Hi all , I am very new at this but looking forward to having something for 2017 As I have very little knowledge and experience I am thinking of going LOR Pro series with built in mp3. Are these easy to use? Can I just plug lights in and go? It says the board is for out in the weather but then the plugs hang out the bottom, wouldn't they need to be out of the weather too? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
New and inexperienced
- Thread starter Inschy
- Start date
Hi And welcome to the madhouse,
may I suggest that you download and read the 101 manual, then read it again. then plan what you think you need and post it here for some feedback. Chat is always a good place to ask questions.
Most of us don't use LOR as it's way too expensive, we tend to build our own. But having said that don't let me prevent you from buying LOR, just make sure you do your homework first.
https://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,1889.msg17038.html#msg17038
Cheers
Fing
may I suggest that you download and read the 101 manual, then read it again. then plan what you think you need and post it here for some feedback. Chat is always a good place to ask questions.
Most of us don't use LOR as it's way too expensive, we tend to build our own. But having said that don't let me prevent you from buying LOR, just make sure you do your homework first.
https://auschristmaslighting.com/forums/index.php/topic,1889.msg17038.html#msg17038
Cheers
Fing
I'd like to suggest avoiding 240V controllers unless your light sets are 240V along their entire length and don't have low voltage plugpacks. An example is party lights. If the plugpacks are heavy with AC output (now uncommon in shops) then they'll probably tolerate being turned on and off. The common lightweight DC ones are not as tolerant and they can have a delay between their input and output.
DC controllers would be the way to go for low voltage light sets but there is some hacking involved which I (and other forum members) can help with. How many wires are there between the 8 function unit and the first LED? This will determine the correct controller type. It can change from year to year in shops.
You also have the popular option of pixels so that you get individual control of the colour and brightness of every light. Pixels require a different controller type. Falcon Player on the Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone is a popular option for those of us who want to run our displays without a computer.
Download xLights and Vixen. These are both free sequencers so there's no harm in trying them and seeing which one you prefer. Many people including me are happy to share sequences and xLights allows you to import them for your display.
You have a year to read up, learn and order what you need. Get started now because there is a lot to learn and setting up a computer controlled display takes more time than a static one. A technique that worked for me was to read every new forum post regardless of whether it made sense - sooner or later it will start to make sense. There's also the chat which is an excellent learning resource. Put some time into learning before making your first purchase so you don't buy something and then change your mind. Posting your shopping list on the forum for feedback is a good idea too.
Try finding out if there is anyone nearby who can take you on a tour through their setup. This is the time of year when you can see them in action!
DC controllers would be the way to go for low voltage light sets but there is some hacking involved which I (and other forum members) can help with. How many wires are there between the 8 function unit and the first LED? This will determine the correct controller type. It can change from year to year in shops.
You also have the popular option of pixels so that you get individual control of the colour and brightness of every light. Pixels require a different controller type. Falcon Player on the Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone is a popular option for those of us who want to run our displays without a computer.
Download xLights and Vixen. These are both free sequencers so there's no harm in trying them and seeing which one you prefer. Many people including me are happy to share sequences and xLights allows you to import them for your display.
You have a year to read up, learn and order what you need. Get started now because there is a lot to learn and setting up a computer controlled display takes more time than a static one. A technique that worked for me was to read every new forum post regardless of whether it made sense - sooner or later it will start to make sense. There's also the chat which is an excellent learning resource. Put some time into learning before making your first purchase so you don't buy something and then change your mind. Posting your shopping list on the forum for feedback is a good idea too.
Try finding out if there is anyone nearby who can take you on a tour through their setup. This is the time of year when you can see them in action!