/r/wearethelightmakers

Photograph via snooOG

For all the redditors who make magic happen behind the scenes.

/r/wearethelightmakers

1,002 Subscribers

1

mAP Lite WAP as config tool?

Hey all, I work in system startup - installing and commissioning ETC Lighting Systems. I've been trying to find a portable WAP that I could bring with me on jobs to assist in checking controls and the like from my laptop without being tethered to an ethernet cable.

I've used a TP-LINK Nano Router TL-WR802N which was very easy to configure for plug-and-play access to a system while we were building it, but my one (small) issue was that the device couldn't use PoE to supply power. Ideally, I could just plug a device into the PoE ETCnet port I want to use and be done with it.

Enter the mAP Lite. I've never used Mikrotik products before, and it's a bit more powerful than I really need it to be (not a bad thing), but I'm definitely out of my depth on getting it set up properly.

Has anyone here had experience with these devices, and does anyone have any advice on how to get this up and running as a quick plug-and-play access point?

1 Comment
2023/03/10
20:29 UTC

2

Setting up the ChamSys MagicQ on PC

Hi, my friend and I are designing lightning for our high-school concert. The concert hall had a really bad and clumsy console (only faders with few additional options, not well designed and just hard to work with). We decided to set up a ChamSys console on PC (buying $20k or so console isn't an option). Right now, we are facing a problem - we need to hook it up somehow to the stage. I know that the best option would be to use MagicDMX dongle but it's only available right now on Thomann in 8-10 weeks time and the concert is on February 10th (8 days, 6 working). We were promised that the school would buy it and it would arrive on time, but they said "oh, maybe not?" (I love organization in our school) and now we are facing the problem alone. The school is located in Warsaw, Poland if it helps anyone in locating possible vendors. We tried buying the MagicDMX Basic from one of the stores, but we got a refund after 3 hours saying "the product isn't available".

So going into the problem:
We have a console set up on PC and we want to connect it to the stage. MagicDMX isn't an option as there isn't available one right now in any of the stores (that I checked). From what I know, there are other ways of connecting - for example ArtNet, but I don't know anything about it - would someone be able to explain it to me?
I found on other Reddit posts that some people use Enttec DMX USB Pro or Open DMX USB, are those reliable options? I read on their website that those interfaces support MagicQ, but will we be able to use all of the main features?

I'm really sorry if something is out of the logical order - I haven't slept in 32 hours and I'm falling asleep standing. Thanks for the help in advance!

1 Comment
2023/02/02
23:05 UTC

0

Looking to control backing tracks and lights without a laptop (iPad is OK though)

I'm putting together a new live synth rig for my electronic band. I'm looking for ways to control both backing tracks and lights without a laptop. I have an old iPad that I am currently planning to run StageTraxx from, though I'm open to better ideas. StageTraxx has midi capabilities, but doesn't have native DMX or anything.

My setup is going to be utilizing a portable dj table with an arturia keystep pro and a few roland boutiques.

So I'm looking for some suggestions for something that fits these parameters:

  • There should be a dedicated device that lets me quickly and easily find the audio backing tracks I want to play.
  • Each song should have it's own lighting scheme. This can be a simple pattern or even just a color, but it would be awesome if I set up the lights to do specific things at specific points in the song.
  • Can be either an iPad app, which I assume will require some additional hardware to control lights, or a stand alone unit specifically for doing this.
  • The lights could be simple, like different colors of El Wire, or complicated light strips that get attached to the legs and underside of the DJ table. I'm a big fan of the idea of light strips, but I don't know if there's a good light strip option for what I'm looking to do.
  • I'm willing to put down some money for this, but the cheaper the better. I'd like to keep the total setup to under $1000, but less than $500 would be idea.
  • This lighting setup isn't for the whole stage. It's just for the area underneath the DJ table, though I might expand to bigger lights on stands later. I'm trying to start small for portability and learning reasons.

I am totally new at this kind of thing, so I need suggestions for every step of the way. Gear, apps, lights, all of it. I've always JUST controlled backing tracks in the past using an MP3 player. As I mentioned, I'm a big fan of strip lighting, and strip lighting would probably look cool. I've also been looking at 4 Ape Labs coins as a really simple and portable option.

2 Comments
2023/01/09
22:29 UTC

1

In accordance with the sub’s name, has anyone here designed or built automated fixtures?

Just wondering

5 Comments
2018/01/03
00:28 UTC

2

Help with IDing a board I've got?

I was at an auction and bought a lot for $3 because I wanted the road case. Inside turned out to be a Strand Light Palette 90, but it looks like it's only half of the board? I'm not super interested in it, other than it might be cool to set up and play with some in my studio - I use an Enttec Open DMX for almost everything I do these days, but I was wondering if I've only got half the rig, or if I've misidentified the board that I have. I can take more pictures, this was just the first one I grabbed. Any thoughts?

1 Comment
2017/12/21
16:12 UTC

1

Red and blue par lights, why is this setup more common (as a pair I see?)

Whenever id see some video of a band on some stage in a bar or what not the most common color was red and blue even in some pro videos. Is there a reason?

I ask this as I have 4 ADJ flat pars and I am setting up a stage for karaoke and im wondering what the best setup would be, it is in a corner and will be on stands. Any tips or recommended colors?

1 Comment
2017/10/07
21:19 UTC

1

New TD hoping to provide quality control.

I'm a brand-spanking-new TD at a medium sized church (size of around 1k). I was hired because I am very musical and have a decent amount of experience with audio engineering, however I've never been behind a lighting desk. I know the basics and I've been on the crew side of the lighting scene (hanging rigging and lights, running cable, programming the fixtures, etc).

This church has some pretty good volunteers on lighting, they're still amateurs though and don't always have the whole scope of the production in mind.

All of that to ask, when you're walking in as TD or LD or whatever and are looking at the light show that's been programmed in: What are you looking to make sure the lights do? What are you making sure they don't do? What's the mental lighting check-list you run through to ensure a good event?

TL;DR: New TD in a medium church, most experience being from sound. What can I do and walk through with my team every week to ensure quality from the lights and what should I be looking for?

2 Comments
2017/10/04
19:44 UTC

2

I have three "Stairville Outdoor Stage Par 12x3W" How do I fix the DMX adress so I can control each on individually from my computer?

Beginner question here. I have connected three lamps and a Stairville Power Strobe 1500 DMX to an DMX/USB converter to my computer. Each lamp goes from one lamp to the other and so on. I want to control each lamp setting individually and I have followed the "DMX Modus" chapter in the manual. I have chose each address to be 11, 21, 31 and all lamps to be on program 3 (three channels).

Do I have to change some settings on the lamps or is it something on my Computer I need to change? I Use the Max For Live Pack DMax in Ableton to control the lamps, so far it only works in slave mode.

Hope someone can help me, thank you

0 Comments
2017/05/02
07:30 UTC

3

How do I change DMX Lights to the rhythm of the Music in Ableton

Hi,

I have 3 x Stairville Outdoor Stage Par Lamps, and I would like to connect them to my Macbook using USB/MIDI and have the colours and intensity of the lights change to the rhythm of my music, inside Ableton. I have a UltraDMX Micro from DMXkings, but when I connect it, it dosen't show anything under my MIDI Inputs/output. Do I need a driver or similar? So far I have downloaded the software qlc+ and DMXXIS from ENTTEC.

If anyone can help me make this setup come true, I would be so thankful!

Thanks in advance and sorry for my poor English

4 Comments
2017/04/17
10:33 UTC

3

Trouble with QLC+

Hey all, I'm starting to get into DMX lighting and I recently bought a cheap DMX scanning laser and the ENTTEC OPENDMX USB interface to use for home light shows. The laser in question has 1 mode, and uses 9 channels. I downloaded QLC+, built the fixture profile with the correct values and saved it, but it won't show up in the fixture list when I try to use it in the Q Light Controller. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

0 Comments
2016/10/13
22:40 UTC

2

Looking to run lights from Reaper DAW

I'm looking to run a light show from Reaper. Do you guys know of any free VSTs that can control lights via DMX or some other protocol?

4 Comments
2016/10/12
23:23 UTC

1

Looking for people to help test a Jands Vista remote control App for iOS!

I'm no lighting guru, but I've been using Jands Vista for a few months now and I like it quite a bit. For our purposes however, I often wished I had a simple iOS App I could use to trigger a few pre-defined cues (house lights on/off, front lighting presets, etc.). So I built it and I'm looking for people to help Beta test it!

If you're interested, direct message me your Apple ID (email address) and I'll send you a TestFlight invite to install the pre-release version of the App.

Thanks!

0 Comments
2016/05/14
10:33 UTC

7

A bunch of pics from my recent LD for Little Shop of Horrors. Description in comments.

1 Comment
2015/05/20
14:51 UTC

3

Suggestions for front wash colors? (Live music)

Let me preface this by saying that I am an audio engineer first, and an LD by association/convenience. I work in a 800 cap venue. We host 2-7 events/concerts per week. Our house side lighting truss holds 4 Leko spots and 14 1000w par64. We have to assemble scaffolding to work on this truss, so it is not possible to change them out on a show day. I currently have the pars gelled with Red, Blue, and Green (sorry not sure which numbers, but they are rather saturated) it was what was left in the box one day and we had to re-gel on the fly so I picked some out and went with it, but I'm not happy with the red or the green. We were formerly set up with 181, 80, and 26, but we're all out so I substituted and haven't been happy since.

Just curious on what traveling LDs would prefer for front wash color before I reorder and replace with the 181/80/26 combo. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

1 Comment
2015/01/04
15:53 UTC

1

Adding (a) projector(s) to my set

Hey guys,

I'm primarily a musician, but I want to add a couple of visuals to my live shows. I currently own both an overhead projector and video projector. I was wondering what kind of cool stuff I could do with these during my set. Just any off-the-wall/trippy ideas would be pretty cool. Thanks!

3 Comments
2014/12/08
20:41 UTC

3

If you had to pick one song to present your skill set to someone right now, which would you pick? What would you do with it?

Someone you admire calls you up, says they're really interested in your work, and would like to see a demo if you will. You have to pick one song to demonstrate your abilities to. What would be your choice? What kind of lighting would you do?

3 Comments
2014/11/30
18:38 UTC

1

Help with twinspin

My theatre bought a twinspin and I am having trouble patching it into our ETC Ion. I haven't had any trouble with our IQs or scrollers, it seems to be a problem just with the new gobo rotator. I have done everything just as directed in the manual. Any thoughts? Thanks!

7 Comments
2014/11/27
04:28 UTC

1

Bought an Leviton MC7008 for $50. No power supply.

I just purchased a Leviton/NSI Mc7008 for $50 at a used music store. It didnt have a power supply. I've heard that some lighting boards dont need a power supply because the board can get its power from the dmx/microplex jack. Is that true for this board?

1 Comment
2014/11/03
15:18 UTC

1

Need Video of Lighting Tree setup - Pipe and Base

Hey, I've got a pretty green crew for a corporate event setup on Wednesday, and I'm looking for some overview videos to show them. Do any of you know of a good video showing setup of a pipe-and-iron-base lighting tree? All I can find online is "DJ-style" tripod lighting stands.

6 Comments
2014/09/08
20:43 UTC

1

Momentary FX on a RoadHog4?

Posting on behalf of a friend. Will likely x-post elsewhere as well, just to cover my bases:

Any of my lighting compadres out there familiar with the Hog 4 OS? I am trying to program a momentary effect that I can assign to one of the bump buttons. It's just a lightning (aka varying strobes across multiple LED wash instruments). I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do it.

I have a cue programmed and assigned to a physical master. It does what I need it to do, but it won't fire unless I play the master and then release it.

2 Comments
2014/05/14
19:49 UTC

4

TECH HELP NEEDED: Triggering Music/Lights

I help run a professional wrestling company. We just invested in our first lighting rig, consisting of two COLORstrip's and a 4 play. I've had no problem designing the light shows, but now I'm trying to find a way that, via a single button push either on my mac or a midi controller, I can trigger a wrestlers entrance music as well as their lighting. PLEASE ADVISE! Thank you in advance!

10 Comments
2014/02/27
07:40 UTC

2

Two fundamental inquiries.

1.) Is DMX the only way fixtures will be controlled in the foreseeable future? Will a specific TCP/IP protocol like ArtNet become popular enough to cause 100% IP-based fixtures that have 100M Ethernet jacks on the back? Has this started to already happen? Note: Nodes that relay from various protocols to a DMX fixture wouldn't really count :)

2.) When I never happened to patch a fixture to a channel — say 438 — will 438 have a transmission on the DMX line saying that "...438 is set to a value of 0..." Or will it not mention that channel on the DMX line?

Thanks guys!

1 Comment
2013/11/20
04:39 UTC

2

Best Moving Heads for my budget

Hey guys, I am not sure if this is the correct sub for this, so please forgive me. I am a youth minister and have a group of about 100 students. We have an stage in the corner of the room that is about 64 sq ft and a pretty decent stationary lighting set up. We recently got a bit of a grant and I am looking for two moving heads to complete this set up within the range of about $1400 (total, not a piece). I have been looking at the chauvet intimidator 250's, but haven't heard many reviews. Any suggestions guys? I'm open to any decent spots. Also, we are using adj mydmx 1.0 to run these if that helps. Thanks guys.

4 Comments
2013/10/31
16:04 UTC

2

Anyone here use Lightjams?

I've been using lightjams on and off for a couple years now. I am revisiting an old project of mine for a small house party. I was wondering if anyone has used the algorithm function of this program before and might be willing to help me find a good algorithm for selecting color on a 3 channel GRB(in that order) selector. Then having it change color to the music. My goal is to have an entirely unattended setup with minimal OSC control.

Thanks and I'd be willing to help with any other algorithms other people might want to tweek.

1 Comment
2013/10/24
16:22 UTC

2

I need to find as much information as I can on a few old Electrol products!

They were made by a company called Electrol Engineering Inc, and they were bought out by another company called Lex in 2006... I'm thinking about purchasing two racks that have Electrol dimmers, but I need to find more information first, manuals, etc...

So far I've only been able to find this, which includes only one of the models I'm looking for- the DP62500

I also need to find information for the DP121200S, the PD300, and the PPD48XT

I have already tried the waybackmachine to look at Electrol's website as it appeared before 2006, and I really can't find anything about any of these models- I'm guessing they were manufactured prior to the year 2000, most likely in the 90's or maybe even in the 80's.

any additional information that anyone out there may have would be greatly appreciated!

0 Comments
2013/10/16
18:25 UTC

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