Message Panel to display next song - can it be controlled by MIIP?

[Wonko]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to add MIIP to my show this year to let watchers vote up or down the next song in my show. I'd like to also add a message panel that would show the MIIP address and the next song to play (and maybe a happy holiday message). I was thinking to buy an add't pixel matrix for the message panel, but someone suggested that I get a P10 panel. Two questions:

1) Does anyone have any suggestions on what P10 panels would be best, or if there's a better option? If there's a pre-made outdoor enclosure for a P10 panel that would be great, as I'm not much of a handyman.

2) Can someone help me to understand how LOR S5 would tell the panel which song was playing next? Can Miip talk to S5 and tell it what's about to play? I'm not following the workflow of getting the message to the panel in the first place.

Thanks in advance!

- Wonko

 

[k6ccc]

I don't know of a way to get LOR to tell the matrix what the next song is.  Even MIIP does not know until just a few seconds before the previous song ends (close of voting is something like 10 seconds before the current song ends).  I use MIIP, and I have two matrix panels that are used primarily as my Tune To signs, but they also give the song title, how to get to MIIP, what my website is, etc.  The programming is just part of each sequence.

As far as which panels to buy, I am going to point you to:  https://www.wiredwatts.com/build-a-matrix-kit

I have not bought either of my panels from them, but it is a good source of information so you can figure out what parts and pieces you need.  I guarantee that you will have a lot of questions about P10 panels, so feel free to ask (before you spend money).  Here is my P5 (bottom) and P10 matrix (top) hanging in my family room.  Each song displays this format, and then alternates with several other pages.

http://www.newburghlights.org/photos/Matrix_panels_hanging_close-up.jpg

 

[weigh2fast4u@yahoo.com]

It would be really simple to just put a ME at the end of the previous song saying which song would be next. It only wouldn’t be right when someone votes for a song.. never built a panel like that. Always wanted to though. 

[k6ccc]

That would work ONLY if you absolutely NEVER changed the order of songs in the show.  Even on a non-MIIP controlled show, have you never changed the order of songs or added a song?  Doing so would require resequencing the message sign in the previous sequence to reflect the change in the "next" song.  Possible, but not practical.

In a MIIP controlled show, as I said before, even MIIP does not know what the next song will be until shortly before the previous sequence ends.

 

[Wonko]

Thanks for clarifying, guys! I’m guessing the best solution is to have a standard message that runs on a loop within each song sent to the P10 panel that says the name of the current song, and not try to get too creative with writing what song will come next. Sounds much easier that way!

I’m still not tracking on how to send LOR S5 to a P10 panel, though. Looks like most people use something called a Pi. Is that what you use, K6ccc?

[k6ccc]

5 minutes ago, Wonko said:

I’m still not tracking on how to send LOR S5 to a P10 panel, though. Looks like most people use something called a Pi. Is that what you use, K6ccc?

Here's the short course on LOR sending sequencing to a P5 or P10 matrix.  I am going to assume S5 or S6 ONLY for this discussion.

Individual P5 and P10 matrix panels are just over 6 inches by just over 12 inches (160mm x 320mm to be exact).  A P10 panel has 16 x 32 = 512 pixels, and a P5 panel has 32 x 64 = 2048 pixels  You stack panels together in rows and columns to get the desired size.  The individual panels can be placed in portrait or landscape orientation, but I think most people use landscape orientation.  In the case of my P10 matrix (what I will be using for almost all of the remaining discussion) the individual panels are in landscape orientation and there are 4 wide and 3 high for a total of 12 panels, or 6,144 pixels (or 18,432 channels).

As far as LOR is concerned, a P5 or P10 matrix is a single E1.31 device (regardless of how big that matrix is).  In the LOR Preview Editor, you build a matrix normally using the pre-built shapes for a matrix (for example for my 4W x 3H P10 matrix, it is set up as a Matrix-Horizontal-Rectangular with:

 Actual # of Strings = 48

  Exact # of RGB Nodes per String = 128

In the Channels section, it is set to DMX with Max Channel = 512

  Enter channel on first row, auto-number the rest is selected

  In my case, the first row has a start Universe = 101 and Start Channel = 1

It should have 48 rows, and the last row in the four boxes should have 136, 129 , 136, 512

Sequencing in my case is using Motion Effects (text) almost exclusively.

In the Network Preferences, you set every single universe for this prop (Universes 101 - 136 for my P10) to the IP address of your panel.

Now for the panel part of it.  At this time, the only way to drive the panels is by way of Falcon Player (FPP).  Yes, it's FPP with 2 Ps even though the name is Falcon Player (there is history on why).  FPP can be run on either a RaspBerry Pi or one of the BeagleBone variants.  In either case, you attach a secondary board to the Pi or BB that interfaces the FPP instance to the panels.  In the case of a RasPi, it is called a Pi-Hat, and for the BBs it is a Cape.  There is a third way to interface the FPP instance to the panels and that is another board called a ColorLight that interfaces with a RasPi using Ethernet.  Using a ColorLight is best if you have a large matrix, but adds a layer of setup complexity.  In my case, I am using a PocketBeagle with a cape called a PocketScroller.  The PocketScroller has six outputs, and for my P10, each output drives two P10 panels, and for my 3W x 2H P5 matrix, each output drives one panel.  I have also used a RaspBerry Pi-3b with a Pi-Hat and I ran ColorLight cards one year (overkill for my small panels, but I wanted to play with them).  From a performance standpoint, a RasPi with Pi-Hat is the lowest, then a BeagleBone with a Cape, and the best is aRasPi driving a ColorLight.  When I bought the PocketBeagles and PocketScrollers a few years ago, I think I paid about $60 for each setup.  HOWEVER, for any of these solutions, the prices are higher now, and availability is very hard.

To install FPP has gotten very easy.  You download an image file, and write that to a uSD card and plug that into the RasPi or BB.  You then configure the FPP instance via a web browser.  You do not need to hook up keyboard, monitor, or mouse to the FPP instance - in fact doing so generally causes more confusion than it solves.

As I said, this is the SHORT course.

Ask away!

 

[ItsMeBobO]

On 8/18/2022 at 3:42 PM, Wonko said:

Hi all,

I'm hoping to add MIIP to my show this year to let watchers vote up or down the next song in my show. I'd like to also add a message panel that would show the MIIP address and the next song to play (and maybe a happy holiday message). I was thinking to buy an add't pixel matrix for the message panel, but someone suggested that I get a P10 panel. Two questions:

1) Does anyone have any suggestions on what P10 panels would be best, or if there's a better option? If there's a pre-made outdoor enclosure for a P10 panel that would be great, as I'm not much of a handyman.

2) Can someone help me to understand how LOR S5 would tell the panel which song was playing next? Can Miip talk to S5 and tell it what's about to play? I'm not following the workflow of getting the message to the panel in the first place.

Thanks in advance!

- Wonko

 

As others have said, MIIP itself does not know for sure the next song because guests can change the order by voting.   However, the miip voter pages always knows the tally of votes and does display the presumed next song.  If 5 people are looking at the miip voter page, they may each see a different order of songs.   MIIP is not live moment to moment.  The page has to refresh and always shows the song with the most votes at time of refresh at the top.   If the guest is not interacting with the page the contents could be stale and show an old order.    If you have a sign which is interacting with miip it will show the order known to it at time of refresh.    If you want to keep refreshing every 10 seconds it will change along with the votes. 

 

MIIP does have a companion software called scroller which controls signs.   I have been using it for 4 years.  You MUST have two show computers if you want to use it.   Both the main show and the sign show interact with miip server using different clients.    The sign is told to play the sequence with the name of the song immediately after the song starts.   All of the sign sequences are 100% generated by scroller ahead of time. 

 

[Dr_Aplet]

So this would be theoretical, but if you use a raspberry pi or arduino to query the MIIP site say every 10 seconds to get the highest vote song and display it independently of the LOR network.  Bottom Line the sign needs to be independent of your LOR network.

Edited October 20, 2022 by Dr_Aplet

[dibblejr]

On 8/18/2022 at 3:42 PM, Wonko said:

Hi all,

I'm hoping to add MIIP to my show this year to let watchers vote up or down the next song in my show. I'd like to also add a message panel that would show the MIIP address and the next song to play (and maybe a happy holiday message). I was thinking to buy an add't pixel matrix for the message panel, but someone suggested that I get a P10 panel. Two questions:

1) Does anyone have any suggestions on what P10 panels would be best, or if there's a better option? If there's a pre-made outdoor enclosure for a P10 panel that would be great, as I'm not much of a handyman.

2) Can someone help me to understand how LOR S5 would tell the panel which song was playing next? Can Miip talk to S5 and tell it what's about to play? I'm not following the workflow of getting the message to the panel in the first place.

Thanks in advance!

- Wonko

 

Why over complicate it? While a P5/P10 panel will def work for your tune to / info sign, I just use a mini director and my small 18 X 24 matrix. I use a director because i have the info matrix set about 300' from the house.

It scrolls constantly to whatever verbiage I place on it. 

Best of luck

JR

[ItsMeBobO]

On 10/19/2022 at 10:29 PM, Dr_Aplet said:

So this would be theoretical, but if you use a raspberry pi or arduino to query the MIIP site say every 10 seconds to get the highest vote song and display it independently of the LOR network.  Bottom Line the sign needs to be independent of your LOR network.

Cant say how easy this would be.  But yes the miip response replies with the currently playing and current order all the time.  Which is the same as what is displayed on the provided pages.   The start of new song triggers the clearing of the votes only for that now playing song.    FYI there is a rolling password process on the end point.