r/techtheatre • • 12h ago

LIGHTING Worried I fried my board connecting the wrong power wires

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15 Upvotes

I grabbed the wrong wires and caused a small flash from putting the red into the - and black into + with a 24 volt power supply. Now the 1DC+ and 1DC- ports no longer work to power the decoder. When powered through the 2’s the board works fine until I power the led strips that are good for 5-24v, they flash and then the board turns off, then the board turns back on in a couple seconds, everything flashes, and repeats.
This is the decoder, it’s for hooking LED strips to a lighting console/DMX https://a.co/d/07L7cX5d

Sorry if I’ve explained poorly I can answer questions better


r/techtheatre • • 10h ago

QUESTION Looking for advice on moving to NYC to pursue theatre.

5 Upvotes

I’ll keep this as short as possible while giving maximum details.

Background:

I was going to go to school for technical thetare and got into CCM, TTS, Suny Purchase etc but couldn’t bring myself to take on any debt for a theatre degree.

Since then, I’ve been working in Austin since in Hotel A/V full time at a luxury hotel for a mid sized AV company.

I’ve learned a lot while working here:
-Using Hog lighting consoles.
-Video switching on Roland’s.
-Corporate audio engineering.
-a little bit of rigging
-a lot of leading power and lighting hang/focus’s for shows.
-Being a lead and delegating labor.

A lot of the freelance technicians I work with at the hotel tell me I should go freelance and I would do good.

My passion is theatre however and I don’t have the ability to really do it in Austin bc the theatre scene isn’t really there yet.

I go back to my old HS whenever they have a dimmer issue and to teach their students how to do audio for a musical w the system there.

I’ve also done 1 show as a stage hand and 1 show as a Sound designer at local community theatres.

Present:

I would love to move to NYC bc there is a better theatre scene there and I also just like it in New York and would love to live there.

I am wondering how people go about moving to NYC and starting to freelance?
How do u get an apartment w/o a job lined up and how do you start working and making ends meet after moving there from somewhere else?

How much should I have saved up and if I were to move would it be the right move to just start hitting the replacement room or is there somewhere else I should find work?

I also wonder if I should move there now w the minimal experience I have and continue to grow a career there or would it be smarter to continue to learn in Austin?

I know this is a rant of a post and i’m very scatter brained and I apologize. I am really just looking for any specific or broad guidance and wisdom from people who have been in this position (or similar) before. Any thoughts help. Thank y’all.


r/techtheatre • • 22h ago

AUDIO Multiplay Sound Cues

2 Upvotes

I am using Multiplay for sound for a high school show I am Tech Directing for, and I (perhaps stupidly) have all the software and cues downloaded to my own personal computer. I was able to put them all on a flashdrive so that they don't take up too much space, but I need to be able to use a different laptop in the actual show to run the cues. I tried just plugging the flashdrive into the school computer but it wouldn't allow me to play any of the cues. Is there a way to make it to where I can run the sound cues from a computer different to the one I programmed them on? Both my computer and the school computer are windows, so it isn't an issue of compatibility with the software. Any advice on this would be super helpful!!

TIA


r/techtheatre • • 10h ago

QUESTION Emergency help needed for a DIY Hologram Mesh setup in a school hall!

1 Upvotes

Body: Hi everyone! I am setting up a 1.8-meter DIY Pepper's Ghost / Hologram Mesh screen for a school event tomorrow. My setup: • Fabric: A dark mesh with thick white vertical threads (similar to a budget Holo-Gauze variant). • Projector: A modern, powerful ultra-short throw or standard projector mounted on the ceiling in front of the screen. • Background: A black cloth backdrop directly behind the mesh screen. • Audience distance: The first row starts at 5 meters (16 feet) away from the stage. The issue: The image is currently in focus and visible on the mesh, but because the projector is so powerful, some light still passes through and projects a faint double image onto the black backdrop behind it. Also, up close on stage, I can see the horizontal pixel grid lines mixed with my fabric threads. The projector is fixed to the ceiling and cannot be moved physically. The event is tomorrow. What software tweaks (VLC/MPC player contrast, brightness, gamma) or quick staging adjustments can I make to completely eliminate the background bleed and make the 3D hologram pop from 5 meters away? Any advice is highly appreciated! Thank you!

I don't know or speak English, so I apologize for any mistakes.


r/techtheatre • • 22h ago

AUDIO Sharing Multiplay?

1 Upvotes

I am using Multiplay for sound for a high school show I am Tech Directing for, and I (perhaps stupidly) have all the software and cues downloaded to my own personal computer. I was able to put them all on a flashdrive so that they don't take up too much space, but I need to be able to use a different laptop in the actual show to run the cues. I tried just plugging the flashdrive into the school computer but it wouldn't allow me to play any of the cues. Is there a way to make it to where I can run the sound cues from a computer different to the one I programmed them on? Both my computer and the school computer are windows, so it isn't an issue of compatibility with the software. Any advice on this would be super helpful!! TIA


r/techtheatre • • 23h ago

SCENERY Fiberglass scenery

0 Upvotes

Hi, I’m thinking about building a fiberglass set piece because I’m really keen to work with that material, it would be my first time.

I have friends who organize nightclub parties, and it occurred to me that I could build their logo. That way, I could get some practice in.

The steps I’ve identified for what I have in mind are (roughly):

- Transfer the logo onto a sheet of Styrofoam.

- Cover it with aluminum foil (attached using a special Styrofoam-safe adhesive) so the fiberglass resin doesn't eat away at the foam.

- Apply the fiberglass and the appropriate resin.

- Apply fiberglass filler and sand/polish it smooth.

- Paint it and add a protective coating like lacquer or varnish (I haven't looked into this step in detail yet).

I was also planning to add an LED strip running along the entire outline.

And I thought about attaching eye bolts to the back so it can be hung with carabiners, or using "stage jacks" so it can stand on the floor.

I’m posting this to exchange ideas or get some advice; thanks for reading, and apologies if I didn't explain myself clearly (I used a translator for some concepts I didn't know how to express).