My First Display!!!! (a little late) w/ videos, lessons learned, and questions and free donuts!

[Rapajez]

Hi everyone!

I know it's a little past Christmas, but I got busy with a new job and a baby. 2011 was my first experience with Light-o-Rama. I wanted to share my videos, lessons learned, and some ideas and questions for next year. I decided to start simple with 16 channels. I also tried to limit the colors and types of lights, to keep things a little less chaotic. Hopefully YouTube doesn't kill these links before you guys can check them out.

Criticism/Advice is welcome!

[line]Lessons Learned:

• Start earlier than mid-October. Paid a fortune on lights, and was worried I wouldn't even get the controller in time. Luckily, the software really lets you visualize everything without any equipment. Can't imagine what it was like to sequence without it. I also had a lot of help from friends and family.

• Illuminate your "FM Station" sign. A lot of people didn't realize lights were synced to music. I had a couple people actually ask me if I could "sync my random lights to music".

• Measure Mega-Tree before building it. It kind of drowned out everything behind it. I think you could see it from space.
  

• Turn off your living room light before recording, and tell people not to walk out in the middle of it.

[line]The Videos:

Party Rock Anthem: I know this one was probably done to death this year, but it was definitely the biggest hit with my audience. Might not compare with a certain user's Halloween version , but I tried to really nail the drums and audio effects. I was really satisfied how the windows came out, starting after 2:10.

All of the Lights, Remember the Name, Good Feeling: I had a couple requests after the display was up, but I didn't have time to do entire songs. Instead, I used Audacity to mix a minute or so of each song together in one track. It was a lot of fun, but probably not my best. My favorite part was the break down in Good Feeling, @ 2:00.

You Make Me Feel: This was my first song, so definitely not my best. It just sounded like a song that would work with a light show. I played around with LoR's "VU Wizard", to try to sync white lights to voices.

I Celebrate the Day: I wanted to experiment with a slower song. I think it kind of worked. I tried to line the windows up with the piano notes in most parts.

[line]Questions/Ideas for Next Year

• Is there a database of which LEDs actually dim. I wish I checked before purchasing $200 worth of them. I was really disappointed I couldn't do any dimming or wave effects with my LED Mega-Tree.

• When and where do you guys typically purchase lights? I tried a few places the day after Christmas, but everything was either cleaned out or not marked down enough.

• I plan to add another 16 channels next year. Some ideas include a 2/3 channel moving-mouth-Santa. Has anyone done this or know a good seller?

• What about a giant equalizer? Has anyone tried anything like this? I'm thinking you purchase the lights that come with animations, in 6-8 channels/rows.

• I'm between that idea and a giant keyboard on the lawn. Since we live up on a hill, I think it would work well. Thinking 8 rows of LEDs running vertical across the hill.

• I'm thinking remaining channels would go toward more Mega-Tree channels (a red LED strand) and a 2-3 channel star on top.

[james campbell]

what kind of leds did you buy? were they Martha Stewart brand by chance,hear those won't fade

[Rapajez]

They were from Lowes...I'll have to find the boxes. The Phillips brand from Target dimmed alright, (snowflakes)

I believe the Mega Tree was 12 ft in diameter. Most of our lawn, lol.

[jimswinder]

ummm...where are the donuts?

[dgrant]

I too discovered the Martha lights from Home Depot will not dim. Wasted money there but will use them for something. So far...and with that understanding, all of the lights I've bought from Target and Big Lots, dim just fine. I've got a bunch from Lowes too, that dimmed without issue but I didn't buy that many from them.

[Rapajez]

Thanks all, will check those out. Probably buy 1 set to test before I go all in.

[Bill P]

I too discovered the Martha lights from Home Depot will not dim. Wasted money there but will use them for something. So far...and with that understanding, all of the lights I've bought from Target and Big Lots, dim just fine. I've got a bunch from Lowes too, that dimmed without issue but I didn't buy that many from them.

My arches are lowes lights and dim fine and my rear bush under the big star are Martha Stewart net lights and they dim fine too.

http://youtu.be/TBfSW_sHLU8

[digdeepfundraising]

Doughnuts uurrrrgggghhhh

[spomalley]

Bill your arches look really good in the video

[Rapajez]

Hmm....lost the embedded-ness of the 4 videos. Weird. It was nice because I could view on mobile devices.

Re-posting for above reasons...

Boo, only let me post 2 at a time.

Oh well, you get the idea

Edited July 19, 2012 by Rapajez

[PaulXmas]

My planning for the following year starts before Oct.

I go to the stores after Christmas and grab all the outdoor LEDs I can get and buy cases from CDI in his sales.

Be super nice to the wife!!!!

[Rapajez]

My planning for the following year starts before Oct.

I go to the stores after Christmas and grab all the outdoor LEDs I can get and buy cases from CDI in his sales.

Be super nice to the wife!!!!

What's CDI? Thank you!

[spomalley]

CDI is a TLA (three letter acronym) for Creative Displays Incorporated and can be found at http://creativedisplays.com