Hi guys and gals, this is my attempt to document the FreeStyler512 program with my primary setup so that anyone can benefit from my trials and tribulations. This will probably be multiple parts, so stay tuned for more!
The point here isn't really to cover the basics like patching a fixture or how to use DMX, nor should you view it as a technical manual to program an important show by. FreeStyler is great, but if you need real reliability you'll need to look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you're throwing together a light rig for a band that plays bar gigs or you're doing a relatively simple club install, this is for you. This is more of a hitchhikers guide to FreeStyler that should get an individual up and running with a decent cue library and plenty of flexibility for small to medium sized live performances which is really where this software shines anyways.
This first post is heavily geared towards the Behringer BCF2000 I use, but I promise the rest of them will focus on the software. The layout of my control surface heavily influenced my FreeStyler setup.
Some background: I have a small portable lighting rig that I use at various festivals, bars, clubs and other events. Before FreeStyler, I used an Elation Operator Pro. I also tried Chamsys MagicQ, but the combination of them dropping support for my opendmx dongle and the lack of a wing made me look for other options.
Now, I have used FreeStyler many times incorrectly. It's really easy to add a couple fixtures and try to use the fixture windows during a show in a pinch, but the real power of this setup is the combination of submasters or cuelists, and override buttons.
Equipment Involved:
I also use Midi-OX, Midi Yoke and rtpMIDI for Windows to route MIDI signals to and from various computers and programs. Instead, this tutorial illustrates connecting the BCF directly to FreeStyler
BCF physical layout:
The first encoder is broken on my BCF. (It's taped to the back of the unit, actually.)
There are 5 presets installed to the BCF. They are:
Preset 1: FreeStyler Submasters 1-5
Preset 2: FreeStyler Submasters 6-10
Preset 3: Resolume Control (controls my video program, Resolume Avenue)
Preset 4: FreeStyler Manual Control
Preset 5: FreeStyler Manual Control + Sequence Recording Buttons
The first two presets, FreeStyler Submasters [1-5]/[6-10] share the first three faders, and the first six buttons (labelled 'Override Buttons' above). These buttons will be Override Buttons in FreeStyler, and I usually set 3 Encoders 2 and 3 are turned off, as they are unused.
After the first 3 faders, the rest of the fader surface should be treated as vertical 'channel strips'. The encoder can either select the submaster cue or change the speed (function selection is on Encoder Group 1 & 2). The button below the encoder will toggle the Run/Stop state of the submaster. If a new submaster cue is selected via the encoder while the submaster is already running, pressing toggle will cause a fade to the new cue instead of stopping.
The button below the toggle button is the Bump button. Bump is configured in the BCF to use the same CC# as the fader below it, plus set to toggle-on. See the following truth table below for an explanation:
When the submaster fader is 0% to 49%, BUMP will snap the fader to 100%.
When the submaster fader is 50% to 100%, BUMP will snap the fader to 0%.
I find that I like to use the BUMP buttons to start and stop sequences, and the TOGGLE buttons to change sequences.
Here is a screenshot of my main window:
I'm about halfway done building my cue library, and I'm going to finish while I write the rest of these posts.
For some reference, here is the relation to the BCF:
Encoders 1,2,3 Off
Group 1 -Encoders 4,5,6,7,8 Choose the submaster sequence (the blue highlighted list item)
Group 2 -Encoders 4,5,6,7,8 Change the speed of the submaster sequence (not pictured)
Fader 1 - Master Intensity/Grand Master (Not Pictured)
Fader 2 - Master Speed (Not Pictured)
Fader 3 - DMX400/PAR Intensity (Not Pictured)
Fader 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - Submaster intensity (Intensity Faders next to each list)
OverrideButtons 1-6 are mapped in a similar shape at the top left of the override button window.
TOGGLE will activate (change the list background to light blue) or deactivate (change to white) the submaster.
Raising the fader above 0% will also activate the Submaster (if this option is enabled in the submaster window). This also applies to the BUMP button.
So, on the BCF preset 1 would control the master faders and subs 1-5 (top row)
and preset 2 would control the same master faders and subs 6-10 (bottom row)
The override buttons window is mapped similar to the physical layout of the buttons available on the BCF (that are not used for submaster control)
Attached you can find the BCF2000 syx file. You can use Bome's SendSX to transmit this file to your BCF. Transmitting this file will DELETE ALL PRESETS on your BCF!
I have not found a way to export my MIDI configuration from FreeStyler so you good people can use that as well, but when I do I'll post it in this thread. In my next post I'll discuss the initial patching, creating sequences and compiling cues into submasters.
The point here isn't really to cover the basics like patching a fixture or how to use DMX, nor should you view it as a technical manual to program an important show by. FreeStyler is great, but if you need real reliability you'll need to look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you're throwing together a light rig for a band that plays bar gigs or you're doing a relatively simple club install, this is for you. This is more of a hitchhikers guide to FreeStyler that should get an individual up and running with a decent cue library and plenty of flexibility for small to medium sized live performances which is really where this software shines anyways.
This first post is heavily geared towards the Behringer BCF2000 I use, but I promise the rest of them will focus on the software. The layout of my control surface heavily influenced my FreeStyler setup.
Some background: I have a small portable lighting rig that I use at various festivals, bars, clubs and other events. Before FreeStyler, I used an Elation Operator Pro. I also tried Chamsys MagicQ, but the combination of them dropping support for my opendmx dongle and the lack of a wing made me look for other options.
Now, I have used FreeStyler many times incorrectly. It's really easy to add a couple fixtures and try to use the fixture windows during a show in a pinch, but the real power of this setup is the combination of submasters or cuelists, and override buttons.
Equipment Involved:
- FreeStyler512 - Version 3.5.5
- Behringer BCF2000
- Enttec OpenDMX
I also use Midi-OX, Midi Yoke and rtpMIDI for Windows to route MIDI signals to and from various computers and programs. Instead, this tutorial illustrates connecting the BCF directly to FreeStyler
BCF physical layout:
The first encoder is broken on my BCF. (It's taped to the back of the unit, actually.)
There are 5 presets installed to the BCF. They are:
Preset 1: FreeStyler Submasters 1-5
Preset 2: FreeStyler Submasters 6-10
Preset 3: Resolume Control (controls my video program, Resolume Avenue)
Preset 4: FreeStyler Manual Control
Preset 5: FreeStyler Manual Control + Sequence Recording Buttons
The first two presets, FreeStyler Submasters [1-5]/[6-10] share the first three faders, and the first six buttons (labelled 'Override Buttons' above). These buttons will be Override Buttons in FreeStyler, and I usually set 3 Encoders 2 and 3 are turned off, as they are unused.
After the first 3 faders, the rest of the fader surface should be treated as vertical 'channel strips'. The encoder can either select the submaster cue or change the speed (function selection is on Encoder Group 1 & 2). The button below the encoder will toggle the Run/Stop state of the submaster. If a new submaster cue is selected via the encoder while the submaster is already running, pressing toggle will cause a fade to the new cue instead of stopping.
The button below the toggle button is the Bump button. Bump is configured in the BCF to use the same CC# as the fader below it, plus set to toggle-on. See the following truth table below for an explanation:
When the submaster fader is 0% to 49%, BUMP will snap the fader to 100%.
When the submaster fader is 50% to 100%, BUMP will snap the fader to 0%.
I find that I like to use the BUMP buttons to start and stop sequences, and the TOGGLE buttons to change sequences.
Here is a screenshot of my main window:
I'm about halfway done building my cue library, and I'm going to finish while I write the rest of these posts.
For some reference, here is the relation to the BCF:
Encoders 1,2,3 Off
Group 1 -Encoders 4,5,6,7,8 Choose the submaster sequence (the blue highlighted list item)
Group 2 -Encoders 4,5,6,7,8 Change the speed of the submaster sequence (not pictured)
Fader 1 - Master Intensity/Grand Master (Not Pictured)
Fader 2 - Master Speed (Not Pictured)
Fader 3 - DMX400/PAR Intensity (Not Pictured)
Fader 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - Submaster intensity (Intensity Faders next to each list)
OverrideButtons 1-6 are mapped in a similar shape at the top left of the override button window.
TOGGLE will activate (change the list background to light blue) or deactivate (change to white) the submaster.
Raising the fader above 0% will also activate the Submaster (if this option is enabled in the submaster window). This also applies to the BUMP button.
So, on the BCF preset 1 would control the master faders and subs 1-5 (top row)
and preset 2 would control the same master faders and subs 6-10 (bottom row)
The override buttons window is mapped similar to the physical layout of the buttons available on the BCF (that are not used for submaster control)
Attached you can find the BCF2000 syx file. You can use Bome's SendSX to transmit this file to your BCF. Transmitting this file will DELETE ALL PRESETS on your BCF!
I have not found a way to export my MIDI configuration from FreeStyler so you good people can use that as well, but when I do I'll post it in this thread. In my next post I'll discuss the initial patching, creating sequences and compiling cues into submasters.