How do I do music with animation sequences?

[jeffro]

First-year LOR user this year, running the full advanced version of S2. I'm trying to figure out how to structure a show & schedule that does the following:

• Runs a musical sequence (lights + music) of approx. 8 minutes every half-hour
• Runs an animation sequence (just lights) during the balance of the half-hour
• Plays a variety of music (not affecting lights) during the animation sequence (the "non-musical" portion of the schedule)
• The musical sequence starts on time every half-hour

This seems like a typical configuration to me, but I can't find much information about it here or on other forums.

Suggestions/recommendations widely accepted.

Thanks and Merry Christmas everyone.

[cmoore60]

Things to remember.

An animation sequence can be played in the musical tab.

An animation sequence will terminate when the show end time comes. A musical sequence will play till the end of the song.

The only obstacle is the playing music during the aniamtion portion. This can be accomplished with zara radio.

Chuck

[jeffro]

cmoore60 wrote:

The only obstacle is the playing music during the aniamtion portion. This can be accomplished with zara radio.

Thanks Chuck. I've not used the Zara Radio product before. How does Zara understand how to respect a musical sequence startup, i.e. stop playing, then know how to startup again when the musical sequence has completed?

[MikeA]

Zara radio tutorials are here. Everything you should need to know.
http://lightoramasequences.com/content/view/59/82/

[jeffro]

MikeA wrote:

Zara radio tutorials are here. Everything you should need to know.
http://lightoramasequences.com/content/view/59/82/

Great! Thanks for the pointer.

[jeffro]

Ok, this stinks.

Zara radio with DTMF support can't be downloaded? It's only available via CD?

Need it for this weekend. This is a serious drag.

[George Simmons]

You can also create "blank" musical sequences with the songs you want to run between shows and drop them in the musical tab. Might be a challenge to hit the :30's right on the mark though.

Taking issue with your original post, I don't think this is a "typical" setup for very many people. Partly because it's difficult to do for so little return and also because for people who only see the music and random animation part it might look like you're the worst sequencer in the world if nothing seems to match up.

[MikeH]

jeffro wrote:

Ok, this stinks.

Zara radio with DTMF support can't be downloaded? It's only available via CD?

Need it for this weekend. This is a serious drag.

google it...there are quite a few places to download it from. The version I have is 1.6.1 it has dtmf detector.

MikeH

[jeffro]

George Simmons wrote:

You can also create "blank" musical sequences with the songs you want to run between shows and drop them in the musical tab. Might be a challenge to hit the :30's right on the mark though.

Taking issue with your original post, I don't think this is a "typical" setup for very many people. Partly because it's difficult to do for so little return and also because for people who only see the music and random animation part it might look like you're the worst sequencer in the world if nothing seems to match up.

Thanks George, I guess I expected it to be typical because the dead-air portion of the show seems very awkward. I have intro and exit voice-overs at the beginning/end of the show, and run basic holiday music between shows to let viewers "clear out" from show to show. This is my first time around, I figured most everyone would be doing something to fill in the time between shows.

I am leaning toward the blank musical sequence strategy. Hitting the 30's mark is definitely the trick for now.

[jeffro]

MikeH wrote:

jeffro wrote:

Ok, this stinks.

Zara radio with DTMF support can't be downloaded? It's only available via CD?

Need it for this weekend. This is a serious drag.

google it...there are quite a few places to download it from. The version I have is 1.6.1 it has dtmf detector.

MikeH

So, the 1.6.2 version from the zara radio site does not have DTMF support in it, but the 1.6.1 version does! So I downloaded it (the 1.6.1 version) after uninstalling the 1.6.2 version, and Zara radio.....doesn't work.

Grrrrr.......

[George Simmons]

jeffro wrote:

Thanks George, I guess I expected it to be typical because the dead-air portion of the show seems very awkward. I have intro and exit voice-overs at the beginning/end of the show, and run basic holiday music between shows to let viewers "clear out" from show to show. This is my first time around, I figured most everyone would be doing something to fill in the time between shows.

Your being wed to the idea of shows beginning precisely at a specific time is what's causing you the greatest challenge. Many people just loop their show all evening long, figuring people will clear out either when they get bored or when the show loops and they realize they're seeing the same thing over again. Many others (like me) schedule different shows to play back-to-back during the course of the evening but don't care if the start time of the 'next' show varies by a minute or two because the people at the curb don't care even a little bit. So for most of us, there really IS no awkward dead-air to worry about dealing with.

[MikeH]

jeffro wrote:

MikeH wrote:

jeffro wrote:

Ok, this stinks.

Zara radio with DTMF support can't be downloaded? It's only available via CD?

Need it for this weekend. This is a serious drag.

google it...there are quite a few places to download it from. The version I have is 1.6.1 it has dtmf detector.

MikeH

So, the 1.6.2 version from the zara radio site does not have DTMF support in it, but the 1.6.1 version does! So I downloaded it (the 1.6.1 version) after uninstalling the 1.6.2 version, and Zara radio.....doesn't work.

Grrrrr.......

Sorry. I did not mean for that to happen to you. V1.6.1 is working fine for me. I have Win XP SP3, wonder if that makes the diff. If all you need is music, try this little program, the only quirk I had with it is that I had to re-start the program everyday.

http://pennlights.com/Sequences/

The name of the program is Light Show Primer.

MikeH

[jeffro]

George Simmons wrote:

Your being wed to the idea of shows beginning precisely at a specific time is what's causing you the greatest challenge.  Many people just loop their show all evening long, figuring people will clear out either when they get bored or when the show loops and they realize they're seeing the same thing over again.  Many others (like me) schedule different shows to play back-to-back during the course of the evening but don't care if the start time of the 'next' show varies by a minute or two because the people at the curb don't care even a little bit.  So for most of us, there really IS no awkward dead-air to worry about dealing with.

Got it. Thank you for the information.

Didn't realize I was asking to do something so incredibly wrong.

[jeffro]

MikeH wrote:

Sorry. I did not mean for that to happen to you. V1.6.1 is working fine for me. I have Win XP SP3, wonder if that makes the diff. If all you need is music, try this little program, the only quirk I had with it is that I had to re-start the program everyday.

http://pennlights.com/Sequences/

The name of the program is Light Show Primer.

MikeH

No worries, thanks for the guidance. I'm sure the later version of the software has left some incompatibilities in place (in spite of the uninstall routine.)

[Bubba in NV]

ONly thing I ended up with was a LOT of extra toolbars I dont want and NO Zara Radio download....

Bogus.... It has TOTALLY screwed up my browser....

OH.. and now a hijacked home page..... so far it really sucks.... so why have it? No thanks... Now I have to try to fix everything.

A LOT easier place to get it that does not slip in tool bars and other crap you don't want is here.
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/ZaraRadio-Download-26224.html

[Bubba in NV]

NOw that I said all that above.... I finally got a easy download location and a copy that will actually run and not crash.. It can be directly downloaded here

NO sneaky add in tool bars, no having to register to download crud... just direct from them. The new names is Zara Studio...

Now I am going to have to make a J-Pole so I can transmit farther than 1.5 miles.....

IT NEVER STOPS....

Download 1.6.2 here..... it is the direct download that Zara Radio/Studio sent to me.

http://www.zarastudio.com/ZaraRadioFree.exe

[Jim Saul]

jeffro wrote:

Ok, this stinks.

Zara radio with DTMF support can't be downloaded? It's only available via CD?

Need it for this weekend. This is a serious drag.

the DTMF tones are on the tutorial page http://lightoramasequences.com/content/view/59/82/#DTMF Tones
just be warned, I could not get mine to hear the tones.

I ended up just stopping the radio station at 5pm and starting the light show. I put 4 songs in the show, one of the show the lights do not blink, I use that as the one for people to leave and a new set to show up. The show repeats until 10 or 11 depending on the day, then the radio comes back on with random Christmas music till the next day.