Tap Tempo for Accurate Event Period

[P. Short]

This is a bit late in the discussion, and I may be commenting more on Jonathon's comments than on the reality that people encounter using his tool, but...

You are not going to get anywhere near 10 ms accuracy in the timing of any AC-based lights using serial communications. In fact, I think that you would be lucky to get 25 ms accuracy. First, the controllers only change the intensity of the lights every half-power-line cycle (8.33 ms in North America). Second, you can't really control which half-cycle a given change in intensity will happen, because the data packets sent out by the computer are not synchronized to the power line, which means that the data in various parts of a given packet may affect the output lights on different half-cycle periods. There are a lot of other effects in the computer that will introduce variable delays and jitter into both the audio and visual outputs...it would take a lot more design effort (and possibly system cost) to get things more precise than around 25 ms.

[JonathonReinhart]

Now that I actually have a show under my belt, and am not just shooting from the hip anymore. I'd like to *partially* retract my timing statements. 5-10ms is unrealistic, but I feel that being off by one 50-58ms event is definitely noticeable, to my eyes anyway.

I used this tool for all of my sequences but the first one, and it really is amazing how much easier it is to sequence something that's properly set at say 56ms instead of 50ms.

Obviously, you will have to insert/remove occasionally to re-sync things throughout the song, but for most parts you will be within the "noticeable" timing tolerance.

Next step, TapTempo add-in....

[JonathonReinhart]

Alright, sooo I got a little side-tracked and ended up writing the dang thing tonight :-)
http://lights.onthefive.com/vixen-plugins

Feedback welcome.

[Virtus]

Alright, sooo I got a little side-tracked and ended up writing the dang thing tonight :-)
http://lights.onthefive.com/vixen-plugins

Feedback welcome.

I used the web tool for all my sequencing this year and it definitely made the whole process easier. I can't wait to try this add-in!

[wjohn]

Jon,

great work. Brian (our Admin) mentioned to me a few years ago that a Musically trained DIYCer gave a lesson at one of the NY/NJ get togethers, her comments are aligned to the general thrust of your post.

I've found that many songs have a accurate beat/click, and it is the older tracks that do seem to vary. E.g for Halloween, I used Thriller and there is a very accurate 2/4 beat, yet for Christmas we have the Jackson's "Can you feel It" , and it has variation thru the song. (ok, not a xmas track but seeing 21 y o girls dancing in the street is kinda cool).

Great to see you diving in to the pool in your first year.

John.

[JonathonReinhart]

(ok, not a xmas track but seeing 21 y o girls dancing in the street is kinda cool).

Great to see you diving in to the pool in your first year.

Hence the reason I did the Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"... girls go nuts for this song.

Diving in, I definitely am. I'm so addicted, it's not even funny. This is a great community of people to work with / help out / and learn from.

[rcouto]

Wow, this tool sounds great and cannot wait to give it a try. However I have elected to use vixen 2.1 due to some issues with 2.5. It would be great if it could be adapted for the users of vixen 2.1

Thanks!
Ricardo

[jonsdog7]

Great Idea

[JonathonReinhart]

Actually, I just tried it, and it does work in 2.1... IAddIn must have not changed from 2.1 to 2.5, unlike IEventDrivenOutputPlugin. I'll update my page.

[bobkeyes]

The program is great. I have used the web based several times with excellent results.

Now I want to use the plug in, but I don't know where to put it. I am assuming it goes in the plugin directory, but which folder?

Thanks for your help and please excuse my inexperience.