External Inputs

Spectralite reacts to signals from four sources: live audio, DMX over Art-Net or sACN, NDI video, and MIDI. All four feed the same effect system, so a kick drum, a fader on a console, and a video clip can drive the same lighting cue.

What is availableCopy Anchor Link

For MIDI, see MIDI Input.

When to reach for eachCopy Anchor Link

Use audio when the lights should react to the music and nobody runs a controller or console. Audio is also the simplest setup for a DJ or band who will not touch lighting software during a performance.

Use DMX input when a conventional lighting desk drives the show and Spectralite is one of several rigs it controls. The desk sends DMX over Art-Net or sACN, and Spectralite maps incoming channels to layer opacity, BPM, or parameter values.

Use NDI when visuals come from a VJ application (Resolume, TouchDesigner, VDMX, OBS) and the lighting should follow them. The NDI Input node samples pixel color at any position, so the lighting can pick up the palette, brightness, or motion of the video.

Use MIDI for hands-on control, with the faders, pads, and encoders on a controller mapped to parameters in Spectralite.

Network considerationsCopy Anchor Link

DMX input and NDI both travel over the network, so the same network rules apply to them:

• Wired Ethernet for reliability.
• Gigabit switching for HD NDI or large DMX rigs.
• All senders and receivers on the same subnet.
• Multicast permitted on the network for sACN and NDI discovery.

RelatedCopy Anchor Link

• Audio Input Dialog
• DMX Input Dialog
• NDI Input Dialog
• MIDI Input Dialog
• Node Editor: sampling external data in effects.