Acdisco Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Hi and Sorry!! This is my first post and I am in great need of advise!!! I have no specific budget for this project currently, although I will have to get a price soon.. We have already supplied the client with a simple switcher box solution, where they can turn on/Dim the desired lights when it is relevant to their video. They are now looking to make it all automated by having one simple go button... Our main way of thinking is to go the software route and have all the signals (Audio(Surround sound)/Visual/DMX-MIDI) coming from one source, is this the best route to go or is there a hardware alternative. What I am looking for is a simple/Cheap and effective way of sorting this project out. Please any advise/solutions would be much apreciated!! If you have done a similar project could you please inform me of any problems you came up against!!! Any help is much appreciated Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSA Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 I think a little more background as to what you are trying to achieve might help with this question. I think I know what you are trying to do, but am not 100%! Thanks,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 There are two possible solutions to your problem, as I see it. One would be to control everything from the lighting desk - you can do this via a Media Server, such as ArKaos, Catalyst or Hippotizer. The other alternative is to use some form of remote triggering on the lighting desk and syncronise this with your existing visual playbacks. Many newer desks support SMPTE timecoding, MIDI timecoding or MIDI show control. All of these have their own quirks, but would do what you want. If you're interested in going down the media server route, take a look at ArKaos, which will run on any PC via ArtNet. PM me if you're interested in Frog2, which will interface with ArKaos (amongst other media servers) and also support SMPTE and MIDI, as well as allowing you to trigger audio tracks from the CD-drive. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acdisco Posted February 13, 2006 Author Share Posted February 13, 2006 Ok hmmmmm. We are controlling 4 seperate lights, 2 effect lights which just need to be switched on from a DMX Dimmer (Hard on). 2 Parcans which are off to begin with then dimmed. These all need to be either on/off or dimmed through out a 5 minute cycle. In an ideal situation we would press play on a DVD(Visuals), and this would then control the lighting patterns through out the cycle. Then at the end it would all be back to beggining ready to start again. We are thinking that maybe running the visuals from a laptop, with a midi signal underneath it controlling the DMX stuff. But this is new to us and we are getting quite confused!!! Has that clarified a bit more for you? Thank you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 It sounds as if the simple solution would be a DMX -controlled DVD player... here, for example. Add a simple lighting desk which will run a sequence, triggering off the DVD player and then running the lighting cues as required, and you've got a nice neat solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acdisco Posted February 13, 2006 Author Share Posted February 13, 2006 Hi Peter, This is most definately a thorn in my side, at the moment the client is looking for rough budgets, so we will need to probably give them a high end system and budget system. Now that you have mentioned a good way of doing it I think I may have found a budget way using a behringher (Sorry!) lighting desk. As it has a Midi input and DMX out, which I can send to a dimmer which has a hardon setting. What software would you recommend from the ones that you mentioned? as I see this as the simplest thing for them to use also!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody74 Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 ...which has a hardon setting. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acdisco Posted February 13, 2006 Author Share Posted February 13, 2006 That DMX DVD player most definately looks interesting!! I will definaetly investigate that further as this should hopefully reduce their cost (Charities!) Thank you for your help so far!!!! I will be back no doubt!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 All of the media servers mentioned above are pretty expensive - in the region of several thousand pounds. All three have a fairly easy interface to program, although Catalyst and Hippotizer are probably a little more complicated than ArKaos. You might also consider this package from Rosco, which allows you to control any PC application which supports keyboard shortcuts. You could set that up with an interface to a simple DVD application (or powerpoint, if that helps your client?) to create a pretty simple system, cheaply. I can't find a list price for Keystroke at the moment, but its significantly cheaper than a media server. Edit: Just seen the list price for Keystroke - $399 in the USA, so probably around £300 here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 This is interesting as there are several ways to do it. You say you are willing to use a laptop, so if that were me I'd rip the DVD to laptop, then use PCStage software to play the visual using the external monitor out, and control the DMX stuff (and MIDI), all on cuelist. The only semi-scary item I note is surround audio; are you doing surround encoded on stereo (ie its actually stored and played back stereo audio) ala normal domestic DVD or multichannel discreet audio? If you wanted it all hardware there are solutions for that too. This sounds like an exhibit or museum job, so it falls on the edge of blue room's usual fare, and more into show control / theme park / exhibits space. And some more info arrives while I'm typing. To do this on PCStage in the UK is the cost of a laptop or a PC with extra video output, and PCStage and DMX512 interface, which is (in the UK) about 250 quid, so significantly less than any of the big boys like Catalyst! But you're only doing simple playback, you dont need Catalyst, its so OTT.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acdisco Posted February 13, 2006 Author Share Posted February 13, 2006 From what you guys have written already has been invaluable! The audio/visual source is full surround sound, which they may reluctantly have to scrap if it becomes to expensive. Hmmmmm I think I will research all of the above, but the pioneer DVD player/controller looks interesting as it saves shelling out for a laptop.. It has a digital out for audio also which I think will support the surround sound into the amp they currently have.. More investigation is needed!! Time to go home for dinner now though!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted February 13, 2006 Share Posted February 13, 2006 Driving DVD player from DMX trigger is cool, but still leaves the question of what to use for the DMX controller, for such a small number of channels you dont really need a desk. Suggestions: http://artisticlicence.com/item347.htm http://www.lanbox.com/products/products.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
back_ache Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 We are controlling 4 seperate lights, 2 effect lights which just need to be switched on from a DMX Dimmer (Hard on). 2 Parcans which are off to begin with then dimmed. These all need to be either on/off or dimmed through out a 5 minute cycle. In an ideal situation we would press play on a DVD(Visuals), and this would then control the lighting patterns through out the cycle. Then at the end it would all be back to beggining ready to start again. We are thinking that maybe running the visuals from a laptop, with a midi signal underneath it controlling the DMX stuff. If you want to give them a nice simple PC interface, you could do a lot worse than the software I've be playing with recently, Stardraw control. It is vendor independant (you are not tied into anyones hardware solution) and can control via ethernet, infraread, rs232, DMX, midi etc. The best it is the software is drag and drop and is free for you to try, develop, test and trial the finished software only when trhe customer is happy do you have to pay 500USD to create the standalone program. http://www.stardraw.com/products/stardrawcontrol/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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