How often do your sequences run?

[rslx]

So I've been running my LOR since Dec 2nd, and have it set from 6pm to 9pm (just like the rest of the house) and play the show every 30mins, and a blackout in between. I like it because it does help save on some energy with a bulk of the lights being off.

Just curious to see what others do - if you have a black out, run an animation, or keep the show in a loop to only stop when it hits time to.

My *slight* concern for keeping it running non-stop is that I don't have an FM transmitter, so I have two weatherproof speakers outside. Good side is I haven't had a complain yet, and although loud enough to be heard a house or two down, I can't even hear it when I'm in my car outside my house, so I think I'm ok as far as volume goes.

I added a poll just for fun, but feel free to leave comments and such on what you choose to do.

My show is currently 17mins which is 6 songs. I'm finishing another tonight, so tonight will be about 21-22mins in length

[shfr26]

I am running about 19 songs for a total 59 min 58 sec with three 15 second blank fillers, Or four different sets every hour.

[George Simmons]

I've got a total of 51 "songs" in the rotation. Sunday - Thursday I have three shows - one that runs from 5:30 until 7:00 which is almost all Christmas music and is geared toward kids. From 7:00 - 9:00 the second show mixes in rock oldies and is about 50/50 seasonal and "other" - such as TV and movie themes. From 9:00 - 10:00 the third show is primarily rock oldies and "other". Everything is rated "G" but the later shows are geared more toward adult tastes rather than kids. All three shows loop until their end time occurs and the next show begins.

On Friday and Saturday the first two shows each play half a hour longer and the last show ends at 11 instead of 10.

[Brad]

I run about a 35 minute show with a 15 second radio bumper in between every two songs, and a 30 second closing announcement. The show repeats from 5p to 10p Sun-Thur, and 5p to 11p on Fri and Sat.

[rslx]

Wow, I feel like I'm on the cheap with a 17min show!

[jimswinder]

I have 12 songs...about 40 minutes worth with the intro at the beginning and "skit" at the end.

I was wanting to do more songs, but soon realized that 90% of the people would stick around until they heard the same song twice. So in order to alleviate the traffic and keep it moving I have not added any more.

Will be adding Auld Lang Syne for the Christmas Eve thru New Years Eve shows though...but don't expect it to be too busy those nights. lol

[Ed P]

I love Christmas lights and I like them animated but I am not parking my car to watch any show for too long.

So my show is 12 to 15 minutes, which is about my max time I'd watch, and runs continually from 6 to 10pm.

Every night my song/sequence mix is different. So any one returning a 2nd time may see something new.

[lightzilla]

I have about 25 shows but I do an opening announcement sequence, then an all on 15 minute non musical sequence, then 4 sequences, then an all on 15 min. sequence, then 4 sequences, then an announcement, then all lights on for 15 mini. etc, etc.

Last bout 2.5 hours .....So I can run it twice then shut it down.

Right now I am working on a 21.38 minute story sequence that I will run next week.....of course no one will sit in their cars and listen to the whole story of "How The Grinch Stole Christmas", but that is O K as I am doing it for me.

If I lived anywhere else other than where I live now I would not do this.

[keven]

I'm running 13 sequences... a 43 min show at 6, 7, and 8 pm weekdays and 4 shows on Fri and Sat. My line up is all Christmas songs, w/outside wireless speaker system.
Having a ball for my first year. Thanks for all your help people!

[fxdwg]

Brad wrote:

I run about a 35 minute show with a 15 second radio bumper in between every two songs, and a 30 second closing announcement. The show repeats from 5p to 10p Sun-Thur, and 5p to 11p on Fri and Sat.

this is exactly what i do as well. as i get new songs completed, i just stick them in the current show.

[rmturner54]

This is my 2nd year with LOR, 1st with music. I have 3 songs and a 30 sec animation filler between song. Each filler is different. My wife and I figured if the pause in music is too long, then some people may not stop, or possibly leave after listening to one song. My show runs from 5:45 to 10 PM Mon-Thurs and 5:45 to 11 PM Fri-Sun.
My long term goal is to have different music every night. With shows lasting no more than 3 songs. This is just my preference. We are off the beaten path so a steady flow of traffic is not a problem....yet.
I do applaud those with a huge library of sequenced music. This has great fun to add this element to our holiday decorations. My grandkids look forward to it every year.
Richard

[Sthunder69]

Here is my current schedule... 40 songs total. Typically 2min or less of animation sequence between shows.
S

Stephen and Tara's Christmas Lights
2009 Show Schedule
Nov. 26th (Thanksgiving) - Jan. 1st (New Year's Day)




6:00PM - A Children's Christmas I
6:30PM - A Children's Christmas II
7:00PM - A Trans-Siberian Christmas I
7:30PM - A Trans-Siberian Christmas II
8:00PM - A Classic Christmas I
8:30PM - A Classic Christmas II
9:00PM - A Rock'n'Roll Christmas
9:30PM - A Metal Christmas
10:00PM - Disney's "Believe... In Holiday Magic"


Pre-show music (where applicable) - What's This? - Danny Elfman
Post-show music (where applicable) - O Holy Night - from Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip


28:28 6:00PM - A Children's Christmas I (25:22)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:14 Intro1
2:22 The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
2:36 I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas - Gayla Peevy
2:16 Cartman's O Holy Night - South Park
9:37 Grinch Medley - Thurl Ravenscroft and Faith Hill +NEW+
1:38 Jingle Bells (Techno)
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish


27:26 6:30PM - A Children's Christmas II (24:20)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:13 Intro2
2:23 Jingle Bells - Brian Setzer
3:34 Joy To The World - Go Fish +NEW+
2:16 Cartman's O Holy Night - South Park
1:09 Linus and Lucy (edited) - Vince Guaraldi
2:09 Linus' Monologue - Vince Guaraldi
3:51 Carol Of The Bells - Mannheim Steamroller
2:06 Dueling Jingle Bells - The U.S. Navy Band +NEW+
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish


26:56 7:00PM - A Trans-Siberian (Orchestra) Christmas I (19:41)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:19 Intro3
3:06 Wizards In Winter
2:11 Boughs of Holly (edited) +NEW (to this show)+
3:08 Siberian Sleighride +IMPROVED+
0:53 Savatage
3:25 Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish
4:09 Post-show


29:37 7:30PM - A Trans-Siberian (Orchestra) Christmas II (22:22)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:16 Intro4
4:42 Mad Russian's Christmas
2:11 Boughs of Holly (edited)
4:16 Christmas Cannon
0:53 Savatage
3:25 Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish
4:09 Post-show


28:43 8:00PM - A Classic Christmas I (25:37)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
1:06 Krypton - John Williams
0:20 Intro5
3:01 Sleigh Ride - Boston Pops
1:03 Russian Trepak - Boston Pops
2:34 Carol of the Bells - David Foster
2:13 Stille Nacht (edited) - Mannheim Steamroller
2:39 White Christmas - The Drifters
1:09 Linus and Lucy (edited) - Vince Guaraldi +NEW (to this show)+
2:06 Dueling Jingle Bells - The U.S. Navy Band +NEW+
3:34 Joy To The World - Go Fish +NEW+
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish


28:13 8:30PM - A Classic Christmas II (25:07)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
1:06 Krypton - John Williams
0:17 Intro6
2:41 Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy (Red Baron Remix)
3:49 Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney +NEW+
2:25 Carol of the Bells - Monique Danielle
5:21 A Soldier's Silent Night - Mannheim Steamroller and Father Ted Berndt +NEW+
3:36 Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon +IMPROVED+
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish


29:16 9:00PM - A Rock'n'Roll Christmas (26:10)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:12 Intro7
3:06 Wizards In Winter - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
2:16 Cartman's O Holy Night - South Park
2:06 Dueling Jingle Bells - The U.S. Navy Band +NEW+
2:23 Jingle Bells - Brian Setzer
3:15 Do You Hear What I Hear - Spiraling
3:34 Joy To The World - Go Fish +NEW+
2:39 Christmas is the Time to Say I Love You - SR-71
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish


33:04 9:30PM - A Metal Christmas (29:58)
3:06 Pre-show
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:19 Intro8
3:35 We Three Kings - from Guitar Hero +NEW+
2:16 Cartman's O Holy Night - South Park
3:13 Winter Wonderland - Stryper
4:38 Little Drummer Boy - dUg Pinnick (of King's X)
0:48 MTT2
4:55 Wonderful - Mightier Than Thunder
3:35 We Wish You A Merry Xmas - Jeff Scott Soto
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish


24:44 10:00PM - Disney's "Believe... In Holiday Magic" (20:35)
0:30 Hello
0:47 THX Breakdown
0:27 Intro9
13:29 Disney's "Believe... In Holiday Magic"
1:37 Goodbye
3:45 Christmas With A Capital C - Go Fish
4:09 Post-show

[rslx]

holy crap! that's amazing! I bet it looks AWESOME!

[Redbirdruss]

This is my first year with LOR and frankly I cannot believe the positive response I have received from neighbors and passersby. In fact my little 16 channel show is starting to cause a traffic flow problem. People park on the street for my entire 18 minute show. I am considering creating multiple 3 song shows and rotating them throughout the night to keep the traffic moving. I am lucky that my neighboorhood is 100% Christmas Light Display freindly.

Happy Holidays!

[medman2000]

Traffic is always our biggest concern. For our community, 4 songs and nothing longer than 12-15 minutes total will keep the cars coming and going - anything more and we have a line form and/or public blocking/parking in neighbor driveways (ugh!). During the busiest hours/days, we've tended to cut down to 3 songs and 9-10 minutes to ease the congestion a bit more.

During my first years, every song looked almost the same... as I reflect back just a bunch of almost random blinking and flashing. Kind of like the windows media player "now playing" graphic window... yea stuff is happening in tune with the music, and yea it is cool... but from one song to the next no real difference.

Now I select my 4 songs to tell a story with the order of songs, the tempo, the lyrics, and each of the songs is synchronized with a different technique. HFB (hyper-flashy-blinky), smooth fades, mostly static with subtle animation, and mostly dim with different elements featured/animated/bright during the song. The last one comes across like watching a children's band concert with solo after solo after solo with the entire band playing in background. Of course, none of these are extreme - there are blended features of each in all of the songs I do, but each one has a primary technique that makes the song unique.

that's probably what I appreciate the most about some of the LOR users, is that they can make the same display look dramatically different from song to song. I've tried to capture that in my sequencing too.

Merry Christmas everyone!