Production Switchers

The brochure for the Carbonite states that the single-MLE panels can address either MLE in the frame. Does this mean that someone could run two single-MLE panels with a single frame, so that one panel controls MLE 1 and the other controls MLE 2? That would be a really good solution for a project I'm looking at...

Thanks!

-- Jeff

Hi Jeff,

No you can not have 2 control panels on a single switcher. There is only 1 panel connector as the panels do not run over TCP/IP.

However there are two things that you can do. One would be use ViewControl to control MLE 2 and switch a production that way. The other is to use DashBaord 6 Beta and make Custom Control panels that would allow you to let people switch from a PC. This is also nice since it would allow you to only give them things that they need.

The other option is later this year where you will be able to have a Carbonite eXtreme with 2 Switchers in the chassis. This might be a little overkill for what your doing but is going to be available later this year. The Single edition (just add board later for the second) will start shipping in just a couple weeks -- though we have had 5 units in Beta testing at sites for months now.

Les

#Carbonite

Good afternoon, Les,

That makes sense -- I was thinking of the Vision Octane here at the station, which does use TCP/IP for the panel. Given my church's application, I think we probably would do better to use two Crossover 16s with the program out of the first showing up as a source for the second. That also gives us redundancy and a bit more flexibility for input assignments, which can be useful.

As it happens, Mark Whitman stopped by for a visit yesterday afternoon and gave me the same info -- so he's going to give us a quote on the Crossovers with Xpression Live shortly.

Thanks for the reply!

-- Jeff

#Carbonite

Very cool.

Get a quote on 2 Carbonite 1-A with 16 inputs as well. That way you can see the difference in price but the advantages of Carbonite over CrossOver would give you a lot more flexibility for a small price difference.

Les

#Carbonite

I'll have to do that. The two additional frame sync / converters in the Carbonite might come close to offsetting the external frame syncs I was intending to use for two of the sources... and I really like the multiviewer in the Carbonite better anyway. (Not that the Crossover is any slouch -- it's an amazing piece of gear for the price.)

Thanks!

-- Jeff

#Carbonite

Another possibility, it may be enough to use the Carbonite with a Custom Control Shot Box (sidebox) that you can configure to do just about anything you wanted to use the 2nd control surface for. That SideShot is amazingly useful.

Yet another option, since you mentioned cascading the output from the first mixer as an input into the second, would be to use a Carbonite with the Remote Aux Panel. This gives you physical pushbutton control over all 8 aux sends whose content can easily be controlled without tying up the switcher control surface. Then just map the desired Aux output to an input crosspoint and it now appears available to be selected just like any other input.

#Carbonite

Just to close the books on this, our church ultimately decided to go with two Crossover 16 switchers -- they went on line two weeks ago, and our people love them. One of the things we are trying to do is to use essentally the same equipment everywhere, so that someone who knows how to use the switcher in one venue can go somewhere else without having to learn another type of gear. Even though many of our volunteers do have broadcast production background, that's not always the case.

#Carbonite