Lights

• I bought another 20000 lights or so for this year.

• I plan on rebuilding all the porch spindle frames using 4 colors (Blue, Red, Green, Clear).

• Blue C9's will probably be replaced again.

• Adding another color to the front trees (Green).

Construction

• New Spindle Frames using coro-plast.

• The front trees don't like the extra weight of the lights and the ice storm this year
  with the lights didn't help.  To alleviate this problem I will probably build my own
  cone shaped trees.

Songs

• Resequence 16 songs to work with new channels and new light colors.

• As I've resequenced some songs I've noticed that some of my earlier work seemed to
  be lacking or some of the songs I sequenced had lengthy repetitive (boring) sections.
  I will be overhauling these songs.  Instead of taking a few hours to resequence it's
  taking me a few days to overhaul the song.  Songs to be changed include

  • Siberian Sleigh Ride - This had some lengthy repetitive spots.  I've shorted the song
    quite a bit and and have resequenced the song.

  • Deck The Halls - This was my first song I ever sequenced (and it shows).  I plan on
    rewriting the sequence for about 75% of the song. 
    I ended up rewriting the entire thing.

  • Wizards In Winter - I was lucky enough to find the original sequencing for this song
    and had made some small changes to it.  The original sequencer has a different style
    than me and I will be rewriting 100% of the song, but keeping the same feeling. 
    It will be sequenced to have much tighter tolerances.   The original could be off
    as much as 1/10 of a second.  I'll be off no more than 3/100 of a second.  As others
    have noticed, the song had a small skip in it and there were some sound artifacts
    towards the end.  I was able to rip a new copy of the song from my CD and fixed
    all the problems with the music.

• As it turns out I resequenced all the songs, some more than others, but when I reviewed
  them one last time I noticed even more places for improvement.  All the songs from 2006
  and 2007 have been changed.  Most are just lighting changes, but some have had their
  music adjusted also.

• My goal is add four new songs to the show this year.  I'll try to get to the other two
  TSO songs if I have time.

  • Barbara Streisand - Jingle Bells (100% complete)

  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra - A Mad Russian's Christmas (100% complete)

  • Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - Carol of the Bells (100% complete)

  • Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Reflections of Earth (100% complete)

  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Appalachian Snowfall (100% complete)

  • I was finally convinced to sequence Seymour Swine and Squealers
    version of Blue Christmas.  It's a rendition ala Porky Pig.  We'll see how
    the audience likes it. (100% complete)

  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra - First Snow (???)

  • Bruce Broughton - Overture (2009)

  • David Foster - Carol of the Bells (Probably not)
     

Controllers

• I have to layout the new lights and determine if I will need more controllers.

• Fortunately, one of the contests I won last year the prize was a new controller and enclosure.
  I've outlined all the new lights and colors and it looks like the 9 controllers I have will do nicely.
  There will be a total of 144 channels this year.