Our consoles give us the ability to manage timing in varied methods…When a parameter changes from one value to another, a time is assigned that dictates the speed at which the value change will occur; this is called fade time. Most consoles let you assign a specific fade time for each parameter of every light. You could have a cue with multiple fade times that cause different parameters or fixtures to change at different rates, or assign some fixtures that increase intensity as others are fading. Most consoles also offer the ability to adjust the delay time — the time when a programmed fade time starts. Another timing parameter, known as follow time, controls the amount of time between each cue or step. You can assign a follow time of a cue to a specific value, or you can tell the console to auto-follow or follow-on. Auto-follow causes the next cue to automatically begin its fades and delays as the previous cue completes all its combined fade and delay times. The follow time can also be set to manual. At any moment, of course, you can override programmed times as long as you understand the controls at your fingertips.
—From “Feeding the Machines” Brad Schiller, PLSN, Oct. 2013.
