is one of the Faders and Select buttons across
the top of the console. You can allocate several dimmers to one handle
if you want to group them, but only one fixture can be allocated to any
one handle.
To control a fixture, you need to select the fixture you want to control
by pressing the Select button of the handle. The button lights up to tell
you that the fixture/dimmer is selected.
Additionally you can control a dimmer, or the intensity of a fixture,
using the Fader of the handle. If you change pages so that the fader
has been controlling something else, you will need to Match the fader
to the current dimmer level before it operates the dimmer (normally by
lowering the fader to zero then fading it up until you gain control of the
dimmer).
All control of fixtures uses the two Wheels. To change the fixture(s)
you’ve selected, you select the Attribute (colour, pan, gobo etc) you
want to control using the buttons on the right hand side of the console.
Then turn the wheels to change the attribute.
13.3
Programming the console
To store the settings of fixtures and dimmers, the console provides
Memories and Chases (sequences). These are stored in the 15
Playback Faders across the near edge of the console. Up to 30
different Pages of playbacks are available using the Roller and Roller
Page buttons. The roller provides a handy surface for writing a note of
what is stored in each playback.
