DMX Lighting Controller or LOR

[drkngl417]

Okay, I have a question from different users. I am planning a haunt for my yard. I am wanting to double up on the festivities. So Thanks to Pandimic Cemetaries I am building a great prop controller that I want to run all my props. Now for the question section. I am wanting to run in the ambiant background a light show off the house. I am wanting to do some really cool effects like syncing lights to the beat of the music. As I can tell that is what the light O rama controller does. But I love a lot of the really cool fx that you can do with dmx controlled devices. So I was wanting to know if there is a DMX control board that would be great to do a light O rama style show. I want to be able to use the remote moving spots as a motion flood light to my shows and I want this set to music. I have seen dmx contollers and dmx dimmer boards but have never used or been around either. So if anyone has used any of these items please let me know. And what would be the best. I have looked at the LOR and I do know that it has DMX control boxes but I want to be able to manually control some of the dmx lights at certain times. (ex. I have fake flaming lights hanging from my entrance and would like to dim them at times off my control board durning light show and then return to normal after or durning). I hope I have explained this well enough.

[ctmal]

Since it sounds like you are into building controllers you might want to check out doityourselfchristmas.com. There are quite a few controllers there that will run DMX.

[stagehand1975]

How about both. There is a dmx addapter that you can connect to LOR. Each dmx channel can be asigned as a lor channel. Since you like building controlers. Most lor componants can be bought at a DIY kit. Including boards for controling props and I have even seen something about triggering.

I have been researching this a lot. I work in the entertainment industry and have have a decent sized dmx, led light system. I wanted to see about using is with a lor. I feel that the lor software is more user freindly and has an easier ability to sink to music than some dmx software.

[drkngl417]

Thank you all. I really did some looking into LOR and that is the route i am taking. Still going to add a dmx contol board for manual control over ambiant lighting.

[walterb]

Keep us posted on how it works. I would like to do a similar set up. Right now I am running par cans on a basic dimmer box. I would like to switch to led running off dmx in 2012, but dont fully understand dmx.

[drkngl417]

@Walterb. Will keep everyone up dated. I have been mapping everything out and this is what i am doing. LOR for nice light shows. DMX controller for ambiant lighting and sound with some fog machines. Then a manual control board for turning on props and thing in between light shows. I too am confused on DMX but getting the hang i think. Will post more soon when i get started on control board.

[walterb]

I have been running my fog machines and a few triggered lights that are incorporated into props off of a boo box 8. It has some dmx capability, but I have never spent enough time on the lighting to figure it out. I always want to build one more prop. I would love to have fully automated lighting.

[CoolDJTV]

Go with one of the chauvet OBEY models as they provide simple programing and sound active mode plus several diffrent chases that you can costmize. And the oBey 70 even has a strobe and fog button.

Chauvet is a great companny to get lighting, fog, and controllers from!

[drkngl417]

@CoolDJTv, Thanks so much. I just checked them out. I am thinking that the Obey 4 would be great, small and compact. I am just trying to see if instead of RGB channels if I can just run them as sperate channels. If not the Obey 10 is where I am leaning toward. Thanks so much for the input

[Boomalator]

I have both LoR gear and DMX gear, and to a great degree they are interchangable -- with some planning.

There are two parts to every setup, the "controller" or "sequencer" and one or more devices. The LoR dimmers automatically detect and respond to either LoR commands or DMX commands. Thus, you can put your LoR 1602, say, into either a DMX universe or an LoR device chain.

Likewise, you can use the LoR software to drive DMX devices (including LoR controllers in DMX mode), or you can use a DMX controller (software or hardware) to drive DMX and LoR devices..

This is all good. But there are some gotcha's:

1. Don't try to put DMX signals and LoR signals on the same cable. Won't work.
2. The "dongle" or device to have LoR software drive native DMX is a bit pricey.
3. You may have to carefully watch your cabling, with adapters and connections. The DMX spec is 5-pin XLR, but some device use 3-pin XLR. Cat 5 and RJ45 (used by LoR) is supported by DMX standards, but you may need to buy or make a custom adapter. Many hobbyist and halloween boards (like servo controllers) use screw-down connections to bare wire, so make sure you get the right wires to the right place.

In our case, we're running the hellevator on Pure LoR because their software can play back an multitrack (in our case 5.1 or 7.1) audio file and drive AC, DC (including the pneumatics) and servos from one small PC. We're humming and hawing about how much of the haunt will run native DMX.

The LoR software will also do static scenes (manually or recorded) animations (without audio) and show tunes (with audio or video); so you might not need the OBEY.

You should try out as much as you can in advance and go with what feels right to you. The good news is that you're not nearly as "locked in" as you used to be.

Oh, by the way, in my experience, an LoR dimmer pack (especially the DIY, partially assembled or PlanetChristmas lines) is about the cheapest controllable, DMX capable, reasonable quality Dimmer Pack (especially on a per-channel basis) that I've seen.

Good luck and TAKE VIDEO :)

Boomalator

[stagehand1975]

I just recently found and purchased matrix brand dmx 4 channel dimmer packs on eBay. For under $100 each. I have used them on 3 different road shows now and I feel they are very comparable to the more pricy dimmer packs.

[drkngl417]

Thanks to all for your informaion.