Simulated VU effect on Arches

[JMHaro]

I have 4 large driveway arches (150 pixels each) that I'm trying to setup.  I have one song where I was originally doing them in a VU style when they were AC arches with on 8 channels each, where I was increasing the lighted height on both ends of the arches based on the segments of the music (here is a link to my previous show using AC lights https://vimeo.com/158548286, I'm referring to the green aches over the driveway in the video)

Is there an easier way to do this in xLights?  I tried the VU effect but I just couldn't find any good settings that made it smooth and only work with the vocals like what I previously had).  So I'm down to the pixel levels settings to make it work but this is killing me in the size of the xLights and I'm afraid I'm going to start having problems like I've seen before if the file starts getting too big.  (I've only completed one arch so far and the xml file is already over 22Megs and I've tried setting the top level and not pixels when the entire arch is light up)

I'm outlining the house in pixels also so I'm going to be interested in knowing how I can do a similar effect across the house to make the lights move up the house in conjunction with the music vocals.

I appreciate any suggestions for this.
Thanks,

[Gilrock]

I'm not really an expert on the audio activated effects but I'm pretty sure it's going to be hard to it to only react to voice because that's buried in all the other frequencies from the instruments.

[Gilrock]

I think Keith has a way to have it trigger based on marks in a timing track so if you could figure that out then all you gotta do is place all the marks in a timing track and point it to the track.

[keithsw1111]

It can trigger on timing marks but when it does it is a flash and fade. I could add a rise and fall if it would help. The question would become how fast to rise and fall and how high to rise.

[keithsw1111]

Other option is to play with the note ranges and hope that you can find the range that only triggers on vocals. That is like pulling the yolk out of scrambled eggs.

[bwinter]

It can trigger on timing marks but when it does it is a flash and fade. I could add a rise and fall if it would help. The question would become how fast to rise and fall and how high to rise.

Actually, I've been wishing that there was a Rise/Fall, in addition to the Flash/Fade option.

[keithsw1111]

It can trigger on timing marks but when it does it is a flash and fade. I could add a rise and fall if it would help. The question would become how fast to rise and fall and how high to rise.

Actually, I've been wishing that there was a Rise/Fall, in addition to the Flash/Fade option.

How high should it rise? To the top? To the current frame audio intensity?

[bwinter]

Hmm...that part I'm not sure.  Rise in the current frame to match the intensity is probably how I would use it.

[keithsw1111]

New mode will be in next release "Timing Event Jump" ... when a timing event occurs on the nominated timing track it will sample the audio intensity and fill the model to that level. using the selected colours. It then falls back to zero over a nominated number of frames. If another timing event is hit while it is falling it will jump back up again. Hopefully that is what you wanted.

[JonB256]

New mode will be in next release "Timing Event Jump" ... when a timing event occurs on the nominated timing track it will sample the audio intensity and fill the model to that level. using the selected colours. It then falls back to zero over a nominated number of frames. If another timing event is hit while it is falling it will jump back up again. Hopefully that is what you wanted.

If you created a timing track with 200msec timing, and "nominated" it, then your effect would occur 5 times per second? (see an earlier thread about creating a 200msec timing track)

[JMHaro]

New mode will be in next release "Timing Event Jump" ... when a timing event occurs on the nominated timing track it will sample the audio intensity and fill the model to that level. using the selected colours. It then falls back to zero over a nominated number of frames. If another timing event is hit while it is falling it will jump back up again. Hopefully that is what you wanted.

I like that option, sounds like it would work.  Thank you,

[JMHaro]

If you created a timing track with 200msec timing, and "nominated" it, then your effect would occur 5 times per second? (see an earlier thread about creating a 200msec timing track)

Thanks, I'll check that out also.

[keithsw1111]

New mode will be in next release "Timing Event Jump" ... when a timing event occurs on the nominated timing track it will sample the audio intensity and fill the model to that level. using the selected colours. It then falls back to zero over a nominated number of frames. If another timing event is hit while it is falling it will jump back up again. Hopefully that is what you wanted.

If you created a timing track with 200msec timing, and "nominated" it, then your effect would occur 5 times per second? (see an earlier thread about creating a 200msec timing track)

I have added a new metronome timing track which then let's you specify an arbitrary time interval as long as it is a multiple of the base timing interval. No more editing xml files

[JonB256]

Sweet. Thanks.

[JMHaro]

If you created a timing track with 200msec timing, and "nominated" it, then your effect would occur 5 times per second? (see an earlier thread about creating a 200msec timing track)

Jon, I've been trying to search for the other thread about the 200msec timing track but can't find it anywhere, maybe I'm not searching for the right words.  Can you point me to it just so I can check that out while waiting for other changes to come out.

Thank