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Author Topic: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+  (Read 5049 times)

Earl Teigrob

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Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« on: January 16, 2019, 12:02:18 PM »

After much reading and some testing and trying to get myself immersed into the DMX World I've decided to go the software route for a controller.

For my needs, its ive narrowed it down to MyDMX 3.0 or QLC+, Though Luminair is not off the table. 

Basically I DJ a West Coast Swing dance once a month and want low key lighting affects. Very rarely have I ever seen special lighting in this dance world so this is new rather new to us.

Im going to start with 8 or so pars as wall wash around the room...nothing else. For the most part they will just pulse to music in a set color using a base chase in sound active mode. When the music starts to build, however, I would like to start an automatic (non-sound activated) chase and at the climax use a manually triggered chase where I tap my finger on a key to trigger each chase step. Then when I press the base chase button I go back to the sound activated base chase again.

I what I want reasonable or am I out in left field? 

Does MyDMX or QLC+ support this scenario?

The UI and Effects in MyDMX 3.0 seen amazing. Super simple to use and yet relatively powerful. Its 3D Visualizer and Ipad remote could also prove very useful.

From what I've read, QLC+ is even more powerful except for some of the automated effects. Ive read about using Mixxx to feed QLC+ with BPM MIDI data that it can use to trigger a chase step.

Any suggestions as to which controller software would work better for me?

Thank you

Earl




















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Taylor Hall

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2019, 01:24:06 PM »

Either software option should be able to accomplish what you want. I'm pretty sure they both accept MIDI inputs to automatically trigger various cues, but I honestly haven't dug too deeply into MyDMX apart from fiddling a bit with a demo set up at Guitar Center forever ago.

The biggest thing that QLC has going for it is the price, for the $300 or so you'd spend on a MyDMX box, you could get a couple extra fixtures or a very robust DMX interface (which you'll need anyway) that will last you a good long while. QLC also allows you to control the software remotely via a web browser. I wouldn't recommend using that method for actually running a show (latency), but for testing things in the audience area and fine tuning it works great. You can even use a multitude of control surfaces with QLC natively (APC40, nanoKontrol, etc) for a more DJ-firendly feel. Also, QLC is getting ready to release a major revision later this year. It will add a host of new features and UI improvements including a 3D view.

I would highly recommend joining the QLC forums as they're pretty active and can get any issues resolved quite quickly along with pointing you in the right direction for building your show the way you want it.
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Earl Teigrob

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2019, 01:53:10 PM »

Either software option should be able to accomplish what you want. I'm pretty sure they both accept MIDI inputs to automatically trigger various cues, but I honestly haven't dug too deeply into MyDMX apart from fiddling a bit with a demo set up at Guitar Center forever ago.

The biggest thing that QLC has going for it is the price, for the $300 or so you'd spend on a MyDMX box, you could get a couple extra fixtures or a very robust DMX interface (which you'll need anyway) that will last you a good long while. QLC also allows you to control the software remotely via a web browser. I wouldn't recommend using that method for actually running a show (latency), but for testing things in the audience area and fine tuning it works great. You can even use a multitude of control surfaces with QLC natively (APC40, nanoKontrol, etc) for a more DJ-firendly feel. Also, QLC is getting ready to release a major revision later this year. It will add a host of new features and UI improvements including a 3D view.

I would highly recommend joining the QLC forums as they're pretty active and can get any issues resolved quite quickly along with pointing you in the right direction for building your show the way you want it.
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Earl Teigrob

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2019, 03:03:29 PM »

So it take it that Midi would be required to trigger both a chase change and a mode change at once? is this correct? Midi could send the codes that trigger the commands in the app to do both,  were as in the app it would take two separate steps by the user.

Either software option should be able to accomplish what you want. I'm pretty sure they both accept MIDI inputs to automatically trigger various cues, but I honestly haven't dug too deeply into MyDMX apart from fiddling a bit with a demo set up at Guitar Center forever ago.

The biggest thing that QLC has going for it is the price, for the $300 or so you'd spend on a MyDMX box, you could get a couple extra fixtures or a very robust DMX interface (which you'll need anyway) that will last you a good long while. QLC also allows you to control the software remotely via a web browser. I wouldn't recommend using that method for actually running a show (latency), but for testing things in the audience area and fine tuning it works great. You can even use a multitude of control surfaces with QLC natively (APC40, nanoKontrol, etc) for a more DJ-firendly feel. Also, QLC is getting ready to release a major revision later this year. It will add a host of new features and UI improvements including a 3D view.

I would highly recommend joining the QLC forums as they're pretty active and can get any issues resolved quite quickly along with pointing you in the right direction for building your show the way you want it.
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Taylor Hall

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2019, 03:18:10 PM »

When you say "modes" are you referring to the different channel modes that fixtures can be configured in? I'm not aware of any fixtures that allow this to be changed via a DMX signal, only by physically manipulating the configuration of the fixture.

MIDI simply acts as a middleman in this case between external control devices (like DJ software or control surfaces) and the DMX software itself. Integrating MIDI or OSC protocols just means that you can trigger changes in your DMX software from outside the software itself so you're not having to bounce between two computers (or programs) during a live show.

You can trigger a ridiculous amount of changes with a single button press, it all comes down to how intricate you want those changes to be.
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Earl Teigrob

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2019, 05:21:52 PM »

I will probably need to start using the software before I have any idea what I'm talking about but by mode I was thinking of how the steps (scene) to a chase are triggered.
For example, the modes I was thinking about are  'sound activated trigger', 'Auto Run (time trigger)' and 'Manual (User Trigger)' . When I change from my default "sound activated" chase, I also want to change the chase step (scene) trigger that causes the next step (scene) in the chase to play.

For example, my default sound activated chase is humming along and then there is a crescendo in the music and I want to do some strobe lights with my strobe chase so I hit the strobe chase button and now I am running the strobe chase in manual user activated chase step (scene) mode. Every time I hit the strobe chase button, I get the next step (scene) of the strobe chase. When i'm done, I hit the button for the default sound activated chase and each step of the chase is back to being triggered by the music beat.

Does that make sense?




When you say "modes" are you referring to the different channel modes that fixtures can be configured in? I'm not aware of any fixtures that allow this to be changed via a DMX signal, only by physically manipulating the configuration of the fixture.

MIDI simply acts as a middleman in this case between external control devices (like DJ software or control surfaces) and the DMX software itself. Integrating MIDI or OSC protocols just means that you can trigger changes in your DMX software from outside the software itself so you're not having to bounce between two computers (or programs) during a live show.

You can trigger a ridiculous amount of changes with a single button press, it all comes down to how intricate you want those changes to be.
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David Allred

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2019, 06:39:28 PM »

After much reading and some testing and trying to get myself immersed into the DMX World I've decided to go the software route for a controller.

For my needs, its ive narrowed it down to MyDMX 3.0 or QLC+, Though Luminair is not off the table. 

Basically I DJ a West Coast Swing dance once a month and want low key lighting affects. Very rarely have I ever seen special lighting in this dance world so this is new rather new to us.

Im going to start with 8 or so pars as wall wash around the room...nothing else. For the most part they will just pulse to music in a set color using a base chase in sound active mode. When the music starts to build, however, I would like to start an automatic (non-sound activated) chase and at the climax use a manually triggered chase where I tap my finger on a key to trigger each chase step. Then when I press the base chase button I go back to the sound activated base chase again.

I what I want reasonable or am I out in left field? 

Does MyDMX or QLC+ support this scenario?

The UI and Effects in MyDMX 3.0 seen amazing. Super simple to use and yet relatively powerful. Its 3D Visualizer and Ipad remote could also prove very useful.

From what I've read, QLC+ is even more powerful except for some of the automated effects. Ive read about using Mixxx to feed QLC+ with BPM MIDI data that it can use to trigger a chase step.

Any suggestions as to which controller software would work better for me?

Thank you

Earl

I am fairly new to my Mydmx 3, but it is pretty powerful and easy.  I am using the 2.0 software to avoid the upcharges.
I will say the canned effects are great (especially bouncing balls and night rider), BUT... the thing I don't like is there is no included "dream" effect for slow cross fades.
The  included color changers are just too brief before changing and a little to quick in the transition.  You can build these manually, but once built you can't just swap out a different color in the sequence.  Got to build another.

The 3d visualizer has a few issues.  One the beam angles are not correspondent always to the specs.  You can change them easy enough, but they tend to revert when closed and reopened, even if you save them.  Mandatory measurements in cm.  Fixtures often find new positions and locations  when reopened as well.  XYZ rotation (pan, tilt, spin) are not intuative, even for simple pars.  All these "problems"... still better than the Obey40's (etc) of the world.
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Earl Teigrob

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2019, 08:20:20 PM »

Thank you, David, This is very good information to know. It sounds like you are still using the 2.1 software. Perhaps in V3.0 the cross faders are better? I imagine that any software is going to have its strengths and weaknesses. I play a lot of slower lyrical music so smooth slow transitions would be important. Hopefully an update will address some of these issues.

I am fairly new to my Mydmx 3, but it is pretty powerful and easy.  I am using the 2.0 software to avoid the upcharges.
I will say the canned effects are great (especially bouncing balls and night rider), BUT... the thing I don't like is there is no included "dream" effect for slow cross fades.
The  included color changers are just too brief before changing and a little to quick in the transition.  You can build these manually, but once built you can't just swap out a different color in the sequence.  Got to build another.

The 3d visualizer has a few issues.  One the beam angles are not correspondent always to the specs.  You can change them easy enough, but they tend to revert when closed and reopened, even if you save them.  Mandatory measurements in cm.  Fixtures often find new positions and locations  when reopened as well.  XYZ rotation (pan, tilt, spin) are not intuative, even for simple pars.  All these "problems"... still better than the Obey40's (etc) of the world.
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Earl Teigrob

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2019, 08:42:15 PM »

I just watched a youtube video by Jingles on MyDMX 3.0 trigger activation. It looks like
 in MyDMX you can set a trigger method on each chase (if thats what it is called) and when you change chase scenes it will change trigger method. This is exactly what I was looking for!!! I might still want to use an external MIDI BPM generator though... Does QLC do this???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7dEEgy90iM

I will probably need to start using the software before I have any idea what I'm talking about but by mode I was thinking of how the steps (scene) to a chase are triggered.
For example, the modes I was thinking about are  'sound activated trigger', 'Auto Run (time trigger)' and 'Manual (User Trigger)' . When I change from my default "sound activated" chase, I also want to change the chase step (scene) trigger that causes the next step (scene) in the chase to play.

For example, my default sound activated chase is humming along and then there is a crescendo in the music and I want to do some strobe lights with my strobe chase so I hit the strobe chase button and now I am running the strobe chase in manual user activated chase step (scene) mode. Every time I hit the strobe chase button, I get the next step (scene) of the strobe chase. When i'm done, I hit the button for the default sound activated chase and each step of the chase is back to being triggered by the music beat.

Does that make sense?
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David Allred

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Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 10:32:20 PM »

Thank you, David, This is very good information to know. It sounds like you are still using the 2.1 software. Perhaps in V3.0 the cross faders are better? I imagine that any software is going to have its strengths and weaknesses. I play a lot of slower lyrical music so smooth slow transitions would be important. Hopefully an update will address some of these issues.

Yes.  2.1
Yes, the manual triggers do allow smooth transition.  I was referring to the effects engines, like "rainbow", etc.  A couple seconds max per color and cross fades that are quicker than really wanted.  I could live with the transition speeds if the hold times were at least 10 secs.  As is, the effects are designed to be more active in nature.  And frankly, probably by design.  Yet, sure would be nice to have a "rainbow" with 1 sec - 5 min hold and .1 - 10 sec fade.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Controller Software MyDMX or QLC+
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2019, 10:32:20 PM »


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