PRODUCER 3
06/18/97
Lighting Control Console
page
TEATRONICS LIGHTING CONTROLS,
TEATRONICS LIGHTING CONTROLS,
INC.
INC.
5
OPERATION
(continued)
GETTING UP AND RUNNING
(continued)
In effect, the grand masters on each of the ten consoles would be acting as submasters would on
a Producer 3; each controlling the look set up on its channel sliders. The Producer 3 doubles the
functionality of it's two scene slide pots, to also act as the channel sliders for each of the ten
submasters. This is done is by the console taking a "snap shot" of it's controls at a given point
in time. The submaster then refers to this "snap shot" to generate its levels for each channel.
The channel levels for all submasters are then compared, (piled-on) and the highest level controls
the dimmers. The process of taking the "snap shot" of the console at a point in time is referred
to as "recording" the look of the submaster.
On the Producer 3, a look is recorded to a submaster as follows: The look is setup on stage
using the two scene sliders, and any previously recorded submasters. The console is switched
to RECORD mode using the keyswitch labeled RECORD. The submaster button (SUB) is
pressed, followed by the two digit number for the submaster to be recorded (25 through 34).
Everything is now set to take the "snap shot". The enter key (ENT) is the "shutter release" that
takes the "picture". Until the "enter" button is pressed the look may be changed. The clear
(CLR) key may be used to back up or abort the process. Remember, the "picture" isn't taken
until "enter" is pressed.
The analogy of a "snap shot" of the console at an instant in time is a good way to visualize how
the submasters know which channels to control. It is sometimes helpful, however, to know
exactly how the submaster knows which channels to bring up. At the instant the enter key is
pressed, all the channel levels on stage are loaded into a reference table for the submaster
number selected. These levels are kept as numbers in a table which represents the percent of
full of each channel when "enter" was pressed. The Producer 3 does not care how each channel
got it's level when "enter" was pressed, it simply records the current levels in the table. This is
why previously recorded submasters may be used to set up the "look". It is also important to
remember that the table holds "channel" levels as opposed to "dimmer" levels. If the user
changes the dimmer to channel assignments after a submaster has been recorded, the submaster
will control the same channels, however the look will be different because different dimmers
are being controlled. The dimmer to channel assignments are contained in the "patch table".
This table is further described in the next section. For now just realize that for a dimmer to
come on, it needs to be assigned to a channel. To assign a dimmer to a channel the user puts the
console into "record" mode (if it wasn't already in "record"), presses the channel (CHN) key,
enters a two digit number representing the channel that will control the dimmer, followed by
entering the dimmer number, and completes the operation by pressing "enter".
