DiyLightAnimation
Fun => The Porch => Topic started by: mmciver on February 21, 2015,
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I have recently been looking at different displays online and on the Christmas shows and while the RGB Pixels certainly make it easy to setup a show, I find I miss the look of the older light shows!
Before you flame me out, this is my opinion only. I know that everyone puts a lot of work into their shows.
Personally I am using RGB for a Merry Christmas Sign, a Firework star, some Candy Canes and Small Items to hang in my trees. For everything else I am using standard LED strings. I like the look.
I will be adding these new RGB items in my 2015 show.
I thought it might be fun to hear others opinions.
No flaming please, just opinions, and everyone is entitled to theirs.
Thoughts?
Mike
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I'm doing a mix. I'm still converting to LED's so I'll have incans, LED's and hope to have some RGB. It's whatever you like that matters. After having done this for a few years, the lights alone don't make the show, it's what you do with them that matters. Either way, have fun.
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I will have a mix this year also. As Jeff said, sequencing is the key.
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I was never gonna do RGB, then went to the Academy and saw the demo pixel tree that RJ brought. My wife looked at it and said I want one. Then I did eves and windows. Now I've decided that I do not like the look of RGB and LEDs in the same vicinity of each other so I'm going to make the whole front yard RGB and put all the LED stuff in the side yard (corner lot). At least that is the play right now. One thing I can say is that putting up RGB is much simpler and tools like nutcracker make sequencing much easier for me. I used to put 3 strings of LEDs on each window and then had to run 3 extension cords. Now I put up 1 PVC frame and run on coax cable. On my eaves I used to have 4 strings of LEDs and then all the associated extension cords. Now I have one string of RGB per section and one coax per section. Plus I can put those two things (windows and eaves) up in October and turn them on using purple and orange for Halloween. Then I just leave them up until the Christmas show is ready. Can't put stuff in the yard until the bulk of the leaves are down and picked up. So there are pros and cons and you must surely way what you like the look of. RGB kind of grows on you. I'm getting a little push for 2015 on the all RGB side since my LED strings are aging and I am getting more failures every year. 1/4 of mega tree was out when I finally took it down in January.
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You name I use it. PixelNet, Renard, DMX, MultiSync Raspberry Pi-s (still can't figure out the plural of Pi), Smart Pixels (bullet, strips, rectangles, squares), Dumb RGB (strips & rectangles), LED (strings, floods & snowfall tubes), Incandescents, Blow Molds, Inflatables & projection. Too much of a good thing - probably, but the spectators haven't been booing my shows and I'm having fun and that's all that matters (to me at least).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3uNdVT0blg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiPRyR1LxlA
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I have recently been looking at different displays online and on the Christmas shows and while the RGB Pixels certainly make it easy to setup a show, I find I miss the look of the older light shows!
Before you flame me out, this is my opinion only. I know that everyone puts a lot of work into their shows.
Personally I am using RGB for a Merry Christmas Sign, a Firework star, some Candy Canes and Small Items to hang in my trees. For everything else I am using standard LED strings. I like the look.
I will be adding these new RGB items in my 2015 show.
I thought it might be fun to hear others opinions.
No flaming please, just opinions, and everyone is entitled to theirs.
Thoughts?
Mike
I pretty much have a mixer of different lights. RGB are very flexible in use (a bit $$, easier to use with nutcracker) but I don't ever see me getting rid of my blow molds. This year I am finally converting my roof lights over to C9 leds for better color and brightness. A big Maybe this year to get a "small" RGB tree.
Have no fear Mike, Flames are NOT allow on DLA and if does happen it won't be there long ;D >:D
Rick R.
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When I started in this little Hobbie I was 100 prevent icons. I am running those to this day along with RGB. I have found that the lights are not as important as the sequencing. If you use Nutcracker you may notice the next big up grade will give it the ability for sequencing the 120 volt controllers. I really enjoy the single channel controllers. My wife love the C9 bulbs used in a string and not single bulb control.
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... Raspberry Pi-s (still can't figure out the plural of Pi)
Pies?
\dmc
PS: Coconut creme for me, please.
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... Raspberry Pi-s (still can't figure out the plural of Pi)
Pies?
\dmc
PS: Coconut creme for me, please.
I prefer Apple Pies thank you
(Another useless post by yours truly) -aka RR ::)
Rick R.
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The Blueberry Pi is far superior and has a built in RTC. I'm really surprised that they didn't fix that when they released the Ras Pi 2.
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I think the biggest thing I'm looking forward to is the setup of the RGB stuff. With over 600 channels of AC, it get's old trying to figure out which prop somebody plugged in incorrectly. Nothing like saying: plug it in wherever you want.
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You will find that RGB has its own issues as well. The huge number of channels that many RGB node displays use span across multiple universes so it is not quite "plug it in wherever you want". Then some of the brighter nodes strings will require power injection and the issues that come with that. Much like the old mini lights, if one node goes out, in many cases all of the nodes behind it will also go out. While the power and flexibility of the nodes make them worth the few issues that they have, as they say, there is no free lunch.
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ONE time I got a free lunch.
It just about killed me. Then later it costed me thousands of medical dollars. In hind sight I should of just brought my own lunch.
<fp.
Rick R.
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Then I guess that it wasn't all that free after all. :o
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(still can't figure out the plural of Pi)
The plural of Pi is obviously 9.42477796...
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I would say if you like the look, then you like the look, and anyone else's opinion really isn't that important. That said, sharing ideas is a truly fine means of achieving creativity. As Jeff mentioned, sequencing is a very important aspect of the show, but I would say the layout is just as important. In my opinion, it isn't so much what you use as what you do with them, both spatially and chronologically. To me, elegance and harmony are far more important than either a fancy layout or a clever sequence. Unfortunately, although I greatly appreciate artistry, I'm not terribly good at it. That is why I am asking an artist friend of mine to help me with ,the layout and sequencing of my show this Christmas. I don't have a very big budget, so I am going with a few incandescent stings - mostly static, a few LED strings in trees, a tree stump laced with RGB LED tapes, a "peppermint" pole wrapped with alternating static red and white LED tapes, and a number of "SuperSphere" LED balls. No RGB strings this year, I expect, but that's due to budget, rather than preference.