High End Updates Their Flagship Console to Hog 4-18 and OS V3.11

ETC/High End Systems latest announcement about the Hog 4-18 brings some significant changes to the flagship console and the future of the desk.  While not a terribly long press release, it still manages to pack a fair bit of new changes for the console.  Such as the inclusion of Capture previz software, larger touchscreens, eight 5-pin XLR outputs, an increase to 12 universes of output for Hog 4 PC and of course, Hog 3.11 OS software.  Seems meager, but these slight changes means that High End Systems is listening and making the changes to help bring the hog back to its glory days. Remember, how do you eat an elephant, one bit at a time.

More from the Press Release:

High End Systems is pleased to announce the release of their new flagship console Hog 4-18, along with new OS v3.11 software. Additionally, the company has entered a new partnership with Capture visualization software.

The Hog 4-18 console upgrades the popular Hog 4 with 18.5” touch screens, and an updated industrial design with aluminum encoder knobs and integrated accessory mounts. Outputting 8,192 channels (expandable with DP8K processors), Hog 4-18 has eight XLR-5 DMX outputs, sACN and Art-Net, MIDI and dual etherCON connections for HogNet and FixtureNet. The desk features five high-resolution parameter encoders, built-in tri-axis backlit trackball and 10 master playbacks with motorized faders and master control keys. Up to three external display port monitors or touchscreen monitors can be used.

Hog 3.11 OS includes several significant updates, with support for the Hog 4-18 console hardware, an increase to 12 universes of output for Hog 4 PC, additional Plot icons and improved indication of current cue in cue list window. Other small enhancements include changing the “Fixture Schedule” button to “Add Fixtures” to simplify patching, sorting manufacturers “User” and “Generic” to the top of the list in Fixture Scheduler to reduce scrolling, CITP support for Hippotizer Layer v4.4 and various bug fixes.

Finally, High End Systems is changing the Hog family’s included visualizer to a Capture lighting design software license at the solo, duet or quartet level, depending on the Hog console purchased. These are standard Capture licenses that can be upgraded to higher levels in the standard way.

Senior Product Manager Sarah Clausen commented, “We are happy to see Hog 4-18 consoles already on their way to customers, and hope the v3.11 software release, including an upgrade for all Hog 4 PC users to 12 universes of standalone output potential, pleases all Hog users.”

For more information on High End Systems, visit www.highend.com.

ETC Opens Up Registration for Their Summer CUE Sessions

Do you love everything ETC/High End? Want to get so deep into the company that you need to know everything about it and their product line?  You should think about heading to Madison, WI in late July then.  Specifically July 19-21, 2019!  CUE is a professional development conference that ETC host every other summer to help theatre professionals advance their career and get hands on training of ETC/High End Products.  Get your credit card ready and book your trip to Madison this summer!

More from the ETC Press Release

Every other summer ETC and High End Systems host CUE, a professional development conference in Madison, WI. This conference is geared toward ETC and High End Systems live entertainment professionals of every level.

This summer marks the fifth CUE conference and registration is now open.

For the first time this year, console training will take part as a pre-event to the conference, freeing up three days for additional breakout sessions, keynotes, masterclasses, and events. Register now for the pre-event console training, and then stay for the Backstage on CUE track that covers products, troubleshooting, maintenance, and system layout.

If you’re already an experienced programmer looking to take your skills to the next level, register for the Eos on CUE or Hog on CUE tracks. Learn strategies to take your career to the next level of speed and efficiency and expand your approach to prepping and programming. Some of the best Eos and Hog programmers and developers in the world will be in Madison, Wisconsin for this event.

Register early, seats are expected to fill quickly! Early bird registration prices good through March 17^th.

To read more and register go to etcconnect.com/CUE

Visionary and Industry Legend Fred Foster Passes Away at 61

The lights are a little dimmer tonight, Industry visionary and leader, Fred Foster passes away at 61.  I’ll pass on commentary tonight and let the Press Release speak for itself.  But if you are on a gig tonight, leave a light on for Fred.

Fred Foster, ETC co-founder and CEO has passed away at the age of 61. Foster was a visionary, an innovator, and a role model. The ETC culture of family, support, and encouragement is attributed to Foster and his vision of a creating a people-focused environment. It’s difficult to put into words what it has been like to work for and with such an inspiring leader.

One of Foster’s greatest qualities was his ability to bring people together and rally them around a goal or a vision. Whether it was a new product technology, a tradeshow booth design, or an employee meeting space, he was always creating, always making, and always giving. His ideas were big, and his heart bigger.

Foster is credited with countless industry contributions ranging from product innovations to student mentor-ship programs. He has been recognized repeatedly for his philanthropy from a number of organizations.

Foster announced his cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2015 and went through extensive treatment to prolong his life. Those who knew him best would confirm he was a nature lover and enjoyed activities such as pond yachting and downhill skiing. Foster died peacefully surrounded by family and loved ones. Both of his children, daughter Kate Foster and son James Foster, as well as his wife, Susan Foster, are employed at ETC.

You can read more about Foster and his life of giving at etcconnect.com/Fred-Foster

The Revolution finally goes LED? Introducing the Releve Spot by ETC

Let’s take a trip down memory lane, back to 2004 when ETC rocked the entertainment world with the launch of the Revolution, their first foray into the moving light world. It won numerous awards as being revolutionary and longtime overdue for the company.  At the time, ETC was adamant about it being an automated Source Four Ellipsoidal.  And it was, it used the same lamp technology and produced the same beam as a Source Four, though characteristics of a moving light. Meaning you can have a color scroller, selectable gobos, shutter frames and iris control from the console and not some poor lighting hand up in a bucket lift.

Moving forward in history to 2009 when ETC acquired the X7 LED technology from Selador, it was a wait and see game of when the Revolution will go LED like the Source Four Ellipsoidal and Par.  Year after year, that day never came. Until, 2018, almost 10 years later ETC launched the Releve Spot.

The Releve Spot is definitely NOT the Revolution, but still holds many of the same characteristics that so many professionals loved.  The Releve is the first member of a new product family by ETC, an automated fixture designed specifically for the theatre. Some of the Key Features, it has a calibrated four-Color, (Red, Green, Indigo and Lime), additive mixing system, an Anti-gobo wheel which is paired with a customizable five-position rotating gobo wheel.

To learn more about the ETC Releve Spot, visit www.etcconnect.com.

Check out the Promo video on The Releve Spot from ETC.

ETC Expands Ion Offerings, Introduces Ion Xe Consoles

ETC has added two new control surfaces to their popular Ion lineup of lighting control products, the Ion Xe Consoles.  They feature a compact footprint that work with the entire line of Eos control products.  The Ion Xe is available in two output counts; 3K, (which is the base unit) and the 12k, (The expanded version). They feature support up to two external multi0touch screens, full main playback controls, fader control and  four parameter encoders.

More from the Press Release:

For nearly a decade, ETC’s Ion® consoles have brought powerful control to theatres, concert venues, studios and events around the world. Now, with the release of two Ion Xe consoles and two new fader wings, the small but mighty workhorse of the Eos® Family gets an upgrade.

Power in a small package

With compact footprints and full-featured Eos software, Ion Xe consoles bring high-level, award-winning programming power to smaller venues. Since the new consoles features the same backlit keyboard layout as their larger Eos family siblings, your workflow can transfer seamlessly from desk to desk. Ion Xe desks support up to external two multi-touch monitors, so you can take full hands-on advantage of color tools, Magic Sheets, Direct Selects and more.

Ion Xe consoles feature full main playback controls, fader controls, level and rate wheels, four rotary parameter encoders and support for up to five USB-connectable wings and devices. Ion Xe consoles are available in two output counts: 2K (base) and 12K (expanded), providing control for a wide variety of rigs. For extra security and flexibility, ETC has also released a new Ion Xe RPU (Remote Processing Unit), which can serve as a backup, remote programming station, or primary controller for your system.

“The Ion brand is much loved for its compact footprint and powerful feature set at a very attractive price,” explains Eos family Product Manager Anne Valentino. “We wanted to ensure its replacement maintained those attributes, while providing a more consistent hardware design with the larger products in the family. Ion Xe is a powerful addition to a product line-up that covers a broad cross-section of the market.”

Customize your faders

The new Eos Fader Wing accessories provide 20 or 40 non-motorized faders in handy, USB-connectable modules that match – and are compatible with – all the latest Eos family hardware. The wings share the profile of the Ion Xe and Eos Motorized Fader Wings, and they can be used with all Eos family products (with the exception of Element).

Fader wings make it easy to customize your Ion Xe to the specific needs of your show; you can connect up to three motorized or non-motorized fader wings to any Ion Xe desk. Want manual playbacks as a permanent feature of your work surface? The Ion Xe 20 model streamlines your control booth setup with a built-in bank of 20 page-able, non-motorized faders.

For more information, visit https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/Eos-Family/Ion-Xe/Features.aspx

ETC OFFICIALLY Launches New Console: Gio @5

Face it, ETC has a strong hold on the Theatre market.  Hell, it’s in their name.  With the launch of the Gio @5 and the latest version of the Eos family software, ETC is looking to expand into other areas of the entertainment industry. At LDI2016, ETC not only introduced a new logo, but also a preview of their latest lighting control console, the Gio @5.

I have to hand it to ETC and their naming of the new Gio @5.  At first, I didn’t get it. The @5 name derives from a common command in the Eos software where @5 gives you 50%. Funny. At just over 15″ wide, the Gio @5 can fit into some tight spaces at FOH.  The software gives you 2,048 “outputs” or parameters with 4 5-pin DMX connections on the backside.  The console can be expanded up to 32,768 “outputs” or a total of 64 universes with networking and nodes.

To learn more about the ETC Gio @5, visit www.etcconnect.com.

More from the Press Release:

Middleton, WI – The Eos family of consoles just got bigger – by going smaller. After a successful preview at LDI, ETC has officially launched the Gio @5™ console, which brings the acclaimed, professional-grade control of the Eos Ti® and Gio® consoles within reach of users with tighter spaces – and tighter budgets.

“With the Gio @5, we’ve given you a little bit of everything,” says product manager Anne Valentino. This portable console packs all the control necessities into its narrow, 25.5-inch (641 mm) footprint, making external monitors and accessories optional. The desk includes an articulating, 17-inch, multi-touch LCD display, four encoders with haptic feedback, five definable and page-able motorized faders, a master fader pair and a retractable tray with backlit alpha-numeric keyboard.

The Gio @5 derives its name from the Eos command that sets a level at fifty percent, but don’t be fooled by its compact size; the desk offers a full programming experience. The console is the perfect step up for Ion® users who want expanded hands-on access to playbacks, award-winning color control, touchscreen Magic Sheets and more. The programming surface matches the full, backlit keyboard layout of its larger sister desks, providing an easy transition for experienced Eos users looking to scale down for touring and smaller productions or venues. The Gio @5 is also a perfect educational desk; skills learned on the console will transfer to the highest end of the programming job market.

The board has everything a programmer needs to rock small, live gigs – right out of the road case. The short-throw motorized faders are designed for efficient busking, but if more hands-on control is needed, the console can serve as a base for a customized, expanded work surface of plug-and-play Motorized Fader Wings, external touchscreen monitors and other accessories. The upcoming v2.5 software – which will release in time to ship with the console – builds on the playbacks and effects work of the v2.4 release, with even more tools suited to busking. Wherever you are, the Gio @5 console has what you need to do the job.

PS: Does this mean that all of ETC’s products with the old logo can now be considered vintage and worth more money?

Re-Post: 4Wall Lighting Lounge – Three Fixtures I’m Dying to Use In 2016

Have you heard of the Lighting Lounge over on UsedLighting.com?  4Wall Lighting started a blog a while ago that focuses on different aspects of the industry along with some industry news.  They recently asked me to write a blog post about three fixtures I am looking forward to using in 2016.  Here are some excerpts from the original post which you can find here.

Aryton MagicDot-R

Ayrton Lighting has made a huge impact in the entertainment lighting industry.  The company has been around for years. It was just four short years ago that Ayrton made a re-insurgence into the industry with the introduction of the MagicPanel 602, a moving head fixture with 36 individually controllable 15 watt RGBW LED array. The 6 x 6 LED may be impressive, but the continuous and unlimited pan and tilt of the fixture is what made the industry take note.

Robe Lighting VIVA

In the past couple of years Robe Lighting has stepped up their R&D in LEDs and has released some fairly impressive LED based moving heads.  The latest LED based moving head from the Czech company is the VIVA.  It’s a lightweight moving head that uses a 270W white light LED engine.

ETC Source 4WRD

In mid-January, ETC released yet another bombshell on the industry with the introduction of their latest LED product, the Source 4WRD.  Professionals at every level of the business took notice of ETC’s latest offering as it has a large impact on a segment of the market that wants LEDs but maybe cannot afford new technologies.

To read the entire post and my thoughts about these new products and why I look forward to using them, visit the UsedLighting.com Lighting Lounge.  Share your thoughts on these three new devices as well as new products that you are looking forward to using.

ETC Introduced the Source 4WRD – An LED Retrofit Kit

How many Source 4’s do you have in your inventory right now?  Not LED versions, but the industry leading tungsten ellipsoidal? A bunch right? How long have you been wanting to replace those with Source 4 LEDs?  It’s been a cost thing right?  Times-are-a-changing… AGAIN.

ETC just introduced their latest LED product, the Source 4WRD. It is a white-light LED retrofit kit for your beloved Source 4!

If you still think that stepping into the LED world of Source 4’s is cost prohibitive, ETC has a great info-graph about the cost and savings of retrofitting with the Source4WRD.

Pricing has not been announced as of yet. If you are interested to see the cost and how to step into LEDs, contact your local ETC dealer.  While waiting on numbers, check out more about the Source 4WRD by visiting www.etcconnect.com.
UPDATE

Current List Price: $599.00

ETC Releases New Beta Software – PixelToy

ETC Recently announced the release of some new software that one of their awesome developers came up with for their internal “Innovation Quest” called pixelToy.  The software  creates dynamic pixel mapped content in real time. Basically, pixel mapping without stock content.  The goal was to create an intuitive, touch-screen-friendly interface.  The entire application has no text and everything is drag-n-drop.  It outputs both video (for projectors) and streaming ACN.  All of the effects are rendered in OpenGL and gives everything an organic feel.  The best part is that all of the effects are plugins loaded when the application starts.  Included is documentation and many samples of code for anyone to write their own plugins.

pixelToy is only available on the PC… for the moment. The software is free and is BETA.  ETC is looking for users to try it out and report back what they think.  You can learn more and download pixelToy from ETC’s wikipages.

ETC Cue: Recap Part 1

Last week, around 180+ folks attended the inaugural ETC end users conference known as ETC Cue.  It was overheard that it was about 2 years in the making, and the preparation certainly showed.

Upon arriving, conference goers were given their schedule (the registration process required us to choose which sessions we were initially interested in, although Tuesday and Wednesday sessions were considered “open” but more on that later) as well as an awesome, and quite useful, goodie bag containing a T-Shirt, pen and notepad, ETC pin, Selador newsletter, presenter trading cards, fixture line literature, and of course the bag itself.  The coolest is the nametag and lanyard: the lanyard itself is a USB flash drive, which contained the powerpoint presentations of the whole conference, plus practice workbooks for the consoles!  As an educator, this part caused a fair bit of giddiness.

 

The first official day was Monday July 25th, which was a pre-conference day (beginning with breakfast) where attendees could choose to register for a console-programming class (with their initial registration) or take a detailed factory tour, followed by an evening welcoming reception.

This attendee chose the console-programming route and was lucky to be placed in a class led by Anne Valentino, Nick Gonsman, and Peter Weigand for advanced programming.  The first surprise of the conference was in these programming classes, where we learned that we in the Eos Family were to be training on software version 1.9.8, which is currently in closed beta and suggested to be released in the 4^th quarter, near September.

For those curious on the topics discussed, our class created a list of items we wanted to know more about.  We covered: the changes that are coming in the software (including a new “shift” key to facilitate new commands, startup and shutdown macros, and the ability to dim the console’s LED Littlelites).  We focused on terminology and process: learning about background space vs. foreground space, workflow (referenced vs. absolute data), locking palettes, how the console “sees” the differences between Record and Record Only, Selective Storing, Filters, Null Data, Shielded Subs, Block and Assert, tips on marking, working with multiple cue lists, working with Query, working with Trace, Sub mapping, timing on Subs, and altering time by percentage.  By 4 pm we were armed with pages of notes and pleasantly saturated brains.

The welcome reception gave us a chance to decompress and network with old and new friends over a passel of appetizers (and the mashed potato martinis deserve a mention).  Most of the reception was a blur however once the Gio consoles were rolled into the room.  Everyone crowded hungrily around the three consoles; eager to hear everything the ETC representatives could tell us about them.

 

As highlighted earlier, this desk is intended to fit between the Ion and the Eos, literally and figuratively, as the physical size indicates as well as the output/address configurations.  It will support the same protocols (Net 2 and Net 3, as well as DMX) as their other consoles, and can support up to 3 additional external monitors (DVI, or VGA with an adaptor).  The soft keys and other control buttons lie in between the fader area and the keyboard area, and their corresponding labels are also backlit.  There are 8 non-labeled soft keys that are placed between the touch screens; presumably these are additional multi-functional soft keys and/or user definable macro keys.  The keys at the top of the faders are the load keys, and the faders are motorized.  The keys below are the same Stop/Back and Go buttons, but are marked with the universal square symbol for Stop (backlit in red) and triangle “play” (backlit in green).  All of the console keys are backlit, are user configurable as far as brightness, and will dim out after a set amount of time.  The encoder wheels on this console are above the control keypad area, and utilize the right hand touch screen for their page navigation.  There are no slots for button modules, as in the Eos console.  The internal screens appear smaller than the 15” screens of the Eos, but it fits well with the form factor (and appear to be a higher resolution).  The repositionable screens are a highlight; they are super thin, hinge at the bottom of the screens (the pivot can be seen behind the screens at the center bottom on the image to the right) and the folding action operates with one hand via a button at the top in the middle and allows the screens to fold down at any position from up to completely flat.  The coating on the metal is so scratch resistant, that when one of the reps took a quarter and scrubbed it over the fascia, it wiped clean.  More information will be forthcoming soon, as we heard that it is slated to be in the area reps hands in September.

What a great end to the first day of the first ETC Cue conference!  The recap of day 2 will come in ETC Cue: Recap part 2.

ETC CUE: A Glimpse of the Newest Eos Family Member – GIO

7/25/2011…at the welcome reception for the inaugural ETC CUE event, ETC surprised and delighted their attendees by rolling out 3 units of what will be the newest addition to their Eos family line of consoles, the Gio. Weighing in at just under 50 lbs (a bonus for shipping concerns) this new addition geared for the mid-range space will sport a similar layout for keyboard commands, 10 motorized faders, master faders, and the 2 touch screens that is familiar to Eos users.

Those two touch screens are housed in a thin section that will tilt flat for shipping, up for viewing, and can be locked at any position in between. One USB port is on the front, with more available on the back. 2 Ethercon ports, 2 DMX ports, and 3 DVI ports were also spied on the back.

This console also supports backlit keys (the “clear” button helpfully highlights in red when a syntax error occurs) and the backlighting of these keys will have dimmer control; as will the LED console work lights. The finish of the console is highly scratch resistant and easy on the eyes.

Set to come in configurations of 2000, 4000, 6000 and 8000 outputs, the Gio is expected to list right between the Ion and the Eos price points.

Keep an eye out for the official release this fall for more and final details!

ETC CUE: Day 1 Keynote

7/26/2011…Today’s morning kicked off bright and early at 8 am with a fabulous address by Fred Foster.  The audience was held in rapt attention for an hour and a half listening to his stories about the history of ETC and just how much the company is for the people.   (Sadly my audio recording froze up and I lost the whole thing…)

However to end the address and kick off the morning sessions, there was a short colorful visual demo:

Yep; by now you’ve probably heard through the social grapevine that it is indeed truly coming…an LED Source Four.  There is it’s result right there: clean projection, 7-color plus the daylight (perhaps more?  I lost count when the gasps enveloped the room) flashed before our eyes on the screen, then this display of the Kick-Ass Daylight White.  It definitely is.  Look for more information in the coming 9-12 months.