GETTING STARTED
A light show your neighborhood will
talk about
Explore all the pieces you need to get off the ground and running this season.
Explore Common Light-O-Rama Setups
Light-O-Rama software & hardware is fully configurable to meet your show's needs. Explore setups that use a standalone director, computer, or Touch Player.
For a deeper look at how everything connects, visit the Ecosystem Overview.
Run your show from a computer
Design & launch your light show from your Windows computer. Utilize a USB485-HS adapter to connect light controllers to your computer. Attach Traditional AC and/or RGB Pixel lights to your controllers. Finish with an FM transmitter to broadcast your audio.
Run your show with a Showtime Director
Use a Light-O-Rama Showtime Director to play your show. Showtime Directors have up to 4 built-in networks, and run your show using information from an SD card. Purchase an SD card with pre-made sequences, or create your own schedule with the sequences of your choice.
Showtime Directors are perfect for small to mid-sized displays where you don't want to tie up a computer for show playback.
Run your show with a Light-O-Rama Touch Player
Power your show from the all-new Light-O-Rama Touch Player. The Touch Player has the versatility and power of a computer, and only briefly requires a computer to transfer your show files. Equipped with a 7" touch screen and mobile app compatibility, the Touch Player can power displays of any size and any configuration.
You'll need a few things to get started
Download Software
Use our S6 Showtime Suite to design your show. The Free Basic license is great for beginners, then you can upgrade to Advanced or Pro as you grow!
Choose your Lights & Props
Design your layout and decide what type of lights you want in your display. You can use standard AC string lights, add smart pixels, or use both!
Music & Animation
Make your lights dance to the music! Purchase our pre-made sequences, or be creative and "sequence" your own lights to the music using our software suite.
Choose your Show Playback device
Choose a dedicated computer or an LOR control device as the central mastermind of the show. Use a Windows PC to prepare your playlist of sequences.
step 1 - Software
S6 Showtime Suite
Before you get started with Light-O-Rama, you'll need a software license. You can start with the FREE Basic version and upgrade to a higher tier license as needed.
FREE LICENSE
Basic License
Get started with Light-O-Rama by downloading our free software. The free Basic license enables control of up to 4 Unit IDs (or 680 pixels), controller configuration, and live playback of your show.
Great for ac lights
Advanced License
Choose the Advanced license to program and control unlimited AC channels. This includes our Residential & Commercial AC controllers, Easy Light Linkers, and dumb RGB controllers + flood lights.
Best for pixel expansion
Pro License
Upgrade to the Pro license for unlimited control within the software suite. The Pro license is needed to use more than 680 smart pixels, and controls all LOR hardware with no limits.
step 2 - create a preview
Design Your Layout
A preview is a virtual plan of your display in the software. You need one before sequencing anything. We provide default previews for every LOR store sequence layout, or you can make your own.
step 3 - choose your music
Sync your show to music
Sequences are the way you get your lights to sync with the music. If you're feeling creative - program your own songs with our software! Otherwise, purchase pre-programmed sequences from our library.
step 4 - show control
Control your Show
You have options when it comes to how you control your lights. A Showtime Director makes show control easy - you might not even need to involve a computer! If you're feeling slightly more tech savvy, using a Computer or Touch Player allows for higher pixel counts, advanced hardware configuration, live control over your show playlist, and syncs with our Mobile Phone App.
Works with Mobile App
Control with a Computer
Control your lights with a personal computer or LOR Touch Player. Control unlimited quantities of lights, use inputs/triggers, and monitor your show remotely using the Light-O-Rama mobile app. Control LOR networks with USB adapters or via E1.31.
- Computer
- Light-O-Rama Touch Player
Control up to 10,000 pixels
Control with a Director
Control your show with a dedicated Director and SD card loaded with your sequences: with no computer required for playback. Control AC lights and/or smart pixels with any one of our standalone directors.
- 1 network - Mini Director
- 2 networks - N2 Director
- 4 networks - N4 Director
Answer two questions to find exactly what you need to buy for your first show this season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can't find the answer to your question? Explore our guides in this section, read our Support FAQs or reach out to our Help Desk.
What's the difference between traditional lights and pixel lights?
Traditional lights are standard plug-in strands: they turn on, off, or dim as one unit per channel.
Pixel lights (RGB pixels) have individually addressable LEDs that can each be a different color at any moment. Pixels create the dramatic color-chasing effects you see in large & professional displays. Both types can run in the same show simultaneously when controlled with Light-O-Rama.
Can I use my regular Christmas lights?
Yes - as long as it doesn't have its own controller or phone app. Standard plug-in LED or incandescent strands, icicle lights, net lights, and rope lights all work with LOR's AC controllers. You don't need to buy special lights to get started. If you want to add color-changing pixel props later, those use a different controller, but you can run both types at the same time.
Can I try the software before I buy anything?
Yes! The Basic Version of S6 lets you design your display, build a preview, and even create sequences. It controls up to (4) Unit IDs, and anything you create in the Basic version carries over when you purchase a higher tier license!
To control more than 4 controllers or 680 pixels, a higher license is required.
Can I play the show without a computer running all night?
Yes. A Showtime Director is a small standalone device that runs your show from an SD card — no computer needed once it's set up. You load everything onto the card, plug the Director into your controllers, and it handles the rest automatically on a schedule you set. Alternatively, a Touch Player will accomplish a similar function but support much higher pixel counts.
Do I need to buy the music separately?
In general, yes. LOR sequences are choreographed to specific songs but don't include the audio file due to licensing. You purchase the MP3 (usually from Amazon Music) and the sequence installer links them together. Each sequence page on the store lists the exact MP3 song to buy.
If you purchase an SD card, music files are already included - we've done the legwork licensing the music for resale.
How do I get the music to play for people driving by?
You've got 2 options: An FM transmitter, or speakers.
- An FM transmitter plugs into your show computer or Director and broadcasts on a frequency you pick; guests tune their car radio to that station.
- Alternatively, you can run outdoor speakers directly from your computer's audio output.
FM transmitters are the more popular option since guests don't have to get out of their car. We recommend staying away from anything with Bluetooth, as audio is often delayed by the time it reaches your audience.
Popular Starting Setups
Most first-year displays start with one of these three setups. They're straightforward to configure and easy to build on as your show grows. If you're looking for something more complex, explore Advanced Setups for E1.31 and multi-network configurations.
Run from a computer
Configure and play your show from a Windows-based computer
Test and control your show through the Light-O-Rama mobile app
Use up to 16 LOR USB adapters to connect networks of Light-O-Rama controllers to your computer. A computer can also control advanced E1.31 devices!
Connect a low-power FM transmitter or speakers to hear your show
Control RGB and/or traditional lights on each network
Run from a Showtime Director
Showtime Directors are perfect for small to mid-sized displays where you don't want to tie up a computer for show playback.
Run your show from an SD card. Build your own show, or purchase a pre-made card.
Showtime Directors can output up to 4 separate networks, and each network can run at a different speed.
Control LED, incandescent lights, or smart pixels from your director.
Run from a Touch Player
The Touch Player includes a 7" touch screen for full testing & playback control of your show.
Run up to 4 separate LOR networks from built-in LOR network outputs, with 2 USB ports for further expansion.
Control your show from the LOR Mobile App. Requires a wired or wireless internet connection.
Control a Pixielink or other E1.31 devices, connect to Wifi, output video via an HDMI output, and more.
Control LEDs, incandescent lights, or pixels from the Touch Player with any compatible controller.
Help When You Need It
You're not on your own. We've been helping customers build shows for over 20 years. From live Q&A sessions to one-on-one training, we've built support resources for every learning style:
- 70+ tutorial videos
- Live Zoom room Q&A Sessions
- Official LOR Facebook Group
- Light-O-Rama Forums
- Help Desk
- 1 on 1 Training Sessions
- In-Person Education
- Group Training Sessions