RAG lights (Enter / Do Not Enter) ??

[Bones]

Greetings.

I don't know if "RAG ... Red And Green" is standard, or just a local term (I live in South Africa), but the only time I have heard mention of them was at our local radio station and that is what they called them ... you know ... the red or green "enter / do not enter" lights on a studio door??

The particular ones at this small radio station were automatically switched by some sort of micro switch on the vocal mic fader (ie. when the mic channel was open, the red light came on outside etc) on the small console they used for inhouse 2 track jingles.

Does anyone know if this is a feature or if it is a standard mod or whatever??

Any other info??

Ciao

[Fajita]

radio station mixing boards have contact closures on the on/off switches to control cd players, turntables, cart decks, lights, etc.

[max cooper]

R.A.G. Light is a term that 'trafficslutz' use to describe traffic signal lights: Red, Amber Green.

[joeq]

There are plenty of companies that sell the On Air lights. Around here I usually only see ones that light up red for Do Not Enter. If its OK to enter the light is Off and there is no Green.

here is a box that can control several such lights from various simple relays.


I used to have a tape deck that had an jack in the back that would close when the deck went into record. Maybe some DAW controllers have something similar.

[zimv20]

Originally Posted by joeq

here is a box that can control several such lights from various simple relays.

check your link, please.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by zimv20

check your link, please.

Hmm, it works fine from here. If you can't get to it, go to www.markertek.com and search for Superelay

[zimv20]

Originally Posted by joeq

Hmm, it works fine from here.

weird, now the link's working. before, i was getting a page with cablewrap.

i blame terrorists.

[JonCraig]

Originally Posted by zimv20

i blame terrorists.

freedom haters!!!

--jon

[Bones]

Originally Posted by max cooper

R.A.G. Light is a term that 'trafficslutz' use to describe traffic signal lights: Red, Amber Green.

trafficslutz

I can see a typical thread now ... "24 wheeler vs tricycle ... which do you prefer??"

Seriously though, that is what the SABC calls these "On Air" lights (that is obviously the term I should have been looking for in the 1st world) as they have a green and red one, hence "rag lights", which in this case is in fact Red And Green.

Thanks for the link and I am actually trying to find out more as I type ... my main question is HOW the relay or switches are fitted to a standard console for example.

I see the point in only needing a Red "On Air" light, but that is why I have always wondered if it was a Universal term or not as I have never really been able to find info on them .... calling a commercial radio station with a query like this would result in at least 15 unreturned calls and EVENTUALLY being given the number of the technical installation guy that no longer works there ... plus his contact details will have changed and the number you are given will now belong to the Slovakian Embassy or something similar!!

Anyway, I thought it would be pretty cool to have something switched automatically when recorders are on ... OR when mic faders are up.

Anyone else got experience or knowledge in actually fitting a relay to a fader or set of faders??

Perhaps this should go in the Geekslutz section??

Thanks so far.

Ciao

[max cooper]

How about sending an audio signal to a sound activated electronic switch? This is just the first one I came up with, but maybe this is the easy way to get there. Perhaps you could dedicate an aux track and use input monitoring to establish the difference between having the shuttle in 'record' and 'play'. I can't really conceptualize it right now. Too many martinis last night.



http://electronickits.com/kit/complete/elec/ck1607.htm

[Bones]

I guess that could be approached in much the same way as a midi trigger works, except in reverse .... well kind of.

Another option would be to fix a micro switch onto the bottom of a faders travel, so that the switch is always closed (ie. lights OFF) when the fader is closed.

Would mean that the On Air light is on when mixing though .

I think a better way might be to incorporate a switch into an XLR patchbay (assuming all mics ALWAYS go through the patchbay).
Shouldn't be too difficult to figure out some sort of circuit that is always activated when a patch cable is used on ANY of the front points??

I don't use a dedicated XLR/Mic patchbay at this stage although it is something I want to do soon ... I presume they are never normalled (which could complicate my patch cable switch theory).

Someone will probably chime in and explain how it REALLY works in a typical studio environment ... if not, then perhaps I am WAAAAAAAY down a pointless road here and perhaps a stern and final DON'T COME IN HERE announcement should be made to my wife and kids!!!

Enjoy the weekend fellas.

Ciao

[riffster]

Now this is a cool device On-the-Air Studio Signs with Direct MIDI Interface for Home Recording Studio: Merlin 1 MIDI Recording Light

It seems far more practical to me since it uses midi. Still pricey I think.