Martin M-Series – What Users had to say

Pro Systems tracked down several users of the platform to get their opinion and thoughts. This is what they had to say.

Christopher Bolton Owner, Keystone Productions

Using Platforms: Maxxyz Compact | M2 | M-PC | M6

“After my purchase of the Maxxyz Compact the leadership of development team of the consoles changed to Paul Pelletier and Matthias Hinrichs and so the M-Series was born. Enough can’t be said about these guys and their team and what they did for Martin Controllers. The development of the software on an on-going basis and constant improvement in every update made buying their Flagship the M6 a no brainer for me. The best thing about the M-Series is there is a platform for each person’s pocket. A freelance lighting designer can install M-PC on his laptop and for a small price then buy a USB to DMX and do a show. The compatibility across the range of consoles is a huge bonus! With a simple network switch I can run my laptop next to my M6 as a back-up. The flexibility is astounding. What I do like about the M-Series is that it has a very clever layout which makes it easy to teach someone, even if they have never programmed lighting before. The ease of networking is a BIG benefit. In the software itself, the preset manager is second to none! For someone who programmes offline a lot it’s important that my presets are easily editable and visually nicely laid out. The FX engine is very powerful; the ability to quickly link FX parameters creates some very cool different looks. But it’s also very easy to use! The software is very intuitive. It can be set-up to suit any designer’s requirements.’

Gary Sam Freelance

Using Platforms: M1 | M6

“I have been around since Martin launched the first Maxxyz and fell in love with the console. As Martin launched console after console, I have kept up-to-date and can operate any of them. I still get to operate some gigs with a Maxxyz Compact, which I do enjoy, but my first choice now is the M1 or the M6. M-Series thinks the way I think. With some other brands I have to learn to think the way the console thinks. I find the platform very user friendly and logically laid out. One of the features I like about the console is the effects engine. It is very powerful and it is easy to access on the fly and enables me to create any attribute effects on the fly as well as being simple. The console does all the thinking and calculations for me; I just have to tell it what I want, where and how fast, etc. Other features, such as the new screen layout, have made things a lot easier and faster to access.’

Grant Olivier Freelance

Using Platforms: USB Duo DMX Interface | M2GO | | M1 | M6

“One day I asked Robbi Nassi from Electrosonic to show me a few things when he was in Cape Town. After he showed me how versatile and how easy the software platform is I knew I needed to have it. However, as a young freelancer I was not able to afford an M2go so my next best thing was a USB dongle. I feel the M-Series platform is in a league of its own and is definitely a worthwhile investment there has never been anything that M-Series could not do for me on a show. The feature I love most about M-Series is the effects engine. It is extremely easy to use and understand and does not take long to build the effect you would like. All of the built-in colour effects are great for quick programming, especially in environments where you load in and do your show all in one day. The M-Series works well with third party generic controllers. I often run one of them into DMX in on my USB dongle to add some sub-master faders and flash buttons. I also run a Touch OSC MIDI controller on my iPad to be able to have a touch screen for M-PC and it works well for programming and fast playback. [In terms of support] the M – Series support in South Africa is phenomenal. Robbi Nassi and Jesse Dullabh from Electrosonic have always been a phone call away no matter the question or the time, and are always willing to help.’

Grant Williams LD, Sun City Casino Theatre

Using Platforms: One Key dongle |

USB Duo DMX Interface

“I find that the Martin software makes sense and even if you have not worked in it before you can find your way around with ease. It is great value for money, you can build up as and when you have the money to do so and it caters for newbies to pros. They can all work on the same system with ease. What I like about the M-Series platform is being able to set up the screens the way it suits you. You can program on a full desk then run off the PC version or vice versa.’

Lenin Baren Mokoka Freelance

Using Platform: M1

“Before my move to M1 my desk of choice was older ETC and 088 consoles. These lighting consoles could accommodate very few fixtures. We had a live music event that required a lighting console that could accommodate 80 LEDs and 40 moving heads and for a rig this size our dinosaur 48-channel couldn’t handle it. After good research we opted to go for the Martin M1. Since acquiring the M1 we have been able to produce great lighting effects that we previously couldn’t achieve with older consoles. We have been running the Martin M1 for just over two years now and so far it has lived up to expectations. I particularly like the soft programmable functions. With these functions you can playback a show from a single button without ever touching the hard faders and buttons. The default, go, select and release soft buttons are on the same screen should you need to clear the programmer and engage other playbacks. I also like the labelling scheme. All playback labelling is on screen so labelling on white tape with a marker is indeed a thing of the past. When lighting theatre productions and live music shows that will require plenty of cues, chases, jumps or links or sub-masters for specials, the M1 is definitely my desk of choice. The only snag I’ve come across is creating functions for amber-white LEDs but it was quite easy to resolve with support. However, as awesome as the M-Series is, I absolutely cannot say it’s any worse or better than competing brands. Eventually it’s all about how comfortable the user is with their console of choice as every operator forms a bond with whatever lighting console they prefer.’

Nicci Spalding Technical director, National Arts Festival

Using Platforms: M6 | M1 | M2GO | M-PC

“I think in terms of value for money the M-Series is probably the best in the country at the moment. The desks are incredibly powerful for their size and price bracket. It makes it a very logical choice for the cash strapped theatre industry. I like how the platform is very versatile and how you can make it behave how you want. It doesn’t take long to work out how an M Series controller works. I like the straight forward command line syntax of the desk. Martin has always been very similar to the Hog; it’s just now that the consoles finally feel better than they did before. They are very intuitive desks and because the layout is pretty much the same across the range you can be up and running in no time really. The customisable screens/pallets are great and the fact that you can flip between them instead of having lots of open windows on top of each other is also great. I am very much of fan of the imbedded help manual. The effects engines are pretty cool and I do like the programming parameter windows. The fact that the palette screen follows what you do makes programming nice and quick. However, I’ve been nailed twice by the cue tracking on the M2GO, which has caused all manner of misery. I definitely don’t like the way it handles that but to be honest I think it’s really a great line of products and have nothing other than stupid little programming niggles against it– which go away after an afternoon with Jesse Dullahb. Consoles come down to personal preference. Personally I like them; I’ll admit we had a rocky start but now I’m a fan. As with all the hardware you buy it’s only as good as the support you receive. Martin’s support worldwide is always excellent and I applaud the chaps at Electrosonic for more than meeting that mark.’

Pierre Griffieon Pure Event Gear

Using Platforms: M2GO | M1

“I have always liked the Martin consoles so it was an easy choice to go for a console that runs the M-Series platform. I find it very user-friendly and easy to use. It does everything I want and need from a lighting console and our good relationship with Electrosonic also helps when it comes to technical back-up of the consoles. The main aspect I enjoy on the M-Series consoles and platform is that if you can read, you will be able to programme and operate the console. Everything you need and want is in front of you. If you want to edit, you press “edit’; if you want to update, you press update, moving cues, groups, playbacks; anything you press [you can] move and there you go. It is truly the case for everything you want to achieve on the console. Everything is quickly and easily accessible and this saves time. Programming on the console is easy and straight forward. The effects engine is quick to access, saves programming time and the possibilities are endless. That’s great for those ridiculous setup and show deadlines. It has great options with playbacks, and has a number of options to access and trigger cues from. The M-Series consoles are great to run events from, whether you are running a cue to cue production or busking a live music event. You can setup your playbacks the way and from where you want. All in all I like the way the consoles are put together and the options you as a programmer or operator have on the consoles are really great. I must say that at this stage there is nothing really that I would say I don’t like about the consoles. I have found the support for the M-Series absolutely great in South Africa. Help is never further than a phone call away and the guys from Electrosonic are always willing to assist in any matter whatsoever when you need them.’

Ronnie van Jaarsveld Owner, Line Out Pro Sound, AV and Lighting

Using Platforms: M2GO | M-PC

“I was running a production that necessitated extensive live cueing for audio, video and lighting with specific time coded playback. I was looking for a console that was intuitive, easy to use and able to receive external cues from MIDI. The M2GO proved to be the right platform as I could, as a sound tech with little experience in lighting, get into the desk quickly and program a basic show with no trouble at all. Lighting techs with more experience found the interface user-friendly and workflow logically interwoven. The GUI was flexible and very customisable. We use an Elo touch screen as well as keyboard and mouse and this gives instant access to any control in any way. I like being able to record pre-sets for all parameters and the touch panel on console allows for quick access to fixture parameters and settings. MIDI in, out and through is another great feature. Patching is easy as pie with the Autopatch feature. The Q-Binding feature allows for interesting and very handy control over multiple fixtures in fanned or stacked arrangement simply utilising the slider level. The sky is the limit with creative movement effects using Q-binding. Support has been excellent in our case. Even when clients hired our console they had direct access to the Martin technical team for support, sometimes even outside of work hours.’

Ryan Dunbar

LD, Gearhouse SA

Using Platforms: M1 | M2GO

“Gearhouse Durban decided to invest into an alternative solution for an operating system from what the group currently holds. This allows us to be versatile in the group. At the moment Gearhouse Durban is the only branch to carry the M-PC operating system. M-PC is easy to use; the user manual is on-board and can be easily accessed and understood. The software carries powerful effects engines and user customisation options so you can set up the software on your device just the way you like it. Martin is constantly improving the software with new patches coming out on a regular basis. Things I like about using the M-PC software include assigning shortcuts to any button or fader I like, the powerful effects engine and the easy macro options. The networking facility gives me the ability to easily connect to any M-PC console. All data syncs seamlessly. It has fast patching features with the option to clone fixtures while the grouping tools give me the ability to update groups and create groups and pre-sets. Playback buttons give me the option to multi-select and fire countless cues on one click. Cue lists are easily manipulated; the editing options are nice while updating cues and moving them around to other cue lists or faders is no problem. The Virtual Console is nice if you do not have a console connected to the software. M-PC comes with a Virtual Console on board. The speed at which you can execute commands is impressive; the blind function allows me to set up a look in blind mode on the fly and releases it when I am ready. Finally, support in South Africa is very good. Electrosonic are the agents for Martin and have done a wonderful job over the years. They have well trained staff who know their products. They have customer loyalty to the point that they will go out of their way to ensure you are happy with your Martin product.’