Console Worlds: Tracking and Preset

One of the largest changes in moving from an entry level board, such as a SmartFade, Express, or Expression, to a full control deck such as an Ion, Eos or Congo, is a dramatic shift in the operation and edict of cue construction. It is absolutely essential to understand the differences not only in initial programing, but in terms of on-the-fly editing and scene tweaking.

Earlier and entry level consoles operate on what is known as a preset system. A preset systems works as the name implies, each cue is preset by the board operator and recorded on the console as complete values of every channel at that moment. Even though only one light may change intensity in a given cue, all data is recorded to the memory banks of the board. This style of construction means a board operator can manually build cues on the fly by raising or lowering individual sliders, submasters, or groups, and the recording functions as a snapshot of the exact state of the console at the moment record was pressed. A common problem for board operators and lighting designers centers around the fact that both ourselves and directors are picky. In a preset style board, changing the level of one light through a series of cues requires quickstepping through each cue with the selected fixture captured at the desired level. This can be tedious to say the least, and often impractical to accomplish in the middle of a rehearsal or cue-to-cue.

Enter the tracking console. Tracking consoles utilize a very different style of programing designed to work intuitively with a director and lighting designer. Tracking consoles attempt to mimic how a designer thinks about a show, in terms of what changes. When you hit record on a tracking console, the board does not save a comprehensive snapshot of the current scene. Instead, it records only what has changed! Additionally, it will carry on this change (as it did with all those beforehand) into any new cue you make. Additionally, any changes you make in previous cues will transfer forwards to preexisting cues, assuming the level is maintained.

What does that all mean? Let's say in Cue 1 you set a cyc blue to 45%, which continues until cue 50 when it drops to 20%. Now, say you want to change the initial 45% to 60%. On a conventional preset board you would go to cue 1, capture the channels at 60%, and quickstep through cues 1-50. On a tracking console, the instruction of where to set that level is saved in one place and one place only, cue 1. Because the intensity of the light does not change until cue 50, it has no recorded value for cues 2-49. In order to change the intensity of the cyc from 45% to 60%, the only cue you need to modify is cue 1.

But this isn't always good, maybe you only want cues 1-20 to reflect the 65% change. In that case, tracking consoles use something called block cues. Block cues effectively break the tracking, allowing you to start fresh. Some consoles allow you to set break cues on specific channels (I.E. set a break cue for just the cyc).

Tracking consoles offer tremendous advantages over traditional preset consoles in terms of versatility and adaptability, yet often have a high learning curve. Because of the nature of programing, they often lack the kind of direct-user control Express owners are accustomed to, and are used less in live-creation settings.