Getting started › Introduction

1. Introduction

DMX Recorder is Windows software for lighting technicians: it records and replays Art-Net and sACN streams, and brings together the tools you need in the control room and in training.

It supports the Art-Net (UDP 6454) and sACN/E1.31 (multicast UDP 5568) protocols, for up to 250 universes at the same time.

What you can do with it

The software handles up to 250 universes.

Main features

Architecture

Input (Art-Net / sACN)  →  Recording engine  →  .dmxrec file
.dmxrec file            →  Playback engine   →  Output (Art-Net / sACN)
Source A + Source B     →  Merge engine      →  Output (Art-Net / sACN)

The software's files

How to read this guide

The chapters follow the order of the software's tabs. Each one starts with the most common task, then explains the settings in detail. Labels are written as they appear on screen: a button is written REC, a tab Record, a key F1, a menu path Help › License...

Some labels are not translated yet and still appear in French in the English interface, for example the Mode Expert ▼ button of the GrandMA3 synchronization window. This guide writes them as they appear on screen, so you can find them.

Getting started › License and trial period

2. License and trial period

Most of the software is free. Three modules need a license, after a 7-day trial period.

What is free and what is not

During the first 7 days, everything is open. After that, the three licensed modules lock and their tabs turn red with a padlock. The rest of the software keeps working.

At the end of the trial, a « Trial period ended » window opens at startup. Continue for free closes it and keeps the free modules; Activate my license opens the license window.

The Student license

Each LC Formation student receives a Student license, valid for one year, with their training. It opens all the modules. The status bar then shows 🎓 Trainee License with the number of days left.

Activating a key

1. Open Help › License...
2. In the « Activation » group, enter the key you received, for example LC-202603-A7B2.
3. Click Activate. The software asks the LC Formation server to check the key: you need an internet connection at that moment.

The « License status » group then updates: license type, expiry date and list of modules, each marked ✓ or ✗.

Machine ID and deactivation

The « Machine ID » group shows the code of this computer. Copy puts it on the clipboard, so you can send it to LC Formation if support asks for it.

Deactivate removes the license from this computer, after confirmation, so that you can activate it on another PC. The button is greyed out during the trial and when the license has expired.

Getting started › Quick start

3. Quick start

Record what a console sends, then replay it: the shortest way to check that everything works.

Before you start

• Connect the computer to the lighting network, on the same network as the console.
• Turn off any VPN. If a VPN is active, the software warns you at startup with the « VPN detected » window.
• To check which nodes are on the network, the Network tab lets you choose the network interface and scan for nodes (see the Network chapter).

Recording

1. On the home page, click New Recording.
2. Choose the console's Protocol and the Universe range.
3. Choose the Interface connected to the lighting network.
4. Name the file with the ... button.
5. Click REC, play a few states on the console, then click STOP.

While recording, the Universe line of the statistics must match what the console sends. Details are in the Record chapter.

Replaying

1. Go to the Play tab and load the .dmxrec file with Open...
2. Choose the output protocol and interface, then check Enable DMX output.
3. Click PLAY: the fixtures reproduce what was recorded.

Details are in the Play chapter.

Going further

To fit a show to a music track and drive a console with timecode, see Timecode, then Synchronizing with GrandMA3. To find and set up the nodes on the network, see Network.

Getting started › Main window

4. Main window

What you see when the software starts: the home page, the tabs, the three menus and the status bar.

At startup: the home page

The software always opens on the Home tab. Two buttons let you start:

• New Recording shows the Record tab, to prepare a recording.
• Open File does the same as File › Open...

Below these buttons, the Recent Files list offers up to three recordings. Hovering over a name shows its full path; a click loads it in the Play tab. As long as no file has been opened, the list says « No Recent Files ».

The Home tab disappears as soon as you click New Recording or a recent file.

The tabs

Each function of the software has its own tab. They appear in this order:

Recognizing a locked tab

Only Timecode, Cue List and Lua Learning Suite depend on the license. You can use them during the 7-day trial. Once the trial is over and without a license, they appear greyed out on a red background, with a padlock in front: 🔒 Timecode

Hovering over a locked tab reminds you how to unlock it: menu Help › License..., then enter the key or the student code.

The menus

The window has no toolbar: everything goes through the three menus and the tabs.

File

Tools

Help

The status bar

At the bottom of the window: the Art-Net and sACN connection status (« Connected » in green, « Disconnected » in red), the number of active universes, the software's messages, which stay on screen for three seconds, the rate in fps, and the license status.

The window title shows the open file, followed by « [Recording] » during a capture.

Messages that appear by themselves

Using the keyboard

F11 switches the window to full screen. Space starts or pauses the playback of the Timecode session. The other shortcuts are listed in the Keyboard shortcuts chapter.

Tabs › Record

5. Record

Record a console's Art-Net or sACN stream to a file, to replay it later from the Play tab. Free module.

Recording a show

You reach this screen with the Record tab or with the New Recording button on the home page. The settings are on the left, the DMX monitor on the right; you can move the divider between them with the mouse.

1. In Protocol, choose « Art-Net Standard », « sACN (E1.31) » or « Art-Net + sACN ».
2. Set the Universe range: the first universe, then the last one. By default, it goes from 0 to 15.
3. In Interface, choose the network card connected to the lighting network. The ↻ button updates the list if a card has just been plugged in.
4. Click ... next to File to name the recording. The software suggests the recordings folder and a dated name, in the form recording_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.
5. Click REC before the show starts. The button pulses red as long as the recording lasts.
6. Click STOP at the end. The message « Recording complete » confirms the stop.

Where do the recordings go? By default, to the DMXRecorder\recordings folder in your personal folder (for example C:\Users\<name>\DMXRecorder\recordings). It is no longer Documents, because Windows protection against ransomware (Controlled folder access) can block writing there. This folder is created automatically if it does not exist. To choose another folder: Settings, General tab, Save folder.

If Windows shows « File not found » when you record into Documents, Desktop or Pictures, this is its ransomware protection: choose another folder.

Choosing the file format

Following the recording

The statistics

Before a show, a test of a few seconds is enough to check two things: Universe lists the universes sent by the console, and Lost packets stays at zero.

The DMX monitor

The grid shows the 512 channels of a universe. Hovering over a cell gives the channel number, its value and its percentage. The Universe list chooses the universe displayed; « Auto (first detected) » takes the first one that receives a signal.

Detach opens the grid in a separate window, for example to put it on a second screen.

The settings in detail

Protocol and universes

The title of the configuration group changes with the protocol, so you can check at a glance what will be recorded.

The Universe fields accept values from 0 to 32767; in sACN, the first possible universe is 1. A value out of range shows « Input error ».

Making the file smaller

Recording universes that are not consecutive

The Universe range works when the universes follow each other. For other cases, the Mapping... button opens the « Universe mapping configuration » window, where you build the list of universes to record, range by range.

• Art-Net: enter the range as absolute numbers (From / to) or as Net, Subnet and Universe (N, S, U, in hexadecimal), then click Add Art-Net Range.
• sACN: enter a range between 1 and 63999, then click Add sACN Range.
• The Auto link Art-Net and sACN (sACN = Art-Net + 1) checkbox matches each Art-Net universe to the sACN universe with the next number.

The table lists the ranges you added, with the columns Slot, Art-Net, Net:Sub:Uni, sACN and Label. The counter at the bottom reminds you of the limit: 250 universes in total. Beyond that, the message « Limit Reached » appears.

Three buttons fill the table in one click: Art-Net Preset 0-15, sACN Preset 1-16 and Art-Net Preset 0-249. Delete removes the selected row, Clear All empties the table after confirmation.

Possible messages

Typical use case

Tabs › Play

6. Play

Replay a recording to the network, in Art-Net, in sACN or in both protocols at the same time. Free module.

Replaying a recording

1. Load the file with Open..., or choose it in the Recent list, which keeps the last ten. Its name appears in Sequence, instead of « No file loaded ».
2. In the « DMX Output » group, choose the Protocol and the Interface connected to the lighting network.
3. Check Enable DMX output.
4. Click PLAY.

A recent file chosen on the home page loads directly in this tab.

The Open... window opens on the recordings folder (see the Record chapter).

Controlling playback

The counter gives the position and the total duration.

Choosing what happens at the end

Two checkboxes decide the state of the stage once playback is over. They exclude each other: checking one unchecks the other.

The « ? » next to each checkbox reminds you of its effect.

Setting the output

The Protocol list offers « Art-Net », « sACN (E1.31) » and « Art-Net + sACN », which sends in both at the same time. Nothing goes out on the network as long as the Enable DMX output checkbox is unchecked.

Sending to the whole network or to specific devices

The Destination list offers two modes:

• « Broadcast (255.255.255.255) » sends to all the devices on the network.
• « Unicast (specific IPs) » only sends to the addresses you enter. Type an IP address and click + to add it to the list; a double-click or a right-click on an address removes it.

Where do the Art-Net frames go?

• Broadcast with a specific interface: one broadcast on the network of that card.
• Broadcast with « All interfaces »: one broadcast on the network of each active network card of the computer.
• Unicast: the frames and the ArtSync packets go to each address in the list.
• If an address is filled in the Art-Net Broadcast field of the Settings (see the Settings chapter, Network tab), it replaces the calculated broadcast. The Unicast list still takes priority.

Playing in sACN a file recorded in Art-Net: universe 0 does not exist in sACN. If the file is 100 % Art-Net, each universe is therefore shifted by +1: Art-Net 0 goes out as sACN 1, Art-Net 1 as sACN 2, and so on. The correspondence is shown under the output, on the line that starts with « sACN universe: ». The Art-Net output keeps the numbers from the file. For any other file, the numbers do not change; if it contains universe 0, that universe is not sent in sACN and the message « Universe 0 not sent over sACN » appears.

Values held in sACN: as in Test and Merge, the last frame of each universe is sent again every second as long as nothing new is sent (see the Test chapter).

Checking what is replayed

The « File information » group shows what the recording contains: protocol (as recorded), universes, duration, number of frames and original rate.

The Real-time FPS line shows the actual output rate, with a colour code:

The DMX monitor shows the channels of one universe of the file. The Universe list offers « First (auto) », then each recorded universe. Detach opens the grid in a separate window; Reattach brings it back into the tab.

Possible messages

Typical use case

Tabs › Merge

7. Merge

Combine two DMX universes into one, for example a main console and a backup console. Free module.

Merging two sources

1. Choose the Merge mode. The description area right next to it explains the selected mode.
2. Choose the Protocol and the Interface.
3. Set the universes: Source A (Universe), Source B (Universe) and Output (Universe). By default, they are 0, 1 and 10.
4. Click START. The settings are greyed out while the merge is running.
5. Click STOP to stop; the source indicators go back to grey and the three grids to zero.

A change of protocol only takes effect at the next START.

Silent source: a source that has received nothing for 2.5 seconds becomes inactive (grey indicator): it no longer counts in the merge and the other source carries on alone; as soon as a frame comes back, it becomes active again. At each START, both sources start empty.

Universes limited to 255: the three universe fields go from 0 to 255. If a universe is outside this range, nothing is sent and the message « Universe outside the range 0 to 255: nothing is sent » appears.

Universes in sACN: in sACN, universes start at 1.

Values held in sACN: as in Test and Play, the last frame of the output universe is sent again every second as long as nothing new is sent (see the Test chapter).

Choosing the mode

Checking the merge

A « ● » indicator next to each source shows whether it is received. Three grids show the channels: Source A in green, Source B in blue, Output in orange. Detach All opens them in a separate window, Reattach brings them back into the tab.

The « Statistics » group counts the merges performed, gives the rate in fps and the number of channels won by each source (HTP Wins (A/B)).

These two buttons act without asking for confirmation.

Trying without a console

The Auto-test (inject test values) checkbox lets you try the merge without a real source. The Test value slider, from 0 to 255, is only active when the checkbox is checked.

Typical use case

Tabs › Test

8. Test

Send values or patterns to chosen channels, to check a line, a fixture or a patch. Free module.

Sending a value

1. In « Output configuration », choose the Protocol and the Interface.
2. Choose the target channels: set the Universe and Channels ranges (1 to 512), or select cells in the grid.
3. Set the Value with the slider or the keyboard, from 0 to 255.
4. Click Send.

Changing the interface restarts the outputs; the message « Outputs initialized on… » confirms it.

Universes in sACN: in sACN, universes start at 1.

Values held in sACN: an sACN receiver drops a source that has been silent for 2.5 seconds. In Test, Play and Merge, the last frame of each universe is therefore sent again every second as long as nothing new is sent: a value sent only once stays on the node.

Which channels receive the value

• If there is a selection in the grid, only the selected channels.
• Otherwise, all the channels of the Universe and Channels ranges.

You select in the grid with the mouse: click a cell, drag to draw a rectangle, and use the same gestures with Ctrl to add to the selection. Deselect cancels the selection.

The presets

The preset buttons send a value straight to the target channels.

Clear does not set the channel to zero: it stops controlling it, and the grid shows « -- » in its place. Clear All does the same for all channels.

Running a pattern

In « Pattern Generator », choose a Pattern, set the Speed (from 0.1x to 2.0x), then click START. STOP stops it.

Available patterns, as shown on screen: Sine (Slow), Sine (Normal), Sine (Fast), Triangle, Sawtooth, Square, Strobe, Random, Chase, Rainbow and Blackout.

Recording a pattern

The « Loopback recording » group records what the tab generates into a .dmxrec file, to replay it later in Play.

1. Click the record button and name the file. The suggested name is dated, in the form pattern_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.
2. The status changes from « Ready » to « REC... » and the frame counter moves.
3. Click STOP REC. The message « Recording complete » gives the number of frames.

Reading the grid

The Universe list of the « DMX Output » group chooses the universe displayed. Detach opens the grid in a separate window, Reattach brings it back.

Typical use case

Tabs › RDM

9. RDM

Find the RDM (E1.20) fixtures of the installation, identify them, change their DMX address, their mode or their name without climbing up to the rig. Free module.

Finding the fixtures

1. In « RDM configuration », choose the Interface: « Auto (2.x.x.x) » or a specific card.
2. Click Enable RDM. The button becomes « RDM enabled ». As long as it is not pressed, the other buttons stay greyed out.
3. Click Discover. The button shows « Searching... » during the search.

The fixtures found are added to the « RDM devices » table. Refresh reads their information again. The Automatic discovery (30s) checkbox runs the search again every 30 seconds; it only has an effect if RDM is enabled.

If nothing appears

RDM must be enabled on the ports of the node that feeds the line. This is set in the Network tab. With an ELC node whose RDM is off everywhere, the table title says so: « RDM devices — RDM off on all ports of…: enable it in the Network page ».

Reading the table

A click on a row shows the fixture in « Device details »: firmware, DMX address, number of channels (Footprint), mode, device hours and lamp hours. You can select several rows at once.

Acting on a fixture

Locating it

Identify asks the selected fixture to identify itself. The button stays pressed and releases by itself after 10 seconds.

Changing its DMX address

1. Check the Validate box on its row.
2. Enter the New address, from 1 to 512.
3. Click Apply.

Changing its mode

Same steps: check Validate, choose the Mode in the list, which gives the name and number of channels of each mode, then Apply.

Naming one or more fixtures

Enter the Device name (32 characters at most) and click Apply. With several rows selected, the software numbers them in sequence: « Fixture 1 » gives Fixture 1, Fixture 2, Fixture 3.

Restarting or resetting to factory settings

Reset restarts the device (soft reset).

Factory reset returns the fixture to its factory state, after confirmation.

Possible messages

Typical use case

Tabs › Timecode

10. Timecode

Fit a show to an audio track: place markers for the effects, then send a timecode to the console, or follow the timecode of another machine. Licensed module.

Working with sessions

A session is one song or one scene of the show. It holds at most one audio track, one video track and one live video track, with their markers. The bar at the top of the tab lists the sessions.

Sessions never play at the same time: starting playback in one stops the audio of the others, and only the session on screen sends or follows the timecode.

Saving and reopening a session

The Session... button opens a menu with two entries. « Save session » writes a .tcsession file and copies the audio file next to it, so you can move the whole set from one computer to another. « Load Session » reloads a session: audio track, track offset, markers and loop.

Loading and listening to the track

Click Import... and choose the audio file, or drag it from Windows Explorer onto the waveform. Accepted formats: WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, M4A and AAC. On loading, the software shows the duration and an estimate of the tempo (BPM).

If a track is already loaded, the software asks what to do with the new one: « Replace », « Add to playlist » or « Cancel ».

The transport buttons

VU meters

Left and right audio level indicators during playback.

Moving through the track

• A click on the waveform places the playhead.
• The mouse wheel zooms; holding the right or middle button scrolls horizontally.
• The orange field, in HH:MM:SS:FF format, accepts a position typed on the keyboard: click in it, type the position, confirm with Enter.

The large green display gives the current position (HH:MM:SS:FF: hours, minutes, seconds, frames). The Remaining button switches it to the remaining time, shown in red with a « - » in front.

Shifting the track in time

To make the music start after the timecode starts, drag the track with Ctrl held down. Ctrl ← and Ctrl → shift it by one frame; with Shift as well, by ten frames. The part before the track plays as silence.

Waveform

The waveform shows a picture of the audio, with:

Stems (separated tracks)

Stems are the tracks of a song separated by instrument: vocals, bass, guitar, drums, piano, others. They let you listen to or mute part of the song, for example to place cues on the drums alone.

The Separated tracks… button (in the audio track bar) is greyed out without a song and during playback, because opening or closing the stems stops playback. A click opens a menu:

During the separation, the button shows the progress; a click cancels it. At the end, the stems open if playback is stopped; otherwise the button shows Open the tracks. A song that was already separated opens without a new computation.

Opening by themselves: when you import a song already separated by DMX Recorder, its stems open by themselves as soon as the song is loaded, without a new computation. This does not happen if playback is running; when you open a session, the stems saved in the session are the ones used.

Stems row (under the track bar): for each stem, a dot in its colour, its name, and two buttons:

• M: « Mute this track ».
• S: « Solo this track ».

Waveform: each stem has its own coloured band. In solo as in mute, each band stays in place; the stems you do not hear turn pale.

Placing markers

A marker marks a moment of the track: an effect, a scene change, a cue. These are what will be sent to the console.

1. Listen to the track and, at the right moment, press M or click +.
2. Give the marker a name in the « New marker » window.
3. Do it again for each effect.

An audio track must be loaded; otherwise the software shows « Please load an audio file first ».

Adjusting a marker on the waveform

The |< and >| buttons of the marker group, like the ↑ and ↓ keys, jump from one marker to the next. X deletes all the markers after confirmation. The Markers checkbox, above the waveform, shows or hides them.

The marker list

The Marker List... button opens the full list, with the name, position and comment of each marker. A click goes to the marker, a double-click opens « Edit marker » to change its name and comment.

The right-click gives access to the rest:

• « Rename... », « Edit comment... » and « Delete » for one marker;
• « Rename selection (N)... », N being the number of selected markers, to number several markers at once: the base name « Cue 1 » gives Cue 1, Cue 2, Cue 3;
• « Select all » and « Clear all markers ».

Exchanging markers with a CSV file

Export CSV writes the markers to a file, or only the selection if there is one. Import CSV reads a file in the Name;Timecode;Comment format; the imported markers are added to the existing ones.

Looping a passage

The Loop... button opens the « Loop » window.

1. Place the playhead at the start of the passage and click A, then at the end and click B.
2. Check Enable loop.

You can then move points A and B with the mouse on the waveform. Rst clears them. They are remembered for each audio file and saved in the session.

The « Audio Fade » group smooths the join: Fade In and Fade Out go from 0 to 10000 ms and apply when the loop is active.

Export Audio... saves the passage between A and B to a WAV, MP3 or FLAC file. This function needs FFmpeg on the computer.

Playing several files in a row

The Playlist... button opens the list of audio files of the session.

Adding a video

A session can show, under the audio track, a video track fitted to the same timeline.

• From a file: drag the video file onto the waveform, or click Video... then + Video file (.mp4 / .mov). Accepted formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI and M4V.
• From a live NDI source: click Video..., choose the source in the list, then + Live NDI source.

The video track shows thumbnails of the picture. A click on it places the playhead, as on the waveform. A live track carries the LIVE badge; if the signal drops, it becomes Signal lost and the picture freezes.

To remove a track, open the « Video tracks » window, select it and click Delete the selected track.

Showing the timecode in large

A double-click on the green display opens control mode, full screen: the position in green, the remaining time in red and the list of markers. Past markers are greyed out; the next one is in orange, with its countdown. A double-click closes the screen.

Operating modes

The « Timecode Mode » group offers three modes, shared by all sessions:

The display also shows the active source (LTC, MTC, Art-Net or internal) and, when receiving, a lock indicator: green = locked, red = not locked.

Sending timecode to a console

1. In « Timecode Mode », choose « Generate (Transmit) ».
2. Click TC Generation... and set the output you want: Art-Net, MTC or LTC (see below).
3. Click Apply.
4. Start playback: the timecode goes out with the music.

The chosen mode applies to all sessions.

In Art-Net

In MTC or LTC

In the « Audio Output » group, choose the device in MTC Output or LTC Output, then check MTC output active or LTC output active. The status line below shows whether sending is effective. Track playback chooses the output on which the music is played.

One audio output for the music and the LTC

With a single stereo output, the music and the LTC mix together: the console receives a disturbed signal and the timecode can be heard in the speakers. The Split timecode and music on two channels checkbox solves this: the music goes out in mono on one channel, the LTC on the other. A stereo mini-jack to two XLR cable is then enough, one XLR to the console, the other to the sound system.

The checkbox can only be used when LTC sending is on.

Frame rate, TC Offset and Start TC

The TC Offset and the Start TC are specific to each session. When an offset is set, it is shown in cyan under the display; the display turns orange if the timecode is negative.

Following an external timecode

In this mode, the software no longer decides the position: it follows the timecode sent by another machine.

1. Click TC Reception... and choose the Source: « LTC Audio », « MTC MIDI » or « Art-Net Timecode ».
2. Choose the matching input in LTC Input or MTC Input.
3. In « Timecode Mode », choose « Follow (Receive) ».

In this window, each change acts straight away. The « Status » area refreshes every second and ends with « SIGNAL VERROUILLE » (signal locked) when the timecode is received, or with « en attente de signal » (waiting for signal); these two messages still appear in French.

In Art-Net, IP Filter lets you listen to only one address or one range of addresses (« All IPs », « Specific IP » or « IP Range »), when several machines send a timecode on the network.

Audio playback starts automatically when the signal locks.

Using the keyboard

These keys do nothing while you are typing in a field.

Typical use case

Tabs › Synchronizing with GrandMA3

11. Synchronizing with GrandMA3

Send the markers placed in the Timecode tab to a GrandMA3 console, so that it creates the matching sequence and timecode. Part of the Timecode module.

DMX Recorder talks to the GrandMA3 console through the OSC (Open Sound Control) protocol, on the local network over UDP.

Connecting the software to the console

In the Timecode tab, click MA3 Sync... The « Synchronize with GrandMA3 » window opens.

These settings are specific to each session: two songs can target two different sequences.

Sending the markers: the recommended way

The EXPORT OSC (no file) button sends the markers to the console over the network, while the track plays. There is no file to carry.

1. Check the conditions listed in the « Real-time OSC Export session » group.
2. Click EXPORT OSC (no file).
3. On the console, start recording the timecode (Record).
4. In the software, start playing the track.

The phase line shows how far the export has got, starting from « Phase: idle ». Cancel session stops it. The right-hand column shows the state of the OSC exchanges and a log of the commands sent and the replies received, cleared at each new export.

The older way, with files

EXPORT ALL (Seq + TC + Macro) writes the sequence, the timecode and the macros to files that you import on the console. Export destination says where to write them:

• on a USB stick, by pointing GMA3 Library to its gma3_library folder;
• directly into an MA3 onPC installed on the same computer;
• on a remote console, through SFTP.

The help text under the list adapts to the choice.

The steps can also be run one by one:

Controlling the software from the console

The « Bidirectional (MA3 -> Recorder) » group lets the console send orders to the software.

1. Check Recorder IP (this PC) and the Listen Port, 8001 by default.
2. Check Enable OSC receive.
3. Click Connect & Configure MA3.

Create OSC Macros (Macro 3-9) creates seven macros on the console: Play, Pause, Stop, Rewind, Forward, Record and Add Marker.

When the console sends markers back, the software asks whether to import them. Accepting replaces the markers of the session.

Receiving the Art-Net timecode on the console

For GrandMA3 to follow the software's timecode: send the timecode in Art-Net (see Sending timecode to a console), on the same network interface as the console and at the same frame rate (usually 25 fps), then, on the GrandMA3, in the Timecode pool, select the Art-Net source.

If the console and the software do not show the same time

A gap of a few frames between the console's display and the software's is compensated with GrandMA3 Advance (After Roll), in the TC Generation window. Start from 0 and adjust frame by frame, watching the gap between the audio and the cues firing on the console.

Sending a free command

Mode Expert ▼ opens a command field, to send the console a command line of your choice, for example Store Sequence 10 Cue 1, with the Send button.

Tabs › NDI (beta)

12. NDI (beta)

See the NDI video sources on the network, and send the video of a Timecode session in NDI. Free module, still in beta.

What the tab needs to work

The tab needs the NDI component installed on the computer. If it is missing, the tab stays visible but locked, with one of these messages:

Viewing a source from the network

1. At the top of the tab, check that the status shows Discovery active. The counter gives the number of sources detected.
2. In the « NDI sources » list, sources are grouped by machine. The search field filters by source or machine name.
3. Click a source: its picture appears in the preview. Only one source is shown at a time.

Disconnect cuts the connection. If no picture arrives, the preview shows No signal; after more than 3 seconds without a picture, the ⚠ Signal lost badge lights up.

The « Technical info » block gives the resolution, the frame rate, the picture format (FourCC), the number of pictures received, the source address and the time of the last picture.

Keeping a picture

📷 Snapshot copies the picture on screen to the clipboard, then offers to save it as PNG. If you cancel the save, the picture stays on the clipboard.

When no source appears

The Discovery list chooses how sources are searched for:

In the « NDI — Discovery Server » window, enter the server's IP address and port (usually 5959). Test connection checks within 3 seconds that the server answers.

Sending the video of a session

The « NDI Out » row sends the video track of the Timecode session on screen to the network.

1. In Source, choose the video track to send.
2. Check the Name under which the stream will appear on the network. It takes the name of the session.
3. Check Send.

The status changes from ● Stopped to ● Running, followed by the rate and the picture counters. Its colour, green, orange or red, shows how regular the sending is. The choice is remembered and used again at the next startup.

When the source is a file, the transport strip of the tab controls playback: start, back, PLAY/PAUSE, STOP, forward. With a live source, these buttons are inactive.

Tabs › Cue List

13. Cue List

Put several DMX recordings in a list and fire them one after the other, by hand, automatically or from an external signal. Licensed module.

Building a list

1. Click + Add. The « Add Cue » window opens.
2. Give a number (Cue #) and a name (Name).
3. Click ... next to File and choose the recording to play, in .dmxrec or .pcap format.
4. Confirm, then do it again for each cue.

Edit reopens the selected cue (a double-click also lets you change its settings), Up and Down change its place. - Remove deletes it without asking for confirmation.

Table columns: #, Name, File, Duration, Fade, Loop, Delay, MIDI, Art-Net and Progress.

The settings of a cue

Playing the list

The current cue has a green background. The Progress column shows how far it has got, then « Done ». The tab's messages are shown for three seconds in the window's status bar.

Firing from outside

Each cue can be linked to a MIDI note (Note ON) or to an Art-Net channel.

1. In the cue window, under « -- Triggers -- », set the trigger: channel and note for MIDI, or universe, channel and threshold for Art-Net. The value -1 disables the trigger.
2. In the « External Triggers » group of the tab, check MIDI Input and choose the device, or check Art-Net Trigger.

The status line confirms that it is listening: « MIDI listening » or « Art-Net trigger listening on port 6454 ». In Art-Net, the cue fires when the channel value reaches the threshold.

Saving the list

The buttons of the « Cue List File » group handle the list file, in .cuelist format: New starts again from an empty list, after confirmation if the current list is not empty, Open, Save and Save as...

Possible messages

Tabs › Network (beta)

14. Network (beta)

Find the Art-Net nodes on the network and set their ports: universe, direction, protocol, merge and RDM. Free module, still in beta.

Finding the nodes

1. Choose the Interface connected to the lighting network (discovery by ArtPoll).
2. Click Scanner. The search does not start by itself; once started, the list refreshes every 2 seconds.

The nodes appear on the left, with their name, IP address, number of ports and firmware. The « ● » sign marks a node that is online, « ○ » a node that no longer answers.

For a node that does not appear, enter its address in the Unicast IP field and click IP Scanner.

Reading a node's sheet

A click on a node shows its sheet: IP address, mask, MAC address, firmware, type, node report (the node's status message), and the functions it announces (RDM, sACN, Art-Net 3/4, DHCP, Web). The Short name (17 characters) and the Long name (63 characters) can be changed here.

Under the sheet, a table lists the node's ports. Its layout depends on the brand: the software recognizes four families.

Setting the ports

The steps are the same everywhere: change the cells of the table, then click Apply to send the settings to the node. Nothing is sent before that.

Quick Config... fills the table in one go: consecutive universes in Art-Net (« Sequential 0-N »), consecutive universes in sACN (« sACN 1-N »), « All HTP » or « All LTP ». The table is only filled in: you still have to click Apply.

The +1 button, above the table right after the Hex checkbox, is present for every family of nodes. It adds 1 to the universe of each active output, then applies, after a confirmation in the « Universe +1 » window: the change is immediate on the node. Inputs and disabled ports do not move. If even one output is already at its maximum value, nothing is changed or sent, and the status message says so. The button is greyed out when the node does not allow it, and while a sending is in progress; its tooltip gives the reason.

Generic Art-Net node

This is the table shown for any node that does not belong to the three families below. The legend reminds you: TX for an output, RX for an input, « -- » for a disabled port.

The RDM box also shows what the software knows about the port; its tooltip gives the details: not checked as long as no discovery has been run in the RDM tab, active if the port has answered, inactive otherwise. It is greyed out if the node does not announce RDM.

ELC dmXLAN

The configuration is read from the node as soon as you select it. Apply only sends the ports that changed, then reads the node again to check. If only part of the settings went through, the alert « ELC: partial apply » says so.

• Subnet and Universe are entered in hexadecimal, from 0 to F; Net is always 0.
• These nodes have no web page: the Web button is disabled.

Netron (EN12, EN4, RDM10)

The table shows up to 12 ports, with extra columns: Framerate (from 10 to 40 Hz) and the range of channels sent (Range, from 1 to 512). Refresh reads the node again; Apply sends one port at a time and reads it back to check.

• Quick configuration is not available for this family.

Luminex (DMX8 MkII)

The table uses the modes specific to Luminex. Depending on the Direction of the port (Output, Input or Reroute), the Mode column offers different choices. As an input, the Unicast checkbox and the Target IP let you target a single machine.

• In Reroute, an ⓘ button opens « Reroute details (source) »: protocol, universe and priority of the source. These settings go out at the next Apply.
• Configure IP/Network… opens the node's network settings window: IP address, mask, gateway, RDM IP and Art-Net port. After confirmation, the node changes address and the software runs discovery again to find it.

The other actions

Typical use case

Tabs › Lua Learning Suite

15. Lua Learning Suite

Learn to write Lua plugins for GrandMA3, in three steps: discover examples, assemble blocks, then write code. Licensed module.

The three tools

You move from one tool to another: an example opens in the Block Builder with Open in Block Builder, and a block assembly opens in the editor with Edit in Lua.

The examples provided

The names of the examples are shown in French on screen; their categories and levels are shown in English.

Sending a plugin to the console

1. In any of the three tools, click Export full MA3 plugin and choose the folder, a USB stick for example.
2. The software writes three files: the plugin (.xml), its code (.lua) and a notice (_notice.md).
3. On the console: Menu, Import/Export, Import Plugin.

Export code only writes only the Lua file, and Copy puts the code on the clipboard.

The step-by-step exercises are in a separate notice, given to students during the training.

Reference › Settings

16. Settings

The general settings of the software, opened with Tools › Settings... or with Ctrl ,.

At the bottom of the window, OK saves and closes, Apply saves without closing, Cancel closes without saving. Reset sets all the settings back to their original values, after confirmation.

General

The maximum number of recent files is 5.

Network

Recording

Playback

Advanced and Debug

The Advanced tab sets the number of threads, the maximum number of universes (16 by default, 250 at most), GPU acceleration and the display format of the values: Decimal, Hexadecimal or Percentage. An orange warning comes with these settings: only change them if you know what you are doing.

The Debug tab chooses the level of detail of the log (Debug, Info, Warning, Error) and the location of the log file, the one that Tools › Log console opens.

Reference › Keyboard shortcuts

17. Keyboard shortcuts

The same table is available in the software with Help › Keyboard Shortcuts...

Files and tools

Timecode tab

Lua editor and Block Builder

Reference › Art-Net and sACN protocols

18. Art-Net and sACN protocols

The two ways of carrying DMX over a computer network, and what you need to know about them to set up the software.

Art-Net

The absolute number comes from the address: Net × 256 + Subnet × 16 + Universe. The universe Net 0, Subnet 1, Universe 2 therefore has number 18.

Absolute universe = Net × 256 + Subnet × 16 + Universe

sACN (E1.31)

Multicast address:

239.255.(universe >> 8).(universe & 0xFF)

The numbering trap

Art-Net counts universes from 0, sACN from 1. A console that announces « Universe 1 » often means Art-Net universe 0. This is why the Record tab mapping has the « sACN = Art-Net + 1 » link.

In the mapping window of the Record tab, Art-Net universes are shown as an absolute number (0 to 32767) or as Net:Sub:Uni. Available presets:

• Art-Net 0–15 ↔ sACN 1–16 (standard small show)
• sACN 1–16 only
• Art-Net 0–249 (full 250-universe show)

Reference › Glossary

19. Glossary

Reference › Planned changes

20. Planned changes

What should change in the next versions. These points are not in the software yet.

• RDM box of the generic Network table: automatic update after a discovery, green colour for a checked state, and a legend placed next to TX / RX.
• Swisson: control of the node's web page from the software.
• Node list: one colour per node.
• Network tab: removal of the « BETA » label.