ETC Express 24/48, Express 72/144, Express 48/96 Quick Manual

Lighting Control Console
Quick Guide

Version 3.1

Copyright © Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.

All Rights reserved.

Product information and specifications subject to change.

Part Number:

Released: November 2002

4110M1300-3.1

Rev A

ETC®, Emphasis™, Expression®, Insight™, Imagine™, Focus™, Express™, Unison®,

Obsession

®

II, ETCNet2™, EDMX™, Sensor®, and WYSILink™ are either registered trademarks

or trademarks of Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Table of Contents

Console Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Keypad Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Introduction to Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Patching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Working with Channels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Two-scene Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Playback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Disk Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Working with Moving Light (ML) Fixtures . . . . . . . 18

Express v3.1 Quick Guide i

ii Table of Contents

Console Panels

oduct:

.

Lamps 12V

0
9

8

0

3

2

Back panel

Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc

Pr

1. Desk Light Dimmer

2. RFU fuse (T2.5A)

3. RFU

4. DMX512 Out (2 universes)

5. ETCLink

6. Disk Drive (side)

7. Power switch

Face Panel (Express 125/250)

1

8. Power input connector

9. Command Display output

10. Parallel Printer

11. Remote Macros

12. MIDI In/Out/Thru

13. ETCNet (newer facepanels do
not have Thin-net connector)

H

1. Desk Light connectors

2. Disk Drive (side)

3. Submaster faders

4. Blackout key

5. Grandmaster

Console Panels 1

6. AB Fader pair

7. CD Fader pair

8. Keypad

9. Trackpad

Face Panel (Express 24/48)

Cha

1. Desk Light connectors

2. Disk Drive (side)

3. Channel faders (Scene A)

4. Channel/Submaster faders
(Scene B)

6. Grandmaster

7. AB Fader pair

8. CD Fader pair

9. Keypad

10. Trackpad

5. Blackout key

Face Panel (Express 48/96, Express 72/144 is similar)

1. Desk Light connectors

2. Disk Drive (side)

3. Channel faders (Scene A)

4. Channel faders (Scene B)

5. Submaster faders

6. Blackout key

2 Express v3.1 Quick Guide

7. Grandmaster

8. AB Fader pair

9. CD Fader pair

10. Keypad

11. Trackpad

Keypad Features

ter

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S1

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p

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Sub

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ocus

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boutLearn

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atch

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S1

S2

3

S3S4S5S6S7

S8

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3

S1S2S3S4S5S6S7

S8

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atch

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Display Keys

Stage Setup

About Learn

Cluster A

Display Keys

Blind

Patch

Hel

Cluster B

Sta

Blin

A

Macro Keys

En
Macr

Pa

Typ

Wai

Setu

P

En
Macr

M2M1 M*M3

S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8

Cue

Grou

Tim

RecordTrack

8

7

4

1

9

6

5

3

2

0

Clear

Enter

Chan

Thru

An

R

Numeric Keypad

M

Navigation Keys

Softkeys

Dim

At

Cluster C

Ful

L

F
Poin

•The [Stage] display is where most editing of channel levels happens. In Stage, any

changes you make are ‘live‘ and will take immediate effect.

•The [Blind] display is used when you want to edit channel levels or cues but don’t need

or want a ‘live‘ result. For example, if you are running a show and decide that you would
like to add a channel at 50% to a cue, you can make the change in Blind and it won’t
affect the look currently on stage. The next time you play back your cue, the change
takes effect.

•The [Patch] is used to assign dimmers to channels, and to modify dimmer attributes.

View and edit your channel patch in this display.

•The [Setup] display is where you can edit the system settings for your console.

Macro Keys

Macro keys are used to program macro
functions and start macros. Macro keys
[M1]–[M3] access the first three
macros directly; [M*] allows you to
specify any one of the 2,000 macros
available and must be followed by a
number. [Macro Enter] is used when
programming macros.

A macro is a recorded series of keystrokes to be replayed later. Macros can execute any
console command (including softkeys and submaster bumps) and be linked to cues. For
example, if you record [Setup] [3] [Enter] [1] [Enter] [Enter] [Stage] into a macro, with
one keystroke you can save your show to disk and return to the Stage display. See your
user manual for more information on recording macros.

Sta

Blin

A

Setu

P

Ente
Macr

M

Keypad Features 3

Cluster A

d

ge

boutLearn

p

atch

ter

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S1

S2

3

S3S4S5S6S7

S8

ge

p

S1S2S3S4S5S6S7

S8

bout

ter

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S1S2S3S4S5S6S7

S8

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p

atch

3

boutLearn

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•The [About] key opens a window

containing information about a
channel, dimmer, or the show
according to which key you press
after pressing [About]. For
example, [About] [Chan] [3]
[Enter] will display information
about channel 3.

•The [Learn] key enables you to record keystrokes in real time into macros as an

alternative to using editing screens.

•The [Help] key provides context-sensitive assistance online. Press [Help] followed by

a second key (including softkeys) to open a window explaining the function of the
second key.

Navigation Keys

Use navigation keys to get around in
displays, move through menus, move
through fields in the Fixture Patch
display, or move to different attributes
or pages in the Fixture Box window.

Softkeys

Sta

Blin

A

Sta

A

Setu

P

En
Macr

Setu

En
Macr

M

Softkeys are found in many console
displays. They are identified for that
display at the bottom of the screen. You
activate a display’s softkeys by
pressing [S1]–[S8]. When softkey [S7 -
More Softkeys] is available, there are
more pages of softkeys for that display.
Press [S7 - More Softkeys] to access those additional pages.

Cluster B

In general, the keys in this cluster
pinpoint the elements that make up
the structure of your show. You will
use these keys when recording or
editing groups, cues or submasters.
Some allow you to change the
properties of recorded elements, such
as playback timing and relationships
with other elements.

Sta

A

Page

Type

Link

Wait

Cue

Sub

Group

Time

RecordTrack

Setu

P

En
Macr

Clea

M

h

i

Thr

A

An

Ful

Exce

Lev

Focu

Ente

R

Poin

Blin

4 Express v3.1 Quick Guide

Numeric Keypad

r

r

el

pt

d

u

an

el

l

t

m

s

t

ecordTrack

e

p

t

e

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el

pt

d

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t

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s

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ecordTrack

e

p

t

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r

r

The Numeric keypad is for numerical
entry. This grouping also includes the

[Enter] and [Clear] keys. Press
[Enter] to complete operations. Press
[Clear] to cancel operations.

Pa

Typ

h

i

Thr

A

Cluster C

• Use these keys when editing

•Use the [Thru], [And] and

• Use [At] when making

• Use the [Full] and [Level] keys to

• Use [Rel] to release selected, captured and independent channels. Selected channels

•Use the [Focus Point] key to set levels by reference.

channel levels and lists.

[Except] keys to work with

Grou

Tim

Wai

R

Pa

Typ

Clea

Ente

Exce

An

Ful

Lev

Focu

R

Poin

h

i

Thr

A

multiple selections and ranges.

Grou

An

Ful

assignments, such as when

Exce

setting channel levels.

assign pre-defined levels (there is

Tim

Wai

R

Clea

Ente

Lev

Focu

R

Poin

no need to precede with [At] or
follow with [Enter]).

may be edited in any display. Channels may be captured in the Stage or Fader displays
and cannot be controlled by cues or submasters. Independent channels are unaffected
by Grandmaster, Flash, Solo and Blackout controls. Press [Rel] 1–3 times to release
channels in the following order: first selected channels, then captured channels, then
independent channels.

Keypad Features 5