Sequencing tips without knowing exact layout

[Al Saunders]

Hi Everyone,

 

Has anyone done sequencing without knowing your layout? The reason I ask this is my wife and I are moving this year so I do not know the layout of our new house yet and I am working a boat show and it's killing me sitting in this booth wanting to do sequencing on my new songs for this year but not knowing where to start. I do know of my current props, planned new props and what lights I have to work with. I am currently using 48 channels (can't figure out how to change my signature image), about 10,000 lights and currently 2 CCR's.

Last night I got the audio set up in Audacity and started a new musical sequence but I'm just looking at an empty grid at the moment. I already have my channel config on our current house. I guess I could use that and keep the same prop channels and go from there. I'd appreciate any ideas and input.

 

Thanks,

Al

 

[Bob VandenBoom]

I usually start with getting all my timings down.  Create some blank channels as beat channels - maybe 8 or 10.  You can always add more if you need them  Use one for the main beat.  Timings may vary throughout the song, so you will have to adjust (lengthen/sharten) cells throughout the song.  You have to start at the beginning since changing a timing will affect all the timings after it..  Next move to the drum beats.  Might take two or three cannels for different drums - bass, snare, toms......  Imagine certain lights flashing to a drum and program that channel for that effect.  Now move on to instrumentals and do the same thing.  Picture lights flashing to the guitar, trumpet, piano, or whatever, and program the timings for that instrument.  Now do the same for vocals.  Now, when you get your layout down, you can copy the timing channels to the lights you want to associate with that feature. 

[Al Saunders]

Thanks Bob, the new song I'm doing is Snoopy's Christmas by The Royal Guardsman. I am planning on building a toy soldier and some bells for it that I will use in other songs too. The song has a drum beat that I plan to have the soldier drumming to so that will need 5 channels there and one channel for each bell. I'm thinking of starting there. I've never thought of sequencing based only on the instruments and vocals, more so what element I want to flash. I will take your advise and work on the instruments then vocals.

 

Thanks for your help.

Al

[Santas Helper]

Kinda what Bob said but a little more into it.

I have about 32 channels incorporated at the top into my sequence Channel Config. Each song I start out, I use those 32 channels when building the sequence. Starting out with the main beat, then secondary beats, then the other channels for different instruments or sound devises or voices/singing. This leaves me enough room to have enough channels to do chases for 16 or so channels. So 32 channels are at the top of each sequence I build then move each channel to where I want it in the show sequence lower down the channel list. Keeping the "build-up" sequence channels separate from the "lights-on" channels makes it much easier for me.

Just my thoughts. 

[Al Saunders]

Hey Tom, that sounds like a good idea. I will need some room for 16 channel chases also. I was planning on leaving my 3rd controller just for chases. I'll probably pick up another controller as well considering I'll need at least 16 for my mega tree and I have 10 small mini trees in addition to 2 larger trees that each have 4 channels on them. The 10 trees are on separate channels as well.

 

Thanks for your thoughts,

Al

[Orville]

I "rarely" place my elements UNTIL I start putting out the items for my display.   As my display DOES NOT remain the exact same every year.  So I sequence with the props and lights in the animation window {I do not use the visualizer}, that way I can see what the lights will do to certain point, then when I place the props, like blowmolds, lights, etc. than I will put the controller{s} I assigned within a short distance of the items that controller will be operating.

 

I have always done it this way because when I tried to plan it out in advance, for me, that NEVER works out because I usually end up moving things around, then have to move a controller or reassign their numbers to make them match my elements in the display.

 

I just find it easier to program/sequence everything and worry about placement when I am doing the actual physical setup.

 

But that's just how I do it.