Barney

Thanks Tim, tat's what I suspected. Just to close this one out, Thomann have got back to me and advised that unfortunately there isn't a list of programmes, and also no option to overlay scenes. Cheers, Barney

Hi all, I have the opportunity to use some Stairville LED Pixel Rail mkII and associated controllers on an upcoming production. They potentially use a fair few universes of control if run in full mode, therefore I'm trying to see whether the in-built effect programmes are (a) any good and (b) can be overlaid. There are two programme channels when the unit is run in 10-channel mode, but it's not clear whether these are exclusive, or if two effects can be run simultaneously. Similarly, I'm wondering if an effect be run and the background colour set to blue, for example. I've had a look through the manuals, but there is no description of the effect types or whether the above is possible, that I can see. I'm trying to borrow a controller and bar to have a play, but this may not materialise before I need to commit to using them on the show. It seems like a quite a neat solution, as the bars themselves only require an RJ45 cable between them (up to 4 per controller output), to distribute power & data. Does anyone have any experience of these units, and can comment on the above queries? Namely, in simple control mode, is there a list of effects - and can these be overlaid with each other or on top of an R/G/B base? Links to product below, for info: Pixel Rail Pixel Drive I'm hoping somebody may have used these and can advise! Many thanks, Barney

I believe, in my current investigations into lectern mics, that the v11 model has 'RFi shielding technology to prevent interference noise from mobile phones' 🙂

Hi all, Been a while since I've been in the live sound field, but I recall we used to use the AKG C747 mic on lecterns and top tables many years ago. In my day job now, we have occasional need for a lectern that could do with a fixed mic - think small office presentations etc. We have a couple of radio mics anyway, but my question is - is there an equivalent type of lectern mic to the C747 that is a bit more budget friendly? It won't be used often enough to go to the full AKG level. We'll probably need two, either side of the lectern, due to the use of laptops that could mask a central mic position. If I remember, the C747 was phantom-powered. A cheaper alternative that utilises an AAA or AA battery would be acceptable in this instance, especially as the existing PA system does not have a 12-48V power option. We could add a discrete power injector I suppose, but still... Many thanks in advance! Barney

Thanks Kerry, Useful info. Brand recognition not too much of an issue in this case, so the only real compromise is with audio! Barney

Hi all, I used to use the AKG C747 condenser microphone when doing events, usually two on a lectern or several across a top table etc. Happy with the performance and never had any issues with them. I now have a client who is interested in a similar setup, however they only do presentations a few times per year, for internal events, and are looking for a more cost effective solution. I've been out of the sound game for a while, so can anyone recommend a similar alternative please? I'm aware that there are a couple on eBay etc for around £100 however the user would like new, but doesn't think the £500 price-tag for these is money necessarily well spent (given how often they are used). I'm inclined to agree with them having seen their usage/requirements, as it is basically internal 'office briefings' etc where audio isn't critical but some sort of reinforcement would be nice. Any tips on equivalent mics would be well appreciated! Many thanks, Barney

Hi musht, Thanks for your replies. I'm not specifically against addressable LEDs, however the following are considerations for me in this case: * I've never used them (or had to control them) so it would need a bit more effort on my part to get up and running * All the LEDs will need to be on at the same time in the same colour, so the added complication of pixel tape seems unnecessary (?) * I have all the RGBW LED tape and decoders etc already, so the only additional thing I need to get hold of is the 12V battery(s). If there is a significant benefit to addressable tape in this case, I'd certainly look at it - if you have any thoughts that would be useful. Guess I need to find some time to buy some new kit and start to play around with it! Cheers, Barney

Sorry for being dim (haha). The trucks will be used inside in a typical theatre, so cold weather shouldn't be an issue. Load is likely to be 75W max for the LED tape (assuming all on full, which is unlikely). The decoder is a typical basic unit (something like this) which should have minimal power draw (?). Number of chargers and batteries shouldn't be an issue, so we can plonk in a new full 12V battery per show. I can get hold of 7.0 Ah batteries so am hoping that would be sufficient for the 10 minutes I need the LEDs on per show (even assuming that all LEDs will be on at 100% for that time. Hopefully that sounds reasonable, but I don't have the knowledge to be able to work it out with any certainty. I guess the simplest way is to make a mock-up and see if it lasts that long! Apologies, I just can't get my head around how quickly the battery would discharge to say 50% with a 75W load on it. Back to school for me!

Agreed, especially as I'm new to all this type of battery power thing! So bear with me... Based on a suspected 7.5 W/m tape (RGB/W) and a nominal 10m length (actually 2x 5m) then I'm assuming that a load of 75 W would be reasonable as a max draw (excluding other losses which I assume would be negligible). Simple equation-ing would suggest a current draw of 75/12 = 6.3A for the 10 m strip as a worst case... So a 6.3 A/h battery would last about an hour, and a 3.2 A/h about 30mins (assuming full RGB/W power etc and some losses for DMX decoder etc)? Let's assume I need 10mins at full power per show (at one per day) to make it simple. A 3.2 A/h battery would be sufficient, right? Including a few minutes of rig check, etc. Does this look right - am I missing something obvious?? Is there a de-rating factor that should be allowed for, or something? Appreciate that batteries lose charge but these would be brand new and only need to accommodate a fairly short run. Thanks, Barney

Hi DrV, It will be around 4 - 5 metres of RGB / RGBW tape per truck. Hopefully I can find a good price from one of the re-sellers. Thanks, Barney

Thanks so far. It's for standard RGB(W) tape rather than pixels at this stage. Fairly short runs of up to 4 metres tape length on each truck. If I'm understanding this correctly, the RC4 unit can drive the LED tape directly (i.e. without the need for a standard DMX decoder/driver)?

Morning BR, A production I will be working on is looking for LV lighting to be included on a number of trucks etc. This will most likely be LED tape or similar, so hopefully not a massive power draw. Not practicable to have power/DMX cables to each (moving) unit. I'll admit, this is not something I have done before, so am looking for advice and tips from those in the know. I anticipate that I will need some form of wireless DMX transmitter with a receiver on each truck. This and the LED tape can presumably be powered from a battery secreted within the truck. I am aware of a few wireless DMX solutions, but not sure of the best products to go about this, and also how to connect the (12V / 24V) tape and decoders. I'm sure it's fairly straightforward and within my capabilities, but just wanted to ask those who have done it before for advice on suitable equipment, and any tips on practical installation. For example, does the battery (what type is best?) need a fuse? Does the battery need to be disconnected from the rest of the system for recharging, etc... I imagine that each set piece will only be used for 15-20 mins on each show, so I am assuming that batteries don't need to be huge - but am happy to take any pointers. Budget is reasonable, especially if the kit can be re-used on future productions. Also, is this the sort of thing that can be hired..? Many thanks, Barney

Thanks all. Looks like the set has been simplified somewhat, with now only a dozen or so small windows on the flats. Probably only needs to be a single control per flat now too (i.e. all LEDS on same channels), so hopefully less fiddly wiring during fit-up. @TomHoward - Good shout on the extension cables / snip trick, will probably go down that route. Cheers, Barney

Thanks for the quick reply Alister. I've just edited to add that plug/socket connectors would be preferable! I'll have a look at IDCs though, thanks. Barney

Afternoon all, Apologies if this has been covered before. I need to incorporate LED (RGB) tape into flats that will have a significant number of small windows as part of the set design. These will only need a few LEDs per window, and the windows will be far enough apart so as to make continuous runs of tape (behind the flat) inefficient. The ideal solution would be to fix suitable connections (in/out) to smaller sections of the tape, and link these together with 4-core cable cut to appropriate lengths. Does anyone have suggestions for suitable (4-way) connectors? Solder or screw terminals would be ok, although screws maybe easier for future re-use (not critical though, as it may just be skipped afterwards). Edit to add: Male and Female in-line connectors preferred, so they can be quickly plugged up in-situ/unplugged, rather than a 4-way terminal strip type. Ideally nothing overly expensive as we are going to need quite a lot! I could use choc-block but was hoping for something a bit more elegant... Any ideas or experience appreciated. Edit to add: There will be a couple of channels of window lighting per flat, so not all of the windows will be adjacent either. Many thanks, Barney