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BEST. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. EVAR. (Part 1 and now Part 2)

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That might just be the coolest thing EVAR!!

And that's not just audio-responsive lights, that's a pre-programmed array. I would imagine it would lose its effect without that song (which is definitely added in post-camera). An outdoor sound system would be required to make it truly awesome, but I don't see the point in going that far if you're not doing it for a contest or something. Maybe if all your neighbors are really cool and mellow.

Airplane pilots would probably point this guys house out to passengers.
 
The trick is to use multiple speakers, at a lower volume, closer to the audience. It doesn't disturb the neighbors as much, and if the audience wants to hear it, they can.

FM broadcasting is another option that some people take.
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Actually to do it right it should be done commercially. This is getting to the point of being a neighborhood disturbance, music or not. The FAA doesn't like stuff like this if it's near an airport as well.

I helped organise a laser show outdoors in IN a few years ago and the music and speech was broadcast through FM. It worked out quite well.

I like sound/music/fx loud and clear. Ask anyone that knows my style. 🙂 If it's going to bother others, I won't do it. I don't like to be disturbed so I know how others would feel about it. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: GeekDrew


FM broadcasting is another option that some people take.
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That's GENIUS! That way drivers can pull over and tune their radio into it! And I'd imagine you'd just have program a bit of latency into the array.
 
Originally posted by: dugweb
Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Having not yet watched the movie: I know plenty of people that put up massive christmas light displays, that have speakers throughout their displays, and the lights are sequenced to the music (at least in some displays, subdisplays, or subdisplay routines).

Also, it's trivial to connect line out from an external source (read: sync PC) to a sound mixer or what have you in order to record a synchronized streaming video.
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I think you need to watch the movie in order to understand wtf they are talking about

That was frikken AWSOME! I really want to see the inner workings of that set up
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Yeah... I just watched the video... that's actually not that impressive to someone who knows how large Christmas displays work. Well, it's impressive for smaller displays, but I guess I've been spoiled by the 'big boys'. 😉

Yeah... I suspect that the music was probably remastered, to make the audio quality better, but I'm sure that the lights and animation are all original.

You all should go visit PlanetChristmas (We Make Lifetime Memories!).

There's a media section on PlanetChristmas... but it's admittedly rather pathetic. I wish I could host some of our better media, but I haven't the bandwidth to upload it. But seriously - if you guys are impressed by that, you need to visit the PlanetChristmas website and forums. 🙂

Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to bash that display in any way - just pointing out that you can start there, and build up to way larger sizes, while keeping everything sync'd.
 
Originally posted by: sharkeeper
Actually to do it right it should be done commercially. This is getting to the point of being a neighborhood disturbance, music or not. The FAA doesn't like stuff like this if it's near an airport as well.

I helped organise a laser show outdoors in IN a few years ago and the music and speech was broadcast through FM. It worked out quite well.

I like sound/music/fx loud and clear. Ask anyone that knows my style. 🙂 If it's going to bother others, I won't do it. I don't like to be disturbed so I know how others would feel about it. 🙂
Click to expand...

Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. That's a good thing.

I know of MANY displays that are MUCH larger than that, and that are almost always very well respected by their neighbors. As far as the FAA goes - I've been told that they aren't going to complain unless you're within X feet of an airport - they otherwise couldn't care less.

I'm the registrar for PlanetChristmas Lights Up Symposium, held every other year. We have the "best of the best" (as far as Christmas display owners go) come to see what's going on. We have many classes to teach people how to make displays like this... it's not as hard as one might think. 😉 Light-O-Rama is a computerized relay system specifically for Christmas lights - that's what many people use to design huge shows that are synchronized to music. It's not really that expensive, either. 😉
 
Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Originally posted by: dugweb
Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Having not yet watched the movie: I know plenty of people that put up massive christmas light displays, that have speakers throughout their displays, and the lights are sequenced to the music (at least in some displays, subdisplays, or subdisplay routines).

Also, it's trivial to connect line out from an external source (read: sync PC) to a sound mixer or what have you in order to record a synchronized streaming video.
Click to expand...

I think you need to watch the movie in order to understand wtf they are talking about

That was frikken AWSOME! I really want to see the inner workings of that set up
Click to expand...

Yeah... I just watched the video... that's actually not that impressive to someone who knows how large Christmas displays work. Well, it's impressive for smaller displays, but I guess I've been spoiled by the 'big boys'. 😉

Yeah... I suspect that the music was probably remastered, to make the audio quality better, but I'm sure that the lights and animation are all original.

You all should go visit PlanetChristmas (We Make Lifetime Memories!).

There's a media section on PlanetChristmas... but it's admittedly rather pathetic. I wish I could host some of our better media, but I haven't the bandwidth to upload it. But seriously - if you guys are impressed by that, you need to visit the PlanetChristmas website and forums. 🙂

Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to bash that display in any way - just pointing out that you can start there, and build up to way larger sizes, while keeping everything sync'd.
Click to expand...

Yea the music does sound edited considering the quality of the cam but I think the guy still has an outdoor system for people that are actually in front of it. He probably just edited the audio for the internet viewers.
 
Originally posted by: xSkyDrAx
Yea the music does sound edited considering the quality of the cam but I think the guy still has an outdoor system for people that are actually in front of it. He probably just edited the audio for the internet viewers.
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I hope so... it would look awfully bizarre if he didn't. 😉
 
Well you probably don't work with lasers so you wouldn't have familiarlity with FAA and CDRH variances.

A laser show beats the pants off lights but then again it's not cheap.

In a neighborhood, that flashing would be an annoyance. Of course my closest neighbor is nearly a km away so here it's pretty much do anything you please. (skyward lasers excepted)
 
Originally posted by: sharkeeper
Well you probably don't work with lasers so you wouldn't have familiarlity with FAA and CDRH variances.

A laser show beats the pants off lights but then again it's not cheap.

In a neighborhood, that flashing would be an annoyance. Of course my closest neighbor is nearly a km away so here it's pretty much do anything you please. (skyward lasers excepted)
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Correct - I haven't really worked with lasers... nor do I care to. My interest is in Christmas/Holiday lighting, animation, and integration.

Apparently you wouldn't like that kind of display near you - many people initially think that, but then they find that they like it after they get used to it. <shrug> I'd LOVE to have a huge display near me. The only reason I haven't put up one of my own is because of $$$. I've worked on other displays, know just about all there is to know about them, but don't have one of my own this year. 🙁
 
Originally posted by: Nik
NERD FIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

:laugh:

😛 kidding... :shifty eyes:
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:laugh:

Thanks for posting this Nik, brought some humor to an otherwise horrible day! 😎

😀
 
Apparently you wouldn't like that kind of display near you - many people initially think that, but then they find that they like it after they get used to it. <shrug> I'd LOVE to have a huge display near me. The only reason I haven't put up one of my own is because of $$$. I've worked on other displays, know just about all there is to know about them, but don't have one of my own this year.
Click to expand...

It would be quite out of place around here. Most around here don't decorate at all. I had an old farmhouse and it took over a month to put up the lights on the pine trees and all around the house. The electric bill for December was over $140 higher due to the lights! (C9 bulbs - the real deal)

That house in the vid is VERY close to the road. In MD they have laws (cringe) that dictate how close a flashing sign can be from the road. They've made stores change signs because they flashed or were a colour that was believed to be confused with emergency vehicle lights. Yeah it's that stupid. I'm shore if someone did this in certain neighborhoods, it would make the news and then they would tell them to turn it off.

Personally if I lived close to a neighbor that was that annoying (the guy that complains about EVERYTHING!) I'd aim a PJ at their curtains, put the image in reverse and put goatse or something equally nasty on it. Not long, just a flash or two when I know they were in there at night. Kind of like the cock splice job in fight club.
 
Originally posted by: sharkeeper
Apparently you wouldn't like that kind of display near you - many people initially think that, but then they find that they like it after they get used to it. <shrug> I'd LOVE to have a huge display near me. The only reason I haven't put up one of my own is because of $$$. I've worked on other displays, know just about all there is to know about them, but don't have one of my own this year.
Click to expand...

It would be quite out of place around here. Most around here don't decorate at all. I had an old farmhouse and it took over a month to put up the lights on the pine trees and all around the house. The electric bill for December was over $140 higher due to the lights! (C9 bulbs - the real deal)

That house in the vid is VERY close to the road. In MD they have laws (cringe) that dictate how close a flashing sign can be from the road. They've made stores change signs because they flashed or were a colour that was believed to be confused with emergency vehicle lights. Yeah it's that stupid. I'm shore if someone did this in certain neighborhoods, it would make the news and then they would tell them to turn it off.

Personally if I lived close to a neighbor that was that annoying (the guy that complains about EVERYTHING!) I'd aim a PJ at their curtains, put the image in reverse and put goatse or something equally nasty on it. Not long, just a flash or two when I know they were in there at night. Kind of like the cock splice job in fight club.
Click to expand...

Holy crap... I don't really know of *anyone* that still uses C9 lights... that's like a death wish!

If you automate your display with mini lights, you can have a MASSIVE display, and it'll only be $50 or $60 higher than normal, assuming you run the lights 5-6 hours per night. 🙂

Many of the displays that participate on PlanetChristmas have received a lot of media attention, and many receive special treatment by the authorities -- they just overlook small violations such as a flashing light violation, that you just mentioned. 😉 I've heard of cities creating and changing some minor laws in order to accomodate Christmas displays that residents want to put up. 🙂

A friend of mine that has a display in Texas got a late start putting her lights up - I don't think she started until November 1. She said that a few days ago, she opened her door, and a couple of policemen were standing there - she immediately thought something had happened to a family member or something. Instead... "Marilyn? Where are your christmas lights? You *are* going to put them up, right? If you need any help, the entire force would be glad to give you whatever assistance we can..." 😀

I really don't get why people would complain about a display like that being near them. Other than perhaps a traffic increase, what does it matter? <shrug>
 
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