Synchronized hayride speakers.....

[Darkangel]

I have been on a couple of hayrides that have speakers mounted on the wagons that are in synch with the scene they are passing. Does anyone have any info on these, where to find them, cost, or even how they are programmed and are there sensors at each scene to trigger the speakers to start the sounds/talking? Anything would be great...:-D

Thanks a lot!

Darkangel

[Greg Chrise]

Hay ride sound.

One I'm familiar with actually had a shed of sorts on the front of the wagon, actually a trailer with someone in it that ran multiple tracks and strobe lights or triggered flame effects.

The shed blocked forward view of the riding patrons and was sort of decorated creepy with plexiglass windows on the sides for lighting effects.

I could see two sound systems, one with a story line of sorts and the other playing back ground music for the whole ride.

These days with MP3 players and such it could easily be a hand held device of a guide on the wagon or pushing the buttons on a CD player.

Everything to be reliable would be on the trailer as running power or relying on every remote location to work perfect every time would be a night mare. If something doesn't work someone with tech savy must travel the whole distance of the trail or just skip that performance for the rest of the night. One wouldn't want the expense of running power the entire length of a hayride.

The tractor voltage might be 6 volts too so this implies some (several) marine type batteries and every thing being run from 12 volts. So if they make it for a car audio system or lighting, you can hook it in.

As there are remotes for unlocking electric doors and trunks, these remotes can be used by actors out in the field for timing things specific to their scene.

There are so many things to hack into like systems that turn on your home lights when you arrive and even computer systems operated by text messaging from a cell phone. It all costs money. Multiple trailers means multiple money.

[Darkangel]

Thanks Greg,
Man, I wished I would have paid more attention to the tractor drivers, but it seemed pretty seemless to me the way the sounds and script kicked in going in to the next scene and it didn't seem as though they were controlling it. But it's something to think about.

Anyone else know of a system that synchronize tractor mounted speakers to the scenes around the guests?

Thanks,
Darkangel

[Nightmaretony]

Easiest and cheapest would have your driver trigger, use a laptop or a multiple MP3 steup and the driver pressed a button at the correct scene.

[Greg Chrise]

Hopefully not the tractor driver...

I'm seeing the tractor driver as not needing to be distracted by other than wether the machine is doing what it is supposed to be, where it is supposed to be going and wether it might be needing oil or over heating.

If bouncing along, the button is hit wrong or too many times all of a sudden you have someone responcible for 20 lives cruising along playing with some kind of controls trying to get it back where it belongs. It would not only look sad but that particular performance is not good and the driver may decide this is all crap, I'm not doing that anymore. When he drives the tractor in his feild he has none of this to worry about.

Yeah, I want someone that just greased all the joints, handled a little 90 weight gear lube and has been bouncing/farting, spitting tobacco handling a my laptop.

[Barry]

Actually, you may be looking at this from the wrong perspective. I know Jonathan from RFR did a soundtrack for a hayride. The soundtrack was very specifically timed and it was that soundtrack that told the driver where the tractor was supposed to be at any given moment. If the tractor was ahead or behind a little then he/she adjusted the tractor speed accordingly.

[Greg Chrise]

That's too easy.

There needs to be rubber hoses across the trail that when run over open little doors on a chicken coop that also rings a bell. The chicken eats so much feed and his weight sets off a floor mat that is powered by a solar system that charged up during the day. A pnuematic cylinder is engaged that holds up a sign, notifying the actors to scare now.

[Jim Warfield]

I had the duplicate envelopes all sealed and about to run to the mail box up on the corner with MY patent when I read your identicle idea, Gregg! Dam1 All that stamp licking for naught!

[Darkangel]

Thanks Guys. Barry, I think your idea sounds like it was possible for what they did, I was thinking from a different perspective. This would be an easier way of doing it and it would keep things running smoothly.

Thanks,
Darkangel