So, that's where the burning smell was coming from!

RCF Art 322A bass driver - burned out!

Andy pointed out to me that there was a problem with one of our monitors at DC, an RCF Art 322A.
My ears had been blocked up with a cold so I wouldn't have been able to tell... but I had noticed the smell... just hadn't thought about it!

Here is what I found inside the cabinet! Oh well... only £189 +vat and delivery for a replacement!!!

Anyone knows who makes these drivers, I'd be happy with an OEM if it were half the price.

Next consideration is to put some limiting on the system it's used in... I've been trusting the users not to overdrive the speakers... 1st mistake!! ;)

More Blood, Sweat and Tears

Last week I was down in Huddersfield for the day and a gig to help with and then watch "Blood, Sweat and Tears" by BalletLorent at the Lawrence Batley Theatre. They've no crew available to op the show at Bridlington so I was there to learn it for this one off!
At DC we have a Congo Jr... BL have just bought a ETC ION... they are not even remotely similar :/ I've notes from watching Matt operate the Ion but they have been slow to sink in. As a refresher I thought I'd install the EOS software on my PC.. when I noticed that it'd work in OS X, sweet... that would be much preferable.
Here's the top of the show:

ETC Ion screen shot

All of a sudden I'm less afraid as the operating system won't be so alien now and my notes make sense again! :)

With a bit of luck - actually - I'd be really unlucky if it works out to be otherwise... I'll just have to patch, refocus the movers, check haze and and then run the show :)

Hopefully there will be a post in early march saying all was fine?!

Computer Hardware Chart

Spotted this on Geekologie, then followed it to the original creator Sonic84. There were interesting things to see on the way.

I've posted it here so I know where to find it... as I reckon it'll be useful tomorrow when I finally stick my head back inside the ailing PCs at DC again.

Darlington Arts Centre

Well I've seen that much has been made of "Save Darlington Arts Centre" of late...

They haven't exactly convinced me that they are that deserving.

Ok so they have quite a few moms and kids moving through the place doing 'Music with Mum' or something like... which in it's self is a bit weird, if you are a Dad does that mean you can't come. The title is what's it's judged on.. I'm a Dad by the way of course!

Today I was there in the Theatre Space with Appetite Dance Productions and company...

Darlington Arts Centre

So, they knew that there weren't many tickets sold... and I suspect that is why we were given fairly second rate service. The techs kept disappearing, the dance floor was poorly laid and cleaned.. and no one, and I mean NO ONE from the venue had the least bit of interest in what the company was presenting.

So now, and I'm sorry DAC... but you must try harder, I'm not that bothered about saving you right now, if you are not interested in me then I am not interested in you either and I think that's fair!

Today I shall mostly be measuring the deflection of my LX bars

Some kit I shall be using:

In the end it was well worth doing... I think I have made a mod to the truss that will allow the engineer to give me a lot more flexibility on loading? :)

Chinese New Year

This year the Chinese Students and Scholars Association chose to host their New Year Garden Party in Dance City... Good choice as outside it's been tipping down with rain all day. 
Here is the dressing-up room (Studio 5):

These guys consisted of some of the nicest and most helpful new people I have met in a while.
They pulled in a good crowd over the course of the day and the kids had fun :o)

Odd...

But I feel like I'm not allowed to dislike work that is presented in the Lab.
I like the choreographer, the dancers, the costume, the music... just not the piece as a whole. In my eyes it failed.
I got no narrative from much of it... I enjoyed watching the dancing - but just didn't really get it.
This isn't to say that no one liked it, or understood it.

Just waiting...

This is how I left the Dance Lab tonight (apparently I shouldn't be calling it by this name any more... it should be just "The Theatre", but whatever)...

I couldn't help but think that it looked like it was between jobs, just waiting...

there are many ways to die...

And this is just one of them.
I found this plugged in to the wall of my theatre. The adapter is fine, shuttered with earths etc. The way the Chinese 2 prong to 5A, fig8 IEC fits isn't good at all... especially as there were two little children in the theatre with the company that day with fingers just the right size to die!

The owner got a free 13A to Fig 8 IEC and a threat that if anything similar is plugged in in my theatre again then she should very quickly unplug it and leave with it never to return.