OneHotRT59 Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 Sequencing is an "Art" which i must say i am not real good at. I will admit have borrowed most sequences and heavily modified them to fit my yard display. I do not pass these along, as i feel the real author would not appreciate it. I do not advertise as my sequencing. I just say thank you sequencers, as my occupation keeps me tied up for way too many hours of the week. The yearly Christmas show has grown and the 100 plus hours during the months of October and November setting up is already very demanding. Family helps out as much as possible. If I could only find the time and support to build and mount that 6 foot Holdman - Bethlehem Star on the roof. It would be the icing on the cake! A sincere thanks to all the groups who in the past have offered their sequences for my use. Our local food pantry also says thanks, as we are ramping up to a goal of 1,000 lbs of food donations this year 2017! Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticks4legs Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 (edited) On 10/28/2017 at 8:39 PM, 75redman said: Does anyone make there own sequences anymore? A thought that has crossed my mind countless times. All mine are originals. I did share a sequence when I first started and quickly saw someone selling it and another taking credit for it. Won't make that mistake again I am even starting to find all the preset effects on pixels getting repetitive. When watching displays or videos you can see the people that create or merge two effects and my hats off to them for the creativity. Edited October 30, 2017 by sticks4legs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebuechner Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 This is why I'm not on this forum much anymore. And the last time I mentioned that I finished a new sequence I started getting a bunch of request and PM's from parasites. I tried to politely tell them if I was offering it I would have made my comment in sequence sharing. I find some of the sequences out there that are being shared are pretty bad. And I've seen peoples displays who use nothing but shared sequences and they're cut and spliced in so badly you can't even tell if it's going with the music. Come on people, take some pride do the work and make a sequence that fits your display. Using shared sequences to get started is okay but by the time you hit the third year you should be standing on your own two feet. And here's a hint, not all the lights have to be flashing all the time to every song, one of the most powerful things that you may have at your disposal is periods of Darkness. Just like a well-written speech can use a dramatic pause, to draw the audience in. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 24 minutes ago, sticks4legs said: A thought that has crossed my mind countless times. All mine are originals. I did share a sequence when I first started and quickly saw someone selling it and another taking credit for it. Won't make that mistake again I am even starting to find all the preset effects on pixels getting repetitive. When watching displays or videos you can see the people that create or merge two effects and my hats off to them for the creativity. If you have concrete evidence you can contact LOR and they will take action. Also contact wherever you find them for sale. Ebay will ban the IP, bank accounts, ban their accounts and any other forms of payment. Paypal will do the same. Imagine getting banned from Ebay and paypal. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 2 minutes ago, Ebuechner said: This is why I'm not on this forum much anymore. And the last time I mentioned that I finished a new sequence I started getting a bunch of request and PM's from parasites. I tried to politely tell them if I was offering it I would have made my comment in sequence sharing. I find some of the sequences out there that are being shared are pretty bad. And I've seen peoples displays who use nothing but shared sequences and they're cut and spliced in so badly you can't even tell if it's going with the music. Come on people, take some pride do the work and make a sequence that fits your display. Using shared sequences to get started is okay but by the time you hit the third year you should be standing on your own two feet. And here's a hint, not all the lights have to be flashing all the time to every song, one of the most powerful things that you may have at your disposal is periods of Darkness. Just like a well-written speech can use a dramatic pause, to draw the audience in. My city manager and Beatification board president were sup to watch my show last week. I guess when they drove by and saw only my matrix in operation. It was intermission to allow my 20' marshmello mad to deflate. I have 3 matrix and CCR tree sequences and floods. The mm blocks my 8 singing faces while deflating so I set it up like that. They drove off thinking that was all they got. When they told me I informed them of the reason and I got "oh well come by again". JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 30, 2017 Share Posted October 30, 2017 2 hours ago, Ebuechner said: I find some of the sequences out there that are being shared are pretty bad. And I've seen peoples displays who use nothing but shared sequences and they're cut and spliced in so badly you can't even tell if it's going with the music. I agree completely. Seems to me it takes just as long to sequence your own lights according to your own display layout than it does to copy/paste from a display that really has nothing (or very little) in common with yours. 2 hours ago, Ebuechner said: And here's a hint, not all the lights have to be flashing all the time to every song, one of the most powerful things that you may have at your disposal is periods of Darkness. Ironically, LOR disagrees with you. I did a bit of sequencing for them and for 16-channel sequences they want all 16 channels involved for the entire song. I made the mistake of using darkness (like I would sequencing my own display or any of my clients) for about 20 seconds in one of their 4 groups of 4, and the sequence was returned to me for "completion" of the spot I "missed". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HVACR Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 You guys are correct is saying that sequencing is an "ART" form. You also need some musical talent. I have neither one. . My wife is the artistic one however computers aren't her thing at all. I have never claimed that the sequences are mine. I did the set up and lay out. I did plan that part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebuechner Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, HVACR said: You guys are correct is saying that sequencing is an "ART" form. You also need some musical talent. I have neither one. . My wife is the artistic one however computers aren't her thing at all. I have never claimed that the sequences are mine. I did the set up and lay out. I did plan that part. You sound as though you've given up before you've even tried. You're going to have to listen to the song at least a thousand times pick out what you can of the different instruments and Tempo changes and any other variation that you can take advantage of with the lights. Now close your eyes while you're listening to the song and picking out these different items and decide what part of your display that may sound like. Like a hi-hat cymbal crash equaling twinkling on a bunch of stars. And make the lights look like how you interpret the music. Edited October 31, 2017 by Ebuechner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibblejr Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 8 minutes ago, Ebuechner said: You sound as though you've given up before you've even tried. You're going to have to listen to the song at least a thousand times pick out what you can of the different instruments and Tempo changes and any other variation that you can take advantage of with the lights. Now close your eyes while you're listening to the song and picking out these different items and decide what part of your display that may sound like. Like a hi-hat cymbal crash equaling twinkling on a bunch of stars. And make the lights look like how you interpret the music. Well said Ebuechner May I add, HVACR if you use a nice headset and close your eyes and concentrate on a particular beat or instrument you can tune everything else out. That is how I sequence singing faces that have a lot of multiple parts like a mashup or queen and groups like them. Once you feel the rhythm start at least putting a tick in the sequence. You can always come back and add to the tick marks for longer notes ect. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 2 hours ago, HVACR said: You also need some musical talent. Really? The only musical talent I have is being able to tap my toe to songs I like. Seriously... And I'm rarely spot on with even that. The only thing I learned in a year of music class in high school was what a palindrome is. (The music teacher's last name was Reber.) But what I DO have is LOR's Beat Wizard. I've used it on every song I've ever sequenced. And quite frankly, some of the most unwatchable sequences I've ever tried to watch were authored by music experts. So many of them insist on turning specific lights on every time a particular instrument is played and/or every time a particular note is heard. I know not how that looks to other music majors, but to most ordinary people it very quickly starts looking like visual gibberish. Stay away from most slow songs, avoid fixed timing grids, work with the beat and other notable features of the song and you'll do quite well. Don't believe me? Check any of my videos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namecipS Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 49 minutes ago, George Simmons said: Really? The only musical talent I have is being able to tap my toe to songs I like. Seriously... And I'm rarely spot on with even that. The only thing I learned in a year of music class in high school was what a palindrome is. (The music teacher's last name was Reber.) But what I DO have is LOR's Beat Wizard. I've used it on every song I've ever sequenced. And quite frankly, some of the most unwatchable sequences I've ever tried to watch were authored by music experts. So many of them insist on turning specific lights on every time a particular instrument is played and/or every time a particular note is heard. I know not how that looks to other music majors, but to most ordinary people it very quickly starts looking like visual gibberish. Stay away from most slow songs, avoid fixed timing grids, work with the beat and other notable features of the song and you'll do quite well. Don't believe me? Check any of my videos. Probably for another thread, but why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 1 hour ago, namecipS said: Probably for another thread, but why? My advice is for newbies and/or music morons like me based on personal experience. Other than MIDI or computer-generated music, I've never known a song where the beats line up precisely with any timed grid. Timed grids make it a huge challenge, for instance, to match a sweep of a seven segment arch or a nine segment pole precisely and evenly to a single beat, or even within 2 beats. Timing grids generated by the Beat Wizard make it a snap. LOR S1 was the only option when I first got started. All it had was timed grids. I was working on Wizards for over a month and had about a minute done, and quite poorly at that. Then S2 came out and gave birth to the Beat Wizard. I re-did my first minute and then finished the song easily, and quite well, in less than 3 evenings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caniac Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 5 hours ago, HVACR said: You guys are correct is saying that sequencing is an "ART" form. You also need some musical talent. I have neither one. . My wife is the artistic one however computers aren't her thing at all. I have never claimed that the sequences are mine. I did the set up and lay out. I did plan that part. I wouldn't so much call it an art form or requiring "talent" but you definitely have to like the song you are using and be able to pickup the nuances in the song in order to decide what effect to use. There is a sense of accomplishment IMO when you do it yourself utilizing your props/models. That being said there is nothing wrong with those that profit from their work, free diminishes the effort most of us put in to this hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caniac Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I won't sit here and say that all of my sequences are 100% mine (I have done a few from scratch but unlike George I use the tapper) but what I usually do is look at a sequence I like and start with and effect someone has down that I consider a "wow" (and have a prop/model I want to use it on). I then "wrap" the rest of my effects around that. I do have some songs with little to no effects, case in point most of the Pentatonix stuff I have. Because it is A Capella not really anything needed but singing faces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightsWithSoul Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 All of my sequences since I started (last year) have been original. Buying or using shared sequences will yield a thousand shows that all look identical. I am also noticing that most pixel displays I have seen use the standard effects and while that may be viable here or there, watching a 5 minute song programmed with nothing but default PE effects gets a little boring at least to me. This year I have a new show element that consists of 44 4ft tall firesticks each with 50 pixels. The idea is to create a "forest" of leaping light. Now if I had just sat down and loaded in someone else's sequence I wouldn't be taking advantage of the opportunity for unique effects/phrasing that those props allow. One major component that is missing from a lot of displays I watch is phrasing. A song has a natural flow. When you sit down in the music studio you don't think of every instrument as a different component. All of it flows together to create a cohesive sound. When you piece out every individual instrument in a song you end up with something that may objectively match the song, but that doesn't have the soul of the song. That soul/passion is what makes a piece of music sound good to us. One more note I have to add is on song choice. I probably have a different take on this than most, but song choice to me is the atmosphere that you set with a display. This year I set out to produce a very stirring and evocative performance and as such I have chosen opera pieces such as "O Mio Babbino Caro" and Placido Domingo's "O Holy Night." There is no way that preset patterns or shared sequences can capture the majesty and emotion of these compositions. There is a level of grace and depth that you can't just flash lights on and off to. I completely understand that some have time constraints or are not too musically minded, but if there is any way at all that you can create custom sequences the rewards are bountiful and there's a real sense of accomplishment knowing that you've created art rather than just flashing lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrock_at_rons Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 My very first year I used one altered sequence to to get me started (..2012?). Since then though everything has been original. I'm as lazy as the next guy (and I'm sure I'll get a ton of blowback) but I honestly think much of the sequencing out there is hot garbage. Don't even get me started on purchased/shared pixel tree sequences. I've started using pixels this year and I've decided to forgo the pixel editor as I can't stand seeing the same 5-10 effects I see on every other display. Like George said, the beat wizard is the #1 tool in the toolbox. If you can figure out the beat wizard you're more than 50% of the way there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 6 minutes ago, jrock_at_rons said: I've started using pixels this year and I've decided to forgo the pixel editor as I can't stand seeing the same 5-10 effects I see on every other display. AMEN! The only original pixel sequencing I've seen in years, for either trees or billboards, is by Frank Picozzi in Warwick, RI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisneyMatt10 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 On 10/28/2017 at 9:39 PM, 75redman said: Does anyone make there own sequences anymore? I make all my own sequences! --and-- Call me stingy, but I don't do sequence sharing either. I feel like if you want this light show you should have to put ALL the work into it. Not just some of it! Want the lights? Program the lights! I agree with others Sequencing is an "Art"... and to be good at an art you need to do it over, and over, and over. Eventually you will get better and better at it, and every time you try something you learn something new. Maybe it's just me but I see buying sequences as the "easy way out." Anywho, that's just my two cents worth!! I have always made all of my own sequences, and I always will. It makes me really appreciate this hobby even more, and EVERYONE I have talked to about our light show has commented on how "perfectly everything is synchronized!" Probably the best compliment they could give me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince4xmas Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 I also make all my own sequences! --and-- I don't do sequence sharing either. Program your own the lights, makes you feel good to see your own ORIGINAL show! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Except for people I know very well and for a very long time, add me to the no-sharing list. Got all sorts of war stories from back when I DID share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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