Can Lights Move Too Fast?

[Pastaboy62 0]

Would excessively fast fades for continuous amounts of time cause any damage to the LOR boxes or do these things not fool around? Its my fourth year with LOR but for some reason I am kinda worried about it this time.

[Darlene Pino 13]

I don't think it matters to the box. Sometimes my huband gets ours going really fast, which I don't like, but he does.

[Flint Hill Lights 10]

Going to fast on fades can cause them to just look like their blinking

[Chuck 1,000,043]

Fading too fast... sounds like a strobe to me.

I wouldn't worry about wearing out the electronics. I'd be more worried about how the audience reacts, though.

[Tremor30 10]

I am still yet to see my display in full glory but I have slowly built up my display in the basement and I have realized that I have programmed alot of quick movement. It looks really good on the animator, but some of the effect is lost when it's too fast.

At least that's what I have found in the basement with over 5000 lights flashing at once. Perhaps spread out on the house will make it better but I'm thinking next years programming will be slower timing!

[NoelB 11]

Going to fast on fades can cause them to just look like their blinking

I agree. Depending on the types of lights, and distance between the lights, at a certain point the audience loses the "connection" between what all is happening. So it just degrades to random blinking. On one of my songs, I start slower, then speed up faster and faster. I think it helps the continuity of the movement. But at the fastest end of the sequence, it still gets lost on 1/2 my viewers that I have asked for opinions.

[Entropy 0]

I agree. Depending on the types of lights, and distance between the lights, at a certain point the audience loses the "connection" between what all is happening. So it just degrades to random blinking. On one of my songs, I start slower, then speed up faster and faster. I think it helps the continuity of the movement. But at the fastest end of the sequence, it still gets lost on 1/2 my viewers that I have asked for opinions.

That's so right. In my first year, I quickly learned that what looks good on your computer screen can look "blinkey" or confusingly random when applied to the full scale display. I spent a lot of time standing outside taking notes with a stopwatch and running inside to make changes to the show. Most of them were to add longer fades or reduce the jumping around. Some were to add background lights to dark scenes because when people come out to see lights, they want to see lights!

[NoelB 11]

Some were to add background lights to dark scenes because when people come out to see lights, they want to see lights!

That is a very good point. My first year, I had some areas of the yard doing what i considered a "solo". But in reality, it was just a really dark yard with only 1 or 2 objects lit up. In other songs, there were some slow fades. But in the end it only appeared to have all the lights off -- a long pause in the middle of a song. Good grief. For both situations I had to add other "background" lighting just so it did not look so empty. Wouldn't want visitors to think the show was over too early.....

[PaulChristmas 13]

My wife turns off the music to see what most people see.

A week before I go live I sit in my car (it is minus COLD here in winter) and make notes any changes.

I have had to turn on lights.

As for the lights moving too fast....NO WAY!!!

[BaldEagleChristmas 23]

I don't think you'll hurt the hardware. One perspective of a "good show" might include a mixture of 'fast' and 'slower' lights going with the style of song. Then get some feedback on what folks like; is it the speed of the lights or the songs themselves?