where do i start

[chicoss]

hi all. happy new year!!!!! i would like to knowif anyone has the lor1602w with show director and mp3 player, and what is difference between it and the 16 cannel starter package. do i have to buy a seperate mp3 player along with the starter package? if not how do you play the music in the starter package. thank for any feedback.

[Don]

chris pacheco wrote:

hi all. happy new year!!!!! i would like to knowif anyone has the lor1602w with show director and mp3 player, and what is difference between it and the 16 cannel starter package. do i have to buy a seperate mp3 player along with the starter package? if not how do you play the music in the starter package. thank for any feedback.

The difference between the two is that the starter package does not come with the MP3Director card.

If you order the starter package only, you will have to control the lights via computer. (Assuming, of course, that you intent to synchronize to music.)

[Dale W]

If you do not want to use your computer to control the lights, you can get a director card. You simply load your sequences onto a small XD card, load it to the MP3 director's card and it will play your sequences.

The old firmware does not have many features that allow you to turn the show on or off. I use a timer for mine.

The new firmware is supposed to allow you to do so, but I do not use it as my card was made the 1st year.

I enjoy not having to tie up a computer when using the card. I can reprogram sequences and not have to worry about crashing the show if I try to do too many things at the same time in the LOR modules.

[chicoss]

thank you for the reply. i really dont want to tie up the puter so i guess thats how i'll go. if i understand correctly the show is put on a sd card and then i plug the sd card into player correct? also what kind of timer do u use? THERE IS NOT A TIMER ON THAT UNIT? THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY

[Tim Dorr]

Chris, I first used the LOR1602W with the DC-MP3 Show Director http://store.lightorama.com/lowishdiandm.html in 2006. I too didn't want the controller to be teathered to a computer. It worked perfectly. In 2007 I added four CTB16PC controllers, all controlled by the LOR1602W with DC-MP3 player,and again the LOR1602W with the MP3 Show Director worked perfectly. It is a complete package right out of the box. You do have to purchase the software package for sequencing and to manage your hardware, as well as an RS485 adapter.

Actually, you download your sequences onto an SD card which comes with the unit along with a card reader. And you can program when to start your show and when to stop it. The hardware utility software has a scheduler where you set the time on and off for each day of the week. I just had one on time, 6pm, and one off time, 10:30pm and never had a problem. When 10:30 rolled around, the sequence/song playing at the time would play all the way through and then the program would shut down for the night. The controller has an internal clock that you set initially using the hardware utility. If there is a power failure, there is a capacitor that maintains the clock time for around three days. My controller is always powered up, so no timer is needed since my schedule runs off the controllers internal clock.

The methodology used to transfer your sequences to the SD card is:

1. Put SD card in reader
2. Hook reader to computer through the appropriate RS485 adapter
3. Open the hardware utility
4. Click on the LOR MP3 tab
5. Select an option to play your sequences - when power is applied to the controller or play during a scheduled time
6. If played during a scheduled time, another window opens and you set your schedule
7. Add your sequences in order to be played
8. Create your show where the instructions and sequences are loaded to the SD card
9. Safely eject the SD card and insert it into the MP3 player
   

Once you've done it, and followed the instructions, you will have your show up and running in very little time.

Hope this helps.

Tim