Auto Sequencing

[jerry72]

Ok here it is, i recently repaired a board a friend of mine had, everything on it works, not sure who made it, no id on it. I believe it is a renard. Now i am not going big, 16 channels at the most, just want to put on a nice light show for the neighborhood. I have been using an old MR Christmas which has been fine, but i want to add more channels. I have tried some software to make my own shows, but just to hard for me, i am after all a truck driver. I recently read about the LOR  Super Star Sequencer. A few questions...

 

1. will it work with my board

2. for a simple show, 16 channels at most, what S3 program do i need, I looked at the Basic, will this be ok along with the Super Star Sequencer?

3. ANy other hard ware i need?

[Orville]

SuperStar add on for S3 is where the auto-sequencer is, there is no such feature without the Superstar add on software with S3, which is an added cost, and also depends on how many lights you want to control with SS.  I may be wrong here, but I think the SS software has it's own licensing levels that is separate from the S3 suite licensing, or at the very least the cost for each level that coincides for how many CCR's it can handle goes up in price. {just not sure how to word the last part here}.

 

Looked at the SS manual but really couldn't find anything in there about auto sequencing, which I thought strange since that is the only software currently that I know of LOR has that can do that, but I couldn't find anything in the manual to know if any specific license level is needed for using it.  Was trying to locate it so I could be better informed to answer your question{s}.  

 

As the Advanced License opens up a lot more flexability in the S3 suite, but not sure how that license exactly coincides with the SuperStar software, again, which is a separate add on at additional cost depending on how many lights you want or need to control.

[sax]

I use superstar a lot. I have 2 auto sequenced songs in my show. So I do have a little experience with it.

First, I have both LOR controllers and DMX controllers. To use the DMX controller I had to have the advanced software level.

If you don't know what board you have then I don't know how much more help I can be. But, to get super star to work you must first get the normal S3 sequence editor to work. Super star is an add on. The way it works is you program your sequence in super star. This includes the auto sequence. Then you export it to the S3 sequence editor. The show is shown through the S3 software suite. So, if you can control that board with the S3 suite then super star will work just fine.

For each license of super star you get 150 channels that you can export. So for your 16 channels you would only need 1 license.

Auto sequence is ok. It will never be as good as a person could make it. There are several tutorials out on super star including on how to auto sequence. My complaint is auto sequence is too busy....meaning all the lights in use all the time. But sequencing in super star is soooooo much easier than S3. I would encourage you to try to sequence 1 short song.

But I am still stuck with that board. My guess is LOR can control it. As DMX maybe. If so then you will need the advanced license. Otherwise a controller would also be needed.

Good luck,

Sax

[portcity_gt]

Is there any auto sequence for the standard lor controller, or is it only cosmic color stuff?

[PMC]

yes, there is a way.

 

1) open SuperStar

2) load your media (song)

3) Click tools

4) Instant Sequence (now you can use the 2 CCR or the 12/24 license CCR) it really doesn't matter

5) Now you will see a dialog box open up, and depending on your license is how many choices you can make

6) Set your TCM (Theme/Color-Motion) to #1 if you have 12 CCR's set them up for TCM 1 (I find this works best)

7) click "Timing Map" then check the box that says "extent length of effects" this will make the exported sequence look smooth, unchecked and the exported sequence will be quick and to fast

8)

8) look at Picture

 

 

[PMC]

Now sequence all and play your song, it should show the music spectrum accross all ribbons, its easy with a 12 CCR configuration

 

now export your sequence to Sequence Editor

 

and experiment around

[PMC]

after you exported your sequence to LOR's Sequence editor

 

load the audio to your exported sequence

 

now click the new sequence button, this will open a new tab in sequence editor, fill in the information needed

now go back to tab 1 (the instant sequence) and you will see between 1 and 12 channels,

 

click the 1st box, right click and select row, the copy

now go to your "new" sequence and paste. and tune the sequence to match the audio

 

 

suggestion, this can work rather well on some songs, but not all

and the time involved I found to go ahead and use the LOR sequences tools for beat and tapper wizard

and do the sequence from the beginning

manually

[scubado]

There is another alternative.  Since you mentioned you have a possible Renard controller, they are usually setup to run DMX.  There is some software called Light Jams that uses the DMX protocol, worth exploring for your situation.

[jerry72]

Ok so after a little more research i have determined that this is a Hybrid Renard board. Not really sure how much of it actually from renard, i know i had to replace over half of the resistors, they were probably fine but beat up so easier to replace them. Also there is 2 of them making them 32 channels all together. I will be running nothing but LED string lights to start out with. I can sit behind the wheel of a rig shifting 18 speeds for 10 hours at a time, but sitting in front of a computer for 6+ hours trying to program a 4 minute song is beyond my capabilities. Being able to just upload a song and let the computer program the sequence is what i need.

[jerry72]

I guess the other thing i should have asked is do i need a converter between the computer and the controller?

[jacqueto]

So you can use SuperStar for sequencing without having any CCRs?

[jerry72]

So you can use SuperStar for sequencing without having any CCRs?

Thats what i wan to know, i contacted LOR on this but they have no answered back.

[Orville]

Yes, you can use SS to sequence standard LED or Incandescent lights.   I have seen it done by others and at one time there was a video of a LOR event where they had conventional lights sequenced by the SS software.    Since I only have the demo version of it, I have not had the opportunity to play with that option to see just how it works.

 

But I do know, yes, it can be done.

 

Unfortunately the ones I think that had accomplished this when the auto-sequencer was first introduced are no longer on these forums.   And that's really too bad, because, even as unconventional as those folks may have appeared to many of us that may remember them, they had great advice and techniques that was shared with a lot of us here.

 

Maybe one day they might return, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for them.    Won't go into exactly or any details why they left,.  I'l just say it happened a couple years or so ago with a massive hiatus of new folks coming in to LOR as folks were setting up for their Christmas displays and it got a bit ugly around here, let's just say there were some complaints that were flying back and forth, and over it all we almost lost the forums over the whole mess.

 

If anyone wants to know more than that, they'll need to contact any of the Admins in a PM, but don't count on any in-depth details providing they even reply, it's a time that a few of us from that time that are still here would just as soon forget, and I'm pretty sure the Admins of the forum feel the same about that.

 

I wouldn't even have brought this up at all, but they were the pioneers of all this,, so those that are now MIA on the forums really had a wealth of info that has now been lost to us all.   I wish all of them well, where ever they may now be participating in helping others..

[james morris]

I have made 80 sequences using ss auto sequencer takes a little work if you want to see some I just finished stair way to haven give me your email so you can see how they look

[Mr Grunts]

Hey James, I would like a copy please, anniesmith16@gmail.com. Thanks.

 

And yes it does take some work to use SS auto but well worth it in the end. I to am a truck driver and now im a injured truck driver, It is hard for me to sit for a long period of time so i use the auto in SS

and export it to the SE then make my changes as i see fit. If you would like just PM me and i can send you step by step on how i do it. But let me tell you they are nothing like James'. He has great sequences.

 

Here is a vid of one of  mine that is done with SS and a little work from me. only 16chs and all LED light strings.

 

[Mr Grunts]

im sorry james that email is anniesmith116@gmail.com again thanks

[jerry72]

Hey James, I would like a copy please, anniesmith16@gmail.com. Thanks.

 

And yes it does take some work to use SS auto but well worth it in the end. I to am a truck driver and now im a injured truck driver, It is hard for me to sit for a long period of time so i use the auto in SS

and export it to the SE then make my changes as i see fit. If you would like just PM me and i can send you step by step on how i do it. But let me tell you they are nothing like James'. He has great sequences.

 

Here is a vid of one of  mine that is done with SS and a little work from me. only 16chs and all LED light strings.

 

People think we truck drivers have it easy. I lost two weeks of work because of a torn miniscus.

[jerry72]

Ok so here it is, i got an email back from LOR, they sent me a link to an article, I will be buying the software. Now all i have to do is find out how to hook my bastardized Renard 16 Chanel boards to the computer.

 

http://www.planetchristmas.com/Magazine/November2012/index.html#/18/

[james morris]

I here you I have been out of work since the 18 th of november my wife had open heart seguary the 26 of november will not go back to work in tell the 16 january I dont get paid for the time off realy sucks but have to get the wife back on here feet have sent the sequences

[Mr Grunts]

thanks james and sorry to hear about your wife. ive been out of work sense 2010 due to a broken back. i go next month for a SCS ( spinal cord stimulator ) after already having 2 surgeries and a fusion.

but nothing like your wife. My prayers are with you both mate.