# Lightning question



## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Hi all,
I had an idea for an interesting lighting effect - a projected skull, JOL etc that is visible, say, on a wall, between the lightning flashes, but is not visible when the lightning is not flashing. Kind of like this:

No lightning, blank wall.
Between each lightning flash, a face is projected onto wall.

I have two of the F/X boxes and have been trying to figure out how to configure them to do this. Anyone have ideas as to how this might be done?


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Thats a cool idea.. not sure how you could accomplish it tho.


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## Bilbo (Dec 13, 2007)

Hey Otaku, would it work to have the sound track split onto a dvd with surround sound? That way one channel would feed the audio, one the lightning, and one the skull face? 

Been trying to wrap my brain around doing it with just stereo, but the only think I could come up with is 2 different players that you could try to manually sync. That wouldn't be pretty, but would be the easiest.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

I think you're on the right track with the surround sound idea, Bilbo. I keep trying to picture a way to do it with just stereo (one channel delayed) and all the methods end up with the skull face being on when there is no lightning. Depending on how bright the face projector is, it might work if the skull face stays on during the entire lightning sequence. The bright lightning could wash it out so that it would be only visible between flashes, then goes off during the no-lightning intervals. Hmmmm...


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

Like the idea. Kind of like a subliminal message.


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Frighteners Entertainment said:


> Like the idea. Kind of like a subliminal message.


My thoughts, too. This effect could be done with two F/X boxes, one adjusted for the lightning flashes, the other set to near maximum so that the output is essentially "on" for the duration of the sound. The output cable from the sound source would be split to plug into both boxes.
If a thunder delay isn't needed, one track could be a constant tone that matches the length of the thunder and keeps the output high without having to max out the sensitivity control (which might tend to blow fuses).

I know I'm gonna have to try this.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

Perhaps a gel on one light that is the same color as the projection.


Gel on...no image.
Gel off....image.

I don't know if that is any help.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

Yes Otaku...That is a good idea...nice effect, I'll bet you can pull it off


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Only way I can imagine is to use logic gates and a microcontroller. But then I know little (i.e. Jack) about electronics so I'm certainly not the one to offer advice lol


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## Dark Lord (Jul 25, 2007)

Maybe this flip/flop unit from haunt master http://hauntmasterproducts.com/11.html
They have a few nice not too pricey event timers also.


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## TommaHawk (Sep 18, 2007)

I think you could to it in stereo - one channel feeding the lightning box, one channel feeding the projector box. You'd have to create your own hybrid lightning track separate from the actual lightning audio. The inputs on the lightning boxes are mono anyway, aren't they?

Using something like Audacity, import the stereo lightning track and cut out (silence) tiny bits of the right and left channels so they'll alternate like you want to see: a big flash of lightning, a quick flash of skull, lightningskulllightningskulllightningskull, big flash of lightning, etc.

Then, put the hybrid track on one MP3 player feeding to the boxes, and the regular lightning track on a second MP3 player fed to speakers. Do the MP3 hack to trigger them at the same time and voila!

The only thing is that your lightning flashes won't _exactly _match the audio peopole hear, but the differences could be miniscule.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Not sure which equipment you're using but perhaps the dual audio channels might be complicating something really simple. On that note would it be possible to have the lightning machine drive the projector light instead of a different external source?

-TM


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

TM, I have two of the Lightning F/X boxes, the ones with the big orange lightning bolt on them. I can wire a 110VAC relay in series to the output of the box so that an external light will be "on" when the box is not receiving a signal from the sound source (MP3 player). When the lightning flashes, the external light source will shut off. The problem with this is that the projected image will be visible when there is no lightning, and what I want to do is have it be visible just between the lightning flashes. Depending on how bright the projected image is, I may be able to pull this off by having the second box set to max sensitivity so that it is on even when there is a very faint signal. The brighter lightning should wash out the image, and it might look pretty cool even if its faintly visible during the lightning flashes. I'm going to try for a large skull image on the entire front of the house. More to come...


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Just plug a slide projector in one box and your flood lights or whatever your using for lightning in the other. split the audio so the the thunder track you hear goes to the box with the flood lights or whatever your using for lightning and the tone track you came up with for the box with the slide projector. You shouldn't need relays. Simple.


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## JohnnyL (Aug 17, 2006)

What about having the skull/image painted on the wall with UV reactive paint. Then, when the lightning flashes a black light is triggered as well pointing towards the painting.

I wanted to do this exact same thing with a ghost ship I'd love to build in the future. The masts and sides would be painted with UV reactive paint, kind of like a skeleton, so when the lightning flashed on the ship, so did the black lights, making it appear as a "ghost ship".


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Dr Morbius said:


> Just plug a slide projector in one box and your flood lights or whatever your using for lightning in the other. split the audio so the the thunder track you hear goes to the box with the flood lights or whatever your using for lightning and the tone track you came up with for the box with the slide projector. You shouldn't need relays. Simple.


Doc, thats kinda what I was thinking but you explained it better than I did.

-TM


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## Otaku (Dec 3, 2004)

Thanks to all - this is good stuff. I also have a HauntMaster Prods TLF color organ, so I may try to use that box for the projected image controller and use the F/X boxes for lightning only. That way I can run 1K watts of photoflood bulbs. This is gonna be fun - I wonder what the neighbors will think when I start testing this system LOL!


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## Bilbo (Dec 13, 2007)

The only thing I can think of that hasn't (I believe) been suggested that would keep it (relatively) simple is to use crossover filters on the FX tracks. Use one tone to fire the lightning and another to fire the skull in between the lightning flashes. The filters would keep the unwanted tones away from the other Fx box. 

No idea how to accomplish this, but I've read about a similar setup here on the forum to handle multiple talking buckies with one audio channel.


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## Hallowennie315 (Sep 5, 2007)

could you do sort of a reverse type of thing with this: http://hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=10292&highlight=flicker So that you could put the light sensor near the bulb and when the lightning would be on, the skull projection would be off - i don't know if you could re-wire something like that... good luck!


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## TommaHawk (Sep 18, 2007)

Not that you'd need it, since you have the knowledge and it doesn't exactly provide your solution, but I posted a simple diagram for the relay method at the end of this other thread...

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=10973


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