Music is starting to play 4-5 seconds before the pixel lights come on

[Gmitch]

After my show loops, when each each sequence begins, the music starts to play on que but it's about 4-5 seconds before the pixel lights come on. Weirdly, when the pixel lights finally come on they are on que with the music. I just can't figure out why each sequence has a 4-5 delay before the pixel lights come on. Is this something that we can troubleshoot? Thanks

[k6ccc]

First of all, how are you playing your show?  From a computer or a Director, and if the latter, which one?

 

[Gmitch]

19 hours ago, k6ccc said:

First of all, how are you playing your show?  From a computer or a Director, and if the latter, which one?

 

Hi,

I'm using the N4-G4 showtime director, and I should have mentioned that I am using cat5 splitter/adapters since the cat5 cables I ordered weren't long enough to reach the director. Also, I am running all of my pixie controllers, pixcon16, flood controller, and AC controller on an 500K Enhanced network. Didn't know if any of that information would help with the diagnosis. Thanks

[k6ccc]

3 minutes ago, Gmitch said:

and I should have mentioned that I am using cat5 splitter/adapters since the cat5 cables I ordered weren't long enough to reach the director.

By that, do you mean that have the network arranged at least partially as a star (by that I mean output from one controller goes to a splitter which in turn goes to multiple controllers), or do you mean that you have a coupler that connects two cable together to get from one controller to one other?

 

[Gmitch]

1 minute ago, k6ccc said:

By that, do you mean that have the network arranged at least partially as a star (by that I mean output from one controller goes to a splitter which in turn goes to multiple controllers), or do you mean that you have a coupler that connects two cable together to get from one controller to one other?

 

I have my (2) talking trees daisy chained to a pixie 8 controller and a pixie 16 controller, and the 50ft cat5 from this group needed a splitter so I could add another 25ft cat5 so it could reach my 1st ELOR network 1 port on my N4-G4 director. 

Another group has a pixie 8 controller daisy chained to a pixcon16, and a flood controller, and the 50ft cat5 from this group needed a splitter too so I can add another 25ft cat5 so it could reach my second ELOR network 1 port on my N4-G4 director.

My AC controller is on a network by itself with a 50ft cat5 that needed a splitter so I can add another 10ft cat5 so it could reach my ELOR network 2 port on my N4-G4 director.

 

 

[TheDucks]

Splitters are 'Y's

Couplers are end to end JOINERS 👍

Y's are not allowed for LOR networks (nor Ethernet)

Joiners are fine, just protect them from weather

[TheDucks]

BTW 25' is the limit IF you power the Director from the nearest controller  (the total can still be 4000')

If yo need longer to the director, the use a 12VDC Wall wort to power it, then the nearest distance is moot

[Gmitch]

2 minutes ago, TheDucks said:

Splitters are 'Y's

Couplers are end to end JOINERS 👍

Y's are not allowed for LOR networks (nor Ethernet)

Joiners are fine, just protect them from weather

We did have a few days of heavy rain😬. Could that be a cause for the music to play but the pixel lights delay coming on?

Thanks

[Gmitch]

1 minute ago, TheDucks said:

BTW 25' is the limit IF you power the Director from the nearest controller  (the total can still be 4000')

If yo need longer to the director, the use a 12VDC Wall wort to power it, then the nearest distance is moot

Ok, perfect. We did purchase an 12v wall power supply.

[Gmitch]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

By that, do you mean that have the network arranged at least partially as a star (by that I mean output from one controller goes to a splitter which in turn goes to multiple controllers), or do you mean that you have a coupler that connects two cable together to get from one controller to one other?

 

Should I increase to a 1000K enhanced network? Would that transmit commands quicker?

 

[k6ccc]

No.  Most controllers can't run at 1000K speed.

 

[Gmitch]

21 hours ago, k6ccc said:

No.  Most controllers can't run at 1000K speed.

 

Is there a way to reset the N4-G4 showtime director? I looked through the manual but did not see a troubleshooting section. Thanks

[k6ccc]

Power cycle it.  Or do you mean a factory reset?

 

[Gmitch]

2 minutes ago, k6ccc said:

Power cycle it.  Or do you mean a factory reset?

 

Not sure which one I need to do, sorry. I realized I had too many pixels per network. I've modified the amount of pixels per network, but still see a lag with the lights, along with noticing that the director is sending a command or something to a specific controller at the start of every sequence, and I can't figure out why. With my concern, is the power cycle or the factory reset my best start? Thanks

[Gmitch]

14 minutes ago, Gmitch said:

Not sure which one I need to do, sorry. I realized I had too many pixels per network. I've modified the amount of pixels per network, but still see a lag with the lights, along with noticing that the director is sending a command or something to a specific controller at the start of every sequence, and I can't figure out why. With my concern, is the power cycle or the factory reset my best start? Thanks

I guess let me ask how to do a factory reset?

[k6ccc]

I don't have a director, so I can't answer that.   Read the manual.

 

[Gmitch]

1 hour ago, k6ccc said:

I don't have a director, so I can't answer that.   Read the manual.

 

I read the manual, and there was nothing mentioned regarding troubleshooting or resetting😔. Is there a forum that specializes in showtime directors? Thanks

[TheDucks]

12 hours ago, Gmitch said:

I read the manual, and there was nothing mentioned regarding troubleshooting or resetting😔. Is there a forum that specializes in showtime directors? Thanks

Did you look here ? https://www1.lightorama.com/controller-reset/

[Orville]

16 hours ago, k6ccc said:

I don't have a director, so I can't answer that.   Read the manual.

 

Directors don't really have a "reset option" like other controllers, they work from the SD Card, so it's probably something the OP is missing in the sequence that could be creating the issue.

However, the closest thing to resetting a director is removing ALL POWER from it, wait a minute or two, then plug the power back in, whether an adapter {external power} or via the Cat5 from the first controller on the Regular network that supplies power to the director.

Most often, when a Director lags behind, it's the sequence, and not the director itself.  Usually the sequence just needs to be tweaked for the director by moving the lighting commands back by 1 or 2 blocks, depending on how bad the lag is, it could be more than a 2 block reversal shift of the lighting commands.

I always start my lighting commands when using the Director a minimum of 1 block before where the lights need to come on, sometimes I've had to shift backwards by 3 or 4 blocks, then everything worked fine.   This isn't just an issue with a director, but even when using a computer {slower, older model} to run a show.  I've even had to do this using my computer when I ran a show directly from the computer, I have an older, slower computer, so to get the lights to come on where I needed them too, at the correct time, it's what I had to do.

 

[Gmitch]

On 12/16/2021 at 3:07 PM, Orville said:

Directors don't really have a "reset option" like other controllers, they work from the SD Card, so it's probably something the OP is missing in the sequence that could be creating the issue.

However, the closest thing to resetting a director is removing ALL POWER from it, wait a minute or two, then plug the power back in, whether an adapter {external power} or via the Cat5 from the first controller on the Regular network that supplies power to the director.

Most often, when a Director lags behind, it's the sequence, and not the director itself.  Usually the sequence just needs to be tweaked for the director by moving the lighting commands back by 1 or 2 blocks, depending on how bad the lag is, it could be more than a 2 block reversal shift of the lighting commands.

I always start my lighting commands when using the Director a minimum of 1 block before where the lights need to come on, sometimes I've had to shift backwards by 3 or 4 blocks, then everything worked fine.   This isn't just an issue with a director, but even when using a computer {slower, older model} to run a show.  I've even had to do this using my computer when I ran a show directly from the computer, I have an older, slower computer, so to get the lights to come on where I needed them too, at the correct time, it's what I had to do.

 

Ok awesome, thanks so much!