Stage Directions: J.R. Clancy will showcase the latest addition to their SceneControl 5000 rigging console series at the upcoming LDI show in Las Vegas: the SceneControl 5200, which provides programming capability for an unlimited number of cues, including the ability to control other stage machinery like turntables, wagons, chain motors, and even performer flying hoists. It’s built to be small enough for venues with confined backstage space, and can control up to 24 axes, making it the right controller for stages including high schools, colleges, and small to mid-sized theatres. The rest of the SceneControl line, including the 5600, 5500 and 5300 models will all be shown at the J.R. Clancy booth at LDI.
5 comments:
This sounds great. I am relatively new to the world of automation so I imaging this is just another front end on the list. The most interesting thing to me in the article is the mention of using it in a highschool more then once. I greatly enjoyed teaching high school for the few years prior to grad school and knowing what I know now I would love the possibility of a automated system. I do wonder if there is a price possibility for a high school. Never know I may be in a high school one shopping for a automation system or a small college, who knows and best of luck J.R.Clancy.
I am always interested in reading the about the though behind creating products with lower price-points aimed at different markets. I don't really know much about automation but it seems to me that the controller is only part of the overall cost and that the hardware would still be expensive and limiting to small theaters or high schools. That being said it would have been cool to have had an automation system in high school, although I'm not sure how much use we would have gotten out of it. Still, it's nice to see when new technology is made more accessible.
This Clancy system is interesting. Dual screen front end being put into a high school does seem to be at least a little overkill. I would like to see how accurate the feedback from the encoders is for positioning. Also I wonder how many preset positions we could store in this system. It does seem that even at the high school level an automation system is taking over for the counterweight systems. I like the idea of these system but it becomes a question of how complex does it need to be.
Automation has always been fascinating and it is becoming standard almost anywhere, especially high schools. We might not think of automation unless it is a large scale Broadway show, but more high schools are using automated line sets. The safety and precision that it allows helps alleviate some of the concurs for human error during use, but not all. What is interesting in hearing about JR Clancys new automation controls is how much it can actually handle. Moving from just automated line sets to controlling many axis is a big step. I wonder how easy it is to actually program and use compared to something like Fisher. Also is it adaptable easily, or is this a more permanent installation?
This, of course, really cool technology. But the sophisticated nature always makes me uneasy. I don’t necessarily mind battens being computerized, but when it comes to sophisticated multi-axis rigging systems, I’m not sure I could trust a computer to manage that, especially if these systems were flying people.
This systems are going to become a new standard. So when one of these systems crashes and a batten runs away, who’s going to be liable for the incident? The programmer, the installer, the manufacturer, or the end user.
It’s something were going to see in the next few years.
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