wodp Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've been playing with the ShowXpress software today and I'm liking it! Only grumble is that I don't seem to to be able to have diff scenes applied to diff sets of lights (i.e. every scene has to do something to the whole rig, so I cant say have scanners doing a pan l-r, r-l on a loop then have a diff scene working a cluster of mac300s or a wash light) - I've left a message on their forums asking if this is doable, and if it isn't then I won't be getting it. The fact you can have presets to do stuff made in the same designer as scene designer I like though. I also looked into cost and terralec want best part of £500 just for the 100 DMX-channel interface box kit and about 900 for their swanky box which you can dump 14 scenes to for non-computer-reliant control. Can anyone recommend any software/hardware combo like that, software programming in a similar way? Preferably for under £350 and 256 channels (512 for what I do is way ott but a rig of 12 macs (250s + 300s) can swallow up the 100 easily even if you put less channel-hungry devices in the chain in those 4-5 channel gaps for the martin stuff I wouldn't use. Thanks for any advice offered, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinny baby Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 hm, I dont like the showxpress, what so ever, and it is sold under many names, like sweetlight ect. the best software I have found is martin light jock, (exspensive) and ShowMagic, which I find great, I do a lot of lighting design work, for touring bands, that use midi, or reel time based, lightshows, and show magic, is always the prefered choice. vince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcT Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Have you looked at the LanBox? Two of these were used for control on a show I recently worked on. One to drive 18 Mac 500/600s, and the other for the large generic rig, scrollers, smoke machine, and DMX dancefloor. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to play with one myself, although I understand that programing them can take a bit of getting used to. However, the end result was well worth it! Regards, Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodp Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 Thanks for the suggestions so far. ShowMagic spec looks good but I want to see the software before I think about spending that kinda money and methinks £480 (price ive found) seems a lot for 256 channels of control when I can get top of the range 512 channel lanbox for 550 euros (methinks about £400). Lanbox LC is reduced to clear at approx £150 so if I get on with the software methinks I'll be ordering one. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 It's not cheap, but if you want something decent and aren't afraid of paying for it have you considered HogPC with a DMX Widget? You can also get programming and playback wings to add to the system. Check this page out for more info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodp Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 That HogPC thing looks interesting, but seeing as you can't seem to demo the software, I basically want something that was as easy to program as showXpress and had the 3d view. No idea of cost either. Only problem with showXpress was the ability to have diff scenes controlling diff lights (outlined in original posting). The LCedit software for lanbox I'm having trouble with using, even though I'm following the instructions :\ Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 That HogPC thing looks interesting, but seeing as you can't seem to demo the software ...Ah, but you can! Download this file, install, read the Hog manual, and have a play. It's a fab desk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodp Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 Oooo downloading now. And how much are we talking still remains big question. I'm getting frustrated now I can't get the LCedit software to make my cues with 2 steps work now! grrr. Doesn't help I'm stuck on a demo box which I can't tell when noone else will be using it and I'm not really willing to pay £150 for something I don't understand how to use, though the way its cuelists work seems like it isn't quite the right thing. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo The Wiz Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I would recommend the Hog PC as well. it an excellent piece of software (basically the Hog 2 from Flying Pig Systems but on the PC). Its great for intelligent lights and generics. Also just to mention what will you be running with it. do you have some visualization software. if not on the same page there is a small martin show designer demo on the same page and the file for the patching required for the Hog Pc already to go. you should install the show designer first before the Hog Pc so the Hog auto detects the show designer while installing. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodp Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've tried playing with it and I can't find the flippin choose button to say where I want to store my cue! I have uni exams in next fortnight so I can't spend all my time playing with stuff ** laughs out loud **. Why can't showxpress just let me have diff scenes controlling diff lights and not interrupt everything (I know its been criticised here but if I could do multiple scenes at once it would suit me nicely). I wrote a basic scanner controller program for realtime where you could specify what settings were stored for which scanners when programming memories with 128 static memories, maybe I should just evolve that and add a button panel for presets (e.g. send colour change codes) and have a scenes panel that groups things with several steps (and still keep the choose what scenes affect which lights options). Oh and one on off switch for each group of fixtures. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've tried playing with it and I can't find the flippin choose button to say where I want to store my cue!The Choose buttons are the ones labelled 1 to 8, above the masters (they're actually labelled Choose on the desk itself ...). Just hit [Record][Choose] to record the programmer contents into the next available whole-numbered cue in the cuelist that's sitting on the relevant master (or to start a new cuelist if the fader is empty). Simplicity itself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techno_Monkey Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I have used Masrtin LightJockey alot over the past 2 years and have found it a very good bit of software! It seems to be easy for the absolute begginer due to the easy user-interface, yet it has many many more functions for the advanced user that will keep you busy for weeks! Definatley recomended if you can afford it! (there may well be better pieces of software out there althought this is the only one I have used) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodp Posted January 8, 2004 Author Share Posted January 8, 2004 Had a play with lightjockey and even though interface seems more cumbersome and less straightforward than showXpress it seems good and does what I want it to. Three things the manual doesn't seem to detail tho - 1) how do you take a sequence out of edit mode so it will actually let you execute it, 2) how do you program a static? It offers to list them but I can't see how you tell it something you've done is a static (e.g. selecting a load of M250s and setting them to just turn green and leave any pan/tilt etc settings alone), 3) how to make it actually fade them so if I have a scan sequence with 3 steps (so the beams point to pan=0, then pan=255 and pan=0) it will fade from one to the other - I'm sure I set the preset to Fade Pan when programming? If I can get it to do these things then I'd seriously contemplate the USB interface for it cos it seems pretty good and resolves my one problem with the showXpress system. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techno_Monkey Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 a load of M250s and setting them to just turn green and leave any pan/tilt etc settings alone yeah we had this problem aswell, however there are ways of doing this through an add on called LJTouch and a slightly more complicated way in LJ istelf by creating cues that run mulitiple sequences using both HTP and transparent cues (but it is a bit mind boggling!! ;) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted January 9, 2004 Share Posted January 9, 2004 anyone heard of the sunlite system, a little box and its software comes from ryger I think, thats where we got ours. its a lovely little box, and the interface is easy on the eyes and to use aswell, basically like a lighting desk on your pc. it costs around £500-£600 I think and you can do what you were saying by having one set doing one thing, and then another scene without the other lights doing anything, plus it is compatible with lots of lights :>plus once your finished with programming, you can download it all onto the box and run it in a standalone mode, though you will need a seperate power supply, it draws its power from the usb when being programmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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