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[Bryan Dierschow]

Hello everyone!

WARNING! YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ A QUESTION FROM SOMEONE WHO BARELY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING!

NEWBIE ALERT!
NEWBIE ALERT!

I have a question about my simple, but specific lighting needs. I believe that this is the appropriate place to ask, but if it's not, feel free to throw tomatoes at me.

I produce improv comedy shows out here in Denver, Colorado, and I am trying to find the simplest solution to my needs. Here is the usual flow of a show:

[Lighting Scene 1] Half dimmed color wash on the stage before the show starts (very straight forward)
[Lighting Scene 2] Mostly dimmed lights while host is announced at beginning of show. (again, an easy one)
Fades into
[Lighting Scene 3] White wash across the stage during the performance. (I can handle this one too)
Hard cut to
[Lighting Scene 4] Blackout. Music plays at exact same time. Then a fade up to [Lighting Scene 3]. (This is what I can't figure out)

I would like to trigger the blackout and the music at the same time, then fade back into scene 3 while the music still plays. Is this something I can accomplish with a software based lighting controller? So far, I've only found info on DJ things like setting music to sync with lights.

Thank you so much for any tips you might have!

Bryan Dierschow
Producer
Wayfarer Improv Theater Company
Denver, Colorado

[Jeff Lelko]

Hi Bryan, what you're looking to accomplish is very do-able.  There are many ways to do this, and my suggestions will be in line with my experience doing similar things, but note that there are other ways to do this too.

The first thing to establish is which software you're going to be using for your music playback.  I'd strongly suggest a professional cue playback program such as QLab or Show Cue System.  This makes "Part 2" to your solution (linking to lighting) much easier since the pro-level software will have all the features you need built in.  Software like iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc., are a little more difficult to work with. 

Now, both aforementioned programs do also include rudimentary DMX control.  It's no match if comparing to a real light console or software solution, but if all you need is "lights up" and everything else you mentioned in your post I'd wager to think either program can handle it.  That would keep both your audio and lighting cues in the same program.  It's not necessary to do that, but sometimes it can help keep things simple.

In cases where you need to use an actual light console to handle more complex light cues (and fixtures), you'd have your cue software send MIDI commands to your light console (hardware or software with interface) to trigger the cues programmed on the console itself.  Both QLab and Show Cue System can output MIDI as well.  Most lighting software on the market can handle MIDI triggering, though some require a proprietary MIDI interface (others do not).

You can link/auto-follow cues in cue playback software and on most lighting platforms, so that's how you handle your music w/blackout followed by fade in.  QLab calls them Cue Sequences while Show Cue System calls this Sub-Cues with Auto-Start.  They're both essentially the same thing, and this is the approach I'd suggest using.  On "GO", the first cue in the sequence starts the music followed by an immediate trigger of your blackout (either via MIDI command or internal DMX cue), followed by your fade-in after a predetermined wait time.  Very simple.  If you want to play around you can download free demos of both programs.

Just as an aside, there are other programs out there targeted more towards DJs and clubs such as DMXIS and ShowXpress.  They can both do audio/lighting synchronization but I don't have enough experience with them to make a recommendation.  I can only speak from the perspective of what I suggested above.  Hope all this helps! 

[Bryan Dierschow]

This is a wealth of information, Jeff! Thank you so much!

Hi Bryan, what you're looking to accomplish is very do-able.  There are many ways to do this, and my suggestions will be in line with my experience doing similar things, but note that there are other ways to do this too.

The first thing to establish is which software you're going to be using for your music playback.  I'd strongly suggest a professional cue playback program such as QLab or Show Cue System.  This makes "Part 2" to your solution (linking to lighting) much easier since the pro-level software will have all the features you need built in.  Software like iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc., are a little more difficult to work with. 

Now, both aforementioned programs do also include rudimentary DMX control.  It's no match if comparing to a real light console or software solution, but if all you need is "lights up" and everything else you mentioned in your post I'd wager to think either program can handle it.  That would keep both your audio and lighting cues in the same program.  It's not necessary to do that, but sometimes it can help keep things simple.

In cases where you need to use an actual light console to handle more complex light cues (and fixtures), you'd have your cue software send MIDI commands to your light console (hardware or software with interface) to trigger the cues programmed on the console itself.  Both QLab and Show Cue System can output MIDI as well.  Most lighting software on the market can handle MIDI triggering, though some require a proprietary MIDI interface (others do not).

You can link/auto-follow cues in cue playback software and on most lighting platforms, so that's how you handle your music w/blackout followed by fade in.  QLab calls them Cue Sequences while Show Cue System calls this Sub-Cues with Auto-Start.  They're both essentially the same thing, and this is the approach I'd suggest using.  On "GO", the first cue in the sequence starts the music followed by an immediate trigger of your blackout (either via MIDI command or internal DMX cue), followed by your fade-in after a predetermined wait time.  Very simple.  If you want to play around you can download free demos of both programs.

Just as an aside, there are other programs out there targeted more towards DJs and clubs such as DMXIS and ShowXpress.  They can both do audio/lighting synchronization but I don't have enough experience with them to make a recommendation.  I can only speak from the perspective of what I suggested above.  Hope all this helps!

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