Newbie - CCR Pre Buying Questions - System Requirements - Setup

[paulanator]

As the season is drawing to a close, I am getting sad, and ready to plan for next year. This year went so well and was a blast with my little 48 channel setup.

But for next year, I am very interested in doing a Tree with the 12 CCRs as I have seen done, and using the Super Star Light product in conjunction with my LOR stuff.

What I cannot easily find, and I have read and read and searched here, is how many channels do you need for one CCR? I have seen what I think is correct, 50? But then I see things like you can use a feature to use one LOR channel. It is really confusing.

I love the LOR products, but this one is really cryptic, even pouring through the forum postings here, I just can't seem to find what I am looking for.

I want to plan what I need to purchase and set up for this. So here are my questions:

1. How many controllers per CCR do you need (min and optimal - if there are choices)

2. It looks like the CCRs come with a special controller?

If that is the case, is there one of those needed for each strip?

Do those controllers take commands from the LOR units?

3. I have seen some things about spanning the controllers on different networks, any thoughts on this with 12 ribbons?

4, 5, 6 & 7. OMG, why did I get started with this??????? It is crazy fun.

Thanks for any help you folks can give me.

[ItsMeBobO]

paulanator wrote:

As the season is drawing to a close, I am getting sad, and ready to plan for next year. This year went so well and was a blast with my little 48 channel setup.
1. How many controllers per CCR do you need (min and optimal - if there are choices)
2. It looks like the CCRs come with a special controller?
If that is the case, is there one of those needed for each strip?
Do those controllers take commands from the LOR units?
3. I have seen some things about spanning the controllers on different networks, any thoughts on this with 12 ribbons?
4, 5, 6 & 7. OMG, why did I get started with this??????? It is crazy fun.

1 none. No other stuff to buy. Just the CCRs.
2 yes each ccr comes with a dedicated controller. It takes commands like any other controller. If you wanted, your setup could be just 1 ccr and nothing else and it would work with existing software and no other hardware.
3 LOR can handle it. A small setup uses just 1 default network. You can put your 12 ccrs on a separate one. This is great if you are using Super Star since it sends a lot of pixel by pixel commands.


The CCR can operate using the macro modes in addition to programming each channel. There is great anticipation that the new SE visualizer will make this even easier.

[amcdonald307]

Paul, I don't have the software in front of me so I can't give the step by step - but you might try this just to get a taste for it...
In the software you can take an existing sequence (or start a new empty one) and "add" a CCR as a new controller to the sequence. I think it will give you a few options as to how you want it to look in the program ( which can be a bit confusing at first). When I added mine, it looks like 50 new RGB channels and I think 7 macro channels at the end. you'll have to draw them in the visualizer just like other channels, but it will allow you to start playing with it and get a feel for it. I don't think the " macro" programming will show up in the visualizer, but you can sequence the 50 channel RGB's as if they were "normal" channels. (if you don't set it up as an RGB controller, you can have it look.like 150 channels, all on the same controller!)
the controller is part of the CCR (comes with it). If you had 12 of those and program the traditional way, you have a very full sequencing screen!

[PMC]

I used 12 CCR's this year with Brian's SuperStar Editor and I would highly recommend using 2 USB to 485 Adapters if you plan on using the SuperStar Tree Configuration, I'm doing a 12 CCR Matrix and using one network adapter and if the sequence gets "loaded" there is a noticable lag. there is nothing software realated its the physical nature of the 485 network. so I bought another USB to 485 adapter and used a filtered USB cable (has the RF filters on both sides, very important) and it cleaned up the problems.

I'm sure Brian will explain his software, I been using it for a few months now and I am working on Halloween with moving/dancing and singing pumpkins displayed on the 12 CCR Matrix.....yes Halloween already

Next year I'm "thinking" of buying 12 more CCR's and doing a SuperStar Tree as well as the 12 CCR Matrix

[paulanator]

Hey Guys,

thanks a bunch, man that really helps and fills in some of the blanks I could not find.

I am excited to delve into this aspect of the display this next year.

Thank you for taking time to answer and be so helpful!

Paul