Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993 - 50

tells an inrelligenr live programmable fader
or gain conrrolling e1emenr ro change 5dB
in 25 seconds, it will fade smoorhly at a rate
of one decibel every five seconds. If me pace
of the show changes requiring the cue ro
complete sooner or later than the prescribed 25 seconds, you can instruct such a
fader ro go faster or slower at any time during me fade and its response will be precisely as desired. You can even command such
inrelligenr faders ro reverse fade directions

at any time wimour unpredictable or undesirable resulrs. Moreover, you can create
cues which dynamically alrer hundreds of
inrelligenr faders simulraneously. You can
execute mese cues at will and overlay mem
as desired ro produce virrually any effectexacrly as programmed and without the
uncerrainry and inconsistency caused by an
operaror arrempting ro do roo many mings
at once.
Does mis scenario sound roo good ro be

rrue? I would be me first ro admit me most
eleganr solution is yet ro come-but it's far
closer than it was a few years ago. Since
roday's equipmenr so far exceeds me performance of me past-and at a lower cost-it
doesn't make sense ro use any less man me
best for live sound conrro!.
ffi
Charlie Richmond is the TD&T Associate

Editor/or Sound Design and owner ofRichmond Sound Design Ltd. ofVancouver, Be.

*********************
Editor:

jurisdiction is in no way
bound ro the material in these
I just finished reading the
sections. The local aurhoriry
READERS' RESPONSE
excellent article by Tom
may, and in fact many do,
Macie on "Guidelines for
inrerpret the Code in a differenr manner and use differenr
Audience Safery and Design
guidelines. I might add that
for the Small Flexible Thearre" (TD&T, Fall 1992, p. 51). However, familiar with me FPA publication num- this also applies ro the Appendices in the
101 Code proper.
the way the author cited the pages in the bering system ro mink me aumor was referThese commenrs in no way diminish me
Life Safety Code Handbook might cause encing FPA publication 15, Standmd for
some confusion. First, it appears he used
water Spray Fixed Systems/or Fire Protection. fact that anyone who follows these guideAdditionally, I believe that the readers lines as prinred and as described in this artime 1988 edition and nor me currenr 1991
edition. This handbook is revised every should have been informed that me discus- cle will be doing the setup in a safe manner.
mree years ro conform wim the cutrenr ver- sions in the Code Handbook (prinred in
Jerrold
Gorrell
sion of the NFPA 01 Life Safety Code which brown and indenred in the 1988 edition)
is reviewed on a mree-year cycle. Second, a are not code, only guidelines, examples, and
Cornultant
Theatre Safety Programs
cite such as NFPA 15 might cause someone inrerpretations. The local aumoriry having

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1993