Total newbiw feels wrong asking about sequences.

[Jo Stalin]

Hi I'm Jo Stalin.  You can call me Jo, or Stalin, or Uncle Jo...  anything that you like really.

 

So I got a 16 channel LOR controller for my birthday which will upgrade an old 6  "Mr. Christmas" box that played programmed tunes out loud.   I have the an FM transmitter on the way.   I have found quite a few sequences online that look great.  I just don't have the expertise to sequence yet and I am not going to learn in in 3 weeks!  Plus I have to plan, purchase, and set up my first display.  Sure it's a lot of work, but I friggin love it!

 

I see lots of folks talking about great sequences that I would love to have, but the idea of coming on here and just asking for stuff seems tacky to me.  After all, I just got here and I've contributed nothing.

 

What's the best way to go about this?   Is it alright for a newbie to just chime in on these sequence threads and ask for copies via email?

[Mike G]

Everyone has had to start somewhere. there are links to loads of free sequences available to download and you can get some ideas on how to sequence. The biggest issue I have is there are far too many people that ask for sequences and never bother to give credit to the person who did the work. When I started 8 years ago I had 16 channels and 4 sequences and added every year. I started sequencing in January for my December show. The other alternative is to purchase sequences and setup your display to match. Your correct that it's a lot of work but most people start months in advance for Christmas.

[Jo Stalin]

Thanks for the reply.   Yeah, I can see how this will eat up some time. Its addictive though!  I did a quick 1st attempt and made a 3 channel sequence to the Michigan fight song for a feature I plan to add this year.  It ate up 3 hours like nothing!

 

May I ask, how do you give someone proper credit?  I really have no idea.

 

As for downloading from the stuff available oniline, A lot of the lists seem to contain the same stuff. To me using the tired trans-siberian orchestra etc is not what I want to do.  I want to add crowd-pleasers.  Frozen, Christmas Vacation, whatever "the song" is for the year.  And maybe a couple of traditional tunes.  I will keep on the hunt!

 

One thing I have noted is that the sequences from the more experienced users are beyond my system anyway.  I need basic 16 channel sequences for now.

[irene]

do you have your display planned out?  maybe if you tell us what elements you are planning on using we could point you to some displays you might get some ideas from.

sure  is polite of you to want to give credit where credit is due!  have fun and good luck...oh buy loooots of extension cords!!

no idea why I underlined everything!!

[dgrant]

I may have a lot more channels than 16 but truly on my house, I'm using 32 channels that controls most everything and then some.  The rest of the channels go to the normal channel eaters..arches, megatrees and so on. So you can do a lot with 16! Its just a matter of how you lay it all out. Start with printing out a picture of your house on regular paper and import that same photo into the visualizer while you're at it. Draw strings of lights on the picture of how you wish to light up the place and how you think you might control them. Once you get a plan, go into the sequencer editor and assign the channels and labels. Export the hardware list under the Edit pulldown and save to a file. Go to the visualizer, import that hardware file. Then draw strings onto the visualizer and assign them to the hardware channels. This will get you ready to sequence and be able to see how it works.

     Yes, its very late to start now but you can do it if enough time and limit the number of songs you'll do in your show. 

[tmcmillin2001]

my first year too....   have 16 channel kit and started sequencing Pentatonix Drummer Boy a few weeks ago...  found out that my version of sw does not have beat wiz, but I think I've done ok so far without.  I created from File/New and selected the song...

 

Anyway, the steps I took were buy the song, File/New, selected the song and got started....  so I'm feeling a little crunched for time as well and was reaching out for a couple more sequences...  but my question is what are the steps?  does the sequence come with the mp3?  what are the steps for importing mp3 and/or sequence separately if so?

 

Thanks

Thomas

[dgrant]

Some vendors selling sequences, will include the music, some will not. Regardless, its the legalities to protect yourself and anyone else, that you've acquired the music legally. Normally, I think....most of us, sequence our own music but doing so takes time and a lot of it. I've heard the average is 3 hours per 1 minute of music. At this time of the year, crunch time, you probably should seriously consider buying sequences with music. Download it, adjust to your display and go from there. Having one song, play over and over, may not be very exciting to anyone stopping to watch your show. LOR has a sequence store, some you can and cannot change but the prices are reasonable. Holidaysequences, Wow Lights, OurLightDisplay and many others.

 

If you haven't watched the video tutorials posted on top of this site, you should. The audio file gets imported to the sequence in the SE(sequence editor), Edit pulldown, then "media file". 

[ClarkGriswold]

Trust me when I say it can be done.  I did my first LOR show to years ago.  I started two days before Thanksgiving.  When all was said and done I was running 3 channels, 7K lights and had 5 songs.  I bought two of my songs from the LOR sequence store and got the rest from other sequences that are on the free sequence sites which I tweaked to fit my display. 

 

After taking a year off I'm back at it this year with 48 channels and 10K lights.  I lost all of my sequences and had to start over this year, I started working on programming the day after Halloween and wrapped up my programming Saturday night for the last and 7th song in my rotation.  A 16 channel show should be easy peasy.  If you post your email I can send you a couple sequences to get you started. 

Edited November 10, 2014 by ClarkGriswold

[Daryle D]

There are plenty of sequences out there, free for the taking.  You will want to program your own eventually but for a quick start just Google "LOR sequences".

[tmcmillin2001]

yes, I downloaded a few, now I just need to purchase the mp3 and maybe I can fumble my way through syncing the 2 (sequence and mp3)....  thx for the info!  tmcmillin2001@yahoo.com

[BryanZ]

Another thing which you can do if you get into a pinch is purchase Superstar. http://store.lightorama.com/sopr.html

 

The create instant sequence feature can be a mixed blessing as it sequences a song instantly for you but you may not like the result. IMO, the work others have done sequencing songs tends to be far better than an instant sequence.

 

Wonder if LOR will ever create something similar to an instant sequencer in which you can assign certain effects, types of instruments and vocals to be certain channels and Superstar will be able to create a sequence based on your channel instrument/vocal selection. I.E. bass drums being a certain channel, vocals being another one, etc. Almost a jukebox feature persay.

[John Lasher]

What elements are you using in your display, ie  Leeping arches, figures, wire frames ??  I still have my old but goodies from when I started but you would still have t0 get the music to go with them. 

John