autostart Startup Show Production Computer & Watchpax 60

[MHeuberger]

Hi there,

I was just into the manual and some threads in this forum, but not getting closer to a solution.

We have a pemanent installation with one production pc and 3 watchpax 60. The production pc need to run the show, as we use multichannel via Dante Card for Audio-Out. On Page 192, last Topic it says that the production software accepts only the full path to a showfile to load. So none of the commands for the autostart.txt can be used, right ?

Later the Show should be started on the production pc with AMX, (which is well documented (will be right back if I stuck there)).

Kind regards, Martin

 

 

 

[jfk]

As many of you know, I would go to great lengths to avoid using watchmaker / WATCHOUT Production in daily operation. Running in an editing mode when it is not needed is unnecessary risk IMO.

I would consider running in cluster mode. Instead of running production software, use that pc and license to run watchpoint / WATCHOUT Display. Logical choice for cluster master is this former production, now audio server. Only challenge then is performing the production -> display transfer on the same PC. A second license for that PC would be needed temporarily to pull that off.

[jfk]

And to answer your question, autostart.txt is valid for watchpoint / WATCHOUT Display only. 

[Bryan]

Definitely try to avoid running a permanent install through a production machine. How many Dante output channels are you using? I have a similar situation. Due to the Watchpax audio device limitation, we are running analog out through a Focusrite 18i20 to a Q-SYS i/o frame. We ended up needing more than 10 analog channels during installation, so we bought another Focusrite 18i20 and ran ADAT between the two units, giving us an additional 8 analog channels (we patched it into our QSC amplifiers, which have the flex input back to the Q-SYS core). A key element of going this direction is the common availability of Focusrite products; we got the equipment we needed for this expansion in 2 days.

Another thing you could try is to add a fourth Watchout display computer, one that is custom made or 3rd-party, into your display cluster, which could act as your audio server. My client wanted to maintain Dataton servers only, which is why I did not go this route.

Minor shout out that I REALLY hope to see Dante or some other protocol as an option for Watchout 7, especially carried over to legacy Watchpax 40's and 60's.