Record Exclude and Other Sub Features

Submasters in the EOS board can behave in several different ways. To change how a Submaster behaves, we need to go to the Submaster view by either opening a new display tab and selecting Submasters or double tapping [Sub] [Sub], or the “S” button on your keyboard. .

This will open the Submasters display, which has a special window for the selected Submaster at the bottom.

There are several options that can be adjusted for subs and in turn their assigned faders. I’m only going to run over the most common ones; but you can read about them all on ETC’s website. Here we go …

Mode

As mentioned in the Faders lesson we can set a fader / sub to act as …

• Additive – This is the standard mode; meaning subs will combine with one another or add on top of one another
• Inhibitive – Meaning that the adjustment of this fader will bring down light rather than up; a common usage would be a Grand Master
• Effect – A sub that is meant just to control effects for lights and not their individual properties such as intensity or focus

Master

There are two options here that can expand or limit a sub’s scope …

• Prop(ortional) – All properties will fade in proportion with the fader; meaning any focus or color will fade to a value along with the intensity. You’ll see lights move and colors change.
• Int(ensity) – Only intensity values will fade in proportion with the fader; meaning any focus or color values will snap to their values, ready for the intensity to come up.

HTP

This feature answers the question of “who should have control if the light was already on?” …

• HTP (Highest Takes Precedence) – This is the default mode for subs and cue lists; whoever is brighter gets to take over – so a sub will take over once the value is higher than another sub or cue and release control when it becomes dimmer.
• LTP (Last Takes Precedence) – This is very purposeful mode that can be nice when designing live (i.e. busking for a concert) in which the board says, “Oh, now you wanna do that? Okay!” so the most recent change is the one that takes over.

EXCLUDE

Here’s just a quick one. You can exclude a sub from being seen or considered by a few features in the EOS board; for example …

• Record – Any lights being controlled by this submaster will not be included in a cue when you hit [Record] [Enter]. This would be a great way to control house lights while programming during rehearsal.
• GM / Inhibitive – A Grand Master or Inhibitive sub will take down lights when adjusted. Subs in this mode will ignore that command and stay at their present value.

PRIORITY

I’m just going to mention this one shortly. Subs and Cue Lists can have a priority number between 1 – 10. This is more important than HTP or LTP mode. If two lights are being told to do something; a P6 Sub will take priority over a P4 Cue, even if the P4 Cue is brighter (Priority #4 is the default across the board).

So sometimes I’ll make a House Lights fader set to Priority #1 and Record Exclude mode. I can then bring it up dimly to 20% while in rehearsal and …

• The houselights will not record into any of my cues, and …
• Any cue that brings up house lights (such as intermission) will take over, or …
• Any cue that purposefully brings them OUT (such as a blackout) will also take over.

Pretty slick, huh?