Rick ... agreed "What you're used to." It is a plain simple fact that is this harder to program then the Lance. I fully understand machine control and this truck I am on now uses it. But not all SONY trucks I have been on use it, which is why I wrote what I did above. Not all trucks are configured the same. Going from truck to truck we don't have that luxury and just programming on the same switcher day after day. Each truck company does what's easier for their home operators - it might not be right for some, but that is the hand we are dealt when seeing these trucks. The Lance controller has made it very easy to go from truck to truck especially when taking into account different DDR's and how they are configured. Marking a simple in and out is less intensive then going through menus to set an in point and a rewind. The Lance does that for me with no extra steps. Can I do the same on the Sony ... sure, but it is more menu intensive from my experience. I too am not trying to argue with anyone, but this is my experience with this switcher. As I mentioned, I like the switcher, but it could be more user friendly especially when time is involved.

I would say that what one describes are "more trouble" is what you're used to. I find that the Kalypso is more trouble than the Sony becuase I am pretty much forced to use P-Buss for everything on a Kalypso whereas the Sony let's me use the built-in VDCP and VTR interface. I don't need a Lance contoller to call up clips of an EVS. For instance, this is the exact keystroke requirement to instruct a DDR to mark in in-point and store the effect (provided Auto-Store is turned on): 1. Find the in-point using the built-in jog/shuttle wheel 2. Recall and empty effect (recall . enter) on the device 3. Press "Start TC" on the device control module. That's it. From that moment on, every time I hit REW or recall the effect the DDR will cue. If I want, I can now add timeline KFs to that device to get it to call up different clips, timecodes, etc. I can even give it a variable speed command on a KF by KF basis (not sure why I'd want to, though). I like that all my running timecodes, start and stop points, etc all show up on one place on the touchscreen. Not trying to argue with anyone, just pointing out that one person's hassle is another person's ease. RE

Hey Zach, I have used the Sony 8000 (9000 is almost the same) over the past few years on various trucks around the country. In fact I'm about to do a Guitar Auction today and tomorrow on one. It is very powerful but still quirky at times. Some truck companies have elected to add a DVEOUS to compliment the switchers and the internal DME's. I find that to be the best scenerio for the remote environment we work in. In many cases a DVEOUS is still needed in addtion to the interanl transforms or DME's (if you will) and I find some companies just cheap out. Rick Edwards already went over the Macros for you so I won't repeat that. The problem with this switcher (when you go from truck to truck) is everyone runs their external devices differently. Some run it as a 7K where you just hit the run button to run an effect, some use machine control and some use the timeline recall & triggers not to mention the macros. I myself like Timeline triggers because you just have more flexibility and control in my opinion. When I say this I'm speaking about a specific show where I use multiple functions. The problem is they are a pain to program quickly on this switcher unlike a GV. Don't get me wrong, I'm in agreement it is very powerful switcher, but it is still more menu intensive and when time is involved it that much harder to do remote sports over something like a Kalypso which is just more straight forward especially on today's remotes when you just don't have the time to reconfigure from truck to truck.

[quote="Zach G"]Hi All. I am using the Sony 9000 here in Torino for Host Curling. Luckily I had the plkeasure of a few set days so I was able to figure out the switcher before I had to use it Live. I will admit I am a fan of the new Sony. It seems to be a powerful switcher and not that hard to figure out. I have a few questions... I am using version 5.11. I figured out how to create macro's but how do Attach it to a button of my choice. I found the menu area of attachment but it doesn't seem to have any options, kind of greyed out. Wrong software? Can you split ME's like the Kalypso? Thanks![/quote] Zach, the menu attachments are a piece of cake, although one portion is cake where you forgot to buy the icing and have to back to the store.... I'll explain..... check your control panel, you should see two buttons on each M/E.... PRE MCRO and POST MCRO. They will be to the right of the "A" buss buttons on the crosspoint module. After you have learned your macro, make sure it's still called up (it is lit on the flexipad or 10-key pad), then hold hown either PRE or POST and press the button you want to attach the macro to. You'll then see the button start to blink (you may see buttons blink before that .... it just means macros have been previously attached). If you're holding down PRE any flashing buttons mean you're seeing PRE-MACRO attachments. Same with POST MACRO. Just a refresher.... PRE-MACRO means that the macro will run BEFORE the button's original fucntionality. POST-MACRO means the Button's original function will run BEFORE the macro will. The only time this will mean anything is if your macro "takes time." In other words if you have, what Sony calls Pauses (I would have called them delays, but I don't write the software). If there are no pauses then it doesn't matter which one you attach with. There are a lot of other modifiers that you can attach macros with but there's limited control panel space. See the 8 buttons on the touchscreen called PREF 1-8 (they're at the bottom of all the buttons). If you don't know, those buttons are utility buttons and can have pretty much anything assigned to them. If you go to menu 7324 (Prefs/Utility) then select UTILITY COMMAND and select from the list -- you'll see the following at the bottom of the list: MACRO AT WITH RATE This presses Auto Trans on an M/E and remembers the trans rate when the Auto Trans is pressed. MACRO ONLY SET When you press this button it will REPLACE the button's original function with that of the macro. MACRO AT WITH A/B BUSS This will press Auto Trans on an M/E and remember what was on the A & B busses. MACRO TL WITH REGION I'm not actually sure that this does. I think it's a way to recall all the regions on the region selection pad without actually recalling an effect. Maybe you can try and tell us. One thing to remember here is that first you must assign one or more of these function listed above to one of the prefs buttons (since there's no place else for them on the panel). If you want to use MACRO ONLY SET then you use it as a modifier to either PRE or POST buttons. For example, if you wanted to assign macro 10 to the "B" buss, crosspoint 31 as a MACRO ONLY, you'd need to recall macro 10, then press whatever PREFS button you assigned MACRO ONLY SET to *then* do the macro attach thing by holding down either PRE or POST macro and pressing the button you want to attach the macro to. In this case, since you're replacing the original function of the button, it really doesn't matter whether you use PRE or POST..... there's nothing left on the button to run. I hope this all makes sense.... if not, write back and I'll see if I can help further. The Sony really is a very cool and powerful switcher. I have met a lot of people who snub their nose at it when they haven't even used it but very few who've actually used it in the field who don't come away liking it. RE