yeletah Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I'm thinking of using LCedit with a LanBox as lighting control but I'd like it to be triggered by QLab which would also be running audio for the show. I’m thinking of buying a Digidesign Mbox 1 or 2 to use as midi and sound output as both of these are recommended on the Figure 53 website as being stable. I will then use LCedit along with a LanBox to receive DMX go commands from Qlab. Apologies if this sounds a tad pedestrian - I've only recently begun researching the possibilities of this combo.I’d really like to know how this system would all link together. Do I need two laptops? I’ve read in threads that it’s best to close all other applications when running QLab. Is this necessary if I'm only running audio? Does it mean I’d need a second Mac to run LCedit and then link them both together via the Mbox and LanBox or is it possible to run both QLab and LCedit on the same Mac concurrently? If so how would it all fit together?Has anyone any experience of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I will then use LCedit along with a LanBox to receive DMX go commands from Qlab. Apologies if this sounds a tad pedestrian - I've only recently begun researching the possibilities of this combo. I'm sure this is just unintentionally worded misleadingly, but in the interests of clarity for future readers, Qlab will not send "DMX go commands" as a) there is no such functionality within DMX, and b) Qlab doesn't currently send or receive any form of DMX. Not being particularly pedantic, but the description might lead others to misunderstand what is possible. Qlab will trigger stuff via Midi, Midi Show Control etc. which I'm sure is what the OP is referring to. Back on topic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeletah Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 I will then use LCedit along with a LanBox to receive DMX go commands from Qlab. Apologies if this sounds a tad pedestrian - I've only recently begun researching the possibilities of this combo. I'm sure this is just unintentionally worded misleadingly, but in the interests of clarity for future readers, Qlab will not send "DMX go commands" as a) there is no such functionality within DMX, and b) Qlab doesn't currently send or receive any form of DMX. Not being particularly pedantic, but the description might lead others to misunderstand what is possible. Qlab will trigger stuff via Midi, Midi Show Control etc. which I'm sure is what the OP means. Apologies for the "DMX go commands" abbreviation. Yes I'm talking about MSC. We obviously don't share the same assumption that readers will take this for granted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 Apologies for the "DMX go commands" abbreviation. Yes I'm talking about MSC. We obviously don't share the same assumption that readers will take this for granted. No, I assume nothing ** laughs out loud **. There is an awful lot of misunderstanding of DMX as a control system, questions about which I get all the time from all over the place. Are you looking to use LCEdit for live control(?) AND trigger via MSC during the show? I have always seen Lanbox hold the cuelist(s), which would mean you don't need to run Qlab and the editor concurrently. If I'm ignorant of a way in which LCEdit can be used, I'd be interested in hearing about it. (well, you know, I'm just interested in stuff :)... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeletah Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Apologies for the "DMX go commands" abbreviation. Yes I'm talking about MSC. We obviously don't share the same assumption that readers will take this for granted. No, I assume nothing ** laughs out loud **. There is an awful lot of misunderstanding of DMX as a control system, questions about which I get all the time from all over the place. Are you looking to use LCEdit for live control(?) AND trigger via MSC during the show? I have always seen Lanbox hold the cuelist(s), which would mean you don't need to run Qlab and the editor concurrently. If I'm ignorant of a way in which LCEdit can be used, I'd be interested in hearing about it. (well, you know, I'm just interested in stuff :)... ) Point taken - many a predicament has been built upon a wrong assumption! I’ll be honest, my knowledge of LCedit/LanBox is fairly scant. All my knowledge of it is from the website as opposed to first hand experience. The reason I’m intrigued by this particular set up is for 2 reasons. 1. I do a lot of small to medium scale touring with dance companies. I usually adapt my showfile to whatever desk the venue owns. Never an ideal situation as a production tends to morph over the duration of a tour and constantly having to re-plot on a strange desk can hinder this process, so the prospect of touring something as portable as a Lanbox is attractive. 2. Occasionally a show might have the occasional flurry of quick-fire cues all with specific timings. I already use QLab, but I’ve so far been relying on my own sense of (not quite perfect) timing to execute cues in time on a conventional desk. It’d be great if I didn’t have to do this and all I needed to do was hit Go in QLab and let the software run the show. I know there’s a way of doing all this but I’m just not sure how how all the hardware would link together... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 In your proposed setup the MIDI cable goes from a socket on the Mac running qlab to the Lanbox itself, not to LCEdit, wherever LCEdit may be running. In most Lanbox applications, you don't run LCEdit "live"; you use LCEdit to create the how, and then the show is "in" the Lanbox, and you just command the Lanbox (somehow - you are using MIDI) to actually output DMX. So you wint need multiple Macs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indyld Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 1. I do a lot of small to medium scale touring with dance companies. I usually adapt my showfile to whatever desk the venue owns. Never an ideal situation as a production tends to morph over the duration of a tour and constantly having to re-plot on a strange desk can hinder this process, so the prospect of touring something as portable as a Lanbox is attractive. But, looking at the worst case, every time you get to the next venue all the (presumably) dimmers would appear at different DMX addresses, making your Lanbox show cues worthless. If you don't fancy dealing with different show files and desks, I'd look at just touring a software lighting control and output device (take your pick, plenty of opinions here on that subject) and just repatch your software for each new venue. Again, there is plenty of info/argument here on using MSC with different software controllers. At first glance, to me it seems like you are barking up the wrong tree with Lanbox on this occasion. Unless I've totally missed the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeletah Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 Ok, I'm starting to get the picture. But does that mean I can't edit the show live (in a rehearsal situation for example) if I'm running sound from QLab and midi'd directly into the LanBox? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smalljoshua Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I'll agree with Rob's sentiment Ref Lanbox perhaps not being appropriate. If you're used to Traditional Style lighting desks, then as Rob said, consider one of the software versions of these. Avolites, Chamsys and Jands all make versions of their software that'll output DMX for a cost. This is different between all 3. I'm unsure if the Avo or Jands systems will cope with Midi but the Chamsys will if you purchase the Midi interface. The Chamsys is the closest to a command line console that'll allow you to program as you would on a normal theatre desk. All 3 will allow you to re-patch on a venue by venue basis. Unless both myself and Rob have miss-understood you. Josh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henny Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Lanbox should work , I've allways thought of it as a desk without any controls and you choose how to control it. Once you get your head round how the whole layers concept works you realise how powerfull that little black box is. You still have to edit the patch for each venue be it sofwhere/real desk or lanbox, so why not use lanbox? It wouldn't take much to nock up a script that you just stick the DMX addresses in for that venue and it edits the patch in the lanbox,eg you have a form that has boxes for you to stick in the addresses for your washes, front light,side light ect and it goes and edits the patch . Only thinng to rember is that all your data is stored in the lanbox not the computer, and don't forget to hit save lanbox data to save any changes you have done , the normal file/save only saves the current show settings for lc edit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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