Proud owner

[M. Brooker]

I have waited a loooong time to post this, now I can.......I am the proud owner of my FIRST controller. I have the CTB16PC, all wired up, tested and all seems to be in perfect working order. I know there is no way for a display this year, but next year there will most certainly be. I have been reading this forum for over a year and I am looking forward to joining the addiction, I mean hobby of doing an animated light display...............MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!!!!!!!

[csf]

I pulled off a 16 channel display in 20 days last year... you may be able to too... Just think / work fast

[M. Brooker]

WOW in 20 days......I`ll bite the bullet and wait for 2011, since I have only 10 strings of lights and no songs sequenced. I can already see that I do have lots of work to do before then, so may as well get started.

[SLICK]

I think that you can do something quickly. I only have 16 channels this year also. But I would at least give it a try. Why not. There are many here that helped me.....and I bet that you could get some predone sequences and edit them easily to try it out. I have some 16 channel sequences I could send you. Then you will at least know what you are in for next year.

even if you decide not to do anything,....I will tell you now...it's addictive! It's fun! And you should start now even if you plan on next year to use the controller.

[csf]

Ahh the 10 strings of lights is probably your biggest issue, especially considering how little the stores have left at this point. I already had a fairly large size static display that I have been doing for like 10 years now. So basically all the extra work I needed to do was with sequencing.

You will quickly learn the 4 main rules of lighting.

1) There will never be enough time.
2) You will never have enough channels.
3) You will never have enough lights.
4) You will never have enough sequences.

That being said it's never to early to start plaining. I am stile deploying 2010 but planing for 2011.

I fell like this can easily become more of addiction then a hobby... but it can be allot of fun, and be very rewarding when you see the smiles it puts on people faces

My biggest advice I can give is have fun with it!

Edit: following what was just posted above me, there are plenty of free sequences you can try using. If you never worked with timing things to music It can be a very helpful starting point looking at other people sequencers.

I would also be wiling to send you the 16 channel TSO sequence I did for last year.

[Max-Paul]

Sir, I like you already.

You say hi, got a controller and realize that many of us where in the middle of setting up our own displays and fighting our way through any glitches. Realize that it takes time to do this and did not come in here whining how you need help. Again pointing out that many of us who have been working on our stuff all year.

take your time and learn the software. I will give you a bit of advice that I wish I had read somewhere. I use tracks to logically break up my display. Examples of some tracks are Roof, House, arches, Spiral trees, and lollypops. Some things in these tracks are spread across several controllers. So, as you make your first sequence, save your channels and visualizer settings by exporting this info. Then import to your new sequence. If you add anything in one of your expanding sequence list. Export that new information and then right away before doing anything else. Go and import to all other sequences. this will keep all sequences up to date and will save you many hours of standardizing and cleaning up changes. As me how I know.:shock:

You sir will learn alot. those who rushed in here during the eleventh hour. Where so task orientated that they did not learn anything and unless they sit down after the season and spend time will once again be whining for help. good on you for taking the time to learn.

[JasonTrebilcock]

Congratulations!!!! I too have just got my first controller (CTB16PC) after years of reading and watching... Got in late myself but LOR expedited my order, thank you to them
I was lucky enough to have a decent static display already up (well in the process..), and the controller was a xmas present from my wife (got her hooked now too ) I added a few LED strings to keep things simple power wise, and wow everything came together and it looks great (IMO ...) I didn't have time to sequence, but a few purchases from LOR and my lights are dancing to music, bring on 2011 when I have had time to digest it all. Be careful, it is very addictive, and the smiles it brings are great.

[M. Brooker]

Thank you all for the encouragement, as for timing things to music, no problem, I have played drums since I was 18, no longer 18 but you get the idea.
I have also been playing with the software, have almost finished sequencing 1 song.......so I have somewhat of an idea on using it.
Will thank you all in advance for the many questions I know will be coming until my first show for Christmas 2011..........

[scubado]

Everyone above forgot the most important thing, you never have enough extension cords!

You can easily do simple sequences without music too. Best if you do simple sloooooooow fades. If you have something like snowflakes or stars, make em twinkle.

[PaulXmas]

scubado wrote:

Everyone above forgot the most important thing, you never have enough extension cords!

You can easily do simple sequences without music too. Best if you do simple sloooooooow fades. If you have something like snowflakes or stars, make em twinkle.

I have a non music sequence that fades between my 3 colours on my house windows and fence in the morning. It took about 10 minutes. I also have 3 ten second non music sequences that I run in between songs, one twinkles all the lights one fades from white to blue and the third turns on all the lights. Being non musical took only a few minutes.

If I had 10 strings and a brand new controller I would be flashing those lights! But that is me I can never wait to play with my new toys.

[scubado]

PaulXmas wrote:

scubado wrote:

Everyone above forgot the most important thing, you never have enough extension cords!

You can easily do simple sequences without music too. Best if you do simple sloooooooow fades. If you have something like snowflakes or stars, make em twinkle.

I have a non music sequence that fades between my 3 colours on my house windows and fence in the morning. It took about 10 minutes. I also have 3 ten second non music sequences that I run in between songs, one twinkles all the lights one fades from white to blue and the third turns on all the lights. Being non musical took only a few minutes.

If I had 10 strings and a brand new controller I would be flashing those lights! But that is me I can never wait to play with my new toys.

I like your idea between songs, gives me a chance to stop/start the video camera.

[PaulXmas]

scubado wrote:

PaulXmas wrote:

scubado wrote:

Everyone above forgot the most important thing, you never have enough extension cords!

You can easily do simple sequences without music too. Best if you do simple sloooooooow fades. If you have something like snowflakes or stars, make em twinkle.

I have a non music sequence that fades between my 3 colours on my house windows and fence in the morning. It took about 10 minutes. I also have 3 ten second non music sequences that I run in between songs, one twinkles all the lights one fades from white to blue and the third turns on all the lights. Being non musical took only a few minutes.

If I had 10 strings and a brand new controller I would be flashing those lights! But that is me I can never wait to play with my new toys.

I like your idea between songs, gives me a chance to stop/start the video camera.

And it give people a chance to take pictures (if you leave all lights on)

I could not figure out how to run the non music sequences inbetween the musical sequences so I took one of my MP3s and cut it down to 10 seconds and lowered the volume to nothing and saved it.