Calculate DMX start addresses for every fixture in your rig. Add fixtures, set their channel count and quantity, and instantly get a complete patch list with universe breakdown.
Please add at least one fixture.
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DMX512 is the standard control system for stage and architectural lighting. Each universe has 512 channels, and each fixture uses a number of consecutive channels, depending on its mode, to control things such as the dimmer, color, and movement. Every fixture needs a start address so that the controller knows which channels belong to it.
The next fixture’s start address is the previous start address plus the number of channels the previous fixture uses. For example, sixteen channel fixtures can be set to addresses 1, 17, 33, and so on, and thirty two of them fill one universe. Overlapping addresses make fixtures respond to the same channels, which is sometimes done on purpose for identical fixtures.
Keep a patch list that records each fixture, its mode, and its address, and label the fixtures, which saves a great deal of time later. A single DMX line supports up to 32 devices, and the last fixture on a run should have a terminator, so use splitters for larger rigs. Larger systems use several universes carried over network protocols.