QLC+ Full Midi first test

This is a place for sharing with the community the results you achieved with QLC+, as a sort of use case collection.
You can share photos, videos, personal hardware/software projects, interesting HOWTO that might help other users to achieve great results.
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ConnyGoat
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:56 pm
Real Name: Conny J



Hi People! Yesterday i finally got to test all the lights in our rehearsal room.

I've been reading and using QLC for a month now without real fixtures, while waiting for my enttec usb dmx to arrive i got to program what i thought could be useful, and i got very close!

After this first test i will study what was usefull and what i can change, but so far im pretty happy with it, ill try to reduce the amount of midi notes i need cause its sometimes overwhelming.

Im using Mac -> Reaper -> Bus IAC to send from reaper to QLC+ via Midi -> QLC -> Enttec USB Pro -> 5 Chauvet Colorpalette in 27ch mode.

To sync to tempo all the rgb matrix and sequences i have made presets in the time selector for each tempo bpm and then manually adjust every fx to the velocity i needed.
I am adding an extra 10 or more midi keys just for tempo, but is worth it so i can sync every song in the setlist.

Image


I would have love to be able to use all the RGB matrix in mask mode, but it gets harder to choose the colour before sending it, so ill just try to have like 15 FX with some colour variations that could fit most of the songs.

Another thought is, im just starting and only have 5 colorpalette washes, so i have to improvise in how to get the most out of them, maybe when i have a few led bars and strobes the programming gets "easier", time will tell! hehe

Thanks for this amazing software! The workflow is very slow at the beginning, but after all is done, the programing is pretty quick and the results are great!
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GGGss
Posts: 3047
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Congrats !
This is quite nice of a light show. I like it but I can only imagine the workload behind it (!)
I like the way you included the pixel possibilities of the fixtures. I wouldn't include them early in the set though. But that is my opinion.
In a real-life show, I would use 4 profile spots in front to have some background light levels. For some attendees, who react epileptic, this front light will have a calming effect. But again: IMHO.
Well done!
@Yestalgia, a show case for the QLC+ insta group?
All electric machines work on smoke... when the smoke escapes... they don't work anymore
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ConnyGoat
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:56 pm
Real Name: Conny J

Thank you for your feedback GGGss :)

The pixels you refer to the rgb matrix using all the zones of each wash right? like the fx? (excuse me, i still have to learn a lot of this world)

At first i was gonna use the washes in like 15ch mode, which had like 4 zones instead of 8, but shortly after i realized i was loosing a lot of potential and the extra programming wasnt that much.

I apreciate you mention the spots in front for background levels, because i've been thinking a lot about epileptic people, and how i could use the washes in the best way. As i mention in the first post, i only got 5 washes, and they are working as wash, as strobes, as everyhing cause is the only ones i got for now. I guess someday ill use them right, to colour walls while having strobes, led bars etc etc

I'll consider it for the next light i'll buy.

For now the plan is 3 in front for the 2 guitars and singer, also the mid one points to the drum when the singer is not there, and then 2 in the back for the drums and contrast, but i've also consider putting 3 in the back and 2 in front, will see.

Once i've made a few songs and finally got everything in track i'll upload something again for you guys to check out.

Thanks again!
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ConnyGoat
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:56 pm
Real Name: Conny J

Hi again!
After many months i had some time to get back to the whole programing, I tried to keep it a little more simple, and so far we can be in the room without getting a stroke! haha!
I still use the exact same project with some very minor changes.

With the previous setup my macbook pro 2014, while running the reaper session and the qlc (connecting this two with the IAC driver of mac) it tended to crash after an hour, so this week i've been doing some research and i decided to try to add a second computer to the mix (old macbook pro 2011), with a fresh installation of Mac Os High Sierra 10.13.6 and the latest update of QLC+.

I connect it to the main Reaper computer through Network midi of Mac (Im amaze of how good this works, with only adding a router to the mix, it only has like 2-3 ms of delay which i can compensate in my reaper session to send the data a little earlier)
I follow this guys tutorial to do this connection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9U5qhuSxS0

Also i didnt know this was possible, but to me transmitting midi through an ethernet cable is pure witchcraft haha, now i get how this people with ableton live and a ton of midi equipment synchronize all together.
It seems more complicated than it actually is, very straightforward to connect one computer to the other, a few clicks and done.

Yesterday i tested the system for 4 hours, not a single problem, super stable.

Short raw video testing:
https://youtube.com/shorts/O1Stjo-FM2E?feature=share

The setup:
(The enttec dmx usb pro is behing the laptop)
Image

The midi in reaper:
Image

And a video of a complete song with the album audio mounted on top (we are playing to a metronome and a grid, so it always fits hehe)



I'll post some better edited videos in the future when everything is finally settled.
Also now that I know that it is stable, I'll add more lights in the future to the 5 Colorpalette wash I bought really cheap secondhand.

So once again thanks for this amazing software, my way might probably not be the way of standard light mixers or how people do the work around here, but at least if has given my band the chance to look 300% cooler on rehearsals and stage without going bankrupt haha.

Also wanted to thanks KOTRmetal for his youtube video on how to setup Qlc+, his video was what got me started in all this midi programming madness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVAwInvpj1c
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