Somewhat OT - Qlab controllable software lighting consoles

[Andy Dolph]

I know there's been some discussion of this, but im interested to hear what people are using who are using software "light boards" controlled from Q-lab, preferably on the mac.

Love to hear what you're using, how you like it, and a bit about what you're using it for.

Thanks!

Andy

[Nathan Blankenship]

I am using Qlab to control Jands Vista 1 software.  Going out of the mac to a Motu Midi Xpress 128 XT.  Qlab sends MSC messages this way.  Out of the Motu via MIDI and into Engineering Solutions Decabox.  Out of the decabox w/ a "null modem" adapter connected to a "USB-Serial" cable and into a laptop running Windows Vista Ultimate that is running Jands Vista.  Jands Vista runs on both Mac and PC so I would suspect you could use a 2nd Mac.  You could probably "virtually patch" and run both the lighting and qlab on the same computer, but I'd be worried about processor overload.  We also have hooked up 2 Korg Nanopads and use them to "fire off" qlabs commands.  We have a nanopad button for each song; a "stop qlabs"; a "stop lighting"; and a bunch of random lighting scenes.  Works like a charm!  Best wishes.  Nathan Blankenship.

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From: Andy Dolph <acd...@gmail.com>
To: ql...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, May 24, 2012 1:20:40 PM
Subject: [QLab] Somewhat OT - Qlab controllable software lighting consoles

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[Mike P]

Hey Andy,

I posted this a little while ago but here's a system I put together for a show I needed more control than the theatre had. It's a rambling blog about the experience, but it should give you the idea of what I ran into and eventually landed on.

Hope it helps!

http://mdpostdesign.com/Blog/Life,_The_Universe_and_Nothing_at_All/A_Nerds_Life/Entries/2012/5/10_What_to_do_when_you_dont_have_enough_control_Make_it_up!.html

Mike Post
(601) 307-8657
mdp...@mac.com
http://mdpostdesign.com

[ra byn (robin)]

If you want Mac native software that is rather extensive in what it can
do, there is Dpro by Enttec & their hardware:

http://www.enttec.com/?main_menu=Products&pn=70571&show=description

You can download the demo & see if you like the interface.

If you already have parallels & a MS OS, depending on how much control you
need, you could get a version of Light Factory:

http://www.lifact.com/prod_pricing.php

If you just need to control some basic lighting, there are a few Mac
native apps that are free & will talk to a Enttec Open DMX or DMX USB Pro.

If you think you would benefit from having a more versatile DMX device,
the ODE is an ethernet to DMX device & you can hang it anywhere on a
network or even use it via a wireless hub. It speaks ARTNET. The ODE is
cool in that it can merge two incoming streams (on the network). So if you
had a Mac somewhere but also wanted to have a light board somewhere else,
you could add a second ODE. Use it as an input for the lightboard & then
merge that stream with the stream coming off the Mac. There is even
priority options like HTP & LTP & such. There is also no real limit to the
amount of ODEs you can put on a system other than IP addresses. So you can
use them for distributing DMX. Each one gets an IP adress, there is
configuration app for setting it up. Pretty neat little box.

If you want specifics, write me off list.

Best regards,

ra byn

[cedricl]

Just ran a show using QLab through a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 sound module sending MSC to an Expression lighting console. Was just sending "Go" cues to existing lighting cues already programmed into the light board. Worked perfectly timed to the music.

[ra byn (robin)]

On Sat, May 26, 2012 8:11 pm, cedricl wrote:
> Just ran a show using QLab through a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 sound module
> sending MSC to an Expression lighting console. Was just sending "Go" cues
> to existing lighting cues already programmed into the light board. Worked
> perfectly timed to the music.

If by GO you mean a generic GO cue & not "this qlab cue recalls a specific
cue on the Expression", I wonder if there is the option of doing so.


My experience using generic telnet GO commands in SFX is that doing so
makes it near impossible to get thru tech rehearsals where you don't go in
order or you need to back up. It also makes it really hard to keep track
of things if the LD adds, subtracts lighting cues. How many GOes before
the next sound cue???

When I program SFX 5.6 to control LF2 using the telnet function, every cue
in SFX is recalling a specific lighting cue in LF.

"cue runner 1 (cue list) 1 (cue)"

instead of

"go"

Mandatory if you have more than a few lighting cues in my opinion.

I'd love to see Qlab 3 include a native telnet cue:)

Best regards,

ra byn

[Mike P]

On May 26, 2012, at 11:35 PM, ra byn (robin) wrote:

> On Sat, May 26, 2012 8:11 pm, cedricl wrote:
>> Just ran a show using QLab through a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 sound module
>> sending MSC to an Expression lighting console. Was just sending "Go" cues
>> to existing lighting cues already programmed into the light board. Worked
>> perfectly timed to the music.
>
> If by GO you mean a generic GO cue & not "this qlab cue recalls a specific
> cue on the Expression", I wonder if there is the option of doing so.

Specifying the cue number in the MSC command will execute that cue on all ETC boards. Very handy when you need to jump around.

[cedricl]

As Mike stated below, I just entered the cue number of the lighting cue programmed in the lighting board in the MSC Inspector. As long as you have you MSC routing in Workspace preferences specified and the correct midi channel in the MSC inspector, it worked flawlessly. Entering cue 135 triggered cue 135 in the lighting console.

[ra byn (robin)]

excellent!

ra byn

[Thombody]

excuse my lack of technical knowledge, I am new to all of this, does that mean you didn't need the Entec DMX Pro as an interphase?

How do you connect a ligthting console to an audio device? Could you explain your setup in a little more detail for a complete novice...

Can you recommend a small, budget, lighting console which could achieve a similar result?

thank you

[Mark Valenzuela]

How do you connect a ligthting console to an audio device

Most audio interfaces and many lighting consoles have MIDI in and out ports. With a MIDI cable you can hook up the two devices and send MIDI messages to and from QLab and your lighting console. 

Best,

Mark

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[Andy Dolph]

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I have NOT had great luck with the Entec DMX Pro interfaces.  Major driver issues.  It will usually work with the simple single seen 16 channel demo console in Entec's test utility, but not with anything else.

Id be interested in other peoples experiences...

I have, so far, had fairly good luck with the Entech ODE as an artnet node - witch control coming from various iApps, but still not so much with stuff from my Mac.

I'd really love to get a mac software console working well, with either (or preferably both)  But I haven't been able to make it happen.

I would particularly like to get LXConsole working, but I've had no luck at all with that...  I'd love to hear from people who have...

Andy

[sander loonen]

Hi,

I have used the LANbox of CDS technologies with their LCEDIT software.

The LCedit software is not the most intuitive, but very, very versatile once you get your head around it. (which took me a few years....)

Now I program the lights in LCedit, sound in qlab, video in catalyst.

Then build a control q- list in qlab.

Qlab sends MSC to catalyst over the IAC bus and to the LANbox over real midi (I use a MOTU ultra lite for sound output, so I have the real midi output)

This has been running stable on my MacBook pro.

But if anyone has got better/easier to use lighting software with moving light support, I would love to hear about it.

Ciao

Sander

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[Thomas Vecchione]

I have one here I am running with Linux, so probably not the same drivers you are, and haven't had to many issues yet from drivers.  Now programming a working fixture with movement in the software I am using... that is a different story;)

       Thomas

[ra byn (robin)]

I own (3) DMX USB Pro, (2) ODE & (2) Open DMX USB along with multiple PCs
& Macs.

Re: drivers

It is my understanding that all the various DMX to USB devices are using
the same generic USB serial driver.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm

Since the ODE hangs on a network, I think the "driver" is the
configuration tool which has always worked for me but it appears to be PC
only. Once set up, the tool isn't needed again until the configuration
needs to be changed,

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=Products&pn=70305&show=downloads

Re: reliability

I've been using these devices for years in the office & at various theater
locations & venues & never had any issues. I've tested the ODE extensively
with Luminaire. No problems. I use LF2 on a PC in general so maybe I
haven't had the issues you've had because of that.

I've played with a bunch of the freeware out there but lost interest
pretty fast. Meaning that the GUI was clunky enough to give up without
ever getting to controlling lightsn part.

With all that said, I'm willing to test hardware / software combinations
on my end starting with LXConsole & all three enttec devices mentioned
above & report either on list or off list.

What else?

ra byn

[Andy Dolph]

That would be great!  LXConsole really does what I want, I've just never been able to get it to output DMX, which makes it less useful...

[Mike P]

On Jul 4, 2012, at 11:30 AM, ra byn (robin) wrote:

> It is my understanding that all the various DMX to USB devices are using
> the same generic USB serial driver.
>
> http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm
>
> Since the ODE hangs on a network, I think the "driver" is the
> configuration tool which has always worked for me but it appears to be PC
> only. Once set up, the tool isn't needed again until the configuration
> needs to be changed,

There is an issue with the USB bus that gets you. I had this very problem of no output for a long while before I stumbled on a reference that the library path needed to be changed to let the DMX USBPRO function. A couple of Terminal commands fixed the problem and I haven't had a problem since. I was under the gun and didn't note it well so I can't remember what I did :-( I'm trying to find the link I stumbled on but it seems to have disappeared. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

[ra byn (robin)]

Andy,

Which version are you trying to run & on what OS?

There appear to be (2) different versions of 2.3 (64 bit & universal).

There is also something called "latest build" in (2) versions.

ra byn

[Andy Dolph]

I haven't tried any of the curent versions, it was several months ago the last time I tried it and couldn't get it to work.

I'm going to try the current version this week and will report...

Andy

[ra byn (robin)]

On Wed, July 4, 2012 11:31 am, Mike P wrote:
> There is an issue with the USB bus that gets you. I had this very problem
> of no output for a long while before I stumbled on a reference that the
> library path needed to be changed to let the DMX USBPRO function. A
> couple of Terminal commands fixed the problem and I haven't had a problem
> since. I was under the gun and didn't note it well so I can't remember
> what I did :-( I'm trying to find the link I stumbled on but it seems to
> have disappeared. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

This is what I received by from Jeremy a few minutes ago (on the 4th of
July) after sending him my original email. Not sure if it answers your
question above Mike P. If not, I'm sure I'll get another one from him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone using the FTDI chip on a Mac has the following problem. In OSX you
can't use the virtual com port (VCP or VCOM are typical abbreviations) and
the Direct (D2XX) driver on the same machine. Windows hasn't got this
limitation. This fact, a dictate by Apple, not something either we or any
other manufacturer including FTDI can alter, basically has the potential
to hamstring you if you want to swap from using one piece of software to
another shortly afterwards (unless they both subscribe to the same driver
which is a matter of luck mostly.) It might be possible to remove and
reinstall drivers as needed, but it's no piece of cake, and requires
mucking about with command lines in a terminal window...

You can read more about it here:
http://www.enttec.com/support-center/kb/article/000090
http://www.enttec.com/support-center/kb/article/000091
http://www.enttec.com/support-center/kb/article/000094

Jeremy

[Joshua Langman]

QLab and LXConsole work great together for me. LXConsole even includes a fantastic little feature that generates QLab documents with MSC cues that target all your light cues by number. So you can build a show in LXConsole and have it create a corresponding QLab trigger workspace.