ADJ is introducing myDMX 5 Software, featuring a 20K+ fixture library, FX engine, new Super Scene timeline interface, app control, and a new hardware interface with standalone capability. “Rebuilt from the ground up with a fresh new look, myDMX 5 is designed to make it easier and quicker to program bigger and better light shows,” according to the announcement. “Compatible with PC and Mac, myDMX 5 is both easy to learn for first time DMX users and packed with features that will fuel the creativity of experienced professionals.”
It can be used to control all types of entertainment lighting fixtures compatible with the DMX protocol, including moving heads, static washes, mirror scanners and strobes as well as accessories such as smoke and haze machines. It provides access to an online library with 20,000+ fixture profiles – including every ADJ model as well all other leading brands – that can be selected and quickly patched utilizing both a grid interface and 2D position view (which can also be used to select individual lights or groups of fixtures). Programming can then be carried out using the integrated 3D visualizer, which allows a show to be fully setup and programmed in advance before connecting any lights.
At the heart of the myDMX workflow is the creation of Scenes, which can either be static looks, programmed chase sequences, or dynamic effects generated by the in-built FX engine. Another new feature offered by myDMX 5 is the Super Scene interface, which allows multiple Scenes to be combined as building blocks on a timeline with accuracy. Complex and precisely timed lighting sequences can be more easily constructed, with changes made to source Scenes automatically updating the Super Scene.
Touch interface allows custom layouts to be created – using a variety of control elements such as buttons, faders, dials, and color wheels – which can then be used with a touch screen for control in a live environment. In addition, a dedicated app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices is available that allows remote control via Wi-Fi using the Touch layout.
myDMX 5’s new FX engine allows effects to be more easily created on any type of channel. A variety of dedicated effects are provided for movement and color, which can all be fully customized, as well as multiple generic effect types that can be applied to any attribute of a fixture (for example dimmer, zoom, iris etc.). Effects can also be mapped in 2D and an unlimited number of effects can be combined into a Super Scene.
The new Live mixer rack is designed to allow creative control of an entire lightshow from a single interface. It provides direct access to the master dimmer of each fixture group as well as shortcuts for changing the color and triggering strobe or blinder effects. Further customization is provided by the Live playback interface, which allows Scenes to be altered on the fly with rotary encoders for dimmer, speed, phase, and size. It also allows Scenes to be played forwards, backwards, or bothways, as well as allowing them to be divided into segments which can be jumped between with a GO button or trigged by BPM.
To ensure moving head beams are always pointed in the right direction (for example out from a stage or down onto a dancefloor), myDMX 5 allows limits to be imposed on the movement range of individual fixtures or groups of fixtures. In addition, upper and lower limits can also be applied to the dimming ranges of fixtures, useful for when lights are more powerful than is appropriate for a given application.
Music synchronization has been significantly improved in myDMX 5. The software offers a suite of tools for capturing the musical BPM including tap-tempo, MIDI clock, Ableton link and auto pulse detection from a line input. It is also possible to divide Scenes into any number of beats to allow perfect alignment to tricky tempos.
myDMX 5 also offers advanced mapping tools that allow flexibility to utilize either the computer keyboard or an external MIDI or DMX controller. It is possible to switch the entire software to mapping mode, allowing any control to be linked to a keyboard shortcut or external interface control in just one click.
Alongside the redesigned software, myDMX 5 is supplied with a flexible new hardware interface. This features four independent DMX output sockets (2 x 3-pin and 2 x 5-pin) allowing control of up to 2048 channels of lighting – four full universes (two universes come as standard, the other two are available through software upgrades). The hardware device also features a USB-C socket for direct computer connection and an RJ45 network socket. It features 10 push buttons for triggering Scenes live or in a Stand Alone mode, which allows up to 99 Scenes to be stored across 5 pages and saved to SD card storage.
“Over the years, the myDMX software has evolved over multiple versions to provide increasingly powerful computer-based lighting control,” explains ADJ USA’s Director of Sales, Alfred Gonzales. “However, there gets to a point where it becomes impossible to keep adding to old software while maintaining the level of reliability that is required from DMX software. That’s why we’ve skipped myDMX 4 and jumped straight to myDMX 5, which our software engineers have re-built from the ground up based on the extensive experience gained from the previous software versions. This powerful but easy to use new control solution is rock solid and has everything that myDMX 3.0 had to offer together with a host of useful new features. Its intuitive design is ideal for beginners while its advanced features mean that it will also appeal to seasoned pros.”
myDMX 5 is available now from ADJ USA and will be available from ADJ Europe TBC.
Find out more about myDMX 5 here: https://www.adj.com/mydmx-5
