Computer Running Lighting

JimP0771

Well-Known Member
Hi

Today I saw someone at the theater that I volunteer at doing lighting and sound. This person was using a laptop to run LED stage lighting that they brought in to use. The house system is not LED and is an old Lee Colortran ENR 96 Dinner rack system. Would anyone know what program this person was using to run these stage lights? There was no light board connected it was just the computer that did it all. In college I used a ETC Emphases system. However that system had a light board that was than connected through Ethernet to a computer and dimmer racks. Never just saw a system that ran right off a laptop computer. Like said earlier any ideas what program they would be using?
 
Since you're shown as Upstate NY, it could be someone with my Cue Player Lighting program. The web site with details is in my signature. I hope you check it out.
 
Almost every major lighting console manufacturer has a PC version of their software. ETC has Nomad, MA has MAonPC, Martin has MPC, there is Chamsys, etc, etc... Also of note, since you mentioned sound, Q-lab now also supports lighting, so they could be running everything in one piece of software!
 
It's true, there are many software options out there now. Some of the 'heavy hitters' that Alex mentions may be a little squeezed on a laptop screen size. If you're looking to do this yourself, don't forget you will also need a USB to DMX interface of some sort. That's almost a whole another topic, but I would recommend one with an internal clock and not one that relies on the host computer for timing. The laptop will be busy enough.
 
I currently have ECT Nomad, M-PC and MagicQ installed on my laptop. Output to DMX for Nomad is the ETC Gadget USB and the other 2 are EDMX pro1 from DMXking. All of the programs have advantages and disadvantages. I am learning about each system but so far my fav is Nomad. And most of the local venues around my area run ETC gear so it makes sense to learn that system. I also add an external monitor too.
Regards
Crispy
 
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I wonder if someone is making aftermarket fitments for the ENR 96 racks for preparing snacks, Like a pizza cooker or gee, a panini press?
EDIT: To make this somewhat relevant to the OP, if you are a student somewhere, or a teacher, take a look at the ETC student bundle. 1 universe Nomad and a gizmo interface for $250.
 
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I'm waiting for the DFD DMX/BMX bike, yep it is hideously dangerous, but isn't that the idea, at least for BMX.*

* I should point out that my town used to have a major motocross event, many stores had to add security for the event, not so much the racers, but their parents who egged them on to badness, such as food fights at Walmart and shoving old people out of their way, yeah, show how tuff you are.
 
I wonder if someone is making aftermarket fitments for the ENR 96 racks for preparing snacks, Like a pizza cooker or gee, a panini press?
EDIT: To make this somewhat relevant to the OP, if you are a student somewhere, or a teacher, take a look at the ETC student bundle. 1 universe Nomad and a gizmo interface for $250.
That would be a Gadget not a gizmo and the price is in USD +postage. But it is a great deal. I think street price for the same would be about $1700 USD.
Crispy
 
Never just saw a system that ran right off a laptop computer.

The theater we rent annually for a youth Shakespeare class has all their lights (both the incandescents on a dimmer pack, and their LED cyc lights) run off a desktop computer, and only the computer. There is no console. If the computer crashes, you have no lights. (House lights and the stage work lights are on separate switches.)

Besides Cue player it could be a multitude of programs.

In this case Horizon (discontinued software from ET Dimming).
 
In this case Horizon (discontinued software from ET Dimming).

I would hope that they have a backup machine than can easily be swapped. If not you might suggest a laptop to them to have handy to run those lights in case of a critical failure.
 
I would recommend one with an internal clock and not one that relies on the host computer for timing.

Can you speak more to this point? (sorry for trying to hijack the thread, it seems like OP's question was pretty much answered anyway)

I've been trying to get an Express to output to my lighting computer running LightFactory and had inconsistent success. It seems as though there is a timing issue with the dongle I'm using and I'm wondering if it has to do with the microcontroller on the dongle itself. In addition to the pro grade one I was using, I bought a cheapo USB-DMX board from China to play around with (spoiler alert I haven't been able to get it to take DMX in), but it's basically an FTDI chip that's attached to a 485 chip, very barebones. No crystal, but from the datasheet on the FTDI chip it does have it's own internal clock. I haven't taken apart my other dongle to check, but I'm wondering if it has it's own MC with some other form of timing?

I had luck playing with another type of dongle and so I purchased one to use here and am awaiting it, hopeful that it might solve the problem. Either way, I'm curious what type of onboard processing some of these devices offer outside of just converting serial data from USB.
 

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