Lighting and control

Basic DMX setup

Match fixture, personality, address, universe and patch before programming.

Ask GLMedia about a lighting rental solution for your event, subject to availability and technical requirements.

Using this guide

DMX carries values; the model’s manual defines each channel’s function. Changing personality may change function count and order.

Prepare your rental inquiry

Date, city, venue and setup, event and pickup schedule.
Intended use, area dimensions and equipment already supplied by the venue or production.
Visual goal and problem to solve; venue plan or identified photos if available.
Decisions already agreed with venue, production and video to assess a suitable solution.

Specify equipment only or whether setup, programming, operation and strike are also needed. Scope is confirmed in the proposal.

You do not need a final equipment list: tell us the result you want and the part you need help with. Availability and scope are confirmed in the proposal.

Features and connections

A universe has 512 channels. Example: a 15-channel fixture starting at 1 occupies through 15; the next may start at 16. Last start without exceeding the universe: 498.

Prepare the system

Select the fixture personality and matching console profile; confirm address, universe and physical output.
Connect output to input using suitable DMX cable in a chain; branch through an appropriate active splitter rather than passive Y cables.
Terminate each branch at its final receiver with 120 Ω as instructed; check built-in termination before adding another. Test one unit with a known short cable.

Questions and troubleshooting

Does it receive data but stay dark?

Reception does not guarantee useful light-producing values.

Check blackout, master, dimmer, color and open-shutter range in the exact chart; do not set all channels to maximum.
Check for active programs or macros and test one parameter at a time.

Does another function change or do all units respond together?

Check personality and address occupancy.

Compare label and menu with patch; start address is not the console fixture number.
Separate ranges for independent control. Share an address only for intended common behavior with matching footprints.

Does it flicker when more fixtures are added?

Isolate the section introducing the symptom.

Test source and one receiver with a short cable; add sections and units until it reappears.
Check cable, connectors, splitter and termination. Record the result; improvement does not prove the entire line repaired.

Precautions

Do not connect XLR DMX to audio or assume any network connector is Ethernet.
Confirm receiver loading and supported cable length per device; do not use a universal count without reviewing the line.
Save patch and settings before changes. Test data loss safely according to documented behavior.

Terms on this page

DMX: A data protocol controlling lighting functions; each model defines what its channels mean.
Patch: Assignment of fixture, profile, address and universe in the control system.
Personality: A control mode defining the channels and functions used by a fixture.
Shutter: A fixture function opening or closing light output; distinct from the camera shutter.

Documentation and sources

Accessed: 2026-10-22. Calculated address example; no GLMedia physical testing.