Is there a way to get expose the dimmer controls as DMX?

[Dave]

We occasionally do shows where the room goes from light to dark and back a few times, and I’d love it if there was a way for the LD to dim my screens. DMX is the obvious answer, but I can’t even think of a way to get it into the board, let alone do anything. Is there maybe a DMX to “midi over IP” converter I could use to let him or her select “light” and “dark” scenes on the surface via the network connection?

[Mathias Thunbo]

I would just program a scene (on the dLive) where the light on the surface is dimmed.
The light technician can send a midi code to a computer with Qlab. The Qlab computer can then receive and pass on a Midi Program Change code to the dLive network that triggers the scene.

[SteffenR]

Some lighting consoles can send MIDI.

[msteel]

We use a “Decabox” device in a theatrical setting to trigger a sound effect playback computer with a wired MIDI interface when we want very tight synchronization between lights and audio. It has been extremely reliable. https://response-box.com/gear/decabox-dmx-to-midi/

Converting the wired MIDI interface into the TCP connection that the dLive needs is a separate challenge. I have not used this, but it is advertised as compatible with dLive: https://www.bome.com/products/bomebox

[msteel]

One other thought – the TCP MIDI functionality in the dLive is pretty simple. It is just a raw TCP connection on the appropriate port, and the defined MIDI format messages go over it. Some lighting consoles have script or macro capabilities and in some cases these can send TCP/IP or “telnet” messages (telnet is not strictly speaking exactly the same as raw TCP, but often practically speaking it is). If the lighting console has the appropriate capabilities then it would be possible to attach a script or macro to a lighting cue, bypassing DMX and sending commands directly over the network.

[Dave]

Yeah, I was thinking it’d have to be something like that. I doubt anyone else will be interested in automating it, so I guess I’ll stick with light and dark scenes. Thanks.

[Author]

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