Titan One Quick Start Guide

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Reprint and revision history:

Quick Start Manual KD January 2019

Introduction
Welcome to the Titan One Quick Start Guide! The Titan One is intended for two
purposes:

- With the USB – DMX dongle plugged in, the Titan One provides a full
lighting control system that will output one universe of DMX or Art net.

- Without the dongle, it will become an easy to use Simulator that will output
12 lines of DMX or Art-Net with a spoiler. This enables you to create, program
and edit a show on your laptop using any Art-Net Visualiser that can then be
loaded into any Titan console.

This document will get you started on Titan One, but remember all the features of
the software are identical to those on our consoles. Therefore, you can relate to the
console manuals to get more in depth with the features Titan has to offer.

We also run regular Masterclasses around the UK and offer a structured course covering
all aspects of Titan from basic patching through programming to networking at Avolites
HQ in London – email [email protected] for more details. For non-UK residents,
check out our distributors’ page: https://www.avolites.com/official-distributors for
information on products and training.

We also have a dedicated forum for Titan One users: http://forum.avolites.com/

This guide is designed to be used with the Internal Capture Visualiser, but of course if
you have real fixtures, do use those instead!

The internal capture Visualiser can be accessed by pressing Softkey F [Open Workspace
Window] and selecting [Capture Visualiser].

What you will need to run through this tutorial:

- A PC with Titan One installed and activated

- A beverage of your choice

Please remember that if you do not have the dongle plugged in, then the software
will output a DMX spoiler every minute or so. Once you have the dongle plugged in,
this disappears.

Enjoy!
Layout

Titan One has been specially designed so that everything is available on a single touch
screen. All the functions of the regular consoles are available, plus a few extras to help
you move around the virtual console more easily, i.e. virtual faders and encoders.

1. To start a new show, go to [Disk], then press [New Show] and hit [Ok]. You will
now have an empty show file, with four default workspaces.

2. To start patching, press the [Patch] button. Press Softkey G [Patch View]. You
have two tabs – “Patched Fixtures” and “Personality List”. As we have no fixtures
patched into the desk yet, select “Personality List”.
3. Click on the search bar, and search for Generic Dimmer. Choose the personality
with one DMX channel from the list, and make sure you set the correct DMX Line
and Address. Once you have done this, press the ‘Patch Generic Dimmer’ option on
the softkeys.

The Patch List is as follows:

Quantity DMX Address Manufacturer Fixture Mode

4 1 Generic Dimmer 1 Channel
8 5 Robe Robin 600E Mode 2
Spot
10 205 Robe Robin Mode 2
LEDBeam 150

As with any other Titan console, make sure the modes and addresses match those of
the patch list, otherwise you are telling the console you are connected to the wrong
fixture for the demo theatre. Make sure you exit Patch before trying to select fixtures
by right clicking [Avo] and pressing [Exit].
When you have patched all your fixtures in, your ‘Patched Fixtures’ tab should look like

this:

4. Each fixture has its own colour code

5. Each DMX line has a usage bar

6. The bar at the top of the screen shows how much of the universe is used/free. In
the main body of the window, you get a breakdown for each fixture which tells you
the mode it’s in, what its address is, the legend, where it’s patched to, whether it’s
frozen, or pan/tilt inverted. When you press ‘View’, you get more detailed
information about that fixture, including dip switch view and personality

information.
4 Groups

4.1 Auto groups

Currently, “Autogroup” is turned on in the Patch options, so if you go to the Fixtures and
Groups Workspace, your page will look like this:

Auto groups create a master group for every new fixture type you have patched (i.e. All
Robin 600E Spot), so that every time you patch more of the same fixture, they are
added to this group, and also quantity groups, so every time you patch a quantity
greater than 1, a group will be created for this.

4.2 Editing/Creating Groups:

To delete a group, press [Delete] on the Function keys and then double tap to delete a
group. This delete syntax works the same for deleting everything on the console except
fixtures ([Patch] + [Delete]) and workspaces ([View] + [Delete])

To rename a group, for example the [4 x Dimmer] to [All Par 64], use Softkey C
[Set Legend] and the tap the group to rename. This way of renaming items is the
same across the whole platform.

To make a new group, for example the lower beams, select the fixtures you want in
the group (in this case, the last 5 LEDBeam 150s’ you patched in), then simply click an
empty group button and give it a name, then press [Enter] or tap it again.
Workspaces

5.1 Creating your own workspace

The buttons down the left-hand side of the screen are your workspaces. To save your
own, simply arrange windows as you want them, then click into an empty workspace
button, give it a name then press [Enter].

Softkey G [Open Workspace Window] will give a list of available windows to open.

1. Under the ‘Settings Button’, there are arrangement options including size and
position of window, and button and text size.

6 Controlling Fixtures

6.1 Simple Commands

To lamp on your fixtures, select them and then press [ML Menu], and select the [Macros]
option from this list.

To turn on your fixtures, press [Locate]. This puts the fixture to a home position and
default values but puts no information into the programmer. To clear this information
from the programmer, press [Clear] – this will put your fixtures to zero (provided
there is no dimmer information for them coming from playbacks) but leave other
values in their current state.
For people who are used to [Clear] releasing the attributes and working with “@full”
commands, if you right click the [Clear] button then Softkey D reads [Clear Options].

In this menu, you can toggle Softkey C between [Freeze Current Values] and [Release
to Playback Values]. If you want to always put dimmer information into the
programmer when you turn a fixture on, then press [@] twice to send the fixture to
full.

Once your fixtures are on, you have two ways to control them – using the wheels or the
Attribute Control Window.

If you are using the wheels, then you can change attribute bank using the letters above
the virtual encoders. As soon as you change a value, it will have a cyan circle around
the letter, indicating that the value is now in the programmer. You can use the up/down
arrows on the attribute to send a percentage value to 100/0, or to jump between a
range, you can type a value in and then select where to assign it on the Softkeys, or
you can use the virtual encoder above the attribute.
6.2 Attribute Control Window

With the Attribute Control Window, this will list every attribute the fixture has on the
left-hand side. This includes a full colour picker for CMY/RGB fixtures, visual keystoning
and blade control for media servers, fixtures with internal shutters or virtual barn doors,
and video thumbnail previews for media servers that talk CITP (Ai, Hippotizer, Arkaos).

If you select a percentage value and hold down, a slide bar will appear.

As with using the encoders, as soon as you change a value it will highlight in cyan,
indicating it is in the programmer. If you then want to take this attribute out of the
programmer, click it again and it will go grey.

6.3 Highlight

Highlight will let you see fixtures one at a time, very useful for creating positions
where you want to be able to see where the rest of your fixtures are, but still be able
to see which one you are controlling.

Select the group of Spots, then press [Highlight] and use the [Fix +1] and [Fix -1] to
step through the fixtures.
7 Creating Palettes

7.1 Palette Types

A palette can be one of two types, either shared or normal.

A shared palette takes one piece of information, such as the colour mixing values for
red, and shares it across all fixtures of the same type. This means that if I save a shared
colour palette using one of the Spots then the rest of the Spots can use it, because they
are exactly the same fixture, in exactly the same mode. If I then selected an LED parcan
and tried to use that colour palette, as it is a different fixture then it will not be able to
use that colour information. So, to create a colour palette for blue for all my fixtures, I
would select at least one of each type of fixture, set them all to blue and then save it. As
long as the fixtures of the same type all have the same value, the console will
automatically save it as shared. As it is a shared palette, if I then add more fixtures of
the same type into the show file, they will immediately be able to use the shared values.

A normal palette will save each light in the programmer’s individual value into the
palette. This is mainly used for position palettes. If I point 4 fixtures at the centre
vocals spot, they will all have different values for pan and tilt, and a normal palette will
save these individual values for you. However, this means that the palette will only
work for the fixtures that have values in the programmer when you save the palette. If
you wish to add more fixtures into the palette later on you will need to update it.

7.2 Creating a Shared Palette

To create a shared colour palette:

First, press [Clear], then select at least one Spot and at least one LED Beam, and
press [Locate]. Using the attribute editor, set the fixtures to red. See that the colour
values above the encoder wheels are highlighted, showing that it is in the
programmer. Now, open the Groups and Palettes workspace and double tap into an
empty space in the Colour palette window. Where the palette has been saved, there is
a ‘C’ for colour information under the legend, and the ‘S’ in the top right corner
indicates a shared palette. Auto legend has provided the colour picker information
from the colour picker.
7.3 Creating a Normal Palette

To create a normal position palette:

Press [Clear], select just the 4 lower LED Beams and press [Locate] and move them
into a drummer position. You can do this using [Fan] and [Highlight] to fine tune. Now
click into an empty palette in the Position window and call it ‘Drums’. The ‘P’ for
position is lit up, and the ‘N’ in the top right demonstrates that this is a Normal palette.

Now because you have only moved these 5 fixtures onto the drummer, only these 5
have values in the palette – select all LED Beams, locate them and then apply the Drums
palette you just made – only those 5 lower LED Beams will move. You will need to move
all of your lights individually onto each position and then save it.

7.4 Quick Sketch

If you want to create a custom legend for a palette, group or anything else on the
console, you can use Quick Sketch. To get to this, press [Set Legend] and then
choose the palette to name. Now choose the [Picture] option on Softkey B:
8 Recording Cues

8.1 Record Modes

There are three main recording modes to create a cue or memory:

Channel mode - records only the channels you have changed for the fixtures in
the programmer. Does not record values taken from [Locate]

Fixture mode - Stores all the channels for all the fixtures you have selected since last
clearing the programmer, regardless of whether you have changed all the attributes
or not

Stage mode - records all the channels for all patched fixtures which have a dimmer
value of more than 0, or which have been selected since the last clear, regardless of
whether that information comes from the programmer or from playbacks

Try this:

Press [Clear], then select the All Robin 600E group and press [Locate]. Apply a band
position palette and a colour palette. On the display above the wheels only position
and colour information are in the programmer. Press [Record], choose [Create
Memory] and on Softkey A that you can choose between channel/fixture/stage mode.
Now record this information in both Channel and Fixture mode onto 2 separate
playbacks.

Press [Clear] and repeat this process with the same group of fixtures, this time with an
audience position palette and a gobo palette. Press [Locate] and [Clear]. You should now
have ended up with 4 cues, 2 in Channel Mode and 2 in Fixture Mode.

Fire the first fixture mode cue by dragging up the virtual fader. You’ll see that that it’s
recorded a value for everything, even dimmer, even though dimmer wasn’t in the
programmer. With this still up, fire the second fixture mode cue. Now even though
colour wasn’t in the programmer, the console recorded its current value, which was open
white, so it has overridden it with open white. Fixture is the safest record mode, as the
lights that you have been using will always go to the state when you recorded them,
regardless of what they were doing before.
Select the fixtures, press [Locate] then [Clear]

Fire the first channel mode cue. The console is only being told to change position and
colour information, it has not saved anything else – even though locate puts dimmer at
full, it wasn’t in the programmer so wasn’t saved into the cue. Select the fixtures and put
dimmer to full using the dimmers channel, NOT [Locate], proving that the desk is playing
back the values that have been saved.

Select the fixtures, press [Locate] then [Clear]

Repeat this for the second record by channel playback.

Select the fixtures, press [Locate] then [Clear]

The console has not saved zero values for the other channels in the cue, it’s just
completely ignored them. Now, fire the first fixture mode cue, then with this up, fire
the second channel mode cue. Because the second cue only contains values for position
and gobo, it will carry the last value for colour through, as it has nothing to change it
with.

Now, have a go at record by Stage by keeping these playbacks up, then adding LED
Beam information on top in the programmer and saving this first by Fixture, then the
same information in Stage.

Select the fixtures, press [Locate] then [Clear]

Now, fire the record by Fixture playback you just created – this has only saved the
information in the programmer – e.g. the LED Beams.

Kill this one and fire the Stage playback – you’ll see that it has captured everything that
was above 0 intensity, regardless of whether the information came from the programmer
or playbacks.
8.2 Tips

- To update a cue, simply make the changes you want to it, and then press
[Record] and double tap the cue you want to merge into. When you
merge information into a new cue, it will always merge in Record by
Channel.

- When you [Merge] a cue, the new information is added in on top of the
existing cue information. When you [Replace] a cue, you are effectively
deleting and creating a new cue with only the new information in.

- To move an item, press [Move], select the item to move and then select
the new location.

- To copy an item, press [Copy], select the item to copy and then select
another location

- Playbacks also have the option to be [Link] copied, meaning if one playback is
updated then all the ones linked to it will be also.
9 Basic Timings

9.1 Timing Menu

By default, all LTP channels will snap to the final cue position as soon as you fire the
fader, and dimmer control is on the fader. To change this, press [Edit Times], then
press the playback you wish to edit.

9.2 Attribute Timings

You can also get to Attribute group timings (e.g. all colour channels) by pressing
the button above the encoders ([C] in this case).

To get to a breakdown of every individual attribute for every fixture, press the [View]
button:
The dashes mean that channel is currently using global times.

When you have finished editing times, simply press exit – the console saves changes
as you make them.
10 Simple Effects – Shape Generator

10.1 Creating a Shape

Depending on what you want to achieve, we have two effects engines in Titan – a shape
generator for more simple effects, and a pixel mapper for more complex ones.

With shape generator, there are 3 parameters you can change for any shape – size,
speed and spread, and the shapes are arranged by category. Go to [Shapes and Effects]
and then choose [Shape Generator].

First, select some fixtures, [Locate] them and then select [Create].

10.2 Saving a Shape

Once you have an effect you are happy with, you can then use [Record] to save it into
a playback. If you use Record by Channel, then you can overlay this effect onto
whatever playback is currently active.

Under [Playback Options] on Softkey B in the root menu, you can toggle whether a
shapes size and/or speed is being controlled on a fader.

You can also record shapes as palettes into the Shapes and Effects Window. For more
detail on this, please refer to a Titan manual.
11 Recording Chases

11.1 Starting to Record a Chase

Chases obey the same rules of recording as normal cues do (Channel/Fixture/Stage),

you are just recording a series of cues to loop in sequence onto a single handle. When
you press [Record] and choose [Create Chase], then the first time you press a playback
button, you are only assigning a handle for a chase. To record your first step, you must
then press the button again.

11.2 Editing a Chase

A chase will not track like a cue list will, and the chase direction and link options can
be customised under [Playback Options].

To edit a chase, press [Unfold] and then choose the playback to edit – each step of the
chase will then be laid out on a fader for you to edit. When you have finished editing,
press [Unfold] again and this will put it back.
12 Cue Lists

12.1 Tracking

By default, cue lists operate with tracking, this can be turned off under [Playback
Options]. Having tracking turned on means that the cue list only records the changes
you make, which is very useful for updating. For example, if in Cue 1, you set the colour
to red, and then change the colour again in Cue 5 to blue, the red information is only
actually saved in Cue 1 and is tracked through Cues 2 – 4. Therefore, if you change Cue
1 to yellow, this change will also track, so Cues 1 – 4 are now yellow, but Cue 5 remains
blue.

12.2 How to Record

There are two syntax types that can be used to record cue lists – the same way as for
recording chases, and a more theatre style one. To use the theatre style one, the
syntax is as follows when in record mode for a cue list:

Set the look up first -> [Record] -> [Cue] # -> [Enter]

You can also use the [Append Step] button whilst in record mode.

12.3 Editing

When you have finished recording, press [Exit] to quit. There are a number of things to
customise under [Playback Options] including the fader mode, tracking and Move In
Dark Options.
If you press [View] and then choose the cue list, you will get the following
display appear:

When you have a cue list connected, to update a live step, press [Record] [Cue] then
choose from softkeys or [Cue] again to merge into current step.

To update a cue time, press [Live Time] to go into the current steps time. To edit a
different cue, specify on Softkey A. If you then press an attribute button such as [C] for
colour it will take you straight to colour timings.
12.4 Tips

- Autoloads will not track, if they are to be used in consecutive cues they
should be auto loaded into all required cues

- The default behaviour of a cue list is that when the fader is brought to zero,
it will remain connected in the current cue. To kill it, press [Off] then the cue
list. To make it always kill at zero, in [Playback Options] set [Fader Mode –
Kill at 0]

- If you do not like working with tracking consoles, simply turn tracking
to [Tracking Off] under [Playback Options]

- There is a global Move in Dark setting under [Playback Options]. If you want
a single cue to be a live move, set that particular cue to [MID – Disabled]

- Right clicking [Avo] and pressing [Next Time] will snap back to the previous
cue

- The blue and grey key functionality can be customised using the [Key
Profiles] option under [Playback Options]
- Pressing [Cue] -> # -> [Enter] specifies the next cue to be fired

- Pressing [Cue] -> # -> [Go] immediately fires that cue

- To copy a cue from the active cue list, press: [Copy] -> [Cue] -> [#] ->
[@] -> new [#]
13 Advanced Effects – Pixel Mapping

13.1 Creating a Layout

To create more complex and customisable effects, use Pixel Mapper. The layout is
done on a group basis, so you could have the same fixtures in multiple layouts for
different effects.

First create a group, and then go to [Shapes and Effects] -> [Pixel Mapper] -> [Edit
Group Layout]
13.2 Creating an Element

When you have done this, the next time you select the group it will always apply
this layout to it. Now locate them, and go to the workspace labelled [Effect Editor]:

Create an element, and you then have lots of modifiers, including XY for positioning,
width and height for stretching the element etc:

The colour of the layer is available under the master Layer controls (Layers 1-4)
13.3 Adding Animation

Once you’ve made and adjusted your element, add an animation:

Have a go at layering up different animations with each other, different colours of the
same element moving in opposite directions, and especially the draw your own tab –
creating custom colour shapes is now incredibly easy.

13.4 Recording the Effect

Once you’re happy with your effect, you can save it into a cue, chase or cue list with the
same regular record modes. Remember, if you are using Channel, then dimmer will not
be saved unless it is in the programmer.

Avolites Ltd
184 Park Avenue, Park Royal, London, NW10 7XL, England.
Switchboard: +44 (0) 208 965 8522 Sales Direct: +44 (0) 208 955 9220 Fax: +44 (0) 208 965 0290
www.avolites.com
14 Saving your show

Don’t forget to regularly backup your show – press [Disk] then [Save Show]. You can
save to either USB or the internal hard drive of your PC. Show files can be transferred
between all consoles, so you could then load your show into the Tiger Touch.

There is also an Auto Save feature which can be configured under [Disk]. We
would recommend turning this off whilst running a show for optimum
performance.

15 Have Fun!

Remember, this is only a Quick Start Guide. It by no means details everything the Titan
Software is capable of (we have a manual for that), but it should hopefully have helped
you to find your feet if you’re new to the Titan platform.

Enjoy the software and remember there are resources online to help you out – the
dedicated Titan One forum on our website being the main one. Don’t forget about
training – for a full day on a console, contact either [email protected] in the UK,
or your local distributor if you’re international.

Avolites Ltd
184 Park Avenue, Park Royal, London, NW10 7XL, England.
Switchboard: +44 (0) 208 965 8522 Sales Direct: +44 (0) 208 955 9220 Fax: +44 (0) 208 965 0290
www.avolites.com