[rescue] Big Caps

[Jonathan C. Patschke]

On Thu, 4 Jul 2002, Steven Hill wrote:

> Must either be way old, or way new.

Way old.

> Having worked on fairly recent 3p dimmers, and some really old
> dimmers... (Basically pots with well insulated handles) I have not
> seen that many caps in there.

The dimmer modules are in a nonstandard enclosure, but it's approximately
the size of two telco racks--maybe wider.  There is a -lot- of power going
into and out of that thing.  There's even a BRS on the side (and a remote
BRS downstairs) in case anything Bad happens.

> > I will have to take pictures the next time I work[1] a show--it's an
> > impressive piece of hardware.
>
> Yes, you will :-)

I will.  I'm surprised my roommate never did.

> I have done sound once in a while, but preferred lights. Less shit to
> carry in the first instance.

Oh, no.  Not at all in a fixed theatre installation (or, at least in this
one).  Sure you have to initially position speakers and microphones, but
lights have three rows of overhead electrics, two rows of house lights,
four side pipes, and backlighting to deal with.

Actually running the lights is easier than running sound, though.
There's a big green button marked "next" which executes the next lighting
transition.  The sound (at our installation, anyway) has to be started,
mixed, and cropped manually from stage cues.  I don't much mind,
though--I'm a sliders-and-knobs sort of guy, and the sound board has quite
a lot of both.

--Jonathan
[1] (this footnote has expired and is no-longer available)