# Lightning & Thunder



## Mudbeast (Aug 14, 2009)

What is a good product to create lightning & thunder?


----------



## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

to buy or build?


----------



## Mudbeast (Aug 14, 2009)

Well, I am am open to suggestions, what do you have in mind?


----------



## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

What do you about this.?
Stereo sound track.
http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/z5ADK/hash/8w0bzg5n.swf?v=1051494382352&ev=0


----------



## Hobie14T (Apr 8, 2009)

I was thinking about connecting something like that lightning sequence to a motion dector. Do you have anything like that in your inventory?


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

These work well:

http://www.lighterside.com/product/sale/christmas+tree+fx.do#

I use two of them with 1000W of photoflood bulbs. Avoid using regular floods; they glow yellowish on the shorter bursts as they can't get up to full brightness quickly. Photofloods are extremely bright with no yellowing at all. You can spend a lot more money, but if you're looking for basic single-channel lightning this is hard to beat.

Ignore the Xmas tree - it's the same box as the one sold with a lightning bolt on it.


----------



## NickG (Sep 12, 2006)

this is what I do:

http://gavush.toplessrabbit.com/halloween/lightning.html


----------



## ward7 (Aug 11, 2009)

I have tried a number of things. Last year I purchased a "perfect storm category 5" controller from Spooky FX ( http://www.spookyfx.com/boo2.html ). I connected three 750 watt strobes to it. For audio, I purchased a use Crown d75 amp on ebay for around $100, and connected two Gemini speakers 10". The effect was amazing!


----------



## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

I have the cheapy lightFX box that Otaku has. Works great.

You just have to decide if you want a delay between the sound and flash and how loud you need the sound in order to decide what kind of box you want.

I have a small yard so one work light with a boom-box was plenty good enough for my needs.


----------



## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Double post ghost got me....ahhhhhhhh!


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Haunted Bayou said:


> You just have to decide if you want a delay between the sound and flash and how loud you need the sound in order to decide what kind of box you want.


I use a MP3 file that has one channel delayed 1 second behind the other. That channel goes to the amplifier. I split the other channel and send it to the two FX boxes. The lightning flashes start one second before the thunder hits. This is easy to do in Audacity or GoldWave - just insert a one second "silent" period at the start of one channel.


----------



## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Otaku said:


> I use a MP3 file that has one channel delayed 1 second behind the other. That channel goes to the amplifier. I split the other channel and send it to the two FX boxes. The lightning flashes start one second before the thunder hits. This is easy to do in Audacity or GoldWave - just insert a one second "silent" period at the start of one channel.


LOL, Otaku. I should have known you'd know how to delay sound on a cheapie FX box.

Did you have a thread on that?


----------



## Systematic Chaos (Sep 7, 2008)

I second the thread on how to add the delay! I just bought the last two our Tuesday Mornings had on the west side here. Hope to use them this year.


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Haunted Bayou said:


> LOL, Otaku. I should have known you'd know how to delay sound on a cheapie FX box.
> 
> Did you have a thread on that?


Nope, no thread, but it's very easy to do. With GoldWave, open the thunder file. Make sure it's a stereo file i.e. the same sound is in both channels. From the Edit menu, select the channel you want to delay. Again from the Edit menu, click on Insert Silence. You'll be asked for a time period - select 1.0 for a one second delay. Click OK. You'll see a one second flatline at the start of the selected channel. Go back to the Edit menu and select both channels. Reset the file markers, if necessary, by dragging the marker line to the end of the file. That's it.


----------



## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Do you have a splitter of some kind?
Was wondering how you send one channel to the amp and the other to to box.


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Yes, I use two splitters in this setup. I have a 1/8" stereo to two RCA male connector cable and a single RCA male (single female connector preferred if available) to two RCA male connectors. The second cable is mono in, two mono out. If you can't find a female-to-two male cable, use a female-to-female barrel connector to attach the second cable to the first. Plug the 1/8" stereo cable into your sound source. Plug the single mono cable into one of the of the RCA connectors on that cable. Plug the other RCA into the amplifier. The remaining two mono RCAs go to the two FX boxes. The signal on the side of the cable going to the amp will be the delayed thunder track.


----------



## sparky (Dec 7, 2006)

Question for anyone that has put out thunder and lightning......When using your floods for the lightning ,do you place them directly facing your tot's or is the light indirect like behind trees or bushes??? Also, does anyone know of a cd with great tracks for rain and thunder???
I also bought the cheap light fx box last year and used it for my electric chair ,worked great!!!!


----------



## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Thank you, Otaku.


----------



## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

Otaku said:


> These work well:
> 
> http://www.lighterside.com/product/sale/christmas+tree+fx.do#
> 
> ...


Otaku,

From the site, "Safe to use on strands with flasher bulbs. For use with incandescent lights only. *Will handle up to 500 watts total*. Includes instructions and extra fuse."

Is this just an overly-safe warning?


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

tot13 said:


> Otaku,
> 
> From the site, "Safe to use on strands with flasher bulbs. For use with incandescent lights only. *Will handle up to 500 watts total*. Includes instructions and extra fuse."
> 
> Is this just an overly-safe warning?


Couldn't say for sure. I run the max (500W) with both my boxes, but I've never tried a larger load. Chances are that you'd start blowing fuses before anything caught fire. Be sure to have extra fuses handy on the Big Night, just in case...


----------



## lwaldeck (Oct 15, 2008)

Otaku,

Just curious...what do you use to play your MP3 file? 

Last year I just made a CD and played the sound/ran the lights from an older Sony home theater system. (No delay on the Lightning/Thunder) And with the set-up I currently have, it would work splitting the channels, but I'm afraid the sound from the little speakers wouldn't be enough. (Since I'm assuming I can't use the sub-woofer as it'd play both channels)


----------



## Mr Grimsley (Aug 23, 2009)

*Using stobe with mine!*



tot13 said:


> From the site, "Safe to use on strands with flasher bulbs. For use with incandescent lights only. *Will handle up to 500 watts total*. Includes instructions and extra fuse."
> 
> Is this just an overly-safe warning?


I'll be using a Chauvet Technostrobe 2000s hooked up to mine... My tests have worked out just fine (although I'll take no responsibility for any negative effects on the F/X box with anything other than what they recomend...lol).

The onboard audio activated mode may work but there's no audio-in available so I'd have to use it next to a speaker and that kills the "delay" effect cuz now your "lightning" channel is audible. :O(

Too bad too... I was going to use my F/X box to control a gemmy talking skull. C'est la vie!

:OP


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

lwaldeck said:


> Otaku,
> 
> Just curious...what do you use to play your MP3 file?
> 
> Last year I just made a CD and played the sound/ran the lights from an older Sony home theater system. (No delay on the Lightning/Thunder) And with the set-up I currently have, it would work splitting the channels, but I'm afraid the sound from the little speakers wouldn't be enough. (Since I'm assuming I can't use the sub-woofer as it'd play both channels)


I use a $10 MP3 player set to repeat the file. I use a 200W Sony amp and a pair of 100W JBL 3-way boxes for the thunder. Plenty of power for loud thunder. The speaker boxes run on both channels but get only one side of the thunder track, the delayed side. The other side of the soundtrack goes to the FX boxes and the lights.
I got the speakers at Best Buy for 50% off a couple of years ago, and they are holding up well.


----------



## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

Otaku, I picked up a cheap ex-rental strobe from a sound/lighting company - works great. The strobe has a 6.5mm socket on the back which I assume is remote activation - any idea how this works? Is it simply short the socket and the strobe goes off or what?

Thanks


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

fritz42_male said:


> Otaku, I picked up a cheap ex-rental strobe from a sound/lighting company - works great. The strobe has a 6.5mm socket on the back which I assume is remote activation - any idea how this works? Is it simply short the socket and the strobe goes off or what?
> 
> Thanks


No idea. Do you have a make/model? You can sometimes find manuals online. Nice score!


----------



## danaomaii (Aug 25, 2008)

i have the firefly 501 from lights alive and it works great


----------



## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

Otaku said:


> No idea. Do you have a make/model? You can sometimes find manuals online. Nice score!


I'll open it up and have a look. While I'm there I'll trace the connections back and see if it's obvious what the socket is connected to.

It cost me AU$13 and has 4 flash tubes in it so not a bad unit at all!


----------



## mattie (Sep 16, 2008)

Im going to throw out a partial idea so maybe someone could put it together...a few years ago The Tillston haunt had built a T&L machine useing a relay. I think like an automotive relay. 
I cant remember exactly how he did it but I think he grounded one side of the relay and hooked the other to a light outlet. He had a fairly powerful audio system (100-200watts I think) 
Where did he ground the one side..beats me...maybe Otaku could kick this one around. He said it worked amazingly well and didnt have any problems. Last time I checked his web site (a few years ago) I think he was trying to sell his stuff and took down the how to's.
I dont feel like blowing what audio equipment I have..although Im getting a bit now that the years have passed.


----------



## Northrad (Jan 8, 2009)

I'm both small-time and poor so I make Thunder and Lightning with this...

$8-9 color organ (places sell them online like 'electronic goldmine' etc..)
$15 mp3 player 
$15 powered computer speakers 
$2.50 jack splitter 
Sets white (even some blue) LED string Christmas (double-duty)
Lots of strings of lights daisy chained and stategegicallly placed in clumps and spots across a wide area.

The color organ cannot handle a lot of wattage over 200W but thanks to LED lights I can blow out those lums limits. 200w of LED light is a ton of bright light.

It's easier to hide and put these lights on the ground pointing up.
I also learned that movie lighting experts like to light upwards because the human eye is not use to the unusual shadows and it results in creepy to the subconscious mind.

Poor Guy advice...


----------



## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

What's a photoflood bulb? And can I buy it at someplace like Target? (LOL. I'm making almost daily trips to Target to check out Halloween stuff..)


----------



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

debbie5 said:


> What's a photoflood bulb? And can I buy it at someplace like Target? (LOL. I'm making almost daily trips to Target to check out Halloween stuff..)


A photoflood bulb looks a lot like a standard medium-base light bulb, but is very much brighter. If you've ever been in one those photo stores in a mall, you've seen the extremely bright flashes that happen when they take a pic. The bulbs are typically available at camera stores and run $5-$7 each. They don't have a filament cool-down period, so you don't get the "yellow" color that happens when floodlights power off. The bulbs are supposed to have a 3-4 hour lifetime, but lightning flashes are just a few seconds in length so don't let that scare you. I have one pair (white and blue) that have been going strong for 4 years.


----------



## OpenTrackRacer (Sep 20, 2008)

I also use the Christmas Tree F/X boxes and I agree that they work great. They're inexpensive too which never hurts. I tried a delayed lightning/thunder track and didn't like the results. It's logical but just didn't work for me or anyone that I asked while I was testing prior to Halloween. I use cheap Sansa MP3 players to drive my boxes. They're separated by over 100 feet so I simply push play on both MP3 players at the same time and then take them to each location. My main show runs through a big JVC KaBoom box that I've had for years. The second smaller display runs on amplified computer speakers. I use the photo flood bulbs in clamp light fixtures.

You can see the effect in this video of last years haunt...






Hope this helps!


----------



## -ND4SPD- (Oct 27, 2008)

Where are you guys getting MP3 players that cheap?


----------

