FutureTech - ETC SiteLink - Always-On Monitoring: The Future of Lighting and Rigging Control

0:19 All right, welcome to Future Tech. Let's jump right in. ETC just announced their site link solution. It's this cloud based monitoring tool for lighting and rigging. Think about it, literally all your critical systems monitored from anywhere in the world, right from your phone or laptop. They launched it just last week and honestly, it's going to be a game changer. Cloud based monitoring. That sounds fancy, but what does it actually mean for, like, the people on the ground, you know, the stagehands or facility managers of the world? Oh, it means no more waking up in a cold sweat wondering if a hoist is failing mid show. Seriously though. And with this you've got instant alerts, real time system updates for everything from lights to rigging.

1:03 Say goodbye to those frantic pre show system resets. Right. I can think of so many times when something broke down and it was this scramble to figure out what went wrong before doors opened. Exactly. For example, I had this incident back in the day. It was the final show on a European pop tour. Everything's running smooth until Wham rigging failure. We didn't know till part of the lighting rig went dark during the opener. You're lucky to even identify the problem, let alone fix it in time. Like I would have killed for something like Site Link back then. You could have diagnosed half those issues even before stepping foot on stage. So what? It monitors everything, rigging, lights, the whole setup.

1:44 Yep, everything ETC touches And the genius part. It lets you group systems how you like. You've got the traditional setup, like separating by physical location, say proscenium versus backstage. Or you can organize by function, like fixture power or house lights. There's just this whole new level of visibility. That's pretty wild to think about. It's almost like having a behind the scenes tech supervisor watching it all for you. Exactly. It's like having that behind the scenes tech supervisor but with even more control. Customization is where ETC. Site Link really shines. Not only can you group your systems however you want, but you can also set up custom alerts for, well, pretty much anything. That could mean getting a warning if, say, one specific winch on a rigging system looks off, or even narrowing it down to something like house lights not responding. Whatever you need.

2:36 Wow that's that's pretty next level. I mean think about venues like No2. Setups are exactly the same but everyone has to deal with that. Oh no what's wrong? Panic during pre show checks, right? Exactly. And here's where it gets even better. You can tailor what specific team members see. So let's say you're the crew chief. You only want to know if like a major part of the system goes down. But your techs, they need every single alert because they're troubleshooting in real time. With site link that's totally doable. OK. Yeah, because I've seen like, facility managers who have to manage all these different departments, they're walking that tightrope, trying to keep everyone informed without overwhelming themselves or the crew with too much information. Yep, and there's no one-size-fits-all either. Every user can fine tune their account, text alerts, daily digests, whatever works best.

3:29 And let's say the touring crew pulls into a new venue. They can set up Site Link in a way that only monitors the system critical parts for that location. It's modular, you know. So much better than the old way. I remember this one venue I worked at. It was kind of cobbled together and geez, troubleshooting was like trying to read a map with missing pieces. Half the time we didn't even know where to start looking when something failed. That's the beauty of this system. You're not just reacting to problems, you're ahead of them. And Laci imagine the education space, right? Schools and universities can use this to keep their administrators and facilities managers In Sync without bogging them down with every little issue. Oh yeah, schools could really use something like that, a safety net for their performances or assemblies. Kids don't exactly wait patiently while you fix the spotlight, do they?

4:20 Ha, ha, ha. Not a chance. But yeah, whether it's a Performing Arts Center or a stadium, this level of control is a game changer. You can focus on, I don't know, the actual event instead of losing your mind over last minute hiccups. And that's just scratching the surface. Here's the real game changer. Global access. Let's say you're running a tour. Whether you are in Altoona or Zurich, Site Link keeps you in the loop. You can see it all in real time before you even step off the bus. So you're solving issues before they ever become problems. Yeah, And touring is so unpredictable. Like, even when you've got the best crew on the planet, things can still, you know, fall apart. A tool like this would make such a difference.

5:01 Like you could put out fires before they become, well, actual fires. Exactly, and site Link is built for it. Whether you're dealing with rigging, stress or electrical quirks, you've got a complete heads up. And let's say the venue's got, I don't know, some funky old setup site link helps you stay ahead of it so you don't walk into a complete blind spot. Totally sounds a bit like having an extra pair of eyes on everything, even when you're, what, a bunch of time zones away? Yeah, and you're not just reacting to issues anymore, you're proactive. Like no more scrambling after something breaks mid show, you can pinpoint the problem and send instructions to the crew all in real time. You know, hearing you talk about this makes me really think back to all those moments where we needed something, anything like this.

5:48 I mean, how much stress could we have saved? Oh tons, no doubt about it. In the live events world, speed and mobility are everything. Site link not only gives you flexibility, but it really elevates how you handle your entire operation. Yeah, I feel like every production team out there is going to want to give this a shot. I mean, it's just one of those things that makes sense, you know? Exactly. Whether it's a tour, a big campus system, or even just one busy theatre, that kind of insight and control goes a long way. And honestly, staying connected has never been this easy. Well on that note, I think we can both agree ETC site link could really change the game. Thanks for breaking it all down, Chris. My pleasure as always, and to all the geezers and Gizettes out there, thanks for tuning in to hear us geek out about site monitoring on today's future tech. Stay safe, stay lit, and we'll catch you next time. Future tech is here.

6:50 Come on man, you make the spec so clear. Oh La La with music to your ears. Hey, hey. Yeah, let's go. New gear vibes, new tech.