Hardware Troubleshooting

Solutions for common hardware problems.

Art-Net issues

Nodes not discovered

Symptoms: Art-Net node doesn't appear in Spectralite Controllers

Solutions:

1. Check physical connection - Verify cables are connected and link lights are on
2. Verify same subnet - Mac and node must be on same network range
3. Check IP configuration - Both should use static IPs in same subnet
4. Disable firewall temporarily - macOS firewall may block Art-Net
5. Try direct connection - Connect Mac directly to node (no switch)

To check your network:

# In Terminal
ifconfig en0  # or en1 for different interface
ping [node-ip-address]

No DMX output

Symptoms: Node is discovered but fixtures don't respond

Solutions:

1. Verify universe configuration - Node and Spectralite must match
2. Check fixture addresses - Confirm DMX addresses are correct
3. Enable output - Ensure output is enabled in Spectralite
4. Test node - Use node's built-in test function
5. Check DMX cables - Try known-working cables
6. Verify fixture mode - Fixture must be in DMX mode

Flickering or glitches

Symptoms: Output is unstable, flickering, or random

Solutions:

1. Check for IP conflicts - Each device needs unique IP
2. Reduce network congestion - Use dedicated lighting network
3. Verify cable quality - Use Cat5e or better
4. Check node capacity - Some nodes can't handle high refresh rates
5. Monitor bandwidth - Large pixel counts need gigabit

MIDI issues

Controller not detected

Symptoms: MIDI device doesn't appear in the Devices pane of the MIDI Input dialog (Edit > Inputs > MIDI)

Solutions:

1. Check USB connection - Try different port
2. Power cycle controller - Turn off, wait, turn on
3. Check in Audio MIDI Setup - System should see the device
4. Try different USB cable - Some cables are charge-only
5. Restart Spectralite - Sometimes needed after connecting

Controls not responding

Symptoms: Moving controls doesn't affect Spectralite

Solutions:

1. Assign a mapping - Open Edit > Inputs > MIDI and assign a mapping to the device from its dropdown
2. Check MIDI channel - Verify channel settings match
3. Verify mapping exists - Check the Mapping pane of the MIDI Input dialog
4. Use MIDI monitor - Verify messages are being received
5. Check controller mode - Some have multiple modes

Wrong values

Symptoms: Controls behave unexpectedly (jumping, reversed)

Solutions:

1. Check mapping mode - Use Relative for encoders
2. Verify range settings - Input and output ranges correct
3. Check for duplicate mappings - Same CC mapped twice
4. Calibrate controller - Some need calibration

Preview issues

Black preview

Symptoms: Preview panel shows nothing

Solutions:

1. Check fixture addresses - Fixtures need valid patches
2. Verify layer is enabled - Check layer visibility
3. Check effect output - Effect must connect to output node
4. Enable preview in settings - May be disabled

Slow preview

Symptoms: Preview is laggy or stuttering

Solutions:

1. Reduce preview quality - Simplify the preview scene
2. Simplify effects - Complex node graphs need more power
3. Close other applications - Free up GPU resources
4. Check GPU capabilities - Older GPUs may struggle

Performance issues

High CPU usage

Symptoms: Mac runs hot, fans spin up

Solutions:

1. Reduce effect complexity - Fewer nodes = less CPU
2. Lower preview quality - Reduce rendering load
3. Disable unused features - Turn off what you're not using
4. Update Spectralite - Performance improvements in updates

Memory issues

Symptoms: Spectralite slows down over time

Solutions:

1. Restart Spectralite periodically - For long sessions
2. Close unused projects - Free up memory
3. Reduce history size - History is kept in memory during your session
4. Check for memory leaks - Report to support if persistent

Network issues

Packet loss

Symptoms: Intermittent output, missing updates

Solutions:

1. Use wired Ethernet - Never WiFi for Art-Net
2. Check cable runs - Max 100m per segment
3. Use quality switches - Managed switches recommended
4. Reduce universe count - If bandwidth limited

Latency

Symptoms: Noticeable delay between action and output

Solutions:

1. Check network path - Minimize hops
2. Use gigabit equipment - 100Mbps may bottleneck
3. Reduce preview quality - Frees processing
4. Check node buffering - Some nodes add latency

Buffer space errors (large installations)

Symptoms: When using very large pixel counts, you may experience:

• Fixtures not responding or freezing
• Dropped frames causing stuttering or flickering
• Some fixtures working while others don't update
• Output working briefly then stopping

This typically occurs with more than 7,500 universes on macOS.

Cause: The operating system's UDP socket buffer may not be large enough to send all Art-Net data at once. Spectralite automatically tries to increase the buffer size, but is limited by OS-level maximums.

Solutions:

Check current limit:

sysctl kern.ipc.maxsockbuf

Increase temporarily (until reboot):

sudo sysctl -w kern.ipc.maxsockbuf=20971520

Make permanent by adding to /etc/sysctl.conf:

kern.ipc.maxsockbuf=20971520

Recommended buffer sizes:

The value 20971520 (20 MB) shown above covers up to 32,000 universes.

Still having problems?

Gather information

Before contacting support:

1. Note your OS version.
2. Note your Spectralite version.
3. Describe the hardware in use.
4. List steps to reproduce.
5. Include any error messages.

Get help

• Check the community forums
• Contact support
• Include the information gathered above

Related

• Art-Net Setup
• MIDI Controllers
• Spectralite Controllers