Mutiple Monitor setups ?

[ShortyInCanada]

I was over on LPF and one of the guys there posted about multiple monitor setups.

This reminded me that one of the things I really want to do is to use this idea for working a "show" myself.
Does anyone here have much experience with this topic ?
I'm thinking along the lines of running the computer generated display of what the projector should be doing full-screen on an auxiliary display (on the right – if the software supports this feature) while having the main interface on the primary display (center) and perhaps written cue sheets or notes available on yet another side monitor. (left)
With a good enough computer, perhaps in the near future, running another application simultaneously would be possible. Like another lighting control program for all the other lighting effects, fog machines, pyrotechnics, or just a video display program fed to a video projector.(Which are becoming laser-light driven now too !) Being able to call up and select/synchronize other things while the show is running would be awesome.

[norty303]

I've pretty much done everything you've mentioned there.

LivePro has native support for dual windows, so I run the cue grid on an external touchscreen, with the preview and live control interface on the laptop monitor.

I then use Chamsys MagicQ routed to a further touchscreen which I also have a control wing for. MagicQ usually has its own dedicated machine to run on, but I have both machines configured to quickly run both lights and lasers should the need arise.

The first machine I ever set that up on was an old 1.67Ghz P4M with 1GB or RAM running XPsp2. My current laser gig machine is a 3 year old Core2Duo T61 Thinkpad.

MagicQ also has a pixel mapper built in so you could select the preview output in LivePro as your 'screen grab' in realtime, and use that to drive an LED video wall. I did have a discussion at a gig last year with a lighting guy who had thought about building a small 3 channel analogue box that could be controlled as RGB values by DMX. This would be driven by the lighting desk and run the colour channels on the lasers, whilst the laserist controlled everything else. This way lights and lasers could all be colour synced from the lighting desk.

[ShortyInCanada]

Thanks Norty.
You have given me some words of encouragement concerning the hardware.
And given the software you mention the possibilities seem to be there, in some fashion at least.
But everything seems to be coming from the laser show software as a source.
I'm also thinking about outside software applications to be melded into the whole experience.
This is something that keeps cropping up as a limiting factor for a lot of software related to audio. I'm watching for these programs to start offering a video playback for audio tracking. If you were to use a music video as a source you still have the audio time-line available but the option to use the video imagery would also be available. This would allow the operator to project the synchronized video while adding his own lighting effects. Done properly the whole experience could be truly immersive and stunning
-Think of the scene in “Aliens” when there is a laser scanning the ship...if this video was projected (using a regular video projector) onto a scrim and you sync your laser to pass through the scrim & video image the audience gets scanned too. They suddenly are part of the “video” they are watching...could be a really cool thing to be part of. Even if this clip is only embedded into a long musical track with similar other clips. The audience will feel as if they are part of the video.
And the option to not use the video may be the best way of tuning your performance for the crowd you are playing to at the time.
I don't know anyone who could modify the existing software to add this feature but my limited knowledge on how the computer processes a video file versus an audio only file leads me to believe that it shouldn't be too much more complicated. The limitations are probably being concerned with the computer's ability to process the visual side of the process, which is now more often than not being almost completely done by the graphics cards. The audio is already being split from the video and processed separately by all software players so that already exists. I don't know why it isn't being included other than nobody is asking for it yet.
But thanks for your experience anyhow.

So does anyone else have some experiences you could share ?

[norty303]

Well, MagicQ as a lighting desk has full media server control functionality (Hippotizer, Arkaos, etc) and also has a timeline function, so mapping your video clips and lighting effects to a sound track is possible.
How you trigger the laser is the next question really, I'm sure it could be done. In fact if its preset frames at the right time, just use an FB3-SE with the frames loaded on the card and run it from the DMX of the desk. So yes, at least one way to do it that I can think of immediately.

[ShortyInCanada]

I bow to your experience and resourcefulness.
Unfortunately I'm just new to all this laser "stuff" and don't have any equipment or software or a lot of funds to aquire it all either. I'm trying to work all the options through my head while not understanding enough about most of them yet to be able to do it ! (There is soooo much to learn.)
I have Theatre and TV production experience and some dated/limited knowledge of the "tools" involved for productions, including some DJ type things from long ago, but not much experience with the latest developments.(the last...now it's over 10 years for crying out loud !)
Reading about these things only takes you so far and I'm more of a hands on learner to begin with. But long term unemployment and the resulting financial hardships prevented me from being able to even see things firsthand nevermind getting to work with any of it. Things got so bad I just dropped out of living for about 6 years. (Just "existing" from day to day to day for years ! It takes an incredible toll on you.)
Your solution involving the DMX controls sounds interesting. It seems that more and more products are becoming DMX controlled or controllers. But I'm still a bit hesitant to go that route as I probably will never get to that professional level of performances. (Now 20 years ago I would have been all over it, and 30 years ago I was wanting to do what has only been possible in the last 10 years ! A bit ahead of the curve.) Still, I do hate my current employment prospects and so called "career." Hmmmmmm. Maybe a bit more time looking into this might be a good idea.
I have a young son and as he grows up I will have access to a live-in consultant for the new music and trends...
Now I will have to find the time to look up a bunch of things that you listed to see how it all works. (My son doesn't like me reading. If it's daytime then it's time to play ! And the exercise doesn't hurt either.)

[norty303]

Well on the finance front, MagicQ is a free download and Chamsys sell a MagicDMX dongle for £10 (5 hour limit then you have replug) or a full one for £60. Not sure if the full media control is available though, certain functions are disabled unless you have one of their 'proper' interfaces or wings attached (not cheap but still cheaper than the £6k+ for a full desk)
ELO touchscreen off ebay for ~£70-£80
Be warned, MAgicQ is a 'proper' DMX desk, its just the software off their actual desks, and so will require some understanding of how a traditional moving light desk works - but its oh so powerful! I love mine, which is why I shelled out for a PC wing. Don't assume because its on a PC it's going to react like a traditional PC application

[ShortyInCanada]

"Don't assume because its on a PC it's going to react like a traditional PC application "
That sounds good to me. It seems that everything is designed to work in "Windows" environments and I CAN'T STAND WINDOWS ! Never liked it. Never will. But with so many software options dependent on it...Uuuuggghhh! (I remember way back in college for a "programming" course when they were updating the terminals in the computer lab. The "IT" guys were all excited about the new DOS coming out from this company called "Microsoft". They had their own version of DOS with all these nifty shortcuts built in...Yep MS-DOS vers. 1.0)
MagicQ is a free download of a "proper" DMX desk...sounds like a good opportunity to check it out. I'm not afraid of `hard' when it comes to learning something new. It helps to motivate me to solve the problems. And a fairly inclusive package with lots of features and options would allow for me to experiment with it and find how to make it work best for me.
DMX hardware is everywhere and isn't overly expensive to get some entry level products to "play" with.
And if it is compatible with some laser software too then this might be the avenue for me.
Many thanks to you kind sir.
I've got a few weeks worth of research and the likes from this thread already.

[taggalucci]

Using a midi sequencer with midi enabled programs would allow you to sequence video, audio, lighting, lasers, pyro, smoke, etc etc...

[norty303]

I just spent the evening chatting to Rob Stanwax and he showed me Beyond, most interestingly (for the purpose of this discussion) there is an ArtNet setup option on one of the menus, which would be the ideal way of synchronizing the 2 applications.