Whether you’re setting up your first LED dance costume or preparing for a professional stage performance, this guide covers everything you need to know about Vixen Lights pulse effect LED dance tutorial. Light Dance Pro has helped hundreds of performers worldwide create stunning synchronized light shows — and this step-by-step tutorial will help you do the same.
The primary objective of this tutorial is to learn how to configure, time, and sequence pulse effects across multiple LED suits and their individual components.
Step 1: Initializing and Saving the Sequence
- Open Vixen and select “new sequence” from the main menu.
press new sequence to create new sequence
- Save the file immediately by naming it according to your project version (e.g., “C1 version 1”) to preserve your progress.
Give a name and save sequence
Step 2: Applying and Customizing the Basic Pulse Effect
- Apply the Effect: Drag the pulse effect onto the group track to see the effect applied to all LED suits simultaneously in the preview window.
- Adjust Colors: Open the effect editor and double-click the color bar to select a new color, or simply drag and drop a color directly onto the bar for an immediate update.
select a new color
drag and drop a color
- Configure Intensity: Use the curve library to set the intensity of the pulse. Common presets include a “fade out” (starting at 100% and dropping to zero) or a “fade in” effect.
set the intensity of the pulse
- Magnify Timeline: Use the Control key and scroll up to enlarge the timeline for more precise editing of short effects.
Step 3: Precise Timing with Mark Collections
- Create a Mark Collection: Open the “mark collection” tool and create a new one, naming it for your specific program (e.g., “program one demo”).
Create a Mark Collection
- Set Markers: Right-click on the soundtrack/time bar to place markers where you want specific light actions to occur.
Right-click on the soundtrack/time bar and set markers
- Enable Snapping: Adjust the “sticking power” (levels 1–4) to ensure your effects snap accurately to the markers you have placed.
Adjust the sticking power
- Define Duration: For rapid sequential effects, set the duration of each event to a specific interval, such as 0.15 seconds.
Step 4: Sequential and Component-Specific Programming
- Program Sequential Suits: To light up suits one by one, copy a short pulse effect and paste it onto the tracks for Suit 1 through Suit 5, offsetting each one slightly on the timeline to create a sequential impact.
- Target Specific Components: Expand the track for an individual suit to access specific parts such as the helmet, backpack, main body, arms, legs, and feet.
- Create Passing Effects: To move light from the top to the bottom of the body, sequence the pulse effect to trigger first on the head, then the upper body, and finally the lower body.
- Hold Colors: If you want a specific component to remain lit at the end of a sequence, adjust the effect duration to last longer or set the intensity to a constant 100%.
Step 5: Grouping Tracks and Final Review
- Bulk Editing: Use the Control key to select multiple tracks (e.g.all upper body tracks across five suits) to move or edit them as a synchronized group.
- Synchronize Layers: Align the timing of different components, such as matching the main body pulse with the arms, by dragging them to the same marker on the timeline.
- Final Verification: Play the sequence from the beginning (0.00) to review the timing and ensure there are no errors in the visual flow,.
- Refinement: If the effects appear too abrupt, apply a fade-out curve to the group to create a smoother visual transition.
Once these steps are completed, your pulse sequence is ready for integration into the full LED show.
Pro Tips from the LDP Team:
- Always test your full setup at least 24 hours before a live performance to allow time for troubleshooting.
- Keep a spare battery fully charged as backup — especially for outdoor or extended performances.
- Label your SD cards and cables by suit number to avoid mix-ups during quick costume changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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