Sound to Visuals

[ninebob]

I have agreed to do a disco at my local in a couple of months. I will be doing the whole thing from my PC and have found that on the audio side of things, Winamp 5 works very well and allows me to have it open twice so I can mix from one to the other. So far, so good.

However, one of the key things I also want to acheive is a good visual show without using disco lights. The pub has a projector and huge screen and my PC has a second output. With only one instance of Winamp running, the "swirling visuals" are also excellent, and testing at home I can route them to the 2nd output no problem.

The problem (bit tricky to explain) comes when I have Winamp running twice. Say a track is playing on Winamp "1", visuals going nicely - now I want to select the next track. As soon as I select Winamp "2" to do so, that becomes the "active window" and the visuals change accordingly - to a blank screen, because I haven't mixed into that track yet.

I don't think I am going to solve this internally within the software I am using (unless anyone can tell me otherwise), therefore I guess my question is this: Has anyone heard of a package which takes the final output to the sound card and turns it into a visual show, regardless of source?

I want to achieve this kind of thing (grabbed from my current set-up and absolutely ideal):

I fear I may have to take this query somewhere more specialised, but it's worth trying you guys first!

 

[breezer]

I have agreed to do a disco at my local in a couple of months. I will be doing the whole thing from my PC and have found that on the audio side of things, Winamp 5 works very well and allows me to have it open twice so I can mix from one to the other. So far, so good.

i dont think what you are doing is a good idea.

(not saying its differnt, just not good)

you are relying on the pubs projector working on the night

You are assuming everyone will like the "physcadelic patterns"

any epiletcis may have a fit

It may be nausious to other people

you also havent mentioned screen projector relation ship. what happens if some one gets in between screen and projector (just dancing) no one else can see

projector will only "light" one area and imo not give a good atmosphere.

I would hire some proper disco lights and use them, since they can point all directions (specially scanning lights) they will be much brighter (what lamp does a projector use 250w? Most disco "scanners have 250 w lamp and you may have a least 2 also a variety of other lights) so your disco will have atmospher and be lit

also a fog m/c will obscure your "tv" (so will smoke) but either will enhance disco lights

you seem to be basing it on what you can do / want to do, not what people want (rather apt considering what today is)

the above is based on the information you have given,

you are doing the disco, you will be doing whole thing from your pc, "I also want to acheive is a good visual show without using disco lights"

 

[nstreet]

I agree with Breezer, you must have other lighting to support this visual, this would be ok as a backdrop behind the DJ console or such like. You are taking a risk running everything from the PC. What happens if this fails or you get the dredded BSOD? Slightly embarassing and could end your short DJ career.

Get some CD decks and an amp, use these as your primary sound source, you can always take an output from the amp and run to the pc to get the visuals.

Good Luck.

 

[ninebob]

Cheers for the replies, everything you have said is of course correct but perhaps I should have explained the circumstances better.

The pub in question is a small local and the night in question is actually my own birthday which falls on a sunday. So I'm only expecting about 40-50 people there, most of whom know me so if the computer does crash (touch wood it hasn't BSOD'd me yet - there, that's jinxed it), it would be a little embarrassing but not the end of the world.

The reason I only want to use the projector is that it's quite a nice bright one with a big screen, given the size of the area I'm working with I think any other lights would be overkill. There's no smoke machine and I haven't seen any obscuring of the screen from cigarette smoke during the football or whatever.

It's basically an informal party, we just wanted to do something a bit more than sitting in the pub on a sunday with the jukebox on.

 

[breezer]

i still disagree (but agree with other post) people are coming to your birthday disco, what if some poor sole is an epilectic but does not yet know.

Yes it will be differnt, but a disco is still a disco, not (to be read with a monotone voice) hey look at what thing ninebob has done, oh whoopi.

It is what YOU want not what others expect, yes its your party, yes you can cry if you want to, but suppose you drink too much, and press wrong button, whatever, no get in a pro dj, let them worry about it, you have a good time.

not to mention what is everyone going to do? 40 -50 people standing watching some pattern they dont, like as they can not see anything else.

Its a novel idea, but its not a good one

 

[ninebob]

Agree once again in principal with your opinion, if I was expecting 40 people to sit looking at a big screen with the visuals running then yes, I would probably have to hand out free issue sick bags.

The point is, given it's a "local" I know the layout of the pub and the people who are likely to turn up. The pub doesn't normally have discos, but the landlord is completely in support of my idea because it's a bit different.

To answer the point about people with epilepsy, this is why I didn't want to use any lights/effects other than the projector effects I'm proposing. There is enough seating available facing away from it that it wouldn't be an issue.

However, we're getting away from my original post, which was about the technicalities of achieving what I wanted to. I feel slightly stupid because upon searching further I found that Winamp's own website has it's own forum section, and my query is now resolved.

 

[breezer]

i am glad you have your problem sorted, but i disagree with the use, good luck, and will there be a bus service for those attending (unless they walk)