VU-meter

This is a place for sharing with the community the results you achieved with QLC+, as a sort of use case collection.
You can share photos, videos, personal hardware/software projects, interesting HOWTO that might help other users to achieve great results.
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GGGss
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Through the German Facebook group I got this question: How can you realize a VU-meter ???

Well - kinda experienced level mambo jambo but it works ;-)
SH_ 2019-09-15 23.1401.png
3 sections of the screen explained:
1: the Audio PWR channel IN (manual slider -to be replaced with the audio widget-)
2: the DeMux section ... Since it is a 5 bar VU-Meter I need 5 times the same info= DEMUltipleXer
3: to the right: 5 sliders in level mode controlling 5 pixels...

This VU-meter is a 5 pixel ascending growing intensity level meter...
Chosen threshold = <30% PWR green, <=58% PWR green, <=75% yellow, <=86% yellow and <100% red. (pseudo logarithmic scale)

Working example ... (don't listen to the music because I was progging while a live event took place... professional fault of mine killing some time = being busy)
https://youtu.be/VXHW_MuPP2U
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GGGss
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

VU-meter works in a ascending way
pixel one reacts to everything below 30% audio pwr
SH_ 2019-09-15 23.5001.png

pixel two goes from 31 to 58%
SH_ 2019-09-15 23.4701.png
and so on ...

Pixel one (2 3 4) has to stay full power when its descendance pixel is lit - typical VU-meter

Look again at the video (when power is enough for px3 to light up, the 1 & 2 has to be lit full)
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GGGss
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
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Real Name: Fredje Gallon

How did I achieve this result = mambo Jambo ;-)

The trick IS loopbacks...

audio level is fed in level control to a loopback channel
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.0101.png
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.0301.png
Once we have this loopback channel the DeMuX section goes on in repeat:
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.0701.png
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GGGss
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
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Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Ch2
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.0901.png
Ch3 - 5 go the same way

Now we have bound Audio -> DeMux -> Pixel sliders...
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.2301.png
Hey! this is not the way we want to go
Everything IS synchronized... the input = output ...


The trick is to apply channel modifiers : mambo jambo

With channel (here loopback channel) modifiers =
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.2601.png
LpB Ch#1 modifies 0 - 80 = output 0-255
(remember the logarithmic threshold that we choose ...)
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GGGss
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
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Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Channel modifiers (experienced level):
We are instructing QLC+ that CHANNEL 2 reacts:
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.4102.png
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.4202.png
Starting from input level 81 to 150 ... translate it to [81] 1 up to [150] = 255

Dividers ;-) aha ... nice

With some more dividers we can have 5 channels separators....

Audio -> levels -> loopback -> DeMuX -> loopback -> channel modifiers -> loopback -> ascending levels sliders ...

Channel 5 explained: [NOT the end]
SH_ 2019-09-16 00.5702.png
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GGGss
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
Location: Belgium
Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Audio power separated in 5 px (lighting power) channels: Chosen threshold = <30% PWR green, <=58% PWR green, <=75% yellow, <=86% yellow and <100% red. (pseudo logarithmic scale)
= VU-meter

Full project : https://www.dropbox.com/s/bxzix0jd6vtfo ... r.qxw?dl=0
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXHW_Mu ... e=youtu.be
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Phildefer
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Joined: Tue Apr 02, 2024 7:55 pm
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Thanks for sharing. I was able "simulating" this (without having any physical fixtures) after a few minor tweaks. Very nice!
In the project you shared, the lights are single channel (i.e. on or off), so I am assuming color gels would have to be placed in front on the lamps, or if they are RGB, I guess they could be "forced" to a specific color. How would I go about using RGB LED spots for more flexibility? Would I need 3 sliders per spot (in the right-section of the virtual console) instead of a single one, ensuring for instance the R and G sliders would be at 100% for the yellow spots? If not could you please provide some guidance?

Thanks!
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GGGss
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Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:15 pm
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Real Name: Fredje Gallon

Welcome to the forum,

Well, now you have the 5 sliders in level mode for the 5 channels.
If you would place all those sliders inside a frame each, together with a scene button (for the color each), you could use the submaster mode for the slider and work with that.
The scenes will need full intensity for the submasters tp do their jobs.
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Yestalgia
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Phildefer wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2024 8:06 pm Thanks for sharing. I was able "simulating" this (without having any physical fixtures) after a few minor tweaks. Very nice!
In the project you shared, the lights are single channel (i.e. on or off), so I am assuming color gels would have to be placed in front on the lamps, or if they are RGB, I guess they could be "forced" to a specific color. How would I go about using RGB LED spots for more flexibility? Would I need 3 sliders per spot (in the right-section of the virtual console) instead of a single one, ensuring for instance the R and G sliders would be at 100% for the yellow spots? If not could you please provide some guidance?

Thanks!
There is the "Audio Spectrum" RGB Matrix, you could give it a try. Here's an example project:
Attachments
Audio Spectrum.qxw
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