How does one get unstuck

[glaforce]

I have been working on the same song for awhile now "Carol of the Bells" i even posted a sequence to the group here that i though i was done with and was given some very nice ideas of what more could be done with it.

At the same time i figured out that i really needed to group my channels in 4's so that the SSR boards would be more where in needed them and i would not have to run as many extension cords plus on top of all of this i also switched from 2.5 vixen back to 2.1.4.0. and also changed to layout of what i wanted to do and also added in the Mega tree..

So basically i had to start over AGAIN so i worked on carol of the bells for many hours and just not feel it if you know what i mean, I just have not been happy with the sequencing that i have done so far and i basically vapor locked and just stop so i steeped away form it for around a month.

Now i back trying to move forward and just think at maybe I'm looking at it wrong plus i have this little voice in the back of my head saying don't give them everything all at once save something to wow them with "someone in this group told me that at one point"


So please help out a newbie and give me some advice or it maybe Christmas 2012 before i blink my first light.

[dirknerkle]

Okay, so you've taken the time off from sequencing, and now you're getting back to it. But in the process you made a lot of changes and you're not happy with what you have so far.... Hmmmm....

Why? What is it that you don't like? Is it the timing? Are you early or late on the beat of the music? Do you like the music you've selected or do you "wish" there was something different about it? Are you concerned that the sequence you make this year won't be able to be used next year because you'll change a lot of your display? Are you worried about what other people will say about your display? Are you worried that your display has only a million lights and not the hundred gazillion lights you really want?

I think you're stuck because you're trying too hard. You're overengineering it. Nobody is going to be critical of your display -- except YOU. Others will just enjoy it, and smile when they see the lights twinkle along with the music. So relish in that -- you'll be putting smiles on your neighbors' and other visitors' faces.

Lighten up. Try a new song. Maybe take a soft rendition of "Silent Night" and use only the random function on all your channels, perhaps choosing 5% or 7% coverage. This will create a generic display of periodic haphazard lights -- not in time with any music, but then again, if you're looking upward at the stars in the sky, they don't twinkle to any song, either...

[ErnieHorning]

In my first year, the neighbors said they like the display. Then I put out the ‘Tune To’ sign and they liked it even better. :D

The point is, if you put up lights and they do anything at all, people will like it. And yes, there were a couple of places where I duffed the sequence but nobody but I even knew it.

The only thing that I changed was to add more fading. With the whole house flashing, it made me dizzy. I left it in ‘Wizards in Winter’ though, barfing was expected. :wink:

[bcstuff]

I find it helpful to look at other peoples sequences to give me ideas. Other peoples creativity helps me be more creative.
I will see an effect they did and say, hey I could use that effect in my song.

Also a few people have shared their sequences with others. You could use parts of their sequences to help you too.
Last year I used some pieces of a couple sequences by Tony Palombo that he was gracious enough to share with every one.

I am slightly Obsessive Compulsive, so even after my show went live, I would watch it and make changes for the next night.
I did this until the show ended by the way.

[ctmal]

Anytime I get stuck I just make sure I have the song on my mp3 player and listen to it anytime I'm in my car. That way I can visualize what I think should happen at any given moment in the song. If I can visualize something I like, say in the middle of the song, I sequence that little part. Sometimes this helps move into other parts of the song.

And, as said before, you will be your worst critic. Sit back every once in awhile, turn on adjustable preview and enjoy what you've done so far...I'm sure others will.

[N7XG]

Dear Unstuck,

I find that when I get stuck on something it is time to put it aside and do something else for a while. I find that doing this causes me to dream about what I was stuck on and at a later time re-approach it from a different angle.

Last year was my first year and was interrupted in the fall due to some family business. I had a laptop and found that i could spend small amounts of time sequencing a little bit at a time. I also worked on more than one song at once.

So stick in there and remember that you are doing this for fun......

Dean, N7XG

[DaveJZ]

I agree with most... the mood has to be right for me to work on Vixen..... Usually about 45 minutes a nite when all is gone to bed... That way I come back fresh minded. If I get stuck.. I put it away for awhile

[djulien]

At the same time i figured out that i really needed to group my channels in 4's so that the SSR boards would be more where in needed them and i would not have to run as many extension cords plus on top of all of this i also switched from 2.5 vixen back to 2.1.4.0. and also changed to layout of what i wanted to do and also added in the Mega tree..

So basically i had to start over AGAIN

It's nice to get the channels defined in the order you want, but not really a necessity. There is a channel reorder function that allows you to rearrange channels as needed, so you don't really need to start over again when rearranging channels. If you really do want to keep them in a nice order, and that order changes, you can copy the sequening you've done so far from one sequence to another if the display order of the channels is the same between the sequences. (but you may want to leave that until you're "done", in case it changes again before then)

don

[Skunberg]

First drop carol of the bells for now. Start another song, go through it in draft mode, planning to come back to it. After you've done enough songs to barely get by for a show, go back and fine turn them in the order that needs it the most. Carol of the bells will probably be the last one you fine tune and by then it will be easy. Also they don't need to be perfect the first year. Your going to have to change them again the next year (added items, changed layout, changed controllers, ect.) and you can do more fine tuning then. And if you don't get them all fine tuned you'll still have a show that everyone will love (except maybe yourself).

3 cents worth (inflation) Brian

[lineman]

I sequence in sections and what I mean is I will sequence just the mini trees and when I like it I move to something else like roof tops and so on. sometimes I know what I want to come on during certain beats so I sequence them first and go back to the odd stuff later. kinda like paint a picture work your display in sections might help just a thought

[kychristmas]

A few days ago one of the experts on here posted a phrase that I had never seen before. "The enemy of Good is Perfection" After some research, I realized that this simple phrase was evidence for why I have so many incomplete projects at my house...

My renovated bathroom sits incomplete because I'm trying to figure out how to get the bow out of a 100+ year old wall. My Deck railing needs replacing, but I can't find the exact right style of Antique Iron Railing/Fencing to replace it. My new DIY CNC sits in my shop 90% complete because I'm waiting until I can afford a controller and stepper motors that are top-end when a middle of the road setup will likely be all that I need.

The point is that you should focus on making your display and sequence good. Less than a very very few people will notice the imperfections that are there, but removing these imperfections will take countless hours and frustrate the snot out of you. Remember, it shouldn't make you miserable. This is supposed to be fun.

One thing I have found is that some things that look terrible in my Adjustable Preview actually look pretty good in the real display. Those that don't, I may tweak after I get the display up and can see the real effect. I use icans mostly and I think they are forgiving and hide a lot of timing issues.

[Skunberg]

A few days ago one of the experts on here posted a phrase that I had never seen before. "The enemy of Good is Perfection"

There it is!!! A better way to word this issue. Thank you!

Brian

[ErnieHorning]

Sometimes "Good enough", really is.

[a158946]

I find it helpful to look at other peoples sequences to give me ideas.

For me this is a bad way to sequence...I find myself just getting ready to start mine, and I realize it's 3am, and I spent the last 5 hours on youtube.

[BuzzKill]

It will never be good enough for you. That's why you do it.

Do not assume that people watching will even get what it is you are doing. I run my lights at Halloween. Some people will stand in front of my yard and watch and comment on how awesome it all looks and when you answer some of their questions, you realize they didnt even know the music and lights are syncronized! It is a show, and they just know it looks amazing to them, but they don't know why. And then when you tell them they go "Ooohh! Wow!"

At some point, you have to step back, let go a little, and say "this is good enough for this year". Otherwise you are going to kill the fun of it all. That one extra element, that one extra string of lights just so, can wait for next year.

[glaforce]

I thank I'm getting what you all are saying.

1. that first make sure it stay fun ( going to have to work on that one right now its pretty much all stress)

2. Don't look for protection in the first year or two or maybe even every real be happy with what you able to do. This one is hard for me I look at Holdmans display and just thank that what I what to do.

3. See number #1 again

4. And to try and not be my own worst enemy on this project, relax and cut myself some slack. This one is going to be a gift one as well.

Are there songs that I should start with that are more beginner leave that would be easyer to sequence? I have be working on Carol of the bells and my wife what me to do Music box dancer. Thanks for alll the good advice I read each and every last post a couple of times.

[ppohlman]

Before I begin sequencing any song, I have listened to it over and over and over again. Each time I listen, I try to visualize my display and pick out parts of the song that really "pop" in my mind of how the lights should look. By the time I actually start sequencing in vixen, I have several parts of the song that I can "see" a general idea of how the lights will look. I then start with those sections; not always at the beginning of the song. Sometimes I have clumps of sequenced song with blanks in between, then I go back and fill in the blanks. That's when I have my wife come in and help with the filler stuff.

At times, if a song is really getting me stuck, I will go to a different song and then come back.

[ErnieHorning]

1. that first make sure it stay…
Forget the fun for now. You won’t realize how much fun you’re having until its up and running.

You’ll eventually forget the stress too. It won’t seem like it was really all that tuff. Well… until you do it all over again the following year.


Are there songs that I should start with that are more beginner leave that would be easier to sequence? The slow ones are the easiest. You can drag out the fades. You can usually set the timing to .1 seconds or more and not notice the timing. You won’t need to fill in as many squares.

[budude]

Forget the fun for now. You won’t realize how much fun you’re having until its up and running.

+1 on that - I still remember last year looking out at my display wondering who had their radio up too loud and there were two little kids out there dancing away to the show on my sidewalk - - BAM - - worth every second I put into it right there! Did they notice I had few things off here and there - - no way!

[Materdaddy]

A few days ago one of the experts on here posted a phrase that I had never seen before. "The enemy of Good is Perfection" After some research, I realized that this simple phrase was evidence for why I have so many incomplete projects at my house...

Do you know who posted that? I'd like to add that to my signature! It explains my projects/house/hobbies/etc. very well!

[ErnieHorning]

Do you know who posted that?
I was Phil Short here. (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15991-Dimming-Curve-Design&p=161949#post161949)

[Materdaddy]

I was Phil Short here. (http://doityourselfchristmas.com/forums/showthread.php?15991-Dimming-Curve-Design&p=161949#post161949)

Thank you, sir! PM Sent to Mr. Short asking to use it!

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