music/lighting/video - software?

faberwire · Joined: May 08, 2008 Posts: 10 Location: felt, inner lining

Hello! I'm new to this forum, but it looks really cool so far.

I was wondering if anyone here might know anything about adding visuals to live performance in the form of lighting and video.

What I'd like to do is program video and lighting to sync up with the programmed backing tracks I use in live performance. I've seen this done by several artists, but I have know idea where to begin.

Also, I'm on a very limited budget, so I'm hoping to start out as inexpensively as possible.

Can anyone help me with some advice?

Thank you!

EdisonRex · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject:

... hope you continue to think this place is cool.

Back in the 70s, we low budget teens used light organs and other triggered stuff to make low budget light shows, since we couldn't afford to do more than rent dimmer packs for the weekend.

Velleman still makes light organ kits. They still work. They are cheap, too. Like $20 cheap in the states. Going DMX/MIDI will set you back a grand or so, so it's worth thinking about.

Start here. I still find the randomness of self directed lighting works great in live situations. but I don't have a lighting guy anymore either.

faberwire · Joined: May 08, 2008 Posts: 10 Location: felt, inner lining

Thanks! That light organ looks very interesting, and the price is great... But I can't say that I'm sure how it actually works. Is there anywhere that you know of that would have a tutorial or more information about it?

egw · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 6:33 pm Post subject:

Most VJ software can be triggered by midi.
Find out more here:
http://www.vjcentral.com/

Visual Jockey and OpenTZT are pretty good and are free.

EdisonRex · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 6:04 am Post subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_organ

faberwire · Joined: May 08, 2008 Posts: 10 Location: felt, inner lining

thanks egw, i'll be checking out that site right away

and EdisonRex, thanks for the wikipedia link. i guess i should have mentioned that i'd already checked that out, and i kind of get the idea of what a light organ is supposed to do. i just wonder if i order that little circuit board with a knob (that i'm supposing would be a sensitivity adjustment), how i actually connect it to lights, amps, speakers, etc. maybe it comes with instructions. i have no idea

EdisonRex · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject: