DMX controller

[Charlie Brown]

Daslight is the way to go Charlie.

It's the software that most of the others I've seen are either built on or try to emulate.

Dongles ranging in price and spec from £150ish upwards.

Cheers.

I'll have a poke around and see what I think.

[welby]

Daslight is the way to go Charlie.

It's the software that most of the others I've seen are either built on or try to emulate.

Dongles ranging in price and spec from £150ish upwards.

Couldn't agree more - but it really depends on what you want to do with your dmx.

PC controlled - standalone - daisychain etc etc and I think you'll find that £150 soon increases with the "extra features".

[Happy Jack]

Daslight is the way to go Charlie.

Sorry to jump in, Charlie, but I'd like to pick your brain Vectis.

I've been entertaining the idea of putting together some kind of 'trigger' station comprised of few MIDI devices in situ above the mixer, Korg Nanopads et al. I've also wanted to try and incorporate this into a small, lightweight console / application - think big, colourful buttons - that allows very simple control of the colour, movement and pacing of the house lights as perhaps a marketable add-on product to the small bars and clubs where we gig. 'Idiot-proof' is the word, I think.

While the two pieces of software we dabble with support this in various flavours - Freestyler and the fantastic Magicq by Chamsys, another one for you Charlie - this jumped out at me on the Daslight website -

"Triggering of scenes, programs, effects by keyboard, shortcut keys, Midi Note, mouse, HE10 contact, HTML link or command software"

I think you've touched on this before and - correct me if I'm wrong - you use a touchscreen monitor with a simple .exe app. that you've put together to access the .dll file to trigger the scenes / shows stored? Is this is answer to all my woes? Certainly sounds like it! I'd be grateful is you could elaborate...

Apologies for the hijack. The link for the Chamsys website is here, Charlie.

http://www.chamsys.co.uk/default.asp?p=start.asp

While Magicq is a powerful beast, the learning curve is fairly steep, the GUI is clumsy and the hardware is very, very expensive. Daslight seems like a go-er.

[Vectis]

Nothing so clever I'm afraid. I'm just using out-of-the-box Daslight without modification. I just happen to run it on a touchscreen PC.

Have you checked out the Ryger Footlight? Sounds like it might be of interest... ignore all the references to LED PARs - it'll control anything.

http://www.rygershop.co.uk/shop/arti...%26aid%3D12%26

[Happy Jack]

Nothing so clever I'm afraid. I'm just using out-of-the-box Daslight without modification. I just happen to run it on a touchscreen PC.

Well, it's good to know anyway. Clearly I hadn't given Daslight the time it deserved.

Have you checked out the Ryger Footlight?

We've got a Yamaha MFC10 on floor duty with Freestyler, so no issues there. Thanks for the link, though.

Another one for Charlie while I remember.

Enttec DMXIS

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main...70&show=videos

It's geared towards 'live performers' which, with the absence of a dedicated lighting op, is what many of us are! Along with great MIDI support, playback options, effects generator, and a simple, clean GUI, what sold it to me was the fact it can be loaded up as a VST plugin / insert FX in your sequencer of choice! It's also relatively cheap for what it is and seems - I'd like to be proven wrong - to be the only piece of software in it's class that offer's this.

It allows the user the luxury of being able to 'design' an automated lightshow for any given track by dropping MIDI notes in the piano editor to change either the preset or the bank. Those willing to put in the time won't argue the impact this sort of functionality offers, on the B+G's first dance for example...

[Charlie Brown]

Thanks for your help Jack.

With the last one you suggested, if you have to pay for the software then the hardware?

[Happy Jack]

The price asked includes both the Enttec DMX - USB interface and the DMXIS software, which is, in my opinion, fantastic value for money @ £199. Follow the link below.

http://www.dmxis.com/

The VST plugin is an optional extra, I believe, and clearly you'd also need the host - Cubase, Ableton etc. Given the inexpensive cost of the package, I'd suggest you also pick up a DMX splitter. I don't know if you provide uplighting, but whenever we've been asked to I like to send a feed down each side of the room to avoid an untidy crossover at either end or an almighty loop back. The 'D Split' is here, as is a handy little device to have in the rack drawer.

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main...ow=description

In fact, I think I've just sold it to myself. Do check out the video tutorials on the Enttec website if you need any more convincing.