Timecode Fader Automate

Turn a table of values into fader movements on a grandMA console, driven by timecode.

TL;DR

“Automate fader movements using predefined value sequences.”

What it does

• Turns values into fade move events
  Each row of your table becomes a fader movement at a set time.
• Drives movement and kinetics
  Use fader automation to show complex stage movements or to control kinetic objects. Because the moves follow timecode, they stay in sync with other time-based systems such as stage automation controllers.
• Builds organic effects
  Feed in detailed value data — for example from an audio file you analysed elsewhere — and get smooth, natural fader moves. These effects are hard to build on a lighting console alone.

How to use it

1. Prepare your values:
   • Build a table in Excel or any other program with three columns: Timecode for the time, Value for the fader value, and Track for the target fader.
   • Write the track as “Page.Executor”, for example “1.4”.
2. Import the values:
   • Set the import options first.
     Set the delimiter and the column names on the Settings page. To check the format of your file, open it in a text editor and read the first line.
   • Import File reads a CSV file. Import Clipboard pastes from Excel and similar programs.
3. Set the export options:
   • Choose the timecode number and the name.
   • Choose the fader type:
     Master creates master intensity movements only.
     Temp creates temp movements and adds the On and Off events they need.
4. Export the timecode:
   • Manual import: save the macro and timecode to a grandMA2 or grandMA3 folder, then run the macro on the console. The macro creates the timecode.
   • Direct import: send the timecode straight to the console.

The screen explained

Import

• Source Format: the timecode format used for import and export.
• Filter Hour: import only markers from one hour range, and change the hour value if you want.
• CSV Field ‘Timecode’: the column that holds the times. Format: “HH:MM:SS:FF”.
• CSV Field ‘Track’: the column that holds the target fader. Format: “Page.Executor”, for example “1.4”.
• CSV Field ‘Value’: the column that holds the fader values. Range: 0 to 100.

Destination

• Name: the name of the timecode object.
• Timecode #: the target timecode pool number.
• Fader Type:
  Master creates master intensity movements only.
  Temp creates temp movements and adds the On and Off events they need.

Table columns

• #: the row number.
• Timecode: the time at which the value applies.
• Track: the target executor.
• Value: the value applied at that time.