sequence-ially challenged

[blainedead]

I think I must be. Last year was my first year with LOR. I had a pretty simple, 16 channel show. I bought the sequence package from LOR, and downloaded a couple from lorsequences.com. Everything was great. I really only bought the 'canned' stuff because i didn't get the go ahead from the financial dept, a.k.a. Mrs. blainedead, until it was way too late to attempt my own sequences. Oh, but you just wait 'till next year, I thought. I have read and studied and read and studied since I first saw Carson's video. I bought another 16 channels for this year, and have many plans and new ideas for this year, including, but not limited to, a mega-tree.

Many thanks go to the Planet Christmas message boards, as I am pretty sure that I can build, wire, hang, or otherwise construct just about anything that I can think up in my tiny little mind.

Herein lies the problem. I am also pretty sure that I could not synchronize 2 channels to "Mary had a little lamb." I have absolutely nothing when it comes to sequencing. What can I do? Like I said, I have read the boards, watched the Lor tutorials until I can quote them verbatim, but every time I open the sequence editor, my head begins to hurt within 10 minutes. Does any one have any words of wisdom for me? I know it's only the middle of July, but I'll never have anything at the rate I'm going.

[Harbs]

I feel your Sequencing Pain !!

Try http://lightoramasequences.com/

you can downlaod free sequences some even have videos atttached

not always what you need for your display but you might modify them

I open them in the editor to just look at how others do it

using the new spectrum viewer lets you see the timing

I have tried the tapper method with little success.

I simply listen and watch the spectrum and insert the commands at the

points I want them fade/on/off/twinkle/ and ect. Stay small for the first few seasons I had 40 channels last year and just went to 88 Not real sure if I can handle the extra 48 channels this year.

One last word of advice EARPHONES use them to keep the wife happy.

My wife got rather tired of listening to the music over and over while I was sequencing.

Good Luck

Harbs

[Dale W]

Earphones are a very good thing. Not only does it keep the family happy, but it will also allow you to hear subtle changes to music that you may miss listening through your speakers.

[Don]

Textually, it's hard to explain some of these concepts. However, I will try.

One tip that I picked up recently (and this is my third year) is to tap out *parts* of the beat, and then fill in the rest.

I don't know the percentage, but I would say a large portion of Christmas music is in 4/4 time. (What is 4/4 time?)

Simply put there are 4 quarter notes per measure. (Read the above link.)

Now, the trick comes in where you only tap on the first beat of every measure. (Or even the first beat of every other measure.) Why?

We as humans are not going to be able to keep up with every beat, and tap it out perfectly. The fewer taps you make the fewer mistakes you are going to make. If you tap out an entire song on every other first beat, you may have only 20-30 taps in the sequence. Once you've applied the taps to the sequence, you can go back and listen to make sure you have gotten the events right where you want them. This is the time to go and make changes.

What about the rest of sequence? This is where you make use of the "Insert Multiple Events" feature. It's going to ask you how many equally spaced events you want to add.

If you tapped every first beat, add 3 events per space.
If you tapped every other first beat, add 7 events per space.
(If you don't trust me, you don't trust me. )

Now what you have is a sequence that has every quarter note defined. If you need to have an 1/8th note, simply split a cell in 2.


If you are completely musically challenged, you might ask a musician friend if he/she could possibly help you out. Once you have the timings in place, your creativity takes over!

[blainedead]

Thanks for the responses. I've been outside all afternoon installing my new telescoping flagpole. Ever try to dig a 12" wide X 22" deep hole, by hand, in a rock? That's what the ridge I live on is: a huge vein of slate rock. But it will be well worth it if I can just get through the sequencer's block i seem to have.

Anyhoo, my original thought was to use last years stuff and just add the mega-tree to it. But then I thought about making some pretty drastic changes from what I did last year, and wasn't sure how that would work out with the existing sequences. In the end, thats prolly what I'll have to do. I guess maybe my eyes are bigger than my stomach, so to speak. Baby steps, right? There are just so many ideas going through my mind that I want to do. Anybody else ever just get overwhelmed with this light show obsession, er, I mean hobby?

[Dale W]

blainedead wrote:

Anybody else ever just get overwhelmed with this light show obsession, er, I mean hobby?

I wouldn't call it being overwhelmed, but I started sequencing for 2007 back in April. I have one more song to do.

I would call it more of an obsession. I have found, however, if you only sequence about an hour a night or so, then you are less likely to get burned out, or in a bind.

My fear is that by September, I will be through and get restless.

[flanman]

I usually grab a 6 pack of beer, the laptop and headphones and with time you will be surprised how quickly you will start to catch on. Make sure you are using the latest version with the sequencer at the top. That helps save a lot of time when you are trying to catch beats just right. When starting out use a simple song like Frosty/Rudolph that had a simple beat and will help you do some of the basics. If you try to jump right into some TSO or Mannheim which are much faster and detailed you will drive yourself crazy. Crawl.. Walk... and then Run and impress all your neighbors.

[James Shelby]

I have sequenced so much this year when I hear ANY music I start to see color sequences in my head, will this ever go away. Make a CD of the songs in your display and play them all the time, everywhere. You will start to put things together, watch other peoples videos that helped me the most.

[John Sauer]

Just built the ultimate sequencing machine. HP with Intel Core 2 quad processors, 4GB ram, 512mb Nvidia 8500GT video card and wireless. With 2 HP W2207 monitors that flip up to portrait mode so I have a screen 24" wide and 22" high. In portrait I can work on 105 channels and see the animation without moving the screen. Happy Holidays.

Attached files

[Dale W]

John Sauer wrote:

Just built the ultimate sequencing machine. HP with Intel Core 2 quad processors, 4GB ram, 512mb Nvidia 8500GT video card and wireless. With 2 HP W2207 monitors that flip up to portrait mode so I have a screen 24" wide and 22" high. In portrait I can work on 105 channels and see the animation without moving the screen. Happy Holidays.

You posted that to make me drool. I had to wipe the slobber out from between the keys. That is a very nice set up.

[John Sauer]

I was having so many mental problems with moving the screens and than forgetting if I took care of the wreaths than I would bring back the animation. Than I saw I missed something else. I just decided this was the the ticket. It is so extreme I am sequencing in lightspeed.

[DaveK]

“Someone call my therapist….I am suffering from SES -- Sequencing Envy Syndrome.” If I hadn’t spent all my discretionary funds on more channels this year I would be looking to copy your computer setup. Nice job, John!

[btyson]

I can totally relate to this topic. Last year was my first year with LOR and couldn't believe how difficult and time consuming I found it to sequence. Of course I wanted to have something crazy like 5 songs, all TSO and MS. I honestly thought I could give Carson a run for his money .

That was until it took me about 40 hours to do my first song, then all hope was dashed. I would read the boards and read stories about people who could sequence a song in an hour or two and I couldn't understand what kind of mental block I was having.

For one thing I started with the tapper, a total nightmare for me, I was trying to catch every beat and I'd end up with a time line that looked like total disaster.

I think if your the least bit musically inclined then the tip that an earlier poster had about only marking the 1st of the 4 beats would work great.

For me however, an accountant by day, with no musical knowlege or understanding that wiki artical was way over my head. I'm the kind of guy who can't catch a beat if it hit me over the head, ask my wife, I am a total embarrasement on a dance floor.

Anyway, my method last year was to start off by griding at .05 seconds. Then I would listen and replay the song a screen at a time (play viewable screen). Then I would add a few channels at the bottom of my "normal" channels. These extra channels I would use to mark the beats and markers of where I think I would want effects. Later I would then just copy from these extra channels up into my "normal" channels. This way if I changed something around I would still have the beat markers on my extra channels as a "backup". It also helped to break up the sequencing into 2 different steps: 1. find the markers and beats 2. put the markers and beats into the display channels and configure effects.

Of course for 2007 I am totally changing my channel layout and adding a bunch of channels so as a glutton for punishement I am starting over .

[blainedead]

Just a little update. I have calmed myself somewhat. I did a sequence for 2001:A Space Oddessey. Yeah, I know its not a christmas song but it was pretty easy, and back in the day I was a big fan of Ric Flair WOOOOOOOO!!:]

I have also done most of the tecno Jingle Bells song, and even got a decent start on Carol of the Bells by David Foster.

My biggest problem now is that I can't seem to stop buying controllers. Last year I had 16 channels. Nice starter package, right? At last count, I have ordered 4 more controllers. So i've gone from 16 to 84. Somebody stop me!! That megatree sure will eat up some channels in a hurry. But I know its gonna be worth every near-nervous breakdown to sit back and watch that baby spin!!

Blaine

[Shubb]

I hooked-up a HP 22" wide-screen as my main monitor and the old 19" as a 2nd monitor just for the animation. I could have kicked myself for not doing it earlier. I can see 3 times as many channels and view the animation at the same time.

Last year I had 16 channels, this year I upgraded to 160! So I understand your feeling of being overwhelmed.

What I did that helps sequencing is I added 10 channels to the existing 160. I use these as a "marker", 1 for each display. Then I do the tapper wizard for each display. After applying the taps for that display I do the tapper wizard again for the next display and so on... This keeps from having to scroll up/down as much.

Another hint is listen to the song and visualize what you want to happen at what point in the song. Keep a scratch pad and make notes of the time.

A last resort is to quit your job so you can dedicate 80+ hours a week to sequencing.

Good Luck,
Scott

[Michael M]

Quit, hey that sounds like a good idea, except then how could i buy more lights?