How do you create 'light phrases' ? Here's how I do mine..

[juski]

I'm a mobile DJ with all my lights DMX'd - even my uplighting is wirelessly DMX'd now. I play my music out with VirtualDJ and have used the vdjartnet plugin in the past..

Over the last 18 months or so (maybe longer) I've been making light sequences to go with musical sections to play live. Shows in QLC are something I've never really played with & I don't think would be suited to my use case though I'm open to suggestions

I generally start by making generic colour wash scenes, then put those wash scenes into chases. I figured out how to make those scenes work as colour 'blinders' by making chases where the scene fades out (or a blank scene fades in). Then I hit on the idea of making chases containing those chases. To make them fit a particular section of music I tend to play the tune in VDJ, looped. I time the chase to roughly fit the music, then arrange the chase & see how it plays along. Rinse & repeat - maybe for a long time til I get it looking right (man, I wish there was some kind of step sequencer or real-time recording method..)..

This is basically 'sound to light' +++ only a lot more accurate.

Up to now I've really only concentrated on wash lighting but movers etc are going to follow.

Here's a video of some of the process - NB the audio is slightly out of sync (thanks OBS studio LOL).



How do you do yours? Am I missing any time-saving tricks?

[dben41]

Nice! I'll post a video shortly after I finish programming "Uotown Funk" on how I've done it. I have 7 washes and 4 movers in my show.
I have the beat synced to a single time widget in virtual console. Then I have a bunch of chases that get their timing from the time widget. Some switch scenes 4 times a beat, some once every 4 counts.

I've been using POI to change the chases or call scenes. My issue is that I sometimes need to submit 5 commands simultaneously from VDJ, And that's been tricky. I can't have 5 POI at exactly the same spot, or some or none of the buttons get pressed. If I do the os2l_button "1" & os2l_button "2" & os2l_button "3", etc... Only one of the buttons gets pressed, it appears that not all commands get observed. So I have POI that are really really close to each other.

[juski]

Sounds like a job for a QLC script or 2 Assign a script to a button, call the button with OS2L..

[etchonmind]

I´m using QLC+ as a MIDI to DMX translator on steroids, but do all phrasing externally. The reason for this is that sequencers like Ableton Live or Bitwig studios do the sequencing much better, so that part is outsourced.

Better in the sense of:
- clip structure + timeline arrangement instead of just timeline
- use the same data from clips for timeline arrangements and vice versa
- easy syncing to tempo (ableton link, not just tempo but also position within bar)
- record phrases from external input (MIDI controllers, Eurorack euclidian sequencers)
- create phrases from generative plugins or step-by-step recording
- massive editing capabilities (grid, piano roll, draw controller curves, cut copy paste, relative adjustment of timing, groove quantization etc)
- sequenced playback can be mixed with live input
- easy calling of sequences via clip mechanism
- control of hardware synths as a bonus when needed

[jochem4207]

I´m using QLC+ as a MIDI to DMX translator on steroids, but do all phrasing externally. The reason for this is that sequencers like Ableton Live or Bitwig studios do the sequencing much better, so that part is outsourced.

Better in the sense of:
- clip structure + timeline arrangement instead of just timeline
- use the same data from clips for timeline arrangements and vice versa
- easy syncing to tempo (ableton link, not just tempo but also position within bar)
- record phrases from external input (MIDI controllers, Eurorack euclidian sequencers)
- create phrases from generative plugins or step-by-step recording
- massive editing capabilities (grid, piano roll, draw controller curves, cut copy paste, relative adjustment of timing, groove quantization etc)
- sequenced playback can be mixed with live input
- easy calling of sequences via clip mechanism
- control of hardware synths as a bonus when needed

How do you use QLC+ as a midi to DMX translator? Could you share some screenshots or some guide what you did?
My goal eventually is to go from Traktor Pro (or any windows/os audio output channel) to DMX. And do a better job than a "random" dmx signal. I'm learning on what steps I could take and what possibilities there are. I am a programmer so can make some stuff myself. But I'm never going to create something like ableton.

[dben41]

I definitely could have a single button trigger a giant script, but i was hoping to send many commands throughout a song, to trigger simple scripts. The results weren't very reliable. QLC+ wasn't handling multiple commands on the same line; it was only evaluating the first one, and it wasn't very reliable. Sometimes it'd work, others it wouldn't.

Basically I'm using QLC+ to sync the beat from VIrtual DJ, and I'm manually pressing buttons. So it's not a SoundSwitch experience, but it works okay for now.

[etchonmind]

How do you use QLC+ as a midi to DMX translator?... But I'm never going to create something like ableton.

That´s why I use Bitiwg (and did the same with Ableton Live before that) . If something exists, better reuse it than reinvent the wheel.

More details here: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=14157&p=59192#p59192

[atticus]

This is basically 'sound to light' +++ only a lot more accurate.

Hey I'm looking for a "mentor" to help me create light phrases or shows in combination with VirtualDJ... please message me for your offer.