Questions about DMX lighting software

[jgelsinger]

Hello,I'm doing some research on lighting software. I don't know much about lighting software, but wanted to find out some information.

I know there is software you can run from your computer to control lights for the stage, but wanted to know what the difference was between using this software and simply using a light board. (advantages and disadvantages) A friend reccomended the DMX lighting software, so i wanted to know the advantages of this over any other software and over a traditional board

Also, what would be some reletively simple and inexpensive software/equiptment that you would reccomend?

Thank you for your help!

 

[BillESC]

Welcome to CB.

The new generation of lighting control boards are in reality computers. The only difference is that the boards have faders that can control functions or have presets assigned to them whereas a purely software system on a laptop won't offer tactile control.

There are a few software programs that can interface with outboard control consoles such as Martin's Light Jockey and the Fingers desk.

You can download most software programs in a demo mode to take them for a "test drive."

 

[itie]

i dont know what your price range is but to run it off your computer you will need a usb to dmx device. and buying one of those should b factored in. i believe most software comes with one but i could be completely wrong since i never purchase computer based boards.

 

[JChenault]

Yes there are software only solutions out there for controlling lights.

I would say that there are three flavors of control.

• A console that has a built in computer and lots of knobs and buttons.
• Software emulation of a physical console. IE the console manufacturer sells a software only version of his product.
• A pure software product whose interface is optimized for a screen and mouse not push buttons and sliders.

The advantages to a console is that you don't have to install any software, and you have all of the buttons sliders, and encoders. Buttons and sliders are great if you have to make a lot of live changes to a show ( IE busking a show). In general a console will cost much more than a software only product.

A pure software product costs less but you have to go through the work and hassle of installing the software, setting up DMX output, etc. You don't have to worry about as much about hardware failure as you do with a console as you can easily have a backup computer sitting there ready to take over if your power supply dies. A pure software product has a very different interface from a physical console. For example, in our moving light console, when you select a fixture, the control panel changes to match the capabilities of the fixture. This flexibility is not possible with physical buttons and sliders.

The hybrid model ( software provided by a console manufacturer) typically presents a layout of the console on the screen. While these provide some cost savings over a physical console, the interface is ( IMHO) awful.


Of course just to make things more complex, you can also get playback wings for some software only products that give you some sliders and encoders.


As to which is best it depends on what your are doing. IMHO

• For conventional lighting with not too many channels - you want sliders.
• For large conventional rigs, no one has written a really good software only solution ( yet) so a console is probably better.
• For moving lights in a theatrical environment ( no buskin) a software only solution is wonderful.
• If you are busking, you need some form of buttons that the user can select from. Depending on how much you want to do, this can be a console, a fader wing, or a touch screen.

In my theatre, I use a conventional console for the conventional fixtures ( an ETC express ) and a software only product to control moving lights and scrollers ( mLight by Osf Solutions )

The pure software solutions I am aware of that are available today.
Light Factory http://lifact.com/ for conventional lights with some support for movers.
Light Jockey http://www.martin.com/product/product.asp?product=LightJockeyFor moving lights only designed for rock shows and buskin
mLight http://osfsolutions.com/ For moving lights only designed primarily for theatre and simple club use.

Hope this helps.

 

[gafftaper]

Don't forget Champsys MagicQ. It's not spectacular but it's free. Just buy the USB/DMX dongle for around $150.

You ask the difference. It depends on what you are doing. If you are only pre-recording every cue and playing them back in order exactly as written, then computer based solutions are not THAT bad. The more expensive ones, especially when combined with some sort of fader wing accessory, can actually be excellent. If you need to do more than one thing at once and your mouse is your interface, PC software can really be lame. On the computer system's I've seen, busking a show is a very bad Idea.

Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. There are VERY few professional lighting programmers who will choose a PC over a good console. But for the low budget performance, the computer approach works just fine.

 

[len]

That question and numerous others regarding pc based dmx are all over the net. Start at the search button here at CB and read through everything. I'll bet 90% of your questions are already answered.

 

[len]

The pure software solutions I am aware of that are available today.
Light Factory LightFactory Home Page for conventional lights with some support for movers.
Light Jockey http://www.martin.com/product/product.asp?product=LightJockeyFor moving lights only designed for rock shows and buskin
mLight OSF Solutions - inGenius For moving lights only designed primarily for theatre and simple club use.

Hope this helps.

Any dmx software should be able to run conventionals, but the issue is more to how easily it can be done. Some are just better at it than others.

 

[JChenault]

Don't forget Champsys MagicQ. It's not spectacular but it's free. Just buy the USB/DMX dongle for around $200.

I classify the Chanpsys MagicQ as a software emulation of a physical console. The three products I mentioned are not intended to emulate a physical console. They are built from the ground up to work with a screen not buttons and (IMHO) are better for it than the crossbreeds.

Other interesting crossbreeds are the Hog, and Jands Vista - but all of them suffer from the flaw of not redesigning their interface for a screen and mouse instead of sliders and knobs. If you're going with a PC solution that is easy to use I would stay away. If you want to learn how the console works - they could be useful.

Any dmx software should be able to run conventionals, but the issue is more to how easily it can be done. Some are just better at it than others.

True - just like any conventional can run movers - it is more of what the design philosophy of the software is - what it is intended to be best at. Sorry if I was not clear.

 

[gafftaper]

So again we are back to the original poster. What is your budget? What sort of rig will you be running? What do you want to do with it?


FYI: JChenault is one of the creators of the OSF Solutions-In Genius. So he's a bit biased, but he is definitely an expert on the topic and knows more about it than most of our CB members.

 

[utilityman]

Don't forget about Jands Vista. I think it is a great balance between a software only solution and a physical console.

For a small-ish show, even for busking, using the "virtual" S3 control panel with a Jands USB to DMX adapter, it is quite possible to control a 12 moving lights, some LED washes and conventionals. Since you are operating a console with only one finger (the mouse), you have to adjust a little, but you can do a lot.

Since the computer-only Jands Vista interface is exactly the same as the physical consoles, you are learning the real thing, just with a cheaper and more portable version. You can get a very functional moving and conventional pc-only console for less that $2000 for 512 channels. If later you have more money, you can buy one of several USB control surfaces or upgrade all the way to a full size T2 or T4 hardware console.

You don't need a powerful PC to run it. I'm using a 2.8Ghz P4 and windows XP and it works fine. Vista supports both PC and MAC so no need to suffer the Mac is better/PC is better debate.

I have been using Vista PC for several years and love it. I can't wait until I can afford to buy an S3 wing.

 

[DuckJordan]

I don't believe they make it anymore but we are using the horizon box with xp, it connects actually through a printer port, (its old school computer) it has a lot of limitations but if you can find a box for it the software is free, they have a lot of code based functions in horizon so you can program certain lights to do certain patterns, not too functional in a theater environment but those rock concerts like em. works well with conventional fixtures has the capabilities to use moving but never tested it since we don't own any. its a nifty program just be prepared to read the manual over and over and still not have a complete understanding of how to program the dang thing.

 

[winstonp]

Like JChenault said alot of software is based on a hardware control surface making it hard to use in a software only mode. I would recomend a new product called Enlighten from Mega-Lite. It is designed to work with a touch screen or mouse and has specific features for use in Worship and Stage productions.