In the mid-1990s, automated lighting consoles started to incorporate effects engines. With the single press of a button, a ballyhoo or color cycle could be created, eliminating the need to spend a long time building positions and steps of a chase. Although this new feature was a wonderful tool, it became widely misused. We began to see many productions where the effects were used for the main programming and not just a tool to supplement the other capabilities of the console and programmer. Luckily, for the most part, times have changed. We now see effects used as one of the many tools an automated lighting programmer has available, and more productions shy away from the chaos of effects-heavy programming. Recently, as I was programming a concert tour, I realized how I often use effects on the intensity channel of fixtures as a primary tool.
The Benefits
Even though most automated lighting fixtures have a strobe function, I very rarely use it, for several reasons. First and most important, it can be nearly impossible to synchronize various fixture types, even when they come from the same manufacturer. There is no standard for how fixtures should strobe, so their speeds vary greatly. Furthermore, most manufacturers limit the strobing capabilities to keep their fixtures quiet or within an acceptable working tolerance. I often find that I can strobe a fixture faster from the intensity channel than from the strobe channel. However, many fixtures now have electronic strobing that cannot be recreated via the intensity channel. Second, if the production might be changing fixture types in the future, I can ensure that the programming will remain the same since the strobe is generated from the desk and not the fixture. Third, if I need to change from a strobe to a softer fading effect, it is easy to do so with a simple change to the effect. By utilizing effects on the intensity channel, I gain all these benefits and more.
But Wait, There’s More
With intensity effects, the show can also be much more dynamic. For instance, instead of just launching in or out of a fixture-based strobe, I can crossfade in or out of the effect based strobe at any time. Imagine that as a song builds in intensity and the beat gains in volume that the fixtures start strobing faster and faster to match the beat. Also, when you’re working with other effects such as a fixture movement or color changes, it’s very easy to synchronize intensity effects with these other effects. If I were to use the fixture-based strobing it would be extremely difficult to synchronize with console-based color or position effects.
How Do I Do That?
So just what is an intensity effect, and how can one be built? First, you must be a little bit familiar with the effects package on your console. Luckily, they all do the same basic thing. Console-based effects are mathematical functions that automatically change the value of a parameter in a fixture. Usually this is accomplished with different wave tables such as sine, step, or random.
Each of these tables will take the current value of the fixture (usually referred to as the “base value” of the effect) and adjust it up and down at a specified speed. So. for instance, if you start with an intensity of 50 percent and apply a sine wave, it will raise and lower the intensity value above and below 50 percent. But if you start with a base value of 100 percent then the effect will only lower the value below 100 percent because intensity can never be higher than 100 percent. So the first thing to consider when building an intensity effect is the base value of your fixtures. I almost always start mine at 50 percent.
Once you set the base value of the intensity, then you must select a wave table for the effect. Do you remember your math classes in school? No worries; these functions are easy to learn. A sine wave will evenly raise and lower the intensity value, while a step will snap from one value to another. Both are extremely useful and result in very different looks on stage. If I have assigned my intensity base value at 50 percent and select a sine wave, then the fixture should begin dimming up and down. The amount that it will dim will be based on the “size” of the effect. By adjusting the size I can make the fixture fade from 0 percent to 100 percent back to 0 percent and keep repeating. Now I have created a basic dim chase, with my fixtures all dimming up and down together. If I change the table to a “step” type then I will see the fixtures jumping from 0 percent to 100 percent back to 0 percent, etc.
Effects engines allow you to also adjust the speed of the effect so you can match the beat or create the desired interval for the effect. So by increasing the effect speed, I can amplify the speed of my dimming or strobing. Just like magic, I can quickly have my entire rig strobing or dimming on and off in a synchronous manner. What if I want to randomize the effect across my fixtures? This can easily be achieved by adjusting the effect’s offset. By changing the point at which each fixture begins in the effect table, I can stagger the effect to make it appear to be occurring randomly between my fixtures. Many consoles allow you to fan or align the effect offset based on the order of your fixture selection. This means you can have the effect appear to be moving from stage left to stage right or make it random all over the stage simply by changing the order you select your fixtures before fanning.
I Thought You Said This Was Easy
The steps outlined above may seem daunting and confusing. Intensity effects, however, are really very easy to learn — trust me. Simply read up on the terminology and procedures of effects package in your console and then apply the information. Within a very short time, you will find that intensity effects are easy to create, edit, and utilize.
My favorite intensity effects are random dimming of fixtures and strobing of fixtures, either randomly or synchronized. I love to add a slow, random intensity fading effect on top of an audience ballyhoo during a ballad. This adds another dimension to the ballyhoo and also makes it feel more “organic” as the beams randomly fade in and out in various areas of the audience. Alternately, I will add strobing effects whenever they are needed to intensify the energy of the fixtures as the music changes.
The more you work with intensity effects, the more familiar and comfortable you will become with them, and with your console’s effects capabilities. You can then apply the knowledge to many other parameters and create a wide array of dynamic and interesting effects.
