Need Guidance on Synchronizing Light Shows with Custom Music Tracks Using Light-O-Rama Software

[roberrrttt1]

Hello there,

I am working on a project where I aim to synchronize a light show with custom music tracks using the Light O Rama (LOR) software suite. While I have got a basic grasp of the software; I am running into a few challenges and would greatly appreciate some guidance from the experienced members of this community.

I have managed to import my music tracks into the LOR software; but I am struggling with creating sequences that align perfectly with the beats and mood of the music. Does anyone have tips or best practices for achieving tight synchronization? Are there specific tools or features within the LOR suite that can assist with timing accuracy?🤔

I have heard that LOR supports some form of scripting for automating sequences. I am interested in exploring this feature to streamline the creation process. Could someone provide an overview of how scripting works in LOR? Any examples or resources would be highly appreciated.

My setup involves a mix of RGB and traditional lights; and managing them within the same show has proven to be quite complex. Are there strategies or specific setup configurations that can help simplify the programming process in such mixed environments?🤔

Also, I have gone through this post; https://forums.lightorama.com/topic/52776-adding-blue-prism-music-to-sequence/ which definitely helped me out a lot.

Finally; I have noticed some lag and occasional desynchronization during playback. What are some common issues that could cause this; and how can I optimize my setup for smoother operation?

 

Thank you all in advance for your help and assistance.😇

[Mr. P]

A little more detail on your setup will help for the desynchronization and lag:

Purchased sequences or do you create your own?

Are you using a computer or a director to run the show?

What kind and how many controllers are you using?

Is it all on a LOR RS485 network, are you using E1.31?

Speed settings?

 

 

[PhilMassey]

Look into the LOR beat wizard in the tools menu. With practice it can give pretty good results and will get you started. I personally believe that to get  really accurate timings, each timing will need to be nudged into perfect alignment but I am particularly OCD over timings, and pretty much place them all manually.

Check out this video by John Storms which explains one method of obtaining automated timings using Audacity and Excel. 

I have been playing around with music stems to isolate different instruments and then creating the timings with the Storms method. Still needs a lot of adjusting though. I am still not sure if the extra mucking around is any quicker overall.

A sequence is a large XML file and can be edited if you have the skills. 

I know nothing about Blue Prism.

If you must use mp3 files, for Director use, for example, they must be Constant Bit Rate, CBR, to remain in sync throughout the length of the sequence. I avoid that issue by using WAV files exclusively.

Occasional lag can often be seen during Sequencer playback. It has a lot of real-time processing to do. Show playback is much less demanding as it is already rendered in a play back file.

Mr P has already asked for more detail, so I'll wait for that before going further.

[Claire Drive Atlanta]

I agree with PhilMassey on using the Beat Wizard to lay out a skeleton from which to work.  From there, you can tweak timings as needed.  The Timing Tapper Wizard is also helpful, and running the music at a slower speed makes things a LOT easier.  It will take some practice to get the process down.  And if you are a perfectionist (as I think most on this forum are), each song will take time to get right.  

 

[dgrant]

I agree with the beat wizard thoughts. Also, try the sound level display bar in the sequencer as you can "usually" see the beats in the waveform. Do not use a camera to watch the lights or whatever to match with the beats in LOR and I say this because there's always a delay between the actual display and the camera getting the view back to you. The simulation screen is your fastest way to achieve the sync.

[Box on Rails]

On 7/26/2024 at 2:13 AM, roberrrttt1 said:

Hello there,

I am working on a project where I aim to synchronize a light show with custom music tracks using the Light O Rama (LOR) software suite.  

I am guessing it's not for a light show on your house. I play drums in a local band and I have synchronize Some of my RGB lights to go around my drums to match our music using LOR S6. The beat wizard is a great starting point but with most sequences it will need some fine tuning to get it perfect. I do my fine tuning by musical measures. Most songs are 4/4 or 3/4 timing and I just look for the 1 beat line of a measure that are hitting right and erase the beat lines between the good ones and then subdivide between the good beat lines. this works for me. Give us a little more detail as to what you are using and doing. 

Edited July 30 by Box on Rails