Confused about maximum number of channels you can use

[marsh28]

Newbie here. I plan on purchasing a 32 channel controller. I have started to sequence using the software and have left one channel open to put in the beats for the song I'm using. The other 31 channels will all be playing lights. I have heard that you should leave a "few" channels open (ie. that don't control lights) but don't know if this is right. For example, if you had a 32 channel controller, could you run lights on all 32 channels?

[Brian Mitchell]

Well, 32 channels will actually be 2 controllers. You can use all 32. In the sequencer, you can have as many channels as you want. I put in unassigned channels to use for beat tracks and seperators between props. It helps organize your channels .

[Guest guest]

I also assign a channel that IS NOT associted with a controller as the beat channel.

Once I have finished the sequence though, I remove those beat tracks from the sequence as I feel they are no longer needed and just add to the size of the sequence file.

And using an DC-MP3 Showtime Director and putting the sequences on an SD card, I want the sequence file the hardware utility creates to be as small as possible.

Now if there was just a way to compress an MP3 file down to a smaller size without degrading the audio within! Since some 2-3 minute files are quite large and some I have run almost 5 minutes, are very large MP3 files. Even if dropped to the minimum 128kbps limits, they still remain quite large. Would be great if they could be compressed to at least 1/2 their original size, maintain their audio integrity and take up less real estate on the SD card!

[jeffandnicole]

To add on to what Orville said, when you create a new file, assign 33 channels to it. This will be your 32 usable channels, and the 33rd channel will be your 'beat' channel. As you program each channel, you simply just ignore that step for the 33rd beat channel.

Definitely use all your channels if you have the lighting available to do so!

[Jim Saul]

Orville wrote:

Once I have finished the sequence though, I remove those beat tracks from the sequence as I feel they are no longer needed and just add to the size of the sequence file.

Hey Orville, the choice is up to you, but I'd save the ones with the beat track so that When you buy more controllers and need to update your sequence you don't have to try and re-create it. Maybe save it on the computer with the extra track, then remove it for the SD card version?

[Guest guest]

I actually use 2 beat tracks per 16 channel controller, I put the main beat track as the very first channel in my sequence, the next beat track goes to channel 9 (renamed Beat Track 2).


When I set up my channels (controllers) I don't add my beat tracks automatically, because then I have to go through and change what the software inserted and move and rename channels around. I insert mine manually using the ADD CHANNEL option just above the channel where I want it.



So I have a beat track for controller one at channel 1 named Beat track 1, then at channel 9, renamed Beat track 2. I do the same for each controller I have, but the next beat track at controller 2, channel 1, would now be Beat Track 3, channel 9, would be Beat Track 4.



Why so many beat tracks? Because each controller will be controlling different types of lighting such as one may be incandescents, one for LED's, one for Blow Molds (incandescent -C7 or standard type incandescent bulbs). This way I can use the wizards in the program and create different beat tracks for each section of my display, so with 5 controller and 80 channels, I now have a total of 90 channels when sequencing and have a file I load for that so I don't have to recreate the beat tracks every sequence. And so I have 10 beat tracks, starting with Beat track 1 through Beat Track 10.

It just helps to make sequencing a little easier when using the wizards and then "clean up" the beat track first, then yu can easily insert where or how you want the lights to react from that track for that particular controller.

This is just one method, others do it in different ways, but this is the one that works out best for me, as I can see the beat track and 8 channels at the same time and know that the channels under that beat track are the ones I want to sequence to that particular beat of the song utilized.


And then I do have to delete them naually when saving the "finished" sequence. But it sure saves me a lot of time doing it this way.

[Guest guest]

Jim Saul wrote:

Orville wrote:

Once I have finished the sequence though, I remove those beat tracks from the sequence as I feel they are no longer needed and just add to the size of the sequence file.

Hey Orville, the choice is up to you, but I'd save the ones with the beat track so that When you buy more controllers and need to update your sequence you don't have to try and re-create it. Maybe save it on the computer with the extra track, then remove it for the SD card version?

Jim, that is EXACTLY what I do. I keep copies in seperate directorys that tell me wether or not the sequence has a beat track, is completed or still in progress. basically directoy names are under the "Sequences" directory and named:

HALLOWEEN 2011 with sub dirs labeld "Completed", "In Process", "Beat Track-BAK" and have dirs for 80 Channel sequences, 48 channel sequences and even other specific channels using that same topology.

Although I did make the mistake of deleting all my BAK files once and therefore went all the sequences with their beat track. Tried to do a system restore to see if that would bring tham back, unfortunately that didn't work. One of those DUH moments, and a good reason not to delete things when you're tired and should have gone to bed instead of not thinking clearly and messing with things on the computer! LOL

[marsh28]

Thanks for the prompt answers everyone. The help I'm getting on this board is great.

[CKSedg]

Orville,
I am really interested in your "beat track" explanation. I'm still not sure I understand what you are doing. How to you make a beat track? I'm still confused. Can you explain it more? Thanks!

[Guest guest]

CKSedg wrote:

Orville,
I am really interested in your "beat track" explanation. I'm still not sure I understand what you are doing. How to you make a beat track? I'm still confused. Can you explain it more? Thanks!

Open the LOR Sequence editor

Open a current sequence or create a new musical one.

I have mine default to load a file with all my info saved to it currently for 48 channels for this years display, but I have additional ones for 16, 32, 64, and 80 channels.

Once you have the sequence loaded with a default channel count, say 32 channels.

Left click on a channel button,(the channel button where you want to add the beat track either above or below), a pop up box will appear with a lot of information in it, some may be greyed out depending on your license.



Highlight the "Insert Channels", the following options in another window will open:

Insert Channel Above

Insert Channel Below

insert Multiple Channels Above

Insert Multiple Channels Below

(I select/highlight insert channel above after I have selected say Channel 1 - usually displayed as Unit 01.1 unless you renamed it.)

Click the Insert Channnel Above, a new channel will appear above the current channel you had highlighted (left clicked) previously. The channel button will have New Channel as its label.



To change the New Channel to Beat Track # (where # is the number of the beat track, i.e. 1, 2, 3...etc.), again highlight the "New Channel" button with a left click, select channel name and a window will appear where you can change the channel button label fron "New Channel" to whatever you may want to call it, as in Beat Track 1 or "SEPERATOR" if you want to add empty seperator channels to seperate controllers and/or display elements. The seperator channels are added just like the beat tracks. Ciick OK after you're made the change to the name you're satisfied with.

If you make a mistake you can just move the channel around by selecting it and dragging it to where you want it or use the left click and "Delete Channel" option to remove it.

It really is a very simple process and sounds a lot more complex and complicated than it really is.

Once you do it a few times, you'll understand it much better. It confused the heck out of me at too when I first started trying to add beat tracks to my sequences. Now I can practically do it with my eyes closed.



Also you do not have to have anything selected in the channel to use it, my Beat Tracks (right click on the channel to show its property grid) and you'll see an box that says:

"Device Type" and the box will state: (no device type selected)

You do want to leave it at that.

You can still use the wizards and select this channel (Beat Track 1, new channel or whatever you may want to call it) and have the wizard place beats in the channel from the VU Wizard, Beat Wizard or Tapper Wizard.



NOTE: I have my mouse set to do things with a single click, so where I state "click" on an item in the commentary above may require two clicks (i.e. two left clicks or two right clicks to open the dialogue boxes or channel property grid for that channel button!)

[lightzilla]

I have 10 "Dead Channels" that I use not just for "Beats" but for voice, Back Up Voice, Guitar, Cymbals, etc, etc.

I use the words two different ways as well. I can use words with my "mini trees" or I do another way too. It all depends on the song.

I keep all my timing marks on my sequences (now a days) to help another person out who may want to use my sequences.

[Guest guest]

One thing I forgot to mention, once you get everything all set up, make sure you export it to a file so it can be loaded back in later!



To Export your configuration file (once you have a sequence set up and configured for the number of channels you want)



Go to the "Edit" tab, down near the very bottom of the dialogue box you will find a selection that says:

Export/Import Channel Configuration

Click on that and you get two options:

Export Channel Configuration

Import Channel Configuration



Select Export Channel Configuration and you will be asked to give the file a name. (Mine look like these for names: 48-Channel-Apartment_2011.lcc or 80-Channel-XMAS.lcc) Channel configuration files have lcc extensions.

VERY IMPORTANT HERE: Save your EMPTY *"BLANK" Sequence file as the channel configuration so you can import it again later for other musical sequences!

* by blank I mean nothing is turned on in any of the channels, but you have renamed all your channel buttons to reflect items/lights in your display.

Save your file, now you can just IMPORT that file the next time you need it.

You can also set any of these configuration files as your default when the LOR Sequnecer starts up. You can't use more than one configuration at a time. Currently, since my dispklay is only going to be 48 channles, I have the default set to load the 48-channel-apartment.lcc file when the sequencer starts.

Once you re-import this configuration and save the sequence (wether in process or completed) it will load with that sequence every time, until you change it or re-import a different configuration file using the import command.

To get the sequenceer to default to your prefered configuration file, you will need to create a new musical sequence AFTER you have created your configuration file.

Once you select your music file, when the window pops up asking for additional information, actually says in the top border:

"New Musical Sequence Options"

If you have created your channel configuration file:

Select the radio button next to "Use a saved channel configuration template"

Now click on the block(with three dashes or dots) past the empty window, this will bring up your configuration files (.lcc files)

Select the channel configuration you wish to use (example 32-channel.lcc), it will be placed in the box to the left of the block with the three dashes or dots in it.

Now go down and select:

Save as defaults.

Now the next time you load your LOR Sequencer, it will default to your 32 channel configuration file.



You can also set your timing grid size here as well as default to use any of the wizards when the sequencer starts and a new sequence is created. On sequences created before doing this, be careful because importing a configuration file that has added channels like Beat Tracks can mess up that sequence. I suggest making a copy of the original sequence, load that, then import the channel configuration, then you can highlight the misplaced channel sequence using the Edit tab,.

First click on the first grid square at the beginning of the sequence on the channel that has been placed into the wrong location, now go to the Edit tab, then "Select", then rows, thgis will highlight the entire channel row yiou need to move, go to the highlighted row, right click, then select "cut", go to where the channel sequence should have been and right click and "paste", you just moved the entire row to where it belongs.



Hope this isn't too much or too confusing for you. As this can get a bit over-whelming at times, especially if you've not done it. But with a little practice, you'll get it down, just like the rest of us.

[CKSedg]

Orville, thank you very much for your explanation. This will help me a lot. Happy sequencing!

[nmonkman]

The maximum amount of channels you can use is directly proportional to your level of mental stability, desired level of social recognition, the amount of power available by your electric provider, square footage of parking and/or standing room, number of objects on your property to attach lights to and their structural limits AND how much time your spouse allows you to sit in front of the computer before slapping the daylights out of you.

[Guest guest]

nmonkman wrote:

The maximum amount of channels you can use is directly proportional to your level of mental stability, desired level of social recognition, the amount of power available by your electric provider, square footage of parking and/or standing room, number of objects on your property to attach lights to and their structural limits AND how much time your spouse allows you to sit in front of the computer before slapping the daylights out of you.

ROFLMAO. Love that last statement. Fortunately my wife would never do that, she actually *encourages* me to sequence and is constantly asking if I can sequence this song or that one she finds. And she finds LOTS of songs on her CD's that she wants me to sequence. Now maybe if I declined to do some of her favorites, that last line could possibly occur.



A lot of the music she requests I try to explain to her they won't fit the theme, or they are just too slow and long, and most viewers would leave before it ever finished. Fortunately she understands that, and we work out which songs she likes that would work or could be "edited" down to work.



Got to keep the wife happy or bodily harm is possible.