ETC has released a major new software version for their popular Congo and Congo jr lighting control consoles: Congo v5. Version 5.0 introduces a new effects package, new graphics and handling, as well as better editing tools, more functions, and accessories.
Congo v5 rethinks the management of lighting effects, making them as easy to control as a dimmer with a scroller. Using all the tools available for device control, new v5 functions create endless new effects. The new Chase effect provides a simple editor for creating intensity effects without eating up presets and sequences. The new Dynamic effect uses the existing dynamics concept and brings them into the new Effect Playback world. The new Content effect lets users reuse their existing show data—groups, palettes, presets—to create complex effects quickly and on the fly. All of these effects are handled in the new Effect Playbacks—users will select and control them just like channels and record them into presets within sequences or on masters. Existing Dynamic Effects and chase-sequence settings remain in the software so that past work can be brought into v5 without any problems.
ETC has changed the underlying graphics-handling in Congo for improved speed in channel layout views, better display within tables, and small enhancements like “clickable-go,” pause, and go-back controls in the Playback tab.
ETC has added a new Groups & Palettes Overview tab showing all the texts of items that have already been recorded. This tab can be used as a portal to the editors for those items as well. Track Editing for Attributes has also been improved, allowing users to choose whether to update the last preset that sourced a move, or multiple presets containing repeating data.
ETC reorganized the Browser to make it more task-based and added important settings information to the New Play dialog. They have also added a Default Show Data wizard to extract things like patch, groups and palettes, among other things, to always start with in a new play. And they added a Delete Data wizard to make it easer to clear larger sections of a play.
ETC added Inhibit and Exclusive modes to all the Masters. These roles are determined in the Master Page settings. They also added the ability to assign any console key or soft key to any master.
Screen layouts may now be given text names and may be deleted. The Direct Selects also provide quick access to the direct Gel picker function (users can also assign colors from a Gel Picker tab that displays the complete libraries of the ten supported gel manufacturers, including gel numbers and color swatches).
ETC’s Net3™ RFR, Net3 I/O Gateway, 2x20 Universal Fader Wing and 1x20 Universal Fader Module are all supported in Congo v5. Also, a new large-venue management tool is included that allows the user to assign output universe mappings to named logical networks, such as Studio A, Studio B, etc., and choose which configuration the system should start up in.
