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DMX vs Light O Rama


pabryang

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LightORamaDan wrote:

Should not be a problem with a single network. Make sure to bump the speed up to max.

But don't bump the speed up to max if you have an ELL on that network. The ELL only works at 56kbps.
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Just catching up on things here.

Good conversation and good info. Being one of the earlier explorers with RGB/DMX gear (three years ago) and high channel counts (3500 ch. two years ago), it is good to know that the hobby is progressing towards professional standards.

Further, we have been beating on Dan to incorporate SMPTE input controls into the mix of things for a huge project we have on the books for 2011. I can imagine all of the ideas bantered about on these threads have the LOR think tank spinning. Our heads are spinning just thinking about how long it takes to program a show. For instance, we had to one job last spring in which we had 6 weeks from the first phone call until the grand opening to design, order product from China, program and implement a 20 minute show with over 2000 strands of LED lights.

Our latest look at simplifying programming is using a CD with the sound track on one channel and SMPTE time code on the other channel. A pro lighting console which accepts time code is used to program and playback and no "lights to music" type of software is used what-so-ever. The PC schedules the playback time for the disc and the time code triggers the events. All fixtures are DMX (movers, tubes, ribbons,etc.) and thus there are no controllers or dongles.

This is regular procedure in the pro world. We are just trying to find a way to get the costs waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down.

I would love to read some thoughts on this approach.

Charles

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LightORamaDan wrote:

jeffl wrote:
I noticed a speed setting in the hardware utility I think but is this speed set in the sequence or another location?


In the Sequence Editor Click ... Edit->Preferences->Network Preferences

Dan



I'm in the network screen but all I see is medium, average and fastest speed. Do these equate to numbers somehow? I'm not sure what to change it to?
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jeffl wrote:

LightORamaDan wrote:
jeffl wrote:
I noticed a speed setting in the hardware utility I think but is this speed set in the sequence or another location?


In the Sequence Editor Click ... Edit->Preferences->Network Preferences

Dan



I'm in the network screen but all I see is medium, average and fastest speed. Do these equate to numbers somehow? I'm not sure what to change it to?


Slowest is 19K, normal is 56k and fastest is 115K... Unless you have ELLs you should pick the fastest with your 600 channels.

Dan
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We are doing an outdoor electronic music festival at Apache Pass in Rockdale, Texas (outside of Austin), called Nocturnal. The festival was last night and tonight. Here is a phone camera capture from last night from a random person in the audience.

The pyramid you will see is 50' high and has a 70' base. The DJ platform is in the center of the pyramid about 15' off the ground. There are various led fixtures, a video screen fed via a media server below the DJ; moving lights, laser and RGB tube lights outlining the pyramid structure

I can't wait to get the real video/audio when the crew gets back to Dallas.



Charles
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Charles - thats nice stuff. You have my vote for LOR and SMPTE.

Just wondering what your console of choice is Hog, GrandMA ? Also wondering whats driving your Vid wall and what sort of panels do you use ? Were any of those Barco by chance ?

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Giz,

We cross-rented the video gear from VER here in Dallas. The content was via a Hippo and the panels were indeed Barco on all of the stages.

There were four stages at that event and several atmospheric areas as well so the consoles used were from several manufacturers. We used Hog PC, Martin Maxxyx and maybe a Hog II (we only have one left in inventory because they are old and unreliable).

No MAs were used although the reason is that they are so expensive and this was an outdoor gig. In fact, the tropical storm rain bands are pounding our load-out crews now. We got all of the sound and lighting out yesterday but it looks like the staging will be there a few days.

Charles

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Oh how I miss those days of event production - Loved the work. Its fun to see my house light up, but nothing compares to a giant video wall and hundreds of feet of truss covered with moving heads.

Sadly that gig just didnt pay like my pc / network admin one does. And the production house went under. You should have seen the crew (and the parking lot full of road cases) when they got evicted. I have to think its rare when the eviction team has to fork lift gear out of a warehouse. :D

But it was fun while it lasted. Thanks for your video - it brings back the memories.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Dan,

I know it was already asked, but I am also going to:cool: any idea when the native DMX interface may be availible? I have a few dmx controlled rgb sets I want to run on LOR S2, and don't mind having to leave PC on. The price of the iDMX is a little steep. Thanks

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Charles Belcher wrote:


Further, we have been beating on Dan to incorporate SMPTE input controls into the mix of things for a huge project we have on the books for 2011.


Charles,

I would love to see SMPTE input controls also. I am working on a few things now and that would make life so much easier. I have a few bids in on jobs that I could use SMPTE for. Right now this is what I have done. Left audio track and Right SMPTE time code witch plays from LOR and I feed time code into a MA lighting console. But like you said its hard to keep cost down.

Steve
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  • 1 month later...

LightORamaDan wrote:

hbomb341 wrote:
jeffl wrote:
I will be pushing 640 channels this year. Am I going to have to add my second dongle and split things up?

I forget. Is there two networks per 485 USB dongle or one? I have a spare USB 485 adapter just in case.

There is just 1 per "dongle".

Harrison

Q
Should not be a problem with a single network. Make sure to bump the speed up to max.

Dan



Pushing around 575 channels this year. So far I can saturate my single network. I can say it happens in two situations.

The first is in sequences where maybe 350 channels start off with fading or special effects "all at once", (0 to full speed at once). The second spot I can't say for sure where it's happening in the sequence.

Either way I'm working on a network split now before we get into high visitor time. I have one backup USB485 adapter. I guess it's time to use it.

The key is activity. I can make my power meter hum, and now I can pummel my LOR network.

Is there an award for this? :(
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I think the future is going to be E1.31, DMX over Ethernet, or something similar. With ethernet hardware so fast and so cheap, it's hard to justify the cost and complexity of multiple 'dongles', (DMX,LOR, whatever) and their associated cabling, when a single ethernet cable can comfortably carry 10's of thousands of channels.

This year I am adding 2,000 RGB pixels to my display. But there is no way that the current LOR hardware or software will support that, so I'm having to use a very convoluted work-around in order to continue to do my sequencing with LOR.

I would *love* to see E1.31 support added to LOR. As it is, I have to use an IDMX-1000, driving a DMX to E1.31 converter, and that only gives me 512 channels.

But that's enough to let me control the software that drives the pixels using a handful of DMX channels in LOR.

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jim st john wrote:

I think the future is going to be E1.31, DMX over Ethernet, or something similar.


I would say Artnet is much better than E1.31. Artnet has been around for many years and is industry standard for most large lighting setups.



Steve
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I spoke too soon. I had a bent far right pin on my USB485 dongle. Swapped it for a new one and testing was flawless during the day. As soon as I started it last night for the show it started acting up again.


I'm going on a controller reset party today.

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