The flexible "D4 Desktop" offers several advantages as a reasonably priced backup for a full console. It provides a fully featured playback system for situations when a full console is not required and it is also ideal for offline programming, editing or adaptation of shows. The system can be composed from individual hardware components, to match the customer's exact requirements.
Avolites sales director Steve Warren commented: "Our virtual D4 Console, the D4 Desktop has been designed to address two clear needs - the first being a fully functional and stand alone back-up system for large Diamond 4 shows and also for smaller or hands free productions where access to the comprehensive control surface of the D4 Consoles is not required.
At the heart of the D4 Desktop system is a PC, running MS Windows. In its most basic form, the D4 Desktop consists of the PC and an Avolites EZ DMX interface which plugs into a USB port providing 8 DMX universes and a MIDI in/thru/out connection for timecode, etc. The D4 software connects to the "EZ DMX unit" via a dongle. This basic system can run an existing D4 show, or be used to program a new show. Running identical software to the real console, every function is available on the virtual version.
Optional to the system is a D4 Desktop controller named the D4 Pilot consisting of eight motorized, moving faders and associated buttons that can connect to any bank of faders and become any playback on the desk. Additionally, a separate 'Go' and 'Pause' button are fitted to allow the running of Cue Lists. The second optional component is an Avolites Graphics tablet, which exactly mimics the D4 Programmer controls, enhancing the speed of plotting and increasing the attraction of the offline system. This enables the programming of larger shows with the addition only of the tablet. The D4 Desktop Pilot and Avolites Graphic Tablet can be used together or separately as required.
The "Diamond 4 Off Line Editor runs on a Windows 2000/XP platform PC. The program is available free from the Avolites website - address below. Every function operates in exactly the same way as the actual console and is user configurable as either Diamond 4 Elite or Diamond 4 Vision console.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
