Lighting/hardware API for lighting systems?

[Hull]

Hello.

I'm thinking about putting together a lighting kit to take on the road with me. I'm wondering if there is some kind of common, lighting API that will integrate qith Live so I can cue lighting effects with the music?

Any pointers is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Metaphreaq]

Used something like this with vvvv, but never max

http://www.nullmedium.de/dev/dmxusbpro/

[Hull]

Nice, thanks! Looks like that DMX format is a standard for lighting.

Thanks again.

H

[Metaphreaq]

Good luck!

[aradder]

DMX controllers are pretty expensive. I'm currently working on building a 4-channel color organ ($30 kit + $5 enclosure) that powers 4 AC outlets depending on the presence of a certain level of sound in 4 different frequency bands. The plan is to set Analog up with a polyphonic sine wave patch so I can find safe note values for each of the 4 frequency ranges. Then I can program light patterns with MIDI for four different light devices, and route the signal from Analog to its own separate output that goes straight to the color organ's line in. So far I ordered some LED accent strips and a length of EL-wire that's powered by AC. I am still on the lookout for ideas for my third and fourth lights. (May just do two more colors of EL-wire though). I hope to have this up and running within a few weeks, and I can post details if it works to plan. The nice thing about this setup is that you don't need to buy programmable lights. Just lights that use standard AC power plugs, will turn on instantly, and will not fail if turned on and of rapidly for an hour or so

[Machinate]

The nullmedium object and the dmx usb pro from entte are totally the way to go.
I've run 300 channel dmx installs off a single one at a really high frame rate.

The kicker these days is that led lights are so incredibly cheap, you can get a great looking rig for just a few hundred euro.

@aradder that seems quite convoluted. Why not an arduino and some relays instead? That seems a lot more stable.

[irrelevance]

Anyone used this patch successfully?

http://maxforlive.com/library/device.php?id=486

@aradder Intersting solution will you post progress?

@Machinate The Arduino looks interesting and might be something I would use in the interim while learning to construct my own I/O board with pic control thanks!

[Machinate]

@Machinate The Arduino looks interesting and might be something I would use in the interim while learning to construct my own I/O board with pic control thanks!

yeah, in my opinion there is generally no need to construct one's own pcbs if it can be done with an arduino, really. Unless you need more I/O than an arduino mega, or more speed than say a teensy.

I offered to contribute to the dmax lib, but got no reply, so I'll be assuming that it's closed off, which made me lose interest. I've got "fixture" objects for max for a number of different led bar types, and I suspect I'll keep building on that for the time being.

[gavspav]

I've been experimenting with M4L/Arduino to drive flexible led strips and pixels.
Its nice to be able to write midi lighting patterns and convert this midi data to Serial and have Arduino convert this to light!

Also using http://cycling74.com/toolbox/imp-dmx-dmx-for-max/ to take data from lighting control software and combine it with data generated from Live.

I just worked on a lighting installation in Harrow Town Centre where I connected my Ableton based semi-automatic djing table, The Beat Jigsaw, with an interactive flower garden. Good fun!

[irrelevance]

Shame the developer didn't get back to you, maybe they are frantically patching in their laboratory! I haven't used dmx before so at this stage I can't evaluate the patch. I would like to implement dmx into my prototype that I'm in the early stages of. It's an led lightbox for a fibre optic installation which will need pwm control. It's not gonna be a mass production item so I'm really pleased that you highlighted the arduino solution.

[deHaan]

I built this 8-channel sound controlled light show. Pretty simple, but it works for me.



http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=129941

[aradder]

deHaan, what is that, exactly? Can you explain it a bit? Also, I have no programming background so M4L and Arduino are out of the question. Plus I'm interested in having the color organ just for hooking up while listening to mood music at home anyway. I will be back when I make any progress on this idea.

[aradder]

So I built a color organ kit, and it does indeed make your lamps flash with the music. Pick out some cool lamps, and you have a pretty responsive and musical sound-controlled light source. However, the frequency response of the 4 channels is not exact enough to do what I was thinking. Currently looking at a US income tax refund from this past year, so I'm planning on taking the plunge into DMX and ordering an Obey 40 controller and two Chauvet Colorstrip Minis. The controller accepts MIDI note input, so I can program scenes/chases on the controller and then trigger them via my Live set. Spendy for me, but integrated, synced lighting is something I've wanted to have for a long time. I'll still be using the color organ on stage though, powering 4 Ikea "HOLMO" floor lanterns with the paper shades painted a couple of simple colors and some LED accent strips (Simple white DIODER strips also from Ikea) mounted inside them (velcroed to the center posts as "visual anchors" for when the lamps aren't lit).

[Machinate]

@aradder: Taking the plunge into dmx is a LOT of fun, but man... Don't buy the obey40 - hell, don't buy a dmx controller at all! - and don't buy the colorstrip minis either.

Controller: You don't need it. You need something that will let your computer control dmx; guess what? Google about for solutions that work with serial communication - there are many. We use enttec USB Pros, which cost about the same as that obey box, but let you control everything directly over serial from inside max. And I know that there are other options now, that I hope others will contribute to this thread.

And the chauvet lights? they have 8 individual lights, but only 4 channels? wtf?

No, you seem like a tinkerer... right? So what about something like this?
http://www.aliexpress.com/product-gs/43 ... alers.html

Add some kick-ass LEDs, and you could build somethin brighter than those two together for like 100 dollars. And it'll be your own.