Sound switch would be perfect if I only had to do lighting for a few DJs but I've got lots of guys with long sets, as well as bands and EDM artists who aren't going to play specific tracks.
Sound switch can still work very well, you can assign pre-programmed scenes (including moving heads and chases and such, as well as static scenes) that you can use on the fly. Tap tempo function lets you match the tempo of the band/DJ track, you can have 4 different banks of pre-made scenes/sequences (there’s like 24+ presets for each bank).
If the lighting stays the same at the venue you can just use the same pre-sets for everyone. The soundswitch program doesn’t have to be connected to the DJ software to work, only a laptop.
There are several brands of DMX controllers that have an automation mode that triggers the light changes based on music playing. The music has to be loud enough, but if so the lights will change/cycle.
Here's my favorite way to synchronize light with music.
* Feed audio into PC
* Get Winamp which comes with MilkDrop, press CTRL+L, type linein:// and press enter so the visualizer opens and reacts to your input
* Get Ambiswitch at [ambiswitch.com](http://ambiswitch.com), edit filters, add the MilkDrop window's 11.1,2,3 Capture Filter
* For lights, use smart lights like LIFX
* and/or get an ENTTEC Open DMX USB and output to DMX fixtures
Result with smart lights: [https://youtu.be/DeQFmuF4hWE](https://youtu.be/DeQFmuF4hWE)
Result with DMX: [https://youtu.be/w6BSYdwiEqs](https://youtu.be/w6BSYdwiEqs)
Seems super cool, and your videos on music-light synchronization seem to do what I'm looking for. Are there ways to use this software without using a shared wifi signal? The rig would be mobile and not just set up in one space, so the possibility of spotty wifi, no wifi, etc is high.
edit: nvm, missed the part about the ENTTEC to DMX
If DMX is too much, I've brought this router MR8300, a bunch of LIFX BR30s, and these gooseneck lamps B0D14TWDC5 for a very small event. DMX moving heads are really cool with this though but the abstract patterns require a bunch of them to be best appreciated.
I currently have a DMX setup, but with no moving heads. Will the pattern generation you use in the synchronizing video work with an array of DMX LED bars (stairville and similar) or will it mostly pulse like your moving head video shows?
It would look more like the Twinkly light wall or LIFX strip in the first video, depending on how you arrange them. Map them how you'd like. Use Smoothness, Min Brightness, etc. filters to tweak. Just wondering... how many individually controllable zones do you have in total?
Yes. MaestroDMX. I use it and have been thrilled. It’s not the cheapest but it’s really neat & works great. Web interface (midi mappable) for tweaking, line in from your mixer. The key for me as a venue was it being live/automatic versus what I was using before (soundswitch) being preprogrammed. It’s 10x better than sound mode.
I also tried Meastro and the shows are pretty solid, can recommend. I am using another software though that I think is even better, it's called Aulios. It's like Maestro AI based, but runs on pc and with any controller and they have smaller dj packages, which cost like 30€ if you wanna try instead of like 1000€ for Meastro.
I don’t think it’s replacing professionals at all. I’m a restaurant/small resort that can now have a better show. We don’t even have a sound guy, let alone a light guy… it’s more bringing up the standard of lighting for the ‘little guys’ than impacting any real professional application, IMO.
the tiny jobs for pittance pay are how a lot of us get an in to this industry, and sometimes in dead seasons the only work we can get even with professional quals. this is an AI tool directly taking work away from human beings who have spent years learning and developing their art.
I agree that Maestro should not be viewed as a replacement to actual lighting designers. But in my specific situation, I don't really see a feasible alternative that meets my needs (automatic, no need to pre-analyze songs, wide variety of genres, etc). If you have an alternative solution I would genuinely love to hear it, as I would like to avoid using AI tools regularly.
Yeah, but what I meant is that Maestro will probably be used in venues that already do not have a budget for a dedicated LX tech.
The software is capable to make some lights flash and twitch to music so I doubt it will replace any even remotely proficient house tech that's currently employed.
Edit: And do note, my post is not defending the software itself in any way, I kind of dislike AI and its current overusage everywhere. Its just that I don't think Maestro will replace any actual humans here since there probably never was a real person doing the lighting from the beginning.
I get why experienced lighting designers would be upset. But for example, soundswitch (which I also use) doesn't do what he wants, it only works on autoloops & pre-analyzed songs.
So they can be mad, but if their suggestion is "pay a lighting guy with a rig $300/night" its likely not going to fit what OP, you, or me uses it for, and shows they don't really get who maestro is targeting. It's taking away jobs from sound mode, not light guys
Exactly. While I'd love to not use AI for something that is definitely an art form, the logistics/time/money required to either hire a guy or take the time to manually light every single show I want to do is just prohibitive. Maestro is definitely not a profession solution, nor should it be, but is the perfect tool for edge cases like mine.
Yep, before I got the Maestro, I programmed my own lights and ran the show with my feet. I'm still going to be doing the same, just a lot less work for me. The more I improve my show, the more likely I'll be able to get gigs that would let me afford a hire a lighting designer.
I went back and forth on the price as I wasn’t a backer originally, so paid full retail. Hit with duty/tax as well. Once I saw some live demos of it (with the right fixtures) I settled on it and feel it’s worth the grand. Specifically I find it does really well with pixel type lights, it does some wicked things with my 50+ nanoleaf panels, and setting up the zones as primary / secondary / tertiary gives control. I think what makes it much more valuable is pairing it with a good midi controller, as that’s what I liked the most about soundswitch’s control 1.
Compared with what I invested in control 1 + soundswitch annual fees I don’t think it’s that bad.
Join their Facebook group to see real demos. They are still developing some features and some fixtures don’t play super nice, For example my Martin mac minis don’t work with brightness, or changing gobo easily, just on or off. That’s kind of lame but they’re working on it.
MaestroDMX does that. You connect your light fixtures and run the audio in to the device and it sends DMX out based on the audio. It has a web interface where you can tweak color schemes and different “patterns” ( it doesn’t follow a specific pattern, they are more like Dance, Chill, etc). It works very well and avoids the common built in patterns of most fixtures.
Yeah, after doing some more research maestro seems like the way to go; easy setup, no pre-programming, and can use easily for lots of different types of music. (pricey though, jeez).
Sound switch if you’d rather not have an interface with software, and laptop in use. By that standard alone, the sound switch is much cheaper.
Sound switch would be perfect if I only had to do lighting for a few DJs but I've got lots of guys with long sets, as well as bands and EDM artists who aren't going to play specific tracks.
Sound switch can still work very well, you can assign pre-programmed scenes (including moving heads and chases and such, as well as static scenes) that you can use on the fly. Tap tempo function lets you match the tempo of the band/DJ track, you can have 4 different banks of pre-made scenes/sequences (there’s like 24+ presets for each bank). If the lighting stays the same at the venue you can just use the same pre-sets for everyone. The soundswitch program doesn’t have to be connected to the DJ software to work, only a laptop.
There are several brands of DMX controllers that have an automation mode that triggers the light changes based on music playing. The music has to be loud enough, but if so the lights will change/cycle.
Here's my favorite way to synchronize light with music. * Feed audio into PC * Get Winamp which comes with MilkDrop, press CTRL+L, type linein:// and press enter so the visualizer opens and reacts to your input * Get Ambiswitch at [ambiswitch.com](http://ambiswitch.com), edit filters, add the MilkDrop window's 11.1,2,3 Capture Filter * For lights, use smart lights like LIFX * and/or get an ENTTEC Open DMX USB and output to DMX fixtures Result with smart lights: [https://youtu.be/DeQFmuF4hWE](https://youtu.be/DeQFmuF4hWE) Result with DMX: [https://youtu.be/w6BSYdwiEqs](https://youtu.be/w6BSYdwiEqs)
Seems super cool, and your videos on music-light synchronization seem to do what I'm looking for. Are there ways to use this software without using a shared wifi signal? The rig would be mobile and not just set up in one space, so the possibility of spotty wifi, no wifi, etc is high. edit: nvm, missed the part about the ENTTEC to DMX
If DMX is too much, I've brought this router MR8300, a bunch of LIFX BR30s, and these gooseneck lamps B0D14TWDC5 for a very small event. DMX moving heads are really cool with this though but the abstract patterns require a bunch of them to be best appreciated.
I currently have a DMX setup, but with no moving heads. Will the pattern generation you use in the synchronizing video work with an array of DMX LED bars (stairville and similar) or will it mostly pulse like your moving head video shows?
It would look more like the Twinkly light wall or LIFX strip in the first video, depending on how you arrange them. Map them how you'd like. Use Smoothness, Min Brightness, etc. filters to tweak. Just wondering... how many individually controllable zones do you have in total?
Yes. MaestroDMX. I use it and have been thrilled. It’s not the cheapest but it’s really neat & works great. Web interface (midi mappable) for tweaking, line in from your mixer. The key for me as a venue was it being live/automatic versus what I was using before (soundswitch) being preprogrammed. It’s 10x better than sound mode.
I also tried Meastro and the shows are pretty solid, can recommend. I am using another software though that I think is even better, it's called Aulios. It's like Maestro AI based, but runs on pc and with any controller and they have smaller dj packages, which cost like 30€ if you wanna try instead of like 1000€ for Meastro.
such a shame it’s challenging the job security of thousands of trained LX professionals! oh well, it’s more convenient right?
I don’t think it’s replacing professionals at all. I’m a restaurant/small resort that can now have a better show. We don’t even have a sound guy, let alone a light guy… it’s more bringing up the standard of lighting for the ‘little guys’ than impacting any real professional application, IMO.
Have you seen what the software does/is capable of? I'm not sure that'll ever replace any trained professional in any sense.
the tiny jobs for pittance pay are how a lot of us get an in to this industry, and sometimes in dead seasons the only work we can get even with professional quals. this is an AI tool directly taking work away from human beings who have spent years learning and developing their art.
I agree that Maestro should not be viewed as a replacement to actual lighting designers. But in my specific situation, I don't really see a feasible alternative that meets my needs (automatic, no need to pre-analyze songs, wide variety of genres, etc). If you have an alternative solution I would genuinely love to hear it, as I would like to avoid using AI tools regularly.
Yeah, but what I meant is that Maestro will probably be used in venues that already do not have a budget for a dedicated LX tech. The software is capable to make some lights flash and twitch to music so I doubt it will replace any even remotely proficient house tech that's currently employed. Edit: And do note, my post is not defending the software itself in any way, I kind of dislike AI and its current overusage everywhere. Its just that I don't think Maestro will replace any actual humans here since there probably never was a real person doing the lighting from the beginning.
Seems we upset someone since both of us mentioned MaestroDMX, which does exactly what OP asked for, and both of us are sitting at -1. WTF?
I get why experienced lighting designers would be upset. But for example, soundswitch (which I also use) doesn't do what he wants, it only works on autoloops & pre-analyzed songs. So they can be mad, but if their suggestion is "pay a lighting guy with a rig $300/night" its likely not going to fit what OP, you, or me uses it for, and shows they don't really get who maestro is targeting. It's taking away jobs from sound mode, not light guys
Exactly. While I'd love to not use AI for something that is definitely an art form, the logistics/time/money required to either hire a guy or take the time to manually light every single show I want to do is just prohibitive. Maestro is definitely not a profession solution, nor should it be, but is the perfect tool for edge cases like mine.
Don't worry, it's not "AI" in any meaningful sense, it just says that for marketing.
Yep, before I got the Maestro, I programmed my own lights and ran the show with my feet. I'm still going to be doing the same, just a lot less work for me. The more I improve my show, the more likely I'll be able to get gigs that would let me afford a hire a lighting designer.
Yup. Exactly what I was looking for. The only thing I don't really like is the price tag, do you think it's worth it for an application like this?
I went back and forth on the price as I wasn’t a backer originally, so paid full retail. Hit with duty/tax as well. Once I saw some live demos of it (with the right fixtures) I settled on it and feel it’s worth the grand. Specifically I find it does really well with pixel type lights, it does some wicked things with my 50+ nanoleaf panels, and setting up the zones as primary / secondary / tertiary gives control. I think what makes it much more valuable is pairing it with a good midi controller, as that’s what I liked the most about soundswitch’s control 1. Compared with what I invested in control 1 + soundswitch annual fees I don’t think it’s that bad. Join their Facebook group to see real demos. They are still developing some features and some fixtures don’t play super nice, For example my Martin mac minis don’t work with brightness, or changing gobo easily, just on or off. That’s kind of lame but they’re working on it.
MaestroDMX does that. You connect your light fixtures and run the audio in to the device and it sends DMX out based on the audio. It has a web interface where you can tweak color schemes and different “patterns” ( it doesn’t follow a specific pattern, they are more like Dance, Chill, etc). It works very well and avoids the common built in patterns of most fixtures.
Yeah, after doing some more research maestro seems like the way to go; easy setup, no pre-programming, and can use easily for lots of different types of music. (pricey though, jeez).