2015 Johnson Family Dubstep Christmas Light Show

jeremy · 12-08-2015, 12:23 PM

This impressive show was created using Open Source software and runs entirely off a Raspberry Pi.

Quote:

WHAT SOFTWARE DO YOU USE TO MAKE YOUR CUSTOM SOUND TRACK?

I use an open source audio editor called Audacity.

WHAT SOFTWARE DO YOU USE TO SEQUENCE THE LIGHTS?

I use an open source software product called Vixen 3.

HOW BIG OF A COMPUTER DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO RUN THIS SHOW?

I actually do not use a computer at all. Starting in 2014, my entire show is ran from a Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi is a single board computer with no moving parts about the size of a credit card. I run software on it called the Falcon Pi Player. This product is an amazing technological acheivement. Using the Pi, I am able to run nearly 3 times the number of channels in my show than I was able to do with a Windows PC with 8GB RAM in 2013. What is really amazing about the Raspberry Pi is that it was invented by a professor at the University of Cambridge in the UK as an educational tool for children and only costs $35.

http://www.johnsonlightshow.com/

In the spirit of Open Source, he even explains in-depth how to recreate the show. While all the howtos are informative, the "Behind the scenes tour" is an especially interesting watch.

Are any LQ members using Open Source to create Holiday shows?

--jeremy