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Lanbox LCX advice
Dan Reavey:
Hi
I'm considering a Lanbox LCX DMX controller and I've concluded that this with my Yamaha MFC10 would be the easiest lighting setup for my band.
The Lanbox has way more capability than I'd ever need but the small size and easy setup is key.
We have 2 ADJ 12P Hex lights as main side floods plus 4 ADJ Mega TriPar Profiles that we add depending on the gig.
For really easy operation I just use the small RF remote control for the 12P Hex's but as I play keys, it's not easy to have any kind of light timing.
I also have a Transcension DC1224 DMX desk which runs the lights fine but doesn't get taken out much as it's a bit large in it's case. Plus I take 2 keyboards and most of the PA so the Lanbox
would be ideal.
From what I've read online, the LCedit software takes a bit of getting used to. I'm not using any movers and just need a few static scenes, a couple of chases, blackout, strobe and to activate sound to light on the 12Ps.
Any advice on using LCedit would be welcome before I make a purchase.
Scott Hofmann:
--- Quote from: Dan Reavey on September 10, 2017, 10:35:13 AM ---Hi
I'm considering a Lanbox LCX DMX controller and I've concluded that this with my Yamaha MFC10 would be the easiest lighting setup for my band.
The Lanbox has way more capability than I'd ever need but the small size and easy setup is key.
We have 2 ADJ 12P Hex lights as main side floods plus 4 ADJ Mega TriPar Profiles that we add depending on the gig.
For really easy operation I just use the small RF remote control for the 12P Hex's but as I play keys, it's not easy to have any kind of light timing.
I also have a Transcension DC1224 DMX desk which runs the lights fine but doesn't get taken out much as it's a bit large in it's case. Plus I take 2 keyboards and most of the PA so the Lanbox
would be ideal.
From what I've read online, the LCedit software takes a bit of getting used to. I'm not using any movers and just need a few static scenes, a couple of chases, blackout, strobe and to activate sound to light on the 12Ps.
Any advice on using LCedit would be welcome before I make a purchase.
--- End quote ---
So you've chosen this approach because you do not want to have a laptop present running things during your show? Because there are $90 USB/DMX dongles for a laptop that will accomplish the same thing a lot cheaper otherwise.
Dan Reavey:
--- Quote from: Scott Hofmann on September 10, 2017, 01:41:32 PM ---So you've chosen this approach because you do not want to have a laptop present running things during your show? Because there are $90 USB/DMX dongles for a laptop that will accomplish the same thing a lot cheaper otherwise.
--- End quote ---
Yes that's correct.
I really only want to have to plug in one pedal board to operate the lighting but these tend to be
quite limited in channels and features.
The keyboard area on stage can get quite cluttered with the band mixer behind me so I need a minimal but fully featured lighting solution.
However there seems to be very little info and user experience available online for the Lanbox
and there are no similar units available from other companies.
You're right, there are USB DMX interfaces and free lighting software available. If I go down that route, I'd probably get a small 10.1" Netbook running Freestyler plus an Entec OpenDMX or one of the Pro ones.
Then use the Roland UM-1 USB to DMX cable to connect the MFC10.
If the Netbook and dongle can go in a small case it wouldn't take up much room onstage.
David Buckley:
The Lanbox is a unique product. You use LCEdit to program the thing, and then at the shows you use just the box - no LCEdit - and "indicate" to the box what you want to do by one of the interface options.
So editing the LANBox with LCEdit is a infrequent activity.
The interesting bit is, without a dedicated lighting operator, how to indicate to the box you'd like it to do something so you can have a dynamic light show without paying an operator. This is not a problem unique to the lanbox but is common to any operator-less setup. The lanbox offers more options in this space than most alternatives.
As a keys player, you can do a split on your keyboard so the last few keys at one or other end of the keyboard go out a different MIDI channel and trigger changes in the LANBox through MIDI. You have feet, a couple of switches in a box wired to the box contact inputs. Its been a while, but I seem to recall that you can even wire a switch as a "tap" to get on-beat chases. And/or give the drummer a MIDI pad, and let him share lighting duties.
You can do these things with most laptop based packages and some real consoles too, with caveats, for example MagicQ on laptop, which you can get into for just a a few bucks, needs an external expensive interface box to respond to MIDI. And MIDI implementations vary in quality, and ease of interfacing with from the musical instrument world.
Dan Reavey:
--- Quote from: David Buckley on September 10, 2017, 04:55:46 PM ---
As a keys player, you can do a split on your keyboard so the last few keys at one or other end of the keyboard go out a different MIDI channel and trigger changes in the LANBox through MIDI.
--- End quote ---
Thanks. Yes, that would be a very easy setup. The Lanbox would probably fit in my tool/accessories case.
With no user forum or reviews, I'm not sure sure how popular it is but it looks just the thing
for my situation.
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