Hello!
I'm brand new to DMX and QLC+, I think I'm familiar with some of the basics now. I've been scouring forums all day it seems that this is a common struggle.
What I want: I want a flashing light with a tempo that can be controlled via tap button. I want to be able to do this over any scene.
Example: I activate my red wash and by pressing this button, those specific fixtures will blackout to my set beat. Then I change my wash to blue and the blackout would ideally still be running.
I hope this makes sense.
I know I can make chases in which my fixtures can flash to black but I would need a separate dedicated chase for every scene with my current idea method. I want the flash to be universal and take ultimate priority.
I heard some things about loopback magic but I don't really understand that right now.
Is what I want possible? Is there something I may be misunderstanding fundamentally about QLC+ or DMX?
Thank you for your time and help!
Cheers,
Max.
Can I make a "tap strobe"?
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MichelSliepenbeek
- Posts: 716
- Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:24 am
- Location: Nederland
- Real Name: Michel Sliepenbeek
If your Fixtures, next to channels for Red, Green and Blue (and maybe White, Amber and/or UV) , also have a seperate channel for Master Level, the easiest way is to make use of this.
Create some scenes that set the colors you want to use, but leave the Master Level unboxed in those scenes.
Create 2 scenes on the Master Level channel (where you only box this channel, leave all other channels unboxed): Dim (DMX = 0) and Full (DMX = 255).
Now put your color scenes in a Solo Frame (this allows you to change the colors) and create a chaser with your Dim and Full Master Level scenes (which will run your effect).
Add a speed dial to your VC, add this Chaser to it and use the TAB to set your timing.
You can also add a second Speed Dial to control the Fade In and Fade Out times for your Color scenes.
An alternative could be to use a RGB Matrix: first create a Fixture Group for the Fixtures you want to use for your effect, then create a RGB Matrix. Select this Fixture Group, set Control Mode to Dimmer and Blendmode to Mask, and select a pattern to your liking (you could try Strobe, Alternate, Even/Odd, One by One, Fill UnFill, .....).
Create some scenes that set the colors you want to use, but leave the Master Level unboxed in those scenes.
Create 2 scenes on the Master Level channel (where you only box this channel, leave all other channels unboxed): Dim (DMX = 0) and Full (DMX = 255).
Now put your color scenes in a Solo Frame (this allows you to change the colors) and create a chaser with your Dim and Full Master Level scenes (which will run your effect).
Add a speed dial to your VC, add this Chaser to it and use the TAB to set your timing.
You can also add a second Speed Dial to control the Fade In and Fade Out times for your Color scenes.
An alternative could be to use a RGB Matrix: first create a Fixture Group for the Fixtures you want to use for your effect, then create a RGB Matrix. Select this Fixture Group, set Control Mode to Dimmer and Blendmode to Mask, and select a pattern to your liking (you could try Strobe, Alternate, Even/Odd, One by One, Fill UnFill, .....).
A QLC Workspace is like a Bob Ross painting: "it's your world, you can create whatever you want!"
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ShagLight
- Posts: 121
- Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:13 pm
- Real Name: David
I would like to add that it's good practice to trigger strobes with a flash button so when you press the button, you're strobing, release the button and you're not.
Previously, I would've done this with loopback. But thanks to the new playback slider in 4.13.1, you can add a flash button. This is much simpler than using loopback.
But then, you can just create a scene with the strobe channel in your fixture if it has it (most fixtures do), enabling only that channel and disabling the rest. The downside to that is multiple fixtures might not strobe in unison.
Previously, I would've done this with loopback. But thanks to the new playback slider in 4.13.1, you can add a flash button. This is much simpler than using loopback.
But then, you can just create a scene with the strobe channel in your fixture if it has it (most fixtures do), enabling only that channel and disabling the rest. The downside to that is multiple fixtures might not strobe in unison.
NO, I AM NOT THE SOUNDMAN!