Looking for a small DMX controller for a band

BarryV

Member
Hey folks
New here. I'm helping a friend pick a lighting console for his club band. He just bought about 16-18 various LED fixtures and looking to control them for a rock band in club settings. Something with presets for scenes and manual bump controls. He bought a Behringer LC2412 (music store recommendation) - I jumped on here and saw it has a somewhat *hitty* reputation so he's sending it back.

My friend's budget is around $500 - yeah not much but just getting started.

I'm a video guy but have a little lighting and DMX background.

Any advice is appreciated

BarryV
New Orleans
 
Last edited:
Hi Barry. I never found the LC2412 to be all that bad - just a little different. As far as budget boards go I preferred it over many of the alternatives. Keep in mind though that this board has been on the market since before LED fixtures and even moving lights were commonplace, so it’s functionality these days is quite limited. I still have mine, but it’s rarely used anymore.

Assuming that you want a hardware board, I’d look to maybe some of the Elation offerings. While still “junior” in many regards, it’s definitely a step up. If you don’t mind running things off a laptop I’d vote for giving Enttec’s DMXIS a try. It’s within your budget and is very simple to use. Other PC options such as Onyx or MagicQ offer more horsepower but also come at a much steeper learning curve. Hope this helps!
 
I was given one of those Behringer consoles for free and threw it in the trash a week later.
A used Elation Show Designer 1 would work well for his needs.
 
At that price point I would seriously consider a laptop/software controller, your friend probably already has a computer that can run it. You sacrifice the physical buttons, but gain so much in the way of capability, FX, flexibility. A $500 console usually isn't a full universe of DMX, has limited memory for scenes, and no complex effects engines.

I like LightFactory (though mostly because I encountered it at a venue, and so was familiar with it) They sell license keys for different amounts of DMX addresses, and you can expand as you grow.

I'd suggest your friend check out a few software offerings, compare pricing for USB adapters, and read a few manuals to get an idea of which syntax and system makes the most sense to them- and provides the tools they want to create the show.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back