MagicQ - Newbe questions

[Ippy]

Hi Everyone,

 

Can you guys help out a newbie. My name is Ian and I'm100% amateur with some really daft ideas. I've worked in amateur theatre on andoff for 30 years, mostly backstage crew and lighting but also a bit ofPyro/effects and even a some stage management.

 

I've been holding firework parties for a few years which have been gettingbigger and bigger and I've now had the idea of adding a bit of a light show.

 

I've collected together the following from here and there (mostly e-bay) -

 

10xDMX 4 channel Dimmer packs

1xDMX 4 channel Switch pack

40(ish) xPar36

10xPar56 (Short nose)

6xDMX LED Par56 (4xShowtech 2xPulse)

2xDMX LED Par36 (Make unknown)

6xSoundlab G017S Colourscan

2x4 channel sound to light packs (Make unknown)

5xMini strobes

1xMirror ball

1xMartin Magnum 550 Smoke machine

MagicQ MagicDMX Basic - I will buy the full version if it proves to be what Ineed.

 

I know this is all cheap kit but it will only be used 2 or 3 times a year formy parties and possibly lent to some local schools for shows.

 

I've been playing around with the MagicQ software and I'm please with theresults I've got with the basic lighting. I've built a rig with the PAR36's ina 4x8 grid (1 channel per lamp) and got some nice patterns and chases using thecue stacks.

 

I now want to start with the Colourscans, and this is where I need some help asI can't find a Personality file for them, can anyone point me to where I canfind one.

 

The next thing I want to do is set the whole lot to music, idea being I canstart the music and leave the light to take their cues from the music so I canfire the fireworks manually. My first thought was to use a MIDI sequencer toinsert cues and get MagicQ to work from them. But I now realise I know next tonothing about MIDI and I'm finding it hard to even find a starting point. Cananyone suggest a cheap (or even better, FREE) MIDI sequencer and a quick explanationof how to link it to MagicQ.

 

When you have all stopped laughing at the over ambitious amateur, any help youcan give me would be most appreciated.

 

Regards,

Ian.

 

[Shez]

Hi Ian,

 

A quick google suggests those Soundlab scans just use four channels for pan, tilt, colour and gobo. You might find that something like an Abstract VR8 personality is exactly the same or could very easily be edited to do the job for you. Or you could create your own personality for it - it's not difficult and is fully documented in the manual.

 

MagicQ can only work with MIDI when you have their MIDI/Timecode hardware interface - you don't quite get all the facilities of that software for free. I seem to recall you can set cues in MagicQ to be triggered by the time of day - not sure if you could get the kind of accuracy you'd need from that but it might be a route worth investigating.

[Wol]

I now want to start with the Colourscans, and this is where I need some help asI can't find a Personality file for them, can anyone point me to where I canfind one.

 

As Shez suggested, either find a similar fixture, or make your own. Making your own is a lot simpler and can be done from inside the software. Patch > Edit Head > New Head, then set the name, the fact that its 4 channels, click "View Channels" and then its fairly self explanatory from there. Save it and then patch it!

 

My first thought was to use a MIDI sequencer toinsert cues and get MagicQ to work from them.

 

What format is the music being played back in? Is it just a mp3 or similar that you're playing off a laptop? The other way you could consider it is to have MagicQ as the master, where it triggers the music as part of the cuestack for the lighting. How long is the track you're trying to sync up?

[Ippy]

Hi Ian,

 

A quick google suggests those Soundlab scans just use four channels for pan, tilt, colour and gobo. You might find that something like an Abstract VR8 personality is exactly the same or could very easily be edited to do the job for you. Or you could create your own personality for it - it's not difficult and is fully documented in the manual.

 

Hi Shez, thanks for the tip about the VR8's, that could be a good placeto start. I'm kind of resigned to creating my own, but as these colourscansseem to be very common I'm surprised there isn't a file floating round theinternet.

 

MagicQ can only work with MIDI when you have their MIDI/Timecode hardware interface - you don't quite get all the facilities of that software for free. I seem to recall you can set cues in MagicQ to be triggered by the time of day - not sure if you could get the kind of accuracy you'd need from that but it might be a route worth investigating.

 

I was looking at the MIDI interface, bit more research needed I think.

 

I now want to start with the Colourscans, and this is where I need some help asI can't find a Personality file for them, can anyone point me to where I canfind one.

 

As Shez suggested, either find a similar fixture, or make your own. Making your own is a lot simpler and can be done from inside the software. Patch > Edit Head > New Head, then set the name, the fact that its 4 channels, click "View Channels" and then its fairly self explanatory from there. Save it and then patch it!

 

My first thought was to use a MIDI sequencer toinsert cues and get MagicQ to work from them.

 

What format is the music being played back in? Is it just a mp3 or similar that you're playing off a laptop? The other way you could consider it is to have MagicQ as the master, where it triggers the music as part of the cuestack for the lighting. How long is the track you're trying to sync up?

 

Thanks for the reply Wol. As I replied to Shez, as these Colourscans seem to be very common I'm surprised a personality file isn't on the net somewhere. When I get a spare hour or so I'll have a go at setting one up.

 

I hadn't considered doing the cue the other way, worth investigating. I assume that means building the cues according to times taken from the audio track.Sounds like a lot of work, but I'll give it a go. Can you point me to some where I can read up on triggering the music.

 

I was hoping I could set up a number of cuestacks and have the MIDI fire o fnotes to trigger the cues, that way I could build a library of cues and have different music tracks fire the cues as and when required.

 

The music will be MP3's running from the laptop, the music length will variety. I was thinking of doing a 'War of The Worlds' themed 'Fire and Light show', but that will probably have to wait until next year while I figure it all out.

 

Cheers,

Ian.

 

[Richard CSL]

I have a question can you not use the time line function to create lighting cues in time to individual mp3s. Somebody?

 

and why is it that in the help files for the time line function, does it say this feature is under development.??

 

Has the software not been around long enough for this to be developed. or are the help files out of date? or was there too little demand for this feature to be developed.?

 

Also can this feature actually start the mps, wmv, mp4, etc from within the same computer?

[Wol]

@Ippy. The personality doesn't seem to be in the library as far as I can tell from the file listing. Either have a go at making your own following the manual, or goto: http://download.magicq.co.uk/personality_request and we can try making one for you.

 

Regarding the music, you can grab our MagicQ Media Center app provided you're running on Windows, and then use that to trigger the music from within MagicQ. If you have a cuestack in MagicQ, you can have it so that the first cue tells the music to start, and you just use the internal timecode on the cuestack to trigger each cue. Have a look through the manual for "RECORD TC", which basically lets you start a cuestack, and then click go in time with the music to program the time values in, rather than having to manually type in the time for each cue. Then when you play back the cuestack, the music will start, along with the internal timecode, and they should line up.

 

@Richard. The timeline functionality in MagicQ isn't like one you'll see in NLE software and is more designed to give an overview of how a cuestack is laid out, so it's not a matter of being able to click and drag the cues to change the timing, and being able to see a waveform to time it against. The line in the help file probably hasn't been updated then as the timeline functionality has been around for a while now.

[Robin D]

*Cautionary Note*

 

The mention of the phrase enthusiastic amateur cases me to think I should raise the query about safety. All this kit is mains carrying and none of it seems to be 'outdoor spec'. Fireworks are clearly an outdoor activity. You are taking appropriate safety measures in terms of electrical safety, earthing, cable runs, protection againt moisture ingress etc?

[LXbydesign]

Just to put up a vertual barrier on the last comment.

 

The thread is about a control issue and how it can be solved. Could we not side track onto the subject of safety.

 

The forum is not liable for any injurys occured apart from possible clause if an action results due to a direct 'suggestion' from a member to which the OP follows and then inconsequence suffers injury or death.

 

Can we just stick to the topic because its actually fairly usful information.

 

Cheers.

[Ippy]

*Cautionary Note*

 

The mention of the phrase enthusiastic amateur cases me to think I should raise the query about safety. All this kit is mains carrying and none of it seems to be 'outdoor spec'. Fireworks are clearly an outdoor activity. You are taking appropriate safety measures in terms of electrical safety, earthing, cable runs, protection againt moisture ingress etc?

I know this is off topic and we're been asked to stick tothe point, but I thought a reply was justified.

 

Safety it always a consideration, especially after a firework misfired a fewyears ago, no one was hurt but it scared the life out of me and a the garagenext door had several black marks on the door. All fireworks are fired fromwooden boxes packed with sand.

 

All my cable tails and plug boxes have earth points and all metal rigging hasearth fly leads to connect to the earth points. Cable runs are either abovehead height, under mats or run round the edge of fixtures. Moisture could be aproblem, but if it rains then the fireworks won't work and the party is offanyway.