Use of technology to coordinate multiple entertainment control systems
A screen capture of a common Windows-based show control program.
Show control is the use of automationtechnology to link together and operate multiple entertainment control systems in a coordinated manner. It is distinguished from an entertainment control system, which is specific to a single theatrical department, system or effect, one which coordinates elements within a single entertainment discipline such as lighting, sound, video, rigging, or pyrotechnics. A typical entertainment control system would be a lighting control console. An example of show control would be linking a video segment with a number of lighting cues, or having a sound cue trigger animatronic movements, or all of these combined. Shows with or without live actors can almost invariably incorporate entertainment control technology and usually benefit from show control to operate these subsystems independently, simultaneously, or in rapid succession.
Leading companies in the industry, such as Alcorn McBride, Gilderfluke & Co., and MediaMation, have developed the hardware and software solutions that make Show Control possible. Their innovations have played a pivotal role in some of the most complex and immersive attractions worldwide, demonstrating the essential nature of Show Control technology in modern themed entertainment.[1]
Show control networks
Show control networks have largely supplanted older show control typologies. This is primarily due to the maturation of the larger information technology (IT) computing industry, which, due to its scale and dominance, has produced standards, equipment and software which is less expensive than older show control equipment and methodologies and increasingly more reliable and usable in entertainment applications.[2]
Modern systems are increasingly based upon Ethernet networking. Most manufacturers of entertainment control equipment now include Ethernet ports on their equipment. Ethernet was originally disqualified from consideration for show control because it was slow, non-deterministic, and lacked sufficient bandwidth to handle certain show control functions. These early objections have been overcome with the use of full-duplex switched Ethernet running at 1000BASE-T speeds on a dedicated local area network (LAN).[2]
The MIDI Show Control (MSC) standard[3] is an open, industry-wide international communications protocol through which all types of show devices can communicate. MIDI generally is a simplex asynchronous serial data transmission standard with the circuit being an opto-isolated current loop type. MIDI, an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface,[4] was originally designed in the early 1980s as a means of controlling multiple keyboard synthesizers from different manufacturers. Beginning in 1989, a group of interested theatre professionals headed by Charlie Richmond of Richmond Sound Design in Vancouver British Columbia began discussions on the USITT MIDI Forum Callboard Network. This forum included developers and designers from the theatre sound and lighting industry from around the world. They created the MSC standard between January and September, 1990.[5] It was ratified by the MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) in January, 1991, and the Japan MIDI Standards Committee (JMSC) later that year, as an extension of the standard MIDI specification. It became an accepted standard in August, 1991. The first show to fully utilize the MSC specification was the Magic Kingdom Parade at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in September, 1991.[6]
USITT DMX512-A is the current de facto standard for lighting control systems. It is an asynchronous serial data transmission standard commonly found as a control scheme between computerized lighting consoles and connected dimmers, moving light fixtures, color changers including LED fixtures, and certain effects (fog, strobes) which are usually operated by the electrical (lighting) department in theatres.
DMX512 was originally launched by USITT in 1986. It was updated in 1990 to USITT DMX512/1990. In 1998, the maintenance of the standard was transferred to the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA). ESTA revised it, and it was accepted by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in November 2004 as "Entertainment Technology—USITT DMX512-A—Asynchronous Serial Digital Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories". In 2011, ESTA merged with the Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA), which now manages the standard.[7] The standard is now called "E1.11 – 2008, USITT DMX512-A".[8]
At one time, DMX was put forth as a possible show control standard, mainly by the manufacturers of lighting control consoles, but this idea was never widely adopted, due to the speed and network traffic limitations of DMX for show control applications.
Audio systems have also benefited from digital networking technology. Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet) is one of the most technically advanced means of routing high quality audio over an Ethernet network. It is a proprietary audio over Ethernet scheme using layer 3 packets to distribute uncompressed, multi-channel, low-latency digital audio in professional installations. Dante was developed by Audinate of Australia in 2006, and has since been licensed to a number of hardware manufacturers worldwide. It requires a combination of hardware and software to operate.[9] Similar layer 3 products are RAVENNA (an open standard developed by ALC NetworX GmbH., Germany), Livewire by Axia Audio (a division of Telos Systems), Q-LAN by QSC Audio Products and WheatNet-IP by Wheatstone, most of them interoperable by conforming to AES67.
CobraNet, although an older proprietary standard dating from 1996, still enjoys a large base of installations.[10] It is regarded as the first commercially successful implementation of networked digital audio. It utilizes layer 2 packets to distribute uncompressed multi-channel digital audio in professional installations. Its first theme park use was to distribute background music (BGM) in Disney's Animal Kingdom park. It also requires a combination of hardware and software to operate, and has been licensed to multiple manufacturers.
Interest in transferring audio over Ethernet arose about the same time the audio industry was making increasing use of digital signal processing (DSP).[11] Sound engineers had been altering audio through various analog means for many years, but with the advent of fast, low-latency digital chips, audio signal processing moved rapidly into the digital domain.
Some types of attractions operated by show control are nearly completely based upon clock-driven timing. These are most commonly found in theme parks in semi-automated attractions which are repetitious and not usually subject to variation. Certain ride systems, once manually started or dispatched, may run entirely on time code nowadays. Certain shows, such as 4-D film presentations, are also good candidates for this type of control. An example of the former is Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios Florida and of the latter, Pirates 4-D at Thorpe Park.
MIDI time code (MTC) is actually a digital representation of SMPTE time code encapsulated as a series of quarter-frame MIDI messages.[13] MTC was developed in 1986.
Closures & ladder logic
The beginnings of show control technology can probably be traced to the use of relay logic in other industries, most prominently elevators. The electric elevator was invented in 1880, but it was not until about 1930 that the rise of the "automatic" elevator produced more advanced electrical controls. Entertainment has always borrowed from other industries, and various electrically driven hoists, platforms and stage elevators soon made their way into theatres and amusement parks. Automation soon followed, utilizing switches, mechanical sensors and relays to perform repetitious sequences. Early modern roller coasters used this sort of control.[14] When industrial microprocessor devices began to supplant relay installations, more complex sequences could be realized. These devices were called programmable logic controllers (PLCs), with the first being built in 1968 for an automobile plant.[15] PLCs were programmed using ladder logic, a language simulating relay logic.
Even today, PLCs, mechanical switches, and optical sensors are used in many entertainment control and show control applications. They are found in stage lifts and wagons in theatres, animatronics, special effects, and show action equipment in theme parks, and in ride vehicles such as motion simulators, iron rides and roller coasters in amusement parks.[16] One of their key advantages is safety. Potentially hazardous events can be redundantly checked against multiple safety considerations before being allowed to start or operate.
Subsystems
The lowest level of subsystem is an embedded system. These are typically found in single-purpose devices, such as a professional fog generator. A small microprocessor might be a part of the equipment and be used to control variables such as volume, temperature and communications with other devices. An example is these specifications for the Antari DMG-200 fog machine.
The programmable logic controller, or its cousin the small logic controller, would be the next increase in scale. These are commonly used to control subsystems which vary from moderately-sized to very large pieces of equipment. The unifying factor is that the equipment fulfills a single purpose, whether it be an animatronic figure or an entire ride system. In the earliest days of show control, PLCs were sometimes used as a show controller for an entire attraction. This is no longer done since there are now simpler and more cost-effective solutions for show control.
Entertainment control systems are the highest level of subsystem, often consisting of sophisticated, expensive controllers which fulfill a single purpose. The modern lighting control console is probably the best example of this type of equipment. Some of the largest concert and hotel-casino installations might use three lighting consoles, each with a distinct purpose.
Systems
Show control systems are very widely used in theme parks as a means of synchronizing ride systems with lighting, audio, show action equipment and special effects. They are also used extensively in live shows in theme parks, such as parades, stunt shows, character shows, and special events, including large fireworks displays. They have found increasing use in live theatre, although due to their cost and the necessity for specialists to design and program them, they are mainly found in large Broadway-type productions[17] or Las VegasHotel-Casino production shows.[18][19] They are also seen in some of the larger concert tours, especially those featuring moving scenery, flying rigs, and special effects. Shows which are performed once or only a few times are often not considered candidates for show control since considerable preplanning and programming is usually required, but this may change as the technology, ease of operation and programming of show control software and systems matures.
It must be remembered that entertainment control does not constitute show control. A computerized lighting console controlling dimmers and lighting effects is not show control. Only when that lighting console is linked to another system, perhaps a computerized audio playback system, does it become show control.
Generally, there are several kinds of show control systems, as well as hybrid systems which may include multiple system types. In theme parks, the overall show controller is referred to as the RSS (ride/show supervisor). The operator interface in these installations is the OCC (operator control console). In the early years of usage, the RSS was probably a PLC. This began to change as entertainment manufacturers began writing software for personal computers, and/or building small, dedicated computing devices. An example of the former was the Richmond Command Cue system, which used an Amiga computer connected to a proprietary frame containing audio control and matrixing, as well as closure capability. The computer maintained multiple cue lists, and could send MSC messages to other subsystems, such as lighting consoles. An example of the latter might be the Alcorn-McBride V-16, which was programmed with a PC, but did not require one in operation. The V-16 was capable of sending cues as serial messages, contact closures, MSC, and could sync to or generate SMPTE LTC.
The Weigl ProCommander HX is a modern example for a stand-alone show controller, which is also capable of audio distribution over Ethernet by using the AES67 Ravenna protocol. [20]
Related Research Articles
MIDI is a technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and related audio devices for playing, editing, and recording music.
A programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable controller is an industrial computer that has been ruggedized and adapted for the control of manufacturing processes, such as assembly lines, machines, robotic devices, or any activity that requires high reliability, ease of programming, and process fault diagnosis.
DMX512 is a standard for digital communication networks that are commonly used to control lighting and effects. It was originally intended as a standardized method for controlling stage lighting dimmers, which, prior to DMX512, had employed various incompatible proprietary protocols. It quickly became the primary method for linking controllers to dimmers and special effects devices such as fog machines and intelligent lights.
A dimmer is a device connected to a light fixture and used to lower the brightness of the light. By changing the voltage waveform applied to the lamp, it is possible to lower the intensity of the light output. Although variable-voltage devices are used for various purposes, the term dimmer is generally reserved for those intended to control light output from resistive incandescent, halogen, and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). More specialized equipment is needed to dim fluorescent, mercury-vapor, solid-state, and other arc lighting.
A lighting control console is an electronic device used in theatrical lighting design to control multiple stage lights at once. They are used throughout the entertainment industry and are normally placed at the front of house (FOH) position or in a control booth.
A MIDI controller is any hardware or software that generates and transmits Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) data to MIDI-enabled devices, typically to trigger sounds and control parameters of an electronic music performance. They most often use a musical keyboard to send data about the pitch of notes to play, although a MIDI controller may trigger lighting and other effects. A wind controller has a sensor that converts breath pressure to volume information and lip pressure to control pitch. Controllers for percussion and stringed instruments exist, as well as specialized and experimental devices. Some MIDI controllers are used in association with specific digital audio workstation software. The original MIDI specification has been extended to include a greater range of control features.
The light board operator, is the electrician who operates and may even program the light board. They are considered part of the "Electrics" Department or LX Department. All non-design elements of lighting will be handled by the LX Department, i.e. electricians. Light board operators mainly are responsible for decoding the light designer's ideas from paper to opening night ready. In some cases, the light board operator is also the light designer.
A systems integrator is a person or company that specializes in bringing together component subsystems into a whole and ensuring that those subsystems function together, a practice known as system integration. They also solve problems of automation. Systems integrators may work in many fields but the term is generally used in the information technology (IT) field such as computer networking, the defense industry, the mass media, enterprise application integration, business process management or manual computer programming. Data quality issues are an important part of the work of systems integrators.
Architecture for Control Networks (ACN) is a suite of network protocols for control of entertainment technology equipment, particularly as used in live performance or large-scale installations. For example, lighting, audio or special effects equipment. ACN is maintained by Entertainment Services and Technology Association and its first official release was ANSI Standard E1.17-2006 - Entertainment Technology - Architecture for Control Networks. The standard was subsequently revised and released as ANSI E1.17-2010.
Building automation (BAS), also known as building management system (BMS) or building energy management system (BEMS), is the automatic centralized control of a building's HVAC, electrical, lighting, shading, access control, security systems, and other interrelated systems. Some objectives of building automation are improved occupant comfort, efficient operation of building systems, reduction in energy consumption, reduced operating and maintaining costs and increased security.
MIDI Show Control, or MSC, is a real-time System Exclusive extension of the international Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard. MSC enables all types of entertainment equipment to communicate with each other through the process of show control.
Remote Device Management(RDM) is an addition to the DMX512 control protocol for stage lighting equipment, introduced in 2006. DMX512 was developed in the late 1980s as a standard protocol for lighting consoles to communicate with dimmers, but has since been used for more complex applications, including the control of intelligent lighting fixtures. The addition of RDM addresses many of the shortcomings of DMX512, which is unidirectional with no support for metadata.
A media server is a computer appliance or an application software that stores digital media and makes it available over a network.
DEC 3000 AXP was the name given to a series of computer workstations and servers, produced from 1992 to around 1995 by Digital Equipment Corporation. The DEC 3000 AXP series formed part of the first generation of computer systems based on the 64-bit Alpha AXP architecture. Supported operating systems for the DEC 3000 AXP series were DEC OSF/1 AXP and OpenVMS AXP.
Digital Serial Interface (DSI) is a protocol for the controlling of lighting in buildings. It was created in 1991 by Austrian company Tridonic and is based on Manchester-coded 8-bit protocol, data rate of 1200 baud, 1 start bit, 8 data bits, 4 stop bits, and is the basis of the more sophisticated protocol Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI).
An industrial control system (ICS) is an electronic control system and associated instrumentation used for industrial process control. Control systems can range in size from a few modular panel-mounted controllers to large interconnected and interactive distributed control systems (DCSs) with many thousands of field connections. Control systems receive data from remote sensors measuring process variables (PVs), compare the collected data with desired setpoints (SPs), and derive command functions that are used to control a process through the final control elements (FCEs), such as control valves.
The ADAT Lightpipe, officially the ADAT Optical Interface, is a standard for the transfer of digital audio between equipment. It was originally developed by Alesis but has since become widely accepted, with many third party hardware manufacturers including Lightpipe interfaces on their equipment. The protocol has become so popular that the term ADAT is now often used to refer to the transfer standard rather than to the Alesis Digital Audio Tape itself.
CobraNet is a combination of software, hardware, and network protocols designed to deliver uncompressed, multi-channel, low-latency digital audio over a standard Ethernet network. Developed in the 1990s, CobraNet is widely regarded as the first commercially successful audio-over-Ethernet implementation.
ArKaos is an application for live visual performance, conceived as a visual sampler for video loops that can be triggered from the computer, or through a hardware interface. The application is available in two versions: ArKaos VJ MIDI, conceived as a live video performance instrument, often used in conjunction with a MIDI keyboard, and ArKaos VJ DMX, which can be controlled with a DMX console.
High End Systems is an Austin, Texas-based manufacturer of entertainment lighting and control systems. The company was founded, owned, and managed by Lowell Fowler, Richard Belliveau, David Blair, and Bob Schacherl before it was bought by Belgium-based Barco in 2008.
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BooksJohn Huntington's Introduction to Show Control book, released in 2023, and designed to work in conjunction with his 2020 Introduction to Show Networking book together introduce show control concepts and lay out a show control system design process.
John Huntington's Web Page features his Control Geek blog, which has further definitions and links to many show control and show networking resources.
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