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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Is there such thing as a lighting system that is automatic, somewhat like the virtual sound man. A pre-programmed light show?
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Kevin Ridgeway V.I.P. Indianapolis, IN & Phoenix, AZ 1832 Posts |
Pre programmed?....no, unless you consider sound activated pre programmed.
Can you program an entire show? Yes! Two ways to go are to use a traditional automated lighting board and create scenes...they are placed in order and one simply goes to each scene in order at teh correct time. The other way is to go with a software based lighting controller. With this choice, you create a timeline, like video editing, and place scenes & switches along the timeline, even the music if you wish. Then you simply start that show and let it run....mayeb put in breaks for when you are doing stand up routines...and start again when there is a scene change or music begins again. Hopefully that answers your question...I'm sure it will raise plenty more as well. Kevin
Living Illusions
Ridgeway & Johnson Entertainment Inc Kevin Ridgeway & Kristen Johnson aka Lady Houdini The World's Premier Female Escape Artist www.LadyHoudini.com www.livingillusions.com |
joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Kevin, that did it for me, however, I do have some more (as you already stated). I am looking to have a 60-90 minute show one-man show that is suitable for corporate and theater shows. I think the latter of the 2 programs mentioned above would suit me well.
Do you know where I can find such a system that I can pre-program a whole show with lights and music? Also, where can I find lights that are portable that will take my show to the next level? Thank you for your help! Josh London |
Kevin Ridgeway V.I.P. Indianapolis, IN & Phoenix, AZ 1832 Posts |
Josh...
The software I recommend and that we also use in our touring show is Elation's CompuWare pro. It is easy to use, can program ANY conventional lights, intelligent lights and fixtures, fog machines, realy switches or antying else in the world of DMX. We also happen to be a dealer for them and have designed, consulted and installed this controller as well as complete light rigs for churches and other touring shows. Lights that are portable is relative to what your travel in or ship with. Do yo forsee using a cargo van, trailer, box truck, etc? How much setup time do you want to limit yourself to? What type of effect are you going after? Do you hope to use 3-4 available 20 amp circuits or tie in a distros for more power? A ton of questions, but needed in order to point you in the right direction. Kevin
Living Illusions
Ridgeway & Johnson Entertainment Inc Kevin Ridgeway & Kristen Johnson aka Lady Houdini The World's Premier Female Escape Artist www.LadyHoudini.com www.livingillusions.com |
joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Kevin,
I followed all the way until you got into the lights. As far as lights I just want to enhance my performance. Turn all the house light down or off and have one spot light in one effct while the other effects are just brought to a new level with the lights. After you answering the light questions is there a book or something that can show me what is possible with lights or can I have a director help me with that? I do not have a van, but will most likely have cases and such. Also how do I learn more (price, etc.) for Elation's CompuWare pro? jl |
muzicman Special user LaCenter, Wa 989 Posts |
Kevin helped me tremendously with this issue, and I am a firm believer in Elations Compu Ware Pro. It does EXACTLY what you tell it to do. Like you Josh, I wanted my lights to be in perfect sync with my music.
I have an example. I was hired recently to setup and perform my lights and hazer and fog machine for another magician. I say perform, because lights is an art all unto itself. This was a short notice gig, I wish I could have spent more time getting the changes and moving heads. I programmed this one routine in about 10 minutes, and didn't even get to see it live until the show. I had very little time to prep for the show. With more time to program the lights, I can get the changes on the beats a lot closer. Check this out I have another video that has the same lights, in the same theater, but without the hazer Kevin got me or the Compuware Pro, it looks flat and lifeless. You can only see the lights themselves, and where they strike the floor, which the audience can't even see. The lights are being operated by someone with sliders, like a dj would use. It's terrible. No Hazer Example So what your looking at in the first example is about $3500 in DMX lights and cables and a basic truss. $1200 for the hazer, $1000 for Compuware Pro, $850 for a computer and flat screen. It all fit in my Mid Size SUV and took about an hour to setup and aim all the lights and focus them. Funny how it only took 25 minutes to tear it all down and reload it back up. |
joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Wow! The difference was amazing. Thank you for showing that to me! I'm sold on the software and I'll be talking to Kevin shortly!
jl |
muzicman Special user LaCenter, Wa 989 Posts |
For the record. I program each routine separately. I have a 1 man illusion show and didn't want to pay someone to run my lights..besides, you will get better results from the software and it never takes a day off or shows up late to the gigs.
You could, if you wanted to, program your entire show and launch it with 1 click. For me, it was just easier to "play" the routines as needed. They load in seconds with just 1 click. I am controlling all the lights on the stage with this. I have a dimmer/switcher that allows me to control non-DMX fixtures like my PARS. I am also running 2 cheapo foggers in both those vids. All from Compuware Pro. Be advised, Compuware Club is half the price but it will not give you the EASY SHOW timeline. Get the Pro version and you will never regret it. It also has a timeline for multimedia which is PERFECT as I am planning on adding a projector to my PC. There is no need to buy any other software, as CompuWare Pro will do all I need it to do, show after show! |
Christopher Starr Inner circle Heart of America 1850 Posts |
Can we take this a step further and find out suggestions on specific light fixtures? What makes up the estimated $3500 light package?
Thanks, Chris |
Michael Taggert Special user Fredericksburg Virginia 656 Posts |
We are missing an important part of this equation. Lap tops have now been eauiped with rliable RF remotes so you can programm your show look cue to cue and just click the "go" on the remote. This coupled with a good dmx system and youve got it. Gone are the days of rows of reostats and banks of lights just to get different colors. My first light board took six people to operate.
Michael |
joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Chris brings up a good point. And what is the, "$3,500 light package?"
jl |
muzicman Special user LaCenter, Wa 989 Posts |
I have mainly Chauvet because I buy from a dealer that gives me nearly cost+shipping but here's a rundown of the lights I used in the video. This does not include the hazers, foggers, or juice. This is just the lights.
4x Chauvet Fascinations. $600 These have gobos that spin clockwise and counterclockwise. LINK 4x Chauvet ColorTrack III's $600 These are colorchangers only. 10 colors including UV. LINK 2x Chauvet INTIMIDATORâ„¢ CH-605 $560. These are the moving heads on the ends with gobos. LINK 1 x Aurora CH-550x. $570 This is a multilight unit you see on the floor to the left. LINK 1x Chauvet Stage Wash 1500. $250. This is what you see glowing to the right of the truss on the floor. LINK 1x Chauvet Light Truss CH31 $170 LINK 1x Chauvet 4 channel dimmer/switcher. $120 This was for my PARs and front lighting as well as 2 lasers and the centerpiece nonDMX fixture that was in the center that rotated to different colors. 2x American DJ Laser Widow. $120 LINK 20x DMX 3 pin cables. $750 total LINK (1x 100 foot was $130. This gets my DMX signal from the rear sound booth to the stage.) (12x 5 foot $35 each), (4x 20 foot $50 each). 1x DMX Termination Plug $2 Total is $3542 As I mentioned, once I got all these lights and hooked them up to a DMX controller, I was sadly disappointed. I was unable to control them with any precision using even an advanced DMX controller board. The reason is because those boards are setup for DJ's and bands. I didn't want to pay someone to miss sound cues or play the wrong sound track or ruin an effect by using the wrong light or not using a light at all. So I spent another $1k on the Compu Ware Pro and I finally had the control and precision I needed. But my lights looked flat. That's when the hazer came in from Kevin and now it looks so much better, more theatrical. I bought GALLONS and GALLONS of haze juice, I really stocked up. I can run my hazer for hours on just tablespoons. The Unique Hazer is one of the most efficient machines I have ever owned. I could talk all night about that thing. Anyone else use one? |
muzicman Special user LaCenter, Wa 989 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-02-15 00:01, Michael Taggert wrote: That's the beauty of DMX light. Just one of my Chavet Colortrack III's replace 10 of the standard PAR lighting with gel cells. Those 4 fixtures alone replace 40 lights! I don't understand how laptaps wireless connectivity helps this situation. The DMX 512 signal needs a BUS or a path to get to the lights. The lights are all hooked up in a daisy chain. Each fixture has it's own address. Unless you are going to replace DMX-512 with a new language, this is what we are stuck working with. The latest in lighting are the new LED lights. They are low voltage and bright. I don;t own any yet, but they look like a great addition. |
Christopher Starr Inner circle Heart of America 1850 Posts |
muzicman:
I really appreciate the detailed reply! Thanks! |
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