Connect Your Lights

Spectralite sends DMX over Art-Net or sACN, the two standard protocols for carrying DMX across Ethernet. To reach real fixtures you need a DMX-over-IP node on the same network subnet as your computer, wired over Ethernet, or fixtures with a built-in Art-Net or sACN receiver.

Set up an output

Art-Net output is enabled by default, so a node on the same network is often all it takes. To add or change an output, open Edit > Outputs.

Click Art-Net or sACN at the top of the list to add an output of that protocol, then configure it on the right:

• Network Interface picks the network card that reaches your lights.
• Universe Offset shifts which wire universe each patch universe transmits on, to match a third-party receiver that expects different numbering. Spectralite nodes need no offset.
• Universe range filter limits output to a subset of universes. Leave it off to send every patched universe.
• Network Mode is Broadcast by default. Switch to Unicast and enter the receiver's IP for a point-to-point link.
• ArtSync Frames (Art-Net only) tells receivers to commit multi-universe frames at once. Leave it on.

Outputs save per project, inside the .slp file.

Verify the connection

1. Patch a fixture at the right universe and DMX address.
2. Add an effect layer and raise its opacity.
3. The fixture should respond.

Troubleshooting

Fixtures not responding? Work through these:

• Confirm the fixture's DMX address matches the one set in Spectralite.
• Check that the universe numbers match between Spectralite and the node. The patch panel, the node's Start Universe, and the Controllers Uni column all use the same 1-based universe number, so they line up directly. Spectralite converts to the correct Art-Net (0-based) or sACN (1-based) wire universe for you; a Universe Offset is only for aligning with third-party gear.
• Verify both devices sit on the same subnet, for example 192.168.1.x.
• For Art-Net, allow UDP port 6454 through the firewall. For sACN, confirm the network permits multicast.