[XCSSA] Xmas lights

[X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio]

The sequencing is the real hard work.  It takes a seasoned sequencer about 
1 hour per minute of music per 64 channels (more time as the channel count 
goes up).  I personally sit in the 2-3 hours per minute of music.  My 
dirty secret is that most of those sequences are not mine.  Only one 
sequence  (twelve days of Christmas) is entirely mine.  The rest have been 
adapted and modified to my display.  On the positive side, there are nice 
people out there that share their sequences (some sequences are better 
than others) and most people have the same type of setup (i.e bushes, mega 
trees, candy canes, window lights, roof lights, etc.) so it is just a 
matter of purchasing the correct song, reconfiguring the channels and 
making changes to your sequences.  I started playing with the sequences in 
October, got serious in November and stopped making changes to sequences 
that were running in the show mid December (once the Megatree was built). 
This year I plan on revamping most sequences and sequencing a few new 
songs.

It is a fun hobby and I get lots of complements.  I'm probably the 
harshest critic out there, since I think my display it is still lacking. 
This just gives me an excuse to get MORE lights! hehee

I will help anyone that would like to get into this "hobby" as much as I 
can.  The one advice I have to give for those that want to have a musical 
Christmas light display for December 2009 is "start early", as in today!


Charles S.

xcssa-bounces at xcssa.org wrote on 01/09/2009 02:22:48 PM:

> [image removed] 
> 
> Re: [XCSSA] Blowing Fuses and Unsure Why
> 
> X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio 
> 
> to:
> 
> xcssa
> 
> 01/09/2009 02:24 PM
> 
> Sent by:
> 
> xcssa-bounces at xcssa.org
> 
> Please respond to xcssa
> 
> >Holy crap! That's awesome! I've been wanting to do something similar 
> >next Christmas myself - may I ask how you did that? I was thinking of 
> >using MIDI sequences to control various light strands (so that I can 
> >match that to a song, optionally one I created already using MIDI for 
> >something else).
> 
> Awesome indeed. I can barely imagine the time needed to sequence 15 
songs.
> 
> I too have a goal of animated lights (on a more limited basis) in 2009, 
and
> so have extra incentive to be at the January 19th meeting.  --Don
> 
> PS: I hope all read my previous terse comment as meaning the intoxicated 
are
> a hazard to outdoor displays, and not that it is a prerequisite for the
> hobby! 
> 
> -- 
> Be well - or at least have interesting symptoms!
> 
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