Justin Schumacher loves to play the DJ. He likes everything from controlling the dance lights, hitting the strobes, to spinning the tunes. And that’s just what he does thanks to his computer, ActiveHome, and some simple software. He starts by "popping" a CD into his computer’s CD player and then waits as the music pours out of the speakers. At the same instant the overhead lights turn off, and his dance lights come on. As the song plays, the lights flash on and off, creating a psychedelic feeling. Next come the strobes, flashing all around him so that it makes his head start to swim, and his mind thinks it’s in the middle of a sea of swirling lights.

The music is thumpin’, the lights are jumpin’ and the beat is pumpin’. That’s what being a DJ is all about. And Justin’s system isn’t kid's stuff either. He has strobe lights, traffic-style lights, rotating lights, mirror balls, multi-colored rotating lights, flashing Christmas lights, a red mood light, and laser lights. As if any light show would be complete without the laser lights. And all of these lights, right down to the room lights overhead are hooked into his ActiveHome lighting/DJ system.

"I’ve used the ActiveHome computer interface along with some custom software and appliance modules to create a ’virtual DJ.’ " Justin told us. He told us that he can easily program dance sequences so that the lights flash, and turn on and off along with the music. He can program the system so that only the strobes work during the song’s "breakdown," or the laser lights flash during a drum solo. It’s all done using ActiveHome, simple software, and the CD ROM drive of his computer. Here’s how it all breaks down according to Justin.

"Upon placing a CD in the CD drive of the computer, for which sequences have already been programmed, the CD begins playing and the lights begin flashing in the sequence they were programmed to. To make sure the lights turn on and off exactly when they were programmed to, the software takes into account the time it takes for the signals to go from the computer to the ActiveHome appliance modules."

"I can’t wait to have some great parties with this," Justin says.

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