"
Dance City Tech is now on winter holiday till the 4th of Jan 2011, we've had a pretty cool autumn season and are over due a break...
If your inquiry is urgent please call: 07980585577
Else please only expect sporadic replies till then.
Still, seasons greetings and best wishes for the New Year from James and 'Team'.
Look forward to speaking to you soon :)
"
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
QLab
Wow, wow, wow!
Today I had a school in for their xmas show... they brought in a load of video files... different types, aspects, sizes, various artifacts etc.
So we ran the matinee using; Quicktime, Windows Media Player and Real Player on their laptop. Which worked, but I was left guessing where the end of the playback was and trying to open the projector shutter just as the OSD was fading out. Ho humm, not stressful but really was a bodge.
I thought that there must be a better way... I've seen people using QLab and knew it did video.. just have never touched it myself. And here was an opportunity begging for the control it should give.
So I bought a one day license... booted up the software... fiddled with the video output settings, then my Mac, then re rendered some of the footage... and bingo a show!
Awesome, didn't even need their manual.
Highly recommended... and their support, well nearly instantaneous... although I had sent them a thank you email not a bug report! ;)
I'm going to be using this a lot now I suspect.
QLab: http://figure53.com/qlab/
Today I had a school in for their xmas show... they brought in a load of video files... different types, aspects, sizes, various artifacts etc.
So we ran the matinee using; Quicktime, Windows Media Player and Real Player on their laptop. Which worked, but I was left guessing where the end of the playback was and trying to open the projector shutter just as the OSD was fading out. Ho humm, not stressful but really was a bodge.
I thought that there must be a better way... I've seen people using QLab and knew it did video.. just have never touched it myself. And here was an opportunity begging for the control it should give.
Awesome, didn't even need their manual.
Highly recommended... and their support, well nearly instantaneous... although I had sent them a thank you email not a bug report! ;)
I'm going to be using this a lot now I suspect.
QLab: http://figure53.com/qlab/
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Sorting a PA installation (again)
I still have a few legacy jobs that I just can't seem to shift. Here's one of them, although to be fair considering the time it's been in - it's not really so much trouble.
Alvino's Bar is probably my best installation. This would be due to the fact that I really didn't want to do it so stood my ground on budgets for equipment.
It's a zoned system.
Main PA is RCF Accoustica series... top notch, powerful, passive boxes in a small tidy enclosure.
JBL contractor series in ceiling speakers, great dispersion and ease on installation.
Yamaha P series amps. Awesome value for money, attractive with some nice touches.
DBX brains: a Zonepro 640 and a Driverack PA.
It's the 640 that holds it all together. It adds remote control, all the delays, and auto leveling.
The 640 that I installed is serial only for programming which is a bit of a faff these days. Plus the software is windows only... hence the bootcamp and prey the usb serial drivers work! Which they did very well.
Alvino's Bar is probably my best installation. This would be due to the fact that I really didn't want to do it so stood my ground on budgets for equipment.
It's a zoned system.
Main PA is RCF Accoustica series... top notch, powerful, passive boxes in a small tidy enclosure.
JBL contractor series in ceiling speakers, great dispersion and ease on installation.
Yamaha P series amps. Awesome value for money, attractive with some nice touches.
DBX brains: a Zonepro 640 and a Driverack PA.
It's the 640 that holds it all together. It adds remote control, all the delays, and auto leveling.
The 640 that I installed is serial only for programming which is a bit of a faff these days. Plus the software is windows only... hence the bootcamp and prey the usb serial drivers work! Which they did very well.
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
1st Show Day Tomorrow...
It's been a challenge working with the company... one that allows the director to be questioned... but that could just be me and the fact that I don't do a lot of theatre.
Still, lots of interesting things learned about the making process that will help with future work :)
I'm already looking forward to seeing what comes next!
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
Confetti drop update :)
Whoop! It works... the LEDs have stopped blowing up, the additional diode has even (not surprisingly really) stopped all electrical noise from the system.
This ran over 20m mic xlr cables with no bother too... Now to load em up, make a mess... and hope they don't get cut! :/
This ran over 20m mic xlr cables with no bother too... Now to load em up, make a mess... and hope they don't get cut! :/
Flhip Flhop
A top performance tonight by Rannel. Amazing timing and super jokes.. good crowd - other than a particularly outspoken kid :)
Once again it was brilliant to welcome a lovely company into the Lab, will look forward to the next time they come this way.
I did learn a little more about effective touring LX today too, which is always useful :)
Once again it was brilliant to welcome a lovely company into the Lab, will look forward to the next time they come this way.
I did learn a little more about effective touring LX today too, which is always useful :)
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
3x Solenoids
Yesterday I was making up three 3 solenoid circuits to allow remote operation of some confetti drops.
The prototyping went well, except that I burned out the 12v indicator LEDs.
So it looks like I have to add a reverse bias diode across each coil to prevent the back EMF of the magnetic field collapsing from overloading the LEDs the wrong way.
Vid of the end result will follow soon! :)
The prototyping went well, except that I burned out the 12v indicator LEDs.
So it looks like I have to add a reverse bias diode across each coil to prevent the back EMF of the magnetic field collapsing from overloading the LEDs the wrong way.
Vid of the end result will follow soon! :)
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
She writes again...
More Mac repairs...
The G5 editing machine has been having trouble writing CD/DVDs that are readable in our show playback. (The show playback is a TASCAM CD01U and therefore quite picky!).
Today I replaced the original DVD writer with a new one... not a lot of choice on IDE writers it seems.
The new LG went in quite easily and preliminary test burns have gone well :)
The G5 editing machine has been having trouble writing CD/DVDs that are readable in our show playback. (The show playback is a TASCAM CD01U and therefore quite picky!).
Today I replaced the original DVD writer with a new one... not a lot of choice on IDE writers it seems.
The new LG went in quite easily and preliminary test burns have gone well :)
Monday, 8 November 2010
Just another day at the Mill
So after a month or so of preparation Ockham's Razor finally arrive with their show the Mill. I was glad we had done the pre preparation work, everything went in quite nicely. This is what we ended up with... Quite unusual I think you'd agree! :)
We had a great time with the company, they were all very professional and lovely to work with, would have them back anytime.
Do check out their website I have linked, they've some interesting work and videos on there.
Do check out their website I have linked, they've some interesting work and videos on there.
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