So Lost I am sweating

[HD3]

OK, I am so new to all of this. I have multiple questions, and before I send all of this back, I am giving the forums a try.  I never took a computer class so a lot of these terms even scare me.  I have a plug and play, lights dance to christmas songs, yea that one, I bought from HD  I decided to give this LOR a try.

Here goes...I have an LOR Advanced level, 6 channel box, sorry for the lack of the correct terminology.  I recently made a sequence, have the music to play to it all set up, and then.... Well I bought from holiday coro dumb rub lights and made a singing face.  8 channels.  it has set up to it a dmx 27 channel controller, separate power supply, and a dongle by Enttec pro.  I am trying to make the lights, rgb, dance to the music and i have no idea how to configure networks, load control panels, i am so lost and i don't know where to turn.  

Is there a service where as I could pay for support and someone can walk me through this????  I am in over my head, but have paid too much to turn back now.  HELP...Anyone..

Edited May 14, 2016 by HD3
not completed

[oilmoney]

search lightorama tutorials on youtube. You can also find tutorials here http://www1.lightorama.com/tutorials/

I have no idea what you're referring to in regards to a 6 channel box. 16 channel box perhaps? What is the name of it?

You need to spend a lot of time reading posts on these forums as there is a wealth of experience on here.

It seems overwhelming when you first start, we've all been through it. Just bite off a piece at a time and before you know it you'll be having those little eureka moments we all love. Don't give up and don't delay! The lighting season seems far away but it creeps up on you every year. Have fun with this addiction!

 

oilmoney

Edited May 15, 2016 by oilmoney

[George Simmons]

My advice is to slow down and simplify.

Forget about the RGB, the DMX, and the singing faces for now.  Focus instead on getting a regular LOR controller connected so you can see some lights working.

Once you have the basics down pat, the more challenging things are going to seem so much simpler.

[jerrymac]

Here is a link to listen to our lights, video on setup of an enttec Pro and dumb controller.  Althiough this is a 3 channel controller rather than a 27 channel the rest is the same.

 

He also has a lot of other GREAT videos.  His direct website is www.listentoourlights.com   

another great contributer is leechburrg lights.     his web site is www.leechburg.com 

here is a link to part 1 building a 27 channel dmx controller

here is part II

 Like George suggested take it easy and have fun !!

[mpageler]

At this point, with your lower computer skills/kinowledge, I would also suggest not jumping into rgb and dms at this point and stay within the LOR framework.

Guessing your 6 channels box is actually a 16 channel CTP16?

If your main goal for  1st year is a single face, concentrate on what's needed for that element.

With a 16 chanel AC controller, you can run the 7 or 8 channels for the face and have 8 channels leaft for other 120v strings to outline the house or for other props.

Many of us just use a single color for all the face channels.  You can use either 120v incandescent or led rope lights or 120v led strings.  You could also use 120v led strings for your non-face channels.

Holiday Core has some single face sequences that I would suggest buying to keep sequnceing simplier.  You can buy 4 face sequences and use only the "lead" singler channels. Kind of depend on the song, some only have a lead singer while other song have heavy background singers.

I started with 4 singing faces and some simple house outline lighting. The 2nd year I moved into rgb ligthing.  With my upcoming 3rd year, I'm moving into some smart pixels.  So over a few years, I was able to learn at a more comfortable paces.

So for your first year...KISS

 

 

[EmmienLightFan]

I hope you mean 16 channel box and not one of those 6 channel pre-programmed lights to music things.

 

 

DMX is simple really. Just as simple as LOR, but when you start wiring your own connectors, adapters and stuff it gets more complicated. Noone in this hobby really stuck with a standard connector (3 pin XLR) for all DMX stuff, and even worse, no standard pinout.

The videos should help you a lot.

I plan to create a simple video in the next few days, showing connecting DMX to an LOR network using an LOR USB/Serial dongle.

[Orville]

Got to agree with George 100% on this.   Jumping into RGB can be very complex and a lot of headaches, I have been thinking of that, but have not gotten into it because it is so complex compared to the standard CTB16PC ~AC~ controllers.     I'm still old incandescent and L.E.D. strands, Blow Molds and Wore Frames with incandescent or L.E.D. lights on them.

Still reading and trying to decipher all the RGB and DMX stuff on here and other sites, and some of it you'll have to read and reread several times over before it might make sense to you, just know that's how I'm trying to learn how all this RGB stuff works, because it can be very complicated at times {or sure seems like it!).

So if I were just getting into this from a Mr. Christmas {which is also what I started with and used for about 2-3 years} before my plunge into LOR controllers.   And that still took a little time to learn and figure out just how to get everything working the way I want it.

 

So George has definitely given you the best advice for starting out in all this and is what I'd recommend as well.   Play with the RGB stuff throughout the year, but for your display, take it easy and learn it well, then you can move into the RGB world and master that.

 

Good Luck and Welcome to the insanity!