Looking for right board/controller

[MET42]

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I am looking to do the flickering pumpkins next year to add to my list of props. What I am not sure of thou, is what board to use. I found this - https://store.qkits.com/moreinfo.cfm/KTA-223. I think what I would like is a board that holds a discard and the program runs from there. Can this be done? Can I set the program from my computer onto the card which in turn runs the board? Any help or link would be helpful and very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Yard of monsters]

Is this what you are trying to do.

Check out the prop-1 from efx-tek.
http://www.efx-tek.com/topics/prop-1_starter.html

This is my pumpkins from 2010. Using a prop-1 and a simple candle flickering code writing by Jon from efx-tek.
Check out there forum at http://www.efx-tek.com/php/smf/index.php?board=2.0. Jon can write a program for almost any thing you want the prop-1 to do.

[MET42]

Thanks for the information Yard of Monsters and love the display. What I should have said in the first posting – I am looking for a board for flashing pumpkins that blink off and on to music in a programmed manner to songs. Some people call them Flickering pumpkins and others call them Singing pumpkins. (Not to get confused with the Singing pumpkins you project onto pumpkins) This is what I am looking to copy –

[DarkLore]

I have a prop that I call Frankenstein's Briefcase. It runs on an EFX-TEK EZ-8, and controls a series of lighted jars with heads in them - for a singing pumpkins display as mentioned.

It works fine when driven directly from a computer...using sequences programmed with Vixen. However, I based my prop on the EZ-8 so I could store the sequence to the controller's memory. *FAIL*. The timing of the EZ-8 is flawed. It quickly gets out of sync with the music. After waiting a year or two for a solution from EFX-TEK, I'm no longer holding my breath. They stopped responding to my posts on their forum a long time ago. No doubt, bothered that I uncovered a design flaw.

I've never used the product you mention...however...it should work fine as long as you have a computer, netbook or something controlling it. The normal controller for that prop type is a K74..the parallel version. For me, the fun of the prop is watching it in sync to many different audio tracks*. Which basically means...I'd recommend foregoing the requirement of storing the sequence on the controller.

I'd also consider estimating the total cost, and evaluating Light-O-Rama, or something similar.

(* A few of my Vixen sequenced selections - This is Halloween, Jaws, Bohemian Rhapsody, Man of Constant Sorrow, Grin Grining Ghosts, Monster Mash, etc..and my favorite...There's A Light.)

[Hooked_on_Scares]

MET42,

I sell a board that sounds like a good fit for what you're looking to do. It provides for dimming on 8 LEDs, ON/OFF control for 8 more LEDs (or relays), and also can control 8 servos. Take a look at this post, for an example of what HalloweenJared did with the board this year.

In addition to the Medusa board, to do something like this you'd need a computer to play back the VSA routine (the routine isn't stored to the board), and USB-to-DMX interface, like this one.

If you'd like more info on it, check out the link in my signature, or PM me.

- Hook

[kcmcf]

must people that want to have lights that are synchronized to music use on of these

http://lightorama.com/Controllers.html

i am sure you have seen the wizards of winter on the net this was how it was done

[Lynn]

A K74 board isnt a controller board. Its a relay board.

A k74 would work for this as it will turn 8 lights on and off. Then you would need the VSA program from Brookshire on a computer that you would use to load your sound and then program the k74 to turn the lights on and off to the music. With this application you would need a computer attached to run your program.

[ctmal]

must people that want to have lights that are synchronized to music use on of these

http://lightorama.com/Controllers.html

i am sure you have seen the wizards of winter on the net this was how it was done

Or if your looking for a DIY solution check search for the Renard boards at DIYC.

[hedg12]

I agree with Darklore - forego a controller that stores the audio and use a Kit74 with a PC. Vixen is a free download & it controls the K74 beautifully.

[ctmal]

Keep in mind that the kit74 doesn't do dimming(I'm not sure if you need it or not) whereas the LOR solutions and the Renard solutions do. If you go with Renard(It's fully DIY) you can use Vixen to program it.

If you check out my website I have some singing pumpkins controlled by a Renard using Vixen if that helps.