SourceRaver Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Ok...so you’ve gone out and bought a whole bunch of non-DMX lighting but don’t know how to control them. Here are a few ideas:LEAVE EM' ONAt the very beginning of the gig, set up the lights and then turn them on. This is the simplest method and also the best way to bore your audience as they will eventually get tired of the same endless pattern of blinking lights. At the very least, turn them on one at a time over the course of the evening.SWITCHED POWER BOARDGo to your local hardware store and buy a switched power board. Put the board near the Dj booth and run the power for the lights via the board. This at least gives you the opportunity to conveniently switch the lights on and off and give you a lot more control over the show. The main problem with this method is the number and length of power cords involved.REMOTE CONTROL MAINS OPERATED SWITCHThese are a unit that you install between a fixture and the power socket. They send, or cut, power to a fixture after receiving a wireless signal from a hand held remote. You can get single controls or even a power board for four mains powered devices. These are great in that you don’t need any extra cords and the remote can sit in your top pocket if need be. Make sure you buy extra batteries and a second remote if you plan to let someone else control the light show.DEDICATED REMOTE DEVICESSome fixtures have optional wired remotes. A good example is a strobe ‘igniter’ that allows you to control the rate and intensity of the strobe. Some other fixtures may have a control that will allow you to vary some of the basic functions of the light such as colour or rate. These devices are usually optional and will cost more to buy.SOUND TO LIGHTA lot of effect lights come with a built in microphone and will move or change colour to the sound of a bass beat. These fixtures usually have a sensitivity knob so you can vary the gain of the microphone. Some more complex lights have built in sound to light programs. The ACME dynamo scanner is a great example in that it has a fantastic sound to light show that appears to take forever to repeat. (Note: Sound to light is usually a lot better in a Dynamo so I suspect the song was editted in after the footage).MASTER/SLAVE MODESome lights can be linked together so that they move or change colour in synchrony. One of the lights becomes the master and all the other fixtures respond to signals that the master sends out. Some fixtures such as the Dynamo also allow for the slaves to act slightly differently to the master. So instead of the slaves doing everything the same as the master, every second fixture does the opposite. The effect is hard to describe but looks AWSOME!PARTIAL DMXThe Dynamo is actually a DMX controlled fixture, but more than one can be linked via DMX cable and operated in master/slave mode. When sound to light is activated, the master sends out complex DMX signals to the slaves and no DMX controller is required (although they do have an optional hand held remote for varying the gobo shape, strobe and putting them into standby). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pill Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 +rep. Now you've made me want to buy some of those damn lights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupe Posted April 19, 2010 Share Posted April 19, 2010 +repconsistently good posts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabRat Posted April 20, 2010 Share Posted April 20, 2010 i must say that working in the lighting industry for a while, ive never really found the motivation to own my own lights :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FabDJ Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 As I was saying Source, what are the intelligent DMX Scanners that are shown at the start of your u tube clip on the equipment thread?They look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Im just using the Switchable powerboards with an on/off switch for each plug...simple/cheap/effective Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pill Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 nice, i had the remote controls for a while but ended up being extra effort so went back to the switchable powerboard too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FabDJ Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Do you label your switcchboard so you know whick switch is for each light effect?I have a 8 switch powerboard and could run everything off that with another 4 socket powerboard for the sound but concerned the chaser might send audible sounds to the amp and mixer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 nah i just make sure its set up the same everytime so i no what is whereplus it helps that i know my extension leads are white and connected to far away things like lights n strobe and the standard power leads are black and close by so they just plug in without a extender...so its just implanted in my head reallybut for an 8 socket i would have labeled for home use then memorized then set up the same as i am now...because i dont have time to read 8 labels n see what is where...because say your slowly bringing up the bass because you know the "skit" part of the song is coming up, you will want to know exactly were your strobe is connected from memory so u can quickly hit it when the beat drops just and example Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pill Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 As I don't use strobes often i just have an on switch for when the dancing starts and use the rest like a normal power board! All of my lights go off the same circut for my normal setup.For crazier setups I do things on seperate switches and rotate through the effects, and just memorise it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 yeh strobe n smoke machine are the only reasons i have switchable reallyspesh cause if u leave the smoke machine on it will just boil then cool then re-boil the liquid using more of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky_Steve Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Do you label your switcchboard so you know whick switch is for each light effect?I have a 8 switch powerboard and could run everything off that with another 4 socket powerboard for the sound but concerned the chaser might send audible sounds to the amp and mixer.I've never had problems running a strobe and chaser off the same powerboard as the sound, but to play it safe you could use seperate boards. When I do use the one powerboard, I usually plug the amp and the console into the sockets closest to the incoming lead. Not sure if this makes any difference but it's just been standard operations for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 im running all my speaker n amp n decks n shit off a separate powerboard to my lighting because at 1 point if i turned on to many things at once it would freeze my midi controller and laptop for a split second...very annoying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pulsebeat Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 shit manmade me wanna buy lights like noww Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FabDJ Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 im running all my speaker n amp n decks n shit off a separate powerboard to my lighting because at 1 point if i turned on to many things at once it would freeze my midi controller and laptop for a split second...very annoying...Thats a very good point DJaz, could potentially freeze the pc if opening a load of 2000watts ac. will go and check if I can use two separate circuitsAlso plugging sound into the closest circuit to mains makes sense also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pill Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 shit manmade me wanna buy lights like nowwI'mAbout to order around 2k worth of lights from china if anyone wants anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck_Choi Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 shit manmade me wanna buy lights like nowwI'mAbout to order around 2k worth of lights from china if anyone wants anything!Send some stuff my way lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FabDJ Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Still chasing my laser ordered 27 Sept for 28.00. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupe Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 get up 'em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Still chasing my laser ordered 27 Sept for 28.00.what was there Feedback Rating? % and total score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cupe Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 it was probably in chinese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FabDJ Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Got a email about a week ago about a public holiday delaying postage very apologetic.Went to Post office to check this morning also in case mailman threw the card in the bushes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 haha its true though, 1 minor thing can delay the mail signification....but as for majorly, i had 2 things coming from Europe when that bastard Icelandic Volcano was spewing shit out for 2 weeks or more at the start of this year, took like 2 months to get my packages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pill Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 shit manmade me wanna buy lights like nowwI'mAbout to order around 2k worth of lights from china if anyone wants anything!Send some stuff my way lolWhat are you after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireball_laser Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 If any of u looking smoke machine & some lighting .i get hold off some good ones at good prices.they are what fireball use for our shows.we are also have good lasers for hireif u like any more info email bookings@fuze.net.au Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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