The Wholehog series of consoles is the natural evolution of lighting control surfaces that started with the original Wholehog console, progressed with the Wholehog II, and culminated in this, our most advanced console to date.

The Wholehog III Console is very similar in layout and syntax to the Wholehog II, but with significant improvements to the operating system, and sophisticated new features. The huge user base that is familiar with Wholehog II will soon feel right at home with the new Wholehog III Console, leaving time to concentrate on exploring the console's advanced new features. For example, Wholehog III's automated fixture abstraction model allows users to address different types and brands of automated fixtures in a common language, and the fixtures will respond in a common manner - all of the colours blend the same way, all of the patterns rotate at the same speed. Not only does this speed up programming, but it also allows for "fixture portability", or the ability to program your show on Monday using a wash fixture from Manufacturer A, and then swap it out on Tuesday for a wash fixture from manufacturer B, without having to reprogram the show. It's just one of the huge time saving software features of the Wholehog III.

Not only have we made huge advances with the software - we've got the hardware to match. Gracing the control surfaces of the Wholehog III are two bright, full colour TFT touchscreens that tilt up for enhanced visibility, four encoder knobs, two encoder wheels, 10 playback faders with familiar Wholehog II playback controls, a built in illuminated trackball, and hard toolbar buttons above both TFT screens.

To connect to the outside world, the console provides two monitor outputs, keyboard and mouse ports, MIDI input and output ports, two USB ports, Fast Ethernet on a rugged Neutrik Ethercon connector, and stereo speakers with a stereo audio output. Show storage is handled by a built in shock mounted hard disk, with a re-writeable CD-ROM drive and Zip disk drive neatly tucked away under the armrest.

Dimmable bi-colour (blue and white) custom made LED desklights ensure you can admire the sleek anodized dark blue aluminum finish, day or night. It's as beautiful to look at as it is - dare we say - fun to program and operate.

If you like Wholehog II already, you're going to love Wholehog III. If you're not yet a convert, you owe it to yourself to check out the new Wholehog III today!

Specifications
Connectivity
• 100Base-TX fast ethernet - Neutrik EtherCon connector
• PS2 keyboard and mouse
• MIDI input and output
• Universal Serial Bus ports (2) for printer, modem & Wholehog III accessories (e.g. playback wing)
• VGA/SVGA analogue monitor outputs (2)
• Audio stereo line input & output
• Headset jack (accessed inside elbow rest)

Electronics
• Embedded 500MHz G4 PowerPC processor running Linux OS (not a PC)
• 2Mbyte L2 cache
• 256Mbyte SDRAM as standard, expandable to 1Gbyte
• 20Gbyte high performance internal hard disk drive
• 100/250Mbyte internal ZIP drive (accessed inside elbow rest)
• 650/700Mbyte internal re-writeable CD-ROM drive (accessed inside elbow rest)
• Fast boot time
• Auto-ranging mains input (90-250V AC) power factor corrected power supply
• Power fail protection (internal battery) prevents data loss when mains supply fails
• Real-time clock
User interface & controls
• 12.1” TFT colour LCD touch screens (2) – high contrast, high brightness, adjustable viewing angle
• Hard tool bars enhance ergonomics
• Encoder knobs (4) for parameter setting
• Encoder wheels (2) for intensity setting and playback/Grand Master modification
• Backlit trackball with mode (2) & click (2) buttons for cursor and position control
• Playback faders (10) with familiar Wholehog II playback controls (Choose, Go, Pause & Flash) c/w bicolour LED feedback
• Playback and wheel modifier controls configurable by cuelist
• Large main Go and Pause buttons c/w bicolour LED feedback
• Dockable Grand Master & DBO functionality (can be restricted to a specific zone for multi-console, multi-user system)
• Familiar but enhanced Wholehog II layout with additional dedicated cursor cluster, Back, Fan, Merge, Effects & Control buttons
• Internal speakers for audible feedback
• Desklights, feedback LEDs and LCD backlighting all software dimmable

Construction
• Precision machined Aluminium panels, cheeks & controls on Aluminium chassis – lightweight & low profile
• Tough anodised finish with wear-resistant anoprinted legends
• High quality components throughout with a high level of custom tooling
• Penny & Giles faders (custom)
• Classic Wholehog leather elbow rest – maximum comfort and hinged for drive access
• Long life (50K hours) LCD backlighting
• Very long life white LED desklights (2)
• Highly integrated electronics for maximum reliability (no ISA or PCI cards)
• Designed for ease of service
• Convection cooled, no fans, almost silent operation (disc drives are the only audible components)
• Overall dimensions: 760mm (w) x 580mm (d) x 110mm (h), footprint smaller
• Weight: 22.5Kg

Features
Operating System

• Advanced graphical user interface, with emphasis on a clean and easy-to-use operating environment and a high degree of user configurability
• Comprehensive security features of the software can prevent tampering or accidental data loss, and allow separation of large installations into secure zones while retaining overall control of the system from a single point
• Easy upgrades of system software and library from CD-ROM or across the network. Network components can be upgraded remotely
• Support for multiple languages, both in on-screen messages and available keyboard support
• Online help system, including onscreen reference manual and optional interactive wizards
• Multi-level Undo/Redo
Library

• Editable personalities for all major automated fixture (luminaire) types
• Consistent control interface for all fixtures, regardless of manufacturer or type, makes it simple to work with different fixture types, or to exchange one type for another even after a show has been programmed
• Fully calibrated colour picker allows seamless colour-matching between different fixture types and with gels and dichroics
• Incorporates an XYZ spatial positioning system

Programming
• Intuitive programming interface, providing familiar Wholehog II functionality and more
• Instant access to fixtures, groups and palettes via touch-screen displays, and familiar command line syntax
• Intuitive viewing and editing of all programming through powerful spreadsheet displays
• Cues, scenes and palettes can reference other palettes for fast and easily updated programming
• Palettes can store generic fixture settings in order, which can be applied to any selection regardless of type and will repeat as necessary
• Auto-Groups: Cues, scenes and palettes can reference groups, allowing easy updating of which fixtures make up the programming
• Unlimited control of timing, with the ability to set individual in and out delay and fade times, as well as crossfade paths, for each parameter of every fixture
• Timing information can be stored in palettes
• Wholehog III Effects Engine provides powerful customisable real-time effects:
- Multiple effects can be applied to a single parameter
- Effects can be stored independently in a cue, and combined with static cues at playback
- Effects can be ‘pile-added’ at playback
• Powerful parameter masking options during programming and editing
• Active-Groups: Groups can be programmed to make selections based on the onstage look, for example selecting “all fixtures in colour red”
• Extensive support for blind programming, and for programming under live show conditions (timed programmer & sneak)
• Includes enhanced features for co-operative programming, where multiple programmers are working with the same fixtures and cuelists to prepare a single show
• Full report-generating capability, with all data accessible on screen and in print

Playback
• Fully customisable playback controls on the console, and optionally on multiple playback wings
• Cuelists and scenes can be executed directly from the touchscreens for extra flexibility
• Playback can be controlled or monitored from multiple consoles or PCs on the network
• Powerful timing overrides, for instant access to crossfade rate or effect rate
• GPA: easy to use override control of any parameter or effects values
• Parameter masking options
• Inhibitive intensity masters can be defined for any group of fixtures. When the group is an Active-Group, the fixtures controlled by the submaster change based on conditions at playback time
• Chases have fully adjustable direction, crossfading and rate
• Cues and scenes can be triggered manually, or according to a wide variety of automated triggers including timecode, MIDI, show control events, specific date and time, or relative to sunrise and sunset
• Link cues allow loops to be programmed within cuelists, and conditional logic can be added to give pre-programmed control of execution for automated shows
• Cuelists in tracking and non-tracking mode
• Detailed real-time feedback of current show status available on all consoles/PCs on the network
• Intelligent mark cues simplify pre-positioning of fixtures, while giving increased control where needed
• Manual crossfading options, including support for AB and multi-part crossfades

System Capacity
• 8192 multi-parameter fixtures (luminaires)
• No fixed number of DMX universes – can be expanded with additional Wholehog III DMX Processors
• No fixed number of input/output interfaces - can be expanded with additional appropriate Wholehog III Network Processors
• Supports up to 65,536 cues, cuelists, scenes and pages
• Unlimited number of concurrent crossfades and effects, running in an unlimited number of concurrent executing cues and cuelists