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For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
---------------------------------------------------

Stagecraft Digest, Issue #466

 1. Re: Extreme DMX length?
    by Herrick Goldman <Herrick [at] HGLightingDesign.com>
 2. Memorial service for Daryl Duell
    by MissWisc [at] aol.com
 3. blue sky (nitpicking)
    by Judy <kupfer [at] post.tau.ac.il>
 4. dmx lengths
    by Judy <kupfer [at] post.tau.ac.il>
 5. Re: dmx lengths
    by "Jim at TheatreWireless.com" <stagecraft [at] theatrewireless.com>
 6. Re: dmx lengths
    by Jerry Durand <jdurand [at] interstellar.com>
 7. Re: MASONITE.
    by "Paul Guncheon" <paul.guncheon [at] verizon.net>
 8. Re: dmx lengths
    by Jerry Durand <jdurand [at] interstellar.com>
 9. Re: MASONITE.
    by "Jon Ares" <jonares [at] hevanet.com>
10. Re: Equipment Opinions
    by "C. Dopher" <brooklyn [at] dopher.com>
11. Re: Equipment Opinions
    by "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" <stagecraft [at] jeffsalzberg.com>
12. Acoustically Transparent Projection Material?
    by Stan Jensen <jense1s [at] cmich.edu>
13. Re: dmx lengths
    by "Bill Nelson" <billn [at] peak.org>
14. Re: Acoustically Transparent Projection Material?
    by Bruce Purdy <bpurdy [at] rochester.rr.com>

*** Please update the subject line of your reply to use the subject
*** line of the message you are replying to! Please only reply to
*** one message subject in each reply.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 06:37:43 -0400
Subject: Re: Extreme DMX length?
From: Herrick Goldman <Herrick [at] HGLightingDesign.com>
Message-ID: <BF0644B7.5BB5%Herrick [at] HGLightingDesign.com>
In-Reply-To: <list-23821929 [at] prxy.net>

Thanks Dale. 

I know my client will say "oh well we want something easy", then the client
above them will ask for something more complex. Etc... Etc... So I think the
hard way is best for the moment. But I do own an Elation DMX solo and have
used them a few times with good results.

Thanks to all who have responded.

On 7/21/05 5:18 PM, "Dale Farmer" <dale [at] cybercom.net> wrote:

>> -H
> 
>     If these guys are just going to be sitting there illuminating a banner,
> you
> may
> not even need a cable and controller.  I don't have a manual handy, but look
> at
> 
> the standalone or demo modes that they have.  You may be able to just program
> them once, and then they will just do their little dance all by themselves.
>     The other thing is finding one of those little DMX playback boxes.  You
> insert
> a loop of DMX settings, and it will sit there and play those back out until
> you
> 
> shut them down.  Jerry Durand makes one. Other folks also make them.  Need
> a PC and the software to setup the program.
> http://www.interstellar.com/products.html
> 
>     --Dale
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Herrick Goldman
Lighting Designer, NYC
www.HGLightingDesign.com
917-797-3624
"To the scores of silent alchemists who wreak their joy in darkness and in
light bringing magic to life, we bow most humbly. "-CDS



------------------------------

From: MissWisc [at] aol.com
Message-ID: <1e5.40be8ce1.30124352 [at] aol.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 08:40:50 EDT
Subject: Memorial service for Daryl Duell


My hubby, Brian, roomed with Daryl on  the recent national tour of "Oklahoma" 
and toured with him on "Oliver" last  year. He died in a boating accident 
while camping in Alaska last month. I'm  sharing the info with the list as there 
are many who live/work in the NYC area  who might want to attend and many in 
touring houses across the country who may  have known Daryl from that. 

Brian will be there in person and I'll be  there in spirit.

Kristi


From DLottacurl [at] aol.com  :
<<We are having a memorial service, wake style, on Sunday July  24th.  The 
venue is Kevin St. James (2nd floor) on 8th Ave between 46th and  47th. The 
start time is 7pm.  The service will start around 7:30pm and last  about an hour.  
We will continue there afterwards to toast our friend off  in a style that 
would make him smile.

I do ask that if you are planning  to attend please email me back so I can 
make sure Kevin St. James has the  appropriate amount of staff working that 
night.

If you are not able to  come but would like to share a story or some words 
about Daryl, please email  them to me and we will be sure to have them read.

Also, if any of you  have pictures of Daryl I am collecting them to have 
around in Kevin St.  James.  You can either attach them to an email or send them 
to me at the  address below.   

Please feel free to call me if you have any  questions.

Warmest Wishes,
Dawn Marie Bernhard
The Producing  Office
145 West 45th Street 7th Floor
New York, NY 10036
212-391-8226  work
212-391-8253 fax
850-582-6222 cell>>  


------------------------------

Message-ID: <42E115A2.6040806 [at] post.tau.ac.il>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 17:49:54 +0200
From: Judy <kupfer [at] post.tau.ac.il>
Subject: blue sky (nitpicking)

>
>
>Actually the range of scattering happens for all wavelengths 
>shorter than blue, so the scattering would equally apply in the violet 
>range.
>
Umm....the scattering happens to all wavelengths including those longer 
than blue! But the probability for scattering is proportional to the 
fourth power of the frequency (that is, inversely proportional to the 
4th power of wavelength), so obviously  the highest frequencies & 
shortest wavelengths (blue & purple) will be dominant.

You could google Rayleigh scattering.

> 
>

------------------------------

Message-ID: <42E115B7.6040408 [at] post.tau.ac.il>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 17:50:15 +0200
From: Judy <kupfer [at] post.tau.ac.il>
Subject: dmx lengths

>
>
>"Recommended Practice for DMX512" says 1km (3281') is the max.  The book =
>also says 500m (1640') is prudent for the maximum.  Use a splitter =
>beyond that. 
>
Well, well, I'm really surprised to hear that. In all the stadium shows 
I've done we have used splitters for anything over 100 m.

------------------------------

From: "Jim at TheatreWireless.com" <stagecraft [at] theatrewireless.com>
Subject: RE: dmx lengths
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 13:02:41 -0400
In-Reply-To: <list-23827031 [at] prxy.net>
Message-Id: <20050722170243.LMAA27508.tomts16-srv.bellnexxia.net [at] p3m866>

A few years ago I had a chance to do a crazy wire length test.  I wouldn't
do this for a real show, I only did this out of curiosity...

I was in a large new stadium (construction not quite completed at the time)
with hundreds of pairs of Bell wire terminated at punch-down blocks in
numerous closets throughout the building, I created a long circuitous path
throughout the building that required several joins at punchdown blocks.

The source and destination devices were at different ends of the building.
I did this in hopes they were on different power circuits from different
distribution paths with some ground/neutral differential.

Not CAT5, not shielded, numerous "splices".  

DMX-out from a DMXter (running on an ac cord) to DMX-in on an RC3
transmitter (just 'cause I had one) worked perfectly.  The DMX input on the
RC3 was made by Gray Interfaces (now Pathway).

AGAIN I'm not saying anyone should do this -- it's simply an illustration of
how much room there is with the RS485 protocol using good quality
drivers/receivers.  There may be more repeaters in the world than are really
necessary.

Jim
www.theatrewireless.com



 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Judy
> Sent: July 22, 2005 11:50 AM
> To: Stagecraft
> Subject: dmx lengths
> 
> For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see 
> <http://stagecraft.theprices.net/>
> ---------------------------------------------------
> 
> >
> >
> >"Recommended Practice for DMX512" says 1km (3281') is the max.  The 
> >book = also says 500m (1640') is prudent for the maximum.  Use a 
> >splitter = beyond that.
> >
> Well, well, I'm really surprised to hear that. In all the 
> stadium shows I've done we have used splitters for anything 
> over 100 m.
> 
> 


------------------------------

Message-Id: <6.2.1.2.0.20050722100919.029edbc0 [at] 192.168.0.13>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 10:10:25 -0700
From: Jerry Durand <jdurand [at] interstellar.com>
Subject: Re: dmx lengths
In-Reply-To: <list-23828965 [at] prxy.net>
References: <list-23827031 [at] prxy.net>
 <list-23828965 [at] prxy.net>

At 10:02 AM 7/22/2005, you wrote:
>There may be more repeaters in the world than are really
>necessary.

Hey, quit reducing my sales!  :)

Everyone, you need a repeater any time the wire is over 3 meters long!  Buy 
more!  :) :) :)


----------
Jerry Durand
Durand Interstellar, Inc.
219 Oak Wood Way
Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA
tel:  +1 408 356-3886, USA toll free:  1 866 356-3886
web:  www.interstellar.com




------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 07:16:27 -1000
From: "Paul Guncheon" <paul.guncheon [at] verizon.net>
Subject: Re: MASONITE.
Message-id: <005801c58ee1$18d97f20$c6354104 [at] yourxhtr8hvc4p>
References: <list-23823348 [at] prxy.net>

<<THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MASONITE.??

The last great open masonite mine, located just outside Ogden, Utah was
depleted sometime around October of 2003.  Although trace amounts of
masonite have been found at various sites throughout the southwest of the US
and at a remote location in Northern China, the amounts discovered indicated
that extraction was not financially feasible.

As a side note...

One of the best kept secrets of the food industry:

Not many people are aware that the breaded stick fish were fished to
extinction in the late 80's.  Mrs. Paul's and other purveyors of the coveted
fish stick substitute usually a combination of genetically altered chicken
paste and an elastic resin.

Sometimes just expanded polystyrene.

Laters,

Paul

"The prisoner escaped by climbing down a rope", said Tom condescendingly.



------------------------------

Message-Id: <6.2.1.2.0.20050722101549.02a01fd8 [at] 192.168.0.13>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 10:20:50 -0700
From: Jerry Durand <jdurand [at] interstellar.com>
Subject: Re: dmx lengths

Some specs seem a bit strict for real-world applications.  A while back I 
designed a board with Gigabit Ethernet on it and if you read the specs., it 
will almost never work.  Things like the wire is to be scrapped anytime 
it's had more than 25 pounds of pull on it or been bent.  Yep, buildings 
are always wired with no tugging on the cable or bends.

Sometimes I wonder what the guys who write some of these things are 
thinking.  But then, I've been to meetings like IC Package standards so I 
know some of them don't have a clue how things are used/installed.

----------
Jerry Durand
Durand Interstellar, Inc.
219 Oak Wood Way
Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA
tel:  +1 408 356-3886, USA toll free:  1 866 356-3886
web:  www.interstellar.com




------------------------------

Message-ID: <000701c58ee2$6b460070$0600000a [at] BRUTUS>
From: "Jon Ares" <jonares [at] hevanet.com>
References: <list-23823348 [at] prxy.net> <list-23829168 [at] prxy.net>
Subject: Re: MASONITE.
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 10:25:55 -0700

> Sometimes just expanded polystyrene.
>

If only Mrs. Paul's had the consistency of expanded polystyrene.  It's more 
like the consistency of Elmer's glue and grits.

 - Jon Ares
www.hevanet.com/acreative 


------------------------------

Date:	Fri, 22 Jul 2005 15:24:51 -0400
Subject: Re: Equipment Opinions
From:	"C. Dopher" <brooklyn [at] dopher.com>
Message-ID: <BF06C043.1B893%brooklyn [at] dopher.com>
In-Reply-To: <000501c58e13$a9a17220$6501a8c0 [at] D4D3R151>

On 7/21/05 12:45 PM, "Randy Whitcomb" <rwhitco [at] comcast.net> wrote:

> I have some money available this year and am looking to expand my inventory.
> I'd appreciate opinions from those of you who have experience with any of
> the following:
> Wybron's GoboRam ll and Nexera
> HES ColorMerge
> Ocean Optics Sea Changer - Looks nice but a bit pricey at $2499 list.
> 
> I don't have scrollers at the moment and would like some.  Dichroic units
> seem to be where things are headed.  Not being limited to a dozen or so
> colors and not having to deal with burn outs etc. seems appealing.  The big
> question is are these units worth the investment?

I haven't used any of these products yet, but reviews are promising.  Worth
a try, right?  The money question is a big one.  You can get how many
scrollers for the cost of one dichroic changer?  Speaking as an LD, I'd
rather have eight scrollers than two dichroic units on any given show!  How
much are typical maintenance costs?  Can you get a shootout at a local shop
and see the color for yourself?  Bad blues might be a problem!

All other things being equal, the personnel factor should be important to
you.  Who will be using these items?  How often?  Who will be HANDLING these
things and will you have time to train them to do it right and avoid
breakage?  Will you be able to insure these units against damage?  I've
dropped a few color changers in my time.  They tend to just keep running or
are easily and quickly fixed.  Strings are easily replaced at the last
minute if someone notices a burn-through or a separation beginning.  I can't
imagine that replacing cracked/smashed dichroic filters is going to be
cheap, easy, or quick.

Cris Dopher, LD


------------------------------

Reply-To: <stagecraft [at] jeffsalzberg.com>
From: "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" <stagecraft [at] jeffsalzberg.com>
Subject: RE: Equipment Opinions
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 15:40:04 -0400
Message-ID: <000601c58ef5$2cd44e10$6801a8c0 [at] Dell>
In-Reply-To: <list-23830857 [at] prxy.net>



> Speaking as an LD, I'd rather have eight=20
> scrollers than two dichroic units on any given show!

Sometimes. It depends on the scrolls.

I recently did a dance show with scrollers on all the head-highs, shins, =
and
backlights, with, maybe, 4 colors that I'd even *consider* using...and =
of
course there was no budget 30-40 new scrolls.

In that case, I'd rather have static-gelled everything and had two =
dichroic
units to us for my CS special fronts and backs.



------------------------------

In-Reply-To: <list-23830981 [at] prxy.net>
References: <list-23830981 [at] prxy.net>
Message-Id: <f44931f497b1802f3043fb3fb0aedb61 [at] cmich.edu>
From: Stan Jensen <jense1s [at] cmich.edu>
Subject: Acoustically Transparent Projection Material?
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:32:58 -0400


A colleague asked me to make a recommendation for the best material for 
front projection (only ~3000 lumens) to hang in a church in front of 
the organ pipes.

I could use some help here.

Stan Jensen

Central Michigan University
Department of Speech Communication and Dramatic Art
Moore 242
Mount Pleasant, MI  48859

(989) 774-1990  office
(989) 774-2498  fax


------------------------------

Message-ID: <1924.64.28.50.204.1122083026.squirrel [at] webmail.peak.org>
In-Reply-To: <list-23827031 [at] prxy.net>
References: <list-23827031 [at] prxy.net>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:43:46 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: dmx lengths
From: "Bill Nelson" <billn [at] peak.org>

>>"Recommended Practice for DMX512" says 1km (3281') is the max.  The book
>> also says 500m (1640') is prudent for the maximum.  Use a splitter =
>> beyond that.
>>
> Well, well, I'm really surprised to hear that. In all the stadium shows
> I've done we have used splitters for anything over 100 m.

If I recall correctly, it is recommended that 20 gauge or larger well
shielded  cable is recommended for runs of over 100 feet.

On the other hand, I recently had a gig where I had a 150 foot run of 24
gauge microphone cable to the first portable dimmer pack, then 50 foot
runs between the other 3 packs. There were no flicker or other
interference problems at all. These packs were all feedthrough, so there
was no regeneration of the signal by the packs.

Bill


------------------------------

Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2005 22:50:18 -0400
Subject: Re: Acoustically Transparent Projection Material?
From: Bruce Purdy <bpurdy [at] rochester.rr.com>
Message-ID: <BF0728AA.8B3F%bpurdy [at] rochester.rr.com>
In-Reply-To: <list-23832981 [at] prxy.net>

Stan Jensen asked:
> A colleague asked me to make a recommendation for the best material for
> front projection (only ~3000 lumens) to hang in a church in front of
> the organ pipes.
> 
    Sounds like you want movie screen material as used in commercial
cinemas. It is designed for front projection, and is acoustically
transparent. These screens are full of perforations so small that the
audience won't notice them, whilst letting the sound from the speakers
(which are mounted behind the screen) easily pass through.

Bruce
-- 
Bruce Purdy
Technical Director
Smith Opera House

 


------------------------------

End of Stagecraft Digest #466
*****************************