Sequencing software comparisons/reviews?

[Ampfan]

I am just getting started with this addiction, so wondered what recommendations people have for sequencing software. There seem to be a LOT of choices, but they all seem to have the same 'look',
but I am sure there are differences on how easy they are to use in practice. I don't mind buying another package if it saves substantial time in use.

I bought several LOR controllers, but will be adding Lynx Express units from now on, since they're much cheaper, so I guess the common denominater will be DMX (or two networks).

I bought a full version of S2, but I wonder if there is a better choice for correographing 100+ channels of megatree, trim lighting, wall wash etc.
Light show pro seems aimed at RGB LED arrays, which I'm not doing (yet. 2 CCRs are't really enough).
Aurorashow seems to be just another S2.
Animated Lighting seems to be really $ for what it does, but does give one programatic design (animation control language).
Vixen is open sourced and free, but how hard is it to get all the bits (addins) working nicely together?
Does it have a MIDI input plugin so one can use a keyboard to add light layers with timing more easily?

I found a reasonably priced high density controller (40 channels) but it does NOT do DMX, but has yet another proprietary protcol that they refuse to divuge, so NO SALE! [Why are makers so dumb as to think that people will buy ONLY their proprietary sequencing software and hardware?]

Anyone know of inexpensive higher density (32+ channel) controllers that do DMX or LOR? I don't want to be running huge arrays of extension cords when distributed control is the way to go (and with an alarm circuit looped through the unused DMX pins, tampering is readily detected).

Thanks in advance for any comments or links to useful commentary on this.

Bob

[Christmas.joe]

Wow.  No hits on this.

I wonder why?  Seems to it would be a good topic to chime in on.

 

[mms]

I've only used Vixen with the LE controller.  I am happy to report that the MIDI converting plugin works really nice.  I've found that if you are having an issue with a plug-in or any hardware, that this board is quick to help and answer.

I'm hoping to learn how to better sequence this weekend (and probably every weekend until December) so if I come across any of your other questions, I'll definitely post.

Good luck!

[jnealand]

I started with LOR and S1.  Got hooked on Lynx with wireless and had to switch to Vixen to get DMX plus it was free and I could convert my LOR sequences to Vixen.  Upgraded to LOR S2, but still used Vixen. But I had the ability to convert my LOR S1 sequences to S2 since I owned the software and then I could convert to Vixen.  Now I have S3 even though I will be doing my show this year with LSP.  The upgrade price for LOR S3 was reasonable and it gives me the ability to download shared sequences that will be done in S3 and view them or convert them to my own show layout.  I've been impressed with the functionality in LSP and do not see anything like it in other software other than LOR S3, but until I can run other protocols like pixelnet and use hardware other than LOR I do not see being able to create a show in anything other than LSP.  Vixen 3 may be good IF and WHEN it ever becomes available and not just in beta form.  For me when I look at the total investment that I have in controllers, lights, and other accessories, most software becomes a rounding error.  I'll be up on my roof in a couple of weeks, and I'm pushing 70, so anything that makes this addiction easier is good to me.  That is why I like Smart Strings.  I can put one string of lights on my roof ridge and have any color I want available versus putting up 3 or 4 strings of different colors.  Same with my gutters and windows.  Another saving is the same lights now work for both Halloween and Christmas.  YAY

[therealbigjim]

Try the three, Light show pro, vixen and the LOR, They have a demo mode or vixen is free. I find I work better with LOR. But I learned on LOR 1. I own Light show Pro but I had a difficult time sequencing anything on it. So the long and the short of it is try it all and see what works best for you. Also there are several sites you can get shared sequences. DL a few and modify them and see how you like the software, that way you are not starting from scratch.

[tbone321]

Fortunantly or unfortunantly, depending on how youlook at it. it is unlikely that I will have much in the way of animation in my show this year so I have more time to evaluate the software that I will use.  Right now LSP is on the bottom of the list due to the high price and seeming lack of support for that price.  I am keeping my eye on LOR S3 software and waiting for the new release of Vixen to see what it can do and what I can make it do.

[Christmas.joe]

I started with Vixen 2.1; cuz it was free.  Then I downloaded the trial version of LOR and for some reason, I liked the intuitive way Vixen's interface was for sequencing.  It seemed simpler to me.  Now I'm considering the trial version of Light Show Pro (just to see if I can use anything it does to help me in Vixen).  I like the Vixen interface it just seems simpler for starting out and that's what I will use this year.  I would think, especially if you are using Lynx Express or anything from this site as a starter, Vixen wins the draw. 

Its simple, its functional, and I've tested it throughout the year and have no kinks in my show (so far).  I've been told that Vixen 2.1 is stable and I've also been told 2.5 works, but has some issues.

Another reason I'm in Vixen is I'm not ready for the RGB smart string arena and LSP seems to handle that area better than the other two. 

 

 

[jnealand]

If was not using smart strings or anything else RGB I would have stayed with Vixen 2.1  Very stable and all my stuff is already in there.

[holland lights]

I use light show pro for my sequencing.

[dmoore]

LightShow Pro for my RGB pixel display!  Go Go transitions!

[TAdamsOK]

I like the transitions available in LSP.  It makes programming large channel counts a lot easier.  But it does take some time to learn how it all goes together.  I used LOR S2 last year.  It was rock solid performance wise, but just too limited when it comes to other equipment.  Now with S3 they have opened up the DMX options it sounds like. 

XLights is something I need to get started learning about as well.  My halloween animation is spotty at best coming out of the LSP Scheduler.  Sometimes it works fine, but other times you have to restart the software to get it to start the show.  Of course that could just be something with my computer as well.

I have used Vixen just to generate large fields of random data to test new controllers.  It seems to run very stable from what I have used it.

[holland lights]

Might try exporting your lsp sequence to lor sequence and using xlights to run the show.

[keitha43]

Exporting to LOR and using xlights would take me forever as the 3048 channels I have for the rgb nodes on my megatree get exported separately and I would have to recombine them manualy for each song.

[smartcontrols]

I use Vixen 2.1 and find it very stable, solid, and reliable. I have used it for about 3 years now. It is used by many people and there is a lot of support and help for it from both it’s site and many other sites as well. For smaller shows it is one of the easier ones to learn. You can start off quickly doing the simpler things and gradually learn some of its short cuts and tools to do the more complex things or find how to do things faster and easier. At the same time it can handle your larger shows when you get there. This year I am using it for my 21,000+ channel show. So far Vixen is the only one I have found that can handle a show of that size. All of it’s control files are in standard XML, so when you get to that point, you can go in and modify them directly if you wish. It is open source so no preparatory stuff and it is free. (Vixen 2.5 is used well by some, but is not as stable and has not been released. There are conversion utilities if you want to go from one version to the other.)     

I tried LSP last year and again this year. I could never get it to work reliably for my needs. It is not very flexible. You must do everything the designer’s way to get it to work at all and there is very little support. Although they charge for it, it is not written or maintained like I would expect production software to be. It is written and tested more like freeware that they are charging for, so don’t expect too much. You spend a lot of time trying to convert things into the way it wants them only to find it does not work anyway. I find it very frustrating and it can be very hard to find out how and what you need to convert something into for it. You get things working in preview and go to run a show and it is different or just locks up. It is very fancy but the basics are just not reliable enough for me to use in a real show. I put way too many hours into it, to wind up with nothing and there is almost no help for it. I do not think I will be trying it again.

I have never tried LOR. It is to non-standard and expensive for me. I am much more of a DIYer.
 
What ever you decide to sequence in, I would recommend you take a look at xLights to schedule your show. It appears to be stable, solid and well written.

Just my experiences with them.
-Jeff

[charles59]

It is open source so no preparatory stuff and it is free.

Just a clarification, Vixen is not open source, at least to my knowledge.  It is free.