Looking ahead to next year already

[LENNY RUEL]

I have some questions in looking ahead to next year already.

1) I know I'm adding two more 16 channel contollers for sure and maybe 3.
Is there a way to start sequencing before you have them? Can you trick your system in to thinking you have 48 or 64 channels instead of 16?

2) Do most of you leave your contollers mounted in place or do you take them down and store them? I'm know to program sequencing you need them up and on line but you could probably hang them in your basement and fire them up with a string of lights plugged in to each channel right in front of you?

3) Some things I'm adding next year are Leaping arches (I want to do two sets of two arches each, one for each end of our front yard and have each pair do the same thing at the same time) A mega tree, although this first year it probably won't change color as I won't have enough channels for that. And last some curtain strobes.
My question pertains to the strobes.... If I hook like a dozen to one channel on a contoller, will all twelve fire at the same time? Or are they random? I hope they are random so I only need to use one channel to fire them.

Thanks again up front.

Lenny

[Alan C]

The answer to the first question, is that you don't need any controllers connected to begin sequencing. When you set things up in the sequencer software, you can pick any number of channels you wish.

Assuming you are using the version 2 software, choosing "tools" and "channel property grid" will allow you to add or delete channels / controllers with an existing sequence.

Regards,

Alan.

[Denis Chaput]

Be careful with your strobes hooked up to your LOR units Maybe put a interposing relay to fire them up as other posts people have discovered problems but solved them with relays. Just a thought!!

[Ponddude]

The channels will fire randomly. Just remember that when you sequence them to only turn that channel on or off. Do not use different intensities and do not fade/twinkle/shimmer them. They will only work with the other settings, however they will not last as long.

[evan.a]

here's the best advice, configure your channels now. before you start doing any sequences. just pretend you have 3 units.get a layout of your new layout for next year. export the new configuration, when you start a new sequence, import the new config. it'll save you alot of trouble down the road.

fyi lenny, I started 2 weeks ago. so your already behind for next year:P. just kidding

[Steven]

LENNY RUEL wrote:

2) Do most of you leave your contollers mounted in place or do you take them down and store them? I'm know to program sequencing you need them up and on line but you could probably hang them in your basement and fire them up with a string of lights plugged in to each channel right in front of you?

Many of us use a second (or third) computer for sequencing, then copy the sequences to the "show" computer. My show computer is in the garage. I use other computers to program the sequences (sequencing), including a laptop, so I can work on the sequences even when I'm on the road. No, you don't need any LOR hardware plugged into your computer in order to do sequencing.

[LENNY RUEL]

Pondude, thanks for the info on the strobes. Do you have any idea how many you can plug in to the one channel? I have no idea on current draw on curtain strobes.

evana, you can actually set configuration from scratch without having the controller?
I thought when you configure and go in and input unit 2, channel 1, unit 2, channel two, unit 3, channel 1 and so on you actually had to have them at least. Did not know you could set up contollers that you didn't have yet. Makes it a lot easier.

Steven, I kind of figured once the units where set up in the system you didn't need to keep them plugged in. But evana actually informed me you don't even need the units yet to configure all of the new channels and start sequencing. Sounds like we may be getting a laptop to actually run the show for next year. We can get a two year old one from where my wife works for a reasonable price. My thoughts with plugging them in in the basement was to put a string of the correct light color on each channel so you could see actually how they look at the different intensities, shimmers, fades etc as you are sequencing. I know the sequencing is really the time consuming part of this after my first year with it. People always ask a lot of questions and they just don't believe it when you tell them you work with 1/10 second boxes. etc and it can take an hour per 16 channels for one minute of music.

Thanks again everyone for the help. I was somewhat humbled the other night when I went to see another guy in the areas display. Don't know how many channels he is running although he does have much more house and a bigger lot to work with. I'm going to talk to him sometime this summer. Taffic was just crazy by him and his program is fairly short but people hung around to watch it two or three times. But it told me what I already knew, and that was I could do more. He had the stuff I want to add also so I got to see it in person.

Lenny

[redsea300]

3) Some things I'm adding next year are Leaping arches (I want to do two sets of two arches each, one for each end of our front yard and have each pair do the same thing at the same time) A mega tree, although this first year it probably won't change color as I won't have enough channels for that. And last some curtain strobes.
My question pertains to the strobes.... If I hook like a dozen to one channel on a contoller, will all twelve fire at the same time? Or are they random? I hope they are random so I only need to use one channel to fire them.

Thanks again up front.

Lenny


Hi Lenny: I ran 60 strobes this year. I had 20 at the bottom of my shooting stars, and 20 at each pole in the middle of my arches. They will fire randomly. I had no issue using these and have no relay hooked up just plugged straight into the controller.You can look at my videos on my web page to see them in action. This was also my first year. When programing leave them on(no twinkle or fades). As for next year I started a month ago. I am adding 100 more channels(this year 208 next 304) Just add the channels in sequence editor and start programing. Good luck and have fun Don C.