What is DMX?

DMX - or DMX512 - is a digital protocol primarily used to control lighting equipment such as par cans, dimmer packs, moving heads, fog machines, etc. It makes it easy to control many different types of lights from various brands using the same DMX controller or lighting mixer.

 

Is DMX Right for You?

Many intelligent fixtures like moving heads, LED par cans, etc., have built-in programs and the ability to run in master/slave mode, where one fixture controls the others. Additionally, many cheaper fixtures come with a remote control, making it easy to control the fixture. However, for larger lighting setups, managing various auto-programs, remote controls, etc., can quickly become cumbersome. This is where DMX comes in as a protocol understood by all the fixtures.

So, if you're unsure if DMX is right for you, look at your lighting setup and decide if you need to control all fixtures collectively from one place. If the answer is yes, DMX is the solution.

 

How Does DMX Work?

In a single DMX universe, there are 512 channels, which is enough for most smaller productions. Each channel can send a value between 0 and 255 and runs through a single DMX cable.

 

When you buy a fixture with DMX, the manual will include an overview of how many DMX channels the fixture uses - for example, it could be 3 (one for brightness, one for color, and one for strobe). If you set the fixture to DMX address 90, it will use channels 90, 91, and 92. A fixture is also called a fixture.

 

Simple fixtures like LED par cans and dimmer packs rarely use many DMX channels, while more advanced fixtures like moving heads can use several channels.

 

When connecting the fixtures, it's important to use DMX cable. Many fixtures come with both 3- and 5-pin XLR connectors, but it's important not to use regular microphone XLR cables as the resistance in the cable is incorrect. When the chain is connected, it should be terminated with a DMX terminator - it looks like an XLR connector without a cable and consists of a connector with a resistor in it. The terminator ensures that no data runs back in the chain, which could cause the fixtures to behave incorrectly.

 

Of course, everything needs to be controlled by some form of controller or mixer, but more on that later.

 

To provide an overview, we will try to describe a simple DMX-controlled lighting setup consisting of:

- 4 pcs. AFX MY60 Moving Head, using 14 channels each.

- 4 pcs. Cameo TS 40 WW Theatre Spot, using 3 channels each.

- 4 pcs. ADJ Mega TRIPAR Profile PLUS, using 4 channels each.

- 1 pc. Chauvet Hurricane Haze 4D, using 2 channels.

 

You can choose to control all moving heads individually or treat them all as the same fixture. That means if they all have DMX address 1, they will behave the same since they all receive the same DMX signal. In this example, however, we choose to control them individually:

 

- Moving head 1 gets DMX address 1 (using channels 1-14)

- Moving head 2 gets DMX address 15 (using channels 15-28)

- Moving head 3 gets DMX address 28 (using channels 29-42)

- Moving head 4 gets DMX address 15 (using channels 43-56)

 

NOTE: If you give the fixtures addresses 1, 2, 3, and 4, they will behave incorrectly as they will receive a lot of data that doesn't do what you want. So even though it may seem logical to name them in sequence, it's important to keep track of how many channels each fixture uses.

 

We choose to control the front lights in pairs of 2:

Front light 1 and 2 get DMX address 57 (using channels 57-59)

Front light 3 and 4 get DMX address 60 (using channels 60-63)

 

We control the 4 par cans as one fixture:

Par can 1 gets DMX address 64 (using channels 64-67)

Par can 2 gets DMX address 64 (using channels 64-67)

Par can 3 gets DMX address 64 (using channels 64-67)

Par can 4 gets DMX address 64 (using channels 64-67)

 

The hazer gets DMX channel 68 (using channels 68-69)

 

All fixtures are connected with DMX cable, and the last fixture in the chain is terminated with a DMX terminator.

 

Lighting Across the Country

Now all fixtures are connected, and the addresses are in place. All that's left is something to tell the fixtures what to do. There are several options ranging from smaller controllers, software for PC/iPad, and large lighting consoles. What makes the most sense in your setup depends on several factors - how advanced control you want, whether you need to stand and control the light show, or if it should be set in motion and then 'take care of itself,' etc.

 

In this guide, we won't go into depth about controllers, just mention a few options:

 

ADJ MyDMX 3.0

MyDMX 3.0 is a multi-platform DMX control software / hardware system (Windows and OSX Mac compatible).

ADJ MyDMX 3.0

AFX DMX Controller

Slightly more advanced controller that can also control moving heads and other more advanced fixtures with PAN and TILT wheels.

AFX DMX Controller

ADJ Midicon 2

MIDI extender used as a control surface for lighting software. Specially developed for EmuLATION, but can also be used with other programs.ADJ Midicon 2

We hope you've become a bit wiser about how DMX works. It's fantastic that almost all lighting uses the same standard, making it possible to control all your fixtures from one place. You're also welcome to contact us via email, Facebook, or phone if you have any questions about DMX and lighting.

Enjoy your next light show!