Editors note: Greg Mitchell is the Service Manager and all around fix-it guy at Limelight - most often found behind the scenes. We’ve taken the opportunity to bring Greg “around front” and ask him a few questions about his work and what he does for fun when he isn’t up to his eyeballs in someone’s emergency. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask Greg, leave a comment.
What’s your position at Limelight?
It is usually squatting or bent over . . . I’m sorry, I transgress. My business cards read “Electronics Technician and Factory Authorized Field Service Representative.” My ETCP Certification says “Entertainment Electrician.” All credentials aside, it is - “this is broken, can you fix it, this needs to be installed, have you ever seen one of these before?”
How long have you been at Limelight fixing dimmers, control consoles and other theatre electronics stuff?
Funny you should ask that. As of Feb. 26, 2009 I will have been here 5 years. Time flies when you are having fun!
Have you seen a lot of change in theatre electronics during your time at Limelight? Is this an area of rapid change?
This is a yes . . . and no answer. Venues still need lights dimmed. It doesn’t matter if they use resistance wire or IGBT dimming. With the economy, or lack thereof, in its present condition customers are scrambling to get their old technology up and running and to keep it running. But there are a lot of areas making giant strides:
- Ethernet technology - it used to be one wire, one dimmer. Now you can send thousands of signals over a single “computer” cable.
- Console power - While dimming consoles are still available (and still quite popular) that have “one slider, one dimmer” a lot of the industry is moving toward programmable boards that allow the end user to push the GO button and have the next look ready for them. Now you can have a handful of channels or thousands, all in a package smaller than a breadbox.
- Moving lights - At one time, not long ago, you could count the manufacturers of moving lights on your fingers. Now everybody and their sister is on the bandwagon.
- Video integration - Single screen, multi-screen, projection, flat screen, etc.
- LED components - More lumens per watt, cooler operating temperatures, compact size, lower power consumption, longevity, etc. LEDs are here to stay. There have been huge technological breakthroughs
and we expect to see a lot more. - Dimmers - With the availability of high power semiconductors sine wave and IGBT dimming are catapulting in popularity. They give off less heat and produce less noise than conventional SCR/SSR/Triac systems. Of course, there is a trade off - cost. In time, prices will come down on these as they have for other electronics.
- Software based formats - In the “olden days” if you wanted an upgrade you would send it to the factory and they would reprogram or replace a chip (or 10). Now you can upgrade by loading the software off the net. Any 12 year old can do it!?!
- Special effects - Strobes, Gobo rotators, Scrollers, Fog machines, Snow machines, Bubble machines, etc. all controlled by DMX - one cable(!) - not a 6 pin plug here and a Cinch-Jones there.
What do you have to do to keep up with changing technology?
You have to work with the equipment . . . hands on. Some companies require you to be recertified every 2 years to keep up with the new technology. This training is done at the factory with the product engineers and phone support people. I have been bench trained to do in house and field service work. At this intensive you and a factory tech rip the products apart that come back for repair. It is certainly helpful to learn from people who see the problems everyday. There are also seminars and classes held at LDI and USITT every year. Here you can talk to other people in the profession and compare stories and common problems. There are also New Product showcases where different manufacturers show their latest designs. Also, to keep my ETCP Entertainment Electrician’s certification I must log the time I spend working in the industry.
I imagine there are still a lot of old, legacy systems out there - what’s the oldest or oddest technology you have been asked to repair?
Yes, there is still a lot of vintage equipment still in use. This is due, in part, to the belief that “It was good 40 years ago, things haven’t changed that much . . . have they?” Well, the company that made your equipment hasn’t been in business for 25 years. I still repair Century, TTI, Luxtrol (because we still have some parts!), LMI and some “no name”
products. I think one of the oddest jobs I did was replacing a solenoid in a panel that had burned out. I could find no name on the unit. There was another solenoid right next to it. I got the readings I needed off the good solenoid and hand-wound the coil on the bad one. It is still operating to this day.
Is there a “typical” repair call? Are there precautions an owner can take to minimize their risk?
Most “typical” repair calls involve neglect, abuse, being unfamiliar with the product, or lack of periodic maintenance. Just like your car, you have to change filters occasionally. The best thing to do is set up a time once a year (more often if in a dirty environment) to have the system cleaned and checked. The technician should check signals at the console and dimmers. This is where the line in the Operation Manual “No User Serviceable Parts . . . Refer To Qualified Technician” comes in.
Any extreme stories to tell - unusual problems, odd locations, weird circumstances?
There are always strange things. Recently I had a follow spot come in. The owner said it didn’t work well and had a funny smell. I plugged it in and found it not to work at all. After removing the power supply board I found a safety pin that had welded itself across two terminals on the secondary side of the transformer. It had also taken out a copper trace on the printed circuit board. This pin may have saved a costume but it killed a follow spot. (What was it doing inside anyway?)
I have to ask this. Have you every gotten to a venue only to find that the breaker was off or something was unplugged?
Too many times! When someone calls on the phone and says they have a problem, I have them step through a check list series. For example: Someone says their console won’t control the stage lights but the house lights work. At least there is power in the building. Are there lights in the dimmer rack? Is the console on? Is the console plugged in? Is the blackout switch on? Is the master fader up? Are your sliders patched to dimmers (DMX out)? What is your DMX range? From here on the questions become product specific. If there is still no communication then I hop in the car and head to the venue.
Prior to joining Limelight what was your background
For many years I taught music and repaired electronic musical instruments (synthesizers, organs, amplifiers, etc.) I played rock and roll in numerous bands. I worked for 35 years as the Technical Director for Berkshire Dance Theatre. For the 10 years prior to coming to Limelight I worked as an Electronic Technician in the Power Systems division of Commonwealth Sprague Capacitor as a Lead Builder, UL Inspector, and Field Service Technician. My degree is a BFA
with a concentration in Music and Arts Management.
What do you for fun when you’re not fixing dimmers
I didn’t know there was any other kind of fun! But seriously, I enjoy writing, arranging, and playing music. I love to hike and enjoy photography (35mm). In the summer time I pick a place I haven’t been to on the map and ride my motorcycle there. I try to eat at the “mom & pop” restaurants rather than the chains. It’s the beach, when I want to get away from it all.
Tags: electronics, Greg Mitchell, staff profiles