Laser show with Audioplayer (Tutorial)
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Tutorial Laser show with DMXControl
Welcome
This tutorial describes the use of the audio player in the production of laser beam shows. Using these instructions, light shows can also be created using other equipment, e.g. MLs.
I also report some experiences encountered during the creation of my first ever laser show for a friend.
All feedback is greatly appreciated and I especially welcome comments and suggestions from experts on how I can improve this guide.
Devices
The following equipment was used to create this show:
- DMX controllable laser beamer Silverstar LT 6 (50 mW green, 10 DMX channels but none Ilda)
- manually controlled fog machine
- LED PAR, (incl. DMX-RGB and dimmer control) for backlight.
The equipment was controlled useing DMXControl 2.8, alpha Ver. 156 on an old laptop computer (IBM T22, 900 MHz). The DMXControl and the audio control worked together on this system without problem. Because there wasn't any DDF for LT 6, at first the Device was analyzed. The LT 6 has the following
10 channels:
- Mode (DMX mode > 192)
- Shutter (including blinking)
- Gobo (I selected certain values for the DDF)
- Horizontal and vertical rolling up (use for spatial turns of the figure)
- Rotation (good for levels and tunnel rotation)
- Horizontal und vertical movement (figure runs from above to below or on the left to the right)
- Distortion
- Speed (in combination with channel 4-7, e.g. angular velocity)
- Slow draw projection
- Size
As a result the following DDF was created with the help of the new DDF Editor:
The programming procedure and the dependencies of channels shall be described in detail in Step Two.
All of the following steps can be executed without a DDF, i.e. only via Submaster, but the use of pop-ups makes the preparation of scenes and Effects considerably easier to produce and provides better control options.
Creation of a Scene library
Since we have got just familiar with the scope of Features of the laser Device, we should create a basic set of scenes at first which we will combine to Effects afterwards or use directly in the audio player later. This Scene library is enlarged later if we have more ideas for our laser show. I have created a new list "laser show scenes" to this in the Scene list tool where all basic scenes are stored.
We can manage these scenes as a real Scene list (other programs say: cue list) within the Scene list tool and play it via the time control means (duration of Scene). However as a rule, the prepared scenes are combined later in an arbitrary order.
An important aspect comes into account because one must always weigh up which channels should be stored in the context of the Scene. Background is that DMXControl suggests per default only the DMX channels in a Scene for storage that were changed in comparison with the predecessor Scene (notice the sedate hooks in the "Save scene" dialog). This is very meaningfully worth with respect to effectiveness and signal load on the DMX signal chain because it isn't worth urgently sending a same value (already being in the universe) in the next Scene once again. On the other hand, if the Scene is called from another context, then it is important that all values required for this Scene are adjusted in the Device. To the illustration some examples:
- The changed values always depend on the predecessor Scene; If you change only the Gobo, only channel 3 is suggested as changed value for the new Scene.
- During the complete show you must never change the mode value on channel 1, this value therefore must never be stored (even if the value was changed temporarily when experimenting with scenes). An initial Scene should rather be made.
- Some moving figures depend quite strongly on the speed (channel 8).They simply don't work if the value is adjusted too smally. Therefore it is always meaningful here to store the channel 8 in moving scenes because it sometimes change happens at this channel in the context of the show.
- I decided not to store the projection size (channel 10) in the scenes since this value depends on the local condition of the performance (distance) and therefore you should control it manually.
- etc.
Generally, I find it very important that eloquent names are given to the scenes so that, later on really regains them in the library. Here are some examples out of my library:
Complex scenes (provide integration of gobo, movement, rotation and speed channel)
- "pulsating wave" (a sinusoidal wave changes permanently height of the amplitude)
- "winding wave" (the wave walks from left to right)
- "shifting wind turbine", ... "cross" etc."
- "unresolved line", ... /rectangular/cross (the figures move highly and down),
- "walking circle", ... /star etc.,
- "3D rotating star ", ... /cube etc.,
- "laser off" (the most important Scene at all)!
Individual scenes (are more elementary, correspond more or less to single DMX values and therefore rather the controls in the DDF/pop-up):
- "rotation on", ... /off
- "moving shutter"
- "blinking shutter"
- most important Gobos: horizontal and vertical line, circle, star, Snoopy, "Happy Birthday", heart, flower etc.:
I don't want to lead a philopsophical discussion here that the individual scenes absolutely would be sufficient. Clearly, you can combine every complex Scene from that and it is even more flexible because one needs no more almost identical complete scenes (shifting wind turbine, shifting cross etc.) but exchanges only in the Gobo in this case.
A quarrel would be futile because one can very meaningfully use and combine both. In any case use of complex scenes from a library reduces the effort if several songs shall be prepared in the audio player since this represents a type of macro concept. As a rule less cues have to be inserted when using complex scenes.
With the individual scenes one just can also easily modify the complete scenes. The complex scenes require on average 4-5 channel attitudes which can be adjusted and stored at leisure.
File:Lasershow Drehende Spinne Szene.jpg
As an example the Scene "turning spider" here is shown ("x" stands for not saved channel):
x-177-112-x-183-x-x-31-x-x
The Scene "3D rotating star" requires following settings:
x-143-32-x-150-7-x-67-x-x
The music
Perhaps there are other recommendations but for a laser show celestial music of Schiller is always good. We have selected some songs of the CD "Weltreise" ("world tour"), among others "Destiny" (used in this tutorial) and "Zaubergarten" ("magic garden"). Preparation is important and therefore the music must be analyzed and a regie plan is made at first. The following goals shall be accomplished with that:
- During the whole song the scenes and Effects must match and be synchronous to the music (clearly!) If we have dreamy slow arcades, busy tunnels and levels should be provided. Normally one expects for rhythmical and loud arcardes a little more strong action. But no rule without exception.
- We need permanent increases, after all, the audience wants to be surprised newly for 3-5 min again and again.
- Who uses up its powder (its Effects) at the beginning must get boring inevitably at the end.
- Just at lasers slow and fast Effects must alternate so that the eye can recover.
Therefore we make a regie plan at the beginning. I have taken a large sheet of paper and tried to subdivide the song in chapters and arcades. Since I am not so musically talented, I had to listen to the song repeatedly. By the way, a look at the graphic visualization in the audio player also helps to recognize how the song is structured:
It probably doesn't have to be explained where the peaceful phases of the song are located.
After this the chapters were clearly defined.
Of course there are same chapters due to repetitions and choruses in the music which we want to
design similar, but not absolutely identically, however. The next step takes place virtually.One has the laser show already ahead of his visual eyes if one listens to the song once again and makes key points and notes to himself on the sheet for the putting into action. Parts of this concept are:
- For "spherical" parts use of slowly moving or rotating levels or tunnels (here one takes off on spatial Effects -- don't forget fogs!)
- Appearing of rotating and flashing figures (here the Effect arises as a combination the projected 2D-Gobos with the room Effect). Changing the projection size systematically is also included.
- Obtaining Effects from pure Gobos by slow drawing or by changing the Gobos to appropriately suitable times only. This can also obtain by the combination with weak background colors.
These things were assigned to the song in my concept sheet.
As result you needed approx. 20-30 scenes or Effects per song to appear empire changed but also not too overloadedly.
The following picture represents approximately my outline of the regie plan. The characteristical musical events are indicated by the vertical arrows. A scenes or Effect change will take place there, as a rule.
Between this I have quoted, which Gobos to be displayed and where repetitions appear in song and which form of laser Effect I imagine.
Create Effects
To avoid repeated inserting of single scenes (just at the same processes), we create Effects now, although these have the disadvantage that they swallow more resources than simple scenes. User kindness and efficiency quite clearly go ahead here at the construction of the show.
We have already wondered when listening before which Effects we need. Here are some examples which have flowed with me:
- Loops from figures which shall run repeated or are intended to be used repeatedly, i.e. in this Effect only the Gobo changes
- potentially music trggered Effects, i.e. the figure or use of the rotation is triggerd by beat information
- rising slowly acceleration of the rotation of a figure
- etc.
Note: For the use of Effects the Effect sequencer must be opened both at the definition of the
Effect and to the running time.
We put single scenes and Effects on the Command box as a precaution at once, too. Later, we can manually intrude better on the show with that when required.
The show in Audioplayer
Gratitude of the audio player and our preparation actually we don't have much to work. First we load the song as new track into the list of the audio player. One sees the visualization of the song in the graphic audio traces now. As described in the tool description of the audio player, we put now corresponding markings with the mouse in the traces of the song and insert the scenes by pressing the green plus button. As one improves the precision at the positioning is also explained in the tool description (extend zoom lens factor, increase windows). Unfortunately, one cannot adjust the position about the numeric value in the Scene list of the audio player.
We preferentially take the scenes out of the prepared library but there still are another 2 possibilities:
- Making a (completely) new Scene which e.g. is established with the Submaster or the equipment pop-up. This runs in principle as described above.
- Use of commands (orders). E.g. an Effect can be started or stopped about this.
Orders are the means of the communication between the DMXControl tools. Therefore the audio player also can send its messages to other tools (e.g. the beat tool or Effect sequencer) in order to carry out attitudes or triggering of actions.
Note:The moving scenes rather are intended for MLs and don't play a role for our laser show.
We use orders for the control of Effects. e.g.:
Module:Effects - Device/function: <Name of Effect> - Start Module:Effects - Device/function: <Name of Effect> - Stop
The advantages are twofold:
- An order or Effect can be exchanged more easily than a set of cues in the audio player.
- The scenario in the audio player gets much more open and obvoisely.
In future versions orders can use parameters, with that a kind of reusable macro concept will be available.
Synchronization of the audio player with WinAmp
The audio player can be synchronized with the play list of the WinAmp player. In this case the audio player searches, whether the current song in the play list is also an audio player track and starts then the corresponding scenes and Effects. Die music control (also the jumping to certain places) is then incumbent to WinAmp . The advantage of this operation mode is that the Beattool can provide beat information which can also trigger music controlled Effects.
To this the WinAmp AVS Plugin must be installed.
The track list and the WinAmp play list synchronize themselves over the mp3-ID3 tag of the songs. You can see and also change the tag in WinAmp in the menu "file > view file.info ... (see the following picture). Of course you can execute this also with other mp3 editors.
The WinAmp badge must be activated (see item 1 in the following picture) to start this mode. It is quite important that the track name matches with the mp3-ID3 tag of the song (see item 2 in the picture). One recognizes whether the synchronization is successful by checking, whether in the field audio file (where the song file name is indicated) a "(X)" for successful or a "(-)" appears for not found (see item 3 in the picture).
File:Zaubergarten Lasershow DMXC small.JPG
The music synchronization turns in the laser show for Effects now, too. However, I must admit that I planned only two of such Effects in the first version of my show. Finally, I even replaced the music triggered control by fix duration control at the Effect steps because the reliability of the reconnaissance didn't seem exactly enough to me for the laser show where the spectators one hundred per cent concentrate on the presentation. On the other hand I can imagine that the synchronization is very advisable with WinAmp, on occasions where music and light are running in background (e.g. disco). I will further experiment here and am very interested in experiences of other users.
Security
Although this nothing has to do with the audio player it is important to point out to the safety precautions in an article on a laser show. From the program DMXControl the following things can be protected (although if only minimal):
- The laser may never be projected as a joint point, in resting position when the shutter isn't closed, so always present busy or big figures.
- A button in the always open Command box must be covered with a "laser off".
- The DDF also contains a "laser off" button.
Independently of it the general safety regulations which are described in the operating instructions of the Device have to be adhered. It isn't a public performance in my case but friends and acquaintances also shall keep their eyesight of course. Keeping therefore sufficient safe distance to the audience and placing the Device so that the audience cannot look into the laser leaving opening inadvertently from a short distance.
The project
In this project I have seriously noticed for the first time that there are serious quality differences between the different DMX transmitterns. Because a laser reacts much more sensitively unlike a PAR or ML, a missing or wrong signal of the transmitter immediately leads to visible disturbances in the representation. Unfortunately, this case appeared at one used transmitter while others were delivering an absolutely clean representation. Therefore at problems be not even get angry on the Device or DMXControl but take into account that it also can be due to the DMX transmitter. In this place the accompanying DMXControl project will be published later, of course we cannot offer the music. Of course photos also will follow.
Frank.Burghardt (at) dmxcontrol.de
