DMX PC Lighting Software - Cheap Stage Light Controllers

October 4th - Stage Lighting Control - by Rob

Stage lighting control has got complicated. The availability of cheap intelligent lighting fixtures, LED colour mixers and other sophisicated lighting effect has made good DMX lighting control even more necessary. Luckily cheap stage light controllers, in the form of DMX lighting software for PC, are everywhere these days and are available to buy (or download for free!!).

Lighting control desk and computer
A PC creeps on on a traditional lighting control, ready to pounce.
Image by Pritch

Not so many years ago, good moving light technology was only available to those with deep pockets. You also needed a pretty good DMX lighting control to do anything with your lights. Now, not only are intelligent stage lights cheap but DMX lighting software is too.

What Do I Need To Control My DMX Lighting?

The reason that DMX lighting software is cheap is the fact that you already own most of the hardware - i.e a PC or Laptop. The PCÂ and software does all of the processing, gives you the control interface and stores all your cues and effects information. The only thing that it doesn’t do is actually generate a DMX signal.

For PC lighting software to actually control intelligent lighting, you need something that will generate DMX and distribute it to your stage lights. The hardware to do this is often a USB to DMX dongle and you can buy these pretty cheap. The cheapest of these DMX dongles get the PC to constantly generate the DMX signal but some of the best DMX dongles actually buffer and create the DMX themselves.

At the top end of DMX PC lighting software some the lighting control manufacturers such as Flying Pig (High End), ETC, Cham Sys etc. They all produce PC versions of their own lighting desk and have different bits of kit for outputting the DMX from your laptop while the PC software gives you the lighting control interface.

Why Bother To Buy A Real DMX Lighting Console?

PC stage lighting control software is cheap to buy, controls your DMX lighting and doesn’t take up space on the desk. That doesn’t mean it is for everyone. Using a mouse, trackpad to control moving lights is not the sames as using the faders and wheels on a fully grown lighting control. Using a touchscreen can make the interface better however.

The trouble with using PC software to control your DMX lighting is a question of faith. Sometimes, my faith in computers is strong, sometimes it isn’t. When the operating system locks up or your firewall has a funny 5 minutes, all hell can break loose on your show. Or, at least, it stops working.

Keeping a clean PC for your DMX lighting control software or Dual Booting a second operating system can keep your confidence up. The best lighting control manufacturers expect you to buy some good quality hardware that provides stable DMX so they make expansion wings, DMX output devices and cut down versions of their production lighting controls.

Is PC DMX Lighting Control Software The Future?

DMX lighting software for a PC platform is definitely part of the future of lighting control. You can now buy some kind of PC version for every major lighting control on the market, whether it be for training and promotion of a lighting desk or to provide the system for a budget market. Many things in the world seem to converge on the the concept of a Personal Computer system that will be even more central to our lives so why buy another computer to control your stage lighting?

Modern stage lighting controls, PC or not, are now software driven. This is easier for the lighting control makers to create new functions and expand on existing console architecture. Does this mean that they are now software writers rather than hardware manufacturers? This puts them in the same pond as Microsoft and Adobe and, while they might be a niche market at the moment, get ready for Adobe LightControl .

Just as long as I can still push a fader or turn a wheel occasionally.

You will also like:

DMX Lighting Systems - Is Anybody Listening?

Books on Stage Lighting - 5 of the Best

Related Articles:



Learn Stage Lighting


11 Responses to “DMX PC Lighting Software - Cheap Stage Light Controllers”

  1. Karl Says:
    October 29th, 2007 at 9:25 pm

    Hey… I found this to be extremely interesting. I’m wondering, what sort of USB to DMX dongles are out there? I am trying to solve this problem right now, and google is not very useful. Can you shoot me an email, please?

    Thanks.

    Karl

  2. gnamusic Says:
    November 3rd, 2007 at 4:36 am

    great finally i found some blog talking about lighting on stage, btw did you have software for dmx lighting controller ?

  3. Rob Says:
    November 3rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm

    There are many DMX lighting control software systems at the moment but my favourite is the ChamSys MagicQ because it s free, versatile and is based on a professional lighting control, using a similar interface to a number of the lighting desks that we all learned in recent years.

  4. Rob Says:
    November 7th, 2007 at 9:00 pm

    Hey Karl,

    Sorry for late reply but have been on the road a lot and the On Stage Lighting spam filter has been a bit too keen lately.

    I am surprised to hear that you are unable to find much info on USB to DMX dongles are the moment as they are everywhere these days and doing a Google search produces some useful results for me. Daslight, Enttec make popular products (I have an old Enttec Open DMX USB) and some good info can be found at usbdmx.com and it is a common thread topic at the good ol’ Blue Room

  5. Glenn Meader Says:
    January 22nd, 2008 at 5:21 pm

    Check out my open-source free DMX stage lighting software at my website: http://www.chromakinetics.com/DMX/
    It works with the very inexpensive http://www.enttec.com USB DMX interfaces.

  6. Rob Says:
    January 24th, 2008 at 9:01 am

    Hi Glenn,

    It’s always good to see open-source PC lighting control software and the Enttec USB’s are a favourite of mine.

    Keep up the good work.

  7. Rhuari Coe Says:
    February 13th, 2008 at 7:56 pm

    Hi does anyone know of any mac software. strand had something, but they dont seem to be doing it anymore.

    Thanks.

  8. Carrie Dicken Says:
    March 30th, 2008 at 3:27 am

    Digital 4u2 announces the upcoming developement of detailed stage lighting software. The software will be affordable and practicle in areas of lighting where this has not been available. The software is designed by lighting professionals for lighting professionals.
    You can read more at… http://www.digital4u2.com/software.htm

  9. ham Says:
    April 20th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    I currently use some software my friend has been developing for Mac. It’s far from finished, but it’s a free download, so I use it for now.

    http://www.usbdmx.com/chameleon/

  10. dean Says:
    June 9th, 2008 at 6:31 pm

    Open DMX USB
    hi is that the product i need to use with the free software mentioned also in this discusion … the magic 1 , i am using windows if tht matters …

  11. DJTom Says:
    June 18th, 2008 at 2:31 pm

    YES, there are many DMX lighting control software systems out there. BUT in my oppinion only one for LED Lighting. I am using MADRIX since years and it runs so stable, is very easy to use and understand, supports a lot of dmx interfaces, artnet and dvi AND it supports dmx-in, artnet-in and midi for remote control. This is awesome for club installations. Check out http://www.madrix.com and test the awesome sound 2 light and music 2 light realtime effects. DJTom

Leave your comment about this...

On Stage Lighting would love to hear your views or relevant stage lighting questions.

Please Check that you are adding your comment to the most relevant article - it helps other readers.