Jump to content
Light-O-Rama Forums

AVG time to sequence a song


mjdamico23

Recommended Posts

When I was only running regular Lor channels, I would use the "Beat Wizard" & then touch up the beats at 1/2 speed, however I like the "Wave Form" too because that cross hair helps me to pin point the beat,at 1/2 speed, words, instruments & what not. By December I had 16 full songs done & I was happy. 50+ hours wasn't uncommon for me. Then I sold 20 controllers out of 25 & went with a ccr Matrix & pixel arches & pixel mini trees.  The pixel arches & pixel mini trees is easy enough to sequence in either SS or S3. The hours now come in the 12 ccr Matrix, which for 2015 will be a ccr Tree or I may have a pixel string tree, either way it will be 16 ccrs or 16 strings. (maybe 17 ccrs or strings).

 

Now I spend those hours on the ribbon Matrix or Tree & the rest of the display no one actually sees because all eyes were on the Matrix. This year their eyes will be on the ccr Tree instead.

Edited by lightzilla
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Going into my 2nd year of LOR, and have yet to sequence  totally from scatch.

First year was singing faces only display with purchased/shared sequence. Many took some tweeking..channel adjustment, adding eye blinks, cleaning up actions, etc.. But I started to learn the SE.

This season, adding a bunch of dumb RGB channels and am using my inventory of "shared" sequences to help expand my originial singing faces seqeuences.  Takes some intial time to look at shareed sequences for elements that I can copy into my sequence.  As mentioned earlier, some really great and really poor sequencing being done.

Even with a lot of copy/pasting, I still do some custom work in seqments of a sequence.  Depending on the song and the quality of the shared sequences I have, I have spent anywhere from 1 to 6 house  in build what I thing are pretty good sequence, by going this route. Down the road when the display gets more fully established and things calm down a little, I can go back and do some tweeking and tightening up of sequences. But in reality, it's probably going to me more for me than it will be for the enlyment of the viewers.

I  have always chuckled a little when people ask for 16, 32 channels, etc.. shared sequences.  There's no way that my 16 channels elements are going to match up with your 16 channels.  Instead, just request any channle sequence and use the copy/paste techniques to help build/expand you sequences.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It takes me about 5-10 hours per song. The beat wizard and tapper wizard are extremely helpful. As well as the different Paste options eg. Stretch to fit

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To be honest when I was sequencing regular Lor channels I always left ten "Dead Channels"  or "Blank  Channels" if you will to add the various timing marks for guitars, words, beats, piano & what not......that was where my time was spent & then after that was done the rest of the sequencing was faster. So when the following year came along it was even faster to adjust sequences that were already made. It even makes it faster when I sequence for others. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is a sequence really ever done?  :blink:

Mine aren't.  I am constantly tweaking them and adding new stuff every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even during the show season, watching the show run, I'll see things that need work so the next day, I'll be tweaking things as needed.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is a sequence really ever done?  :blink:

For me personally no, but there were some some songs that I kept "as is". However, this year I will need  to start every song I do from scratch.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in my 4th year and my plan to cut down sequencing time this year has been to study and get more proficient at sequencing in the first place. Felt I needed to get committed and not be just a "copy /paste" master. Not saying that sharing sequences is bad. It helps people get started - like myself. So to improve myself, I've spent about 6 hours already learning from George's classes. I'm even enrolled in his RGB class scheduled for tomorrow. I've watched all the LOR and SS tutorials. I continuously keep my eye on this forum for tricks, tips and suggestions by the very experienced and impressive members. I've taken time to go through some of the previously and graciously shared sequences and break them down to see what really trigged each fixture's particular effect.  Once you have a section the way you want it, I have already learned that using the various different paste, stretch and repeat methods is a HUGE time-saver to finish the song.

 

So, read, watch, read, watch, practice, read, read, practice, watch, read, read.

 

By spending this massive time learning and improving my skills now, I feel I will save thousands of hours over my next 10 years of show building.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sequencing is different for every person. There are many determaning factors. Part of it is your profitancy with the software, number of channels, & how much of a pefectionist you are.

I had to laugh at a guy on the Great christmas light fight this year when he stated he was the fastest sequencer around. Just because your fast doesn't mean your sequences are good. With the editing of the show it was to hard to tell.

 

I've spent as much as 1 hour for 1 second of a sequence to get it to where I was happy with it. If you can't tell I'm a PERFECTIONIST combinded with a touch of OCD. :)

I don't particularly like sequencing but know it's an integral part of anyones display. I find it to be a huge time suck. I'd much prefer building a prop than sequencing it. Others here are probably the oposite.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in my 4th year and my plan to cut down sequencing time this year has been to study and get more proficient at sequencing in the first place. Felt I needed to get committed and not be just a "copy /paste" master. Not saying that sharing sequences is bad. It helps people get started - like myself. So to improve myself, I've spent about 6 hours already learning from George's classes. I'm even enrolled in his RGB class scheduled for tomorrow. I've watched all the LOR and SS tutorials. I continuously keep my eye on this forum for tricks, tips and suggestions by the very experienced and impressive members. I've taken time to go through some of the previously and graciously shared sequences and break them down to see what really trigged each fixture's particular effect.  Once you have a section the way you want it, I have already learned that using the various different paste, stretch and repeat methods is a HUGE time-saver to finish the song.

 

So, read, watch, read, watch, practice, read, read, practice, watch, read, read.

 

By spending this massive time learning and improving my skills now, I feel I will save thousands of hours over my next 10 years of show building.  

I'm going to hold you too it.  :)  When you get done your classes then I am going to ask you some questions, & depending on the answers maybe I can add some other tips to help you out.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to hold you too it.  :)  When you get done your classes then I am going to ask you some questions, & depending on the answers maybe I can add some other tips to help you out.

Just don't time me on my reply response time...

:P :P :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going to hold you too it.  :)  When you get done your classes then I am going to ask you some questions, & depending on the answers maybe I can add some other tips to help you out.

 

 

And George - this will be a reflection of how well you teach others....

:o 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sequencing is different for every person. There are many determaning factors. Part of it is your profitancy with the software, number of channels, & how much of a pefectionist you are.

I had to laugh at a guy on the Great christmas light fight this year when he stated he was the fastest sequencer around. Just because your fast doesn't mean your sequences are good. With the editing of the show it was to hard to tell.

 

I've spent as much as 1 hour for 1 second of a sequence to get it to where I was happy with it. If you can't tell I'm a PERFECTIONIST combinded with a touch of OCD. :)

I don't particularly like sequencing but know it's an integral part of anyones display. I find it to be a huge time suck. I'd much prefer building a prop than sequencing it. Others here are probably the oposite.

I really do agree with this statement. I am an example of the opposite. Sequencing is more fun than building the prop.

I get the most stress when I attempt to recreate my visualizer in the yard. I mean, I work so hard to get my timing on my elements to be just perfect in sequencing but this is all disrupted once I place the elements in the yard. Because no matter how hard I try, I can not get the elements to the exact same location in the yard as they are on my visualizer screen. They are close, don't get me wrong, but not exact.

Even with superstar, each song takes me days to create. Because every time I look at a so called completed sequence I find I want to add this, or take away that. And then of course I find new elements I want to add to the yard.

I find sequencing much like writing....I just come to a point and stop. It is never complete or finish but at a point I am willing to present to the world.

One of the reasons I love this hobby so much is that I can take a blank canvas...my yard...and create something out of it with my elements. Then I can combine it with something else I love which is music. I would never of thought to take someone else's sequence and make it fit into my yard.

I have never even considered purchasing a sequence...for me that is the whole purpose of this hobby...create a sequence. Secondary is actually seeing it in the yard. And creating or building the elements is the necessary evil. Obviously there are people that are opposite of that, something else I never considered.

And as far as how long it takes, superstar makes it faster and easier but this speed increase is actually most noticeable because it helps to keep the creative juices flowing. I mean, I don't have to struggle with the technicality of how to create a morph across these elements in exact timing for example. Superstar does that for me so I can continue to sequence instead of spending extra time trying to figure it out or becoming so frustrated that I just want to give up. That is how it speeds things up for me.

A song takes as long as it does. Some songs takes me longer. But all songs take well over 20 hours. Over several days. Even after I complete one, I just let it sit then come back and look at. Then I decide what to do next.

The sequence is the reason for the hobby for me.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only sequences I've purchased are partial ones only from holidaysequences for my pixel tree that I used this past season for the first time. I tried to do similar things to what they do and I'm just not talented enough(yet) to create the magic that Dave and Robert do. They are truly artists in lights. The rest of the house sequencing is all my own doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two years under our belt now for a relatively mid-sized show at 80% RGB.   Program at .05 timing, and don't have Superstar yet so all effects are still manually done.    In two years of high activity nearly every night, we've been able to put up about 7 Halloween and 14 Christmas songs, with about half of those receiving some level of cut and paste help from purchased or generously shared sequences.   We budget about 40 hours per new song to get it to it's first showing point, then its up for grabs on how much time is invested from there.

 

Its painful, and we're learning more efficient ways all the time which helps a bit.  My focus right now is to improve existing sequences with our lessons learned.  

 

To a degree, I guess it could be compared to childbirth - its all pain and agony but when the smiles come out - it all becomes worth it.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...