Rapu & vsa

[MalcolmD]

Hello All
There is a product I purchased from Brookshire Software called a RAPU which is a music player coupled with 128 channel DMX controller. It also doubles as a USB-DMX dongle.
Programming is done with their VSA software which is included in the price or available separately.
I can find no references to it on the forum.
Is there some reason no-one is using it or do people just not know about it?
I am planning to use it for my next musical fountain.
Current one can be seen at http://www.dmdl.co.nz/Fountain.html
I am looking at DMX cards to drive the many solenoids.
I have also designed a new multipurpose PCB for Henne's Transceiver but have not yet built any.
Are others still building Henne's designs?

Malcolm

[budude]

Hello All
There is a product I purchased from Brookshire Software called a RAPU which is a music player coupled with 128 channel DMX controller. It also doubles as a USB-DMX dongle.
Programming is done with their VSA software which is included in the price or available separately.
I can find no references to it on the forum.
Is there some reason no-one is using it or do people just not know about it?
I am planning to use it for my next musical fountain.
Current one can be seen at http://www.dmdl.co.nz/Fountain.html
I am looking at DMX cards to drive the many solenoids.
I have also designed a new multipurpose PCB for Henne's Transceiver but have not yet built any.
Are others still building Henne's designs?

Malcolm

Hi Malcom - Welcome to DIYC! I know fkostyun (Frank) has a servo board based on Henne's design that he sells from his store (I have two of them but have not built them yet). It's a fairly compact layout.

[DynamoBen]

Hello All
There is a product I purchased from Brookshire Software called a RAPU which is a music player coupled with 128 channel DMX controller. It also doubles as a USB-DMX dongle.
Programming is done with their VSA software which is included in the price or available separately.
I can find no references to it on the forum.
Is there some reason no-one is using it or do people just not know about it?


The reason you don't see it here is because its a commercial item. We as a group are more interested in making our own electronics.

I'm familiar with both VSA an the Rapu. I guess it works for some but I wasn't impressed, especially compared to the price. If it were me I would use the Helix project (found here) with Vixen or Vixen on its own.

[MalcolmD]

I am curious to know whether my musical fountain was so uninspiring as to not rate a single comment, in 140 viewings, or whether no one followed the link.
Although the website is for my business the fountain is not part of it.
It is just a way to allow people to see it more easily than looking on YouTube.
Honest opinions would be appreciated even if not entirely positive.
Malcolm

[dirknerkle]

I'll comment.

I watched the Righteous Brothers video all the way through. And at the end, I asked myself, "Well, what do I think?" It obviously took a lot of effort, technology and cash to create the fountain, and it's very nice. But after a while, I found that (for me) watching streams of water wave back and forth became a bit tiring.

Creative lighting would of course add to it a lot, and it's obvious a lot easier to notice a lighting effect at night. I can see how lighting would add a lot more interest.

I imagine that the fountain makes a little noise, irrespective of the water splashing down. The pumps, valves and spurts have to make some sort of noise when they pop on and off. If it were indeed noisy, I'd find that quite distracting.

But overall, I like it and I think it's very creative. Nice job.

[MalcolmD]

I'll comment.

I watched the Righteous Brothers video all the way through. And at the end, I asked myself, "Well, what do I think?" It obviously took a lot of effort, technology and cash to create the fountain, and it's very nice. But after a while, I found that (for me) watching streams of water wave back and forth became a bit tiring.

Creative lighting would of course add to it a lot, and it's obvious a lot easier to notice a lighting effect at night. I can see how lighting would add a lot more interest.

I imagine that the fountain makes a little noise, irrespective of the water splashing down. The pumps, valves and spurts have to make some sort of noise when they pop on and off. If it were indeed noisy, I'd find that quite distracting.

But overall, I like it and I think it's very creative. Nice job.

Hello dirknerkle
Thank you for your honest thoughts.
Unfortunately you watched what I regard as the least inspiring song for the reason you stated. It is the most popular tune in spite of being uploaded after the others but it appears first on the page. Musically it does not offer much justification for variations.
Please try any of the others and I suggest you will like them better.
The dusk ones need to be viewed in HD but are worth it.
I have paid a lot of attention to reducing extraneous noise, particularly the nozzle design of the shooters, as it can be distracting but the volume of the music masks most of it.
The video was shot with the camera at the same distance as a normal viewer so the sound is as a viewer would experience.
I am currently converting it to DMX control and developing a slightly larger one (More shooters).
It was intended to be a micro version of the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Thanks
Malcolm

[Jack Stevens]

Of the four videos, the "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers looked the least synchronized; as dirknerkle said, it looked like water waving back and forth interspersed with machine-gum shots of water that didn't seem to be coordinated with the music.

The others, though looked done well. I do have to agree that the addition of lights would have added to it, but then it wouldn't be a day-time display.

I do have to admit, though, that water effects aren't really my thing. I've lived in several water-restricted areas, and it's been drummed into me not to waste water; I can't help but think about evaporation rates and such. That's an unfair bias, but as I said, it's been drummed into me by the water authorities I've had to deal with.

I have enough trouble timing lights with music; trying to time mechanical devices, anticipating inertia and water flow delays must have been time consuming. Not something I'm likely to do any time soon. I applaud your efforts.

[Jack Stevens]

Of the four videos, the "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers looked the least synchronized; as dirknerkle said, it looked like water waving back and forth interspersed with machine-gum shots of water that didn't seem to be coordinated with the music.

The others, though looked done well. I do have to agree that the addition of lights would have added to it, but then it wouldn't be a day-time display.

I do have to admit, though, that water effects aren't really my thing. I've lived in several water-restricted areas, and it's been drummed into me not to waste water; I can't help but think about evaporation rates and such. That's an unfair bias, but as I said, it's been drummed into me by the water authorities I've had to deal with.

I have enough trouble timing lights with music; trying to time mechanical devices, anticipating inertia and water flow delays must have been time consuming. Not something I'm likely to do any time soon. I applaud your efforts.

[MalcolmD]

I have altered the page by adding Con Te Partiro at dusk in place of Unchained Melody which is now last.
You can get a better appreciation of the lights on the water but it is hard to get good video at night.
I will look at putting RGB LED's in the lamp holders at a later stage but I was copying Bellagio who don't use color.
As for water, we have had so much rain for the last few weeks that I have to lower the pond every couple of days. In the summer I just let the level go down.
As it was home built by me the cost was probably not much different to some Christmas displays.
Many of the parts were salvaged and the original pump was 30 years old.
Malcolm