are there any yokes or other easy to use input devices available to use thatll control the x and y axis of my 8 scanners? also can you put lights into random mode where they go off of their internal mic instead of a scene?
Original Post
Well, that really depends on what you consider easy.
Most input devices tend to be rather simple to operate, at least at the leve found around here. The controllers tend to be relatively inexpensive to make, durable, easy to use and packed with features.
Now, let's say for example, if you program your fixtures the same way, but via different logical channel groupings, you can program all your lights to the SAME channels, or you could program them up to what I call "coincidental addresses". Say you have 8 scanners, but they only use 7 channels each(I'm making channels up just bear with me), so you address the first scanner starting at 1, the next one starting at 17, the next starting at 33, the next at 49....(get the pattern? Add 16...)
Now, taking that addressing, I can go to my DMX Operator, hit the Scanner buttons 1-8, then with the faders(1-8), control all the scanners at once. They'd all do the same thing, but that's probably not the issue.
As far as putting all the fixtures onto their own internal microphone, you could program a scene where they do go to their own internal microphone IF the fixture has that feature in it's DMX programming. Many do. Realize that I have also gone into this into more details elsewhere on the forums. But, to recap, the fixtures in sound active mode WILL NOT WORK IN SYNC. If you need sync, you need a controller with scenes that has an internal mic for chasing, or else Compu Live, which I am told supports such chasing.
I can personally see a need for lights to go "into random mode". Like I was doing a show and it would have been nice to just have some lights randomly doing their stuff while certain other things happened(like hosts coming to the stage), and then SNAP: back to white or whatever.
Read your manuals, you'll know more of what you can do then.
If you're looking for a relatively easy to use compute pacakge, consider the MyDMX product. I really like it. I spent a lot of time making new scenes last night. Nothing spectacular, just controlled washes.
Most input devices tend to be rather simple to operate, at least at the leve found around here. The controllers tend to be relatively inexpensive to make, durable, easy to use and packed with features.
Now, let's say for example, if you program your fixtures the same way, but via different logical channel groupings, you can program all your lights to the SAME channels, or you could program them up to what I call "coincidental addresses". Say you have 8 scanners, but they only use 7 channels each(I'm making channels up just bear with me), so you address the first scanner starting at 1, the next one starting at 17, the next starting at 33, the next at 49....(get the pattern? Add 16...)
Now, taking that addressing, I can go to my DMX Operator, hit the Scanner buttons 1-8, then with the faders(1-8), control all the scanners at once. They'd all do the same thing, but that's probably not the issue.
As far as putting all the fixtures onto their own internal microphone, you could program a scene where they do go to their own internal microphone IF the fixture has that feature in it's DMX programming. Many do. Realize that I have also gone into this into more details elsewhere on the forums. But, to recap, the fixtures in sound active mode WILL NOT WORK IN SYNC. If you need sync, you need a controller with scenes that has an internal mic for chasing, or else Compu Live, which I am told supports such chasing.
I can personally see a need for lights to go "into random mode". Like I was doing a show and it would have been nice to just have some lights randomly doing their stuff while certain other things happened(like hosts coming to the stage), and then SNAP: back to white or whatever.
Read your manuals, you'll know more of what you can do then.
If you're looking for a relatively easy to use compute pacakge, consider the MyDMX product. I really like it. I spent a lot of time making new scenes last night. Nothing spectacular, just controlled washes.