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Need to buy some light for the band!


RobinJacobsson

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Hi, we're a band with 3 members playing with drums and bass on backtracks.

 

We were thinking about buying a few small moving heads and woud like to be able to sync them with the backtracks.

What is the best way to go? Is there a software to do this with an iPad or laptop or do we need to run it through a DAW / MIDI?

 

Can you also give some advices about some good (but not very expensive) moving heads?

 

Thanks.

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How do you do your backing tracks today?

 

If using a PC to play back your traks and run stuff is acceptbale, then Alien Apparatus, showmagic, and venuemagic should all be things to look at. There are lots of other possible solutions, but these three are all all-in-one solutions and thus less painful to make work and keep working.

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Aha okay, so they have support for audio also? And some kind of a playlist I guess then?

 

Right now we're playing our backtracks as a stereo audio file from an iPad. No click so there is no panning L/R.

 

Is there a DMX-interface / software for iPad and a software to play audio at the same time as it runs the light such as a few moving heads?

If there isn't I guess we'll have to buy a PC and use the software you mentioned!

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Dmxis will work with practically any pc audio software as long as it supports VST which so many do.

That's the DMXis plugin, which can be run within a VST host, for example a sequencer.

 

They also do standalone version.

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I'm playing with a trio (Vox/Gtr and me on keys) and have recently acquired a 128ch Nicolaudie USB to DMX interface (for free!).

 

This plugs into my Mac then I can either use a Bluetooth keyboard or an iPad sitting on my keyboard to trigger different scenes in the ESA2 application. Got around 30 scenes programmed. Not so bad while playing keys 'cause it's just another button press really.

 

The wifi in our venue is not stable usually so may look at a dedicated router and stuff for the iPad/Mac connection, but the Bluetooth keyboard works every time. Only problem is remembering which scene is which. I've got them grouped kinda by speed, cool, warm etc.

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This lighting desk - http://www.thomann.de/gb/stairville_dmx_master_3_fx.htm - has full Midi control, so once you've programmed your show, you can use a MIDI keyboard to select and play back different scenes/chases.

I'd suggest that you stick to fixed LED lights, rather than moving heads - it's a lot easier to re-position a set of fixed lights as you move from venue to venue, than it is to reprogram movers each time. You'll also get more light for your cash!

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