Jump to content
Vari-Lite Controls Support Forum

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hi Folks

 

I've got a problem with the Fat Frogs Bass Modifier. It doesn't trigger on the Downbeats of the inserted music signal. The triggering seems at will and is not regular to the music.

I connected the audio cable to the (non-adjustable) RecOut RCA-Connectors of my audiomixer.

 

Thank You for your time. :)

So, if you don't start drinking...I'm gonna leave!!!

Posted

RecOuts Output Level is -10dBV (1V)/1kOhm

I also tried

FX Send -14dBV (1V)/1kOhm and

Booth Monitor (adjustable by poti) 0dBV (1V) 1kOhm but all without a satisfying result. :cry:

So, if you don't start drinking...I'm gonna leave!!!

Posted

The Sound input to the desk goes into a compander circuit, so within the specified range, the level should not matter.

 

After the compander is a low-pass filter and integrator, to measure the average amount of bass in the signal. The software periodically samples this average, looking for sudden increases in the level to detect the bass beat.

 

The actual performance of this is very dependant on the type of music you are putting into the desk. Sometimes the desk will get it right, sometimes it won't. Hardware/Software can never be as accurate as the human ear for detecting the true beat when there's lots of other noise mixed in.

 

You should find that by putting a graphic equalizer on the sound feed to the desk, and experimenting with cutting/boosting various freqeuncies, you can improve the performance for any particular piece of music. Trouble is, you may have to keep tweaking the settings as the music changes...

Posted

Thats quite difficult, 'cause the musicrange our DJs play is from EBM, Electro, Noise, Darkwave to Metal, duck, Rock and Pop. In a few weeks there'll be even a kind of latin/salsa party.

The EQ thing is a nice idea, but I would be so occupied with altering the frequencys that I have no time anymore for doing something with scanners or setting accents to the music by flashing PARs or so.

At the moment I use the Beat Modifier to step in the speed of the chases, but this is often a bit inaccurate, as described by me here.

I would have been nice if the desk had done this for me! Especially when I'm quickly down to the bar, for picking up a Machito or beer or so. :lol:

So, if you don't start drinking...I'm gonna leave!!!

Posted

Or use the tap function...

 

If you want a good beat function try using a normalizer and lowpass filter, though you might want to trigger on a snare, I don't know?

 

Anyways; for best result you use your finger and nothing else. I hate shows which are beat-driven. You can always spot it and it messes up sometimes. Not to mention the dullness it'll give you.

> 500 posts, time for a new T-shirt? ;)

Posted
If you had the time/ energy/ will/ patience then you could move the chase along manually with the Step button!!

 

Just a thought!!

 

Sam

 

What about the hand cramps from tapping a step button for a while, yes we've all got it at some stage of out lamping lives :cry:

Posted

But doing the chase manually would be to much work...I need often both hands for using Palettes, Encoderwheels or/and submaster flash buttons.

As I said i currently use Beat function, which would be totally ok, if there were not this delay while stepping (especially slow chases). (see HERE for this Bug)

 

But an option to have Bass Function exactly on snare (for Rock) or on bass drum sounds (for Techno) would be heaven to me! *ggg* :lol:

So, if you don't start drinking...I'm gonna leave!!!

Posted

Then you should ask your sound engineer to give u a line... mostly they'll have a matrix-output left or something like that... tune to the right volume and route snare or kick to the output. That way you'll won't need a normalizer / equalizer and the effect will be as desired. Just takes some time finding the right volume for the desired effect.

> 500 posts, time for a new T-shirt? ;)

Posted

@ice: It's a bit difficult to route several instruments from a CD Player :wink:

I'm working at a club and we don't have live concerts at the moment, just tea-dance ;-) and in result of this only canned music.

So, if you don't start drinking...I'm gonna leave!!!

  • 3 years later...
Posted

I've been trying to figure out how to get the lights to move, change colour, flash, etc, accordingly to audio, and today I found that this is only possible with the Bull Frog, while we have a Fat Frog. Still, the board has an audio input. Now I wonder, what's it for? In the manual it just has some specifications for it (as far as I can see). Can you do something with it? Or is it just for the boards own amusement?

Posted

There should be no difference operationally or functionally between the Fat Frog and Bull Frog desks ... they run the same software.

 

The bass beat of the audio input signal is used when the Drive modifer of a chase memory is set to Bass or Vari.

K-Nine : Technically Advanced Roving Dog In Space

Bran Media | Myspace

Posted

Ah, true. We think we got it to work. Still, we think we have some interference with the audio. Is it possible to set the sensitivity inside the board? We thought of sending the audio signal through a gate and cut out some sound under a certain Db, but we don't know if this will work. Any other ideas?

 

Oh, and what's the difference between Vari and Bass? And in what frequency-interval does it react?

Posted

It is not possible to adjust any of the parameters relating to the sound to light processing in the desk. There is some description of the circuitry above.

 

From what I remember the difference between the two Drive modifiers is as follows:

 

Bass ... the next step of the chase is triggered by the Bass beat of the incoming audio signal. No audio signal ... chase stops.

 

Vari .. the chase runs at the programmed speed with additional step triggers provided by the Bass beat of the incoming audio signal ... no audio input ... chase runs at the programmed speed.

K-Nine : Technically Advanced Roving Dog In Space

Bran Media | Myspace

Posted

Yes, the part of vari sounds logical (which I kinda expect from someone working with this ;)).

I can also add that I made an own mp3-file with only bass-beat and it worked correctly, though a bit high in frequency. Which leads me to my new question, what frequencies does it pick up? I got a program generating frequencies and I can plug it in to the board and find out, though I thought if someone knew...

But thanks for the enlightment!

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.