Need help on an Express 48/96 lighting a party.

Sony

Active Member
Searched around and couldn't find any info on the best way to do this.

So tomorrow (yea, I know, late notice lol) I have to program a bunch of effects for a dance we are having in our theatre. There are going to be about 200 people there most likely and I don't want to be a screw up.

The only board we have is an Express 48/96, and no, renting a board is NOT an option as I can't personally afford it and the department isn't paying a cent for this. Programming chases and movers is not a problem for me, I'm just going to be using Effects submasters (or whatever would be best for this situation.)

What I want to know IS, is there any way at all where I can sync the lights to the beat of the music. I know on more complicated boards they have an audio input that helps do it automatically if I recall correctly but the 48/96 doesn't have that. I've also used an NSI Melange which has a "Tap to the Beat" function on the submasters with chases, but the 48/96 doesn't have that ether as far as I know.

I don't know what music is going to be played, the music is done by a different club on campus and they are using their own equipment, and I know the Express isn't a good board for Busking but it's the only thing I got so whats the best way to do this?

The plot has

70 Conventionals which I can use for chases and area lighting
4 Right Arms with mounted S4 Zoom Jr's and 5.25" SmartColor Scrollers
2 SmartRotator DMX Rotators
3 SmartColor 7.25" Scrollers

I can build the effects easy it's just syncing them is the problem.

Any advice?
 
I dont think there is a way to tap synch, I would suggest exploring rate override on sub effects to get it to match the music.
 
Please explain this "Rate Override" of which you speak. I've never heard of it.
 
Last edited:
Page 126 of the manual. Rate override
Rate override allows you to control both the fade’s rate and percentage of completion. When you play back a cue using rate override, the console controls the percentage of completion, but you control the rate.

Rate override allows you to play back a cue faster or slower than the rate at which it was recorded. The trackpad adjusts the fade rate.

Fade rate is expressed as a percentage. A cue with a fade rate of 100 percent plays back at its recorded fade time. A fade rate of 300 plays the cue back three times faster than its recorded fade time. A fade rate of 50 plays the cue back half as fast as its recorded fade time. For example, if you record a cue with a 10 second fade time, a rate of 200 causes it to play back in five seconds. A fade rate of 50 causes it to play back in 20 seconds. You may take control of a cue’s fade rate while the cue is running. In addition, you may press both [Rate] keys to control rate of both fades. Follow this example to place a cue in a fader under rate override: 58. When finished with the manual rate override, you can record the modified fade
rate into the cue if you wish. See Using Update to modify fade rate, page 98.
Keystrokes: Action:
1. Press [Rate] key for the
fader in which the cue is
running. (Press both [Rate]
keys if you wish to control
both faders.)
Activates rate control
2. Move your finger over the
trackpad.
Fades are placed under control of the
trackpad.
Fader Status window shows the current rate


To use this effectivly you would need to link a group of cues together IE 1-50 are one chase where 50 links to cue 1 to form an endless loop. 51-100 could be another stack. call up the right stack and modify the rate per the instructions and your golden. Not an easy way but it might work.

It seems you can also apply this theory to a submaster but I don't have offline to test it.
 
Thanks, I'll check it out!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back