Lixada USB to DMX512 Interface - anyone got it working?

[james3mc]

I’ve got a Lixada “Freestyler” USB to DMX512 interface and I'm running the latest Chromaq-Vista at home on Windows 10.

Cannot get the USB to DMX to work. Anyone had any success, it seems there are loads of these things out there.

[alistermorton]

Is it on the the list of compatible devices?  You may need a device with processing like an enttec Pro, rather than a simple device that relies on the cpu to keep refreshing it. The Web site says that the vista dongle is compatible, for example. 

 

Edit: from the website "Please note: Vista by Chroma-Q only supports proprietary USB to DMX devices."

Edited March 28 by alistermorton

[pmiller056]

Because this adapter has been widely available for a long time and is affordable as a 'first buy' for a beginner, there is chatter about these in other lighting-related online forums about them. Can you get this adapter to work with different DMX control software? There are some useful tips about getting this adapter to work on the QLC+ website (free to download and use).

Use the correct USB drivers, taking into account if you are using a 32 or 64 bit version of your operating system. There appear to have been a few different versions over the years. Make sure there is sufficient power from the USB host - if necessary, use a powered external USB hub. Reliability problems may be fixed by reducing the DMX refresh rate and the DMX universe size.

[alistermorton]

These adapters work fine (for limited values of fine) with software that is designed to use them, such as freestyler or qlc+ for example. Where specific hardware is called for you're sunk. Thus they don't work with, for example, Qlab, which needs the processing of things like enttec Pro or dmxKing Pro, or magicQ. If vista needs specific hardware, which seems to be the case judging by the website, drivers aren't going to help with this adapter. 

Edited March 30 by alistermorton

[xllx]

Vista needs a licence dongle.

It also will only work with Vista's proprietary USB to DMX adapter or an SACN/Artnet interface, or a Vista wing.

So it won't work with the hardware you have plus you will need a licence dongle as well.

 

 

[James Remo]

I’ve only toured vista once; quite a few years ago. I remember Vista did output artnet from software without a license dongle, but would send zeros every 4 mins or so. The clattering it gave the mac 2k washes when doing so was rather impolite, so we ended up running magic q for test patterns. Fortunately it was the last tour I did with both the 2k’s and vista. 
Artnet nodes are getting super cheap, I don’t know why anyone would buy a usb to DMX dongle when they can buy a single universe artnet node for about the same price, that will be compatible with many platforms, and useable for years to come.