Avolites PEARL EXPER TTITAN User Manual V3.0

Pearl Expert Titan

Operator’s Manual

Version 3.0

		Limited	2010
	Avolites
Copyright

PearlExpertTitan_Man_v3.doc 29/03/2010 13:28:00

Useful Avolites phone numbers:-					2010
Avolites England
Sales and service*	(+44)	(0)	20 8965 8522
Service out of hours*	(+44)	(0)	831 17 8888
Fax		(+44) (0) 20		8965 0290
be downloaded from the			website.Limited
Email	[e-mail]
Website	http://www.avolites.com

*Before contacting Avolites for service enquiry please ensure that you have the product serial number and the Software version. The serial number can be found on the back of the desk near the power socket and on the keyboard drawer; the software version is displayed on the title bar of the Pearl application on the VDU.

The latest version of this manual and Pearl Expert Titan Software can

The small print :

No Liability for Consequential Damages

Avolites has a policy of continuous product and documentation improvement. As such the detail within this manual may not match the operation of the Pearl Expert Titan.

In no event shall	be liable	for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or
consequential damages or loss whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for
loss of profits, business interruption, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or
inability to use the Pearl even if			Ltd. has been advised of the possibility of such
damages. Because some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability
for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.
Avolites Ltd recognise that all trademarks within the manual are the property of their
respective owners.	Avolites
Copyright
	Reprint and revision history:

First produced September 2008

Revised for v1.1 April 2009 by TM

Revised for v1.2 June 2009 by TM

Revised for v2.0 September 2009 by TM

Revised for v3.0 March 2010 by TM

PearlExpertTitan_Man_v3.doc 29/03/2010 13:28:00

		Limited	2010
	Avolites
Copyright

This manual was written by Tim Mitchell, Sabre Technology Ltd

http://www.sabretechnology.co.uk

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Reference Manual Contents - Page 5

S E C T I O N S

1.	SETTING UP THE CONSOLE
2.	PATCHING
3.	CONTROLLING DIMMERS AND FIXTURES
4.	PALETTES
5.	SHAPES		Limited
6.	CUES
7.	CHASES
8.	CUE LISTS
9.	RUNNING THE SHOW
10.	REMOTE CONTROL
11.	USER SETTINGS AND OTHER OPTIONS
12.	WORKING WITH FIXTURE PERSONALITIES
13.	NETWORKING
14.	TITAN FOR PEARL USERS
15.	RELEASE NOTES	Avolites
16.	GLOSSARY OF TERMS
	Copyright

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2010

13

29

39

51

59

65

79

89

103

107

113

129

133

145

147

159

Page 6 – Reference Manual Contents

		Limited	2010
	Avolites
Copyright

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					Reference Manual Contents - Page 7
C O N T E N T S
1.			Setting up the console			2010				13
1.1			Guide to the console ..............................................................							13
1.2			Connecting up.......................................................................							17
			1.2.1	Connecting mains power ......................................................................						17
			1.2.2 Starting up and shutting down..............................................................							17
			1.2.3	Connecting DMX lines ..........................................................................						17
			1.2.4	Connecting VDU monitors ....................................................................						18
			1.2.5 Connecting the Touch Wing ..................................................................							18
			1.2.6	Other connections ...............................................................................						18
1.3			Using the displays and menus .................................................							19
			1.3.1	The onboard display ............................................................................						19
			1.3.2 Workspace windows on the VDU and Touch Wing							20
			1.3.3	The Tools menu ..................................................................................						22
			1.3.4	Visualiser ...........................................................................................						23
			1.3.5 The Heads-Up Display (HUD)................................................................							24
			1.3.6	Key profiles........................................................................................						25
			1.3.7	Key macro recording ...........................................................................						25
			1.3.8 The Pearl Expert Titan application .........................................................							25
1.4			Loading and saving shows ......................................................							25
			1.4.1	Autosave ...........................................................................................						25
			1.4.2 Manual save and load ..........................................................................							26
1.5			Backing up a show to USB drive ..............................................							26
			1.5.1 Backup existing show files to USB pen drive ...........................................							27
1.6			Clearing the console...............................................................							27
1.7			Rebooting into original Pearl Expert mode .................................							28
2.			Patching		Limited					29
2.1			Create							29
				.................................................................................
			2.1.1	Preset faders (handles)........................................................................						29
			2.1.2	Patching dimmers ...............................................................................						30
			2.1.3 Patching moving light fixtures...............................................................							31
			2.1.4	Visualiser Auto Patch ...........................................................................						33
2.2			Edit .....................................................................................							33
			2.2.1 Changing the DMX address of a fixture ..................................................							33
			2.2.2	Setting legends...................................................................................						34
			2.2.3	View Fixture Patch ..............................................................................						34
			2.2.4	Fixture Exchange ................................................................................						35
			2.2.5	Update personalities............................................................................						35
2.3			Copy and Move .....................................................................							36
			2.3.1 Copying or moving a patched fixture .....................................................							36
			2.3.2	Using copied fixtures ...........................................................................						36
2.4			Delete..................................................................................							37
			2.4.1 Deleting a patched fixture ....................................................................							37
2.5			Advanced optionsAvolites..................................................................							37
			2.5.1 Swap pan and tilt................................................................................							37
			2.5.2	Invert attributes .................................................................................						37
3.			Controlling dimmers and fixtures							39
3.1			Create	.................................................................................						39
			3.1.1 Selecting fixtures and dimmers for control .............................................							39
			3.1.2 Setting fixtures to a start position .........................................................							40
			3.1.3	Clearing selection................................................................................						41
			3.1.4 Changing attributes using the wheels ....................................................							42
			3.1.5 Setting attributes using the Touch Wing.................................................							43
			3.1.6 Setting attributes by number................................................................							45
			3.1.7 Selecting fixtures and dimmers by number (Channel) ..............................							45
			3.1.8 Selecting using a pattern .....................................................................							46
			3.1.9	Attribute groups - IPCGBES..................................................................						46
			3.1.10	Using fixture groups ..........................................................................						47
			3.1.11 Stepping through selected fixtures one at a time...................................							48
			3.1.12 Highlighting the selected fixture ..........................................................							48
			3.1.13	Align fixtures ....................................................................................						48
			3.1.14	Flip..................................................................................................						49
			3.1.15	Fan mode.........................................................................................						49
		Copyright								49
3.2			Edit .....................................................................................
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	3.2.1	The Channel Grid window.....................................................................	49
3.3	Advanced options ..................................................................		50
	3.3.1	The ML menu button ...........................................................................	50

4.	Palettes				2010				51
4.1	Create		.................................................................................						51
	4.1.1 Palette values stored as a reference ......................................................								51
	4.1.2 Which attributes are stored in palettes...................................................								51
	4.1.3		Storing a palette.................................................................................						52
	4.1.4 Quick record on the Touch Wing ...........................................................								53
4.2	Playback ..............................................................................								53
	4.2.1 Recalling a palette value ......................................................................								53
	4.2.2		Palette pages .....................................................................................						53
	4.2.3 Quick palettes with no fixtures selected .................................................								54
	4.2.4		Setting palettes to fixtures in a playback................................................						54
4.3	Edit .....................................................................................								54
	4.3.1		Editing palettes...................................................................................						54
	4.3.2 Setting legends for palettes..................................................................								55
4.4	Copy and Move			.....................................................................					55
	4.4.1 Copying or moving a palette.................................................................								55
4.5	Delete..................................................................................								56
	4.5.1		Deleting palettes.................................................................................						56
4.6	Timing .................................................................................								56
	4.6.1 Fading a palette and fixture overlap ......................................................								56
	4.6.2 Master Time for palettes ......................................................................								57
5.	Shapes								59
5.1	Playback ..............................................................................								60
	5.1.1		Creating a shape.................................................................................						60
	5.1.2 Changing size and speed of a shape ......................................................Limited								61
	5.1.3 Changing the phase of a shape across multiple fixtures............................								62
5.2	Edit .....................................................................................								63
	5.2.1 Editing shapes which are running ..........................................................								63
	5.2.2		Reversing a shape...............................................................................						63
5.3	Delete..................................................................................								63
	5.3.1		Deleting shapes ..................................................................................						63
5.4	Advanced options ..................................................................								63
	5.4.1		Shape fade mode................................................................................						63
6.	Cues								65
6.1	Create		.................................................................................						65
	6.1.1 How the Pearl works when programming ...............................................								65
	6.1.2		Creating a cue ....................................................................................						66
	6.1.3 Using shapes in cues ...........................................................................								67
6.2	Playback ..............................................................................								67
	6.2.1		HTP and LTP.......................................................................................						67
				Avolites					67
	6.2.2 Playing back a cue ..............................................................................
	6.2.3		Changing playback pages.....................................................................						68
	6.2.4		Releasing running playbacks.................................................................						68
6.3	Edit .....................................................................................								68
	6.3.1		Editing a cue ......................................................................................						68
	6.3.2 Playback and Cue view ........................................................................								69
	6.3.3		The Include function............................................................................						70
	6.3.4 Removing attributes from cues using “Off” .............................................								71
6.4	Copy, Move and Link..............................................................								71
	6.4.1 Copying or moving a cue .....................................................................								71
6.5	Delete..................................................................................								72
	6.5.1		Deleting a cue ....................................................................................						72
6.6	Timing .................................................................................								72
	6.6.1 Setting fade times and Overlap for a cue ...............................................								72
	6.6.2		Changing fixture order.........................................................................						74
	6.6.3 Setting attribute fade times for a cue ....................................................								75
6.7	Advanced options ..................................................................								76
	6.7.1		Release mask .....................................................................................						76
	6.7.2 Shape size/speed on fader ...................................................................								76
	6.7.3		Curve ................................................................................................						76
Copyright									76
	6.7.4		Handle Paging ....................................................................................
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					Reference Manual Contents - Page 9
			6.7.5	Playback priority .................................................................................						76
			6.7.6	Key Profile .........................................................................................		2010				76
7.			Chases							79
7.1			Create	.................................................................................						79
			7.1.1	Programming a chase..........................................................................						79
7.2			Playback ..............................................................................							80
			7.2.1 Playing back a chase ...........................................................................							80
			7.2.2 Connecting a chase for control..............................................................							80
			7.2.3 Setting speed and crossfade for a Chase................................................							81
			7.2.4 Manually controlling the steps of a chase ...............................................							82
			7.2.5	Changing chase direction .....................................................................						82
			7.2.6 Jumping to a step ...............................................................................							82
7.3			Edit .....................................................................................							82
			7.3.1 Opening a chase for editing..................................................................							82
			7.3.2 Editing a chase using Unfold.................................................................							83
7.4			Copy, Move and Link..............................................................							84
			7.4.1 Copying or moving a chase ..................................................................							84
7.5			Delete..................................................................................							84
			7.5.1	Deleting a chase .................................................................................						84
			7.5.2 Deleting a step from a chase ................................................................							84
7.6			Timing .................................................................................							85
			7.6.1 Global timings for chases .....................................................................							85
			7.6.2 Individual cue times in chases ..............................................................							86
			7.6.3 Setting attribute fade times for a cue in a chase .....................................							87
7.7			Advanced options ..................................................................							88
			7.7.1 Loop/Stop on Final Cue........................................................................							88
			7.7.2	Forwards/backwards/bounce/random ....................................................						88
			7.7.3	Cue linking.........................................................................................	Limited					88
			7.7.4	Renumber cues...................................................................................						88
8.			Cue Lists							89
8.1			Create	.................................................................................						90
			8.1.1	Programming a cue-list........................................................................						90
			8.1.2 Changing legends for cues in a cue list ..................................................							91
			8.1.3 Autoloading a playback within a cue list .................................................							91
8.2			Playback ..............................................................................							92
			8.2.1 Running a cue list ...............................................................................							92
			8.2.2 Killing a cue list ..................................................................................							92
8.3			Edit .....................................................................................							93
			8.3.1	Editing a cue lis using Unfold ...............................................................						93
			8.3.2 Editing a cue list which is running .........................................................							93
			8.3.3 Editing a cue list while recording ...........................................................							94
8.4			Copy, Move and Link..............................................................							95
			8.4.1 Copying or moving a cue list ................................................................							95
8.5			Delete..................................................................................	Deleting a cueAvoliteslist						95
			8.5.1							95
			8.5.2 Deleting a cue from a cue list ...............................................................							95
8.6			Timing .................................................................................							96
			8.6.1 Time and fade options for Cue Lists.......................................................							96
			8.6.2 Cue linking & Link Offset......................................................................							96
			8.6.3 Individual attribute fade times ..............................................................							98
			8.6.4	Fixture overlap ...................................................................................						98
			8.6.5 Running a cue list to timecode ..............................................................							99
8.7			Advanced options ..................................................................							99
			8.7.1	Release mask ....................................................................................						100
			8.7.2	Fader mode.......................................................................................						100
			8.7.3	Handle Paging ...................................................................................						100
			8.7.4	Cue Options ......................................................................................						100
			8.7.5	Autoload ...........................................................................................						100
			8.7.6	Key Profile ........................................................................................						101
9.			Running the show							103
9.1			Playback ............................................................................							103
			9.1.1 Back up the show ..............................................................................							103
			9.1.2	Operating modes ...............................................................................						103
			9.1.3	Master faders ....................................................................................						103
		Copyright								103
			9.1.4 Flash and swop buttons ......................................................................
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		9.1.5	Playback priority ................................................................................								104
		9.1.6 Manual control during a show (“busking”) .............................................					2010				104
9.2		Workspaces on touch screen and VDU ....................................									105
		9.2.1	View menu		........................................................................................						105
		9.2.2 Pearl Titan .............................................................application window									105
9.3		Organising the console .........................................................									105
		9.3.1 Using the Move ......................................................................function									105
10.	Remote control										107
10.1		Setting up the remote ..........................................................									107
		10.1.1		Network setup .................................................................................							107
		10.1.2		Console setup ..................................................................................		Limited					108
10.2		Operating the remote...........................................................									109
		10.2.1		Keypad							109
		10.2.2		Fixture List ......................................................................................							110
		10.2.3		Playback List ...................................................................................							110
		10.2.4		Settings screen ................................................................................							111
10.3		Troubleshooting ..................................................................									111
11. User Settings and other options											113
11.1		Workspace setup ...............................on VDU and Touch Wing									113
		11.1.1		Opening workspace ............................................................. windows							113
		11.1.2 Selecting and ......................................positioning workspace windows									113
		11.1.3		Saving workspaces ...........................................................................							114
		11.1.4		Compatibility ............................................................................ view							115
		11.1.5 Configuring ........................................................the external monitor									115
11.2		Key Profiles ........................................................................									117
		11.2.1 Creating and ........................................................editing key profiles									117
					Avolites
		11.2.2 Selecting a ......................................................................key profile									118
		11.2.3 Individual ...................................................Key profiles for playbacks									118
11.3		The System menu ...............................................................									118
		11.3.1		Avotalk Security ...............................................................................							118
		11.3.2		Network Settings .............................................................................							118
		11.3.3		User Settings ...................................................................................							118
		11.3.4		Key Profiles .....................................................................................							119
		11.3.5 Contrast And ...........................................Brightness (Lamp Intensity)									119
		11.3.6		Wipe ...............................................................................................							120
		11.3.7		Display Setup ..................................................................................							120
11.4		Titan Tools menu.................................................................									120
		11.4.1		Virtual Panel ....................................................................................							120
		11.4.2		Visualiser ........................................................................................							120
		11.4.3		VDU User ............................................................................ settings							120
		11.4.4		Factory settings ...............................................................................							122
		11.4.5		Exchange .............................................................................. fixture							122
		11.4.6		Setup DMX .......................................................................... outputs							123
		11.4.7		Hotkeys ..........................................................................................							123
Copyright
11.5		Curves		...............................................................................							124
11.6		Upgrading ........................................................the software									127
12.	Working with Fixture Personalities										129
		12.1.1 ....................................Downloading fixture personalities from Avolites									129
		12.1.2 .....................................Updating the personality cache on the console									130
		12.1.3 ..................................................Requesting a new fixture personality									130
		12.1.4 ...............................................Reporting a personality bug to Avolites									130
		12.1.5	..............................................................................	In an emergency							130
13.	Networking										133
13.1		Setting ................................................the Pearl’s IP address									133
		13.1.1	............................................................................	Setting IP address							133
13.2		Setting ........................................................up DMX outputs									133
		13.2.1 ................................................................Setup DMX outputs screen									134
13.3		ArtNet................................................................................									134
		13.3.1 .....................................................................A simple ArtNet system									135
		13.3.2 ..............................................................Setting up an ArtNet system									136
		13.3.3	...............................................................	Additional ArtNet Resources							137
13.4		Connecting ......................................to a simulator with ACDI									137
		13.4.1	..............................................................................................	ACDI							137
13.5		Module ......................................................................Setup									139
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					Reference Manual Contents - Page 11
		13.5.1	Installing additional Modules..............................................................							139
13.6		AvoTalk..............................................................................				2010				139
		13.6.1	Example AvoTalk setup .....................................................................							140
13.7		All about IP addressing.........................................................								141
		13.7.1 Setting your IP address.....................................................................								141
		13.7.2	Subnet Masks ..................................................................................							142
		13.7.3 Choosing an IP address and Subnet Mask............................................								142
		13.7.4 Automatically assigning IP addresses (DHCP).......................................								143
		13.7.5 Private IP address ranges..................................................................								143
13.8		Repairing a Network Connection ............................................								144
	14. Titan for Pearl users				Limited					145
14.1		The controls and LCD ...........................................................								145
14.2		New programming features...................................................								146
	15. Release notes									147
15.1		Version 3.0.........................................................................								147
		15.1.1	Upgrading from: 2.0:........................................................................							147
		15.1.2 New features in v3.0 ........................................................................								147
		15.1.3	Improvements in v3.0 ......................................................................							153
		15.1.4	Changes in v3.0...............................................................................							155
		15.1.5 Bugs fixed in v3.0 ............................................................................								155
	16. Glossary of terms									159
				Avolites
	Copyright
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Page 12 – 1. Setting up the console

		Limited	2010
	Avolites
Copyright

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Master faders

1. Setting up the console - Page 13

1.Setting up the console

This chapter contains: Connecting mains power, DMX lines,2010VDUs;

configuring the console and the various VDU windows; guide to where everything is on the console; loading and saving shows.

This manual applies only to the Pearl Expert Titan console but we’ll

refer to it simply as “the Pearl”. If you are using the classic Pearl Expert, or the Pearl 2008, 2004 or 2000Limitedconsoles, they have their own manuals as the operation is significantly different.

This manual includes instructions for the optional Expert Touch Wing.

Note: You can also operate the Pearl Expert Titan in “classic” Pearl Expert mode by rebooting the console into the desired mode. See section 1.7 on page 28.

1.1Guide to the console

Preset faders / handles

Copyright			Programming and
Playback faders and
page select rollers			setup controls

The Pearl has four main control areas:

The Master faders set overall levels on the console

The Preset faders/handles select and control individual fixtures (and you can store cues and chases here too)

The Playback faders and rollers select and control cues and programs

The Programming and setup controls configure and program the console

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Page 14 – 1. Setting up the console

The main controls

Mode select keyswitch

Preset faders / handles

Master faders

Playback page select rollers

	Main display		Menu	Command
		Control	softkeys	Numeric buttons
	Playback faders &
	flash buttons	wheels	Fixture page	keypad and	Attribute
			buttons
				controls	select buttons
	• The Preset Faders are used to control individual dimmer channels
	and fixture intensities. Cues and chases can also be stored on these
	Copyright
	faders. The 2 buttons below the faders are used to select and flash

whatever is stored on the fader. Each fader and buttons is called a “Handle”.

• The Mode select keyswitch selects Programming, Run or System modes of operation.

• The Page select rollers let you select different pages of playbacks, and you can write the playback names on the rollers so you know what’s in them. There are 2 rollers each controlling 10 playback faders

• The Master faders control the overall output of the various parts of the console. You will normally have these set at Full.

• The Playback faders and flash buttons are used to play back cues or chases you have programmed, when you are running a show.

• The Main display is the nerve centre of the console and shows you what is going on. The display can show various screens of information.

• The Control wheels are used to set control values on the fixtures, and to set chase speeds and fades.

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1. Setting up the console - Page 15

•

•

•

•

•

•

MIDI in

USB reserve sockets and switches (2)

The Menu softkeys (labelled A – G) are used to select control options. The display next to the buttons shows what each one will do. The options for each key change depending on what the console is doing. Softkey commands are shown in the manual with square brackets like this: A [Edit Times]

The Numeric keypad and other control buttons are used to enter values and change controls on the console.

The Fixture Page buttons are above the keypad, and allow selection

The blue Command buttons are used to carry out functions2010such as storing cues, copying, saving to disk, etc. These buttons have lights on to indicate when they are active.

of 4 pages for the Preset Faders.

The Attribute select buttons are used to select which attributes of a fixture (e.g. colour, gobo, pan, focus) are going to be controlled using the Control wheels. The buttons have lights on to show you which attributes are active. The bottom (red) button allows you to locate fixtures, which sets them to a known start position while programming.

A QWERTY keyboard and mouse touchpad is provided in a drawer on the front of the console.

Limited

	Expansion sockets			Ethernet socket (top)
	for touch wing
Desk lamp socket	MIDI out			and 2x rear USB
				Audio in (blue)
DMX outputs (4)				VDU mounting Mains inlet
	Floppy disk
Panel reset switch				point
		VDU socket (blue)
	Avolites

The back panel

All the connections required for the console are found on the back panel. Most are self-explanatory.

•The Panel reset switch may be pressed to restart the front panel electronics if something odd happens with the switches and faders. The main board will continue running but the DMX output will be interrupted until the restart is completed.

•The USB reserve sockets and switches are for future expansion. The switches should be set to “Normal operation”.

Copyright

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Page 16 – 1. Setting up the console

The Touch Wing

Context touch buttons

Workspace windows

Playback info

		Workspace
		save/recall
		touch
Window selection		buttons
buttons
Macro buttons	Window size/position	Attribute display
	buttons
	Attribute wheels

The optional Touch Wing uses a touch screen and additional wheels to provide a user-friendly interface for selecting fixtures, palettes, groups and setting attributes.

•	The main area of the Touch Wing shows up to 4 workspace
	windows. You can select the content and configure the size
	and layout of these windows using the Window Selection and
	Size/Position buttons below the screen.
•	The arrangement of windows can be saved and recalled using
	the Workspaces touch buttons on the right of the screen.
•	Some windows have additional command buttons which are
		Avolites
	displayed in the Context touch buttons area on the top right
	of the screen when the window is active.
•	The three Attribute Wheels take over attribute control from
	the wheels on the console, which are then used for speed/fade
	control of chases. Below the wheels the Scroll Mode Button to
	switch the wheels into scroll mode – this is used to move a
	selection box around the screen when editing.
•	The Attribute Display shows which attributes are being
	controlled by the wheels, and the current settings. Touching the
	roller graphic will set the attributes to min or max.
•	Across the bottom of the screen there is an area showing
	information about the playbacks on the current roller pages.
Copyright

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1. Setting up the console - Page 17

	1.2	Connecting up
	1.2.1	Connecting mains power
		You can safely connect the Pearl to any voltage from 80 to 260V.
		We recommend that you run the console from a computer UPS
		(uninterruptible power supply) . If the console unexpectedly loses
		power, you can lose data (up to the last Autosave) and the console
		may want to check its disks on startup which can cause delays. The
		UPS will protect you from most power problems and give you chance
		to shut down the console normally.		2010
	1.2.2	Starting up and shutting down
		The Pearl runs a Windows-based operating system internally, so you
		need to make sure it is shut down properly rather than just turning
		off its power.
		Start up the console by pressing and releasing the Power switch at
		the left hand side of the front edge. The console display and VDU
		screen (if you are using one) should come alive. The Pearl takes
		about 30 seconds to start up and a progress count is shown on the
		console display.
		Shut down the console by pressing an releasing the Power switch
		Avolites	Limited

again. The console will perform a controlled shutdown. Wait until the Power light has gone off (about 15 seconds) before you disconnect power from the console.

To carry out a Forced Shutdown of the console, if the normal shut down does not work, hold down the power switch for 5 seconds.

Note: Do not use the power switch on the rear of the console to switch off the console as this would not close down the console properly.

1.2.3Connecting DMX lines

The Pearl communicates with lighting fixtures using the DMX512 system. It can produce 12 universes of DMX (each 512 control channels). It has 4 physical DMX outputs for direct connection to fixtures and dimmers, and can also send DMX over Ethernet and wireless Ethernet systems to allow connection to remote DMX Ethernet nodes and to the Avolites Console DMX Interface (ACDI) system which is used to connect visualiser applications.

When you patch a dimmer or fixture you tell the Pearl which of the 12 DMX universes it is on. Each universe can be configured to come out of one or more of the 4 standard DMX outputs on the back of the console, or over an Ethernet protocol (see section 13 on page 133.)

The 4 standard DMX outputs come out of the 5 pin XLR sockets on the back of the console. They are wired like this:Copyright

Pin 1	Earth
Pin 2	Data -
Pin 3	Data +
Pin 4	Not used
Pin 5	Not used

Each DMX line should pass through all the fixtures to be connected on

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1.2.4 Connecting VDU monitors

Page 18 – 1. Setting up the console

that line one after the other and have a DMX terminator fitted at the end (120 ohm resistor between pins 2 and 3). You should not split

the DMX lines using passive splitters (Y-splits) as this can mess up the data.

You should connect a computer VDU monitor to the Pearl, which is plugged into the VGA port on the rear of the console.

2010

•	The external VDU can be disabled and if so will show a
	“disabled” message. To enable it, switch to System mode and
		Limited
	select [Display Setup] then press [External Display
	Disconnected]. The option will change to [External Display
	Connected] and the display will be enabled.
•	If you need to change the VDU resolution or settings, click on
	“Tools” at the very top of the screen and select “Control Panel”,
	then “External Monitor”, then select the option to match the
	resolution of your monitor.

There are more details about setting up an external monitor, including troubleshooting help, in section 11.1.5 on page 115.

1.2.5Connecting the Touch Wing

The Touch Wing connects to the DVI port and the 9-pin D connector on the rear of the console, just above the panel with the rear USB/network sockets.

1.2.6Other connections

You can connect an external keyboard and mouse to the pc connectors on the rear of the console if for some reason you don’t like the keyboard with touchpad in the drawer on the front.

The console provides MIDI connections which can be used to connect MIDI timecode to the console for timecode-controlled cue lists.

You can connect the console to a LAN (local area network) using the RJ45 socket on the rear. This allows you to back up the console to another machine, or to link to a DMX-over-ethernet system.

A 3-pin XLR socket for a desk lamp is provided on the rear edge of the console. Suitable lamps are available from Avolites. The lamps are 12 volt, wired from pins 1 and 2 of the XLR.

Copyright

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Current

Current menu name

Menu softkeys

AvolitesList of

selection settings

Down the right hand side of the display, the functions of the A-G menu softkeys are listed. In this manual these are shown in square brackets [Like This]. If there are more functions than will fit on one screen, [Previous] and [Next] buttons are provided to page through the functions.

The vertical bar to the left of the softkeys shows you which menu you

are currently in. You can “latch” the menu (so that you don’t have to Copyrightkeep reselecting it) by pressing the ML Menu button.

At the bottom left of the screen, the current function of the wheels is shown. If fixture attributes are being set, this shows the possible settings which are available on the fixtures. The horizontal bar shows which attributes are being controlled by each wheel and the boxes show the current attribute. If a chase is being controlled, information about the chase is shown here.

Above this, the current fixture intensity is shown in a grid arranged by handle number. A dot shows a fixture that is not lit, otherwise a percentage brightness is shown, with “FL” for full. If the fixture is selected then it is shown inverted (blue-on-white), and if it has been changed (is in the programmer) it is shown underlined.

The area at the top left of the screen shows instructions to the user and information from the console.

The appearance of the softkeys varies to indicate the type of actions available:

Wheel A/B attributes

Fixture intensities

1. Setting up the console

- Page 19

1.3	Using the displays and menus
	The Pearl Expert has many useful features on its onboard display and
	on the VDU.	2010
1.3.1	The onboard display
	Information
	window

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Page 20 – 1. Setting up the console

Action button:	Option button:	New menu	2010
			Text entry
console will carry	cycles through a	button: jumps to	button: press
out the action	range of options	a new menu	and enter text
shown			using the
			keyboard

1.3.2 Workspace windows on the VDULimitedand Touch Wing

The VDU screen and, if you are using it, the Touch Wing, show the workspace windows. These contain buttons for selecting fixtures, groups, palettes, playbacks and so on. Information windows such as Playback View, Channel Grid and the integrated Visualiser application can also appear as a workspace window.

4 window positions Context buttons

CopyrightUp to 4 windows can be shown on each screen in a 2x2 grid, but if you need a larger view, you can make a window twice as big, or it

can take up the whole area. You can move windows freely between the external VDU screen and the Touch Wing. Some possible window sizes/positions are shown below.

Quarter size Double wide Double height Maximised

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1. Setting up the console - Page 21

Some workspace windows have option settings or commands associated with them. If the Touch Wing is connected, these are positioned in the “context buttons” area on the right of the Touch Wing as shown in the picture above. If the Touch Wing is not connected, a drop down context menu is available at the top right of each window.

Selecting and positioning workspace windows

You select which workspace windows

you want to see using the [Open Workspace Window] menu command

on the root menu, or by pressing the Window Selection buttons on the Touch Wing just below the screen.

You can change the positions and sizes of the windows by using [Window Options] on the View menu. The Touch Wing also has pushbuttons for these functions. [Min or Max] swaps the active window between full screen and quarter size. [Size and Position] moves the active window around the possible positions. [Select Window] gives you a list of windows to choose the active one, or on

the Touch Wing you can make a window active by touching its header

bar. Avolites

Limited

You can move the active window between the Touch Wing and the external VDU monitor by pressing View then [Window Options] then [Move Screen], or for the Touch Wing hold down the Avo button (on the main console) and press the Size/Position button.

If a window shown on the VDU contains touch buttons, you can click them using the mouse trackpad on the keyboard.

The function buttons (F1-F12) on the QWERTY keyboard can be used to select and move workspace windows. See the list in section 11.1.2 on page 113.

Saving workspaces

CopyrightYou can save different workspace setups to the Workspaces touch buttons on the Touch Wing or to grey handle buttons on the console.

This is done by pressing View then [Record Workspace], then touching one of the Workspaces buttons or pressing a grey button. This allows you to reconfigure the workspace at the touch of a button.

Workspaces are saved with the show.

Setting up and recording workspaces is described in more detail in section 11.1 on page 113.

Quick record

Some windows – Groups, Workspaces, Playbacks, and all the Palette windows - have a Quick Record function. Set up what

you want to record, then touch or click the button once. The button will light up red with a + sign. At this point you can enter a legend. Touch or click again to store the item.

The Quick Record function can be disabled using Key Profiles (see section 11.2.1 on page 117).

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Page 22 – 1. Setting up the console

1.3.3	The Tools menu
	The Tools menu on the top left corner of
	the screen (or the Touch Wing) allows you
	to access Windows functions such as File
	explorer (to move files around), Control
	Panel (to setup hardware), and to stop or
	restart the Pearl application or run other
	show files or when updating the operatingLimitedsoftware.
	programs.
	About gives you information about the
	software version.
	Help shows you the online manual.
	Control Panel opens a sub-menu allowing
	changes to monitor settings and to the USB
	expert console which links the front panel
	controls to the system. The “More…” option
	opens Windows Control Panel allowing you
	to change the operating system
	configuration.	Avolites
	Folders opens the file explorer. You ght need this when backing up
	Switch Task allows you to bring programs in front of the Pearl
	windows and move them between the Touch Wing and the external
	VDU screen. Click or touch the Switch Screen icon to swap the
	program between the Touch Wing and the external VDU. Click or
	touch the Centre icon to centre the window on the screen. Click or
	touch Close to close the program.
Copyright			Switch screen Centre Close

Additional Programs allows you to run some diagnostic programs which might help Avolites Support find problems you’re having.

Switch Software allows you to run the Pearl Expert in “Classic” Pearl mode rather than Titan mode.

Restart and Shutdown Software restarts and closes the Titan and Pearl Expert software. You would normally only use these when upgrading the software.

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At the right hand end of the toolbar is the keyboard popup button which will open the touch keyboard. This duplicates the function of the keyboard in the drawer, but can be more convenient for quick text entry.

1. Setting up the console - Page 23

Keyboard button

The touch keyboard can be switched between large and2010small size using the Max/Min button and you close it using the large X button in the top right hand corner. It can be set to pop up automatically when

Manual/Auto Change size Close

keyboard at the top.

text input is required,Avolitesusing the Man/Auto button. You can also move it on the screen by touching and dragging the blank area of the

The small version of the keyboard (pictured) does not have some of the less frequently used buttons.

1.3.4Visualiser

The Pearl Expert runs Avolites Visualiser internally. This allows you to view the output of the console if you can’t use the real lights, enabling you to make changes to your show at home or in your hotel.

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Page 24 – 1. Setting up the console

	Visualiser is shown in a workspace window, either on the touch
	screen or on the external monitor. Press [Window Options] then
					2010
	[Move Screen] on the View menu to move it between the touch
	screen and external monitor.
	Configuration buttons for Visualiser are provided in the context button
	area in the top right of the Touch Wing screen, or on the context
	menu at the top right of the window if you aren’t using the Touch
	Wing.
	•	The operation of Visualiser is not covered in this manual, please
		refer to the Visualiser manual.
	Auto Patch
	The Auto Patch function automatically creates a Visualiser rig from
	your Pearl show. When you start Visualiser using softkey A on the
	View menu, Visualiser will open with an automatic representation of
	your patch.
	You will see the fixtures laid out on screen as they are on the console,
	so any spaces between fixtures will be preserved and fixtures patched
	to the top row of presets will be shown above fixtures patched to the
	bottom row of presets.
	The Visualiser will start in run mode, with the simulator tab selected
	so you can start controlling lights immediately.
	Multiple dimmers patched to one handle will appear as a singe fixture
	in Visualiser.			Limited
	Fixture selection
	When a fixture is selected on the console, it is highlighted in blue in
	Visualiser.
1.3.5	The Heads-Up Display (HUD)
	The HUD window shows you what is stored in each fader and button
	on the console: cues, chases, fixtures, dimmers, palettes, and fixture
	groups. Any legends you enter are shown here.
	The HUD window is a workspace window and is displayed by pressing
	View then [Open Workspace Window] then [HUD]. It may be moved
	around and resized using the normal workspace window controls.
Copyright			Avolites

Fixtures are highlighted in dark blue if in the programmer and in light blue if selected. Only fixtures, palettes and groups stored in the preset handles on the console are shown, handles on the Touch Wing are not shown on the HUD.

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1.3.7 Key macro recording

1.3.6 Key profiles

1. Setting up the console - Page 25

The Pearl allows you to reconfigure how the front panel2010buttons work to suit your method of working. You can also change the way some of the touch keys work on the Touch Wing. You can save your settings as a Key Profile. Different profiles can be selected for different users or to enhance the operation of the console for a particular use. See section 13.2 on page 133 for details.

Lighting programming can sometimesLimitedrequire a repeated sequence of button presses. You can record sequences of keypresses and play them back with a single keypress – this is called a macro. To record a macro:

1> Press the blue Macro (previously Insert) button (to the right of the numeric keys).

2> Press [Record]

3> Press a vacant preset Flash button. Recording starts. The Macro button flashes during recording.

4> Press the sequence of buttons you want to record.

5> Press Macro to finish recording.

(with no delay or timing between the presses).

To play back the macro,Avolitesjust press the grey Flash button where you recorded the macro. The macro will repeat all your button presses

When using the Touch Wing, macros may also be recorded into 10 dedicated buttons on the Wing. In addition you can display a workspace window with further macro touch buttons. The 10 hardware buttons are allocated to the first 10 macros in the window.

1.3.8The Pearl Expert Titan application

The Pearl Expert Titan application is the “engine room” of the console. The main reason you will need to use it is to configure DMX outputs. Use the Tools → Switch Tasks menu to bring the application window to the front.

Setting up DMX outputs is described in section 11.4.6 on page 123.

1.4Loading and saving shows

CopyrightYou can save any number of different shows on a USB drive or the Pearl’s internal hard disk. The Pearl will also autosave the show

periodically.

Note: You cannot transfer shows between the Pearl Expert Titan and other versions of the Pearl or Pearl Expert as the showfile format is different. You can load shows to/from other Titan consoles such as the Tiger Touch.

1.4.1Autosave

The Pearl will automatically save your show to its internal hard disk

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Page 26 – 1. Setting up the console

when you shut it down. It will also autosave the show every 30 minutes in case the console loses power. The time remaining to the next auto save is shown on the status bar of the Titan application.

			You can disable Autosave or alter the time between saves using
			option D [Auto Save] on the Disk menu (selected using the blue Disk
			button). Softkey A enables or disables autosave and Softkey B sets
			the time between saves. We recommend that you have autosave
			enabled while programming in case the console power fails, but
			disable it while running a show as it can cause the console to pause
			slightly at inconvenient moments.			2010
1.4.2		Manual save and load
			You can save your show at any time either with its current name or
			with a new name.
			1> Press the blue Disk button (bottom right).
		2>		Press [Save Show].
			3> If you have a USB drive connected, use the softkeys to select
				whether to save on “Removable Disk” or the internal hard drive.
			4> Enter a name for the show on the keyboard (the screen shows
				a list of shows which already exist).
			5> Press Enter or [Save]. The show will be saved.
			6> Press Exit or [OK] to leave Disk mode.
					Limited
			If you save to hard drive, shows are saved in the C:/Program
			Files/Avolites/Titan/ShowData folder, unless you change this in the
			User Settings.
			The Pearl will automatically load the last show when it is turned on.
			If you want to load a different show:
			1> Press the blue Disk button.
		2>		Press [Load Show].
			3> If you have a USB drive connected, select which drive you want
				to load from.
			4> Available shows are listed on the softkeys; press the key to load
				the show (the F and G keys show more pages). If you type the
				first few lettersAvolitesof the show name on the Qwerty keyboard, the
				list will only include shows starting with those letters, which can
				make it easier to locate the show you want.
			5> Press Exit to leave Disk mode.
			You can save any number of different shows on the Pearl’s internal
			hard disk.
1.5		Backing up a show to USB drive
			If you save to the internal hard drive, it’s a good idea to regularly
			copy a backup of the show to an external storage device such as a
			USB pen drive just in case something bad happens to the console.
			One way to do this is to load the show from the hard disk then save it
			to the removable disk using the Disk button as described in the
			previous section.
			You can also use the VDU and mousepad to select options from the
	CopyrightPearl Expert Titan window on the VDU as described below.

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1. Setting up the console - Page 27

1.5.1Backup existing show files to USB pen drive

To backup existing show files to USB drive you need to copy the showfile across

using Windows functions.

		1>	On the
			Tools
			menu,
			click on
			the
			Folders
			icon.
	2>		Double
			click on
			“Local
			Disk (C:)”
	3>		Double
			click on the “Program Files” folder.
	4>		Double click on the “Avolites” folder, then double click the
			“Titan” folder, then double click the “ShowData” folder.
	5>		The VDU screen will show a list of the saved shows.
	6>		Click on the show you want to backup. If you want to backup
			more than one, hold down the Ctrl button on the keyboard
			while clicking them.		Limited
	7>		Right click on a selected file, and select “Send to” from the pop
			up menu which appears.
	8>		Select the removable USB drive where you want to make a
			backup of the show file(s). The file will be copied.
		9>	You cannot burn files to CD-R, you must use a USB drive.
1.6	Clearing the console
		When you start a new show on the Pearl it is usually a good idea to
		clear the console. All programming and patching is deleted, but user
		options are not changed.
	1>		Press the blue Disk button.
				Avolites
	2>		Press [New Show].
	3>		Press [OK] to confirm.
		4>	Press Exit to leave Disk mode.
	•		There is also an option E [Wipe] in the System menu (when the
			key is turned to System) which has the same function, and is
			located in the same place as on the “classic” Pearl versions.
	Copyright

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Page 28 – 1. Setting up the console

1.7	Rebooting into original Pearl Expert mode
	2010

You can run the Pearl Expert in either Titan mode or the original Pearl Expert mode. Click the [Switch Software] button on the VDU tools menu to reboot the console into the desired mode.

		Limited
	Reboot into different
	mode
Copyright	Avolites

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2. Patching - Page 29

2.Patching

This chapter contains: patching dimmers; patching moving light fixtures; checking the patching; changing the DMX address; deleting a patched fixture; patching options.

Patching is the process where you tell the Pearl

	•	What type of lighting units you have connected to it
	•	What DMX addresses they are operating at					2010
	•
		Which DMX line (universe) each unit is connected to (there are
		12)
	•	Which Preset Faders you want to use to access them
	You should normally plan out the lighting rig in advance to allow the
	DMX addresses on your fixtures to be set up before they are rigged.
	The easiest way to do this is to patch the fixtures on the console,
	then read off the DMX addresses from the console (using the DMX
	window on the VDU) and use them to set up the addresses on the
	actual fixtures.
	Alternatively you can allocate the DMX addresses to the fixtures
	yourself, and set up the console to match.
				Limited
	The Pearl’s key must be set to Program before you can patch.
2.1	Create
2.1.1	Preset faders (handles)
	To control intelligent fixtures or					Handles (Preset faders)
	dimmer channels, they must be
	patched to a Preset, or to a
	Fixture button on the Touch Wing.
	Presets are the faders, buttons
	and displays located in 2 rows
	along the top of the console. Each
	preset consists of:
			Avolites

•a fader, used to set the intensity of the fixture or dimmer

•a blue Select button which is used to select the fixture

•a grey Palette button which is used to store and select Palettes, Groups and various other

things

Copyright
The fader and buttons are
together referred to as a handle.
There are 4 pages of presets
controlled by the fixture page
buttons, located just above the
numeric keypad. Fixtures 1-60 are
on page 0--, Fixtures 101-160 on
page 1--, 201-260 on page 2—	Pages of fixtures buttons
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and 301-360 on page 3--. You can change the fixture page at any time.

On the Touch Wing, you can patch fixtures into the Fixtures workspace window .

Page 30 – 2. Patching

If the Fixtures window is not shown, press View then [Open Workspace Window] then [Fixtures] to show it, or press the

Fixtures button on the Touch Wing.

Fixture touch buttons can be shown either in pages with Page buttons, or you can use the scroll bar to show different pages. Use the [Pages Show/Hide] touch button on the right of the screen to select between page buttons and scrolling mode. on the left of the screen. You can change the fixture page at any time.

	Note: Fixture touch buttons on the Touch Wing are completely
		separate from fixtures patched onto the preset faders, unless
				Limited
		the Compatibility View workspace is used – this view
		duplicates the blue/grey preset buttons on the touch screen.
		See section 11.1.4 on page 115 for more details.
	The Pearl also allows you to allocate fixtures and dimmers to Groups,
	which can be useful if you usually select the same set of fixtures
	together. Groups are described in the next chapter.
2.1.2	Patching dimmers
	Each dimmer channel is allocated to one fader.
	1>	Press Patch (one of the blue command buttons bottom right),
		then [Dimmers].
	2>		Avolites
		Softkey A [Line=] shows you which of the 12 DMX output lines
		you are patching onto. Press A then enter a new number (1-12)
		to change the line. [Address=xx] shows the DMX address about
		to be patched. You can change this by pressing [Address=xx],
		typing in the new address on the numeric keypad and pressing
		Enter.
	3>	To patch a single dimmer, press a preset Select button or a
		fixture touch button. To patch a range of dimmers, hold down
		the Select button for the first dimmer in the range, then press
		the last Select button in the range. On the Touch Wing, run
		your finger along the buttons. The range of dimmers will be
		patched to sequential DMX addresses.
	4>	The Select buttons light up dimly to show that they are
		patched. Fixture Touch buttons turn dark blue and show fixture
		details.
	5>	Repeat from step 2 for other dimmers.
Copyright
	•	When setting the DMX address using Softkey B, you can set the

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