A PC controlled Christmas Light and Music Show run by special software, five 16 channel light controllers and a portable FM transmitter. A lot. it can be done.
Runs 5-9:30 Sunday - Thursday and 5-10:00 Friday and Saturday through New Year's Day.
9527 17th PL NE Lake Stevens, WA 98258
This year's music:
Disney Pixar THX "robot" intro
Christmas Eve in Sarajevo - Trans Siberian Orchestra
Duelling Jingle Bells - US Navy Band
And a radio mix featuring:
Iron Man - Black Sabbath
The Devil went down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla
Ice
Bonfire - Knife Party
Frequently asked questions:
How many lights? Approximately 6000. 15 50w spotlights, 4 85w flood lights, 25 halogen flashers, and the rest m5 (small) lights. How much time and money did this take to create? How do you get the music transmitted to a car radio? That was the easiest part of the set up. A portable FM transmitter plugs into the speaker jack of the computer. Where do you get the equipment? The software and control units are manufactured by Light-O-Rama (www.lightorama.com) The FM transmitter is made by EDM Design out of South Africa (edmdesign.com)
Can you do any song you want? Yes, if it comes in a digital format (CD, wav, mp3 etc.) How much is your electricity bill? Believe it or not, there is no significant difference. The vast majority of the lights are LED, the computer automatically starts and stops the show (so it doesn’t run all night) and except for a few instances, the lights are never all on at the same time. In fact, the lights draw so little power, they can safely be plugged into one outlet. We ran 4,500 lights in 2011 and the PUD bill was $17.30 higher than the previous billing cycle
Is this system DMX-512? (for you techie types) No, the system uses its own native protocol by Light o Rama. You can run DMX-512 devices with an adapter. Why do you end the display so soon? Out of respect for my neighbors. One of the selling points of our homes is the cul-de-sac location where traffic is minimal. I can’t do this without my neighbor’s support, so I need to be sure any impact on them is kept to a minimum. And speaking of neighbors, the number one question is: “what do your neighbors think?” I’ve received several compliments, haven’t heard a single complaint and even received offers to help setup. I’d like to keep it that way, so please watch your speed, don’t block driveway access, and if you have a mega-watt sound system in your car, keep it down. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
