Automating Light Shows for Bands - how do you do it?

[Starcruiser]

Hi,
I don't think I'm alone on this issue...
I am trying to configure automated light shows for our cover band that could be triggered by a simple Midi pedal. Our lightning rig isn't huge - we have 6 scanners, some Fusion Bar, 4-channel dimmer and 12 Led Pars - so it can flash in different colors

Since we cant afford (or are too cheap) to have a dedicated Light Engineer - we have to control the light ourselves...
I think we are nearly there - but have some issues. The way I've done it so far is

- I make different sequences for parts of the song e.g. one sequence for the Intro, one for the verse, and one for chorus.
- Then I make one cue of all these sequences and call it a "song" (e.g. "Highway to Hell ")
- We use a laptop on stage and simply use the "fast que switcher" to select the "song" (i.e. the cue)
- Then these sequences are triggered by a MID foot pedal board, Switch 1 = Intro,2 = Verse and so on...

This almost works but there are some issues:
1) Biggest issue is that when triggering a Sequence from the Cue Window´, it could either be played always from start or looped. Not both... Say that the verse is 10 bars long and we have made a sequence that is 4 bars long and then looped. First verse works ok, but 2:nd verse it will start at 3rd bar...

2) Timing granularity is a little bit low... Our drumer plays with a metronome so we could make it tight, but programming a song in 129 Bpm gets a little awkward.

I'm intrested if anyone else is trying to achieve something similar and your experience from that...

[LJ_krede.dk]

try the GO Monkey (Multi) - Theater Cue Stack.

[Starcruiser]

Thanks for the tip!
However - is there anywhere any tip on how to use it?
I may be stupid - but I don't understand how to use this together with FS.

[Shannon D]

I use FS in both band and DJ applications. For my band, I use to have a Behringer FCB-1010 midi foot controller that I configured for our keyboard player to control. He wasn't too good at remembering what was programmed on each pedal and he really didn't give much effort into learning it. So I took that away from him and I now use a Roland SPD-S sampling pad to trigger FS myself at the drum kit.

I don't build my sequences trying to perfectly time the lights to any song. The way I do it, is build the sequence with all the scenes you want in the song. Make each scene's time span longer than it really needs to be. Example: if you want a certain scene to be 15 seconds, make it 30 seconds instead. I then use the "manual trigger" to go from one scene to the next. That way you don't have to worry about looping because your gonna switch the scene before its really over. I change my scenes on the downbeats, so where I would normally hit two cymbals, I hit one cymbal and the Roland SPD-S at the same time. Lights change exactly on time.

[LJ_krede.dk]

Thanks for the tip!
However - is there anywhere any tip on how to use it?
I may be stupid - but I don't understand how to use this together with FS.

you program sequences in FS as usual when you program for each song. then you use the Go monkey to trigger the sequences in the order you want.. in the professional world this is called a cue stack whch you program for each song.

[Starcruiser]

@Shannon:

I use to have a Behringer FCB-1010 midi foot controller that I configured for our keyboard player to control.

Well that's very similar to what I am trying to achieve, although with the bass player... Myself being the guitarist I'm quite occupied with switching guitar sounds, but perhaps I will end up with 2 pedal boards. (Did I mention that I'm also the sound engineer?

@LJ_krede.dk:
Thanks for leading me into some kind of direction! I have been able to get some reaction in FS from Go Monkey now that I understand that the Sequence Files in the XML file refers to FS normal files. Go Monkey has been a little bit unstable on my machine, but perhaps its depending on heavy experimenting

BR Starcruisr

[Shannon D]

...Myself being the guitarist I'm quite occupied with switching guitar sounds, but perhaps I will end up with 2 pedal boards. (Did I mention that I'm also the sound engineer?

I know the feeling. I'm the drummer, light guy and sound dude as well. I bought a new Presonus StudioLive 16.4.2 digital mixer and that puppy stays right next to my drum kit for fast access. I'm the only one in the band that knows what to do with it anyway. I have some NON-techy guys in my band. Hell, two of them don't even have internet. Drives me crazy that they are not up with the times. OK, enough rant.

I hope your bass player gets involved and wants to help with the lights. I was hoping for some feedback and possible lighting scene ideas from my band, but notta. They could care less how I program the show. Damn there I go again. Guess you can tell I'm a lil frustrated.

Peace!

SD