Eos, Ion, Gio
In 2006, ETC launched their flagship lighting controller, the Eos. Since then, ETC has introduced the Ion and the Element consoles. These target segments of the market that still require advanced control, but with limited budgets.
In 2011, ETC announced a new member to the Eos family of consoles, the Gio. The Gio falls in line between the flagship Eos and the mid-range Ion.
At a glance, the Gio resembles Eos, with two built-in touchscreens, almost-identical key placement and a similar number of motorized faders. Absent from the Gio, however, is the long, narrow touchscreen found on the right side of the Eos console, near the six encoders The number of encoders and placement also resembles that of the Ion — only four in total. The Gio does borrow the same force-feedback encoders found on the Eos, however.
While lacking the touchscreen for the encoders, the Gio doesn’t lack the ability to convey encoder information and functionality. Instead, the missing touchscreen is simply incorporated into one of Gio’s two main touchscreens (the one on the right).
Moving the encoder information to the touchscreen makes for a more space-efficient console layout, and led ETC to develop another new feature on the Gio’s control surface — the addition of a hard key on the desk called Encoder Display.
The Encoder Display button reminds me of the ML, or Moving Light Control button found on the Element Desk. It toggles the Eos-like encoder information on the Gio. Without the Encoder Display enabled, the encoder parameters are still visible at the bottom of the screen, but very tiny.
Back-Lit, Color-Coded
New Gio features include the back-lit keys and the color-coded function keys. The back-lighting makes those keys easier to find in dimly-lit spaces (but not all of the keys are back-lit).
The function keys found in the center of the desk (between the touchscreens and the navigation keys on the right side) are color-coded. ETC borrowed the color-coded feature found in the SmartFade series of desks. These keys will change color to indicate whether specific features are enabled or are current running, such as the Rate key for the rate wheel in the center of the desk.
Beneath the screens, buttons and faders, of course, is the all-important operating system. All of the Eos family of consoles run off the same OS, but there are console-by-console differences. Even so, the consistency helps make the task of moving show files between any of the four consoles in the family a straightforward process.
Lay It Flat
One memorable aspect of operating an Eos console is that the built-in displays don’t move. On the Gio, however, the display panel does move, and can even be laid completely flat so that it can fit into a smaller-sized case for ease of transportation. But you don’t have to worry about things getting wobbly in the middle of a show. The display panel is controlled by an internal hydraulic that only moves if the button is pressed on the top center of the display panel. Heavy fingers and rapid pressing will not, by themselves, move the display.
The touchscreens on the Gio remind me of iPads. Not only are they close in size, but seem to be made of the same gorilla glass and are multi-touch in functionality. I keep searching for an eject button so I can pop them out and start surfing the Internet…Maybe in the next revision.
Missing from the Gio are the button overlays that some Eos users may have grown accustomed to using. Personally, I never cared for the overlays — I would occasionally lose one or two from time to time. So their absence is no biggie for me. For others choosing between the Gio and Eos, you now have a tradeoff: would you rather have fold-down displays or the tactile feedback from the touchscreen overlays?
12-Inch Screens
Although the multi-touch screens are built to last, their physical size is a bit of a drawback. The amount of information that might need to be conveyed on these little screens is huge, and for it to appear on a 12-inch screen, the small text size can make you go cross-eyed or leave you with a sore neck.
The cure for all that comes in the ability to use external monitors. Ideally, these would be used to display a bigger version of the fine-print details, and you would reserve the touchscreens for direct selects, color wheels and other touch-sensitive tools.
The folding display portion of the Gio still features macro buttons and other quick keys between the displays, along the master power button and USB port on the right, just like the Eos. But with the Gio, there’s only one USB port, not two, as with the Eos.
Ample Horsepower
Like many consoles coming out recently, the Gio is really a big fancy computer with built in touchscreens and a custom keyboard, moving sliders and a custom operating system. Maybe that’s an oversimplification, but the Gio packs a great deal of functionality and power, thanks to the motherboard built into the console. It lacks a UPS power backup system, but that’s an understandable omission; those things can add a lot of weight to a console, and in any case, they can be added as an additional line item on the shop order for those who’d prefer to have an uninterruptible power supply guarding against outages.
If there’s any doubt about the Gio’s kinship with a computer, just look at the console from the back. Like the Eos, the Gio has the ability to add on three additional DVI/SVGA monitors, six USB ports, MIDI in and out and Littlite ports. Here is where the Gio begins to borrow from both its bigger and little siblings, the Eos and Ion. Although the Gio has two network ports and the Eos has four, those network ports are POE (Power over Ethernet), meaning they can power ETC gateways or the ETC Radio Remote Focus Unit. Just like the Ion and Element, the Gio offers two 5-pin DMX ports. The Eos, meanwhile, is a completely networked system.
In terms of DMX and Channel counts, the Gio also sits squarely between the capabilities of the Eos and Ion with 10,000 control channels and, in terms of DMX count (at the time of this writing) a range of 2,000 to 8,000 DMX parameters.
As with any of the Eos family of consoles, you can start off with a lower DMX count and purchase additional universes as needed. So the consoles can grow with you as your system does.
Who It’s For
The Gio falls into an interesting market segment. For the longest time, ETC’s catch phrase was “Program on an Eos, tour on an Ion.” Does that mantra still hold true? Depends. Having the top-of-the-line is always preferred when programming — it gives you an expanded array of controls. But with the Gio, you are pretty close to the top-of-the-line.
The Gio is designed for those looking for sophisticated control in a manageable, road-ready package. One disadvantage of programming on an Eos, then touring on an Ion, is that, after getting comfortable on one desk, you face a different button layout and a learning curve.
With the Gio, you can program on it, tour with it, and never find yourself hunting for that missing button again.
ETC Gio Console
Versions: 2k, 4k, 6k, 8k outputs
Dimensions: 30.5 by 23.2 by10.9 inches (display up), 4.23 inches (display down)
Pros: Folding screens, more portable then the Eos, additional output counts, same operating system as other family members
Cons: Small screen size
How Much: Price varies with configuration
