real time sequence programming

[luigi ranieri]

hello.
I'am using QLC with fire projectors, but I need to program a fire sequence while my music play. To explain better, we use backtracks during our show, and I need to program when fires erupts, according with music. I have created a button and using a shortcut i can press a button on my keyboard and have the projector to spray flames. It would be perfect if I could write down a sequence while my music plays, but I cannot found any sort of "record" feature.
Is it possible to do it?
thx

[Massimo Callegari]

Hello Luigi
what you want to do can be achieved with the Show Manager.
Add one track with your music, then add a track with a sequence where you'll activate/deactivate your flames. That should do it.

Please read the Show Manager documentation and have a look at this page:
http://qlcplus.sourceforge.net/usage_sync.html

[luigi ranieri]

thx Massimo, but can I edit in real time using Show Manager? In other words, do I have to set a list of sequences "offline" or can the software do it for me wringing down my real time actions?

[Massimo Callegari]

The Show Manager is for pre-programmed shows.
If your music doesn't change in time, that's the best solution to create a perfect in-sync show.
Live lighting is another story. You need to use the Virtual console widgets and manually follow what happens on stage.

At the moment there is no recording functionality unless you play around with the DMX dump feature and Cue lists.

Can you give us some more details of why you need such functionality ?

[luigi ranieri]

because I need to program a show of pyro and flames, according to my mp3 base. I have 6 fire projectors dmx controlled and I need to program some sort of show according to some particular points of each song (i.e. in some guitar riff I need 6 synchronized flames, in others I need some "bouncing" effects).
The problem is that editing the show using show manager takes a lot of time, and to sync the flames with the song is very hard.
I have create a button for each projector, and using keyboards shortcut I can manage them in real time, but if I could even edit in real time my show would be perfect, because I could edit each song in a blink of an eye.

[Grumpka]

Hello, I'm interested in this question as well. I hope it is ok to comment on the subject matter under this thread rather than start a new thread with a similar question/comment.

I'm not a professional in the lighting industry, but rather a hobbyist. I just started in electronics and DIY light controllers (DMX 16 channel dimmers). I've been having lots of fun learning about Christmas lighting controlled by computers and these wonderful DIY light control boards. However, I'm left feeling a bit disappointed by the lack of 'live' recording options to create these wonderful light sequences via many of our current software options.

QLC+ is the first opportunity I've encountered to accomplish my personal goal of recording lighting event sequences live, while listening to the audio tracks. My existing exploration to meet my goal has been the use of Ableton Live, Loopbe1 virtual midi patch, and of course, QLC+. It's an additional software package to learn and an additional opportunity for user induced error/failure. :(

I'm sure there are many who would love the ability to input their show via a live input method (ie: midi keyboard controller/sliders/knobs and buttons). Having a 'live record' tool in show manager to lay down multiple tracks would be great in my humble opinion.

QLC+ w/ a Vixen LIghts type preview screen & live event recording from my midi controller? That would be one heck of a nice Christmas present! : )

In all cases, I'll take this opportunity to say thank you to Massimo for this already great software tool. Love the program and my comments are just suggestions by a newbie.

[Lior Elazary]

I started coding a quick proof of concept for recording chasers in real time for a show. The code is forked on my github.
https://github.com/lelazary/qlcplus

To use it, set up a show and add a chaser and set the per-step for the duration. There is now a rec button next to the play and stop. Press the rec button and then play the show. Based on the fixtures in the scene, it will map the inputs where 0 is the first bar in the scene, 1 is the second etc. For now I am using a midi input, so I mapped 0 to value 128 which is the lowest c on the keyboard. When you hit the rec again it will stop. To see the values click away from the chaser and then back again.

I coded this in a couple of hours as a proof of concept. This might be highly buggy, but I wanted to see if there are any other solutions for this before going forward. The method using a separate midi software going to virtual console does not work for me (I want this to work on the pi, and there are not allot of resources).

I love QLC+, and in my option this is the one thing thats missing from it.

[Jeff]

I would love to know if the OP was able to sync its DMX output to the audio file.

[Lior Elazary]

If you mean adding an audio track to the show and then recording the chaser while the audio is playing, then yes. This is exactly the reason for this. This way you can sync lights by playing a keyboard in real time while listening to the audio.

[Grumpka]

Hello Lior, Thanks for sharing that add-on. I've been so tied up in setting up my Halloween holiday show, I've had little time to get back onto the discussion. I can't wait to try out your add-on.

A wonderful way to give many the flexibility they may be looking for is to use a midi/daw to control QLC+. My entire show is triggered via MultitrackStudio by Bremmer. I've run the show for about a week with no glitches. (beyond those I've created myself ;) )

This isn't on topic per say, but by using a midi sequencer as your 'show' trigger event system, you have all the flexibility one might need. Lior, your add-on sounds like it could be just the ticket. I must find time to give this a try.

Thanks for sharing.