Automating Entire Performance With Cubase or Nuendo

I am with a touring band that's had significant regional success for the past decade and a half. We travel with out own production incuding 20,000w line array sound system and would like to upgrade lighting. We have a laptop on stage at all times that runs a pre-recorded "cilck track" map for the entire set that the drummer monitors to give us studio type tempo consistency and tightly timed intervals and count offs between songs. We rarely play with audio tracks but some musician's parts for the entire performance are pre-recorded using Cubase for times when one must briefly leave the tour.

I am in the process of buying mid to high end LED moving, stationary color changing, and white fixtures. I want to go exclusively LED.

Since we have a laptop running Cubase in perfect sync with the show and Cubase records midi events, I thought this would be a great opportunity to automate a precise, dynamic lightshow that follows each move and dynamic event of each song in the performance. I can record midi or whatever type of sync and commands are used on the available Cubase tracks for perfect sync with each song. What type controller (or specific controller) will I need that will be able to send midi or whatever type sync is needed to be recorded on Cubase for playback of lighting events. My hope is to set up a mock stage performance and follow the audio map for the performance and program lighting events that follow each move and dynamic change of each song in the set list. I would like the lighting events to be recorded on the available Cubase tracks for each song so that lighting will always stay with the song no matter where it is placed in the set list. Any help with what gear I'll need to interface PC with lighting will be greatly appreciated.



Hello. Look into this product:

dmx light software, dmx lighting controller, dmx512

You can download the software for free, but you need to purchase the controller ($300-$600 range).

It connects to your computer via USB and you daisychain your DMX lights with a standard XLR cable.


I'm in a rock band and we use a PC live. We use a Sequencer (such as Sonar/Cubase) and we had to Download a free 3rd party plugin to Rewire the Daslight software into our sequencer. We use backing tracks and clicks for our drummer and keyboardist. all of our music is timmed specificlly. We just added a midi track into our project file and wrote midi notes to each light track as we desired. works perfect! We program our own lights to turn on and off exactly when we want to without another person being involved. we currently have a handful of LED dmx cans and a few strobes, fog, sunray etc.

I hope this helps!
 
Hello. I am desperately trying to learn how to do what you have done...program Cubase 5 to send appropriate midi notes to a DMX controller (Elation DMX Operator pro) to trigger lights. Is this even possible? Do i need another piece or software/hardware? PLEASE help in as much detail as you have patience for.
 
Hello. I am desperately trying to learn how to do what you have done...program Cubase 5 to send appropriate midi notes to a DMX controller (Elation DMX Operator pro) to trigger lights. Is this even possible? Do i need another piece or software/hardware? PLEASE help in as much detail as you have patience for.

Absolutely it can be done. I use an Elation Stage Setter 8 and Cubase. I output the Midi to my Tascam US122. I connect the midi jack on the US122 to the Elation Midi in, and trigger the channels with the proper midi notes. I can control the intensity of the light with the Velocity of the midi notes. It's pretty much limited to par can control, I do get some LED control but it's somewhat limited.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back