Remote Show Control with a Laptop

More Than Just Music Cues

After I put the first version of this web page together, I continued to do research.  There’s an entire industry that creates computer-controlled systems for running shows. If you get the right software, you can run a very elaborate show -- fog machines, confetti cannons, light cues, etc -- from a single computer.  Any big show these days runs off a computer.  The companies that make this software usually have detailed websites with downloadable demos.

Most of this software is fairly expensive, since it’s aimed at high-end professional uses (bands, theme parks, Broadway shows, etc.)

The first inexpensive package of this type I found is ShowPro MIDI.  It was  unavailable for awhile, but has become available again.  Despite its low cost ($250.00), it is very capable and has been used on major touring productions.  Visit: http://www.showpromidi.com/ and download the demo.

The high end of this kind of software is represented by Stage Research, Inc. and their SFX software.  They have a lot of interesting articles on their website about how SFX was used in various shows. See http://www.stageresearch.com -- when you get there, click “Soundbytes” and then go through the archived showcases.

If you get serious about this, the first book on the subject is Control Systems for Live Entertainment, by John Huntington.  His website is at http://www.zircondesigns.com/index.htm

John maintains a large list of companies that make this kind of software at:
http://www.zircondesigns.com/Manufacturers-ShowControl.htm
Many of the companies on this list offer demo versions.  This includes links to Mac software as well as links to information on computer-controlled fountains, every possible MIDI gadget you could trigger from a PC, animatronic characters, display boards, and lots more. I’m probably never going to get to this level, but I really enjoy reading about what the major shows do.

FYI: John’s article on this subject said that Britney Spears’ “Live From Las Vegas” was the most elaborate show of its type produced in years.  Regardless of what you think of her music, it’s worth seeing the DVD just to see what can be accomplished.