Recently I journeyed to the Mecca of Illumination to study at the feet of the master guru of LEDs. I trained with the legendary leader for weeks and meditated on the growing energy of LED lighting programming. My teacher enlightened me about the ever-increasing importance for an automated lighting programmer to master the Zen of controlling LED products. Through focused visualization, the guru shared an assortment of methods, tips and essentials to help me find my own path of LED illumination. I have been blessed with this sacred information and I have been granted permission to pass it on to all my readers. Now you too can benefit from the divine insights without having to endure a five-year journey through the desert and the ascent to a lonely mountaintop hidden deep within the jungles of a faraway land. Read on to share the bliss of total LED enlightenment as I share with you the answers to many important questions.
Upon arrival in the sanctuary of the master, my first question was; “What is the state of the art of LED displays and what should I know as an automated lighting programmer?” The guru closed his eyes and focused his attention for a moment on his third eye. Then he explained the three energy centers of LED products. First he told of LED displays that could create high- or low-resolution images when they are placed side-by-side. Typically they are panels or blocks that contain many pixels of RGB LEDs in a linear or rectangular array. These are usually connected to a video processor or media server, he said, as opposed to utilizing DMX control.
The second type of LED product, he said, is the tube type. These products are often low-resolution and can utilize either video or DMX input. Furthermore, he said that they can be connected in various configurations and require pixel mapping software or specialized content for control through a media server.
The guru opened his eyes wide looked deep in my soul. Then he enlightened me about the details of the most common type of LED product in the universe, the LED lighting fixture. He pointed out how they vary from small blocks of RGB LEDs to battens and PARs, and even automated pan and tilt fixtures. He was very clear that I should concentrate my energy learning about these types of products as they are the most likely types I would encounter after returning from my journey.
After the guru elucidated the details of these LEDs, I was eager to learn more. He took me to a small stream behind his domicile and we watched the morning sunrise. For the next six mornings, we studied the rays of the sun and how they add light and color to the surrounding countryside. At the conclusion of this exercise, he allowed me to ask him about LED colors. On the sixth day I came to him and said; “Master, I have studied the sunrise each morning and I see how the sun adds color and light to the earth. I sense that it is somehow different than the additive color mixing in LED lighting fixtures.” My sacred oath forbids me from disclosing his exact verbiage, but it was truly amazing. I can, however, share with you my understanding of his words.
When the sun is at a low angle, the atmosphere filters out certain colors. That is an example of subtractive color mixing. LED fixtures use varying levels of red, green, and blue light to mix color. This is additive color mixing. Some LED fixtures also contain amber, white, or other colors to enhance the color mixing, but the principle is the same. As you increase intensity of each LED you are adding not only intensity, but also changing the perception of color. For instance, if I turn on the red LED to full and then add green at 50 percent, I will produce a lovely orange color. With subtractive color mixing I would need to use a yellow filter at full and the magenta filter at 50 percent. As a student of additive color mixing, it is important to remember that you are starting with black and adding color; with subtractive mixing you are starting with white and removing color. Luckily most automated lighting consoles allow you to control RGB LED fixtures in either RGB or CMY mode. In CMY mode you can use the same tools and palettes as your standard moving lights.
Of course, even a master must first patch the fixtures in the console before working with it. This seems very straightforward for a simple RGB LED fixture, but it becomes more complex with a batten-type fixture. Also, many LED fixtures only allow control of RGB with no global intensity control. This creates disharmony because the lighting console views the fixture as color only.
After pondering these dilemmas, I asked of the guru, “What is the secret to patching my LED fixtures?” There was a gleam in his eye. First he suggested that I study the user manual and learn the available modes. He explained that many fixtures have various modes allowing for a range of control options. He said that batten-type fixtures could often be used with various numbers of DMX channels depending upon the exact requirements of the products. The user manual, he said, is always the first place to look to understand the capabilities and modes of a fixture.
He chuckled at me for not checking the manuals first. Then he went on to explain that more and more lighting consoles are implementing intelligent fixture libraries for LED products. These libraries often include a virtual intensity channel or even virtual CMY channels. These parameters do not exist in the fixture, but the console code will emulate them. This is very important as it allows control of the RGB fixture via the grand master and other intensity-specific controls.
Before ending my instruction, I had one last question; “What about the LED products that are controlled by media servers?” He drew a small diagram in the sand to illustrate. It is as simple, he said, as using the lighting console to control the media server. The output of the media server is fed to the input of the LED processor. In this way, the images in the media server are displayed directly on the LED panels. He did point out that I could map regions of LED displays according to the fixture layout. For example, the right half of the image could control the tube fixtures on the floor while the left half could control the upstage video wall. Now by playing a single piece of content the entire rig could appear to be synchronized in media harmony.
My time with the guru has improved my life as well as my programming abilities. As the universe continues to grow and produce new products, my guru shall help me master them by imparting his wisdom. You, too, are now blessed with his knowledge, so go forward with your light life. Share his wisdom and enjoy programming all of your upcoming productions.
