Here are my 2006 Christmas Lights
During the 2005 Christmas season, I spent a lot of time viewing websites and YouTube that contained videos of the product of persons fascinated with computerized light displays. You know, the ones where the lights blink on and off synchronized to a song. The biggest one that made the circuits that year was the house of Carson Williams and his interpretation of Wizards of Winter performed by Tran-Siberian Orchestra (TSO). You’ve also probably seen the many programs on HGTV such as “Over The Top Holiday” or “What’s Up With That Christmas House” that show the extremes people go to to celebrate the season.
Well I thought it would be fun to explore the possibility of doing an animated computerized light display, so I started reading about what it entailed. I searched the web and found many sources, a main one being Planet Christmas. I also had to convince my wife that I wouldn’t create a trashy display, but one with style and classic looks. So in May I moved forward buying a 16-channel show director and MP3 player from Light-O-Rama. Before the unit arrived, I decided where to place the lights on and around the house. I also decided to build 16 mini-trees using tomato cages, which Mary recommended. Each mini-tree contains 100 clear, 100 red, and 100 green mini-lights. When the show director arrived the first week in October and I started the sequencing. This entails the selection of music, and then synchronizing the music with the lights. You decide which lights turn on when and for how long. Whether you want them to fade up and/or down, to make them shimmer or twinkle, and how bright they should be. It takes approximately 3 hours to program the lights for one minute of music.
Then you have to have a way for people to listen to the music while watching the light display. To make that happen I set up a low-powered FM radio station, broadcasting on an unused frequency of 91.1 FM. The last step was to create a sign placed in the front yard that told people watching the light display to
Listen To The Lights
91.1FM
I had hoped to get the display up and running by Thanksgiving night, but being on crutches (another story) I enlisted the assistance of my wife, daughter, son-in-law, and their exchange student from Germany to string the lights and extension cords. You need a ton of extension cords for such a project. They got the lights up and our first show was Saturday, December 2. And it worked.
The show continued on for several nights, with more and more cars stopping to see why the lights were jumping all around, but then it rained. Water and electricity don’t go together, and the rain got into the light connections causing the GFIs to pop. So the next day, Mary and I were out checking out each connection and drying off what was wet. Then we got smart and wrapped Saran Wrap at all connections, which worked very well when the next rain came.
The last show was New Year’s Eve, and it wasn’t unusual to look out the window and see two or three cars parked, taking in the sights. One mother told me her son thought “it was magic.” Several told friends and family to stop by to see the show. One man said he stopped to see the lights, went and got his wife and children, coming back to Listen to the Lights, and then made a trip their his parents, brining them back for some great Christmas fun.
Below are links to the five songs that were synchronized to the lights. In all we had 9,600 lights displayed. After watching the videos, let me know what you think of our display by entering a comment at the link below.
To watch Carol of the Bells, click here
To watch Good King Wenceslas, click here
To watch Jingle Bells, click here
To watch Overature From Miracle On 34th Street, click here
To watch We Wish You a Merry Christmas, click here
jingle bells
awesome!
Comment by malcolm and lisa — January 14, 2007 @ 7:46 pm
Good King Wenceslas with Manheim Steamroller is spectacular to watch — but the Overature from Miracle on 34th Street was really synchronized to the music! Fun!!
Comment by Sandy — January 14, 2007 @ 10:46 pm
Tim,
This is awesome! We’re jealous. We are thinking next year, we’ll try it too. I see you started in May. Well, considering how it takes us extra long to do eveything, we better start NOW. Or, we’ll just enjoy watching yours each year. Anyway, our vote is Jingle Bells!
Susan
Comment by Susan Rhodes — January 14, 2007 @ 11:22 pm
Tim,
I would have to vote for Miracle on 34th. The lighting of the house is darker/better than my other favorite, Carol of the Bells. Excellent synchronization, lights to music. After reading about all of the work this display took, I am worn out.
Tom
Comment by Tom Slezak — January 14, 2007 @ 11:23 pm
Carol of the Bells I had to go back to and listen again because the Miracle was so good I thought it passed Carol up…..a close finish goes to the popular Carol of the Bells.
Tim is always up to something…..brings the twinkle to Mary’s eye!!
Comment by Ron Van Thiel — January 15, 2007 @ 5:22 am
To watch Overature From Miracle On 34th Street was easily the best.
Comment by Hayden — January 15, 2007 @ 5:57 am
Tim,
They are all simply awesome!!!! I loved We Wish You a Merry Christmas, but I don’t think I could just pick one. They are all just beautiful! You are so talented!
Lynne
Comment by Lynne — January 15, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Tim,
They were all great but I think “Good King Wenceslas” showed a closer synchronization of lights and music. I don’t see how you can improve on any of them. All of your hard work and monetary expenditure sure did pay off. I just wish I lived close enough to KC to see the real deal.
Comment by Larry Patterson — January 15, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
Tim,
I’m truly impressed by all of them. It’s hard to pick one as being best, but if I have to I will go with “Miracle on 34th Street”.
My second pick would be “Carol of the Bells”
Comment by Larry N. — January 15, 2007 @ 5:05 pm
Wish I could see this in person!! All are great. If I must choose one, I’ll say “Jingle Bells”.
PS: I am a friend of Lynne Carrier.
Comment by Tom Bennett — January 15, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
The best of the best is the overture from Miracle on 34th Street. It has both quiet passages and strident ones, giving you different ways to choreograph the lights. Nice job!
Comment by Chuck in Tucson — January 15, 2007 @ 9:16 pm
Tim, thanks for sharing. I should have known you would put all that energy into something else since your running has been sidelined. They are all great but Jiggle Bells is my favorite.
Comment by Peg Rogers — January 16, 2007 @ 3:19 am
I vote for Miracle on 34th St. They all look great though!!
Comment by Eric — January 16, 2007 @ 8:34 pm