The Learn Stage Lighting Podcast

This week on the Podcast, we have our Q+A Tuesday! This is when I get to answer your questions and walk through the thought process. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Lighting News (1:20) We have some exciting things happening in Germany this week where the Pro Light and Sound Trade Show is happening. This is at least one of the biggest trade shows in the industry and they are announcing a lot of new products. One of the products announced is from ONYX, the Dylos system. This is their new pixel mapping and they are hoping to release it within the year. ChamSys announced a cool new feature for there console, a Timeline. It’s basically where you can bring in audio and then bring in different lights as well as cues to play with it. You can read more about it here: ChamSys Timeline. Lastly, a new light was announced, Clay Paky XTYLOS. This is a beam light that is powered by a laser source! There’s a video available showing the product’s features. Main Segment (9:15) If you have a question you would like to share be sure to submit it here: Contact Form and there will be an option to allow you to leave your voice message. Bob (9:28): Love this site! I was a production pro from the late 70s through the mid 90s. I have recently been doing creative direction for 2 sets of friends who have bands. for the last year, I have been using an elation scene-setter 24 in 2×12 mode with small 4 channel dimmer packs with a mixture of small pars with retrofitted LED lamps in them so I could use “real color!” I am a creature of habit and I hate hate hate that RGB pink haze that seems to always be there with earlier generation and cheap RGB pars. Anyway, I am ditching the conventional lights and getting 18 Chauvet slimpar 56, 4 ADJ 25 watt pocket pro and I guess I’ll keep 2 dimmer packs and 8 par 46 conventional for front specials. All of this happens in bars/clubs with ceilings 8′ to 11′. Also decided to go with ENTTEC DPRO 2U for control. What do you think about that gear? Keep in mind I come from the school of thought that you want to use as little light as possible so you get the audience’s pupils to dilate as much as possible when watching a show… Bob is one of our Learn Stage Lighting Labs members and he booked a call with me to go over his set up. We went over his rig today and it’s really good. When your lighting to live music, keep in mind that context of the music. In this case with classical music, I wouldn’t use moving lights because it sets the atmosphere of what it looked when that music was being played in the ’70s. The same goes for more modern music as well. Andrew (12:28): I am using Chamsys MagicQ for building my lighting show, and I’m using Ableton Live to run click & tracks for my band.

This week on the Podcast I’m sharing my trip from Louisville, KY last week where I was able to attend the USITT Show. I am excited to share with you what I saw and new updates to expect. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Lighting News (0:56) As I’ve mentioned before on this show before, one of my favorite magazines is the PLSN. I read an interesting piece about Vanguard LED Displays which is a popular brand. It was talking about chip on board or also know as COBS. Why I found this interesting is that we often see these in lighting. Whenever I see any advertisements the companies normally cover how much brighter these units. But this piece covered how reliable they are. They shared that it was more reliable because it has fewer circuits, components, etc in the units. We’re starting to see more and more of these COB units coming into the industry so it may be something to pay attention to in the future. Main Segment (3:56) Last week I was able to attend the USITT trade show from Louisville, KY. I haven’t done a car cast before but wanted to share some of the things I had seen, new products, and such. Trade Show Tips One of the things I wanted to do is when I got to the trade show I walked by every single booth. Because when you go to any type of tradeshow you normally have your favorite brands and booth that you want to go visit, which is great. But by walking by all of the booths you may see a product that catches your attention. I found this to be a good way to find unique and innovative products that can help you. About the USITT Trade Show The USITT trade show is a theater trade show and it focuses on lighting, audio, staging, costume, etc. One of the things I noted about this trade show is that it was a quiet atmosphere. If you’ve been to other trade shows you may notice that booths have music blaring but this trade show was quieter. This allowed for better conversations at the booths. There weren’t new products as those are introduced later and in bigger shows. But I do like seeing the products and everything up close/ What & Who Was There I was able to meet in person was Claude of the AVL Media Group. I had just done an interview on their podcast. You can listen to it here: Backstage Cowboys Podcast. One of the things we talked about was Spotlight which is LED lights that look good as the conventional lamp lights. If you’ve worked in the theater before you notice that conventional lamps there’s a nice warm light that is hard to compare to. Another thing I noticed was ETC, which is another large company in the theater. They have LED lights and with some field testing, the company decided to extend the warranty to 10 years. Of course, I had to check out the consoles and one of the consoles there was the Chamsys Quick Q. This is what I would consider an intermediate console. It’s a standalone console with a touchscreen. One of the things I liked is that it has a lot of faders and other cool features.

This week on the Podcast we have our Q+A Tuesday! Join us as we take questions from listeners just like you and help walk them through to the thought process of their situation. If you have a question you would like to share be sure to submit it here: Contact Form and there will be an option to allow you to leave your voice message. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Main Segment (3:36) I’d like to mention the sponsor of the show, Learn Stage Lighting Labs. If you like what you hear and you’ve enjoyed our videos I want to encourage you to check Learn Stage Lighting Labs. It’s everything we offer on the site and so much more. It offers in-depth courses, step by step tutorials, forums, and access to myself as well as other members. If this is something you might be interested in be sure to check it out! Chris (3:42) First of all, I would like to say that this is the best lighting website and podcast I have found. I am a teenager who wants to become a lighting designer and operator for concerts. I can operate a couple of systems but what I would like to know is how do I begin getting into this industry. Such as getting gigs, working for a production company, and so on and so forth. Also, what can I do to advance in this industry (other than being personable, respectful, and reliable)? Such as learning new systems, buy consoles, etc. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. One of the things I’ve with others that were hesitant working with someone under 18 is the struggle with labor laws. Most companies don’t want to have to go through that. I would suggest going through your school so that it feels more legitimate and going to the companies that you want to work for. Let them know that you want to intern with them. You’ll start with the labor but then you also get to be around those who manage the consoles and audio. Working hard in the summer is another way to go as well. I know most kids take time off in the summer but you can take this opportunity to work hard and stand out in front of the others. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a console at this time. Just focus on learning and working in the field first. Gabriel (9:39) I delved into lighting this past year as an assistant to a lighting technician in a theatre. I am currently thinking to get myself some basic setup to start off with lighting live shows as a hobby. Anything from gigs and (disco) parties – lasers will most definitely be one of the fixtures which I will get. However, I’m having trouble in choosing which actual DMX controller to get my hands on. At first, I was almost certain that DMXis together with Show Buddy Active is the way to go (considering visuals can also be integrated), just until I read more about Show Express and the Xpress-512 controller. Which of the two setups would you recommend? As I said, my main goal is to actually sit back during a live show and control the lights to the music, including live gigs (where actual songs may be conducted differently than how they would be preset before the show). Looking forward to hearing your opinion.

This week on the Podcast we have a special treat! We’re talking with Kevin Ward who originally started out as an audio guy that did recording, then became a church tech director, and is in charge of lighting for his church. In this interview we will dive into how Kevin get started, his move into church production, and working with volunteers. Main Segment (0:45) David – Kevin why don’t you tell us how you got started in this industry and how can we find you online? Kevin: I’ve always been fascinated with everything production. One of my favorites is Dancing with the Stars and Deal or No Deal because these shows are live because the crew running the show is at top of their game. I started with mixing, producing, and writing songs. For a few years, I actually ran a record company in Nashville. Then, something change, I had a daughter and I wanted to be in her life by being able to be home more. Someone I had worked with in the past had just moved out to California and offered me a job to work as a church tech director. After some consideration I decide to take the leap and moved my family to California. When I had started with the church we had 3 volunteers. One ran audio, one ran pro-presenter, and the other ran lighting. I was offered the position there because the church was going from 350 seats to 1100 seats. Everything production wise for this church was going to be expanding, including online streaming for the services. My website is MixCoach.com and KevinWard.org where I’ve been teaching others how to mix, produce records, and such for 8 years now. It’s built in my DNA to teach what I know to others. David: Were you a volunteer church tech director before you got started? Kevin: Actually, I’ve been everything but a church tech director in the past. My father was a pastor and my two grandfathers were pastors. I did use to volunteer with the church and worked with audio. But when I took this position in California it was the next and new frontier for me. David: What does the lighting look like at your church? What’s the style and how much of lighting do you incorporate? Kevin: Lighting is a big element for our church and it’s something we use every Sunday as well as events that take place their as well. What I’ve found is that it can be a challenge to find someone who is very good with lighting and the technical aspect of it as well. I do have 3 lighting guys for the church as well as myself. I’ve attended seminars for lighting, such as lighting for video, backlighting, color temperature. These were things that I had to learn the hard way and how to incorporate that with the lighting we had for the church. It’s difficult with video because you have to strike a balance between making it look good on stage as well as on video. At our church, we have a ChamSys MQ80 which I’m loving. A volunteer had brought in a Roadhog Full Boar, and one of our campuses as a Hedge Hog 4 which is really cool. These are the three boards I have some experience with and I know the basics. For lighting I have Colorado Tri Tour that we use to help wash the stage. We have 5 Rogue R2 that go above the singers and 3 of those that look up at the stage. We have 4 R2 Washes that we actually use for spotlights. Then, we have a Chauvet Ovation that also helps with washing the stage. With your tutorials in your Membership I had built some LED strip...

This week on the Podcast we have our Q+A Tuesday! Join us as we take questions from listeners just like you and help walk them through to the thought process of their situation. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz I’d also like to mention the sponsor of the show, Learn Stage Lighting Labs. If you like what you hear and you’ve enjoyed our videos I want to encourage you to check Learn Stage Lighting Labs. It’s everything we offer on the site and so much more. It offers in-depth courses, step by step tutorials, forums, and access to myself as well as other members. If this is something you might be interested in be sure to check it out! Main Segment (2:47) Kel (3:00): I’ve been following a lot of your videos and have come across a question regarding assigning colors and latching to MIDI controller LED buttons while using D-Pro. I’m using an APC 40 MK2 switched in “Alternate Ableton Live Mode” and also have tried using an MPK Mini and using both controllers in D-Pro has led to the same problem. The assigned button on the MIDI controller latches on when triggered from the Show Control interface but not vice versa. LED button latching and assigning colors are key for organization and triggering in the live music performance that I’m programming, is there a workaround in D-Pro or, if not, what is a software that you would suggest that would allow assigning color and latching to MIDI controller buttons in software that talks to Enttec DMX pro devices?  I know that for a fact you won’t be able to assign colors in D-Pro. In the latest version of D-Pro, if you go in Show Control and then Properties, there is a button for Momentary (flash). There is more on How to Get Started with D-Pro in this article. Unfortunately, with D-Pro you won’t be able to do custom light control because that’s not what it’s designed to do. But I do recommend checking out Light Key which is for Mac users only. Another item I recommend is Elation’s Onyx, which runs on your PC and comes with 4 outputs. You can pair this up with Show Cockpit that will be able to do custom light setups. You can read more on Onyx and this program in the articles below.How Do I Begin with Onyx?How do I Use MIDI Hardware to Control My Lighting Console? John (7:14): I’m planning on purchasing the DMXis software/hardware… I’ve been watching your DMXis Tutorials on YouTube and have learned a lot. Very informative. Thank you very much! My question for you may be an outdated one now where I’m not sure when...

This week on the Podcast we’re going to dive into how to get started with a professional grade lighting console. Professional grade consoles can be intimidating but they don’t have to be and that’s what I am going to help walk you through today. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Lighting News! (1:20) One of my favorite trade magazines is the PLSN which covers many unique articles in the lighting industry. One of the latest installments for February talks about Elton John’s latest tour, Farewell to the Yellow Brick Road. What stood out to me was the lighting director’s comment in regards to how he runs the lighting show. He mentions that Elton John does not use any click backs and that the show is completely live. So, he has multiple cues set up and every light has an inhibitive fader control. This allows him to manipulate evey group of lights during the show. I wanted to highlight this because when people program lights they feel like everything has to be locked in but this doesn’t have to be the case. You can read the full article here: PLSN February 2019 The next article was a gear comparison article which I often have mixed thoughts about but I did like this one. This month they compared the Leko Comparison and it helps breakdown the specs. This allows you to decide which would be a better fit. The next article I wanted to highlight was about Chamsys QuickQ. I was very interested because this is one of those consoles that are in between the beginner consoles and professional consoles. It’s somewhat similar to the Lightshark, you can read more about that here. This new Chamsys QuickQ isn’t my top pick but I’ve heard a lot of great reviews. Lastly, I read an article that always features a “Feeding the Machine”. In this month’s article, Brad discusses the DSKY which stands for the display and keyboard. Some consoles are designed with this feature and I always wondered where it came from. In Brad’s article, he goes into the history of DSKY and shares how the people at NASA originally came up with this concept and it used on Apollo 8. How cool is that! Main Segment (13:35) So, how do you get started with a professional grade console? Perhaps you have started with a more simple console and the layout is very easy to catch on to. For those who started with a simple console and upgrade to a professional console, it can be overwhelming! Once you’ve learned the terminology for more professional consoles, it’s not that hard to catch on and learn to use the console. Getting Started One of the things you’re going to do when getting started is adjusting to typing commands in. Generally, when your fixtures are added in they will be assigned a number. Giving commands to the console can seem like a foreign language for those getting started. To break it down you select the fixtures, then you apply the attributes, and you record that to the console. Creating Groups

This week on the Podcast we have our Q+A Tuesday! Join us as we take questions from listeners just like you and help walk them through to the thought process of their situation. If you have a question you would like to share be sure to submit it here: Contact Form and there will be an option to allow you to leave your voice message. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Main Segment (1:33) Charlie (1:36) I work for a sound and lighting company and have been watching your videos and reading your website for a long time now. I have a question I was wondering you can help me with. We have installed LED tape and moving heads in a night club, and the DJ booth where the pc and DMX buffer is located is on a different power phase then the power for the LED tape. Could the difference phases cause some interference with the lights as we are getting very random flashes.  There’s a couple of ways to check this. First, make sure the negative or ground wire on all your tapes and your power supply are grounded. Another way to test the LED Tape is to try to run a power cord and connect the LED Tap to that power source. That may help you find out what is causing the issue. Another option would be to get a DMX Terminator and tertminating your DMX to see if that is causing the issue. Ridge (3:36) I’ve been working in D-pro for a few months now (Thanks for the tutorials btw!) and I was wondering if you had a work-around for the cuelist issue of crossfades. Basically, when I want two scenes in a cuelist to cross fade, instead of keeping the same attributes across two scenes, it drops or “dips” down everything before fading back in. This includes colors, dimmer and positions. To compensate I tried setting a 0sec fade in and longer fade outs which almost works but then it stacks any percentages that weren’t at 100%. (So scene 1 has a dimmer at 50, scene 2 has a dimmer of 50, when stacked now that fixture jumps to 100% until it fades out). Other lighting software can tell when two scenes have those same attributes but maybe D-pro can’t? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! The cuelist functionality in D-Pro is not great, unfortunately. What I would recommend doing is in the show control window, instead of doing a bunch of cuelists, I would do individual cues on different buttons. I’ve found that if you put them inf the same radio group they fade in and out much better. Andy (5:35) Hi, I think you are writing about US lighting but I can’t see that it says anywhere on your site. As every country is different (I believe) and I’m in the UK it’s a problem. Can I suggest you say somewhere what country (or countries) your advice applies to? My advice does apply worldwide. There are things that of course will not apply such as power but in everything else it does apply. Most manufacturer’s sell lights and equipment and the do ship worldwide. Most of the advice that I do offer is focused on how to set up lighting, work with consoles, ect and that doesn’t apply to one part of the world. Ronaldo (10:00) I’m an aspiring light operator, I need more idea on how to operate a lighting cons...

This week on the Podcast we’re going to discuss ways that you can run lighting from the stage. Sometimes, there may not be a dedicated person to run the lights so I want to share some ways you can work around this. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz   Main Segment (1:13) Before we dive into ways you can run your lights from the stage you want to take a step back and consider the reasons why you need to your lights from the stage. Perhaps it’s because your a small band and you don’t have the budget to afford a lighting person but you still want to bring that “wow” factor to your show. As we’ve discussed before working with Sound Active Mode is a no go and can make the show look like it’s done by amateurs. Another scenario is that maybe you’re a small church that is already tight on volunteers and you just don’t have the manpower for someone to run the lights. How Do You Do It? The most important piece to know is that you need is a Trigger, the lights won’t trigger themselves! In order to run lights from the stage and have it automated you don’t necessarily have to have backtracks. While it is simpler to have backing tracks but some bands like to work on the fly. So, with that you need to have is a Trigger. There are a few options you can work with. Propresenter – Often used in the Church world is Propresenter or other MIDI capable software that you are using on stage. Footswitch – Another great option is having a Footswitch that you or another band member can use to trigger the next cue. Segmented tracks in Ableton Live – Ableton Live can work with backing tracks but still has the ability to work in a Live show and be able to skip certain parts if need be. Full Backing tracks – As we mentioned in the beginning just having full backing tracks will work as well. Basic: DMXIS As we’ve mentioned many times a great and simple software is ENTTEC’s DMXIS. This is a great program to use and very easy to learn. DMXIS is very popular with those who are still new to working with Lighting. What I really like about DMXIS is that it was designed for those who want to run their lights from stage. With DMXIS you have options such as running it with a Footswitch, using a DAW such as Ableton Live, or you can run it with a companion program like ShowBuddy. To learn more about how to program with DMXIS just check out this article: How to Program With DMXIS. Advanced: Onyx/MIDI macros (or D-Pro, LightShark) Perhaps you’re doing bigger shows, have a lighting console already, or you may have to reprogram shows more often. When you’re using a more advance console you’ll have the option to trigger things via MIDI. How Do I Begin With Onyx? How to Begin With the LightShark How Do I Begin with ENTTEC D-Pro? With these more intermediate consoles it’s a little more complex to program because they were designed with advanced lighting experts in mind. I’ve discussed triggering lights with MIDI a few times on the podcast. What you’re able to is use something like a footswitch, Ableton Live,

This week on the Podcast we have our Free Q+A Tuesday! These are questions sent to me from Listeners just like you. I’ll walk them through the thought process and give them my suggestions on the solution. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Lighting News! (1:34) This past week we had the Super Bowl which is a huge event hosted each year. One of the best parts is the Halftime Show. It’s a huge production that takes a lot of preparation and teamwork to make it happen. What I liked about this year’s show is how the lighting and visual effects were not overdone. I feel like this a great lesson because you want the lighting to be great but you don’t want it to overpower the performance. There’s a couple of articles about the production of the Halftime Show, which is a great read. These articles go into how the show was set up and why they did the things they did for the show. Be sure to check it out! Bob Barnhart Lights The Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show How The Super Bowl Halftime Show Gets Set Up in Just Six Minutes Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show Main Segment: Your Questions Answered! (6:40) Free Q+A Tuesday is where I respond to questions from Listeners just like you! If you have a question you would like to share be sure to submit it here: Contact Form Alain (7:21) Which lights would you recommend using on a budget to illuminate worship band on stage? We are trying to avoid the high wattage lamps due to heat and energy needs, however, LEDs for that use seem to be very expensive. Currently, we are temporarily using our DMX controlled motion lights for this but they emit too much glare when trying to record a live video. Wanted to replace these motion lights with fixed lights to only be used for the band. Hope you can help me figure this out. Your videos have also been helpful. I just bought the DMXIS controller so I need to learn that soon as well. Our plan is to incorporate DMXIS with Ableton Live (also a new project coming soon) As you may have noticed LED’s that make white and look nice is really expensive. With church lighting and only using them 8 – 12 hours a week, shouldn’t significantly affect the bills. What I would recommend is getting the brightest light for your space. Especially with only using these lights during the weekend services. As for the glare, you’ll want to find out what is causing the glare. You don’t have to go with LED but if you do then make sure you go with one that gives you the even wash you want it to. I would even suggest looking at Conventional Par Cams and see if those would make it happen for you. A good brand to check is Chauvet DJ which has been putting out some great stuff lately. Also, since you are starting out and buying new equipment I do recommend checking out Learn Stage Lighting Labs. We have a fantastic Forum, personalized support, as well as an Action Plan, Lighting for Video, to get you started.

This week in the Podcast we’re excited to cover a topic that we get a lot of questions about how to add video to their Lighting Show. If you’re new here and you’re not sure how or where to get started with your lighting be sure to take this Quiz and I will send you a Guide based on your answers to help get you pointed in the right direction. How to Begin with Lighting Quiz Lighting News (1:47) I am very excited about this week’s lighting news. Obsidian Controls (formerly known as MPC Series) has announced their launch of the NX4 Console. You can read more about the NX4 Console here: Obsidian Control Systems launches NX 4™ The NX4 Console is a rebrand and rebuild of the old Martin M1 Console. This new console has the same features as the Martin M1 but with so many more upgrades added to the NX4. Main Segment (4:53) Until recently video and lighting were always triggered separately in most shows. In the entertainment market especially with smaller productions, there’s just not enough of a market for companies to invest in new technology. This has been the case for years which led to video and lighting always running separately. Now, there are actually two ways you can add video to your lighting show. Define Your Output Medium You need to first, define your output medium. Do you need to output “actual video signal”, or networked lighting signal to individual pixels? Why does this matter? The chain of equipment and software that you need to get there differs a good bit! Way #1 – Pixels We’ve talked in Episodes 45 and Episode 47 about pixels and LED tape. Pixels take a lighting-type signal such as WS2811. This signal is generated by a pixel controller that takes direct DMX, Art-Net or sACN (networked DMX). Regular lighting consoles OR specialized programs such as ENTTEC’s ELM can, therefore, send data directly to these pixel controllers to generate patterns or pixel-mapped video content. Control Pixels With ENTTEC’s ELM Way #2 – Video Sometimes, you need to trigger an actual video signal from your lighting console. This video may be a SDI, HDMI, NDI, VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, or another type of signal to a video display (TV), projector, or LED wall. Basically, what this comes down to is deciding do you want it to be a video display type or is it a lighting type of signal being sent to a pixel controller. Neither way is the wrong way it just depends what you want the final output to be. Using Actual Video You’re not going to be able to drive a video display directly from a lighting console. However, some pieces of lighting software that runs on PC’s can also output a window of video (which can then be brought full-screen and output via a video output of that computer. Examples of Software: Show Buddy Active (from db Audioware) dmxis.com Chamsys MagicHD Using a Media Server Most often, however, media for video screens is triggered via a media server, which can then be triggered by a lighting console via DMX input. There are a lot of examples, but here are a few popular ones: Resolume Arkaos Grand MA VPU Pandora’s Box D3 Hippotizer *ENTTEC ELM as well Many of these media servers also offer the ability t...

This week on the Podcast we have our Free Q+A Tuesday! I’ll take questions from other listeners and help guide them through my thought process. Opening Segment (2:25) Last week we had a great review come in about the Podcast: I’ve been so happy with this show and the amount of knowledge it has given me that I’ve gone ahead and joined “Learn Stage Lighting Labs” Really a fantastic podcast. – By Mhey via Stitcher – January 7, 2019 Since officially launching the Podcast last year we’ve covered a lot of different topics. As we take on the new year we want to know from you what topics you would like to hear about on the show. Whether it’s listening to interviews, series, or specific topics, I want to know from you what you would like to see come from this Podcast. There is a survey available that will only take a few minutes of your time. It would be greatly appreciated and we would love to hear from you. 2019 Podcast Survey Main Segment (4:25) Ron (4:31) I am working on a lighting project where 65 choir members sing in a Christmas tree. We have done this for over forty years. Last year 2018 the lighting controls failed. Each year 6-7 thousand people view in eight presentations. We have eleven months to get a new control system and modernize. The tree lights are currently ten rows of incandescent T9 strings. They were dimmed by a NSI hdr 8000 SCR Microplex control. The system had a hybrid control interface by Spectacular Celebrations now defunct operated by an 18 year old window 98 computer. There are 40 Potter Brumfield relays that connect the lighting strings to the ten rows of RGYB plus white twinkle and star.  My wish list for new components include: Windows 10 software (user-Friendly) DMX 512 decoder NSI Microplex/DMX. 501 controller to control SCR. Question, will T9 led bulbs which state dimmable by triac Work with this? 40 channels to operate the P&B relays. DMX control to operate pixel LEDS (replace the twinkle light & star) 11 rows My first recommendation would be to definitely go with Computer Based Software that is User-Friendly. There are a lot of options for software that could do what you need it to do but I would personally suggest Onyx or even ENNTEC’S D-Pro or DMXIS. There is a great article about choosing your next console that I want you to check out: How Do I Choose My First (or Next) Lighting Console? If your Microplex Dimmer is in a good shape then you may just need a Converter. If it isn’t in good shape you may want to go with a DMX Dimmer Pack. You’ll want to weigh out which would work better for you financially. For your Pixels, you’ll want to get a Pixel Controller. There’s a lot of questions and depth in the project you are working on. With this, I would recommend checking out Learn Stage Lighting Labs that has a library of videos about the different consoles, action plans, including the Custom LED Design that covers everything you need to know about Pixels. It’s a great resource that will definitely get you pointed in the right direction. Troy (10:00) Hi, I was wondering if there is a free computer lighting software that I can get or download to test lighting effects like in your vids? There are some free Visualizers on the market but those are only able to work with certain consoles. The Visualizer I personally like to use is Capture. There is an article that goes through the Free Visualizers as well as the Paid versions that I recommend checking out. You can read more here: So You Want A Lighting Visualizer.

This week in the Podcast we’re going to revisit one of the most listened to Episodes of Learn Stage Lighting Podcast. How bright, does your light really need to be? There’s no one size fits all answer to this so we’re going to go through different types of setups and stages to help give you a clearer perspective on how to approach this topic. For the Original Show Notes you can visit: Episode 16 – How Bright Does My Light Need to Be? Main Segment This week I want to dive in on how much light do you need and how bright it needs to be. With many different types of stages and setups, there really is no one blanket suggestion to cover this. Whether you already have lights or you’re in the process of purchasing lights here are some tips on brightness and lighting. How Much Ambient Light is There in Your Room? Lighting is all about Contrast. Something to consider is if there is a lot of existing light in your room you may not need as much or such bright lights. If your doing lights for a band in a dark venue you don’t want to overwhelm your audience with extremely bright lights. For more info on the brightness of certain lighting check out the article here: https://www.learnstagelighting.com/footcandles-lumens-lux/ What Else is on the Stage? Another factor to consider is checking to see if there are existing lights on the stage. Possible there are lights that do not turn off or house lights? Be sure to test lighting to see what adjustments you may need to make. With projection screens, you normally want to keep your lighting the same as the brightness of the projector. One way to test this is to take a picture of the screen. Is your stage overpowering the projection or vice versa? Depending on what you’re looking for just adjust the lights and brightness as needed. What Do the Room and Cameras Need? Years ago, cameras needed a lot more light than they do now. Typically, if you’re shooting in a short distance you won’t need as much light. If you’re shooting a farther distance you may need more light. More important than brightness is keeping your lights even. For example, if you have some dark and light spots on your stage it may appear darker than what you are hoping for. Keeping your lights even will prevent this effect on your stage. Here’s a great resource on how to even your lighting: https://www.learnstagelighting.com/how-do-i-create-an-even-wash-of-stage-light/.

This week on the Podcast we are continuing the Free Q+A Tuesday from last week’s show and answering questions from our Listeners. This is where I take questions from listeners and walk them through my thought process. This Podcast has come a long way and as we take on 2019 I’m hoping to hear from you about what you would like to see on the show. Is it more interviews, more conversations about certain topics,  interviews with certain individuals? We have a survey available that will only take a few minutes of your time. It would be greatly appreciated and we would love to hear from you. 2019 Podcast Survey Main Segment (2:25) Ed (2:30) Can you use show buddy when you don’t use backing tracks? Is there a way to key it to something off your instruments? We don’t use midi. We do have studio one and DMXIS. Showbuddy is only used for backing tracks, it’s just a lightweight digital audio workstation. So, it seems you do not need to use Showbuddy. The Studio One does have a VST Plugin. You can install DMXIS as a VST and be able to use DMXIS inside of Studio One. The other way to do this is set up MIDI Tracks out of Studio One and send it out to DMXIS. With either option, you should be able to use DMXIS with Studio One. If you do get stuck on how to set this up, be sure to check the DMXIS Manual for instructions. Victor (5:40) Please do a video on youtube about “Ultra DMX2 PRO – USB DMX”. Also, I’ve found the same with PoE and I’m not sure which one to choose. DMX King is a brand out of New Zealand that doesn’t offer the best support. I don’t recommend DMX King because I have tried a couple of their products and it wasn’t a good experience. I do suggest going with a more reputable and established product such as Chauvet DMX-AN, ENTTECT ODE, or Elation’s Enode 2. With these brands, you can actually speak to support and their warranties are great. PoE is Power over Ethernet which is a way for devices that don’t use a lot of power but can get power over the network. This is a strategy used when you’re working with multiple devices. If you’re only purchasing one, then you’re better off going with just a standard power connection. I do recommend checking out the Chauvet DMX-AN and it may be a good fit for you. You can read more on the Review: Chauvet DMX-AN. Jay (11:45) For starting out doing low budget lighting for a cover band would you recommend? I’ve been debating the Show Express vs DMXIS. I would recommend DMXIS every time because it’s very easy to program.  It’s very easy to run from the station or have a person going through the cues. Show Express is going to be better if you have someone that is available to run the lighting. Troy (13:40) I’m having a hard time with front lighting and only have a small rig 8 led 4 ch wash 2 pin spots. But I do have 4 racks of par 56. 500w with peanut bulbs and 2 adj scanners I was going to invest in some small moving heads. I have 1 truss system 10 feet wide and can go up to 12 feet 2 stands that can hold 4 more lights. When working with front lighting and with a band you’re going to have those lights set up close to the stage. In these types of setups, you want to get the widest beam angle so you can light up more on the stage. Most of the smaller budget lights have a more narrow beam and won’t be able to light up the entire band. So be sure to look for fixtures that have a wide beam. A great article to read more on this is What is Beam Angle? What is Field Angle? Why Does it Matter?

Welcome, 2019 and Happy New Year! I am so excited to get started with the new year. In this week’s episode, we dive into the mailbag for the Free Q & A Tuesday! This is where I take questions from listeners and walk them through my thought process. If you have been listening for a while I would sincerely appreciate if you would take a moment to rate the Podcast and be sure to share what you’ve learned from the show! Rate/Review on iTunes Lighting News! (2:13) In one of my favorite industry magazines, Projection Lights & Staging News or PLSN, released an article about the recent shows done by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you haven’t seen or heard of this orchestra it’s a group that puts on such an amazing show. PLSN discusses the lighting and the effects used in this production. PLSN Trans-Siberian Orchestra Article Main Segment (6:20) David (7:10) Thanks for your help so far with questions regarding D PRO. Further to this subject, I have access to an old mark1 ENTTEC DMX PRO converter. Will this convert from my PC to 5 pin DMX? Or do I need to buy the MK2? In the D-Pro manual, it does show that you can do what you want with Mk1. If you have any additional questions regarding the software you can always reach out to ENTTEC’s Support as well. Robert (9:00) Been using Learn Stage Lighting to learn how to light the band I am in. We are currently figuring out or path forward. The question I have is how to combine an LED Screen (or multiple screens) and other lights controlled by DMXis. For example, to have said a LED type screen behind the drummer displaying fractal patterns synced with whatever lights we would have set up via our Light Bar. There’s not a lot of options for video and lights being triggered by DMXis. So, the developer that created the DMXis created the ShowBuddy Active which is still new but a program that is designed to trigger light and video through DMXis. You can read more about the program here: ShowBuddy Active Tom (14:13) I have the latest iMac and OS, I am running Digital Performer 9 along with DMXIS. Can you help me with set up, running my lighting rig, using MIDI in DP9 and DMXIS? How do I set up DP9? I can’t find anything on the internet on the nuts/bolts of this. You can use any digital audio workstation with DMXis. You can run DMXis as a VST plugin with a lot of DAWs. Digital Performer does have the capability to use VST plugin. If you installed DMXis on your computer but didn’t specify a place to install the plugin you’ll want to re-install DMXis on your computer and this time you will want to specify where you want the VST Plugin. Once you get the VST Plugin set up you’ll be able to set up MIDI lanes. Another way to set up your MIDI’s is via MIDI Notes. On channels 15 and 16 you’ll be able to trigger the DMXis banks and presets that you pre-recorded. Inside of Learn Stage Lighting Labs, I have available how to set this up through Ableton, which is a very similar setup to most DAWs. Learn Stage Lighting Labs (19:10) The sponsor of this Podcast is Learn Stage Lighting Labs. Learn Stage Lighting Labs, is a great resource if you want to help save yourself time and money when it comes to lighting. You’ll have access to great resources for lighting and technical support whether you’re working with a band, church, etc.

Happy New Year! In our previous Podcast, we started talking about the technical side of Pixels and LED Tape. In this episode, we’re going to go more into the Design aspect of it. If you haven’t listened to the first episode be sure to check it out! Episode 45 – The Complete Guide to Pixels, LED Tape and Custom LED’s: Part 1 If you’re new here, I have a Quiz that will help me send you a customized Guide on getting started with Lighting: FREE Guide @ LearnStageLighting.com/quiz. Main Segment (1:50) As I mentioned earlier in Episode 45, The Complete Guide to Pixels, LED Tape and Custom LED’s Pt 1 we covered the technical side of working with Pixels, LED Tape, and customer LEDs. In this episode, I’m going to cover the design aspect of it. Layout Regardless if you’re working with Pixel Tape, LED Tape, etc you want to start designing by focusing on the layout. You first want to focus on what you are looking to get out of the LED or Pixel Tape. What do you want to highlight on the stage? What do you want it to look like? When working with LED Strips some have considered creating a wall of LED Strips. While this is possible it does create a Low Resolution. So, with LED Strips I recommend using the strips to outline a part of the stage or an object. Or you can create a graphic or shape to help bring a great feature for the audience. You can find some great ideas and inspiration on ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com Power and Data Control The most difficult part of working with LEDs is working with the technical side of it. When working with Pixels, Power and Data are actually treated separately. The tricky part about working with certain LED products is that when it’s running a certain distance it can fade out, begin strobeing, etc. This is due to the voltage getting to low. I recommend 12 volt or 24v pixels because it runs further. If you are working with Pixels or Pixel Tape you can insert new power where the voltage drops, unlike LED Tape. This is why, when laying out the design it’s important to come up with a plan for how to power your pixels, not just how they look! Lensing Next, you want to focus on the lensing.  Are you going to use some sort of diffusion cover, coroplast, etc? Or just keep it bare? There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to Lensing. If you this is your first LED or Pixel project I would recommend checking out a source such as ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com and search “LED Pixel”. See what others have done for layout and diffusion. Find what will work for you and your stage. Control The last piece is deciding how you will control all of this. You have 3 different options to work with. When working with Pixels you’re going to be working with a lot of Data. If you’re in the US most likely everything will be measured in Meters (roughly 3 feet per meter). Your first option is to run your pixels from your lighting console. Pixels can be patched and controlled like any 3 channel LED Par. The downfall is that it’s hard to make any creative effects. Also, if your console doesn’t have a lot of Output you could end up having to purchase more output from the console manufacturer. Another option to Run your pixels is a standalone or via a semi-standalone mode. One of the items I like to recommend is the ENTTEC Pixel Port which I’ve used and reviewed here: Review –