Idiotproof play-only mode for club install?
Posted: April 21st, 2012, 10:22 am
The nightclub that I look after has a full rig of moving heads and LED stage cans etc that I program using Freestyler and a cheap Enttec box, the output of which I record into a rackmount DMX recorder in the DJ booth. The club has no lighting desk or a light jock, so it has to be completely idiot-proof! While the dmx recorder achieves this, it is also rather limiting - no sound to light, no manual controls as such, just 4 preset shows on 4 replay buttons.
What would be fantastic would be to have a PC permanently set up in the booth running FS, but running some kind of "play-only" mode - a simple-looking user interface with a page of cuelist buttons, the dmx400 controls for the stage cans, that kind of thing, but with NO option for the DJ to mess with the programming and generally mess things up! Maybe it could be an option when freestyler loads, you can open in replay mode, or if you enter the password, fully open freestyler.
I remember setting up systems like this years ago for nightclubs using the Pulsar Masterpiece desks, they had the option to lock out anything you didn't want touched, and the replay units made it even simpler for DJs who knew little or nothing about lighting control. That was 10 years ago, and I'm still seeing masterpiece replay units being installed in venues! A modern equivalent to this for Freestyler would be a fantastic addition... any thoughts?
Regards,
John
What would be fantastic would be to have a PC permanently set up in the booth running FS, but running some kind of "play-only" mode - a simple-looking user interface with a page of cuelist buttons, the dmx400 controls for the stage cans, that kind of thing, but with NO option for the DJ to mess with the programming and generally mess things up! Maybe it could be an option when freestyler loads, you can open in replay mode, or if you enter the password, fully open freestyler.
I remember setting up systems like this years ago for nightclubs using the Pulsar Masterpiece desks, they had the option to lock out anything you didn't want touched, and the replay units made it even simpler for DJs who knew little or nothing about lighting control. That was 10 years ago, and I'm still seeing masterpiece replay units being installed in venues! A modern equivalent to this for Freestyler would be a fantastic addition... any thoughts?
Regards,
John