Show Control questions completed for Installation Europe magazine
Digital Antics’ Managing Director Quintin Willison was asked to submit his thoughts on the show control market place by Ian McMurray writing for Installation Europe magazine. For those that read snippets of Q’s thoughts in the article (Issue 73, July 2006), or even those who did not see it, we thought you might like to see his answers in full.
What kind of show control systems are available today? What are their advantages and disadvantages?
Show control systems are split largely in to three categories:
- Embedded software running on dedicated hardware controllers - e.g. show control specific hardware such as the well known products from both AMX and Crestron as well as less prolific contenders from companies such as Alcorn McBride (V range), AVstumpfl (SC Master) and Interactive Technologies (CueServer). These systems will tend to be event driven and generally have built in functionality for handling cue lists and/or timelines - concepts which are essential for rapid control system development. Programming can be fiddly due to proprietary interfaces however the key distinguishing factor for all of these systems is that, once programmed, they are designed to be left running 24/7 with little or no maintenance and are ’solid state’ (e.g. no moving parts which could be prone to mechanical failure).
- Dedicated software environments running on generic, desktop, ‘off the shelf’ PC hardware - e.g. time-honoured ‘old favourite’ Dataton TRAX as well as the ‘new kid on the block’ Medialon Manager plus less well known or niche solutions such as Richmond Sound Design’s ShowMan and Richard Bleasdale’s SAMSC.
- Hybrid or bespoke systems - e.g. systems developed on top of a dedicated show control application programming framework (such as Stardraw Control) or which have been developed using a rapid application development (RAD) tool such as C# .NET, Visual Basic, Java or Macromedia Director or at an even lower level (C/C++ or assembler!).
Dedicated hardware controllers tend to be more reliable with less on-going maintenance burden however they can be tedious and time consuming to program whereas a dedicated software environment will take the form of a standard desktop application and hence benefit from the familiarity the user has with the operating system and it’s commonly available collaborative features and storage capabilities. Dedicated software environments are generally designed to permit a quick, initial learning curve for programmers and will often use the concept of timelines for cue management. More often than not, however, these systems are limited by the range of devices that they support - for example, in the case of Medialon, the range of MxM plug-in modules that have been developed by the manufacturer themselves.
The advantage of a bespoke developed system (whether designed to run on a generic PC or on dedicated ’solid state’ hardware such as a micro-processor or programmable logic controller) is that it will be leaner than an all encompassing software environment, can be customised to precise requirements and can support any ‘controllable’ capability of any device to which it’s connected - limited only by the skill of the programmer and the capabilities of the device!
What are the key technologies in today’s show control systems? What advantages/benefits do they bring compared with “yesterday’s” technologies? What can you do with show control systems today that you couldn’t do, say, a couple of years ago?
The key technology enabling so much of what is going on in show control at the moment is the concept of ‘open standards’ and specifically the increasing use by product manufacturers and bespoke systems developers alike of standard ethernet topologies and IP based network protocols.
Gone are the days of proprietary ’system buses’ (which were generally all based on the same electrical signaling standards as ethernet anyway) and in come unified infrastructures based around CAT5 cable and RJ45 connectors as well as the industrial variants of the same from manufacturers such as Belden and Neutrik.
A good example of a company grasping this nettle is KISS-BOX who have based their entire product range around ethernet and are embracing open protocol standards including ArtNet and MIDI-RTP.
Ethernet enables the show control world to use all of the hardware and software tools and learnings which have been created, learnt, proven and driven by the more conventional ‘IT bods’. It’s all about pushing data around quickly, reliably and flexibly - exactly what an IP based network is all about.
What is currently ‘hot’ in show control - what is it that’s exciting for you - and for your customers?
Simplification of system topology and wiring through the use of standardised ethernet hardware (cheap network switches from manufacturers like Netgear) to distribute commands and gather feedback from nodes around a show control network. Centralised controllers communicating with ethernet enabled devices, dedicated show control protocol handling ethernet nodes (e.g. KISS-BOX) and generic ethernet serial communication handling nodes (e.g. Moxa and Equinox).
Increased interoperability through the use of open standards. Open, proven protocol standards for transmitting (or encapsulating) all types of audio visual and control information are available over ethernet including sound, video, DMX, MIDI and serial commands.
Where do you see most demand for show control? Has that changed over the past couple of years - and do you expect it to change in the next couple of years?
In theatre and touring shows we generally see the need to reduce the number of personnel needed to operate the show as well as the complexity of operations. Quite often this will be typified by the request for the ‘video to be operated by the lighting guy’ or similar. In which case a carefully thought out show control solution which can sit in a corner and work as it’s own department and take occasional pokes (electronic or otherwise) from the operator is what we’ll deliver.
I can only see this trend increasing as budgets continue to decrease. Producers expect more and more bang for their buck - especially when they see what they can do on their desktop PC at home using Microsoft’s PowerPoint or Apple’s Final Cut. We need to continue to deliver the message that a ’show ready’ system rarely comes ‘off the shelf’!
What could be improved about today’s show control systems? Are they easy to install? Easy to use? Easy to maintain? Flexible enough? Reliable enough?
I could write a short essay on each product individually - but don’t have the time. Basically we don’t generally find any of the hardware or software systems difficult to install or use. But then we’re using this stuff all the time and have a base of knowledge extending from AV through to IT. We do, however, find many of the solutions limiting at times which is why we’ll often take the bespoke approach and roll our own.
What are the biggest challenges for companies in the show control business today?
Staying current and spotting trends. A piece of equipment that was cutting edge six months ago can be rendered obsolete in an instant when Intel release a new chip or another far east manufacturer releases yet another little black box.
Where do you see show control going in the future?
Show control has got to go further in the direction of open standards with less proprietary protocols and limiting patents. This will ensure we have a profitable industry which makes it worthwhile for companies to continue developing innovative hardware and software solutions. The show control soup needs to be sloppy enough for integrators to use their own special ingredients and cooking techniques while maintaining the flexibility to sprinkle in croutons from any number of specialist hardware or software manufacturers according to taste.
Is show control a good business to be in? Is your show control business growing, about the same, or less than it was a couple of years ago?
We’re happy where we are and our business has grown from two employees in November 2003 to seven now in 2006. It’s a small, niche industry and nearly 100% of our work comes entirely from repeat business and word of mouth. Integrity and hard work have been essential to getting us to where we are now and we have no intention of stopping any time soon.
If a company was thinking of going into the show control business, what advice would you give them?
Know what you’re talking about and be honest about the capabilities of both the hardware and software systems you’re using as well as yourselves. Charge sensible rates for what you’re doing. Undercutting everyone else will not help you or the industry in the long term.
Are there any other points you think my article should consider?
You could look at how show control trends vary geographically - e.g. preference to particular systems or solutions worldwide.
You might also like to consider whether the current trend in the IT industry towards out sourcing software development and support to the likes of India is going to penetrate in to our industry… I doubt it as so much of the work is done ‘on site’ - however it’s an interesting thought in respect of bespoke developed control applications!
URI List
Q also provided Ian with a list of key show control industry links: