David first began using pixels in stage lighting, and then decided to try it out on his house. The result? An urge to create useful and helpful information to help non-technical folks create great Christmas lighting with pixels on their homes!
When I first started sequencing Christmas lights, one of the first questions I had was “What type of computer do I need for xLights or Vixen?” At the end of the day, most modern computers will work great for either xLights or Vixen. A good starting point would be a dual-core processor with a speed […]
When a pixel is only showing some colors, but not all colors, then you know that you either have a failed LED, or an addressing or patching issue. As you begin to light up your Christmas light display, over time you may start to see some of your pixels failing. But before you grab those […]
To choose the right effects for your Christmas light display, you need to consider 3 main factors – your display props, the music itself, and the lyrics of the music. Choosing the right effects at the right time in your Christmas light show can make the difference between your audience thinking “This is cool” and […]
At the beginning of the year, I had already started planning for this year’s Christmas lights. I had created a spreadsheet to help keep track of the lights and equipment that I would need in this year’s set up. On top of that I have already pre-ordered my pixels, also known as PreSale, so that […]
In short, an RGB LED Christmas light pixel can make 16.7 million colors when running at full intensity. If you’ve ever worked with LED lights and talked to an RGB LED salesperson, you may have heard a line like this: “These LED’s can make 16.5 million colors!” And that’s just got to make you raise […]
One of the most amazing things about modern, Christmas light pixels is that you can make them almost any color you’d like. But, when you sit down to sequence, you realize that having so many options can actually be really limiting, and you might find yourself asking “What colors should I use for my Christmas […]
If you’re going to have a Christmas light display, one of the best parts is having friends, family, and strangers pull up and turn the dial in their cars to hear your display. Okay, maybe they aren’t “turning the dial” quite like the old days, but if you want your display to be heard, you […]
If you’ve started looking for a controller for your Christmas lights you may have noticed the many different types of controllers that are available. There are different brands, types and options, and it can be confusing! It can definitely be overwhelming but how do you know which one is right for your set up? In […]
If you run down the aisle of Christmas lights during November at your local hardware store, you’re bound to see a blur of color, blinking lights and a lot of nice, white bulbs. Christmas lights are great, and I love creating great displays with them! But the thing that regular Christmas lights can’t do is […]
As you plan your first Christmas lighting display, it’s also important to plan where you’ll put all of your “stuff” when the season is over. With musically-synchronized pixels, we have the pixels themselves, but it doesn’t end there! We also have the controllers, the cabling, and the power supplies to take care of. In this […]
