Show Editor - Can a Background sequence share controller/channels with the Musical sequences?

[Jay Czerwinski]

I want to keep two things on during my show that plays several sequences.

I will plug those two things into a controller on open outlets.  Say - channels 15 and 16 on controller 1.

I can add those two channels to every sequence via the preview, and then turn them on the whole time for each song, OR

I can make a separate sequence that only has those two channels on and put it in the Background portion of the Show Editor.

Will there be a conflict if the background sequence and the musical sequences have the same preview - controllers and channels.  Or do I need to make sure they are exclusive to each other? 

If you know, thank you for saving me the time of just experimenting to find this out on my own.   

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, Jay Czerwinski said:

I can add those two channels to every sequence via the preview, and then turn them on the whole time for each song,

Short answer is NO.

1 hour ago, Jay Czerwinski said:

I can make a separate sequence that only has those two channels on and put it in the Background portion of the Show Editor.

Yes.  To make sure we're on the same page, it's the Preview that dictates what channels are there.  So you would have one preview that only has the two background channels and another preview that has everything else.

1 hour ago, Jay Czerwinski said:

Will there be a conflict if the background sequence and the musical sequences have the same preview - controllers and channels.  Or do I need to make sure they are exclusive to each other? 

See previous answer.

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by k6ccc

[Jimehc]

1 hour ago, Jay Czerwinski said:

I can add those two channels to every sequence via the preview, and then turn them on the whole time for each song

Most certainly YES - then no need to run Background Sequence..

If running as Background Sequence then use a separate "Background Preview" with just those two Channels... Do Not include those two Channels in your "Display Preview"

Edited December 14, 2022 by Jimehc

[k6ccc]

Looks like I mis-understood your first question that I answered.  I understood you to mean could you have the channels in the preview for the musical and turned on in a background sequence.  The answer to that is no.  However after reading Jimehc's response, I think he understood your question correctly.  That's what I get for trying to read quickly while doing other stuff...

Both of us did get the best answer which is two separate previews - background and display (or whatever you choose to call them).

[Jay Czerwinski]

Thanks guys for the fast replies!   I'll give the emoji thanks when the website allows me to in the future - I guess I give too many trophies and thumbs up.....   ;-)

Key is that they can be the same controller, but not the same channel in each location of the Show Editor.  

Now it's up to me to determine quick and easy over total control and the ability to shut off the background stuff at key moments in some songs.....

Thanks again!!!   (insert thumbs up emoji here)

[k6ccc]

I don't use a background sequence - never have.  Every channel that controls anything is in my Christmas Preview.  That even includes things like the spotlights for my flagpole, front porch light, the security light near where we park the cars, and even the channel that controls the fans for airflow in my column lights.  All of those BTW, are simply 100% on all the time in every sequence.  for my year round landscape lighting, it gets more complex because of some of the odd stuff I do.  I have four previews that are used for sequences every night.

 

[Orville]

 

On 12/14/2022 at 9:57 AM, Jay Czerwinski said:

I want to keep two things on during my show that plays several sequences.

I will plug those two things into a controller on open outlets.  Say - channels 15 and 16 on controller 1.

I can add those two channels to every sequence via the preview, and then turn them on the whole time for each song,

 

23 hours ago, k6ccc said:

Short answer is NO.

Why would this answer be NO, Jim? 

 

I am not using the newer versions 5 or 6, still using 4.4.16 PRO,  but I do not understand why this would be a NO in the newer versions. 

When I ran my show from a computer, I could just add the unused channels back into the main musical sequence and turn them ON FULL for things that could not be dimmed or use any special lighting commands.  I used this method for an older LED Floodlight for my Tune To sign, as the LED Flood was not dimmable, so it was on Channel 15 on my Controller 01 and always ON.  I had several motorized Deer at one time, and I used an unused channel for each deer at the time on Controller 02, channels 14,15, and 16 controlled their motors, either ON or OFF only.  Or I could use a background sequence and keep them on all the time and only program their lights in a sequence, leaving those channels out of all sequences if using a background sequence, as the channels can not be in ANY Musical sequence if Background Sequences are used, those channels then have to be eliminated from all other sequences in the Musical or Animation Tabs.  And since a Background sequence one invoked in a show, it stays on for ALL sequences in the show to keep items ON that you may want to stay on in the display.  If I used a Background Sequence using specific channels, Controller 01, channel 15, Controller 02, Channels 14,15 and 16 would then be completely deleted from the main show sequences.  Did it that way quite a few years until I was able to buy a new N4-G4 Director, which can't use background sequences, so then you have to add those channels back in the main show sequences and just turn them ON or OFF.  As this is what it sounds to me like the OP is wanting to do, ON in specific songs, OFF in others during the main show.

So there is a use for either, but as a Background, you CAN NOT select which Musical sequence they would be shut off in, they would still be in operation during the entire show, not something the OP wants from his question., and from what the OP wants to do, a background sequence wouldn't work, as they want to have the background sequence shut off during specific songs, this would have to be turned OFF or ON in the main show sequences.  And is why I disagree with your answer being NO.   It just doesn't sound correct from the way the OP's question reads.   I've played around a bit with S5, but not S6, since the computer died that I was attempting to learn S5 on.  So, I think the OP just needs to add those channels back and the props in his main preview and just turn the prop off in those particular sequences they want the prop to be off in and on in those they want it active during the entire song.

So I think, unless something has drastically changed in versions 5 and 6 of the LOR suite, I would say this should and would be the OP's best choice, having the items in the sequences that need them.  I always kept all my channels in sequences that they weren't used in, but would be utilized in those sequences that needed that prop on during the entire sequence.

And since I use a Director to run my shows now, Background sequences CAN NOT be used, so I use an open channel and program that or those channel{s} to be ON during specific sequences.  It's the best way to handle it if you want something ON during specific songs and OFF during others.

So, unless, like I stated, something has drastically changed, and you can't do this in the newer versions 5 or6, then that would also kill the use of a Director to run your show if you have such props in your display that you just need to be ON or OFF at specific time or in specific sequences.

Unless I'm completely misunderstanding the Op's question, and I really don't believe I am, that answer I would believe should be YES, not NO.

[k6ccc]

1 hour ago, Orville said:

Why would this answer be NO, Jim? 

Because you did not read my response.  I originally mis-understood the question.  Explained in post 4 of this thread.

 

[Orville]

On 12/15/2022 at 12:11 PM, k6ccc said:

Because you did not read my response.  I originally mis-understood the question.  Explained in post 4 of this thread.

 

Actually, I did {or at least thought I did} read all the responses before I typed that response of mine.  Guess I need to quit trying to read through the forums and work on a sequence at the same time.  I don't recall seeing the other Jim's' reply, so that one I somehow missed, probably was more focused on the sequence as I was scrolling through and reading the replies, and for some reason your NO just stuck in my head. LOL

Of course reading the forums before I had my morning coffee didn't help, guess my brain was not ready for multitasking since it wasn't fueled up with my usual 2 cups of morning coffee.🤪😉

[dgander]

Just another thought IF this fits your situation. I too don't use background seq. I have snowdrop lights and spotlights for my signs that are on 100% all the time during the show. However, I don't want to waste a configurable channel for something on all the time. I instead plug those in directly to the power distribution that comes on when I turn on the show. The software does not control these, my power button controls it. When the show is off for the night, they all go off. Now this won't work if you are using the scheduler and want the schedule to shut everything down. I use a mini director so there is not a schedule anyway. Next year I plan to use smart power distribution that I can schedule, activate via voice via Alexa or just the Alexa App. I'm cheap so I want to use a channel to make animations, not just on all the time. Again, if the situation fits.