Sample - Strobe mimic + speedcontrol

[GGGss]

I got a question creating from a forum user for an adaptable strobe solution.

What is the need for this you might ask?
Well, most fixtures have a strobe channel present. Letting multiple fixture strobe in this way, you create mayhem in the lightning world. The inbuilt strobe feature does not strobe synchronous between fixtures...

But what if you want multiple fixtures to strobe (flash) synchronously?
And what if you want to adopt the strobe frequency to the music playing? Through the use of a tap button, or using presets?
Therefore this example solution...

Does Chaser in Chaser tell you something?
With this mechanism, you can mimic a strobe and adapt its speed to the bpm or whatever mood.
See the sample project in the annex.

Chaser 1 (Flash duration) is a fixed chaser, holding the duration of the light flash.
Chaser 2 (strobe) fires the chaser (Flash duration) and a 'wait time' -> these together count as a 'beat' - see below
On the VC the speed-control widget sets Chaser's 2 tact speed.

For the exercise (and visualization in the Fixture monitor) the duration of the flash is set to 200ms (which is too long for a strobe) - change this value in real life.
On the VC, with the speed-control widget, I added some bpm presets. Be aware that this won't function precisely because of the 200ms flash duration in the example ...
In production, the flash duration has to be shorter than the value of the speed-control.
(changing the presets - keep in mind that you have to halve the time value of the calculated bpm to time value (60s / bpm)/2 to have a beat time -> (2 steps inside the strobe chaser with common-hold time.)
If you use the tap button (to tap on the beat) set the multiplicator to 1/2, tap, and press apply.

The creative among us might be triggered to change the project so that you get a strobe with 2 alternating fixtures. (US Police warn lights on top of the roof of their vehicle - left left in red - right right in blue). Changing the 'flash duration chaser, adding those steps, you can achieve this look easily. (Of course, you will have to change the timings all together...)
The same goes when one would like to have a tungsten look (fast rise and long fall times)...

Now with chaser inside chaser, inside chaser, you could create different strobe looks... and with the press of a flash button have the strobe-master advance in its chaser step, selecting the next strobe function ... (loopback channel controlling the 'next' step in the main chaser...

Possibilities are endless now thanks to Massimo's effort to keep QLC+ alive.
Thank you to all contributors, questioners, proposing solutions for each of us - this has become a very nice community, all looking out for each other. I wish real-life would be like that.

Anyway ...Happy New Year and see you on the other side.
Break a leg

[djkad]

Very nice. The funny thing is that yesterday i was working with speed dials in VC cause i was trying to make a strobe scene for start to working with midi clock.
BTW, since i use a 3d simulator that doesnt recognize auto functions and builtin strobe functions, i neve use them. I use only primitive functions like rgbwa colors, dimmers, pan/tilt and (still not in my case) gobos

[Yestalgia]

This is really cool. Will be giving it a go at my next gig.

[TristanYoung]

Hello!

Sorry to resurrect an old thread.

Thank you for making your project available.

I really like this strobe function, and have incorporated it into my VC, with 3 different strobe patterns which fit well with the type of music I play. Using Mixxx and Midi for Light, the strobing is in sync with the beat. Works great for controlling moving heads, scanners and lasers (looks really cool with lasers).

I can successfully change the flashing rate. I'd love to find a way to control the light on-time by way of a button or slider. I know I can create custom strobe functions with different light durations, but then I''d have to copy that for each strobe pattern, and that makes for a more cluttered VC.

At the end of the day, what would work best is a custom strobe widget/function that offered a pattern matrix, variable gate, etc.

Best regards