Thank you so much for your advice guys! Last night I stayed up late puzzling over the situation. I finally came to this conclusion:
-1 computer with both sunlite and pangolin running on it.
-Dual output video card with two monitors.
-Synch both programs using midi timecode coming from the DJs software; all of the music will be going through his mixer.
This is just asking for trouble. If you were going on tour than this is one thing but a live performance is just that, live. You need to be able to react to any thing that the dj is going to play 100% on the fly for lasers and lighting.
-While dj is spinning I will have a master page and utilize submasters for different colors, movements, strobing etc. (as per colouredmirrorball
; so I can change the whole stages color but everything else stays the same or I can change the moving heads patterns but the color stays the same. All of these effects can be enabled to follow audio at a specific frequency; so if I want strobes for a snare roll I can do that if I want strobes for a pulsing bass line I can do that too.
-Have timelines for the 5 song set of the performer. During practice I will make sure both programs operate at the same speed on midi timecode; if not there is a millisecond offset setting if one is a little off.
again, you need to be live. and not time-lined out, things rarely work out well first time through. You don't want to have anything to do with his equipment. If/when something goes wrong you are going to be the one on the hook.
-During this part of the show I am going to coordinate with the dj to put gaps between each song;
NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! EVER. Like it or not the dj is the show YOU are not. He comes first, you are just the lighting guy. the performer can talk to the crowd during these gaps. I will switch to my next timeline in both sunlite and pangolin and then give the dj the thumbs up and he will play the song thereby triggering the show.
Not knowing what kind of show this is (rave, private party,school...) I don't see this happening.
It's funny because the conclusion I came to last night at 2am is like a mixture between all of you guys ideas. Your responses have confirmed that I am on the right track!!!