[XCSSA] Xmas lights

[X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio]

That's why I'm thinking using MIDI might be helpful. You could  
separate each string of lights by channel, note, a combination. The  
mapping would be up to the person (and non-trivial), but one could use  
a MIDI track in something like Cubase as a light track. That way, if  
you're also sequencing the song, you basically have it synchroinzed.

Rampant theory :) I want to try something like this (it's highly  
likely I'll be going to the meeting this January to check out your  
stuff!) but I do have some other stuff I want to finish up first.

Tim

On Jan 9, 2009, at 2:52 PM, X-otic Computer Systems of San Antonio  
wrote:

> 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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