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LED sequence control system


Sho Bud

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Not sure if I'm in the right forum with my question...I'm new to lighting.

 

I'm looking for a system that can control an array of LEDs.

 

I want to have a few groups of LEDs, and be able to change their pattern sequences throughout a show.

 

Here's a video of the basic visualizations I'm going for.

 

Does anything that I've described exist?

 

Any help would be amazing. Thanks!

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You haven't really described anything at all......

 

The system you need depends on what you are trying to control. An ordinary lighting desk could do this, a media server could do this, or a bespoke product for the globes demonstrated could be used. We have to know what you are trying to control before we can suggest how to control it.

 

Do your sources run on DMX?

 

There are a multitude of things you need to tell us first.

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I'm new to all things lighting. I thought that letting you know I wanted to control an array of LEDs was enough information about what I'm trying to control.

 

I'm not exactly sure what DMX is. I'm starting from scratch. I own no equipment. I'm looking for recommendations from the members of this forum on how to accomplish an idea.

 

I apologize, please be patient, I am new to this.

 

Thanks for your help.

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If you own no equipment, then you'll have to give us a lot more information on what you want to achieve.

 

Assuming you dont own the LEDs, have you got any fixtures in mind that youve seen for the LED spheres?

 

If you want an RGB LED in a ping pong ball - buy some ping pong balls, and buy some RGB DMX drivers with RGB LEDs. DMX is the serial control protocol thats standard in this industry. It lets you control 512 different attributes on one bit of cable. RGB would be three attributes (one for red, one for green, one for blue), so you can control 170 RGB fixtures on one cable.

 

Have a look on the blue room wiki for more info on DMX. It's been done do death so far in the forums, so theres no point repeating it again!

 

Having DMX control means that you can control them from a distance via a DMX cable. You then have a variety of different options on how to produce the DMX signal either from a lighting desk, or a USB to DMX adapter. If you go down the USB route, you then want to find a bit of software that will do what you want with the LEDs.

 

What sized fixtures do you want. You say you want to use them in a show, so I'm guessing ping pong balls are a bit too small for your needs. What budget do you have? E.g. can you afford to hire something like chromaspheres? Do they need to be flown in on stage, or are they just going to be mounted on the floor? etc...

 

Also, you mentioned a "show" that you want to be able to control these for. Does this show have any other lighting equipment already? This may be able to do the DMX / control side of it if so.

 

As you can see going "I want some colour changing LED groups" is quite vague!

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I noticed that the video says that it's a demo of the YouTube user's own home-made effect.

 

Why not contact him or her via YouTube and ask how they did it?

 

Maybe they'll have instructions, or maybe they'll even offer to sell you the one they made.

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As has already been said above. Start simply - what exactly are your intentions?

 

Do you want something that looks physically exactly like what is in the video? If different then how?

Do they have to be bigger/smaller?

How bright do they need to be? Are they used in the day or at night or on a dark stage or on a brightly lit stage as a prop or in a club?

Do you have a budget?

What is the 'show'?

What is your role in the show?

Do you have any experience of lighting systems in the theatre or have access to people who do?

Does what is happening in the sphere's have to tie in with other elements in the 'show'?

Are the other elements in the show controlled by a lighting control system?

 

If you like what you see in the video, maybe contacting those chaps, as Tomo suggested, would be a good place to start.

 

Its a bit like using a dictionary - you have to know what you are looking for and how to spell, to find it.

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If you own no equipment, then you'll have to give us a lot more information on what you want to achieve.

I would like the LEDs to run pre programmed sequences, and be able to change the sequences possibly via remote.

 

Assuming you dont own the LEDs, have you got any fixtures in mind that youve seen for the LED spheres?

I do like the look of an LED in a ping pong ball as a fixture, I like the way it diffuses the LED.

 

What sized fixtures do you want. You say you want to use them in a show, so I'm guessing ping pong balls are a bit too small for your needs. What budget do you have? E.g. can you afford to hire something like chromaspheres? Do they need to be flown in on stage, or are they just going to be mounted on the floor? etc...

The Chromasperes look perfect! This could be a potential solution for that end of the setup. The lights would be in clusters (on the floor) like the ones in the YouTube video, but maybe in slightly larger clusters.

 

I do not have a budget.

 

 

Also, you mentioned a "show" that you want to be able to control these for. Does this show have any other lighting equipment already? This may be able to do the DMX / control side of it if so.

These lights will be for a touring band's live performances. It would be great to have different pre programmed light sequences for different songs(changed via remote). There is no other lighting equipment with the band.

 

Why not contact him or her via YouTube and ask how they did it?

I already contacted the person who posted the YouTube video, but they have not responded.

 

 

I really appreciate the responses.

 

Thanks

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Just to clarify, does this mean

You have a very small or no cash to set this up

Or money is not an issue what so ever?

Do you not have a "between xxx and yyy pounds" idea?

 

I don't have any set amount.

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Right, so if you like the Chromasphere as a product you need to find out if any of your local lighting hire companies keep them in stock. We are a UK based forum so Im not sure how many people would know of LA suppliers, that would be something you'd have to research yourself. You could try contacting Pulsar direct but I suspect they have an American dealer who handles all the sales at your end.

 

If you hire Chromaspheres you probably won't be able to 'glue' them together as you see in the video - hire items have to be returned in the same working state as you receive them.

 

Each Chromasphere has one cable coming out of it which goes to a power box, you can plug 12 cables into each box. You will need to supply power to this box and also a data control cable. This control cable supplies a control protocol called DMX. The DMX has to be generated by a lighting console. This console has to be specifically programmed, sphere by sphere with the colour you want at any given moment in any given song. You would need a programmer to listen to the material (songs) and then design a look or sequence of looks for each number the band plays and input this data into the console to create the show. Someone would then have to tour with the band to operate this sequence and reorder it as the band change the order they want to do the numbers, also to set up and pack down the kit for each gig.

 

So you may have to hire

 

a programmer

a touring operator/technician

a number of chromaspheres

a number of chromazones (the power box)

an amount of power cables

an amount of data cables

a lighting console

 

Without knowing your band or how they tour or what the material is I would guess that if they play clubs someone from the club 'does the lights', if you turn up with band extras you cant exactly guarantee that they will know how to use your kit or be able to program it in the way you want it and then know the songs well enough to make them work in the way you expect.

 

We don't really know what scale you are working at, which is why we have asked about budget. I get the feeling I may have just wasted my time a bit when you realise how much the above solution may cost per day.

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How much are the Chromospheres to purchase?

 

Does the console store the sequence programs? can it be automated? I imagined that there would be some kind of computer software that I could use to program sequences. Then during the show I could select the sequence I want for a specific song.

 

I'd rather do something where I don't need to program code or anything crazy like that.

 

I would essentially be the programmer. I would also be the operator, though it would be ideal if the band(drummer) could have something like a MIDI selector, and select the program without having someone operating it.

 

I'm going to email Pulsar right now.

 

Thanks for your insight. This is beyond helpful.

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How much are the Chromospheres to purchase?

 

That would depend on your local vendor, it would be impossible for us to say.

 

Does the console store the sequence programs? can it be automated? I imagined that there would be some kind of computer software that I could use to program sequences. Then during the show I could select the sequence I want for a specific song.

 

I'd rather do something where I don't need to program code or anything crazy like that.

 

It would be possible to use a laptop to program such sequences using lighting specific programs, but then you would need to buy/hire a USB to DMX dongle to actually output the data. It is not a question of programming code as in PC language but inputing information in a specific format as required by the program. It can be automated but only up to a point in that you can link all the changes for each song together based on a time i.e. the tempo of a song, but when the band play a bit faster or slower the timing goes out and the lights do the wrong things at the wrong time.

 

I would essentially be the programmer. I would also be the operator, though it would be ideal if the band(drummer) could have something like a MIDI selector, and select the program without having someone operating it.

 

You would first have to learn how to use a piece of lighting software of your choice, before attempting to do something like this. I am sure others will be along to recommend programs you could use and dongles you could buy, its not really my field as I would recommend buying a MA NSP and doing stuff the expensive way but not necessarily the most price efficient.

 

It is possible to have some sort of midi controller firing a console but not really my field again others might know better. To me it just complicates things and you still have the problem with speed and timing etc, also having the drummer operating it during the show doesn't stop the need for someone to set it all up take it down and be able to fix it when stuff breaks.

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