So, I’m learning to use this new lighting console, the Hog 1000.
It’s frustrating.
I’m one of those people to whom most all computer-related things come ridiculously easy, and this particular console is frustrating me. First off, it’s a true “tracking” console, which I’m not used to. Basically, anything parameter that isn’t “touched” doesn’t get recorded into the cue. So, like, if I turn on a light, record that as cue one, then record a different light coming on for cue two, but don’t tell the console to do anything to the first light, it won’t record any information about it into the second cue. Then when you go to run the cue stack, the console does this:
CUE ONE : Turn on light number 23
CUE TWO : Turn on light number 46..oh wait, there’s nothing in here about light 23? Okay, we’ll just leave it on until told otherwise.
It makes a lot of sense to do things this way – it takes up much less space in the console, among other things. However, while the later WholeHog consoles make tracking easier to work with, the Hog 1000 doesn’t – if you back up in a cue stack, or jump around within the stack, your lights start acting really wacky.
Anyways, having never used this console before, and not being able to immediately discern it’s inner workings through visual observation of the control surface alone, is annoying.
I’m currently in Dayton, Ohio, sitting in a laundry room at some Marriot hotel, waiting for my clothes to dry. It’s funny – I always heard stories of people on the road never knowing what day it way, or what town they were in…it’s true, and it’s easier than you think to forget what day it is, and even easier to have no idea what part of the country you’re in. Your days run together, you get into a small bunk on the bus around 0 hours every night, and wake up in the next city and do it all over again.
I love it.
I’m having a ton of fun, meeting new people (I made a friend with a water filtration engineer in Chillicothe who was very passionate about his job) and solving new challenges. My co-workers are, for the most part, easy to get along with and fun to be around.
And best of all, I’m getting paid to do nothing but run lights. ::grin::
Exit, stage left.
Sparks