Anyone else trying out the new Firefly units?

[Paul Roberson 1]

LOL!!!!!

I thought of you when I first saw the video. : )

I thought "this is how thebaronn rolls, he is gonna love this." lol

[thebaronn 28]

Paul Roberson wrote:

LOL!!!!!

I thought of you when I first saw the video. : )

I thought "this is how thebaronn rolls, he is gonna love this." lol

You may have saved my display this year. I was working with darryl on a bulk discount for a 16 firefly order. it was going to be setup in a 16X16 sealed box. Then I started the sequencing.........on LORII it is 768 channels for the RGB(which took like 16 hours just to make the channels and assign them, which burnt me out)....So I just gave up.......But now......I still have time.

Thank you Paul!!

[xyamom 0]

So I have one question if I where to buy a set of these. out of the box the would work with lor but only on units 2,3, and 4? and I would only need the dlight usb interface if I wanted to change the unit ids? im just trying to save 29.99. I can change my lor network around to open up unit 2,3 and 4

thanks

[GaryMartin 4]

Paul Roberson wrote:

It's cool!!!

If only LSP was stable enough to suit me. ;(

Nice features, but I prefer the reliability of LOR S2.

[Paul Roberson 1]

xyamom wrote:

So I have one question if I where to buy a set of these. out of the box the would work with lor but only on units 2,3, and 4? and I would only need the dlight usb interface if I wanted to change the unit ids? im just trying to save 29.99. I can change my lor network around to open up unit 2,3 and 4

thanks

Yes they will work with LOR. No they do not have to be unit ID 2,3, and 4. That is the default setting.

You only need D-lights usb interface to update the firmware. You can change the unit ID and run them with your existing usb interface.

I would go ahead and spend the other $29.99.

I think the consensus is you need to run LOR and FF on separate networks. S2 has the capability to do this, but you need two 'interfaces' (converters).

Running LOR and FF on the same network causes FF to miss commands, and act up. Running two networks improves this problem.

My FF Ids are set too 0A,(0B,0C) and 0D,(0E,0F) and 1A,(1B,1C) and 1D,(1E,1F). If you would set a FF controller to unit ID 0A it will automatically take 0B, and 0C also.

[Paul Roberson 1]

GaryMartin wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

It's cool!!!

If only LSP was stable enough to suit me. ;(

Nice features, but I prefer the reliability of LOR S2.

There are people running LSP without any problems....

LSP is probably as reliable as FF. ;(



btw. I am still running S2. Certainly not happy S2 did not get the RGB controller function, as was expected. But, I need to be able to put my show on a SD card. LSP has a RGB controller function, but it will not export the three controllers to S2 correctly.

[GaryMartin 4]

Hehe, very true! (LSP stability = FF stability) Don't get me wrong, LSP is very close to being ready for prime time in my book, but I haven't been able to get it to convert my LOR S2 sequences (about 600 channels worth each) reliably and it still crashes on me from time to time on different PCs.

Features are still <<< Reliability to me. I want it to work the same way every time without exception. I can't recall the last time LOR S2 or S1 crashed on me.


Paul Roberson wrote:

GaryMartin wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

It's cool!!!

If only LSP was stable enough to suit me. ;(

Nice features, but I prefer the reliability of LOR S2.

There are people running LSP without any problems....

LSP is probably as reliable as FF. ;(



btw. I am still running S2. Certainly not happy S2 did not get the RGB controller function, as was expected. But, I need to be able to put my show on a SD card. LSP has a RGB controller function, but it will not export the three controllers to S2 correctly.

[Paul Roberson 1]

GaryMartin wrote:

Hehe, very true! (LSP stability = FF stability) Don't get me wrong, LSP is very close to being ready for prime time in my book, but I haven't been able to get it to convert my LOR S2 sequences (about 600 channels worth each) reliably and it still crashes on me from time to time on different PCs.

Features are still <<< Reliability to me. I want it to work the same way every time without exception. I can't recall the last time LOR S2 or S1 crashed on me.

I agree 100%.

FF must bug you as much as it does me. : )

[GaryMartin 4]

Yes, though at this point I can produce a correct show with them. It just took time to learn how to use them. (and how not to

Paul Roberson wrote:

GaryMartin wrote:

Hehe, very true! (LSP stability = FF stability) Don't get me wrong, LSP is very close to being ready for prime time in my book, but I haven't been able to get it to convert my LOR S2 sequences (about 600 channels worth each) reliably and it still crashes on me from time to time on different PCs.

Features are still <<< Reliability to me. I want it to work the same way every time without exception. I can't recall the last time LOR S2 or S1 crashed on me.

I agree 100%.

FF must bug you as much as it does me. : )

[Denny 42]

I agree on running the FF on a separate network. Had nothing but problems last year, but running on its own network this year, it has run flawlessly.

With so many new LED products coming on line now, I too hope LOR releases their color picker soon.

[GaryMartin 4]

Denny wrote:

I agree on running the FF on a separate network. Had nothing but problems last year, but running on its own network this year, it has run flawlessly.

With so many new LED products coming on line now, I too hope LOR releases their color picker soon.

THIS!!! ^^^^

Heh, oh how I want some RGB features. Let me build an RGB channel from a composite of 3 other channels *I* pick. Heck, you could even use it for red, green and blue incandescent floodlights!

Right now I have seven FireFlies in the display. That's 336 channels I have to program instead of 112. I would so looooooove just dealing with 16 RGB channels per FireFly instead of the legacy mode!

[Paul Roberson 1]

Denny wrote:

I agree on running the FF on a separate network. Had nothing but problems last year, but running on its own network this year, it has run flawlessly.

With so many new LED products coming on line now, I too hope LOR releases their color picker soon.

"Flawlessly"! Really?

I have mine of a seperate network. They were much improved, but still not 100%. I put a isolated hub in the FF network. Still not 100%

Most all my programming are with white, red, green, or blue. No programming to achieve any other color.

Early on in the testing last year it was said that maybe I was having problems because of "network saturation". I take this to mean its my programming that causes FF not to work right.

This to me translates to FF is not able to keep up with the other controllers. I have 18 LOR contollers on their own network. None of them miss a beat.

[GaryMartin 4]

I would have to agree with the "flawlessly" myself. I have seven Fireflies on Aux A network. They're addressed at A0, A3, A6, A9, AC, B0 and B3.

I run 8 AC8s and 12 AC16s (D-Light) on the primary network, all addressed from 10 through the 20s. I also have two DC16s (D-Light) at address 50 and 51. (RGB LED Floods in my snowmen)

Lastly I run an iDMX1000 at address E0.

The fireflies perform perfectly *as long as* I include things like 10% intensity bumps during other heavy traffic sections of a given sequence, if the FireFlies are not being used in it. The problems that seem to arise with them is if they set idle while a lot of other stuff is going on. That's when they'll identify a packet wrong and switch something on. A small, 1/20th of a second 10% intensity bump here and there keeps them in line and performing exactly as expected. Put those bumps in climactic sections and no one will notice them at all.

Also, they do not respond to a simple On, then Off if it's a tiny duration, usually under 3/20ths of a second. Results are sporadic for short timings like that. Knowing that, I almost always use Fade down from 100 to 0 for twice that length (6/20ths) to achieve an almost identical effect. IMHO LEDs switch on/off a little bit *too fast* and I prefer the fade out look, it's much more like a traditional incandescent C9.

So yes, 'Flawlessly with caveats" would be my review of FireFlies too.

Paul Roberson wrote:

Denny wrote:

I agree on running the FF on a separate network. Had nothing but problems last year, but running on its own network this year, it has run flawlessly.

With so many new LED products coming on line now, I too hope LOR releases their color picker soon.

"Flawlessly"! Really?

I have mine of a seperate network. They were much improved, but still not 100%. I put a isolated hub in the FF network. Still not 100%

Most all my programming are with white, red, green, or blue. No programming to achieve any other color.

Early on in the testing last year it was said that maybe I was having problems because of "network saturation". I take this to mean its my programming that causes FF not to work right.

This to me translates to FF is not able to keep up with the other controllers. I have 18 LOR contollers on their own network. None of them miss a beat.

[Paul Roberson 1]

GaryMartin wrote:

Denny wrote:

I agree on running the FF on a separate network. Had nothing but problems last year, but running on its own network this year, it has run flawlessly.

With so many new LED products coming on line now, I too hope LOR releases their color picker soon.

THIS!!! ^^^^

Heh, oh how I want some RGB features. Let me build an RGB channel from a composite of 3 other channels *I* pick. Heck, you could even use it for red, green and blue incandescent floodlights!

Right now I have seven FireFlies in the display. That's 336 channels I have to program instead of 112. I would so looooooove just dealing with 16 RGB channels per FireFly instead of the legacy mode!

I asked and asked and asked that question in a thread here "Got the CCR......where is the software."

Never got an answer!!! LSP has tried to get 3 existing channels with programming into one RGB channel with no or limited success.

My guess is, and this is the point I was trying to get across to FF and CCR users, when/if a RGB channel is available in S2 all your existing FF programming will be lost.

I can only guess since my question was never answered. All I was told was "I do not know the answer to that question but will get the answer shortly."

[GaryMartin 4]

Sounds like I need to get the syntax of the LOR music sequence files and write my own converter for such a thing then. I'm not going to toss that much sequencing work!

Paul Roberson wrote:

GaryMartin wrote:

Denny wrote:

I agree on running the FF on a separate network. Had nothing but problems last year, but running on its own network this year, it has run flawlessly.

With so many new LED products coming on line now, I too hope LOR releases their color picker soon.

THIS!!! ^^^^

Heh, oh how I want some RGB features. Let me build an RGB channel from a composite of 3 other channels *I* pick. Heck, you could even use it for red, green and blue incandescent floodlights!

Right now I have seven FireFlies in the display. That's 336 channels I have to program instead of 112. I would so looooooove just dealing with 16 RGB channels per FireFly instead of the legacy mode!

I asked and asked and asked that question in a thread here "Got the CCR......where is the software."

Never got an answer!!! LSP has tried to get 3 existing channels with programming into one RGB channel with no or limited success.

My guess is, and this is the point I was trying to get across to FF and CCR users, when/if a RGB channel is available in S2 all your existing FF programming will be lost.

I can only guess since my question was never answered. All I was told was "I do not know the answer to that question but will get the answer shortly."

[Paul Roberson 1]

GaryMartin wrote:

I would have to agree with the "flawlessly" myself. I have seven Fireflies on Aux A network. They're addressed at A0, A3, A6, A9, AC, B0 and B3.

I run 8 AC8s and 12 AC16s (D-Light) on the primary network, all addressed from 10 through the 20s. I also have two DC16s (D-Light) at address 50 and 51. (RGB LED Floods in my snowmen)

Lastly I run an iDMX1000 at address E0.

The fireflies perform perfectly *as long as* I include things like 10% intensity bumps during other heavy traffic sections of a given sequence, if the FireFlies are not being used in it. The problems that seem to arise with them is if they set idle while a lot of other stuff is going on. That's when they'll identify a packet wrong and switch something on. A small, 1/20th of a second 10% intensity bump here and there keeps them in line and performing exactly as expected. Put those bumps in climactic sections and no one will notice them at all.

Also, they do not respond to a simple On, then Off if it's a tiny duration, usually under 3/20ths of a second. Results are sporadic for short timings like that. Knowing that, I almost always use Fade down from 100 to 0 for twice that length (6/20ths) to achieve an almost identical effect. IMHO LEDs switch on/off a little bit *too fast* and I prefer the fade out look, it's much more like a traditional incandescent C9.

So yes, 'Flawlessly with caveats" would be my review of FireFlies too.

"Special programming" to get FF to operate correctly sure will/does add allot of time it shouldn't.

Looks like I also have 72 stings of CDI 2009 exchange lights that are going to require "special programming":( These lights have gotten dimmer and dimmer at 25% and can now just barely be seen at 25%.:X Guess I can put S2's track feature to use and give the 72 stings their own track. I will certainly have to label where these lights go........



Sorry got off on something else there.

[thebaronn 28]

Always good info around here. I havent played with the FF all year (since the big move took ALL my time) and now I know to use 2nd network, never knew that.

FYI I "believe" that Darryl responded to an email that you can imprt into Aurora with no problems. I have to completely redo every song this year so I may be switching, they have a lot of features I like.

But like Paul says, just give me an RGB picker!!!!! At this point I don't even mind if I have to resequence the firefly.

[Paul Roberson 1]

thebaronn wrote:

Always good info around here. I havent played with the FF all year (since the big move took ALL my time) and now I know to use 2nd network, never knew that.

FYI I "believe" that Darryl responded to an email that you can imprt into Aurora with no problems. I have to completely redo every song this year so I may be switching, they have a lot of features I like.

But like Paul says, just give me an RGB picker!!!!! At this point I don't even mind if I have to resequence the firefly.

Are you saying you think you can import an existing 3 controller (RGB), with lighting comands, into an (one) Aurora RGB controller?????? With no problems??????

[JohnnyL 0]

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

Always good info around here. I havent played with the FF all year (since the big move took ALL my time) and now I know to use 2nd network, never knew that.

FYI I "believe" that Darryl responded to an email that you can imprt into Aurora with no problems. I have to completely redo every song this year so I may be switching, they have a lot of features I like.

But like Paul says, just give me an RGB picker!!!!! At this point I don't even mind if I have to resequence the firefly.

Are you saying you think you can import an existing 3 controller (RGB), with lighting comands, into an (one) Aurora RGB controller?????? With no problems??????

Aurora will import FF's channels but you will see them as you would in LOR. when starting a new sequence or adding a FF to a sequence Aurora will compile the RGB ( example "D0" 1 Red "D1" 1 Green "D2" 1 Blue) channels into one channel with a color picker to choose your colors. therefore instead of programming 48 channels in LOR for FF you would see it as 16 channels in Aurora.

[Paul Roberson 1]

JohnnyL wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

Always good info around here. I havent played with the FF all year (since the big move took ALL my time) and now I know to use 2nd network, never knew that.

FYI I "believe" that Darryl responded to an email that you can imprt into Aurora with no problems. I have to completely redo every song this year so I may be switching, they have a lot of features I like.

But like Paul says, just give me an RGB picker!!!!! At this point I don't even mind if I have to resequence the firefly.

Are you saying you think you can import an existing 3 controller (RGB), with lighting comands, into an (one) Aurora RGB controller?????? With no problems??????

Aurora will import FF's channels but you will see them as you would in LOR. when starting a new sequence or adding a FF to a sequence Aurora will compile the RGB ( example "D0" 1 Red "D1" 1 Green "D2" 1 Blue) channels into one channel with a color picker to choose your colors. therefore instead of programming 48 channels in LOR for FF you would see it as 16 channels in Aurora.

So Aurora will NOT import FF (3 controllers) with lighting commands into one RGB controller?!?

So currently with all the light controlling software out there that we use, there is no way to save hours and hours (and hours) of programming FF (3 controllers) into one RGB controller............

[JohnnyL 0]

Paul Roberson wrote:

JohnnyL wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

thebaronn wrote:

Always good info around here. I havent played with the FF all year (since the big move took ALL my time) and now I know to use 2nd network, never knew that.

FYI I "believe" that Darryl responded to an email that you can imprt into Aurora with no problems. I have to completely redo every song this year so I may be switching, they have a lot of features I like.

But like Paul says, just give me an RGB picker!!!!! At this point I don't even mind if I have to resequence the firefly.

Are you saying you think you can import an existing 3 controller (RGB), with lighting comands, into an (one) Aurora RGB controller?????? With no problems??????

Aurora will import FF's channels but you will see them as you would in LOR. when starting a new sequence or adding a FF to a sequence Aurora will compile the RGB ( example "D0" 1 Red "D1" 1 Green "D2" 1 Blue) channels into one channel with a color picker to choose your colors. therefore instead of programming 48 channels in LOR for FF you would see it as 16 channels in Aurora.

So Aurora will NOT import FF (3 controllers) with lighting commands into one RGB controller?!?

So currently with all the light controlling software out there that we use, there is no way to save hours and hours (and hours) of programming FF (3 controllers) into one RGB controller............

i tried importing 1 FF from S2 and the import worked fine. all 48 channels copied great. if there is a way to auto-compile on import from 48 to 16 channels i sure as heck dont know how to do it.

[Paul Roberson 1]

JohnnyL wrote:

Paul Roberson wrote:

So Aurora will NOT import FF (3 controllers) with lighting commands into one RGB controller?!?

So currently with all the light controlling software out there that we use, there is no way to save hours and hours (and hours) of programming FF (3 controllers) into one RGB controller............

i tried importing 1 FF from S2 and the import worked fine. all 48 channels copied great. if there is a way to auto-compile on import from 48 to 16 channels i sure as heck dont know how to do it.

Yeah, there is nothing special about a "FF set up" in S2. So there should not be any problems importing the three controllers. LSP also does this just fine. As I am sure all software applications that can import S2 sequences will.

As far as the "auto-compile on import" goes. I don't know of any software available that can compile 3 controllers into one RGB controller at all.

The ones of us who have programmed a RGB device as 3 controllers would love not to loose all our programming to take advantage of the RGB controller capabilities available in some sequencing software.

I would imagine the software package that can successfully compile 3 controllers into on RGB controller will be pretty popular. : )

[thebaronn 28]

Well, a easy fix (not the one you want to read) is just create a separate FF channel in aurora with the address.

So you would have 4 channel, the 1 new FF channel and keep the 3 old S2 FF channels.

This way, for now you can keep your old programming and program new stuff using the single FF channels.

I know this would be the same a the RGB picker in S2, but seriously, are you holding your breath? I have given up on a color picker (not really but it sounds good).