Hardware Troubleshooting

Solutions for common hardware problems.

Art-Net Issues

Nodes Not Discovered

Symptoms: Art-Net node doesn't appear in Discovered Clients

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 MIDI Devices panel

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. Enable the device - Check the enable box in MIDI Devices
2. Check MIDI channel - Verify channel settings match
3. Verify mapping exists - Check MIDI Map Editor
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 - In Settings > Display
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 - In Settings > General
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. On Linux, the threshold varies by distribution—some have conservative defaults that may cause issues at lower universe counts.

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:

macOS

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

Linux

Check current limit:

sysctl net.core.wmem_max

Increase temporarily (until reboot):

sudo sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=20971520

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

net.core.wmem_max=20971520

Then run sudo sysctl -p to apply.

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 macOS version
2. Note Spectralite version
3. Describe 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
• Discovered Clients