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Thread: How do YOU do it, live laser show with live music and audience ?

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Thumbs up How do YOU do it, live laser show with live music and audience ?

    Usually I do some show on a disco party for kids and adults, usually so drunk that all they see is fancy laser effects and beams in the fog.
    And that is usually easily done with a simple setup of 2-3 lasers and a computer running side by side the DJ.

    But how do you do it when you get a request to do a laser show with an live band playing music?
    First of all, I cant just hit play on some pre-made shows, and I cant make a show because there is often no midi time code.

    So what I have to do is either use the live player (I have mamba) and find some frames and hit play\stop on these frames, often I also use the timeline and make a show consider of 4-5 effects, and I que parts of the show and play that.
    I also have a Mini APC midi controller to use with Mamba III, so I can use the sliders etc..
    Problem is, when I have the lasers on a scene, and the music\sound\light setup is 50 meters behind I have to run a LAN setup and remotely control my computer (Team viewer works like a charm) .
    But as you can understand, when running remote desktop there is no way to use Midi controller.

    Yes one solution is maybe to upgrade my LPT ilda boxes with NET boxes so I can run a TP cable 50 meters, but that again will be high cost?


    So I wonder, how do you setup your system when you do show with live music ? please share some ideas and tip to get a successful show


    here are some photos of my show I did today, (a Pink Floyd tribute) tomorrow is the last day, and I hope for some tip to advance.








    Cheers

  2. #2
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    btw, I will align my plutos.
    I hope the newer design will have a possibility to align beams without open the box completely.

  3. #3
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    For a live performance, I don't know that I would trust running a remote software. I will admit, when I am creating cues at home, I regularly run remote desktop with no problems but I would hate to think of any glitches during a live show. If it were me, I would just run CAT5 to each of the projectors using a CAT5 to ILDA connector. You could keep your show computer right in front of you and use your midi controller.
    If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by absolom7691 View Post
    For a live performance, I don't know that I would trust running a remote software. I will admit, when I am creating cues at home, I regularly run remote desktop with no problems but I would hate to think of any glitches during a live show. If it were me, I would just run CAT5 to each of the projectors using a CAT5 to ILDA connector. You could keep your show computer right in front of you and use your midi controller.
    I wonder if I can trust a USB CAT5 extender HUB ?

    Remote software is pretty safe running hard cable from computer to computer, but yes using the main computer would for sure be the best.
    But at this moment I cant afford to replace my DAC with RJ45 .

  5. #5
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    You can run cat5 to ilda cheap adaptors (passes 8 pins).. or you can use the stanwax cat5 to ilda connectors (passes all pins) or you can run the usb to cat5 extenders.

    Prices for the 8 pin adaptors (if they will work- sometimes they do) are about 6 bucks a piece. The stanwax ones are about 40 dollars BUT... they pass all pins and they are REALLY nice. I have 2 sets. The usb to cat5 extenders are 300-500 bucks.

  6. #6
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    In all honesty, one of the best things I ever spent money on was building my stage box to hold 4x FB3 and a Startech 4 port USB extender over cat5.
    It was not REALLY expensive (~£600) for case and Startech and parts, but it transformed long distance control and setup times for me.

    Some things are just worth doing right the first time. I believe this is one of those things. You may mess around with other solutions but you'll likely end up coming back to this (and then think you could've saved money and time by shortcutting the other options )

    As for performing live 'busked' shows - the simple answer is to use software suited to the job i.e. NOT a timeline piece of software.
    LivePro is fantastic for this, Beyond is also pretty good. The tracks in LivePro especially make some of the dynamic switching of cues just fantastic. I tend to use Beyond these days because its just more complete in terms of whatever sort of thing I need to do, its all there in the one application.
    Frikkin Lasers
    http://www.frikkinlasers.co.uk

    You are using Bonetti's defense against me, ah?

    I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

  7. #7
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    I echo Norty's response.

    At FoH I run the control rig consisting of Beyond, APC40, and a DMX light desk. I use wifi during pre-show for remote control of beyond in order to adjust my projection zones from stage, but once that's done, wifi (and ethernet for that matter) are done with. I've run too many shows in places where wifi works great pre-show only to be rendered useless by a couple thousand smartphones taking up residence in the hall.

    On stage I run something similar to Norty, a remote end box with USB and FB3's (and interlock) on stage. I selected bulk 25-pair cat 5 cabling, the kind used for multi-line POTS implementations as a FoH snake. I wired up ethercon on each end and created several 70' ish cables that I can join together with ethercon couplers. It's not a cheap way to go, but having a single FoH cable run that I can squeeze 7x FB3 and 2x DMX Universes + Interlock makes it so much simpler to deploy.

    For running the shows live, I've taken the excellent work put forth by LaserTech Canada and modified it further for my uses. Currently it allows me to put cues "on deck" and then play mutes to switch between sets of cues running across multiple PJ's. It's still a work in progress. Syncing a pre-made show to time-code and running along side the band click track is the end goal, but one thing at a time.

  8. #8
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    Oh yeah, Hitekvoop's reply made me remember I have a 70m+ loom of 4x cat5e runs on a drum. As I'm a lighting guy too, this basically gives me 1 for laser, 1 for laser interlock, 1 for ArtNet and 1 spare in case of damaged cables.
    I should totally look into that 25 pair cable though, sounds awesome. How do you break out the ends?
    Frikkin Lasers
    http://www.frikkinlasers.co.uk

    You are using Bonetti's defense against me, ah?

    I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by norty303 View Post
    Oh yeah, Hitekvoop's reply made me remember I have a 70m+ loom of 4x cat5e runs on a drum. As I'm a lighting guy too, this basically gives me 1 for laser, 1 for laser interlock, 1 for ArtNet and 1 spare in case of damaged cables.
    I should totally look into that 25 pair cable though, sounds awesome. How do you break out the ends?
    I agree.. I need to look into the 25 pair. Currently I just run 2 Ethernet cables from FOH to stage. 1 for my startech and one for my estops.

  10. #10
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    Add a third run before you find you need it would be my advice
    Frikkin Lasers
    http://www.frikkinlasers.co.uk

    You are using Bonetti's defense against me, ah?

    I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.

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