[quote="Bob Ennis"]If you run the Kalypso in Multi-Suites mode, you can release resources (such as M/E's), rendering them inoperative. When you're ready, just re-acquire them & you're back in business - effects & all. Acquires can even be set as part of your suite prefs recalls & saves, but you can do it manually, too. In my classes, I have recommended running in Multi-Suites mode even if you don't have another panel. The advantage to Multi-Suites mode is that IF for any reason one of the M/E's go out (like maybe the Program bus?), you can go into the ACQUIRE menu (which is not available in single-suite mode): release one of your other M/E's & re-acquire that M/E as Program/Preset. By moving the M/E electronics in this way you'll have to reload the necessary P/P E-Mems, but at least you'll be back up & running pretty fast - and you can stay on-air while the EIC swaps out the bad board. That is assuming that the EIC has a Spares Kit.[/quote] This is perhaps one of the coolest features...! Makes me wish I worked on a Kalypso so I could try it out...( Insert joke here...like.."This Guy needs to get a life!!") hahaha.. Seriously though...what a great work around. Much easier than trying to scramble and rebuild. -Curt

It'd be fun to have it flash that once just to get the message across. I really appreciate everyones suggestions. Now you know my implementation of this is going to lead to my firing and I'll be on a 250 at the competition!

I personally like the remapping of the switcher so source displays say "Out to Lunch, Hands Off" or something, plus add in the idea of Macroing every button to flash stills in the monitors that say "I said Hands Off!". Those are all some pretty great ideas, then it's just a load of the Prefs to get back, that's just a few seconds. I think I would also minimize the menu, but then someone might come in thinking they know Windows and try to re-boot the menu or something. Making all the cross points blank might make someone think that there is something wrong with the switcher, and they might try to turn it off & on again, or run to maintenance to have them re-start it or something along those lines. You should be careful though, if you do too much, and there is some breaking news that someone needs to use the switcher, and you are no where to be found, restoring the switcher over the phone could be difficult. Overall, these are some great ideas from some great minds. --- Dan

That is correct about the e-mem reloads - each M/E card holds onto its own e-mems, so swapping electronics does require a reload for that M/E (maybe 1-2 minutes). But it does not require a reboot. And de-acquiring and re-acquiring M/E cards to the panel M/E's (for purposes of "disabling the panel") does not require either a reboot or a reload.

If you acquire a resource (i.e. another ME) when you run in multi suite mode, you aquire only the electronics of that resource. Not the actual ME and its memory. It is important to note that Bob said you are aquiring the electronics as PGM/PST. You will now have to reload the emems that are used as the PGM/PST emems into a different electronics frame. If you think of the Kalypso as 4 seperate switchers that can be moved around to any part of the panel (or even an entirely different panel) you will see why the emems have to be reloaded.

[quote="Bob Ennis"]If you run the Kalypso in Multi-Suites mode, you can release resources (such as M/E's), rendering them inoperative. When you're ready, just re-acquire them & you're back in business - effects & all. Acquires can even be set as part of your suite prefs recalls & saves, but you can do it manually, too. In my classes, I have recommended running in Multi-Suites mode even if you don't have another panel. The advantage to Multi-Suites mode is that IF for any reason one of the M/E's go out (like maybe the Program bus?), you can go into the ACQUIRE menu (which is not available in single-suite mode): release one of your other M/E's & re-acquire that M/E as Program/Preset. By moving the M/E electronics in this way you'll have to reload the necessary P/P E-Mems, but at least you'll be back up & running pretty fast - and you can stay on-air while the EIC swaps out the bad board. That is assuming that the EIC has a Spares Kit.[/quote] Is this in the eng/system menu? Besides that it has to re-boot once you switch, is there any problems living in multi suite? Sounds like a great idea to save yourself after a problem. You said you have to reload emems though? Why is that? Emems live in the card somehow? thanks Bill

If you run the Kalypso in Multi-Suites mode, you can release resources (such as M/E's), rendering them inoperative. When you're ready, just re-acquire them & you're back in business - effects & all. Acquires can even be set as part of your suite prefs recalls & saves, but you can do it manually, too. In my classes, I have recommended running in Multi-Suites mode even if you don't have another panel. The advantage to Multi-Suites mode is that IF for any reason one of the M/E's go out (like maybe the Program bus?), you can go into the ACQUIRE menu (which is not available in single-suite mode): release one of your other M/E's & re-acquire that M/E as Program/Preset. By moving the M/E electronics in this way you'll have to reload the necessary P/P E-Mems, but at least you'll be back up & running pretty fast - and you can stay on-air while the EIC swaps out the bad board. That is assuming that the EIC has a Spares Kit.

Curt's point about not needing to load anything is a hurry is a very good one, but... wouldn't it be fun to have a user pref you load as you leave for awhile where you attach the same macro to every button and have it call up stills that say"HANDS OFF THE SWITCHER!" Have a few different styles of the still and set the macro so it steps thru the different ones on program/preset and each ME and then keeps looping, thus causing the monitors to keep flashing. extra points if you have it fire a digicart sound effect of an explosion of some sorts...or maybe a villain from the old Scooby Doo cartoons "you meddling kids..." I would think that happening once or twice might keep folks away. Maybe not practical, but still an enjoyable idea. Sean

If all else fails, put one of [url=http://www.homesecuritystore.com/fake-security-cameras.html]these[/url] in front of the switcher.

I agree...those who shouldn't be touching equipment, shouldn't be going in to just play around. Has there been an instance where air was affected b/c of this? If so, or maybe even if not, I would say something to the people that just come in and play around...as in " Yesterday when you came in and started pushing buttons, this happened...etc..etc."... Maybe even put that into a note..."Please do not touch..., This affects air...etc. You would think people would know better...but I guess not. Maybe come back from lunch a little early, and ask if you can show these folks something on the board, implying it would be better for you toshow, than them to touch. I guess it depends on who it giving you problems. If it is someone in managment, the above may not go over to well, and you may have to do it tactfully. ( aka..no threatening notes...hahahah) Aside/ in conjunction with the note that others suggested...how about a Master EMEM that sets up your board...ie feeds auxes, M/E, etc Could even incorporate a macro to do things if you needed to. You could build it so when you hit the emem that it sets you up for your cutin. We have an EMEM here that sets us up, and that is pretty much all it is used for. So if you have to come running in, just hit 0-0, and you are good to go...as far as auxes, panel setups...etc. Lock the EMEM so no one learns over it by mistake. IMO if someone knows how to unlock it, they should know they shouldn't be messing around w/ a switcher they shouldn't be. As for the GUI, is it possible to minimize the splash screen so you see the windows desktop? Not sure if there is a menu function for it...but if you hit "Windows +M" you show the desktop on a regular PC. This might deter those from banging around on the GUI...if they just see a windows screen... Personally, I would stay away from anything you have to load in a pinch...b/c you know that would be the the time that any a file is corrupt, or your USB thumb drive fails..etc. -Curt

Steve, I love that idea, that's easy enough where I can keep a studio camera online in the event of breaking news and I'm still flirting with the pretty coeds at Panera. I should map it to read, "Out to Lunch, Be Back in Five Minutes" One other suggestion given to me by one of our trainers was to put the switcher into lamp test mode, so key strokes simply toggle through lamp cycles. I've tried signs and covers, but people still mess with it. It's a pretty open area too, so I can't lock the door either. They have an ENG password, how about a user password!!! :)

I have done the nothing mapped and it's worked great for me. The buttons even beep when pressed. Either that or you can do the old trick where you learn black with source holds off and then loop the timeline, whether with a macro or effects dissolve. No matter what crosspoint they try it will always go to black as soon as they release the button. That one is also a good prank. Works well on the old switchers when you can remove the lamps so you can't tell it's running effects dissolve.

[quote="News9TD"]Hi, Our station is new to the Kalypso and I'm in a situation where I have too many non-technical people coming in seeing the coloful buttons and wanting to punch around. Is there anyway without turning off the switcher that I can simply turn off or disconnect the panel? Is there anyway to intentionally give it a no frame com, but quickly restore it when I come back from lunch before the 11 without having to hit the power buttons and go through boot-up? Because I'd still like quick access if we're doing breaking news and only have a few minutes to prepare for a cut-in.[/quote] Before my TV days, I use to tour doing rock-n-roll... One thing that might help you is to have a thin black bed sheet and just cover the switcher panel. This helps keep prying eyes from messing around as they hopefully are afraid to remove the cover... The black color in this case will at least DIM your panel lights and the bonus is that it will keep the dust out when not in use. Something managment cannot complain about - your protecting there 200K investment. The reason I say a sheet... is that it will be light enough not to build up any heat (if any from that panel). Scott S. The sign idea would help out on top of this, how about "RENDER IN PROGRESS" that will confuse them

[quote="News9TD"]Our station is new to the Kalypso and I'm in a situation where I have too many non-technical people coming in seeing the coloful buttons and wanting to punch around.[/quote] I think the best solution here might just be to keep people who have no business touching the switcher from being able to touch the switcher, powered up or not. Leaving some kind of scary sign on the panel or the control room door might do the trick, and would certainly be a lot easier than any technical solution I could think of. What kind of non-technical people are you talking about here?

Are you interested in just disabling the crosspoint select buttons, or everything on the panel? One thing I've always wanted to do in the trucks (but have never had the cojones to try, yet) is to make a user prefs file with nothing mapped to the buttons. You can still call up emems and macros, and select sources via the menu. To get your button mapping back, just load your user prefs file. Let's see what else the creative minds here at Editsuite can come up with :-)