ABSTRACT
The entertainment design and technology industry has evolved over the years to include practices from a number of differing fields. Regarding control systems, a standard refers to a commonly accepted working practice or protocol that governs how different manufacturers can create products that interact well with one another. In short, show control is the method of linking together multiple entertainment control systems into a master system. It is basically a system that controls other systems. It can be software-based or dedicated hardware. For every production, there are a number of different elements that must work together seamlessly: sound, lighting, projections, special effects. QLab show control covers a wide array of possibilities and, as such, features a number of variables regarding how a show control network might be set up. Completely automated show control systems seem to work best in rigidly choreographed productions like dance concerts.
