Non Laser Software Control

[Stiffler]

For years I have used Martin Lightjockey for nightclub lighting control, but it has not been updated in almost a decade, and there seems to be no intention of doing so in the future. So, I have been looking for alternative solutions that can both control architectural lighting & club lighting. In my search, I have run across a company called Visual Productions, and I'm wondering if any of you have any experience with their products. Regardless, I am also looking for suggestions to replace LJ. Cheers!

[kl79]

Hello, send me a pm with your mail, i will give it to a friend who represent visual production. He perfectly know how to use cuelux, so i think he will be able to tell you if the product is what you need.

[ClearBlu]

Difficult one this, If you've worn out Lj I'm going to struggle to recommend anything that's as good. What level are you at as an LD Stiffler? The reason I ask is I'm a listed instructor /trainer and have been involved with Martin since the old 3032 pc control (pre dmx).
Advanced use with Lj opens it up more, understanding all the patches you can apply certainly makes control easier.
Lj manager with led trix -perfect for pixel mapping.
Lj touch with a touchscreen is still one of the fastest methods of running a 'dance show' and is ridiculously easy to run with Beyond and an apc 40.
Single Usb (1 universe 512 channels) are crap and a waste of space as you have no dmx in which is essential to try and get round the laughable midi mapping.
There is a working beta of a 'new' version but Harmony (who have bought Martin) are insisting it can only support 'one key' which is causing problems as we all know with the Usb universes they are no where near as reliable as the pci /pcmcia universes. I use a 14 year old dingle and you know how many failures I've had in 14 years.
None!

[ClearBlu]

Sorry double posted
Damn stupid Mac

[Stiffler]

Hi ClearBlu,

The only thing in LJ that I don't use are the cuelists, just because they don't really apply to what I do. When I'm the one running the system I use 2 BCF2000's that are patched to control things like cue speed, macro amplitude & speed, color & gobo scroll, strobes, etc. I don't really like the touch screen feature, as it requires looking at the screen; instead, every single keyboard button is a hot key. As for LED trix, it fucking sucks: You are still limited to 4 universes, and the built in patterns get old really fast (last year I built an LED dance floor, and it's starting to get lame). That being said, my biggest complaints are that it is not possible to trigger LJ remotely (sure, I have a wireless joystick but that's not always practical), it can't be used to control large quantities of architectural fixtures, and the GUI is way too bright for a nightclub (and black would be soooo much sexier). It also can't directly control video, which is also proving to be problematic. I am considering trying out CueluxPro & CueCore, but their user manual is dismal and I don't know anyone that has so much heard of these products, let alone used them.

-Eric

[ClearBlu]

Showcad is acceptable but not my personal choice as I've only played with it briefly. Madrix is a world apart from led trix but again isn't without its own quirks. No one seems to be interested in bringing everything together cohesively, so I stick to Lj with timecode for shows and Lj touch for busking duties.
It's down to Harmann whether they push lj3, the code is done I believe

[Stiffler]

There was a time when I spent as much time on the LJ forums as I do PL, and way back when there was a "secret forum" that only selected members could view; I was one of those members. The forum existed for the purpose of shaping LJ3 through the suggestions of long time LJ users. There were lots of good suggestions, but the project never moved forward and the forum disappeared. I am not very hopeful that LJ3 will ever come to fruition, as there is more money to be made selling consoles.

[ClearBlu]

Sadly your right, I've installed hundreds of mac's and used to install for Martin Hire but now they are a shadow of themselves. Rush series -no thanks

[Stiffler]

The rush series looks a bit pricey for what they are.

[ClearBlu]

Terrible units for the price.Believe it or not this year 70% of my gear on shows will be Chinese sourced apart from some Coemar and older mac's. There are some brilliant Original companies out there who don't just copy, the trick is finding them. This is also the first year my lasers for smaller shows are been sourced from Winni @ Goldenstar. It's a bit of a test really to see if it all is 'roadworthy ' as well as a good performer. Bit of a gamble that I hope pays off (i have backups ;-) )
Stiffer do you stay in touch with the core guys (Paul,Ofer, etc) as there was murder as Lj was going to get no support. Also be aware a lot of parts are becoming scarce and expensive for a lot of fixtures, happily steppers,optos and dmx board's are available from China if you know the part number or equivalent. I've got a list for suppliers if you need parts. I object to putting money into Harmann Kardon as they are renowned for asset stripping and let's be honest no one is going to buy one key when an identical dongle can be had for £200.