Show Networks and Control Systems, the industry standard since 1994, is both a learning guide for beginners and a reference for experienced technicians. With its unique combined focus on computers, networks, and control systems, the book covers the art and practice of using these tools for live shows such as concerts, theatre productions, theme park attractions, themed-retail installations, cruise ship shows, museum exhibits, interactive media projects, and traditional performing arts. The book offers an in-depth examination of the technology used behind the scenes in lighting, lasers, audio, video, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnics and show control, the technique used to interconnect and synchronize two or more show systems. In this extensively revised and updated second edition (after three editions with the previous title, Control Systems for Live Entertainment), Huntington draws on more than three decades of experience in the field and classroom to clearly explain what goes on behind the scenes and inside the machines that bring bold performances to life in real-world settings.

The respected industry standard for technicians working in live entertainment.

Introduction to Show Control explains the practice of interconnecting and synchronizing entertainment technology systems such as lighting, lasers, audio, video, stage machinery, animatronics, special effects, and pyrotechnic systems for live shows such as concerts, theater productions, theme park attractions, themed retail installations, cruise ship shows, immersive art experiences, museum exhibits, and traditional performing arts. Designed to be read along with Huntington’s companion volume Introduction to Show Networking, this book covers topics including cue concepts, triggers and synchronization, cueing systems, show types, and system architectures before moving on to methods of connecting entertainment control systems together. An easy-to-understand set of system design principles is introduced next, and then a cohesive show control design approach is explained and examined through practical example systems drawn from the world of live show production. This new book–along with the companion Introduction to Show Networking volume–are the successors to Huntington’s now-retired Show Networks and Control Systems (previously Control Systems for Live Entertainment), the industry standard since 1994.

Introduction to Show Networking covers the basics of how Ethernet networks provide a platform for entertainment control and audio/video media distribution for concerts, theatre productions, corporate and special events, cruise ship revues, wrestling shows, houses of worship, museum presentations, fountain spectaculars—any kind of show presented live for an audience. The book’s bottom-up approach was designed with show technicians in mind, starting with the basics and then moving up through cables, network switches, and layering, and on through Ethernet, and network components like TCP, UDP, IP and subnet masks, all with a practical focus. More advanced concepts are introduced, including broadcast storms and VLANs, along with show networking best practices. Closing out the book is a network design process demonstrated through practical, real-world examples for lighting, sound, video, scenic automation, and show control networks. An appendix covering binary and hexadecimal numbers is also included. This easy-reading book draws from Huntington’s Show Networks and Control Systems, the industry standard since 1994, but is completely re-focused, reorganized, and updated.

Scenic automation has earned a reputation of being complicated and cantankerous, a craft best left to the elite of our industry. Not sure of the difference between a VFD, PLC, or PID? If you have dreamed of choreographing scene changes with computerized machinery, but get lost in the technical jargon the Scenic Automation Handbook will guide you along the road to elegant automation. Adopting a pragmatic approach, this book breaks down any automation system into five points, known as the Pentagon of Power. Breaking down a dauntingly complex system into bite- size pieces makes it easy to understand how components function, connect, and communicate to form a complete system. Presenting the fundamental behaviors and functions of Machinery, Feedback Sensors, Amplifiers, Controls, and Operator Interfaces, the Scenic Automation Handbook demystifies automation, reinforcing each concept with practical examples that can be used for experimentation. Automation is accessible – come along and learn how!

Robert Simpson's comprehensive volume covers all aspects of lighting control systems. It starts with two foundation chapters outlining the basics of electricity, light and electronics as they apply to lighting control. It then reviews all current artificial lightsources, and comments on their suitability for control. A section on lighting control components covers electronic and electromagnetic dimmers, ballasts and transformers. The next section reviews lighting control systems, including those for stage and entertainment, architectural applications, energy management and building control; and includes a chapter on control signals protocols. The final part is an extensive applications review, fully illustrated, covering everything from hotels and cruise ships to homes and churches; and taking in offices, factories, simulators, trains and planes on the way. Lighting Control: technology and applications brings together information not otherwise available from a single source. It is intended as a training resource within the lighting industry, both for those completely new to the subject, and for those coming to it from another technical field. It will also be useful for lighting designers, consulting engineers and electrical contractors as a reference book covering current and emerging lighting control techniques - with special emphasis on new light sources and new digital control standards. Information, case histories and illustrations for the book have been provided by many leading lighting companies and organizations in North America and Europe.