Most user friendly DMX sotfware package

[mksound]

Hey all,

 

I am considering going the computer control route with my lighting rig. I have found a good deal on a touch screen tablet PC and I was wondering which software would work the best with this set up?

 

Any help would be appriciated :(

[back_ache]

Hey all,

 

I am considering going the computer control route with my lighting rig. I have found a good deal on a touch screen tablet PC and I was wondering which software would work the best with this set up?

 

Any help would be appriciated :(

 

what kind of rig do you have, with what kinds of features and for what kind(s) of gig. Also as its a tablet pc are you wanting to be free of wires?

[Aiden Johnson]

I like using freestyler, and I think it can be setup with touchscreens aswell.

Link

 

But Magicq by ChamSys is another option that people here recomend.

Link

 

 

 

Hey all,

 

I am considering going the computer control route with my lighting rig. I have found a good deal on a touch screen tablet PC and I was wondering which software would work the best with this set up?

 

Any help would be appriciated :(

[smalljoshua]

I've used MagicQ for both live shows and theatre, both with movers and without and I find it very intuitive to use.

 

It's also what seems to be recommended by most people on this Forum. It is free and requires a relatively inexpensive piece of hardware to get a DMX output from it.

 

Josh

[dbuckley]

Very few of the commonly recommended control packages are in the least "user friendly", unless you have existing modern lighting desk skills. By this I mean non of them feel like Excel for lights, and to be fair, they aren't intended to be.

 

However, if you have a touch screen PC then many of the "real desk based' packages make sense in that you can actually have the "close to real lighting desk" experience.

 

MagicQ is probably the best value for money out there, in that it has no cost to download and use the (for most people, 100% fully functional) software, and all you need is one of the supported interfaces.

[Richard CSL]

I have established that the top recomended software Magic Q is mainly for theatre lighting trained technicians, and large touring shows, who are considering the power and flexibility of a pc connected to a large lighting desk.

 

Magic Q is undoubtedly a very superior product, and is strongly recomended in the professional touring circuit, as it is a copy of the larger touring desks and the systems they use. however it is not designed to be used as a pc only system. It is predominantly designed to be used with a "wing" which is a piece of hardware which has sliders (faders) and buttons for activating the pc software functions.

 

There are several pieces of software which do not have this pedigree, and are severly snubbed by a lot of blue-room members, because they regard these systems as inferior and non professional.

 

These include Sunlite. Daslight. and to some degree Freestyler.

 

Freestyler is loosely based on the Martin Lightjockey system and has many similar features. and also has the theatre cue stacking system. and master dimmer functions. this system can be connected to the DMX via a cheap Velleman dongle for about 50 pounds from Maplin.

 

Sunlite is a pure pc based system and very versatile , however not very user friendly, it takes a long time to master. I would suggest this system was more aimed at the disco market. (I know I am going to get some stick over that comment) I base this on all the preset movements that the head window comes with.

 

Daslight is another pure pc system and has good tutorials / manuals. however support from the company is non existent , so most people use the users forum, where expert advice is available.

 

There are limitations with this software, which if you are going to be doing shows where alterations on the hoof are necessary, you will experience the limitations. (no offset position function. no master dimmer) but programming is very easy. creating cues , chases, effects are all very simple. This software comes with a free 3D visualiser which other professional software can charge anything up to 1000 pounds for. The usb dongle costs around 350 pounds some include show recording functions as well.

 

so good luck with your choice, my advice is to download all of the above software, and try before you buy. (many sad hours in front of a computer screen) See which one you find easy to use, and let us know what you discover.

 

Regards Richard

[paulears]

I've used a hardware Chamsys control, and one of their usb wings connected to a laptop, and just the laptop.

 

I'd recommend the platform as others are doing here. Using it on laptop, without real faders - it's hopeless. Not it's fault at all, it is just that the concept is that of a busking desk, with quick and simple access to commonly used controls. So you could have a few looks set up on the faders, but then quickly stab the button on the screen, get access to the entours, stab a button for a colour and a gobo and they're up. On the laptop version fading out a blue state, bringing in a red one while flashing some colours manually just can't be done. You need real faders, not virtual ones. To a large degree, this applies to any screen only computer system. Add an £800 panel and you can do more, but you really want more faders and a touch screen to make it do what it does best!

[apspete]

Guys,

 

we have used chamsys alot, right from the start and we now own, a chamsys timecode module, enttec usb dongles, enttec artnet output boxes, several chamsys artnet out boxes, artistic license uplynx and downlynx, and a magicq 100 and fader wing, 2 playback/programmer wings and a maxi wing, and a epos machine based chamsys unit. So I speak from a lot of exposure to the various different bits of chamsys kit and I can safetly say that people are requesting the systems for hire now, and we have several students coming up through colleges who are actively using chamsys magicq and find it intuitive to learn and very powerful.

 

if you need a pc / touch screen combo then look a epos m/c's they have a very hard wearing touch screen and pc inside in a nice compact unit, add a playback/programmer wing or maxi wing and its a great desk.

 

we have just bought a mimo um-740 (£150 ish) 7" touch screen that just connects via a single usb and has all the display electronics built in to create the screen and touch screen, ie it doesn't require a graphics card and that is making a good execute window or position/colour/gobo window for smaller chamsys installs, that are running of pc's

 

Pete.

[mksound]

Thanks for all the replys,

 

As far as my lighting experience goes it somewhat limited, sound hire is the major part of our operation but I want to be able to provide

a one stop shop for our clients, both sound and lighting.

 

We cover everything from theatre to bands to conferencing so having the ability to set up some some generic scenes and chases would be where I see this type of application being useful. we don't have that many "lighting on the fly" type of senarios and for those the we do the "physical" desk would be the preffered option.

 

I have tried some of the software downloads namely Daslight and ADJ My DMX so I must try the others mentioned, thanks.

:)

[Judge]

Kevin, you know how sucky it is trying to run sound with virtual controls?

Same goes for lighting. It can be done, but, meh......

If you go the Chamsys route you have something that will work on any show - its totally scaleable. You can run a disco or a Genesis gig on it. The more you want to do with it tho' the more hands on control you will need.

True, its not aimed at beginners but its all just logic and routing, and if you can get your head around digital sound boards you'd be okay with Magic Q after a while.

Get a PC wing to go with it and you have a proper LX control solution. May as well get the real thing eh?