I run a nightclub and was looking at bringing in mydmx for my lighting system. I am playing around with it at the moment but can figure out how to build an L shaped room into the program. Any ideas or is it possible?
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Welcome to the forums. hmm l shape is tough one. you can create it using a square room but use walls to create the "L" shape that you want. i have built MANY stages on this 3D software. it will come to you in time. if you want to dig around my you tube channel here is a link. all the 3D stuff is back about 10 videos or so. Check it out.
www.youtube.com/jingles8302
Sincerely,
www.youtube.com/jingles8302
Sincerely,
Definately appreiate the responce. I'll continue digging and experimenting. I had one question as although we have lights, they arent DMX controlled at the moment and therefore my experience in useage is limited. Im pondering the best way to control, via a DMX board vs MyDMX computer software. I have heard pros and cons of both and my main things I worry about are;
How often does MyDMX glitch or cause computer crashes. I realize its relevant to the computer specs, but assuming Ill have a dedicated computer, thats a few years old, will this suffice or will i need somthing new?
I realize MyDMX is the way to go with preprogrammed lighting scenes, but how is the manual operation? For example, as we wont have a second dedicated person running the lighting controls, how easy it is, when the DJ wants to blackout, or initialize a certain scene, for him to do this versus doing it on a board. I know a board is better for manual control, but not as convenient with scenes.
Any opinions would be great. I've been watching some youtube vids over the past week and many show the same basic setup steps etc, and dont really get into the guts of manual control or problems etc.
How often does MyDMX glitch or cause computer crashes. I realize its relevant to the computer specs, but assuming Ill have a dedicated computer, thats a few years old, will this suffice or will i need somthing new?
I realize MyDMX is the way to go with preprogrammed lighting scenes, but how is the manual operation? For example, as we wont have a second dedicated person running the lighting controls, how easy it is, when the DJ wants to blackout, or initialize a certain scene, for him to do this versus doing it on a board. I know a board is better for manual control, but not as convenient with scenes.
Any opinions would be great. I've been watching some youtube vids over the past week and many show the same basic setup steps etc, and dont really get into the guts of manual control or problems etc.
i really cant say what type of glitches you may encounter. it depends on the computer and how the computer is handled and maintained on a daily basis. if you choose to go with my dmx i can most certainly give you a few pointers. i always reccommend to bump up the ra and have at least a duo core processor. also always always use a dmx opto branch 4 and leave the computer plugged into the wall using the walls power supply. never do a show on just battery power. also make sure all power saving options are off. no screen saver no turning off the monitor after a set time. this will interfere with the connection. i had a person that had his screen saver come on as he was setting up and he couldnt get the dognle to respond. so i told him to turn the screen saver off and reboot his computer then the program. worked flawlessly the rest of the time.
playing back scenes is a breeze. blacking out is a breeze. you cna have the DJ even pick out his favorite scenes before he starts and assign those scenes to a keyboard trigger and he just needs to simply press the key. any key on the keyboard can be a hot key. Let me know if you would like more info.
Thanks. Sincerely,
playing back scenes is a breeze. blacking out is a breeze. you cna have the DJ even pick out his favorite scenes before he starts and assign those scenes to a keyboard trigger and he just needs to simply press the key. any key on the keyboard can be a hot key. Let me know if you would like more info.
Thanks. Sincerely,
I've been thinking about the room bulding stuff. It doesn't really work great for me, but I have created a "generic" that works sufficiently for me to get the job done, so that's what I work off of.
I think this is a bit much for MyDMX, but if there was some sort of AutoCad type translator. Hear me out. My wife is or was good with AutoCad, she had to use it a lot to get her degree, so she has familiarity with it. Lots of designers use it as well. It's gone a zillion uses, so it's not just for builders, but a lot use it.
I'm not saying "let's just focus the idea on AutoCad" either, but at almost 1AM and being severely sleep deprived due to various failures, and I just set for an event that I get to actually do the event on Sunday, I'm a bit edgy, which may explain the tone a bit.
Here's the concept, and if any of you have perhaps a better idea, I think it would make good discussion. If there was a translation program that could take an AutoCad file for a room or facility, and then take that data and convert that to something MyDMX could use?
Here's where I got my idea, besides from what I said above. At the place I was setting up, they ran out of money right now for their new facility, and they gave me a tour anyways and I tell you what, it's gonna be a good facility. But, the room they have now is decent, but it is designed for worship services, where as the new one is designed primarily for entertainment and larger events. If I had models of those, it would help me do lighting design, and I just flat out lack the skills to do this on my own.
Likewise, restaurants I do events at, this would be great.
Clubs all have these, or probably do, because someone had to design it. But you're right, many are old/pre autocad days. However, most newer ones do as younger engineers are using more computer-driven technology to do the job.
A venue that is trying to modernize wants to put in some modern LED lighting since they loved my 64 LED pros and were also equally impressed with MyDMX. I'm apparently the only high-tech production company that graces their doorstep. Again, having an AutoCad design to import would be a great thing. In the case of this venue, they want to also hang trusses and some projectors(it's a movie theater with a usable stage that they also do various other events in). Sending the MyDMX room layout with their house fixutures in it would probably allow any visiting lightng tech to do their thing before they get there. If as a minimum, know what they need to do with their consoles(since most real techs prefer consoles, but I'm not slamming MyDMX).
As a trend, on the whole, it appears we all want to NOT share information. I'm no better. I don't want people knowing all the ins and outs of my rig. But venue operators should be quite the opposite: Share your room, share your installed gear so those who may want to book you or use the facilities know what they are in for. Venues are sometimes chosen based on what they HAVE pre-installed, some are chosen based on rigging points and locatiosn. Each production group has their own requirements.
As DJ's(which I am NOT one of, whew!), your concerns are not as demanding. Throw lights in the dance area, all is good. Yes, I'm over-simplifying, but I'm not trying to insult. Typically speaking, your crowds are easy to please, so you do what they want. That's good business. DJ's don't need a whole lot of advanced preparation, it's the nature of what they do. Again, no insult to DJ's intended.
Let's look at a previous event:
I had to do basic lighting design, which I did OK on. I had to deal with various MC's and 3 bands and all sorts of other events tied in for these 3 days of horror film fun. I had to take into consideration colors, placement, aim, intensitiy and in the case of my movers, where to point them! The next one will be more complicated only because I need more stage wash.
So, here's another concept:
L shaped room? Well, you're most likely not going to shining light everywhere. Focus on the main area and you'll do fine.
My generic layout? Simple rectangular room with a low stage. A representative speaker stack and a representative truss. It's a work in progress, but it's very generic and assumes a lot that doesn't actually work very well in things like the theater I described, but it works well enough for me to play and learn.
Focus on the basics, focus on the main area you need to focus on. This is complicated work, but it's not so complicated when you strip it down and remove the non-esesntial from the equation.
Oh, and that reminds me, I need to place my order for an Opto Branch 4. There was a fantastic thread in the Elation forums about this. Its got some "hidden" advantages that almost any of us should take a look at.
I think this is a bit much for MyDMX, but if there was some sort of AutoCad type translator. Hear me out. My wife is or was good with AutoCad, she had to use it a lot to get her degree, so she has familiarity with it. Lots of designers use it as well. It's gone a zillion uses, so it's not just for builders, but a lot use it.
I'm not saying "let's just focus the idea on AutoCad" either, but at almost 1AM and being severely sleep deprived due to various failures, and I just set for an event that I get to actually do the event on Sunday, I'm a bit edgy, which may explain the tone a bit.
Here's the concept, and if any of you have perhaps a better idea, I think it would make good discussion. If there was a translation program that could take an AutoCad file for a room or facility, and then take that data and convert that to something MyDMX could use?
Here's where I got my idea, besides from what I said above. At the place I was setting up, they ran out of money right now for their new facility, and they gave me a tour anyways and I tell you what, it's gonna be a good facility. But, the room they have now is decent, but it is designed for worship services, where as the new one is designed primarily for entertainment and larger events. If I had models of those, it would help me do lighting design, and I just flat out lack the skills to do this on my own.
Likewise, restaurants I do events at, this would be great.
Clubs all have these, or probably do, because someone had to design it. But you're right, many are old/pre autocad days. However, most newer ones do as younger engineers are using more computer-driven technology to do the job.
A venue that is trying to modernize wants to put in some modern LED lighting since they loved my 64 LED pros and were also equally impressed with MyDMX. I'm apparently the only high-tech production company that graces their doorstep. Again, having an AutoCad design to import would be a great thing. In the case of this venue, they want to also hang trusses and some projectors(it's a movie theater with a usable stage that they also do various other events in). Sending the MyDMX room layout with their house fixutures in it would probably allow any visiting lightng tech to do their thing before they get there. If as a minimum, know what they need to do with their consoles(since most real techs prefer consoles, but I'm not slamming MyDMX).
As a trend, on the whole, it appears we all want to NOT share information. I'm no better. I don't want people knowing all the ins and outs of my rig. But venue operators should be quite the opposite: Share your room, share your installed gear so those who may want to book you or use the facilities know what they are in for. Venues are sometimes chosen based on what they HAVE pre-installed, some are chosen based on rigging points and locatiosn. Each production group has their own requirements.
As DJ's(which I am NOT one of, whew!), your concerns are not as demanding. Throw lights in the dance area, all is good. Yes, I'm over-simplifying, but I'm not trying to insult. Typically speaking, your crowds are easy to please, so you do what they want. That's good business. DJ's don't need a whole lot of advanced preparation, it's the nature of what they do. Again, no insult to DJ's intended.
Let's look at a previous event:
I had to do basic lighting design, which I did OK on. I had to deal with various MC's and 3 bands and all sorts of other events tied in for these 3 days of horror film fun. I had to take into consideration colors, placement, aim, intensitiy and in the case of my movers, where to point them! The next one will be more complicated only because I need more stage wash.
So, here's another concept:
L shaped room? Well, you're most likely not going to shining light everywhere. Focus on the main area and you'll do fine.
My generic layout? Simple rectangular room with a low stage. A representative speaker stack and a representative truss. It's a work in progress, but it's very generic and assumes a lot that doesn't actually work very well in things like the theater I described, but it works well enough for me to play and learn.
Focus on the basics, focus on the main area you need to focus on. This is complicated work, but it's not so complicated when you strip it down and remove the non-esesntial from the equation.
Oh, and that reminds me, I need to place my order for an Opto Branch 4. There was a fantastic thread in the Elation forums about this. Its got some "hidden" advantages that almost any of us should take a look at.
Chris Yes if i would tell anybody to get a dmx branch 4 it would be YOU! lol. Actually i recommend them to everyone. But dont be shady about the details. tell them the hidden advantages. esp if you get more than one of them couple it with a EWDMX system and your good to go.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
I knew you'd be reading that thread too.
I'm not going for the wireless, it's cost prohibitive. Not saying it's dead, but trusting 2.4Ghz is just not a frequency range I feel comfortable with. It has to broadcast very hot to propogate out to 3K Feet and just as is the issue wiht 2.4Ghz, competes with 802.11b/g/n(draft), cordless phones and many other common appliances. The license free nature is nice and makes sense, but I'd prefer a VHF or UHF true diversity option. But, with the white space wars and the re-allocation of frequencies tied to the D-TV mandated conversion, ADJ is doing the right thing by staying still on that technology for now and play a bit of a "wait and see". Besides, going even VHF or UHF is going to cost about the same anyways.
But, back to the thread on the elation forums for those not there:
Let's just talk basic design issues tied to DMX, NOT necessarily any brand. A user had a circuit pop and when power was returned, a surge was sent down the DMX signalling and i damaged their DMX dongle. TWICE(two different times). By using the Opto Branch 4, it apparently transformer isolates the DMX Input from the split outputs, thus ensuring that any bad stuff going down Pin 1 is properly and safely taken out of the circuit. Now, I may not be a rich dude, but with my modest investment and the listed price of the Opto Branch 4, it seems foolish to not invest in this hardware. It's "cheap insurance" as well as functional.
In my typical scenario, I'd be running 2 follow spots at a position either in front of or behind me or beside me at FOH. That's a split going from the Opto-Branch 4. This let's me send another run TO the stage, where, let's say I have another Opto-Branch 4. This still leaves me with 1 split left at FOH should I need it.
Once that one run hits the stage, I can split that via that second Opto Branch 4 to a front truss and/or trees, a rear truss and/or trees and any foot lights at the front and any ground mounted lights in the back, effectively using all the splits. Need more? Add another Opto Branch! That simple.
The cable management options just really sell this item for me. But also, the transformer isolation ensures your controllers and/or dongles stay safe.
I have no idea what street price is, but the suggested price was attractive enough for this sound guy to see it being a smart purchase. I spent a LOT to protect my sound gear, why not spent a little to protecting my lighting gear?
Going wireless is a good lazy way to save on some amount of wiring though. I know I knocked it earlier but yo gotta weight the costs too. For me, cabling can go quick. What people do need to take into consideration is that this is not a 1:1 radio system, such as how you might use wireless microphones. This is a 1:many system, where the single transmitter can support multiple receivers, just like traditional broadcast radio, in philosophy for lack of a better term.
At my next currently booked show:
I'm going to have spots at back corners, while I handle FOH at the front of the house. My stage box will be on stage. I could theoretically run the transmitter at FOH, put receivers on ONE spot and then chain DMX through the spot 1 to Spot 2. Put another receiver on stage and run the two sets of trees(cable OUT from the receiver to the Stage Right tree, then run cable to the Stage Left tree). No DMX lifeline on the floor. Time saved in wiring. With more complicated settings, more receivers could be added when and where needed.
I'm just old school. I love my wireless mics and my wireless in-ears, but I don't trust 2.4Ghz for wireless, especially for a mission critical application, but that's me being old school. It's not like 802.11(x) where I can use TCP to deal with dropped packets and retrains, DMX is asynch continuous stream and doesn't have an error checking since it is NOT bidirectional, but it can recover due to the streaming nature.
Properly combining the wireless solution with the opto-branches can provide an obscenely cool amount of options though, even if it's just for replacing your main DMX life-lines to your splitter locations.
I'm not counting out the wireless gear for my rig, I'm good at frequency management. Right now, it's too much money and for my level, it's not a good purchase. But, things may be changing for the better, so I'm keeping my options open. And I'm getting at least 1 opto branch 4 for sure. I'll just need to make a few more DMX Terminators. Ah, the smell of solder fumes, it smells like burning flesh(as I almost alway burn a finger!)
Bringing it back to the topic:
Odd shaped rooms also provide wiring disasters as well.
Being able to properly model an odd shaped room, especially something like an L-shaped room where you may not be able to see what you're trying to run, the 3D Visualizer in MyDMX becomes a life saver and sanity checker.
Make the most of the MyDMX tool. You sometimes have to do a lot of work, but it's almost aways worth it. I'd rather bust my butt doing a lot of preparation work and then end up not needing it, than not doing it and cutting myself short. Be prepared for everthing.
One thing that people need to take into consideration is that ADJ is just a part of a larger group of companies. As a result, when you outgrow your ADJ stuff, you move onto Elation. DMX gear all interoperates. But if you want to take a streamlined route, you can reall go with a "one shop" solution. Not knocking other brands by any means, but sometimes less is more, as in in less places to have to look, means more time spent using the gear.
Have fun!
I'm not going for the wireless, it's cost prohibitive. Not saying it's dead, but trusting 2.4Ghz is just not a frequency range I feel comfortable with. It has to broadcast very hot to propogate out to 3K Feet and just as is the issue wiht 2.4Ghz, competes with 802.11b/g/n(draft), cordless phones and many other common appliances. The license free nature is nice and makes sense, but I'd prefer a VHF or UHF true diversity option. But, with the white space wars and the re-allocation of frequencies tied to the D-TV mandated conversion, ADJ is doing the right thing by staying still on that technology for now and play a bit of a "wait and see". Besides, going even VHF or UHF is going to cost about the same anyways.
But, back to the thread on the elation forums for those not there:
Let's just talk basic design issues tied to DMX, NOT necessarily any brand. A user had a circuit pop and when power was returned, a surge was sent down the DMX signalling and i damaged their DMX dongle. TWICE(two different times). By using the Opto Branch 4, it apparently transformer isolates the DMX Input from the split outputs, thus ensuring that any bad stuff going down Pin 1 is properly and safely taken out of the circuit. Now, I may not be a rich dude, but with my modest investment and the listed price of the Opto Branch 4, it seems foolish to not invest in this hardware. It's "cheap insurance" as well as functional.
In my typical scenario, I'd be running 2 follow spots at a position either in front of or behind me or beside me at FOH. That's a split going from the Opto-Branch 4. This let's me send another run TO the stage, where, let's say I have another Opto-Branch 4. This still leaves me with 1 split left at FOH should I need it.
Once that one run hits the stage, I can split that via that second Opto Branch 4 to a front truss and/or trees, a rear truss and/or trees and any foot lights at the front and any ground mounted lights in the back, effectively using all the splits. Need more? Add another Opto Branch! That simple.
The cable management options just really sell this item for me. But also, the transformer isolation ensures your controllers and/or dongles stay safe.
I have no idea what street price is, but the suggested price was attractive enough for this sound guy to see it being a smart purchase. I spent a LOT to protect my sound gear, why not spent a little to protecting my lighting gear?
Going wireless is a good lazy way to save on some amount of wiring though. I know I knocked it earlier but yo gotta weight the costs too. For me, cabling can go quick. What people do need to take into consideration is that this is not a 1:1 radio system, such as how you might use wireless microphones. This is a 1:many system, where the single transmitter can support multiple receivers, just like traditional broadcast radio, in philosophy for lack of a better term.
At my next currently booked show:
I'm going to have spots at back corners, while I handle FOH at the front of the house. My stage box will be on stage. I could theoretically run the transmitter at FOH, put receivers on ONE spot and then chain DMX through the spot 1 to Spot 2. Put another receiver on stage and run the two sets of trees(cable OUT from the receiver to the Stage Right tree, then run cable to the Stage Left tree). No DMX lifeline on the floor. Time saved in wiring. With more complicated settings, more receivers could be added when and where needed.
I'm just old school. I love my wireless mics and my wireless in-ears, but I don't trust 2.4Ghz for wireless, especially for a mission critical application, but that's me being old school. It's not like 802.11(x) where I can use TCP to deal with dropped packets and retrains, DMX is asynch continuous stream and doesn't have an error checking since it is NOT bidirectional, but it can recover due to the streaming nature.
Properly combining the wireless solution with the opto-branches can provide an obscenely cool amount of options though, even if it's just for replacing your main DMX life-lines to your splitter locations.
I'm not counting out the wireless gear for my rig, I'm good at frequency management. Right now, it's too much money and for my level, it's not a good purchase. But, things may be changing for the better, so I'm keeping my options open. And I'm getting at least 1 opto branch 4 for sure. I'll just need to make a few more DMX Terminators. Ah, the smell of solder fumes, it smells like burning flesh(as I almost alway burn a finger!)
Bringing it back to the topic:
Odd shaped rooms also provide wiring disasters as well.
Being able to properly model an odd shaped room, especially something like an L-shaped room where you may not be able to see what you're trying to run, the 3D Visualizer in MyDMX becomes a life saver and sanity checker.
Make the most of the MyDMX tool. You sometimes have to do a lot of work, but it's almost aways worth it. I'd rather bust my butt doing a lot of preparation work and then end up not needing it, than not doing it and cutting myself short. Be prepared for everthing.
One thing that people need to take into consideration is that ADJ is just a part of a larger group of companies. As a result, when you outgrow your ADJ stuff, you move onto Elation. DMX gear all interoperates. But if you want to take a streamlined route, you can reall go with a "one shop" solution. Not knocking other brands by any means, but sometimes less is more, as in in less places to have to look, means more time spent using the gear.
Have fun!
Let me say a few things about the wirless DMX system elation has. for one t is a VERY reliable product. i have a single core processor laptop and we used it for our booth at both this years and past years WFX and it ran fine. never once lost signal. or maybe im reading your response wrong?
No, you're not reading my response wrong.
I takes MORE power at 2.4Ghz to broadcast 3K-feet than it would an equivalent UHF or VHF system. However, then you're also dealing with licensing issues, where to get those sort of ranges on VHF or UHF, you need an FCC license. A license is not necessary for 2.4Ghz. But, looking at all the stuff in the 2.4Ghz range, it's just not something I feel comfortable with.
The computer's CPU is irrelevant in this equation. It's all a matter of frequency band, signal strength and possible interference.
Going into a convention center, you'd be amazed at the amount of signal shielding that goes on in those buildings. BTW, how was the cell phone reception? You're also in, believe it or not, a controlled environment. Less distance, less of the stuff you'd run into in a real event. I've also seen the "proof of concept" work only to fail in the real world.
In a similar vein, I was checking out new Aviom gear for replacing a traditional multi-core snake. While it WOULD have worked, it faled before I got an evaluation unit. Why? I'd lose control over the gain structure and unable to fix gain issues during the event. Plus, the pre's sounded yucky to my ears. They've since fixed the pre's, but without true remote access to the pre's, it's not a viable option. I now only use the Aviom set-up I did end up purchasing as merely a transport of monitor send signals from FOH to stage. I could still add the remote mixing stations bt I don't feel the need yet.
Let's take a more real-world application, and I'll use my ideal:
I'm 180 feet FROM the stage. Line of sight, straight line, dead center. My whip is 200 feet.
I need to get that signal to spots located another 60 feet behind me and to my stage DMX splitter which would be roughly 200 feet away. Now, since 2.4Ghz is going to broadcast all around(as is by design) and would be originating from FOH. Now we have real world scenario.
I'm not saying the product is not good or not reliable. But, I've literally lost cordless phone signal when I went to nuke a bagel dog or some chili or make a quesadilla. I don't have those issues anymore, I cancelled my land line! So those phones are useless now. And I sort of doubt the cheese was radioactive, or at least not before it was microwaved! My X10 wireless camera doesn't work when any nieghbors use their cordless phones, and works even worse when I used mine. I had to stop using it. It's not the best bit of gear, but I think it was a neat concept. I don't use it for security, I bought it so I could sneak a camera in say, near a drummer or something for a non-intrusive camera position, but that didn't work out so hot either. Now it just sits in the house, waiting for me to give it some attention again. I don't think I need "PugCam", and if so, probably my older pug would pee on it, which would answer a few other questions I'd not care to go into here.
For now, for me, I'm not convinced. And this isn't a slam against Elation. I can't find any local lighting techs who do anything other than swear AT wireless for lighting and won't even consider it. I'm sort of in the same boat. The real proof for me would be to loan me a set at a an outdoor day long event in a somewhat populated area and let me give it a real world test. Let's put it this way, if it works, it wouldn't be the first time loaner gear has turned into an invoice sent to me.
This is just of those scenarios where it's got to be proven to me.
Let's take SLS, I got a pair of their monitors. Used them, they sound fantastic, but they just don't project, so they are effectively useless for monitors. The ribbon tweeter just doens't have the punch and projection and the woofer just wasn't cutting it either.
DigiCo claims their Live D5 console is the most reliable on the market. Well, hard to convince me when I personally saw the monitor console crash hard 10 minutes before start of show for Kieth Urban, so whatever lies you've heard, trust me, I ain't buying them because I saw it myself. All I will say is "standard policy" was to start shows 10 minutes late, this one started 15 minutes late. It all came back and was rock solid during the show.
I tried some Audio Technica wireless units(and I'm a big AT wireless fan, I have 7 channels) and these units I was assured would work, but when it came showtime, these ones failed horribly and back they went. Even with line of sight and unobstructed lines and less than 50 feet from my FOH position to the stage, they just failed horribly. Dropouts, static, had to set the squelch so hard that even what I could get, it was horrible. Compare to my AT 1400's that I have, the 1400's smoked whatever AT stuff I had just purchased. Right now, I'm onto the 3000's. Coupled with an antenna distro/amp with LPDA antennas, I've got super reliable RF system.
So, I'd be more than willing to give a set a spin. If I get a suitable event, I'll let Elation know. But I better have the money available to buy it, because I'll say this again: if it works, it ain't going back, at least not without a fight. If it doesn't, it will at least have been given a fair evaluation and test. You know how I speak about gear I like, and I'm often not one that can be easy to please. Then again, sometimes it doesn't take much to make me happy.
Let me get an event deserving of this sort of gear, and let's see how it goes. In the meantime, someone we both know has been spying on me and he and I will be in touch soon so he can sell me an Opt-Branch 4 in the near future.
See if Elation can fly you out to Sacramento with a transmitter and 2 or 3 receivers for my event on December 6! It's not my ideal situation, but it is a horror scenario: the Sac Horror Film Festival kind of horror! If you come out, I'll talk the even operator into letting me bring the big board out. I might do that anyways!
I takes MORE power at 2.4Ghz to broadcast 3K-feet than it would an equivalent UHF or VHF system. However, then you're also dealing with licensing issues, where to get those sort of ranges on VHF or UHF, you need an FCC license. A license is not necessary for 2.4Ghz. But, looking at all the stuff in the 2.4Ghz range, it's just not something I feel comfortable with.
The computer's CPU is irrelevant in this equation. It's all a matter of frequency band, signal strength and possible interference.
Going into a convention center, you'd be amazed at the amount of signal shielding that goes on in those buildings. BTW, how was the cell phone reception? You're also in, believe it or not, a controlled environment. Less distance, less of the stuff you'd run into in a real event. I've also seen the "proof of concept" work only to fail in the real world.
In a similar vein, I was checking out new Aviom gear for replacing a traditional multi-core snake. While it WOULD have worked, it faled before I got an evaluation unit. Why? I'd lose control over the gain structure and unable to fix gain issues during the event. Plus, the pre's sounded yucky to my ears. They've since fixed the pre's, but without true remote access to the pre's, it's not a viable option. I now only use the Aviom set-up I did end up purchasing as merely a transport of monitor send signals from FOH to stage. I could still add the remote mixing stations bt I don't feel the need yet.
Let's take a more real-world application, and I'll use my ideal:
I'm 180 feet FROM the stage. Line of sight, straight line, dead center. My whip is 200 feet.
I need to get that signal to spots located another 60 feet behind me and to my stage DMX splitter which would be roughly 200 feet away. Now, since 2.4Ghz is going to broadcast all around(as is by design) and would be originating from FOH. Now we have real world scenario.
I'm not saying the product is not good or not reliable. But, I've literally lost cordless phone signal when I went to nuke a bagel dog or some chili or make a quesadilla. I don't have those issues anymore, I cancelled my land line! So those phones are useless now. And I sort of doubt the cheese was radioactive, or at least not before it was microwaved! My X10 wireless camera doesn't work when any nieghbors use their cordless phones, and works even worse when I used mine. I had to stop using it. It's not the best bit of gear, but I think it was a neat concept. I don't use it for security, I bought it so I could sneak a camera in say, near a drummer or something for a non-intrusive camera position, but that didn't work out so hot either. Now it just sits in the house, waiting for me to give it some attention again. I don't think I need "PugCam", and if so, probably my older pug would pee on it, which would answer a few other questions I'd not care to go into here.
For now, for me, I'm not convinced. And this isn't a slam against Elation. I can't find any local lighting techs who do anything other than swear AT wireless for lighting and won't even consider it. I'm sort of in the same boat. The real proof for me would be to loan me a set at a an outdoor day long event in a somewhat populated area and let me give it a real world test. Let's put it this way, if it works, it wouldn't be the first time loaner gear has turned into an invoice sent to me.
This is just of those scenarios where it's got to be proven to me.
Let's take SLS, I got a pair of their monitors. Used them, they sound fantastic, but they just don't project, so they are effectively useless for monitors. The ribbon tweeter just doens't have the punch and projection and the woofer just wasn't cutting it either.
DigiCo claims their Live D5 console is the most reliable on the market. Well, hard to convince me when I personally saw the monitor console crash hard 10 minutes before start of show for Kieth Urban, so whatever lies you've heard, trust me, I ain't buying them because I saw it myself. All I will say is "standard policy" was to start shows 10 minutes late, this one started 15 minutes late. It all came back and was rock solid during the show.
I tried some Audio Technica wireless units(and I'm a big AT wireless fan, I have 7 channels) and these units I was assured would work, but when it came showtime, these ones failed horribly and back they went. Even with line of sight and unobstructed lines and less than 50 feet from my FOH position to the stage, they just failed horribly. Dropouts, static, had to set the squelch so hard that even what I could get, it was horrible. Compare to my AT 1400's that I have, the 1400's smoked whatever AT stuff I had just purchased. Right now, I'm onto the 3000's. Coupled with an antenna distro/amp with LPDA antennas, I've got super reliable RF system.
So, I'd be more than willing to give a set a spin. If I get a suitable event, I'll let Elation know. But I better have the money available to buy it, because I'll say this again: if it works, it ain't going back, at least not without a fight. If it doesn't, it will at least have been given a fair evaluation and test. You know how I speak about gear I like, and I'm often not one that can be easy to please. Then again, sometimes it doesn't take much to make me happy.
Let me get an event deserving of this sort of gear, and let's see how it goes. In the meantime, someone we both know has been spying on me and he and I will be in touch soon so he can sell me an Opt-Branch 4 in the near future.
See if Elation can fly you out to Sacramento with a transmitter and 2 or 3 receivers for my event on December 6! It's not my ideal situation, but it is a horror scenario: the Sac Horror Film Festival kind of horror! If you come out, I'll talk the even operator into letting me bring the big board out. I might do that anyways!
Chris i had good reception in the convention center all the days i was in there. wireless have never failed me so far. i agree coming to your gig on dec 6th would be cool but highly unlikely and also with over 900 worth of gear on a "Loaner basis" haha.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
That's it?
Dude, we gotta talk soon! That's less than I thought.
Dude, we gotta talk soon! That's less than I thought.
ya. I just looked at the retail price of a EWDMX system which includes one receiver and one tranmitter, retail is 1499. Now with your dealer hook up you talk about prob way less. Aslo couple that with a opto branch 4..... Has potential. Your excited now huh?? Haha.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
If it works in a real world application, I'm sold. Just gotta prove it.
That reminds me, my wireless network went down when I was nuking lunch today.... Grrrr. But I was only uploading to my server upstairs, no big deal!
It's almost like what is needed is a "checklist of pro lighting essentials" around here. I've been fortunate that I've had nothing damaged via circuits popping and being reset. Still, The optoBranch 4 takes care of those problems.
Should wireless be a viable option, then that too could alone resolve those issues, plus expand things out. Maybe I can talk a dealer into sending me a demo set on condition if I like it, they get a check. I bet I could!
Then put both of those things together, and well, the options get really nifty really fast.
It's all a matter of money. The MSRP on the optobranch 4 is really affordable, and street is just gonna be that much better. I'd say for anyone with more than $1000 in investment, this addition should be a seriously considered add-on.
Wireless is often a luxury. In some cases, it can be a necessity. I think to save funds for this next show, I'm gonna stay wired, but my debate will be "buy optobranch4 or not yet". In my rig, ths wireless is a luxury, but the OptoBranch is a necessity, it makes good logical sense. I will say this, I am going to buy an optobranch soon regardless of the wireless.
I have another event early in January, another ideal wireless lighting application. I have logistics issues with running my snakes, so this is a good way to avoid at least 1 cable being run. This time, I'm gonna wait for doors to close, run the cables, hook up, do show, then coil up and end the night and repeat the next day.
I'm getting repeat gigs now, and I do owe that to my hard work and excellence in sound and low prices. But, with the ADJ lights, it's guaranteeing more work. All said and done, I'm the best value for sound and lighting production. With ADJ lighting also being in the same category it's a good fit.
That reminds me, my wireless network went down when I was nuking lunch today.... Grrrr. But I was only uploading to my server upstairs, no big deal!
It's almost like what is needed is a "checklist of pro lighting essentials" around here. I've been fortunate that I've had nothing damaged via circuits popping and being reset. Still, The optoBranch 4 takes care of those problems.
Should wireless be a viable option, then that too could alone resolve those issues, plus expand things out. Maybe I can talk a dealer into sending me a demo set on condition if I like it, they get a check. I bet I could!
Then put both of those things together, and well, the options get really nifty really fast.
It's all a matter of money. The MSRP on the optobranch 4 is really affordable, and street is just gonna be that much better. I'd say for anyone with more than $1000 in investment, this addition should be a seriously considered add-on.
Wireless is often a luxury. In some cases, it can be a necessity. I think to save funds for this next show, I'm gonna stay wired, but my debate will be "buy optobranch4 or not yet". In my rig, ths wireless is a luxury, but the OptoBranch is a necessity, it makes good logical sense. I will say this, I am going to buy an optobranch soon regardless of the wireless.
I have another event early in January, another ideal wireless lighting application. I have logistics issues with running my snakes, so this is a good way to avoid at least 1 cable being run. This time, I'm gonna wait for doors to close, run the cables, hook up, do show, then coil up and end the night and repeat the next day.
I'm getting repeat gigs now, and I do owe that to my hard work and excellence in sound and low prices. But, with the ADJ lights, it's guaranteeing more work. All said and done, I'm the best value for sound and lighting production. With ADJ lighting also being in the same category it's a good fit.
Jingles... do you have a basic square stage with say just two light trees in the .evs format?
I have a truss that can go between the two ultimate support stands but most of the clubs we play around here, the ceiling is too low and the truss would interfere with the front of the stage... so I just use the ultimate support stands. I have the "extentions" for the top of the stands that give me either one horizontal bar across the top or two horizontal bars about two feet apart. Surely someone has built a basic stage in Visualizer.
I'm excited,... my lights came in today. I've got the software up and running tonight and trying to learn all the features and buttons. I have all 8 of the Par 38 LED color changers assigned and lookin good that you profiled for me... makin' headway.....
I have a truss that can go between the two ultimate support stands but most of the clubs we play around here, the ceiling is too low and the truss would interfere with the front of the stage... so I just use the ultimate support stands. I have the "extentions" for the top of the stands that give me either one horizontal bar across the top or two horizontal bars about two feet apart. Surely someone has built a basic stage in Visualizer.
I'm excited,... my lights came in today. I've got the software up and running tonight and trying to learn all the features and buttons. I have all 8 of the Par 38 LED color changers assigned and lookin good that you profiled for me... makin' headway.....
No i don't sorry. it's not hard at all to build two tree's. there is a stand and a pole 3D objects in the library that you can make as a light tree.
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
I agree with Jingles. It's not hard to make trees, but even with a pre-made tree(2 elements), you still have to attach your cans to it, and that's in my opinion the hardest part.
Keep plugging away at the 3D Visualizer. It's a great skill to acquire. It really is worth the effort.
I have a slightly more than basic stage but it's effectively a square room. I even added the seats and whatnot. I'm not going beserk on it. I am planning to move the speaker stacks to their new position in the theater in this room design so I can get back to programming. There's only a few scenes where the movers are crtiical, the rest, it's not such a big deal.
Keep plugging away at the 3D Visualizer. It's a great skill to acquire. It really is worth the effort.
I have a slightly more than basic stage but it's effectively a square room. I even added the seats and whatnot. I'm not going beserk on it. I am planning to move the speaker stacks to their new position in the theater in this room design so I can get back to programming. There's only a few scenes where the movers are crtiical, the rest, it's not such a big deal.