Hey y’all!

May be a silly question but my band would like to add some programmed lights to increase the production value of our shows. However can’t afford any lights.

The plan was to buy an enttec usb pro DMX interface and programme a show on the laptop then using stuff we can hire from our local shop, build the light rig at shows we want them with since we won’t be traveling with lights. (Gets very expensive in Australia)

The question is, can I programme a show without having the physical lights in place and what free software could we do that with?

Thanks for the help!
Josh

The answer is yes but there are a couple gotchas.

1. Most software programs have a built-in or add-on visualizer to help with doing exactly that.
2. Freestyler is a free lighting control program that should do what you need, but you need to be prepared for a steep learning curve.
3 DMX programming relies on accurate fuxture profile data that indicates the channel and value range for each feature inside a fixture. There is no standard for this it varies a lot so any programming you create will be specific to exact fixture brands and models.

Yes, but allow time to test your programs ahead of the show.

Not every fixture responds as documented to dmx commands, along with the usual setup goofs. I'd keep things pretty simple.

I used paid software so no suggestions in that department.