{"$schema":"https://showstack-inky.vercel.app/api/v1/index.json","generated":"2026-10-09","counts":{"protocols":92,"software":109,"hardware":108,"standards":103,"terms":144},"total":556,"contributors":[{"handle":"iibaranov-IG","entries":4}],"open_gaps":246,"verified_share":0.198,"protocols":[{"id":"0-10v","name":"0-10V Analog Dimming Control","aka":["0-10V","1-10V"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"A simple two-wire analog DC control voltage (0-10V, or 1-10V for fluorescent ballasts) used to dim architectural/LED lighting fixtures and drivers, standardized for entertainment use in ANSI/ESTA E1.3 and predating DMX512 in theatrical dimming.","transport":["other"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie12001r2011"},"steward":"ESTA/PLASA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association), via ANSI","status":"current","gotchas":["No addressing or digital data - every fixture on a 0-10V control line dims together, so per-fixture control needs separate runs or a downstream decoder.","Sourcing vs. sinking wiring schemes are not interchangeable, and mixing them on the same control line is a common installation error.","Largely superseded in theatrical dimming by DMX512, but remains common today in architectural LED drivers and flat-panel fixtures."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.3-2001 (R2011) - Entertainment Technology - Lighting Control Systems - 0 to 10V Analog Control Specification","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie12001r2011","primary":true},{"title":"0-10 V lighting control - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0-10_V_lighting_control"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"0-10 VDC analogue inputs and contact closures. Four local closures on Ti/Gio/Ion, more via a Net3 I/O Gateway."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"ableton-link","name":"Ableton Link","aka":["Link"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"Ableton's peer-to-peer protocol for sharing tempo, beat and phase between music applications on a local network. There is no master and no clock owner: any peer can change the tempo and everyone else follows within a beat.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":20808,"transport":"udp","role":"Link discovery and session state messages","note":"The same port is used for the IPv4 and the IPv6 multicast endpoints in the reference implementation."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["224.76.78.75 (IPv4)","ff12::8080 (IPv6)"],"note":"Taken from multicastEndpointV4() and multicastEndpointV6() in the Ableton Link source. Peers announce and discover each other on this group, so anything that blocks local multicast makes Link look broken."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://github.com/Ableton/link","label":"Ableton Link reference implementation (there is no separate wire specification)"},"steward":"Ableton AG","status":"current","typical_use":["Keeping laptops and tablets running different music software on one tempo","DJ software and a live performance rig sharing a grid","Lighting and VJ software following a musical tempo rather than timecode","Ad-hoc jam setups where nobody wants to nominate a master clock"],"gotchas":["There is no master. Any peer joining a session adopts the session tempo, and any peer can then change tempo for everyone. If someone nudges a tempo control on the wrong machine, the whole room moves.","Discovery is multicast on 224.76.78.75 port 20808. Client isolation on guest wifi, a VPN client, or a firewall silently blocking multicast all produce the same symptom: zero peers found and no error message.","Link does not work over a VPN or over Bluetooth. Ableton state this directly. A tethered phone or a corporate VPN left running is the usual reason one machine cannot see the others.","On recent macOS versions the local network permission must be granted to each application. If it is not, the app finds nothing and gives no clue why.","Link carries tempo, beat and phase only. Start/stop sync is an optional feature that applications must opt into, so do not assume pressing play on one device starts the others.","It is not timecode. There is no absolute position and no relationship to SMPTE, so Link will keep a band in time with each other but will not lock them to a video playback or a show timeline."],"implementations":[{"name":"Ableton Link","url":"https://github.com/Ableton/link","language":"C++","license":"GPL-2.0-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["tempo","music","multicast","sync"],"sources":[{"title":"Ableton Link source — multicast endpoints (224.76.78.75 and ff12::8080, port 20808)","url":"https://github.com/Ableton/link/blob/master/include/ableton/discovery/IpInterface.hpp","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Link Troubleshooting (port 20808, multicast, no VPN, no Bluetooth, macOS local network permission)","url":"https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209073069-Link-Troubleshooting","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Ableton Link repository and licence","url":"https://github.com/Ableton/link","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ableton-live","name":"Ableton Live","vendor":"Ableton AG","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Peer-to-peer tempo, beat and phase sync over the local network. There is no master: any peer can change the session tempo. Tempo Follower and External Sync are mutually exclusive."},{"kind":"software","id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Listed among the built-in protocol modules."},{"kind":"software","id":"max-msp","name":"Max","vendor":"Cycling '74","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through Max for Live and Link-aware objects."}],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"acn","name":"ACN","aka":["Architecture for Control Networks","E1.17","Full ACN"],"category":"network-transport","summary":"ESTA's full control network architecture: SDT for reliable sessions over UDP, DMP for device properties, and DDL device descriptions in XML so a controller can drive a device it has never met. sACN borrows only the root layer of this; ACN is the rest of it.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5568,"transport":"udp","role":"SDT (Session Data Transport)","iana_registered":true,"note":"Registered with IANA in 2006 as \"sdt\", Session Data Transport Multicast. E1.31 sACN shares this port because it sits on the same ACN root layer."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"SDT is a reliable multicast transport and ACN's EPI documents cover multicast address allocation. The specific group ranges are defined per EPI rather than by one fixed block, so confirm against the relevant EPI before configuring a switch."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (ANSI E1.17, free download)"},"steward":"ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)","first_published":2006,"status":"current","typical_use":["ETC Net3 device configuration and control","The root layer that E1.31 sACN packets are built on","Self-describing device control where a DDL file replaces a hand-written driver","Shure wireless microphone system control"],"gotchas":["When someone on headset says \"ACN\" they almost always mean sACN (E1.31). They share a port and a root layer but not a purpose, and a device that speaks one does not necessarily speak the other at all.","ACN is a suite of documents plus EPIs that pin down discovery, addressing, port assignment and timeouts. Implementing SDT and DMP from the core documents alone will not give you anything interoperable.","DDL is the whole point and also the hard part. A device is only as self-describing as the DDL file the vendor shipped, and incomplete or stale descriptions are common.","SDT is session-based with membership and sequencing, so it carries state. Dropping and rejoining a session is not the free operation that restarting an sACN packet stream is.","Real-world deployment is narrow. ETC's Net3 and some Shure wireless gear use full ACN; most of the industry only ever met it through the sACN root layer, so third-party tooling is thin."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","network","esta","sdt","ddl"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.17-2015 (R2025) — Architecture for Control Networks, free download","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.17-2010 — Architecture for Control Networks (title, scope, revision history)","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1172010","publisher":"ESTA / ANSI webstore","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry (5568, sdt — Session Data Transport Multicast)","url":"https://www.iana.org/assignments/service-names-port-numbers/service-names-port-numbers.xhtml","publisher":"IANA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Architecture for Control Networks (SDT, DMP, DDL, EPIs, relationship to E1.31, adoption)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_for_Control_Networks","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Dissects the underlying ACN/E1.17 root layer (Root Layer, SDT, wrappers) that sACN rides on."}],"flow":"control","flow_note":"The architecture sACN was cut down from. What it carries is lighting control."},{"id":"adat","name":"ADAT Lightpipe","aka":["ADAT Optical","Lightpipe","ADAT"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"Eight channels of uncompressed digital audio down one plastic optical fibre, originally for a tape machine and long outliving it. Still the cheapest way to get eight channels between two boxes in a rack.","transport":["fibre"],"openness":"proprietary-documented","steward":"Alesis (originating), now a de facto standard","status":"current","typical_use":["Expanding the input count of an audio interface","Linking a stagebox or preamp to a converter","Eight-channel tie-lines inside a rack"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48,96],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":8,"encoding":"Linear PCM over optical","note":"Eight channels at 48 kHz. At 96 kHz sample-multiplexing (S/MUX) pairs the channels, so the same cable carries four."}},"gotchas":["The eight-channel count is at 44.1 or 48 kHz. At 88.2/96 kHz S/MUX halves it to four channels, and at 176.4/192 kHz to two. A device set to a high rate silently loses channels rather than reporting a fault.","The connector is the same TOSLINK as optical S/PDIF and carries a completely different format. They plug into each other happily.","Plastic optical fibre is short-run and bend-sensitive. Runs beyond a few metres want glass or a different transport."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","digital","optical","multichannel"],"sources":[{"title":"ADAT Optical Interface Specification","url":"https://www.alesis.com/","publisher":"Alesis","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"aes3","name":"AES3","aka":["AES/EBU","AES-3","IEC 60958 Type I"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"Two channels of uncompressed digital audio down one balanced pair, self-clocking, on the XLR connector everything else on the stage already uses. It is the reason a digital feed can travel a mic line, and the reason people plug digital into analogue inputs by mistake.","transport":["other"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/","label":"AES Standards catalogue"},"steward":"AES (Audio Engineering Society), with the EBU","status":"current","first_published":1985,"typical_use":["Two-channel digital feeds between consoles, processors and amplifiers","Digital output from playback machines and broadcast equipment","The transport under many older matrix and distribution systems"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[32,44.1,48],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":2,"encoding":"Linear PCM, biphase mark coded","note":"Two channels in one subframe pair. Later revisions add higher rates, and the consumer variant of the same electrical idea is S/PDIF."}},"gotchas":["The cable is 110 Ω, not the 45–75 Ω of a normal mic line. A standard XLR cable often works over a short run and then fails as the run gets longer, which makes it one of the more misleading intermittent faults on a stage.","It is self-clocking, so the receiver locks to the sender. Two devices that are both trying to be clock master produce dropouts rather than an error.","S/PDIF carries the same data format on 75 Ω coax at a much lower voltage. They interconvert, but not by rewiring a connector.","Plugging AES3 into an analogue input sends a wideband square wave into a preamp. It is loud, it is unpleasant, and on some systems it is expensive."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","digital","aes","xlr"],"sources":[{"title":"AES3 — Serial transmission format for two-channel linearly represented digital audio data","url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","primary":true},{"title":"Interfacing AES3 and S/PDIF (RaneNote 149)","url":"https://www.ranecommercial.com/legacy/note149.html","publisher":"Rane Corporation"},{"title":"IEC 60958 — Digital audio interface","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"aes50","name":"AES50","aka":["SuperMAC","HRMAI"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"An AES open standard for bidirectional, low-latency multichannel digital audio over Cat5 cable, built into the Behringer/Midas/Klark Teknik console ecosystem (X32, WING, M32, DL/XL series) to link stageboxes, consoles, and processing without an analog snake.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/blog/2011/9/new-revision-of-aes50-2011"},"steward":"Audio Engineering Society (AES)","status":"current","media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48,96],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":48,"encoding":"Linear PCM over Cat5, layer 1 rather than Ethernet","note":"48 channels each direction per link at 48 kHz, dropping to 24 at 96 kHz. The count is per link and bidirectional, which is why a console and a stagebox need one cable rather than two."}},"gotchas":["Runs over Cat5/Cat5e cable and RJ45s but is not standard routable Ethernet - AES50 ports cannot simply be plugged into a network switch.","Point-to-point by design; star/hub topologies require dedicated AES50 routers rather than off-the-shelf Ethernet switches.","Channel count trades off against sample rate: up to 48 channels at 48kHz drops to 24 channels at 96kHz per link."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"New revision of AES50, High-resolution multi-channel audio interconnection (HRMAI) - AES Standards","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/blog/2011/9/new-revision-of-aes50-2011","primary":true},{"title":"AES50 - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AES50"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via card, for compatibility with AES50 stage boxes."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-sq-6","name":"Allen & Heath SQ-6","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"SLink port supports AES50-compatible expanders."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Two AES50 ports for S16 / S32 stage boxes."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on fitted option."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"AES50 to DL stage boxes, the Midas and Klark Teknik backbone."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"powersoft-x8","name":"Powersoft X8","vendor":"Powersoft","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Not supported; listed here only to prevent confusion."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"aes67","name":"AES67","aka":["AES67 audio-over-IP","AES-67"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"An AES interoperability standard for streaming uncompressed audio over IP using RTP and IEEE 1588 PTP. It is the common ground that lets Dante, RAVENNA, Q-LAN, Livewire and Ravenna-derived broadcast gear exchange streams without a hardware bridge.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5004,"transport":"udp","role":"RTP media stream (RTP/AVP default port)","note":"Audinate documents 5004 for AES67 multicast audio from Dante devices. The actual port for any given stream comes from the SDP, so treat 5004 as the common default rather than a fixed rule."},{"number":9875,"transport":"udp","role":"SAP session announcements used for AES67 stream discovery","note":"SAP is one of several discovery mechanisms in use. AES67 does not mandate any of them."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"AES67 streams are usually multicast but the standard does not reserve an address range, so the plant owner assigns it. Audinate's Dante devices emit AES67 flows in 239.69.0.0/16. SAP announcements go to 239.255.255.255:9875. AES67 specifies IGMP for managing multicast traffic."},"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://aes2.org/publications/standards-store/","label":"AES Standards Store (AES67 is free to AES members, otherwise paid)"},"steward":"Audio Engineering Society (AES)","first_published":2013,"status":"current","typical_use":["Getting audio between two vendors' networks that do not share a native protocol","Broadcast contribution and distribution between studios and OB trucks","Feeding ST 2110-30 audio receivers from a pro audio network","Interop mode on Dante, RAVENNA, Q-LAN and Livewire devices"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48],"bit_depths":[16,24],"encoding":"Linear PCM, L16 and L24","note":"48 kHz is the mandatory interoperability point; other rates may be supported but cannot be assumed between vendors. The same applies to packet time, where 1 ms is required and 125 microseconds is optional."}},"gotchas":["AES67 mandates no discovery method at all. SAP, Bonjour/mDNS and NMOS IS-04 are all in the field. Two fully compliant devices can sit on the same switch and never see each other, and you patch by hand from the SDP.","It standardises the stream and the clock, not the ecosystem. There is no AES67 device control, no level control, no naming, no subscription model, so day to day patching still happens in each vendor's own tool.","AES67 is built on PTPv2 (IEEE 1588-2008). Dante's native clock is PTPv1, so a Dante device switched into AES67 mode changes clock domain and stops clocking with its non-AES67 neighbours.","A 1 ms packet time is the only one every AES67 device must support. 125 us, 250 us, 333.33 us and 4 ms are optional, and broadcast gear often defaults to a short one for latency. A receiver that only does 1 ms just refuses the stream.","An AES67 flow carries no channel names. Channel order in the stream is the only thing that identifies what is where, so document the map or you will be counting pairs at soundcheck."],"implementations":[{"name":"aes67-linux-daemon","url":"https://github.com/bondagit/aes67-linux-daemon","language":"C++","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"ALSA RAVENNA/AES67 driver","url":"https://github.com/bondagit/ravenna-alsa-lkm","language":"C","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","audio-over-ip","interoperability","aes","ptp"],"sources":[{"title":"AES Standards Store (AES67-2023 listing and pricing)","url":"https://aes2.org/publications/standards-store/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"AES67-2013, Networks, audio-over-IP interoperability (publication announcement)","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/blog/2013/9/aes67-2013-audio-over-ip-130911","publisher":"AES Standards Committee","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"AES67 FAQ","url":"https://aimsalliance.org/aes67-faq/","publisher":"AIMS Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"RAVENNA and AES67 white paper (mandatory 1 ms packet time, optional packet times, L16/L24)","url":"https://ravenna-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RAVENNA___AES67_V1.0.pdf","publisher":"ALC NetworX","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"Which network ports does Dante use? (AES67 RTP and SAP ports)","url":"https://support.getdante.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5508285534239-Which-network-ports-does-Dante-use","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"dante-controller","name":"Dante Controller","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Configures AES67 mode on capable devices."},{"kind":"software","id":"dante-virtual-soundcard","name":"Dante Virtual Soundcard","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"AES67 mode where the network supports it."},{"kind":"software","id":"qsys-designer","name":"Q-SYS Designer","vendor":"QSC, LLC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Cores stream AES67 as multicast alongside the native Q-LAN transport. QSC's capacity tables count Q-LAN and AES67 network channels together and list no separate AES67 feature licence."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through Dante in AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"biamp-tesira-forte","name":"Biamp TesiraFORTÉ","vendor":"Biamp","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"AES67 mode on supported firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"bss-blu-806","name":"BSS Soundweb London BLU-806","vendor":"BSS Audio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, with the same QoS requirements as Dante."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"clear-com-freespeak-ii","name":"Clear-Com FreeSpeak II","vendor":"Clear-Com","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-40d","name":"d&b audiotechnik 40D installation amplifier","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via DMI Dante card in AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via module."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ferrofish-a32-dante","name":"Ferrofish A32 Dante","vendor":"Ferrofish","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"focusrite-rednet-a16r-mk2","name":"Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII","vendor":"Focusrite","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-go-beltpack","name":"Green-GO Digital Intercom","vendor":"Green-GO (ELC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on model and firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la4x","name":"L-Acoustics LA4X","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"AES67 input on current firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la7-16i","name":"L-Acoustics LA7.16i","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-p1","name":"L-Acoustics P1","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lab-gruppen-plm-20k44","name":"Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lake-lm44","name":"Lab.gruppen Lake LM44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, listed alongside RAVENNA."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, AV profile available."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"powersoft-x8","name":"Powersoft X8","vendor":"Powersoft","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"AES67 input mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"qsys-core-510i","name":"Q-SYS Core 510i","vendor":"QSC (Q-SYS)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Software AES67 streams for interop with other AoIP systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"riedel-bolero","name":"Riedel Bolero","vendor":"Riedel Communications","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rts-adam","name":"RTS ADAM Intercom Matrix","vendor":"RTS (Bosch)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"symetrix-radius-nx-12x8","name":"Symetrix Radius NX 12x8","vendor":"Symetrix","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode on supported firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-dm7","name":"Yamaha DM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through Dante interoperability."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rio3224-d2","name":"Yamaha Rio3224-D2","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through Dante interoperability where enabled."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"aes70-oca","name":"AES70 (Open Control Architecture)","aka":["OCA","Open Control Architecture","AES70"],"category":"audio-control","summary":"Open Control Architecture, standardised by the AES as AES70, is an object-oriented model for controlling and monitoring media network devices. It carries gain, mute, routing, presets, sensors and status over TCP, and carries no audio of its own.","transport":["tcp"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://aes2.org/publications/standards-store/","label":"AES Standards Store (free to AES members, otherwise paid)"},"steward":"Audio Engineering Society (AES), developed by the OCA Alliance","first_published":2016,"status":"current","typical_use":["Amplifier and DSP control from a third party controller or show control system","Monitoring device health, temperature and fault sensors during a run","Recalling presets and scenes across mixed-vendor loudspeaker systems","Vendor control apps that need one model across a whole product range"],"gotchas":["There is no universal port. OCP.1 runs over TCP but the port is chosen by the device: the d&b DS100, for example, listens on 50014. Read the specific product manual before writing a firewall rule.","AES70 is control only. It does not move audio, so it always sits alongside AES67, Dante or ST 2110, and a device can be reachable for control while its audio path is dead.","\"AES70 compatible\" says nothing about which objects a device exposes. Two compliant products can share almost no controllable parameters, so check the device's actual class tree, not the badge on the box.","The standard is split into parts (framework, class structure, protocols). Buying one part does not give you a working picture, and the parts are priced separately for non-members of the AES."],"implementations":[{"name":"AES70.js","url":"https://github.com/DeutscheSoft/AES70.js","language":"JavaScript","license":"GPL-2.0-only","role":"both"},{"name":"NanoOcp","url":"https://github.com/ChristianAhrens/NanoOcp","language":"C++","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","role":"sender"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","device-control","aes","oca"],"sources":[{"title":"AES70 standards category (latest published edition)","url":"https://aes2.org/standards-category/aes70/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"AES70 Standards and Specifications","url":"https://ocaalliance.com/resources/standards-specifications/","publisher":"OCA Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"AES Standards Store (AES70 pricing and access)","url":"https://aes2.org/publications/standards-store/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Open Control Architecture (history and publication date)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Control_Architecture","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"NanoOcp — OCP.1 over TCP, DS100 default port 50014","url":"https://github.com/ChristianAhrens/NanoOcp","publisher":"Christian Ahrens","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-40d","name":"d&b audiotechnik 40D installation amplifier","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-d80","name":"d&b audiotechnik D80","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"R1 remote control speaks OCA (AES70) to the amplifier over Ethernet."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la7-16i","name":"L-Acoustics LA7.16i","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control and monitoring."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"art-net","name":"Art-Net","aka":["ArtNet","Art-Net 4"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"Artistic Licence's royalty-free protocol for carrying DMX512 over UDP/IP. It predates sACN, is implemented by almost every lighting product ever made, and is still the default lingua franca when two unfamiliar devices need to talk.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":6454,"transport":"udp","role":"All Art-Net traffic (ArtDmx, ArtPoll, ArtPollReply, ArtSync, ...)","note":"6454 is 0x1936 in hex, which is the year Artistic Licence chose as a nod to the first television broadcast."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Art-Net is broadcast or unicast, not multicast. Art-Net 4 added the ability to hand off to sACN for the streaming portion, which is where multicast enters the picture."},"universe_model":"15-bit Port-Address split into Net (7 bits), Sub-Net (4 bits) and Universe (4 bits), giving 32768 addressable universes of 512 slots.","openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://art-net.org.uk/downloads/art-net.pdf","label":"Art-Net 4 specification (PDF)"},"steward":"Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd","first_published":1998,"status":"current","typical_use":["Console or media server to DMX gateway over ethernet","Pixel mapping and LED processing","Small installs and touring racks where sACN multicast config is not worth the trouble","Discovery of nodes on an unknown network via ArtPoll"],"gotchas":["Classic Art-Net broadcasts to 2.255.255.255 or 10.255.255.255, which is why the old convention is 2.x.x.x addressing with a /8 mask. Putting Art-Net on a 192.168.x.x network works, but broadcast then hits every device on the subnet.","Net/Sub-Net/Universe versus a flat universe number is the classic patch error. A device showing \"universe 0\" may mean Port-Address 0, which many consoles display as universe 1.","ArtSync exists to avoid tearing on large pixel rigs, but many nodes ignore it. If pixels shear across a fade, check sync support before blaming the switch."],"implementations":[{"name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"StupidArtnet","url":"https://github.com/cpvalente/stupidArtnet","language":"Python","license":"MIT","role":"sender"},{"name":"artnet (Node.js)","url":"https://github.com/hobbyquaker/artnet","language":"JavaScript","license":"MIT","role":"sender"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","dmx-over-ip","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"Art-Net 4 Protocol Release — specification document","url":"https://art-net.org.uk/downloads/art-net.pdf","publisher":"Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd","primary":true},{"title":"Art-Net homepage and licensing terms","url":"https://art-net.org.uk/","publisher":"Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net control from a lighting console."},{"kind":"software","id":"artnet-monitor-pixilab","name":"ArtNet Monitor (PixiLab)","vendor":"PixiLab","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Simple Art-Net DMX-512 monitor with single-universe or omni (multi-universe) modes."},{"kind":"software","id":"artnetominator","name":"The ArtNetominator","vendor":"Lightjams Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Primary function: real-time monitor of Art-Net nets/subnets/universes/nodes."},{"kind":"software","id":"artnetview-haute-technique","name":"ArtNetView","vendor":"Haute Technique","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Standalone Art-Net monitor showing universes, source IPs, and per-channel value history."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"One of the two network DMX protocols Titan uses to reach nodes and dimmers."},{"kind":"software","id":"capture","name":"Capture","vendor":"Capture Visualisation AB","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"One of the two recommended network DMX inputs."},{"kind":"software","id":"casparcg","name":"CasparCG Server","vendor":"CasparCG project","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"An ArtNet consumer is documented in the shipped casparcg.config."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Art-Net 1, 2, 3 and 4 in broadcast or unicast mode for output; Art-Net is also received for capture into the console or for merging. 64 universes of output are enabled in the free demo mode."},{"kind":"software","id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"companion","name":"Bitfocus Companion","vendor":"Bitfocus AS","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Companion can be controlled over Art-Net by setting a universe and start channel in settings."},{"kind":"software","id":"daslight","name":"Daslight","vendor":"Daslight (Nicolaudie)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output."},{"kind":"software","id":"depence","name":"Depence","vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Listed on Syncronorm's system-integration page; used to receive console output for previz, and the separate Control module is marketed as able to drive the real show over the same DMX network protocols."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dmx-workshop","name":"DMX-Workshop","vendor":"Singularity (UK) Ltd","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Described as the reference standard tool for Art-Net implementations; sends and receives."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","vendor":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output and input."},{"kind":"software","id":"dot2-onpc","name":"dot2 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Output broadcast, Art-Net 1, universes 0:0 to 0:7. On onPC the first universe is free (introduced in software v1.2.2.8); beyond that a dot2 Node4 is required."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Disabled by default in Patch. Art-Net universes 0-255."},{"kind":"software","id":"esp-vision","name":"ESP Vision","vendor":"ESP Studios / Zzyzx, Inc. (acquired by Vectorworks, Inc., 2015)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented DMX input protocol in the ESP Vision 2.0 era (2006); not necessarily reflective of every release across the product's life."},{"kind":"software","id":"grandma3-onpc","name":"grandMA3 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Documented at Art-Net revision 1.4db. Unicast is used until more than five receivers subscribe to a universe."},{"kind":"software","id":"heavym","name":"HeavyM","vendor":"HeavyM","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"External control."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"In: the DMX component takes Art-Net from a lighting desk to control layers, mixes and viewports, with auto-patch tooling. Out: PixelMapper sends Art-Net to LED fixtures."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Integrated Art-Net send and receive from Isadora 4. In Isadora 2 and 3 Art-Net was a separately downloaded plugin (32-bit for 2, 64-bit for 3)."},{"kind":"software","id":"l8","name":"L8","vendor":"L8 LLC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"DMX input on every edition; the Trace and Unlimited edition pages separately document \"DMX output with Art-Net.\""},{"kind":"software","id":"lightconverse","name":"LightConverse","vendor":"LightConverse","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net input from a console."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightkey","name":"Lightkey","vendor":"Lightkey","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output."},{"kind":"software","id":"ma3d","name":"MA 3D","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net input where MA-Net is not used."},{"kind":"software","id":"madmapper","name":"MadMapper","vendor":"garageCube","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Documented as Art-Net 4 compliant, up to 4096 DMX universes."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net for lighting integration."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Art-Net output for Light Plot and LED Mapping; docs cite Artnet V1/V2 with V3/V4 said to be retro-compatible. Art-Net input is not documented."},{"kind":"software","id":"modul8","name":"Modul8","vendor":"GarageCUBE","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"DMX/Art-Net control on supported versions."},{"kind":"software","id":"node-red","name":"Node-RED","vendor":"OpenJS Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via community nodes."},{"kind":"software","id":"notch","name":"Notch","vendor":"Notch (10bit FX Limited)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Vendor features page states Art-Net input and output; the Art-Net docs describe exposing any numerical parameter plus basic transport controls so a lighting desk can drive them."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net 1, 2 and 3 are listed in the plugin documentation."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Each Art-Net universe can be set to output, input or both. Detected nodes are unicast their assigned universes, with an optional broadcast mode. Art-Net timecode can also be received."},{"kind":"software","id":"openframeworks","name":"openFrameworks","vendor":"openFrameworks community","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through addons."},{"kind":"software","id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and output."},{"kind":"software","id":"processing","name":"Processing","vendor":"Processing Foundation","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through community libraries."},{"kind":"software","id":"propresenter","name":"ProPresenter","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"DMX control of ProPresenter on supported versions."},{"kind":"software","id":"protokol","name":"Protokol","vendor":"Hexler","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Listed alongside MIDI and OSC as a monitored protocol."},{"kind":"software","id":"provideoplayer","name":"ProVideoPlayer (PVP)","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"DMX/Art-Net control on supported versions."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlab","name":"QLab","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"out","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Lighting cues output over Art-Net; requires a licence tier that includes lighting."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlc-plus","name":"QLC+","vendor":"QLC+ project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net plugin, listed in the project's plugin set."},{"kind":"software","id":"rdm-controller-jese","name":"RDM Controller","vendor":"JESE","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"RDM over Art-Net where supported."},{"kind":"software","id":"realizzer-3d","name":"Realizzer 3D","vendor":"Realizzer","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net input from a console."},{"kind":"software","id":"resolume-arena","name":"Resolume Arena","vendor":"Resolume","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Pixel and fixture output to lights uses Art-Net. Enttec USB DMX devices are not supported from Arena 6 onward."},{"kind":"software","id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net output on supported versions."},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in for console control and out for fixture control."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"touchdesigner","name":"TouchDesigner","vendor":"Derivative","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"unity","name":"Unity","vendor":"Unity Technologies","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through community and vendor packages."},{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX in and out through the built-in DMX plugin."},{"kind":"software","id":"vectorworks-vision","name":"Vectorworks Vision","vendor":"Vectorworks, Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented by Vectorworks as a DMX-provider option for its Spotlight-integrated previsualisation line, which shares Vision's DMX engine."},{"kind":"software","id":"ventuz","name":"Ventuz","vendor":"Ventuz Technology","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"vvvv","name":"vvvv","vendor":"vvvv group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Widely used for driving and receiving lighting data."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented as ArtNet Input for external control of WATCHOUT."},{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Native artnet dissector present since very early Wireshark releases (display filter fields documented back to version 1.0.0)."},{"kind":"software","id":"wysiwyg","name":"WYSIWYG","vendor":"CAST Group Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented as one of the network options for receiving console DMX (e.g. merged BlackTrax tracking data reaches WYSIWYG this way)."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","vendor":"7thSense","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net control in."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net control input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output and input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output and input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-s8","name":"Brompton Tessera S8","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-sx40","name":"Brompton Tessera SX40","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net control of processor parameters."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Multiple universes over network."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net 4 output, and input for remote or backup desks."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in for console control, out from Widget Designer."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported. Art-Net broadcast on older nodes is what floods a badly configured VLAN."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"city-theatrical-multiverse","name":"City Theatrical Multiverse Transmitter","vendor":"City Theatrical","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via Designer's DMX device drivers."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX-over-Ethernet in and out of Designer for lighting integration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"elc-dmxlan-node8","name":"ELC dmXLAN node8","vendor":"ELC Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Per port."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-din-ethergate-mk2","name":"ENTTEC DIN Ethergate MK2","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Both ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-ode-mk3","name":"ENTTEC ODE Mk3","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Includes Art-RDM."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Carries DMX and RDM data and coexists with sACN on the same network."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net supported alongside sACN."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Network control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"follow-me-3d","name":"Follow-Me 3D","vendor":"Follow-Me","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Fixture control and merge with the console."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Art-Net revision 1.4db. Sent as unicast until more than five receivers subscribe to a universe."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and pixel output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX personality control in, pixel-mapper output out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Over the dedicated gigabit Ethernet port. Universe count expands with networked DP8000 processors."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lumenradio-crmx-nova-tx2","name":"LumenRadio CRMX Nova TX2","vendor":"LumenRadio","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net input on network-equipped models."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, with protocol-aware handling."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, not originated. The switch is protocol-aware for QoS and multicast handling."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in and out per port."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network lighting control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","vendor":"Megapixel VR","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in for console control, out for fixture and pixel control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"novastar-mx40-pro","name":"NovaStar MX40 Pro","vendor":"NovaStar","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net brightness and control on some firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","vendor":"Pathway Connectivity","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Per port."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net in for console control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"wireless-solution-blackbox-f2","name":"Wireless Solution W-DMX BlackBox F-2 G6","vendor":"Wireless Solution","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Art-Net on Ethernet-equipped variants."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","vendor":"zactrack","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct fixture control output for tracked followspot behaviour."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Art-Net output."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"avb-milan","name":"AVB / Milan","aka":["AVB","Audio Video Bridging","Milan","TSN for pro audio"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"IEEE 802.1 Audio Video Bridging with the Avnu Milan profile on top: Layer 2 ethernet media streams with bandwidth reserved hop by hop and clocked by gPTP. It is used where the network has to behave like a fixed wiring loom, mostly in touring PA rigs built around Avid, Meyer, d&b and L-Acoustics gear.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"Streams are addressed with Layer 2 multicast MAC addresses allocated by MAAP, not with IP multicast groups. There is no IGMP involved and nothing for an IP-only network tool to show you."},"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://avnu.org/resource/milan-specification/","label":"Milan Specification (free download behind a registration form)"},"steward":"Avnu Alliance (Milan profile) on top of IEEE 802.1 and IEEE 1722","first_published":2018,"status":"current","typical_use":["Console to amplifier and loudspeaker networks in touring PA","Redundant audio paths where a single cable failure must not be audible","Deterministic low-latency links between stage and front of house","Discovery, connection management and control via AVDECC (IEEE 1722.1)"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48],"bit_depths":[24],"encoding":"AVTP Audio Format, linear PCM","note":"Milan fixes 48 kHz and 24-bit as the interoperability baseline, which is the point of Milan — AVB itself is more permissive and correspondingly less predictable between vendors."}},"gotchas":["Every switch in the path has to be AVB capable. One ordinary switch, one media converter or one unmanaged patch in the middle and the bandwidth reservation never completes, so the stream simply never establishes.","AVB is Layer 2. It does not route. You cannot carry it across a subnet boundary, a VPN or a WAN link, which rules it out for anything spread across a campus without dedicated fibre.","gPTP (IEEE 802.1AS) is its own PTP profile running over Layer 2. It will not share a grandmaster with the IP-based IEEE 1588 clocks used by AES67, Dante and ST 2110 without a device that deliberately bridges the two.","\"AVB capable\" and \"Milan certified\" are different claims. Milan is a profile over IEEE 1722 and 1722.1 that pins down stream formats, media clocking and redundancy, and generic AVB gear may not meet it.","The Milan document is free after registration, but the IEEE standards it normatively references (802.1AS, 802.1Q, 802.1BA, 1722, 1722.1) are paid. A full implementation is not a zero-cost read.","Connection state lives in the endpoints, managed over AVDECC. Power-cycling a switch is usually survivable, but a device swapped for a spare comes back with no streams until it is reconnected in the controller."],"implementations":[{"name":"OpenAvnu","url":"https://github.com/Avnu/OpenAvnu","language":"C","role":"both"},{"name":"L-Acoustics AVDECC (IEEE 1722.1)","url":"https://github.com/L-Acoustics/avdecc","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-3.0-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","layer-2","avb","tsn","avnu"],"sources":[{"title":"Milan Specification","url":"https://avnu.org/resource/milan-specification/","publisher":"Avnu Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Avnu Alliance Specifications","url":"https://avnu.org/specifications/","publisher":"Avnu Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"OpenAvnu — gPTP, MAAP, mrpd and AVTP pipeline components","url":"https://github.com/Avnu/OpenAvnu","publisher":"Avnu Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Industry Leaders Join to Launch Milan Network Protocol Based on AVB for Pro AV Interoperability","url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industry-leaders-join-to-launch-milan-network-protocol-based-on-avb-for-pro-av-interoperability-300659833.html","publisher":"Avnu Alliance via PR Newswire","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la12x","name":"L-Acoustics LA12X","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"AVB network audio input; L-Acoustics is a founding Milan proponent."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la7-16i","name":"L-Acoustics LA7.16i","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-p1","name":"L-Acoustics P1","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"AVB support depending on model and firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"The manual states full AVB and AVB Milan support."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"meyer-galaxy-816","name":"Meyer Sound Galileo GALAXY 816","vendor":"Meyer Sound","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"AVB network audio streams alongside analog and AES3 I/O; Milan-certified firmware exists for GALAXY."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"AVB licence available on M4250, making it one of the few mainstream switches that can carry Milan."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"aviom-a-net","name":"Aviom A-Net","category":"audio-transport","openness":"proprietary-closed","status":"current","summary":"Proprietary digital audio distribution for personal monitor mixing: a rack sends a fixed set of channels down Cat5 to personal mixers on stage, where each musician builds their own mix locally.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":16,"encoding":"Linear PCM over Cat5, layer 1 rather than Ethernet","note":"16 channels is the Pro16 personal-monitor system almost everyone means by A-Net. Pro64 is a separate, incompatible family carrying up to 64 at higher rates; the connectors look identical and the two do not talk."}},"typical_use":["Personal monitor mixing for a band","Houses of worship where musicians mix themselves","Reducing monitor engineer workload on stage"],"gotchas":["A-Net runs on Cat5 and is not Ethernet. It must not be patched into a network switch, and the cable run limits are stricter than networking habits suggest.","The channel set is fixed at the source. A musician can only mix what the engineer sent, so the channel allocation is a rehearsal decision, not a soundcheck one.","Pro16 and Pro64 are two different A-Net generations with different capabilities. Mixing them requires a converter, not just a cable."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","monitors","aviom","personal-mixing","proprietary"],"sources":[{"title":"Aviom","url":"https://www.aviom.com/","publisher":"Aviom","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"bacnet","name":"BACnet","category":"device-management","summary":"An ASHRAE/ISO standard protocol for building automation (HVAC, lighting, access control, life-safety) that show-control and integration designers encounter whenever a venue's house systems need to be tied into a production's control network.","transport":["udp","rs485"],"default_ports":[{"number":47808,"transport":"udp","note":"BACnet/IP (Annex J), 0xBAC0"}],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-guidelines/standards-addenda/standard-135-2016-bacnet-a-data-communication-protocol-for-building-automation-and-control-networks"},"steward":"ASHRAE / BACnet International","status":"current","gotchas":["BACnet is a family of transports, not just IP - MS/TP variants run over RS-485 serial, so 'BACnet' on a venue drawing may mean a very different physical layer than BACnet/IP.","Default BACnet/IP port 47808 (0xBAC0/UDP) typically relies on broadcast for device discovery (Who-Is/I-Am), which can be noisy or blocked on segmented production networks."],"implementations":[{"name":"bacnet-stack","url":"https://github.com/bacnet-stack/bacnet-stack","language":"C"}],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-2016: BACnet, A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks","url":"https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/standards-and-guidelines/standards-addenda/standard-135-2016-bacnet-a-data-communication-protocol-for-building-automation-and-control-networks","primary":true},{"title":"BACnet - Wireshark Wiki","url":"https://wiki.wireshark.org/Protocols/bacnet"},{"title":"BACnet - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BACnet"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"biamp-tesira-forte","name":"Biamp TesiraFORTÉ","vendor":"Biamp","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control integration with building systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"bss-blu-806","name":"BSS Soundweb London BLU-806","vendor":"BSS Audio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Integration with building management systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","vendor":"Crestron","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Building systems integration."}],"flow":"control","flow_note":"Building automation: HVAC and lighting plant, actually commanded rather than monitored."},{"id":"bluetooth-le","name":"Bluetooth LE","aka":["BLE","Bluetooth Low Energy"],"category":"device-management","status":"current","openness":"open-free-registration","transport":["wireless-rf"],"summary":"Short-range, low-power radio built around small structured attributes rather than a data stream. On a show it is mostly a configuration and sensing channel — a phone setting up a fixture, a beltpack reporting battery, a beacon advertising its presence — rather than anything a cue depends on.","multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Advertising packets are broadcast, which is how beacons work; connections are point to point."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://www.bluetooth.com/","label":"Bluetooth SIG"},"steward":"Bluetooth SIG","first_published":2010,"typical_use":["Configuring a device from a phone without a network.","Beacons for proximity and wayfinding in a venue.","Sensor and battery telemetry from worn or portable equipment."],"gotchas":["2.4 GHz, in the same band as Wi-Fi and a great many other things, in a room full of phones.","Range is short by design and highly dependent on bodies, which absorb 2.4 GHz well.","Pairing and bonding state lives on both devices and is a common cause of \"it worked yesterday\"."],"tags":["bluetooth","wireless","low-power","config"],"sources":[{"title":"Bluetooth Low Energy","url":"https://www.bluetooth.com/","publisher":"Bluetooth SIG","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control","flow_note":"In this industry it is nearly always a control link — a phone setting a fixture or a speaker."},{"id":"bluetooth-midi","name":"Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI (BLE-MIDI)","aka":["BLE-MIDI","MIDI over Bluetooth Low Energy","RP-052"],"category":"audio-control","summary":"A GATT-based transport that packs standard MIDI 1.0 messages, with millisecond timestamps for jitter correction, into Bluetooth Low Energy characteristic writes so a keyboard, pedal or controller can talk MIDI wirelessly to a phone, tablet or computer. It sits behind most modern wireless MIDI foot controllers, keyboards and BLE MIDI interface dongles used in live performance rigs.","transport":["wireless-rf"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://midi.org/midi-over-bluetooth-low-energy-ble-midi","label":"MIDI Association — MIDI over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE-MIDI)"},"steward":"MIDI Association (MMA/AMEI)","first_published":2015,"status":"current","typical_use":["Wireless MIDI controllers, foot pedals and keyboards connecting to tablets, phones or computers in performance rigs","iOS/macOS Core MIDI Bluetooth peripheral pairing for stage-side control surfaces","Point-to-point wireless MIDI links replacing a DIN cable run where routing 5-pin MIDI is impractical"],"gotchas":["BLE packets are capped at the negotiated MTU minus 3 bytes (typically only 20 bytes by default), so dense note bursts, chords or sysex fragment across multiple BLE writes; both sides need to negotiate a larger MTU to avoid this becoming audible as timing jitter.","The spec's own millisecond timestamp header only claims jitter \"comparable to the USB Class Specification\" and explicitly warns that wireless delivery delays can occur unexpectedly at any time, so BLE-MIDI is not a guaranteed low-latency transport the way a DIN cable or wired USB is.","As of 2026 the official BLE-MIDI 1.0 spec PDF is gated behind a paid MIDI Association SysEx ID ($240 one-time) or Corporate membership rather than a free download on midi.org, even though implementing the protocol itself is royalty-free."],"implementations":[{"name":"Arduino-BLE-MIDI","url":"https://github.com/lathoub/Arduino-BLE-MIDI","language":"C++","license":"MIT","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["midi","bluetooth","wireless","midi-association"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE-MIDI) — spec listing, gated behind SysEx ID/Corporate membership","url":"https://midi.org/midi-over-bluetooth-low-energy-ble-midi","publisher":"MIDI Association","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Specification for MIDI over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE-MIDI) Version 1.0, November 1 2015 (MMA/AMEI RP-052; service/characteristic UUIDs, timestamp encoding, MTU limits)","url":"https://www.hangar42.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/BLE-MIDI-spec.pdf","publisher":"MIDI Manufacturers Association / AMEI","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"MIDI Bluetooth — Core MIDI documentation","url":"https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coremidi/midi-bluetooth","publisher":"Apple Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Membership tiers and pricing (Individual free / SysEx ID $240 / Corporate from $600, spec access levels)","url":"https://midi.org/membership","publisher":"MIDI Association","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"canopen","name":"CANopen","aka":["CANopen CC","CiA 301"],"category":"machinery-motion","summary":"CiA's standardized application layer and communication profile riding on a CAN bus, giving devices a shared object dictionary and PDO/SDO messaging so drives, sensors and I/O from different vendors share one bus. It increasingly turns up in stage automation and rigging motion control, where the CiA 402 drive profile standardizes controller-to-servo-drive messaging.","transport":["other"],"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.can-cia.org/cia-groups/technical-documents","label":"CiA technical documents — CANopen specifications (free download after registration/login)"},"steward":"CAN in Automation (CiA)","first_published":1994,"status":"current","typical_use":["Servo drive, VFD and motor-controller networking within winches, hoists and automated scenery machines (CiA 402 profile)","Sensor and I/O integration on machine-control buses inside automation racks and control cabinets","General industrial embedded device networking wherever many low-cost nodes need to share one bus"],"gotchas":["CANopen CC bit rate is fixed network-wide and trades off against cable length; CiA specifies 10 kbit/s to 1000 kbit/s. Reusing a bit rate chosen for a short rack-to-rack link on a long touring cable run is a classic cause of bus errors that only appear once the cable is stretched out on site.","The 11-bit CAN identifier splits into a 4-bit function code and 7-bit node ID, capping a single CANopen network at 127 nodes (0 reserved for broadcast); large automation systems need multiple buses/gateways well before that limit in practice.","CiA itself warns that \"some vendors implement only a subset of the mandatory functions and parameters, but still claim CiA 402 conformity,\" so two devices that both claim CiA 402 support are not guaranteed to interoperate on motion commands without testing.","The full CiA 301/402 specification text requires a free CiA account and login to download (status \"Public Available Specification\"); it is not a plain public URL, which trips up integrators expecting a direct PDF link."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["can-bus","motion-control","cia","industrial"],"sources":[{"title":"CANopen history (first published November 1994 as CiA 301)","url":"https://www.can-cia.org/can-knowledge/canopen-history","publisher":"CAN in Automation (CiA)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"CANopen (bit rates 10 kbit/s-1000 kbit/s, application layer over ISO 11898)","url":"https://www.can-cia.org/can-knowledge/canopen","publisher":"CAN in Automation (CiA)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"CiA 402: CANopen device profile for drives and motion control (conformance caveat quote)","url":"https://www.can-cia.org/can-knowledge/cia-402-series-canopen-device-profile-for-drives-and-motion-control","publisher":"CAN in Automation (CiA)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Technical documents (PAS/Technical Report documents free after registration or CiA membership login)","url":"https://www.can-cia.org/cia-groups/technical-documents","publisher":"CAN in Automation (CiA)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"CANopen (127-node limit from the 7-bit node ID field)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CANopen","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"codesys","name":"CODESYS","vendor":"CODESYS Group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Standard."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"citp","name":"CITP","aka":["Controller Interface Transport Protocol","MSEX","Media Server Extensions"],"category":"media-control","summary":"An open protocol for the traffic between consoles, visualisers and media servers that is not the show itself: peer discovery, DMX, fixture data, and through MSEX, media libraries, thumbnails and live preview streams. It is what puts clip thumbnails on a lighting console's encoder wheel.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":4809,"transport":"udp","role":"PINF peer discovery and location messages (multicast)","note":"Peers advertise their own TCP listening port inside the PLoc message, so there is no fixed TCP port to open."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["224.0.0.180"],"note":"Peer location is multicast to 224.0.0.180 on UDP 4809. Everything heavier, including MSEX thumbnails and streaming frames, runs over the TCP connection a peer advertises in its PLoc message."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://bitbucket.org/lars_wernlund/citp","label":"CITP protocol specification repository"},"steward":"Lars Wernlund; distributed via Capture Visualisation AB","status":"current","typical_use":["Media server clip libraries and thumbnails appearing on a lighting console","Live preview streams from a media server to a console or visualiser","Console to visualiser DMX feed without needing Art-Net or sACN","Fixture focus and position feedback from a visualiser back to the console"],"gotchas":["The old citp-protocol.org domain now redirects somewhere unrelated. The specification lives in a public Bitbucket repository linked from Capture's developer page; bookmark that, not the historic domain.","Discovery multicasts to 224.0.0.180, which sits in the link-local 224.0.0.0/24 block that routers do not forward. Put the console and the media server on different subnets and they will never see each other.","MSEX versions are not interchangeable. MADRIX, for example, implements MSEX 1.0 and 1.1 only, so a console asking for later features gets nothing back and shows an empty library.","MSEX 1.0 and 1.1 cap you at 255 storages and 255 storage places. A media server with a bigger library simply presents a truncated view, and the missing clips look like a failed transfer.","Thumbnail and stream traffic is bulk TCP on the same network as your lighting data. Give it somewhere it cannot starve sACN, or switch streaming preview off before doors.","CITP is meant for pre-production and non-show-critical information. Do not build a cue path or a live effects trigger on top of it."],"implementations":[{"name":"citp (Rust)","url":"https://github.com/nannou-org/citp","language":"Rust","role":"both"},{"name":"citp-lib","url":"https://github.com/jwarwick/citp-lib","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["media-server","visualiser","thumbnails","multicast"],"sources":[{"title":"Capture Developers — CITP is open and free, specification location, supported uses","url":"https://www.capture.se/Support/Developers","publisher":"Capture Visualisation AB","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"CITPDefines.h — CITP_PINF_MULTICAST_IP 224.0.0.180, CITP_PINF_MULTICAST_PORT 4809, per-peer ListeningTCPPort","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jwarwick/citp-lib/master/Library/CITPDefines.h","publisher":"jwarwick / citp-lib","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"MADRIX 5 CITP documentation (MSEX 1.0 and 1.1 only, 255 storage limit)","url":"https://help.madrix.com/m5/html/madrix/hidd_citp.html","publisher":"inoage / MADRIX","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"citp — CITP implementation in Rust (protocol layers PINF, SDMX, FPTC, FSEL, FINF, MSEX, CAEX)","url":"https://github.com/nannou-org/citp","publisher":"nannou","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails to the console."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Patch syncs both ways with stand-alone Capture (fixture, position, orientation, legend, user number) and fixture selection follows across. Levels still need Art-Net or sACN enabled on those universes."},{"kind":"software","id":"capture","name":"Capture","vendor":"Capture Visualisation AB","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Adds DMX talkback, selection sync and patch exchange with consoles that implement MSEX."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"CITP with the Capture visualiser carries both lighting control and transfer of the show patch between MagicQ and Capture in either direction."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"CITP component pushes media thumbnails, media names and low-resolution streaming previews to lighting consoles and visualisers; requires the DMX component to be running. Documented as Hippotizer-to-console only."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightconverse","name":"LightConverse","vendor":"LightConverse","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"CITP for media server and console integration."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Media server thumbnails are pushed across the network into ONYX's parameter belts, and patch can be imported from compatible visualisers. Servers on the network are auto-detected."},{"kind":"software","id":"realizzer-3d","name":"Realizzer 3D","vendor":"Realizzer","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"CITP for media server integration."},{"kind":"software","id":"wysiwyg","name":"WYSIWYG","vendor":"CAST Group Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Live media-server preview is a supported feature; CAST's own known-issues list references CITP video-display behaviour after a resolution change."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Thumbnails."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Media server thumbnails and control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server thumbnails in the pixel mapper."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails from media servers."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server thumbnails and visualiser feeds."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails to consoles."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server thumbnails."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Thumbnails to consoles."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Thumbnail and media exchange with lighting consoles."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server integration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails to lighting consoles."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"cobranet","name":"CobraNet","category":"audio-transport","summary":"An early (1996) Ethernet-based digital audio distribution protocol from Peak Audio, now owned by Cirrus Logic, that predates Dante and AVB and is still found in legacy installed sound systems, amplifiers, and DSP hardware in venues and theme parks.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.cirrus.com/products/cobranet/faqs"},"steward":"Cirrus Logic (formerly Peak Audio)","status":"historical","media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48,96],"bit_depths":[16,20,24],"max_channels":64,"encoding":"Linear PCM in eight-channel bundles","note":"64 channels each direction on 100 Mbit, in bundles of eight, which is the unit you route rather than the individual channel. 96 kHz halves the count. 20-bit is the historical default and still what a lot of installed hardware negotiates."}},"gotchas":["Operates at Ethernet layer 2 using registered EtherType 0x8819 - it is not IP-routable and needs a dedicated or carefully VLAN-isolated switched network.","Requires a switched 100Mbit/s+ Ethernet network with one of three fixed latency settings (5.33, 2.67, or 1.33ms) configured correctly, or audio glitches result.","Largely superseded by Dante and AVB/Milan in new installs, so CobraNet is now mostly encountered in older fixed installations."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"CobraNet FAQs - Cirrus Logic","url":"https://www.cirrus.com/products/cobranet/faqs","primary":true},{"title":"CobraNet - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CobraNet"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"dali","name":"DALI","aka":["Digital Addressable Lighting Interface"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"An IEC-standardized two-wire digital protocol for addressing and dimming individual architectural/house lighting ballasts and LED drivers, relevant wherever building/house lighting (rather than stage rigs) needs to integrate with a show's control system.","transport":["other"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.dali-alliance.org/standards/IEC62386.html"},"steward":"DALI Alliance (DiiA)","status":"current","gotchas":["Only 64 addressable control-gear devices per DALI line, far smaller than DMX512's 512 addresses, so large venues need many lines/gateways.","Slow control-data rate (1200 bit/s, Manchester-encoded) makes DALI unsuitable for fast theatrical chases - it's built for static/architectural dimming, not show cueing.","DALI-2 certification (introduced 2017) is needed for reliable multi-vendor interoperability; pre-DALI-2 gear can behave unpredictably when mixed across brands."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"The international IEC 62386 standard - DALI Alliance","url":"https://www.dali-alliance.org/standards/IEC62386.html","primary":true},{"title":"Digital Addressable Lighting Interface - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Addressable_Lighting_Interface"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"dante","name":"Dante","aka":["Dante Audio Networking","Audinate Dante"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"Audinate's proprietary audio-over-IP system carrying uncompressed multichannel audio, clocking and device control over ordinary gigabit ethernet. It is the default audio network on most touring and install jobs, and usually what a desk, a stagebox and an amp rack are talking to each other with.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":4321,"transport":"udp","role":"Dante multicast audio (ATP)","note":"Audinate lists this against the 239.255.0.0/16 multicast range."},{"number":4440,"transport":"udp","role":"Dante audio control"},{"number":4444,"transport":"udp","role":"Dante audio control"},{"number":4455,"transport":"udp","role":"Dante audio control"},{"number":8700,"transport":"udp","role":"Multicast control and monitoring","note":"Audinate documents the whole block 8700-8708 on 224.0.0.230-233 for control and monitoring, plus unicast equivalents at 28700-28708 (Via) and 38700-38708 (Dante Virtual Soundcard)."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["239.255.0.0/16 (Dante audio and video flows)","239.69.0.0/16 (AES67 flows from Dante devices)","224.0.0.230-233 (control and monitoring)"],"note":"Dante will run entirely unicast for small channel counts and only moves to multicast when a transmitter feeds several receivers. Audinate says IGMP snooping is required on mixed audio/video networks but is not a requirement for audio-only networks with few multicast flows."},"openness":"proprietary-closed","steward":"Audinate Pty Ltd","status":"current","typical_use":["Console to stagebox, amp rack and processing in touring and install audio","Distributing programme and comms audio around a building on one cable plant","Computer playback and recording via Dante Virtual Soundcard or Dante Via","Feeding AES67 or ST 2110-30 systems from a Dante plant"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[44.1,48,88.2,96,176.4,192],"bit_depths":[16,24,32],"encoding":"Linear PCM","note":"Channel count is a property of the device rather than of the protocol. Higher sample rates halve or quarter the channels a given device carries, which is the trade people meet when they switch a rig to 96 kHz."}},"gotchas":["Dante's own clock is PTP version 1 (IEEE 1588-2002). AES67 and ST 2110 use PTPv2. Putting a Dante device into AES67 mode moves it to a different clock domain, and the two do not share a grandmaster without a bridging device.","Energy Efficient Ethernet (IEEE 802.3az, sold as \"green ethernet\") must be disabled on every port carrying Dante. Audinate names it as a cause of clock instability and occasional dropouts, and it is on by default on cheap switches.","QoS has to be strict priority queueing, not weighted. Audinate's scheme is DSCP CS7 for PTP event messages, EF for audio and PTPv2, CS1 for reserved. A switch doing weighted fair queueing will still drop audio under load.","Discovery is mDNS on 224.0.0.251, which is link-local and does not cross a router. Devices on a different subnet will not appear in Dante Controller unless you are running Dante Domain Manager.","Multicast flows need one IGMP querier elected per VLAN. Two queriers, or none, and the flows either flood every port or vanish after the group membership times out.","There is no published wire specification. Anything that speaks Dante does so with a licensed Audinate module, chip or software stack, so \"we will just write a driver\" is not an option on this one."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["audio","audio-over-ip","audinate","proprietary","ptp"],"sources":[{"title":"Which network ports does Dante use?","url":"https://support.getdante.com/hc/en-gb/articles/5508285534239-Which-network-ports-does-Dante-use","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Dante Information for Network Administrators v7.1","url":"https://www.getdante.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Information-for-Network-Admins-v7.1.pdf","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Dante product and platform overview","url":"https://www.getdante.com/","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via Dante Virtual Soundcard or a Dante interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"dante-controller","name":"Dante Controller","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Discovers, routes and configures Dante devices. Does not itself carry audio."},{"kind":"software","id":"dante-domain-manager","name":"Dante Domain Manager","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Manages Dante devices, domains and routing policy."},{"kind":"software","id":"dante-virtual-soundcard","name":"Dante Virtual Soundcard","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Presents Dante channels as an ASIO / Core Audio device."},{"kind":"software","id":"pro-tools","name":"Pro Tools","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via Dante Virtual Soundcard or a Dante interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"qsys-designer","name":"Q-SYS Designer","vendor":"QSC, LLC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"Dante on a Core is the Software Dante feature licence, sold in channel-count tiers from 8x8 up to 512x512 depending on Core model and QDS version."},{"kind":"software","id":"smaart","name":"Smaart","vendor":"Rational Acoustics","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Measurement input via Dante Virtual Soundcard or a Dante interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"waves-soundgrid-studio","name":"Waves SoundGrid Studio","vendor":"Waves Audio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via a SoundGrid/Dante interface, not natively."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-avantis","name":"Allen & Heath Avantis","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via option card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via I/O card in the MixRack or surface."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-sq-6","name":"Allen & Heath SQ-6","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional SLink / option card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional engine card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional expansion card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"biamp-tesira-forte","name":"Biamp TesiraFORTÉ","vendor":"Biamp","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante on the network-equipped variants."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"bss-blu-806","name":"BSS Soundweb London BLU-806","vendor":"BSS Audio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante card fitted on the 806 variant."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported. Requires QoS DSCP trust and correct queue mapping."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9300","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported when configured correctly."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"clear-com-freespeak-ii","name":"Clear-Com FreeSpeak II","vendor":"Clear-Com","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio to the base station, depending on configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-40d","name":"d&b audiotechnik 40D installation amplifier","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Digital audio input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"64 in / 64 out over Dante."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional DMI card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via module."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ferrofish-a32-dante","name":"Ferrofish A32 Dante","vendor":"Ferrofish","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"32 channels to and from Dante."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"focusrite-rednet-a16r-mk2","name":"Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII","vendor":"Focusrite","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"16x16 analogue to Dante, primary and secondary ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-go-beltpack","name":"Green-GO Digital Intercom","vendor":"Green-GO (ELC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"On specific interface models."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la4x","name":"L-Acoustics LA4X","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Not native; AVB and AES67 are the network audio paths."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lab-gruppen-plm-20k44","name":"Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante input, primary and secondary."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lake-lm44","name":"Lab.gruppen Lake LM44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported. The manual claims low-jitter handling for Dante traffic."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via expansion card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, with a shipped AV profile that sets Dante's QoS and multicast handling."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"powersoft-x8","name":"Powersoft X8","vendor":"Powersoft","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante audio input with redundancy."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"qsys-core-510i","name":"Q-SYS Core 510i","vendor":"QSC (Q-SYS)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via Q-SYS Dante license or CDN64 card options."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"riedel-bolero","name":"Riedel Bolero","vendor":"Riedel Communications","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rme-digiface-dante","name":"RME Digiface Dante","vendor":"RME","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"64 channels each way at base rates."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rts-adam","name":"RTS ADAM Intercom Matrix","vendor":"RTS (Bosch)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio via cards."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ssl-live-l550","name":"SSL Live L550","vendor":"Solid State Logic","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via option card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"symetrix-radius-nx-12x8","name":"Symetrix Radius NX 12x8","vendor":"Symetrix","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Networked audio."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante is native, with primary and secondary ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-dm7","name":"Yamaha DM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Primary I/O path."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rio3224-d2","name":"Yamaha Rio3224-D2","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Primary transport, with redundancy."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante is native on the RPio boxes and the engine."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"ddp","name":"DDP","aka":["Distributed Display Protocol"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"3waylabs' minimal UDP protocol for pushing pixel data at LED controllers, using a ten byte header with an offset and a length so a display larger than one packet can be written in pieces. It is the usual choice when DMX universe boundaries get in the way of a high pixel count.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":4048,"transport":"udp","role":"DDP data and control","note":"WLED and other receivers listen here per the protocol's recommendation. The protocol itself is agnostic about UDP versus TCP, but senders in the field use UDP almost exclusively."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Normal practice is unicast to a controller's IP. The protocol does not define a multicast group."},"universe_model":"No universes. A display is a flat byte array addressed by an offset and a length in the header, so a strip of any size is written directly without splitting into 512-slot blocks.","openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"http://www.3waylabs.com/ddp/","label":"DDP Protocol specification (3waylabs)"},"steward":"3waylabs","status":"current","typical_use":["Driving WLED and similar addressable LED controllers from a pixel mapper","High pixel-count LED walls and strips where universe boundaries are a nuisance","Software-to-software pixel streaming between mapping and effects tools","Retrofitting a media server output onto cheap LED hardware"],"gotchas":["The offset is a byte offset, not a pixel index. Feed a pixel number straight into it and your data lands a third of the way along the strip in RGB, a quarter of the way in RGBW.","A frame usually spans several packets and only the final one carries the push flag. A receiver that renders on every packet tears; a sender that never sets push leaves the display frozen on the last frame it did push.","WLED ignores the optional timecode fields in the header, so do not design synchronised multi-controller playback around them. Check per receiver before assuming anyone reads them.","It is UDP with no retransmission and no sequence recovery. On a congested or wireless link you get dropped frames that look exactly like a failing power supply or a bad data injector.","The protocol permits TCP but effectively every device only listens on UDP 4048. If you need a reliable path, prove the receiver actually accepts TCP before designing around it."],"implementations":[{"name":"ddp-rs","url":"https://github.com/coral/ddp-rs","language":"Rust","license":"MIT","role":"sender"},{"name":"WLED","url":"https://github.com/wled/WLED","language":"C++","license":"EUPL-1.2","role":"receiver"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","pixel","led","udp"],"sources":[{"title":"DDP Protocol specification","url":"http://www.3waylabs.com/ddp/","publisher":"3waylabs","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"DDP protocol — WLED documentation (UDP 4048, timecode fields ignored)","url":"https://kno.wled.ge/interfaces/ddp/","publisher":"WLED Project","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"ddp-rs — Distributed Display Protocol in Rust (10 byte header, port 4048, transport agnostic)","url":"https://github.com/coral/ddp-rs","publisher":"Jonas Bengtson","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"dect","name":"DECT","aka":["DECT wireless intercom","1.9 GHz"],"category":"audio-transport","status":"current","openness":"published-paid","transport":["wireless-rf"],"summary":"The radio behind most modern wireless intercom beltpacks. It sits in a band reserved for it in many jurisdictions, which is the main reason it displaced 2.4 GHz systems on show sites: it is not competing with the venue's Wi-Fi. Full duplex, digital, and it roams between antennas as a user walks.","multicast":{"used":false},"spec_url":{"url":"https://www.etsi.org/technologies/dect","label":"ETSI DECT"},"steward":"ETSI","first_published":1992,"typical_use":["Wireless intercom beltpacks on theatre, broadcast and touring shows.","Any wireless comms where the 2.4 GHz band is already full."],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[8,16],"encoding":"G.726 ADPCM at 32 kbit/s (narrowband); G.722 (wideband); later editions add G.729.1 and LC3plus","note":"Speech band, not programme audio, and that is the point to take away: a beltpack link is built to carry a voice intelligibly, not to carry a mix. EN 300 175-8 names the codecs and each codec fixes its own rate — G.726 samples at 8 kHz, G.722 at 16 kHz for roughly 50 Hz to 7 kHz. Which are mandatory depends on the profile the product implements."}},"gotchas":["Band allocation is national. 1.88–1.90 GHz in Europe and elsewhere; North America uses a different slice, so packs are not always portable between regions.","Antenna coverage is a survey problem, and handover between antennas is where a system reveals whether it was designed or hoped.","Every wireless link adds latency the wired partyline did not have — see the comms explainer for what that does to a conversation."],"tags":["intercom","comms","wireless","dect"],"sources":[{"title":"ETSI EN 300 175-8 — DECT Common Interface, Part 8: Speech and audio coding","url":"https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300100_300199/30017508/02.08.05_20/en_30017508v020805a.pdf","publisher":"ETSI","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"ETSI DECT","url":"https://www.etsi.org/technologies/dect","publisher":"ETSI","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"clear-com-freespeak-ii","name":"Clear-Com FreeSpeak II","vendor":"Clear-Com","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"The radio link to the beltpacks."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"riedel-bolero","name":"Riedel Bolero","vendor":"Riedel Communications","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Radio link to beltpacks."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"dhcp","name":"DHCP","aka":["Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol"],"category":"network-transport","summary":"Automatic IP address assignment. Convenient on an office network and a liability on a show network, where a device that comes back with a different address after a power cycle is a device the console can no longer find.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":67,"transport":"udp","role":"DHCP server","iana_registered":true},{"number":68,"transport":"udp","role":"DHCP client","iana_registered":true}],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2131","label":"RFC 2131 — DHCP"},"steward":"IETF","status":"current","typical_use":["Production laptops and phones on a house network","Large fixed installations with reservations rather than a free pool","Anywhere devices outnumber the patience for static addressing"],"gotchas":["Two DHCP servers on one network — often a house router and somebody's travel switch — hand out conflicting addresses and are hard to find.","Show-critical devices usually want a static address or a DHCP reservation. A lighting node that moves address between the tech and the show is not a network problem you want to debug during a show.","When no server answers, most devices self-assign in 169.254.0.0/16. That looks like a working network and reaches nothing."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["network","addressing","infrastructure"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 2131 — Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2131","publisher":"IETF","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Address handout. Nothing that has started working depends on it continuing."},{"id":"dmx512","name":"DMX512","aka":["DMX","DMX512-A","USITT DMX512"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"The unidirectional serial protocol that has controlled stage lighting since 1986. 512 slots of 8-bit data per universe, sent continuously over a differential pair, with no error checking and no acknowledgement.","transport":["rs485"],"default_ports":[],"multicast":{"used":false},"universe_model":"One universe = 1 start code plus up to 512 slots of 8-bit data, refreshed up to about 44 times per second.","openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents"},"standards":["ansi-e1-11"],"steward":"ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)","first_published":1986,"status":"current","typical_use":["Console to dimmer, moving light, LED fixture, hazer, or scenic effect","Last-metre delivery from an ethernet gateway to fixtures on a bar","Triggering non-lighting devices that accept a DMX channel as a go signal"],"gotchas":["DMX is RS-485 and wants 120 ohm impedance cable with a terminator at the far end. Microphone cable works until the run is long or the rig is noisy, and then it fails in a way that looks like a fixture fault.","There is no error detection. A corrupted slot is simply acted on. Flicker that follows no logic is usually a data integrity problem, not a fixture.","Star topology is not part of the standard. Daisy chain, or use a real opto-splitter. Passive Y-splits are the source of an enormous amount of unexplained behaviour.","Start code 0x00 is dimmer data. Other start codes exist (0xCC is RDM), and a device that ignores start codes will act on RDM traffic as if it were levels."],"implementations":[{"name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"DMXSerial (Arduino)","url":"https://github.com/mathertel/DMXSerial","language":"C++","license":"BSD-3-Clause","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","rs485","foundational"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.11 — USITT DMX512-A, Asynchronous Serial Digital Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX in via an interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"artnet-monitor-pixilab","name":"ArtNet Monitor (PixiLab)","vendor":"PixiLab","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Displays per-channel DMX values received via Art-Net."},{"kind":"software","id":"artnetominator","name":"The ArtNetominator","vendor":"Lightjams Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Displays current DMX channel values and channel history as carried inside Art-Net packets."},{"kind":"software","id":"artnetview-haute-technique","name":"ArtNetView","vendor":"Haute Technique","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Displays DMX universe values (including in hex) as carried inside Art-Net."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Physical DMX512 on console XLR outputs; on a PC, via a T1/T2/T3 interface. DMX In is a separate trigger source on supported consoles."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX via a MagicDMX interface, a MagicQ wing/interface, or console XLR outputs. MagicDMX is one universe, out or in."},{"kind":"software","id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"daslight","name":"Daslight","vendor":"Daslight (Nicolaudie)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX via the bundled interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmx-workshop","name":"DMX-Workshop","vendor":"Singularity (UK) Ltd","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcat","name":"DMXcat","vendor":"City Theatrical, Inc.","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Measures break time, mark-after-break, inter-slot timing, refresh rate, and real-time channel levels."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","vendor":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX out via supported USB interfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Local DMX ports on consoles, or an ETC Gadget/Gadget II USB to DMX-RDM converter on a PC or Mac. Up to four Gadgets per computer."},{"kind":"software","id":"etcdmxtool","name":"ETCDmxTool","vendor":"ETC Labs","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Captures DMX data and can output/control DMX levels via ETC Whip/Gadget hardware."},{"kind":"software","id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through integrations, and not a substitute for a lighting control system."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Video can be pixel-mapped to RGB DMX values and sent out via USB-DMX devices. The lighting page says DMX input and output but only output is described in any detail."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightkey","name":"Lightkey","vendor":"Lightkey","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX out via USB interfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"madmapper","name":"MadMapper","vendor":"garageCube","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX via interfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Direct USB-DMX output; docs list Enttec DMX USB Pro and Pro Mk2, DMXking ultraDMX Micro and ShowJockey interfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through more than twenty supported USB DMX widgets."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX needs Obsidian USB hardware (NX-DMX, NX-Touch, NX-K, NX-P) or an NX console. Onyx USB output appears from the NOVA tier upwards, not in ONYX FREE."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlc-plus","name":"QLC+","vendor":"QLC+ project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via the DMX USB plugin and supported USB widgets."},{"kind":"software","id":"rdm-controller-jese","name":"RDM Controller","vendor":"JESE","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX output and monitoring alongside RDM."},{"kind":"software","id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"DMX output via interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"touchdesigner","name":"TouchDesigner","vendor":"Derivative","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"vvvv","name":"vvvv","vendor":"vvvv group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through interfaces."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX out of the rear XLRs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX from the rear XLR5 outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX from the rear XLR5 ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX via interfaces."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"city-theatrical-multiverse","name":"City Theatrical Multiverse Transmitter","vendor":"City Theatrical","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Wired input and output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"elc-dmxlan-node8","name":"ELC dmXLAN node8","vendor":"ELC Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Eight ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-din-ethergate-mk2","name":"ENTTEC DIN Ethergate MK2","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Two universes."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-dmx-usb-pro","name":"ENTTEC DMX USB Pro","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"One 512-channel universe; the linked input and output ports are used in one direction at a time."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-ode-mk3","name":"ENTTEC ODE Mk3","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"USITT DMX512-A on two 5-pin XLR ports, each settable as input or output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Local DMX out via the rear ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX out and in on the physical ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX input as a backup or primary path."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct DMX from the rear XLR5 ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Six DMX512-A outputs on 5-pin XLR female."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"One DMX512-A input on 5-pin XLR male."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Direct outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Eight Neutrik XLR-5 outputs, 8,192 output channels onboard."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lumenradio-crmx-nova-tx2","name":"LumenRadio CRMX Nova TX2","vendor":"LumenRadio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX in on the XLR, DMX out wirelessly to CRMX receivers."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX out and in on the XLR ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through interfaces."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Four DMX ports on the console itself."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","vendor":"Pathway Connectivity","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Eight ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"wireless-solution-blackbox-f2","name":"Wireless Solution W-DMX BlackBox F-2 G6","vendor":"Wireless Solution","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"DMX in or out on the XLR ports depending on mode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Two DMX outputs on the rear."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"edid","name":"EDID","aka":["Extended Display Identification Data","E-EDID","DDC"],"category":"video-control","summary":"The block of data a display hands to a source describing what it can accept — resolutions, refresh rates, colour depths, audio formats. The source picks a format from that list, which makes EDID the thing that decides what your screen is actually being sent.","transport":["other"],"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://vesa.org/vesa-standards/","label":"VESA standards"},"steward":"VESA","status":"current","typical_use":["Negotiating the format between any source and any display","Managed or emulated in switchers and scalers to force a known format","Read by test gear to diagnose why a source chose what it chose"],"gotchas":["A splitter, switcher, extender or scaler usually presents its own EDID rather than passing the display's through. The source then picks a format the middle box likes and the screen may not.","Testing source-direct-to-screen removes every device that was doing the negotiating, so a working direct test proves less than it appears to.","Managed EDID is a setting. Deciding what it says is part of the design; discovering what it says at 5pm is not.","A distribution amplifier feeding several different displays has to pick one EDID to present. The lowest common capability is usually the right answer and rarely the default."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","display","negotiation"],"sources":[{"title":"VESA Enhanced EDID Standard","url":"https://vesa.org/vesa-standards/","publisher":"VESA","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":null,"flow_note":"A description a display hands over once at connection. Not a stream of anything."},{"id":"ember-plus","name":"Ember+","category":"device-management","openness":"open-published","first_published":2010,"status":"current","summary":"Open control and monitoring protocol from Lawo, widely adopted across broadcast for exposing device parameters as a browsable tree that any controller can read and set.","transport":["tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":9000,"transport":"tcp","role":"Ember+ provider, common default","iana_registered":false,"note":"Configurable per device."}],"spec_url":{"url":"https://github.com/Lawo/ember-plus","label":"Ember+ on GitHub"},"steward":"Lawo, with an open specification and reference implementation","typical_use":["Controlling and monitoring broadcast infrastructure from a single panel","Exposing a device parameter tree to a facility control system","Third-party integration with audio and video routers"],"gotchas":["The parameter tree is vendor-defined. Two Ember+ devices expose completely different structures, so a controller has to be told what to look for.","It is a control protocol with no media path and no notion of show state. Losing Ember+ means losing control, not losing signal, which changes how you plan around it."],"implementations":[{"name":"Lawo/ember-plus","url":"https://github.com/Lawo/ember-plus","language":"C++","license":"BSL-1.0"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["ember-plus","broadcast","control","lawo","monitoring"],"sources":[{"title":"Ember+ on GitHub","url":"https://github.com/Lawo/ember-plus","publisher":"Lawo","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control","flow_note":"Broadcast device control. It sets parameters rather than gathering statistics."},{"id":"etcnet3","name":"ETC Net3","aka":["Net3","ETC Net 3"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"ETC's branded network suite for Ion/Eos-era consoles and DMX/RDM gateways: it uses sACN (E1.31) for live DMX levels and full ACN (E1.17)/RDM (E1.20) for device discovery and configuration, plus ETC's own proprietary extensions on top. It is what a Net3 One/Two/Four-Port Gateway, or an Ion/Eos-family rig from that era, is actually running to move DMX and RDM around a building.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5568,"transport":"udp","role":"sACN live DMX data, shared with the ACN SDT root layer Net3 is built on","iana_registered":true,"note":"Inherited from the open ANSI E1.31/E1.17 layers Net3 sits on, not a Net3-specific assignment."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["239.255.0.0/16 (sACN universe multicast)"],"note":"Live levels ride standard sACN multicast. The parts that are specifically \"Net3\" are the device discovery/configuration layer (full ACN/DMP) and proprietary extensions, which are not documented as a fixed address block."},"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Legacy/Networking/Gateways/DMX-RDM-Gateways/Features.aspx","label":"ETC Net3 DMX/RDM Gateways — product and protocol overview"},"steward":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","status":"current","typical_use":["DMX/RDM distribution from Ion/Eos-family consoles through Net3 One/Two/Four-Port Gateways","Legacy Unison architectural dimming/control installs predating native sACN-only deployments","Device configuration and management via full ACN (E1.17)/DMP where system components support it","Gateways that also accept sACN, Art-Net, ETCNet2 and Strand ShowNet on the same hardware"],"gotchas":["ETC staff confirm on ETC's own community forum that sACN per-address priority is \"an ETC extension to the sACN standard\" using a start code outside ANSI E1.31 itself, so non-ETC sACN receivers may simply ignore per-address-priority packets rather than honouring them.","ETC's own Net3 gateway spec sheet describes Net3 as \"a superset of the standard ACN Protocol Suite including additional proprietary communication protocols\" — there is no single published \"Net3 protocol\" document, only the open ACN/sACN/RDM standards underneath plus scattered gateway manuals.","ETC's own website files the Net3 DMX/RDM Gateway product line under a /Products/Legacy/ URL even though the current Eos Family online help says Net3 \"remains the current standard\" and is not deprecated — a \"legacy\" URL does not mean the protocol is dead on a live show.","ETCNet2 (introduced 1997 in the Obsession II) and Net3 are different generations; Eos software v3.2.0 and later dropped ETCNet2 support entirely, so an older ETCNet2-only node will not talk to a modern Net3-only rig without a bridge/gateway in between."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","dmx-over-ip","etc","acn","sacn"],"sources":[{"title":"Net3 Four-Port Gateway spec sheet (\"superset of the standard ACN Protocol Suite... additional proprietary communication protocols\")","url":"https://www.fullcompass.com/common/files/17041-Net34PortGatewaySpecSheet.pdf","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Eos Family Online Help — Control Protocols (Net3 developed to replace Net2, uses sACN for live control data)","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/WebDocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en/Content/03_Eos_System_Requirements_and_Setup/Eos_Networking_Overview/Network_Protocols/Control_Protocols.htm","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ETCNet2 Products (ETCNet2 introduced 1997 in Obsession II; new development work only on Net3)","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Networking/Net_2_Nodes/ETCNet2_Products","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Net3 protocol specification? (ETC staff confirming per-address priority is an ETC extension to sACN)","url":"https://community.etcconnect.com/networking/f/networking-discussions/34176/net3-protocol-specification","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) community forum","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"DMX/RDM Gateways (Net3) product page, filed under /Products/Legacy/","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Legacy/Networking/Gateways/DMX-RDM-Gateways/Features.aspx","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"ETC networking."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"ETCNet3 for ETC gateways, Net3 and Sensor racks."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Net3 device discovery and configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Net3 for control, feedback and configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"ETC networking."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"ethercat","name":"EtherCAT","aka":["Ethernet for Control Automation Technology"],"category":"machinery-motion","summary":"A real-time industrial Ethernet fieldbus (IEC 61158) offering sub-millisecond, tightly synchronized cyclic control, increasingly used behind the scenes in automated rigging, winch, and scenic-motion systems that need many coordinated servo/VFD axes.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.ethercat.org/en/technology.html"},"steward":"EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG); originated by Beckhoff Automation","status":"current","gotchas":["Uses standard Ethernet frames (Ethertype 0x88A4) processed 'on the fly' by each slave, so ordinary network switches generally cannot sit inline on a segment without breaking real-time behavior.","Requires a master device driving the cycle timing (a PLC or PC-based controller); it is not a peer-to-peer protocol like DMX or OSC."],"implementations":[{"name":"SOEM (Simple Open EtherCAT Master)","url":"https://github.com/OpenEtherCATsociety/SOEM","language":"C"}],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"EtherCAT Technology - EtherCAT Technology Group","url":"https://www.ethercat.org/en/technology.html","primary":true},{"title":"EtherCAT - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EtherCAT"},{"title":"Precision Stage Automation System - 26-Axis EtherCAT-Controlled Rigging Solution - Segev Tech","url":"https://www.segevtech.com/post/precision-stage-automation-system-26-axis-ethercat-controlled-rigging-solution"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"codesys","name":"CODESYS","vendor":"CODESYS Group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Supported as a fieldbus."},{"kind":"software","id":"twincat","name":"TwinCAT","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"The native fieldbus — drives, I/O and sensors on one line, updated every cycle."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"beckhoff-cx5140","name":"Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Native fieldbus to drives and I/O."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"ethersound","name":"EtherSound","category":"audio-transport","openness":"proprietary-documented","first_published":2001,"status":"deprecated","summary":"Early low-latency audio-over-Ethernet system from Digigram, carrying 64 channels in a daisy-chained ring at fixed very low latency. Largely displaced by Dante and AVB but still found in installs from the 2000s.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48,96],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":64,"encoding":"Linear PCM","note":"64 channels at 48 kHz on 100 Mbit for ES-100, which is what nearly every installed system in the field is. The later ES-Giga carries more on gigabit, but the two are not the same wire."}},"typical_use":["Legacy installed systems from the 2000s","Auvitran and Digigram based infrastructure","Fixed low-latency distribution in older venues"],"gotchas":["EtherSound is layer 2 and topology-sensitive: it expects a daisy chain or ring, not an arbitrary switched network. Patching it through a general show switch does not work.","Encountering it now usually means an installed system nearing end of life. Plan the replacement path before a card fails, because spares are getting scarce."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","ethersound","legacy","digigram","install"],"sources":[{"title":"Digigram","url":"https://www.digigram.com/","publisher":"Digigram","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"freed","name":"FreeD","category":"tracking-position","openness":"proprietary-documented","status":"current","summary":"Camera tracking data protocol originally from Vinten, carrying pan, tilt, roll, position, zoom and focus. The de facto interchange format between a tracked camera and a render engine in virtual production and AR graphics.","transport":["udp","rs232"],"default_ports":[{"number":6000,"transport":"udp","role":"Common default; the port is configurable per system","iana_registered":false,"note":"No registered port: each vendor picks a default."}],"typical_use":["Feeding camera position to Unreal Engine in an LED volume","Driving AR graphics from a tracked camera","Virtual set and broadcast graphics"],"gotchas":["FreeD carries lens data as encoder counts, not as calibrated focal length. Without a lens calibration file the render engine cannot match the real lens, and the composite will not line up.","Several incompatible variants exist under the same name, differing in packet layout and unit conventions. \"FreeD\" between two vendors is a thing to test, not to assume.","It is a one-way broadcast with no acknowledgement. A dropped packet is a dropped frame of tracking, which is why the network carrying it should be dedicated."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["camera-tracking","virtual-production","freed","ar","unreal"],"sources":[{"title":"Vinten camera robotics","url":"https://www.vinten.com/","publisher":"Vinten","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"FreeD camera tracking input via Live Link, the usual path in an LED volume."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"mo-sys-startracker","name":"Mo-Sys StarTracker","vendor":"Mo-Sys Engineering","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Camera position and lens data."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"stype-redspy","name":"stYpe RedSpy","vendor":"stYpe","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Camera position and lens data."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"fsoe","name":"Safety over EtherCAT","aka":["FSoE","FailSafe over EtherCAT"],"category":"machinery-motion","status":"current","openness":"published-paid","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"summary":"The same black-channel idea on EtherCAT: a safety container travels inside ordinary EtherCAT frames, protected by its own CRC, sequence counting and watchdog, so the fieldbus underneath carries it without being safety-rated. This is what a TwinSAFE emergency stop is actually riding on.","multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Safety connections are established between a safety master and each safe slave."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://www.ethercat.org/en/safety.html","label":"EtherCAT Technology Group"},"standards":["iec-61508","iec-62061"],"steward":"EtherCAT Technology Group","first_published":2005,"typical_use":["Safe stop, safe position and safe speed on winches, lifts and revolves","Distributed emergency stop across a machine with one cable rather than a parallel loop","Safety I/O sharing the fieldbus with ordinary control I/O"],"gotchas":["The watchdog timeout is a design number, not a default. Too short and the machine nuisance-trips; too long and the stopping distance grows.","Safety-rated and standard I/O on one bus is convenient and makes the boundary less visible. Document which is which before somebody assumes.","Losing the safety connection is a stop, by design. A flaky cable therefore reveals itself as an unexplained e-stop rather than as a fault message."],"tags":["functional-safety","ethercat","machinery","black-channel"],"sources":[{"title":"Safety over EtherCAT","url":"https://www.ethercat.org/en/safety.html","publisher":"EtherCAT Technology Group","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"genlock","name":"Genlock / Black Burst","aka":["Black Burst","BB","House Sync","Bi-level Sync"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"An analog composite video reference signal (a 'black' picture with color burst) distributed over coax to lock cameras, switchers, and video servers to a common timing reference; the SD-era precursor to tri-level sync for HD video systems.","transport":["other"],"openness":"published-paid","status":"historical","gotchas":["Black burst is an SD-format reference; HD/UHD systems generally use tri-level sync instead, which has different pulse levels and isn't interchangeable on the same distribution amp.","Purely a timing reference with no metadata - it must be paired with LTC/VITC timecode if frame-accurate identity information is also needed."],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Black and burst - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_burst"},{"title":"Tri-level sync - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-level_sync"},{"title":"SMPTE ST 274M - Television Timing Reference Sequences - GlobalSpec","url":"https://standards.globalspec.com/std/1095006/smpte-st-274m"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-binloop-hd","name":"Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD","vendor":"Alcorn McBride","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Frame reference."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-alta-4k","name":"Analog Way Alta 4K","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Reference input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-aquilon-rs4","name":"Analog Way Aquilon RS4","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Reference input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"barco-e2","name":"Barco Event Master E2","vendor":"Barco","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Genlock reference input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"blackmagic-atem-4me-constellation-hd","name":"Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD","vendor":"Blackmagic Design","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Blackburst / tri-level reference input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-s8","name":"Brompton Tessera S8","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Frame reference."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-sx40","name":"Brompton Tessera SX40","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Genlock reference input for camera-synchronous operation."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Reference input for output phase lock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Blackburst and tri-level reference."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","vendor":"Megapixel VR","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Frame reference — the whole point on a camera stage."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"mo-sys-startracker","name":"Mo-Sys StarTracker","vendor":"Mo-Sys Engineering","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Frame reference so tracking data lines up with the picture."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"novastar-mx40-pro","name":"NovaStar MX40 Pro","vendor":"NovaStar","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Genlock reference for camera work."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rosendahl-nanosyncs-hd","name":"Rosendahl nanosyncs HD","vendor":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Blackburst and tri-level video reference."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"stype-redspy","name":"stYpe RedSpy","vendor":"stYpe","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Frame reference."}],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"gigaace","name":"gigaACE","category":"audio-transport","openness":"proprietary-closed","status":"current","summary":"Allen & Heath's point-to-point audio and control link, carrying 128 bidirectional channels plus control between a dLive surface and its MixRack over a single Cat5e cable or fibre.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"typical_use":["Linking a dLive surface to its MixRack","Extending a console to a stage rack over fibre","Redundant surface-to-rack connection"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[96],"max_channels":128,"note":"128 channels each way at the dLive signal path's native 96 kHz. Transport latency is quoted in samples rather than milliseconds — about five, or 52 µs — which is the honest unit for a link whose delay scales with the clock, and small enough that the converters either end dominate the budget."}},"gotchas":["It uses Ethernet cabling and connectors and is not Ethernet. Patching gigaACE into a network switch does nothing useful and can confuse the switch.","Because all the audio lives in the MixRack, the gigaACE link can drop and the show keeps making sound. That is a genuine design advantage and worth knowing before you panic."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","allen-heath","dlive","point-to-point"],"sources":[{"title":"Allen & Heath","url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","publisher":"Allen & Heath","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"hdbaset","name":"HDBaseT","aka":["5Play"],"category":"video-transport","summary":"Uncompressed ultra-HD video and audio, 100 Mbit/s Ethernet, USB, control and up to 100 W of power over a single category cable — the \"5Play\" set. It is how an HDMI signal gets from a rack to a projector 90 m away without fibre.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://hdbaset.org/hdbaset-technology/","label":"HDBaseT Alliance — technology overview"},"steward":"HDBaseT Alliance","status":"current","typical_use":["Projector and display feeds over structured cable","Distributing switched video around a venue","Extending control and Ethernet alongside the picture on one cable"],"media":{"video":{"max_resolution":"3840x2160","max_frame_rate":60,"colour_sampling":["4:2:0","4:4:4"],"compression":"Uncompressed","note":"Version decides which of those you actually get. HDBaseT 1.0 and 2.0 reach 4K60 only at 4:2:0; 3.0 roughly doubled the downstream rate and carries 4K60 at 4:4:4. Two bandwidth figures circulate for 3.0 and they are not the same thing — 16 Gbit/s is the link rate, not the usable video payload."},"audio":{"note":"HDBaseT fixes no audio format of its own. It transports the HDMI stream, so the audio capability is whatever that HDMI version defines, and a question about channel counts or sample rates is a question about the source and sink rather than about the cable between them."}},"gotchas":["It uses category cable and RJ45 connectors and is not Ethernet. Putting an HDBaseT link through a network switch does not work, and the cable should be a dedicated point-to-point run.","Cat6 is the practical baseline. Cat5e reaches shorter distances, and shielded cable and proper terminations matter far more here than on a data network where retries hide small problems.","Distance figures are quoted for specific formats. The 100 m figure is not the distance for every resolution and colour depth.","Power over the link is not PoE and is not interoperable with it."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","extender","structured-cable"],"sources":[{"title":"HDBaseT Technology","url":"https://hdbaset.org/hdbaset-technology/","publisher":"HDBaseT Alliance","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"hdcp","name":"HDCP","aka":["High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection"],"category":"video-control","summary":"Content protection negotiated between every device in a video path. Each hop authenticates the next, so the chain is only as capable as its weakest link — and when it fails, the symptom is a black screen at the far end rather than an error where the problem is.","transport":["other"],"openness":"proprietary-closed","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.digital-cp.com/","label":"Digital Content Protection LLC"},"steward":"Digital Content Protection LLC","status":"current","typical_use":["Any path carrying commercial content from a consumer source","Negotiated automatically by HDMI, DisplayPort and HDBaseT devices"],"gotchas":["One non-compliant device anywhere in the path breaks the whole chain, and the failure appears at the display rather than at the offending box.","Version matters. A source insisting on HDCP 2.2 or 2.3 will not fall back to an older sink in every case, and the result is again a black screen.","Repeater counts are limited. Long chains of switchers and splitters can exceed the permitted depth even when every device is compliant.","Content that does not need protection can still fail if a source enables HDCP by default. Turning it off at the source is often the fix."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","drm","display"],"sources":[{"title":"HDCP Specifications","url":"https://www.digital-cp.com/","publisher":"Digital Content Protection LLC","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":null,"flow_note":"An encryption and authentication scheme wrapped around a media link, not a flow beside it."},{"id":"hdmi","name":"HDMI","aka":["High-Definition Multimedia Interface"],"category":"video-transport","summary":"Uncompressed video and audio plus control and content protection on one connector, and the default video interface on nearly everything that is not purpose-built for broadcast. Version numbers describe bandwidth, and almost every field problem with it is a negotiation problem rather than a bandwidth one.","transport":["other"],"openness":"proprietary-closed","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.hdmi.org/spec/index","label":"HDMI Forum specification page"},"steward":"HDMI Forum","status":"current","first_published":2002,"media":{"video":{"max_resolution":"10240x4320","max_frame_rate":120,"colour_sampling":["4:4:4","4:2:2","4:2:0"],"bit_depths":[8,10,12,16],"compression":"None, or DSC 1.2a visually lossless where the link cannot carry it raw","note":"These are separate ceilings, not one mode: HDMI 2.1's 48 Gbit/s does 4K120 or 8K60 uncompressed, and reaches 10K only with DSC. The limit is always the version at both ends and the cable category between them, never the connector."},"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[32,44.1,48,88.2,96,176.4,192],"bit_depths":[16,20,24],"max_channels":32,"encoding":"Linear PCM, or a compressed bitstream passed through untouched","note":"Passing a bitstream through means the sink decodes it, so a display that cannot decode what the source sent produces silence rather than an error."}},"typical_use":["Source to display, source to switcher, switcher to projector","The signal HDBaseT extenders carry over structured cable","Consumer and prosumer playback into a professional chain"],"gotchas":["A version number belongs to a device, not to a cable. Cables are certified by bandwidth category — Standard, High Speed, Premium, Ultra High Speed — and a cable cannot be \"HDMI 2.1\".","Locking connectors are not part of the standard. On a show, that matters more than any specification detail on this page.","HDCP is negotiated separately and fails as a black screen. So does an EDID mismatch. So does a hot-plug event. Three different faults, one symptom.","4K60 at 4:4:4 is roughly four times the data rate of 1080p60. A marginal cable or extender that passes the smaller signal will fail on the larger one, intermittently, once things are warm."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","display","consumer"],"sources":[{"title":"HDMI Specification","url":"https://www.hdmi.org/spec/index","publisher":"HDMI Forum","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"hognet","name":"HogNet","aka":["Hog Net","HES Net"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"High End Systems' proprietary Ethernet network for linking Hog consoles, DPs and nodes, on a dedicated NIC/connector separate from the FixtureNet connection Hog consoles use for outbound Art-Net/sACN to fixtures and gateways. High End Systems (now part of ETC) has confirmed on the record that HogNet is undocumented outside their own equipment.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":6600,"transport":"udp","role":"Default show/session identification port; additional shows increment from 6600 (6601, 6602, ...)","iana_registered":false,"note":"ETC's own Hog console documentation states the port number for show separation but does not state whether it is UDP or TCP; UDP is inferred here because the same documentation says HogNet \"depends on multi-cast network traffic,\" and multicast requires UDP."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"ETC's Hog console documentation states that \"Hog 4 OS depends on multi-cast network traffic for communication to other system devices,\" but does not publish the specific multicast group addresses used."},"openness":"proprietary-closed","steward":"High End Systems (part of Electronic Theatre Controls)","status":"current","typical_use":["Networking Hog consoles, DPs (Data Processors) and nodes within a single show","Separating multiple independent shows on one physical network via incrementing port numbers from a 6600 base","Kept on a separate NIC/connector from FixtureNet, which carries outbound Art-Net/sACN to fixtures"],"gotchas":["Asked directly on ETC's own community forum whether HogNet uses a documented UDP/IP port, ETC staff (Chris Davis) replied only that \"HogNet is a combination of more than one transport protocol... a proprietary mechanism only understood by HES equipment,\" declining to confirm packet-level details.","No open-source HogNet client or listener is known to exist; the Open Lighting Architecture project, which reverse-engineers many proprietary lighting protocols, has no HogNet plugin.","HogNet (console/node networking) and FixtureNet (fixture-facing Art-Net/sACN output) are two separate physical connections on Hog consoles; cross-wiring the fixture network into the HogNet port, or vice versa, is a common on-site mistake."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","high-end-systems","hog","proprietary"],"sources":[{"title":"Details on HogNet? — ETC staff confirming HogNet is a proprietary mechanism only understood by HES equipment","url":"https://community.etcconnect.com/control_consoles/hog-lighting-controls/f/hog-networking-help/45616/details-on-hognet","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC) community forum","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"3.3 HogNet Network / Setting Up the Console — Hog 4 OS documentation (port 6600 default, multicast dependency)","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/webdocs/Controls/HOG/HTML/en/sect-setting_up_the_network.htm","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ETC acquires High End Systems","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/About/News/ETC-acquires-High-End-Systems.aspx","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Lighting Control Protocols and Standards (HogNet described as a proprietary Ethernet suite, separate FixtureNet connection)","url":"https://jeff.glass/post/lighting-control-protocols-and-standards/","publisher":"Jeff Glass","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Open Lighting Architecture — supported protocols (no HogNet entry)","url":"https://wiki.openlighting.org/index.php/Open_Lighting_Architecture","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"l8","name":"L8","vendor":"L8 LLC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"Documented literally as \"Hog 3/4 (bidirectional)\" DMX input/output on the Trace and Unlimited editions."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"igmp","name":"IGMP","aka":["Internet Group Management Protocol","IGMP snooping","IGMP querier"],"category":"network-transport","summary":"How a host tells the network it wants a multicast group, and how a switch learns which ports to send that group to. On a show network it is the difference between sACN and Dante behaving, and every port on the switch receiving every universe.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3376","label":"RFC 3376 — IGMPv3"},"steward":"IETF","status":"current","typical_use":["Any network carrying sACN, Dante, AES67, NDI or ST 2110 multicast","Keeping multicast traffic off ports that did not ask for it"],"gotchas":["Snooping without a querier is worse than no snooping. With no querier the switch ages out its group memberships and multicast traffic starts and stops on a timer, which reads as random dropouts.","Exactly one querier per VLAN. Two switches both acting as querier is a common cause of intermittent multicast on a network that looks correct.","Version mismatch matters: an IGMPv2 device on a v3-only network may never join a group at all.","Turning snooping off \"to make it work\" floods every port. It does often make it work, right up to the point where the link fills."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["network","multicast","switching"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 3376 — Internet Group Management Protocol, Version 3","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3376","publisher":"IETF","primary":true},{"title":"RFC 2236 — Internet Group Management Protocol, Version 2","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2236","publisher":"IETF","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Housekeeping that decides where multicast media is allowed to go — management traffic with an outsized effect on media."},{"id":"kinet","name":"KiNET","aka":["Color Kinetics Ethernet Protocol","Philips KiNET"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"Color Kinetics' lightweight UDP protocol for sending light data to their power/data supplies and luminaires over ethernet. If a job has Color Kinetics fixtures on PDS supplies, this is usually what is actually on the wire between the controller and the rig.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":6038,"transport":"udp","role":"Light data (DMXOUT v1 and PORTOUT v2 packets)","note":"Color Kinetics also document 6039, 6041 and 6045 for non-light-data traffic such as keypad triggering."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Light data is sent to the unicast address of a specific power/data supply. The vendor whitepaper describes DMXOUT as sending one universe to one destination IP."},"universe_model":"512 slots per packet. v1 DMXOUT sends one universe to a supply, which splits it across ports by stored node counts. v2 PORTOUT adds a port field so each output port gets its own universe.","openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://colorkinetics.helpdocs.io/article/umxjxmoc7a-ki-net-ethernet-protocol-whitepaper","label":"KiNET Ethernet Protocol Whitepaper"},"steward":"Signify (Philips Color Kinetics)","status":"current","typical_use":["Console or media server driving Color Kinetics power/data supplies","Architectural pixel installations built on Color Kinetics hardware","Converters bridging an sACN or Art-Net show network to a PDS","Keypad and station control alongside light data on the same supply"],"gotchas":["v1 DMXOUT relies on node counts stored inside the power/data supply to decide where one universe splits across its ports. Change the fixture count and the split is wrong until the supply is reconfigured, not the console.","v2 PORTOUT addresses each output port directly. A controller sending v1 to a supply set up for v2, or the reverse, gives you either nothing or the right data on the wrong ports.","Light data is unicast to a specific supply IP and there is no discovery a third-party controller can lean on. Every supply address has to be recorded, labelled and kept with the show file.","Port 6038 carries light data only. Keypads and other station traffic use 6039, 6041 and 6045, so a firewall rule that opens 6038 alone passes pixels and breaks wall panels.","This is a vendor protocol on a vendor ecosystem. Third-party support is an add-on written against a whitepaper, so verify against the actual supply firmware on site rather than trusting a feature list."],"implementations":[{"name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"sender"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","pixel","color-kinetics","proprietary"],"sources":[{"title":"KiNET Ethernet Protocol Whitepaper (port 6038, DMXOUT v1 and PORTOUT v2)","url":"https://colorkinetics.helpdocs.io/article/umxjxmoc7a-ki-net-ethernet-protocol-whitepaper","publisher":"Color Kinetics (Signify)","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"KiNET — Open Lighting Project wiki (packet header, UDP 6038)","url":"https://wiki.openlighting.org/index.php/KiNET","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"OLA KiNET plugin source (SendDMX and SendPortOut, 16-port PORTOUT limit)","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenLightingProject/ola/master/plugins/kinet/KiNetNode.h","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"KiNET v1 and v2 are listed as DMX device drivers."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmx-workshop","name":"DMX-Workshop","vendor":"Singularity (UK) Ltd","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"KiNET is one of the PixelMapper output protocols, alongside Art-Net and sACN."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"KiNET output for Color Kinetics fixtures."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"knx","name":"KNX","category":"device-management","summary":"An international standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3) for building automation covering lighting, HVAC, blinds, and access control, which show-control integrators encounter when a venue's architectural/house lighting or building systems must interface with production control.","transport":["udp","other"],"default_ports":[{"number":3671,"transport":"udp","note":"KNXnet/IP tunnelling and routing"}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["224.0.23.12 (default KNXnet/IP routing multicast)"]},"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.knx.org"},"steward":"KNX Association","status":"current","gotchas":["Classic KNX twisted-pair (TP1) runs at only 9600 bit/s - fine for architectural lighting/HVAC but far too slow for anything resembling real-time show cueing.","KNXnet/IP (UDP 3671, multicast 224.0.23.12 by default) bridges KNX onto IP networks, but that multicast traffic should be kept isolated from busy production show networks."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"KNX Association - official site","url":"https://www.knx.org","primary":true},{"title":"KNX - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KNX"},{"title":"A guide to using KNX over IP - Ivory Egg","url":"https://ivoryegg.co.uk/essential_guides/a-guide-to-using-knx-over-ip"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Integration available."}],"flow":"control","flow_note":"Building control. It switches and dims real loads rather than reporting on them."},{"id":"lldp","name":"LLDP","aka":["Link Layer Discovery Protocol","IEEE 802.1AB"],"category":"device-management","summary":"Devices announcing themselves to their directly connected neighbours — name, port, capabilities, and often PoE requirements. On a show network it is what turns \"which switch port is this node on\" from a cable-tracing job into a question the switch can answer.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1AB/","label":"IEEE 802.1AB"},"steward":"IEEE","status":"current","typical_use":["Finding which port a device is plugged into without tracing the cable","PoE power negotiation beyond the basic hardware classes","Documenting an installed network from the switches rather than from memory"],"gotchas":["It only sees direct neighbours. An unmanaged switch in the middle of a run makes several devices appear on one port, which is usually the first sign somebody added a switch nobody drew.","Not every device sends it, and some send it only when asked. An absent neighbour is not proof of an absent device.","CDP is Cisco's equivalent and the two do not interoperate. A network with both needs both enabled to see the whole picture."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["network","discovery","switching"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.1AB — Station and Media Access Control Connectivity Discovery","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1AB/","publisher":"IEEE","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Neighbour discovery, for the benefit of whoever has to draw the diagram later."},{"id":"lorawan","name":"LoRaWAN","aka":["LoRa"],"category":"network-transport","status":"current","openness":"open-free-registration","transport":["wireless-rf"],"summary":"Kilometres of range on a coin cell, at a trickle of data. LoRa is the radio modulation; LoRaWAN is the network on top of it, in which devices talk to gateways and gateways forward to a network server. Built for sensors that report occasionally over a very large area.","multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Downlink multicast exists for firmware distribution and is not a general-purpose facility."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://lora-alliance.org/","label":"LoRa Alliance"},"steward":"LoRa Alliance","first_published":2015,"typical_use":["Site-wide environmental sensing across a festival or a campus.","Crowd counting, gate counts and asset tracking where the update rate is minutes rather than milliseconds.","Anything where running power or a network to the sensor is the actual problem."],"gotchas":["The data rate is tiny and duty cycle is legally limited in most regions. It is not a control network and cannot become one.","Sub-GHz band allocations differ by country — 868 MHz in Europe, 915 MHz in much of the Americas, and elsewhere again in Asia.","Latency is seconds at best. Nothing a cue waits on should be on it."],"tags":["lora","iot","long-range","low-power","sensors"],"sources":[{"title":"LoRaWAN","url":"https://lora-alliance.org/","publisher":"LoRa Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Long-range, low-rate sensor telemetry. Nothing on it has a show deadline."},{"id":"ltc","name":"LTC","aka":["Linear Timecode","Longitudinal Timecode","SMPTE timecode","SMPTE"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"SMPTE time and control code encoded as a biphase-mark audio signal, 80 bits per frame, so it runs down any audio path in the building. It is still the least fragile way to hand one clock to lighting, sound, video and automation at the same time.","transport":["other"],"multicast":{"used":false},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st12-1/st0012-1-2014.pdf","label":"SMPTE ST 12-1 — Time and Control Code"},"steward":"SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)","status":"current","typical_use":["Master clock from a timecode generator to lighting, sound and video","Locking playback, automation and pyro to a backing track","Striping a reference clock onto a spare track of a multitrack","Feeding a console's timecode-triggered cue list from front of house"],"gotchas":["The 80-bit word carries no frame-rate field. The reader infers the rate from the incoming bit rate, so a 25 fps generator into a 30 fps reader produces numbers that look plausible and quietly drift.","Drop-frame at 29.97 skips frame numbers, not time. Cue sheets written non-drop against a drop-frame master run out by roughly 3.6 seconds an hour, and the error is invisible in the first five minutes of a tech.","ST 12-1 asks for 1 to 2 V peak-to-peak with 40 microsecond rise and fall times. Route LTC through a compressor, a de-esser, a lossy codec or a consumer wireless link and the edges round off until the reader loses lock.","LTC is unreadable at very low transport speeds because there are no transitions to clock from. A paused master stops sending position entirely, so downstream devices either freewheel or drop out.","It is an audio signal, so it bleeds. Keep it off adjacent channels, out of foldback and out of anything that goes to a speaker; a burst of LTC in the PA during a quiet scene is a career moment.","The eight four-bit user groups are free-form and every manufacturer fills them differently. Do not assume date or reel data survives a round trip through a converter or a distribution amp."],"implementations":[{"name":"libltc","url":"https://github.com/x42/libltc","language":"C","license":"LGPL-3.0","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["timecode","smpte","audio","sync"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-1:2014 — Time and Control Code","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st12-1/st0012-1-2014.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Setting the Standards Free — SMPTE opens its full standards library at no cost","url":"https://www.smpte.org/setting-the-standards-free","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"libltc — Linear/Longitudinal Time Code library","url":"https://github.com/x42/libltc","publisher":"Robin Gareus","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC generate and chase, built in."},{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"LTC sync."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"SMPTE/LTC listed on T2, T3, D3, D3 Core, D7, D9, Arena, Tiger Touch 2 and Sapphire. A T2 plugged into another console adds an audio/LTC input."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"Timecode receive (Art-Net, MIDI, LTC) is an Unlocked-mode feature; demo and Core mode will not chase timecode."},{"kind":"software","id":"depence","name":"Depence","vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Listed as \"SMPTE\" among Depence's supported protocols; matched here to SMPTE/LTC timecode by name."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"One of the documented timecode sources alongside MTC, MIDI beat clock and system time."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"SMPTE/LTC timecode is receive only and arrives via a Net3 Show Control Gateway."},{"kind":"software","id":"finale-3d","name":"Finale 3D","vendor":"Finale 3D","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Scripts are executed against timecode by the firing system."},{"kind":"software","id":"heavym","name":"HeavyM","vendor":"HeavyM","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode-driven playback, depending on version."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Sync Manager receives LTC from an audio input (left channel), a factory-fitted Alpermann+Velte card, or USB interfaces (Rosendahl Mif4, CB Electronics TC-5, Adrienne Electronics USB-LTC)."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC generation and chase."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"LTC over an audio input; supported framerates are 24, 25, 29.97 DF and 30. Millumin also ships a free TimecodeClock app that generates LTC, MTC or its own network timecode."},{"kind":"software","id":"mitti","name":"Mitti","vendor":"Imimot","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode sync on supported versions."},{"kind":"software","id":"modul8","name":"Modul8","vendor":"GarageCUBE","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode sync via third-party bridges."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"LTC via the SMPTE IN 3-pin connector on M6+ consoles, or audio LTC via an audio interface. Timecode is only fully enabled from the NOVA+ tier."},{"kind":"software","id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"software","id":"pro-tools","name":"Pro Tools","vendor":"Avid","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Chases LTC via a synchroniser or interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"propresenter","name":"ProPresenter","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode sync on supported versions."},{"kind":"software","id":"qsys-designer","name":"Q-SYS Designer","vendor":"QSC, LLC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Stock schematic components: the SMPTE LTC Reader decodes LTC from an audio input per SMPTE 12M and exposes timecode fields as control pins for Lua; the SMPTE LTC Generator is the encoder counterpart."},{"kind":"software","id":"reaper","name":"REAPER","vendor":"Cockos Incorporated","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"The stock SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator produces an LTC audio signal at a chosen frame rate and start time. Real-time LTC chase is not part of it."},{"kind":"software","id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode chase."},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC for timeline sync."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode input."},{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode via plugin and hardware."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Handled by the LTC Bridge component."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","vendor":"7thSense","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC for show sync."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-binloop-hd","name":"Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD","vendor":"Alcorn McBride","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode master or slave."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-v16pro","name":"Alcorn McBride V16Pro","vendor":"Alcorn McBride","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"SMPTE LTC in and out on XLR, 600 ohm balanced, 1-4 V peak to peak. The V16Pro reads and generates; the V4Pro does not."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"LTC input for scene firing."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC sync."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"LTC for snapshot automation."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC input for timecoded cue lists."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC timecode input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brainstorm-dxd-8","name":"Brainstorm DXD-8 Distripalyzer","vendor":"Brainstorm Electronics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Reads, analyses, regenerates and distributes LTC."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode for playback."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Linear timecode input for timecoded playbacks."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC timeline sync."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"dataton-watchpax-60","name":"Dataton WATCHPAX 60","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode for synchronised playback."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC for snapshot firing against timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via Designer's timecode sources."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC timecode input for show sync."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"SMPTE timecode is receive only and needs a Response show control gateway."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC timecode in."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC input for timecode-driven sequences."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Linear timecode input on 3-pin XLR."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"LTC input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC for timeline sync."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC timecode in."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC timeline sync."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rosendahl-nanosyncs-hd","name":"Rosendahl nanosyncs HD","vendor":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC generate and read."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"tait-navigator","name":"TAIT Navigator","vendor":"TAIT","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Timecode-driven automation sequences."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"LTC input for scene automation."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"LTC input for timecode playback."}],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"ma-net","name":"MA-Net","aka":["MA-Net2","MA-Net3","grandMA network protocol"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"MA Lighting's proprietary session and device-networking protocol linking grandMA2/grandMA3 consoles, onPC stations, NPUs and MA nodes over UDP multicast (plus TCP for large transfers). It is what actually carries console session data, backup/redundancy state and DMX output between everything on the MA network switch, not a separately branded product.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":30020,"transport":"udp","role":"MA-Net3 general session communication (session 1)","note":"Documented by MA Lighting for MA-Net3 (grandMA3) only. MA Lighting does not similarly publish MA-Net2 (grandMA2-era) port numbers."},{"number":30021,"transport":"udp","role":"MA-Net3 extended session communication (session 1)"},{"number":30022,"transport":"tcp","role":"MA-Net3 station-to-station high-volume/unicast data transfer","note":"Additional sessions use higher port numbers by a fixed offset per session."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["236.4.1.0-236.4.1.3 (MA-Net3 session 1 groups)","239.4.1.x (alternate base if 236.4.1.x conflicts)"],"note":"From MA Lighting's own grandMA3 online manual, for MA-Net3 specifically. Up to 32 sessions are supported by shifting the base address per session. No equivalent public documentation of MA-Net2 multicast ranges was found."},"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.2/HTML/network_design_protocols.html","label":"grandMA3 online manual — Network Design, Protocol Details"},"steward":"MA Lighting International GmbH","status":"current","typical_use":["Linking grandMA2/grandMA3 consoles, onPC sessions and NPUs into one rig-wide session","Session backup and redundancy between primary and backup consoles/processing units","DMX output distribution to MA 2Port/4Port Nodes","Third-party media servers and pixel-mapping tools joining a console's session for show sync"],"gotchas":["MA Lighting publishes network/port configuration for MA-Net3 in the grandMA3 online manual, but not a message-format or packet-structure specification, so there is enough to wire a network but not enough to write an independent interoperable client from official docs alone.","MA-Net2 (grandMA2) and MA-Net3 (grandMA3) are different, non-interoperable protocol generations; a grandMA2-era NPU or node does not simply join a grandMA3 MA-Net3 session.","No open-source MA-Net client is known to exist. Open Lighting Architecture, which reverse-engineers many proprietary lighting protocols (Pathport, KiNET), lists no MA-Net support, so third parties depend on official MA Lighting licensing (ArKaos, MADRIX) rather than reverse engineering."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","ma-lighting","proprietary","console-networking"],"sources":[{"title":"grandMA3 online manual — Network Design, Protocol Details (MA-Net3 ports and multicast ranges)","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.2/HTML/network_design_protocols.html","publisher":"MA Lighting International GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Input, Interoperability, And Remote Control — MA Lighting MA-Net (described as \"a proprietary Ethernet network protocol\")","url":"https://help.madrix.com/m5/html/madrix/hidd_ma_net.html","publisher":"inoage GmbH (MADRIX)","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"MediaMaster 3.1, GrandMA2 and Ma-Net2 (third-party MA-Net2 integration for show sync)","url":"https://pro.arkaos.com/blog/2012/11/engineering/mediamaster-31-grandma2-and-ma-net2","publisher":"ArKaos","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Open Lighting Architecture — supported protocols (no MA-Net entry)","url":"https://wiki.openlighting.org/index.php/Open_Lighting_Architecture","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"The DMX component accepts MA-Net alongside Art-Net and sACN, and there is a dedicated MA-Net3 component; 4.9.0 release notes add MA-Net3 networking support."},{"kind":"software","id":"l8","name":"L8","vendor":"L8 LLC","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"MA-Net 2/3 DMX input, documented on the Trace and Unlimited editions only."},{"kind":"software","id":"ma3d","name":"MA 3D","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Driven directly over MA-Net from a grandMA session."},{"kind":"software","id":"vectorworks-vision","name":"Vectorworks Vision","vendor":"Vectorworks, Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"MA-Net2 input requires a Vision-specific USB dongle; MA-Net3 requires an MA viz-key plus a grandMA3 console or onPC, per Vision's own manual."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MA-Net2 for sessions with other grandMA2 devices and NPUs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Session networking between MA devices."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"madi","name":"MADI (AES10)","aka":["Multichannel Audio Digital Interface","AES10"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"A long-established AES standard for point-to-point transport of up to 64 channels of digital audio over a single coax (BNC) or fiber link, still widely used for touring FOH/monitor console splits, digital snakes, and broadcast/live-sound interconnects.","transport":["other","fibre"],"openness":"open-free-registration","steward":"Audio Engineering Society (AES)","status":"current","media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48,96],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":64,"encoding":"Linear PCM","note":"64 channels at 48 kHz on one coax or fibre, halving to 32 at 96 kHz. The channel count is fixed by the frame structure, so a MADI link is always the same bandwidth whether the channels carry audio or silence."}},"gotchas":["Original AES10-1991 caps out at 56 channels at 48kHz; 64-channel and higher-sample-rate operation needs the AES10-2003/2008 revisions and matching gear.","Point-to-point only, with no built-in routing/addressing - multi-device MADI systems need external routers or matrix switchers.","Coax (75-ohm BNC) and optical (SC) variants are not interchangeable without a converter, and each has different maximum cable runs."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"AES10-2008, Serial Multichannel Audio Digital Interface (MADI) has been published - AES Standards","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/blog/2009/2/aes10-2008-serial-multichannel-audio","primary":true},{"title":"MADI - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MADI"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"pro-tools","name":"Pro Tools","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via MADI interface hardware."},{"kind":"software","id":"waves-soundgrid-studio","name":"Waves SoundGrid Studio","vendor":"Waves Audio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via SoundGrid interface hardware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via I/O card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-sq-6","name":"Allen & Heath SQ-6","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via option card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via optional expansion card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Native MADI on the rear, the DiGiCo optical and coax stage-rack backbone."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Optical and coaxial MADI."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core format."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ferrofish-a32-dante","name":"Ferrofish A32 Dante","vendor":"Ferrofish","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Optical and coaxial MADI."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-p1","name":"L-Acoustics P1","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via expansion card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rts-adam","name":"RTS ADAM Intercom Matrix","vendor":"RTS (Bosch)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via cards."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ssl-live-l550","name":"SSL Live L550","vendor":"Solid State Logic","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Primary I/O transport."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via Mini-YGDAI card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via HY card."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"matter","name":"Matter","aka":["CHIP","Connected Home over IP"],"category":"device-management","status":"current","openness":"open-published","transport":["udp","tcp"],"summary":"An application layer that gives connected devices a shared vocabulary: a light is a light, a lock is a lock, and any controller can drive one without a vendor-specific integration. Runs over Thread, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and is the first serious attempt to make the smart-device world interoperable rather than a set of walled gardens.","multicast":{"used":true,"note":"Uses IPv6 multicast for discovery via mDNS."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/","label":"Connectivity Standards Alliance"},"steward":"Connectivity Standards Alliance","first_published":2022,"typical_use":["Installed and architectural control where devices come from several vendors.","Anything that must keep working without a vendor cloud.","Bridging consumer devices into a venue control system."],"gotchas":["Matter standardises the common device types. The features that made you choose a particular product are usually outside it.","Commissioning a device onto a Matter fabric is its own workflow, and moving it between ecosystems is not always painless.","It is an application layer, not a radio. What it runs over decides the range, latency and power behaviour."],"tags":["iot","smart-home","interoperability","install"],"sources":[{"title":"Matter","url":"https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/","publisher":"Connectivity Standards Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Supported."}],"flow":"control","flow_note":"Smart-home device control, increasingly the layer a venue meets consumer kit through."},{"id":"mdns-dns-sd","name":"mDNS / DNS-SD","aka":["Bonjour","Zeroconf","Avahi"],"category":"network-transport","openness":"open-published","first_published":2013,"status":"current","summary":"Multicast DNS and DNS Service Discovery: how devices on a local network announce and find each other with no DNS server and no configuration. Dante, NDI, NMOS, OSC discovery and half the show network depends on it working.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5353,"transport":"udp","role":"mDNS","iana_registered":true}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["224.0.0.251 (IPv4)","ff02::fb (IPv6)"],"note":"Link-local scope: mDNS does not cross a router, which is why devices vanish when someone segments the network."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6762","label":"RFC 6762 (mDNS)"},"steward":"IETF","typical_use":["Dante device discovery","NDI source discovery","Finding a console or media server without knowing its IP"],"gotchas":["mDNS is link-local by design and does not route. Putting devices on separate VLANs or subnets makes them disappear from each other unless a reflector or repeater is configured.","Many managed switches filter or rate-limit multicast at 224.0.0.251 as a security default, which silently breaks discovery while unicast traffic works perfectly.","Wireless access points frequently block multicast between clients. A laptop on wifi that cannot see a device on the wired network is usually this, not a firewall."],"implementations":[{"name":"Avahi","url":"https://avahi.org/","language":"C","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["mdns","bonjour","discovery","zeroconf","multicast"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 6762: Multicast DNS","url":"https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6762","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"RFC 6763: DNS-Based Service Discovery","url":"https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6763","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"dante-controller","name":"Dante Controller","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Dante discovery is mDNS, which is why devices vanish across a routed boundary."},{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Decodes mDNS, the fastest way to prove a discovery problem."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Discovery. It is how devices find each other, and it is chatty in a way that matters on a busy VLAN."},{"id":"midi-2","name":"MIDI 2.0 / Universal MIDI Packet (UMP)","aka":["MIDI 2.0","UMP","MIDI-CI"],"category":"audio-control","summary":"A 2020 extension to MIDI adding bidirectional device negotiation (MIDI-CI), higher-resolution controllers, and a new Universal MIDI Packet container that carries both MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0 messages over USB, network, and other digital transports.","transport":["usb","other"],"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://midi.org/universal-midi-packet-ump-and-midi-2-0-protocol-specification"},"steward":"MIDI Association (MMA/AMEI)","status":"draft","gotchas":["Not wire-compatible with classic 5-pin DIN MIDI 1.0 - UMP is delivered over USB, network, or other digital transports rather than the original DIN connector.","Adoption in touring/theatre gear is still limited; most show-control rigs remain on plain MIDI 1.0 messages even on devices that technically support MIDI 2.0."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"Universal MIDI Packet (UMP) and MIDI 2.0 Protocol Specification - MIDI.org","url":"https://midi.org/universal-midi-packet-ump-and-midi-2-0-protocol-specification","primary":true},{"title":"MIDI 2.0 - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_2.0"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"midi-show-control","name":"MIDI Show Control","aka":["MSC","MIDI Show Control 1.1"],"category":"show-control","summary":"A universal real-time MIDI system exclusive message set that carries GO, STOP and RESUME together with a cue number, cue list and cue path. It is the oldest reliable way to make one GO button fire lighting, sound and machinery at the same instant.","transport":["midi-din","usb"],"multicast":{"used":false},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://midi.org/midi-show-control","label":"RP-002/RP-014 MIDI Show Control 1.1.1 specification"},"steward":"The MIDI Association (MIDI Manufacturers Association)","first_published":1991,"status":"current","typical_use":["One GO button on a stage manager's desk firing several departments at once","Lighting console triggering sound and video playback, or being triggered","Theme park and attraction show controllers sequencing effects","Linking a show controller to a console that has no OSC or network control"],"gotchas":["The message is F0 7F <device_id> 02 <command_format> <command> <data> F7. Device ID 127 (0x7F) is all-call, so a receiver left at 127 acts on every message on the line including ones meant for another department.","Command format is a category, not an address. 01 is Lighting (General), 02 Moving Lights, and a receiver only acts on the formats it is set to accept. A format mismatch is the most common cause of \"MSC is doing nothing\".","Cue data is ASCII digits with 0x00 delimiters between cue number, cue list and cue path. Cue 5 and cue 5.0 are different byte strings, so cues can fire on some numbers and be silently ignored on others.","Nothing acknowledges an MSC message. If the receiver was powered down, on a different device ID or on the wrong command format, the sender reports a perfectly successful GO.","A DIN MIDI line runs at 31.25 kbit/s and everything shares it. A continuous MTC quarter-frame stream on the same cable will delay cue messages by a measurable and variable amount.","MSC is one-directional and has no state. A receiver that missed the GO will not catch up, so a device that came back from a reboot mid-act stays where it was until you send it somewhere."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["show-control","midi","sysex","cue-triggering"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI Show Control — RP-002-014 v1.1.1 specification","url":"https://midi.org/midi-show-control","publisher":"The MIDI Association","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"MIDI Show Control — WATCHOUT 7 User's Guide (device IDs, all-call, sysex layout)","url":"https://docs.dataton.com/watchout-7-new/watchout/external-control/midi-show-control.html","publisher":"Dataton","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"MIDI Show Control and MIDI note (command formats, commands, cue encoding)","url":"https://blog.etcconnect.com/2017/03/midi-show-control-midi-note","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"Cognito Console — MIDI Show Control","url":"https://www.citytheatrical.com/docs/default-source/pathway/pwcog-cognito-console-midi-show-control.pdf","publisher":"Pathway Connectivity / City Theatrical","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"MIDI Show Control — ratification dates","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI_Show_Control","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"bome-midi-translator","name":"Bome MIDI Translator Pro","vendor":"Bome Software","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MSC messages can be constructed and parsed."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"Listed as Show control alongside MIDI notes and CC in the Unlocked-mode feature list."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dot2-onpc","name":"dot2 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MSC input to control executors, and MSC output to control other devices."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Local MIDI connections on Eos Ti and Gio; Gio @5 and Ion Xe use USB; other consoles need a Net3 Show Control Gateway."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MSC listed on the specifications page; the show-control page describes triggering cues from external software or hardware over MSC."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"midi-ox","name":"MIDI-OX","vendor":null,"direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Generic real-time MIDI monitor; will show raw MSC SysEx bytes on the wire but has no dedicated MSC command decoder."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MSC GO with no Q-number advances to the next column or plays the timeline; GO with a Q-number launches the Nth column; GO with Q-number plus Q-list selects the board; STOP stops or pauses."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC format and device ID are set in I/O settings. Gated behind the same tier as MIDI and timecode."},{"kind":"software","id":"protokol","name":"Protokol","vendor":"Hexler","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Generic MIDI monitor; would display raw MSC SysEx bytes but is not a dedicated MSC decoder."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlab","name":"QLab","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","vendor":"7thSense","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MSC for show control integration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Available on the console's own MIDI ports or through a Gateway."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MSC."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"midi","name":"MIDI 1.0","aka":["Musical Instrument Digital Interface"],"category":"audio-control","summary":"The original 1983 serial protocol for exchanging musical performance data (notes, control/program changes, sysex) between instruments, controllers, consoles, and show-control gear; the base layer that MIDI Show Control and MIDI Time Code both ride on top of.","transport":["midi-din"],"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.midi.org/specifications/midi1-specifications/m1-v4-2-1-midi-1-0-detailed-specification-96-1-4"},"steward":"MIDI Association (MMA/AMEI)","status":"current","gotchas":["Classic 5-pin DIN MIDI runs at 31,250 baud (8-N-1 async serial) and is one-way per cable; most modern rigs tunnel MIDI over USB or Bluetooth LE instead of DIN.","MIDI Show Control and MIDI Time Code are message subprofiles of MIDI 1.0, not separate wire protocols, which confuses people troubleshooting compatibility.","Only 16 channels per port/cable, which limits large-scale device addressing without merge/split boxes or additional interfaces."],"implementations":[{"name":"RtMidi","url":"https://github.com/thestk/rtmidi","language":"C++"}],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification - MIDI Association","url":"https://www.midi.org/specifications/midi1-specifications/m1-v4-2-1-midi-1-0-detailed-specification-96-1-4","primary":true},{"title":"MIDI - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ableton-live","name":"Ableton Live","vendor":"Ableton AG","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI in and out for control surfaces and instruments. MIDI Clock can be sent to an external sequencer or received to slave Live, set per port with the Sync switch in Link/Tempo/MIDI preferences."},{"kind":"software","id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control and machine control."},{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI is one of the external trigger types and is not available on every console; USB MIDI devices are supported for triggering and control."},{"kind":"software","id":"bome-midi-translator","name":"Bome MIDI Translator Pro","vendor":"Bome Software","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI notes and CC from third-party USB or virtual interfaces require Unlocked mode."},{"kind":"software","id":"daslight","name":"Daslight","vendor":"Daslight (Nicolaudie)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI triggering."},{"kind":"software","id":"depence","name":"Depence","vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Listed among Depence's documented show-control integration protocols."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","vendor":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI triggering."},{"kind":"software","id":"dot2-onpc","name":"dot2 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI note remote input, and MIDI note output from cues or the command line. On onPC you must choose the MIDI in and out devices yourself in Tools > MIDI Configuration."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Raw MIDI can be sent and received. MIDI notes are output only, and cannot be received by a Net3 Show Control Gateway."},{"kind":"software","id":"go-button","name":"Go Button","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI triggering over a network or interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MultiController maps MIDI controllers (and Stream Deck) to Hippotizer pins. Feedback capability is referenced but not documented in detail, so outbound MIDI is unconfirmed."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI input and output listed on the specifications page."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightkey","name":"Lightkey","vendor":"Lightkey","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI triggering from surfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"max-msp","name":"Max","vendor":"Cycling '74","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core to Max since the beginning."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI sources and destinations are enabled individually in the Devices tab; inputs can send feedback back to the controller (e.g. motorised faders)."},{"kind":"software","id":"mitti","name":"Mitti","vendor":"Imimot","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI triggering."},{"kind":"software","id":"mixing-station","name":"Mixing Station","vendor":"David Giga","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI control where the console supports it."},{"kind":"software","id":"modul8","name":"Modul8","vendor":"GarageCUBE","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control from surfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"multiplay","name":"Multiplay","vendor":"Da-Share","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI triggering."},{"kind":"software","id":"node-red","name":"Node-RED","vendor":"OpenJS Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via community nodes."},{"kind":"software","id":"notch","name":"Notch","vendor":"Notch (10bit FX Limited)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Vendor features page states MIDI input and output."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI notes and commands trigger Go, Pause, Release, Flash and similar. ONYX does not generate MIDI messages, it only passes them along. Fully enabled from the NOVA+ tier."},{"kind":"software","id":"open-stage-control","name":"Open Stage Control","vendor":"Jean-Emmanuel Doucet","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core."},{"kind":"software","id":"openframeworks","name":"openFrameworks","vendor":"openFrameworks community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core addon."},{"kind":"software","id":"processing","name":"Processing","vendor":"Processing Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through libraries."},{"kind":"software","id":"propresenter","name":"ProPresenter","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI triggering."},{"kind":"software","id":"provideoplayer","name":"ProVideoPlayer (PVP)","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI triggering."},{"kind":"software","id":"pure-data","name":"Pure Data","vendor":"Miller Puckette and contributors","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Built in."},{"kind":"software","id":"reaper","name":"REAPER","vendor":"Cockos Incorporated","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI in and out for control surfaces and MIDI learn on parameters; MIDI clock is enabled per output device in Preferences > Audio > MIDI Devices."},{"kind":"software","id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI triggering and output."},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"software","id":"touchosc","name":"TouchOSC","vendor":"Hexler","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core."},{"kind":"software","id":"ventuz","name":"Ventuz","vendor":"Ventuz Technology","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"software","id":"vvvv","name":"vvvv","vendor":"vvvv group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Standard nodes."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-binloop-hd","name":"Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD","vendor":"Alcorn McBride","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-avantis","name":"Allen & Heath Avantis","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control and scene recall."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-sq-6","name":"Allen & Heath SQ-6","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI over DIN and USB."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI for snapshot and external control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Notes and MSC."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI and MIDI timecode over DIN."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI over DIN."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI in and out over DIN."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI notes and MSC over the DIN ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","vendor":"Crestron","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through modules."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI for snapshot triggering and external control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI notes and MSC."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI notes, MIDI timecode and MSC."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI and MSC."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ssl-live-l550","name":"SSL Live L550","vendor":"Solid State Logic","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control and scene recall."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-dm7","name":"Yamaha DM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI control and scene recall."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI in and out."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"modbus-tcp","name":"Modbus TCP","aka":["Modbus TCP/IP","MODBUS/TCP","Modbus over Ethernet"],"category":"machinery-motion","summary":"The Modbus application protocol wrapped in a seven byte MBAP header and sent over TCP port 502, a plain register read and write protocol with no session and no security. In entertainment it is how show control talks to stage machinery PLCs, hoists, HVAC, house lights and building systems.","transport":["tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":502,"transport":"tcp","role":"MODBUS/TCP application data units","iana_registered":true,"note":"The implementation guide states that all MODBUS/TCP ADUs are sent to registered port 502."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Modbus TCP is a unicast client/server protocol. There is no discovery, no announcement and no multicast."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.modbus.org/file/secure/messagingimplementationguide.pdf","label":"MODBUS Messaging on TCP/IP Implementation Guide V1.0b"},"steward":"Modbus Organization","status":"current","typical_use":["Show control to stage machinery and winch control PLCs","Reading limit switches, e-stop state and drive faults into a show system","Building integration for HVAC, house lights, motorised drapes and doors","Power and energy monitoring gear in racks and distros"],"gotchas":["Register numbering is the classic error. Vendor documentation usually uses 1-based reference numbers like 40001, while the wire protocol uses 0-based addresses, so 40001 on paper is address 0 in the packet.","There is no authentication and no encryption on port 502. Anything that can reach it can command the machine. A TLS variant exists (Modbus/TCP Security, registered on TCP 802) but field devices rarely implement it, so the answer is still a dedicated VLAN with no route off it.","The standard only defines 16-bit registers. Word order for 32-bit floats and integers is entirely up to the vendor, so the same value can appear as nonsense until you swap the two registers.","The unit identifier is typically 0xFF for a native TCP/IP device but is significant when you are talking through a serial gateway. Send 0xFF into a gateway and you are addressing nothing.","Many devices accept only a small number of simultaneous TCP connections. A second polling client, or a reconnect before the old socket has timed out, can lock the first one out with no error message anywhere.","Modbus has no concept of \"the machine is moving\". It is a poll and answer protocol, so safety interlocks must live in the PLC, never in the show control cue that reads the registers."],"implementations":[{"name":"libmodbus","url":"https://github.com/stephane/libmodbus","language":"C","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"pymodbus","url":"https://github.com/pymodbus-dev/pymodbus","language":"Python","license":"BSD-3-Clause","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["machinery","plc","industrial","building-integration"],"sources":[{"title":"MODBUS Messaging on TCP/IP Implementation Guide V1.0b","url":"https://www.modbus.org/file/secure/messagingimplementationguide.pdf","publisher":"Modbus Organization","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"MODBUS/TCP Security Protocol Specification (TLS on registered port 802)","url":"https://www.modbus.org/file/secure/modbussecurityprotocol.pdf","publisher":"Modbus Organization","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"codesys","name":"CODESYS","vendor":"CODESYS Group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Standard."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Modbus for building and ride systems."},{"kind":"software","id":"twincat","name":"TwinCAT","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via supplementary functions."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"beckhoff-cx5140","name":"Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Supplementary."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"mqtt","name":"MQTT","aka":["MQ Telemetry Transport"],"category":"device-management","status":"current","openness":"open-published","transport":["tcp","websocket"],"summary":"Publish and subscribe messaging designed for unreliable links and small devices. Nothing talks to anything directly: publishers send to a topic on a broker and subscribers ask the broker for topics they care about, which decouples every device from every other. The default plumbing of connected-device work, and increasingly of show integration glue.","default_ports":[{"number":1883,"transport":"tcp","role":"MQTT, unencrypted","iana_registered":true},{"number":8883,"transport":"tcp","role":"MQTT over TLS","iana_registered":true}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Fan-out happens at the broker, not on the network. One publish becomes many unicast deliveries."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://mqtt.org/","label":"MQTT specification"},"steward":"OASIS","first_published":1999,"typical_use":["Sensors, environmental monitoring and building systems reporting into a show or an installation.","Glue between show control and things that were never designed to be on a show network.","Status and telemetry from devices where a dropped message is survivable."],"gotchas":["The broker is a single point of failure and a single point of latency. Run it locally for anything a cue depends on.","Quality-of-service levels 0, 1 and 2 buy delivery guarantees at the cost of round trips. QoS 2 is rarely worth it on a LAN.","Retained messages mean a subscriber can receive a value published hours ago as though it were new. That surprises people exactly once.","Topic naming is a design decision with no standard. Agree the tree before anybody publishes to it."],"tags":["iot","messaging","pubsub","integration"],"sources":[{"title":"MQTT","url":"https://mqtt.org/","publisher":"OASIS","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"verified","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"First-class."},{"kind":"software","id":"node-red","name":"Node-RED","vendor":"OpenJS Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"First-class, and the reason many people install it."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"A message broker. In a venue it carries telemetry and status far more often than anything with a deadline."},{"id":"mtc","name":"MIDI Timecode","aka":["MTC","MIDI Time Code"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"Carries SMPTE-style hours, minutes, seconds and frames over a MIDI connection, as quarter-frame messages while running and a full-frame sysex when locating. It is how a DAW, playback machine or console chases a master clock without giving up an audio channel.","transport":["midi-din","usb"],"multicast":{"used":false},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://midi.org/midi-time-code","label":"RP-004/RP-008 MIDI Time Code specification v4.2.1"},"steward":"The MIDI Association (MIDI Manufacturers Association)","status":"current","typical_use":["Locking a DAW or playback rig to a lighting or video master clock","Chasing QLab and a lighting console to one timeline","Distributing position to devices that have MIDI but no audio input","Driving a timecode-triggered cue stack from a backing track machine"],"gotchas":["Quarter-frame messages carry one nibble at a time, four per frame, so a complete timecode value takes two frames to arrive. Every MTC reader is inherently one to two frames behind. Compensate in the receiver, do not nudge the master.","The frame rate lives in bits 5-6 of the hours byte and encodes only 24, 25, 30 drop-frame and 30. There is no 23.976, 48, 50 or 60 value, so a 23.98 project has to travel as 24 and be reconciled at the far end.","The full-frame sysex F0 7F cc 01 01 hr mn sc fr F7 only locates the receiver. Nothing actually runs until quarter-frames start arriving, which is why a device can display the correct time and still not be chasing.","A receiver that ignores the frame-rate bits will run 25 fps code as 30 and drift by a fifth. The numbers look sane the whole time, which is what makes it expensive to spot.","Quarter-frames are continuous traffic on a 31.25 kbit/s DIN line. Share that cable with MSC and your cue messages queue behind the clock.","Only the low nibble of each user-bit data byte is used in the user-bits sysex. Converters that repack user bits between LTC and MTC routinely lose or reorder them."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["timecode","midi","sync"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI Time Code — RP-004-008 v4.2.1 specification","url":"https://midi.org/midi-time-code","publisher":"The MIDI Association","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"MIDI Time Code (quarter-frame nibble order, full message, frame-rate bits, user bits)","url":"https://electronics.koncon.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MIDI-Time-Code.pdf","publisher":"Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag (course copy)","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ableton-live","name":"Ableton Live","vendor":"Ableton AG","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Live slaves to MTC and reads it as an Arrangement position, with MIDI Timecode Frame Rate and Offset settings. Ableton state Live can only act as a MIDI sync device, not a host; MTC carries no tempo and tempo changes cannot be tracked."},{"kind":"software","id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI timecode in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"A cue list can read timecode from the system clock, an internal timecode source, MIDI, SMPTE or the Winamp player. Up to 4 separate timecode sources per console."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI timecode receive is part of the same Unlocked-mode timecode feature set."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dot2-onpc","name":"dot2 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI timecode can run cues automatically. Receiving timecode does not require a network session."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI timecode is receive only, locally or via a Show Control Gateway."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Sync Manager receives MTC via the Rosendahl Mif4 or CB Electronics TC-5 USB interfaces."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Specifications page states MIDI Timecode support and the show-control page lists MTC for synchronisation; the docs do not state that Isadora also generates MTC."},{"kind":"software","id":"midi-monitor-snoize","name":"MIDI Monitor","vendor":"Snoize","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Generic real-time MIDI monitor; captures MIDI Time Code quarter-frame/real-time messages along with all other MIDI data, but has no dedicated MTC decoder view."},{"kind":"software","id":"midi-ox","name":"MIDI-OX","vendor":null,"direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Recommended on ControlBooth (theatre-tech forum) by author John Huntington for displaying MIDI Time Code readouts."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MTC over MIDI, same framerate list as LTC."},{"kind":"software","id":"mitti","name":"Mitti","vendor":"Imimot","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI timecode chase."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"MIDI timecode via MIDI ports or the SMPTE IN connector. Only fully enabled from the NOVA+ tier."},{"kind":"software","id":"pro-tools","name":"Pro Tools","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI timecode in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlab","name":"QLab","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Can both generate and chase MIDI timecode."},{"kind":"software","id":"reaper","name":"REAPER","vendor":"Cockos Incorporated","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Chases MTC via the external timecode synchronization settings against an enabled MIDI input; generates MTC from the stock SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator."},{"kind":"software","id":"timecodedisplay","name":"TimecodeDisplay","vendor":"Figure53","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Listens to and displays incoming MIDI Time Code."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brainstorm-dxd-8","name":"Brainstorm DXD-8 Distripalyzer","vendor":"Brainstorm Electronics","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI timecode output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI timecode in."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Receive only, from local MIDI or a Gateway."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI timecode in."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"MIDI timecode."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Timecode-driven playback."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rosendahl-nanosyncs-hd","name":"Rosendahl nanosyncs HD","vendor":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI timecode output."}],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"ndi","name":"NDI","aka":["Network Device Interface","NDI HX"],"category":"video-transport","summary":"Vizrt's video-over-IP protocol carrying compressed video, audio and metadata between applications and devices on an ordinary ethernet LAN. It is how graphics machines, capture software, PTZ cameras and switchers move pictures around a venue without pulling SDI.","transport":["tcp","udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5353,"transport":"udp","role":"mDNS discovery","note":"Always used for multicast discovery sending."},{"number":5959,"transport":"tcp","role":"NDI Discovery Server","note":"Optional centralised alternative to mDNS, for when sources must cross subnets."},{"number":5960,"transport":"tcp","role":"Remote source query and enumeration on a machine","note":"NDI 5 and later also use a small number of UDP ports from 5960 up for Reliable UDP."},{"number":5961,"transport":"tcp","role":"Base of the per-stream TCP connections","note":"One port per NDI stream from 5961 upward. Additional ports from 6960 up (multi-TCP or UDP receiving) and 7960 up (multi-TCP, unicast UDP or multicast UDP sending) are used per connection."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"NDI is unicast by default. Multicast sending is optional and uses ports from 7960 up, and mDNS discovery on 5353 is multicast regardless. Do not enable multicast NDI on a switch without IGMP snooping and a querier."},"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://docs.ndi.video/","label":"NDI documentation and SDK (free, royalty-free proprietary licence)"},"steward":"Vizrt (NDI AB), originally NewTek","first_published":2015,"status":"current","typical_use":["Playback, graphics and capture software feeding a switcher over the house LAN","PTZ cameras and encoders delivering to production software","Screen and program feeds between control room machines","Monitoring and multiviewer feeds without extra SDI infrastructure"],"media":{"video":{"colour_sampling":["4:2:2","4:2:0"],"bit_depths":[8,10],"compression":"Visually lossless (NDI High Bandwidth) or H.264/H.265 (NDI HX)","note":"NDI caps neither resolution nor frame rate; 3840x2160 is where most hardware decoders stop and software goes past it. The two families are very different things sharing one name: High Bandwidth is lightly compressed at 100 to 250 Mbit/s with low latency, HX is long-GOP at a fraction of that and correspondingly more delay."},"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48],"bit_depths":[16,32],"encoding":"Floating point or 16-bit PCM, carried with the video","note":"Audio and video travel together, unlike ST 2110 where they are separate essences."}},"gotchas":["Discovery is mDNS, which is link-local. NDI sources do not appear across a router. If you need cross-subnet sources you must run the NDI Discovery Server on TCP 5959 and point every device at it explicitly.","Opening only 5960 and 5961 in a firewall gets you discovery and no video. Each connection also grabs ports from the 6960 and 7960 blocks, so the rule has to cover those ranges.","NDI HX is a different thing to full NDI. It is hardware H.264 or HEVC, much lower bitrate and noticeably more latency, and it is what most cheap PTZ cameras actually send.","Full-bandwidth NDI is roughly 100 Mbit/s for 1080i per stream. A gigabit uplink shared with anything else runs out faster than people expect, and NDI degrades by dropping frames rather than by failing cleanly.","The SDK is royalty-free but proprietary, and the licence requires visible NDI attribution in your application. There is no published wire format, so every implementation goes through Vizrt's binary SDK."],"implementations":[{"name":"DistroAV (formerly obs-ndi)","url":"https://github.com/DistroAV/DistroAV","language":"C++","license":"GPL-2.0-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["video","video-over-ip","vizrt","mdns"],"sources":[{"title":"NDI Related Network Ports","url":"https://docs.ndi.video/all/getting-started/white-paper/ndi-related-network-ports","publisher":"Vizrt / NDI","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"NDI SDK Licensing","url":"https://docs.ndi.video/all/developing-with-ndi/sdk/licensing","publisher":"Vizrt / NDI","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Network Device Interface (announcement date, NDI HX, NDI Bridge)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Device_Interface","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"casparcg","name":"CasparCG Server","vendor":"CasparCG project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI consumer and producer are both present in the shipped configuration."},{"kind":"software","id":"depence","name":"Depence","vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"NewTek/Vizrt NDI listed as a supported input on Syncronorm's system-integration page."},{"kind":"software","id":"grandma3-onpc","name":"grandMA3 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"heavym","name":"HeavyM","vendor":"HeavyM","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on version."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"NDI can be received on a layer, and each Mix can send an NDI feed at a configurable resolution and framerate, optionally with alpha. Docs warn NDI sending costs real GPU/CPU load above HD."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Input via the NDI Watcher actor (integrated from Isadora 4, a downloaded add-on actor before that); output is configured in Stage Setup. Syphon (macOS) and Spout (Windows) cover local texture sharing."},{"kind":"software","id":"l8","name":"L8","vendor":"L8 LLC","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"NDI texture input documented on the Unlimited edition."},{"kind":"software","id":"madmapper","name":"MadMapper","vendor":"garageCube","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"NDI streams can be used as a layer source, and outputs can be sent as NDI with or without alpha, plus audio."},{"kind":"software","id":"mitti","name":"Mitti","vendor":"Imimot","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI output and input."},{"kind":"software","id":"modul8","name":"Modul8","vendor":"GarageCUBE","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"NDI in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"obs-studio","name":"OBS Studio","vendor":"OBS Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI send and receive via the NDI plugin, not in the base install."},{"kind":"software","id":"openframeworks","name":"openFrameworks","vendor":"openFrameworks community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through addons."},{"kind":"software","id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Video over IP."},{"kind":"software","id":"propresenter","name":"ProPresenter","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"provideoplayer","name":"ProVideoPlayer (PVP)","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"resolume-arena","name":"Resolume Arena","vendor":"Resolume","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI send and receive."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"NDI input for camera and video sources."},{"kind":"software","id":"touchdesigner","name":"TouchDesigner","vendor":"Derivative","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"unity","name":"Unity","vendor":"Unity Technologies","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through vendor plug-ins."},{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"NDI via plugin."},{"kind":"software","id":"ventuz","name":"Ventuz","vendor":"Ventuz Technology","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI send and receive."},{"kind":"software","id":"vmix","name":"vMix","vendor":"StudioCoast","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI sources can be used as video inputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","vendor":"7thSense","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"NDI output on suitably configured systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-alta-4k","name":"Analog Way Alta 4K","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on option."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Video over IP."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"blackmagic-atem-4me-constellation-hd","name":"Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD","vendor":"Blackmagic Design","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"NDI via separate Blackmagic conversion, not native."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI capture and output are part of the Designer feature set."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Video over IP."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI input and output are part of Hippotizer V4."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","vendor":"Megapixel VR","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Video over IP."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI input and output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, AV profile available for NDI's bursty streams."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"NDI send and receive."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"nmea-0183","name":"NMEA 0183","aka":["NMEA","GPS sentences"],"category":"tracking-position","summary":"The plain-text sentence format a GNSS receiver speaks. Lines of comma-separated ASCII beginning with a dollar sign carry position, fix quality, satellite count, speed and — the field that matters most on a show site — UTC time. It is the reason a GNSS antenna is usually feeding a master clock rather than a map.","transport":["rs232","usb","udp"],"multicast":{"used":false},"openness":"published-paid","steward":"National Marine Electronics Association","status":"current","typical_use":["A GNSS receiver disciplining a master clock or timecode generator, usually alongside a one-pulse-per-second hardware output.","Position and heading for tracking, survey and outdoor installation work.","Time of day for systems with no network path to an NTP server."],"gotchas":["The sentences carry time, but the precise timing comes from the receiver's 1PPS hardware output, not from the serial data. Reading time from the text alone gives you tens of milliseconds of uncertainty at best.","GNSS time and UTC differ by a whole number of leap seconds, and receivers report this differently. Check which one a device is giving you before trusting it.","It needs sky. Indoors, or hemmed in by structures, a receiver either gets no fix or gets one built from reflections — which is worse, because it looks like a fix.","NMEA 2000 is a completely different thing: a CAN-based binary bus, not this."],"tags":["gnss","gps","time","position","serial"],"sources":[{"title":"NMEA 0183 Interface Standard","url":"https://www.nmea.org/nmea-0183.html","publisher":"National Marine Electronics Association","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"GNSS discipline."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"nmos","name":"AMWA NMOS","aka":["IS-04","IS-05","Networked Media Open Specifications"],"category":"video-control","openness":"open-published","first_published":2016,"status":"current","summary":"The discovery and connection layer that makes SMPTE ST 2110 usable. IS-04 lets devices register and be found; IS-05 does the actual connection management, telling a receiver which sender to listen to. Without it, a 2110 plant is hand-edited SDP files.","transport":["http","websocket","udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":80,"transport":"tcp","role":"IS-04/IS-05 HTTP APIs on the device (port is deployment-dependent)","iana_registered":false}],"spec_url":{"url":"https://specs.amwa.tv/nmos/","label":"AMWA NMOS specifications"},"steward":"Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA)","standards":["smpte-st-2110-10"],"typical_use":["Discovering senders and receivers in an ST 2110 plant","Making a connection from a broadcast controller","Registering device capabilities on a media network"],"gotchas":["NMOS is not one thing. IS-04 (discovery), IS-05 (connection), IS-08 (audio channel mapping) and others are separate specifications, and \"NMOS support\" without a list of IS numbers means very little.","Registry-based and peer-to-peer discovery both exist. A device configured for one will not appear to a controller expecting the other.","It carries no media. Every NMOS problem is a control-plane problem, and the ST 2110 essence flows are unaffected by it - which is why a plant can be \"working\" and completely unroutable."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["nmos","st2110","broadcast","discovery","ip-video"],"sources":[{"title":"AMWA NMOS specifications","url":"https://specs.amwa.tv/nmos/","publisher":"AMWA","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"ntp","name":"NTP","aka":["Network Time Protocol","NTPv4","SNTP"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"The protocol that keeps ordinary computers agreeing about the time of day. It corrects for network delay by measuring the round trip and disciplines the local clock gradually rather than jumping it. Milliseconds on a good LAN — nowhere near PTP, and exactly right for its actual job: making logs, licences and scheduled events line up across a rack.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":123,"transport":"udp","role":"NTP client and server","iana_registered":true,"note":"Symmetric: both ends use 123 in the classic mode. Blocking it outbound is a common cause of machines that slowly drift apart."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Broadcast and multicast NTP modes exist and are rarely the right answer on a show network; unicast to a named server is predictable and debuggable."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5905","label":"RFC 5905 — NTPv4"},"standards":["rfc-5905"],"steward":"IETF","first_published":1985,"status":"current","typical_use":["Keeping show machines, media servers and consoles on the same wall-clock time so logs can be compared after a fault.","Time-stamping recordings, captures and measurement sessions.","Satisfying licensing and certificate checks that fail silently when a machine believes it is in 1970.","Scheduling in installations — building systems, digital signage, unattended playback."],"gotchas":["NTP is not a substitute for PTP, LTC or genlock. It gives a machine the right time of day; it does not lock media clocks and cannot align a frame or a sample.","Two time sources on one network is the classic fault: a show LAN with no internet and a machine still pointed at a public pool will drift away from everything else, or step suddenly when it finally reaches one.","Give an isolated show network its own NTP server — a switch, a router, a master clock or a GNSS receiver — rather than leaving each machine to guess.","Windows domain time and NTP are related but configured differently, and a machine that has joined a domain may quietly ignore the server you set.","A step correction rather than a slew can jump a clock backwards, which breaks anything measuring elapsed time. Prefer a source that lets the daemon discipline gradually."],"tags":["time","sync","clock","networking","ntp"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 5905: Network Time Protocol Version 4","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5905","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"verified","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Time of day for the facility."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Wall-clock agreement to within milliseconds. Useful for log timestamps, nowhere near tight enough to be a show clock — a distinction people lose money on."},{"id":"opc-ua","name":"OPC UA","aka":["OPC Unified Architecture","IEC 62541"],"category":"device-management","summary":"The OPC Foundation's platform-independent, service-oriented standard for structured, secured data exchange between industrial and building systems, from simple tag reads to full information models over TCP, UDP, WebSockets or MQTT/AMQP. In venues it is the practical bridge where show control needs to read or write into building management, HVAC or facility-automation systems.","transport":["tcp","udp","websocket","other"],"default_ports":[{"number":4840,"transport":"tcp","role":"OPC UA TCP binary protocol (opc.tcp://) default endpoint/discovery port","iana_registered":true}],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://reference.opcfoundation.org/","label":"OPC UA Online Reference (full specification text, free, no login required)"},"steward":"OPC Foundation","first_published":2006,"status":"current","typical_use":["Bridging show control or venue automation into building management systems (BMS/HVAC) via a shared OPC UA server","Exposing PLC and industrial-machinery data models to higher-level monitoring/dashboarding software","Vendor-neutral integration layer between different automation vendors' equipment in fixed installations"],"gotchas":["The specification text is free to read at reference.opcfoundation.org, but the identically-numbered IEC 62541 standard document must be purchased from the IEC Webstore if a compliance paper trail specifically needs the ISO/IEC-badged version.","OPC UA supports both classic client/server (request-response over TCP binary) and newer pub/sub patterns over very different transports (UDP, MQTT, AMQP); two devices that both claim \"OPC UA support\" are not guaranteed to share a transport/pattern without checking which profile each one implements.","Security is optional per-endpoint (None/Sign/SignAndEncrypt policies can all be offered by the same server), so a server discovered and connected without checking its security policy list may be handing data over completely unencrypted even though the standard itself supports strong security."],"implementations":[{"name":"open62541","url":"https://github.com/open62541/open62541","language":"C","license":"MPL-2.0","role":"both"},{"name":"asyncua (formerly python-opcua / FreeOpcUa)","url":"https://github.com/FreeOpcUa/opcua-asyncio","language":"Python","license":"LGPL-3.0-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["industrial","building-systems","opc-foundation","iec-62541"],"sources":[{"title":"OPC UA TCP well-known address, port 4840 (opc.tcp://localhost:4840/UADiscovery)","url":"https://reference.opcfoundation.org/Core/Part6/v104/docs/7.6","publisher":"OPC Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Update for IEC 62541 (OPC UA) Published","url":"https://opcfoundation.org/news/opc-foundation-news/update-iec-62541-opc-ua-published/","publisher":"OPC Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"OPC Unified Architecture (first released 2006, IEC 62541, free specification download, transports)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPC_Unified_Architecture","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"open62541 — open source implementation of OPC UA (IEC 62541), Mozilla Public License v2.0","url":"https://github.com/open62541/open62541","publisher":"open62541 project","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"codesys","name":"CODESYS","vendor":"CODESYS Group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Standard integration for exposing controller state."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OPC UA for industrial integration."},{"kind":"software","id":"twincat","name":"TwinCAT","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"The usual way state is exposed upward to other systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"beckhoff-cx5140","name":"Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Exposing state upward to show systems."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Industrial monitoring and configuration. Its safety-rated siblings do the commanding."},{"id":"optocore","name":"Optocore","category":"audio-transport","openness":"proprietary-closed","first_published":1996,"status":"current","summary":"Fibre-optic audio, video and data transport built as a redundant ring, used where very high channel counts have to travel long distances with deterministic latency: stadiums, festivals and broadcast compounds.","transport":["fibre"],"typical_use":["Long fibre runs between FOH, stage and broadcast","High channel-count festival distribution","Redundant ring backbone for a large audio system"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48,96,192],"max_channels":1024,"note":"The 1024 figure counts inputs. Outputs are effectively unlimited because the ring carries every channel past every node, so any device can tap any channel without costing anyone else bandwidth — the architectural difference from a switched network, where each subscriber's copy is real traffic. Channel count and sample rate trade against each other on a given ring speed."}},"gotchas":["The ring is the redundancy. Breaking the ring to add a device mid-show removes the protection that justified the system.","Optocore, MADI and Dante frequently coexist in the same rack through converter cards. Where the clock originates in that mix is the thing to decide deliberately."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","fibre","optocore","redundant-ring","stadium"],"sources":[{"title":"Optocore system overview 10.1","url":"https://optocore.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Optocore_Overview_10-1.pdf","publisher":"Optocore","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Optocore","url":"https://www.optocore.com/","publisher":"Optocore","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"osc-query","name":"OSCQuery","aka":["OSC Query Protocol","OSCQueryProposal"],"category":"device-management","summary":"A community specification letting OSC-controlled software advertise itself via mDNS/Zeroconf and publish a browsable JSON description of its OSC address space over HTTP/WebSocket, so control surfaces like TouchOSC or media servers can auto-discover parameters.","transport":["http","websocket"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://github.com/Vidvox/OSCQueryProposal"},"steward":"Vidvox (community proposal, multiple implementers)","status":"current","gotchas":["Not a formally ratified standard from an SDO - it's a GitHub-hosted proposal, so implementations (VDMX, TouchDesigner, ossia, VRChat) may support only part of it.","Relies on Bonjour/Zeroconf (_oscjson._tcp) for discovery, which can be blocked or unreliable on locked-down venue networks and VLANs."],"implementations":[{"name":"libossia","url":"https://github.com/ossia/libossia","language":"C++"},{"name":"VVOSCQueryProtocol","url":"https://github.com/Vidvox/VVOSCQueryProtocol","language":"Objective-C"}],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"Vidvox/OSCQueryProposal - OSCQuery Protocol specification","url":"https://github.com/Vidvox/OSCQueryProposal","primary":true},{"title":"Introducing OSCQuery Protocol - VDMX","url":"https://vdmx.vidvox.net/blog/oscquery"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Introspection: asking a device what it can do, not telling it to do something."},{"id":"osc","name":"OSC","aka":["Open Sound Control","OpenSoundControl"],"category":"show-control","summary":"A transport-independent message format carrying named, typed messages such as /cue/5/go with int, float, string and blob arguments, optionally grouped into timestamped bundles. On a show it is the glue between QLab, lighting consoles, control surfaces and anything with a scripting port.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":53000,"transport":"udp","role":"QLab default OSC listening port","note":"An application default, not part of OSC. Figure 53 document it as the port QLab listens on, changeable per workspace."},{"number":3032,"transport":"tcp","role":"ETC Eos default OSC TCP port (OSC 1.0 packet-length framing)","note":"An application default, not part of OSC. Bidirectional, so no separate transmit port is needed."},{"number":3037,"transport":"tcp","role":"ETC Eos third-party OSC port using OSC 1.1 SLIP framing","note":"Added in Eos v3.1.0. Separate from 3032 because the two stream framings cannot be auto-detected."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"The specification says nothing about addressing. Products send unicast UDP or open a TCP stream; broadcast is occasionally used for discovery."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://opensoundcontrol.stanford.edu/spec-1_0.html","label":"The Open Sound Control 1.0 Specification"},"steward":"CNMAT, University of California Berkeley","first_published":2002,"status":"current","typical_use":["Cue triggering between QLab and a lighting console, in both directions","Control surfaces, tablets and stream-deck style panels driving playback","Digital audio console fader, mute and snapshot recall from show control","Software-to-software links where neither end speaks a lighting protocol"],"gotchas":["OSC defines no port and no transport. Every product picks its own, and the receiver usually needs telling the reply port as well as the listen port, so a link that \"works\" one way often has no return path at all.","Over TCP or serial there are two incompatible framings. OSC 1.0 prefixes each packet with a 32-bit length; OSC 1.1 uses SLIP. ETC put them on separate TCP ports (3032 and 3037) precisely because you cannot detect which is which.","There is no formal 1.1 specification document, only a NIME 2009 paper. When a datasheet claims \"OSC 1.1 support\" it can mean SLIP framing, the new argument types, or almost nothing.","Address patterns support wildcards on the receiving side, so a stray /eos/chan/* reaches far more than one channel. Test pattern messages against a rehearsal state, never against a running show.","Bundle time tags are 64-bit NTP timestamps and assume the two machines agree on time. Many entertainment implementations ignore the tag entirely and execute on arrival, so do not build sample-accurate timing on it.","UDP has no delivery guarantee and OSC adds none. A single lost GO is simply gone with no error anywhere. If the cue matters, use a TCP link where the product offers one."],"implementations":[{"name":"liblo","url":"https://github.com/radarsat1/liblo","language":"C","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"python-osc","url":"https://github.com/attwad/python-osc","language":"Python","license":"Unlicense","role":"both"},{"name":"oscpack","url":"https://github.com/RossBencina/oscpack","language":"C++","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["show-control","messaging","cnmat","transport-independent"],"sources":[{"title":"The Open Sound Control 1.0 Specification","url":"https://opensoundcontrol.stanford.edu/spec-1_0.html","publisher":"CNMAT / Stanford CCRMA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"OpenSoundControl.org — history, authorship and versions","url":"https://opensoundcontrol.stanford.edu/index.html","publisher":"CNMAT / Stanford CCRMA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"OSC 1.1 — there is no 1.1 specification in the style of 1.0","url":"https://opensoundcontrol.stanford.edu/spec-1_1.html","publisher":"CNMAT / Stanford CCRMA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"TCP port for OSC communication with Eos software","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family/Software_and_Programming/TCP_port_for_OSC_communication_with_Eos_Software","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"QLab 5 OSC Dictionary","url":"https://qlab.app/docs/v5/scripting/osc-dictionary-v5/","publisher":"Figure 53","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ableton-live","name":"Ableton Live","vendor":"Ableton AG","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"No native OSC. Reached through Max for Live, included in Suite and sold as an add-on for Standard; Ableton cite OSC as a Max for Live use case."},{"kind":"software","id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control surface support."},{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"capture","name":"Capture","vendor":"Capture Visualisation AB","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented as supporting DMX talkback with ETC Eos consoles."},{"kind":"software","id":"casparcg","name":"CasparCG Server","vendor":"CasparCG project","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Sends per-layer status and playback position. Default port 6250 in casparcg.config."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"OSC requires Unlocked mode, activated by a MagicQ wing, Connect interface or rack-mount dongle. The manual documents both receiving and sending messages."},{"kind":"software","id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Also supports OSCQuery for discovery."},{"kind":"software","id":"companion","name":"Bitfocus Companion","vendor":"Bitfocus AS","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Companion can be controlled over OSC on a configurable listen port, and modules send OSC out."},{"kind":"software","id":"daslight","name":"Daslight","vendor":"Daslight (Nicolaudie)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","vendor":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"ETC states all Eos family devices can send and receive OSC when running software v2.3 or higher."},{"kind":"software","id":"go-button","name":"Go Button","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"godot","name":"Godot Engine","vendor":"Godot Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through community add-ons."},{"kind":"software","id":"grandma3-onpc","name":"grandMA3 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"heavym","name":"HeavyM","vendor":"HeavyM","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"External control."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"MultiController maps OSC (and raw TCP) to pins. As with MIDI, outbound OSC feedback is referenced but not documented in detail."},{"kind":"software","id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Specifications page lists input and output of OSC; Isadora 4 adds an OSC Address Listener actor. Commonly used to take cues from lighting consoles and other cue software."},{"kind":"software","id":"l-isa-controller","name":"L-ISA Controller","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Object positions and control."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightkey","name":"Lightkey","vendor":"Lightkey","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightwright","name":"Lightwright","vendor":"Lightwright LLC (John McKernon Software)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Eos Console Link uses OSC over the lighting network, or 127.0.0.1 on a single machine, to trigger cues, turn lights on and off during focus and work calls, and import, label and document cues and groups."},{"kind":"software","id":"madmapper","name":"MadMapper","vendor":"garageCube","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Includes OSC Query support."},{"kind":"software","id":"max-msp","name":"Max","vendor":"Cycling '74","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via widely used objects rather than as a built-in."},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Configurable OSC listeners and senders; an OSC API covers almost every feature. Docs also state Millumin supports OSCQuery, without specifying its server/client role."},{"kind":"software","id":"mitti","name":"Mitti","vendor":"Imimot","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control in and out, commonly driven from QLab or a console."},{"kind":"software","id":"mixing-station","name":"Mixing Station","vendor":"David Giga","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Uses each console's own network control protocol, OSC where the console offers it."},{"kind":"software","id":"modul8","name":"Modul8","vendor":"GarageCUBE","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"node-red","name":"Node-RED","vendor":"OpenJS Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via community nodes."},{"kind":"software","id":"notch","name":"Notch","vendor":"Notch (10bit FX Limited)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Vendor features page states OSC input and output; the node reference lists both an OSC Modifier (receive) and an OSC Output node (send)."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"verified","note":"Full control of main playbacks, playback buttons, F-keys and command keys. OSC is locked in FREE and NOVA mode; a free trial can be started from the licensing options."},{"kind":"software","id":"open-stage-control","name":"Open Stage Control","vendor":"Jean-Emmanuel Doucet","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core."},{"kind":"software","id":"openframeworks","name":"openFrameworks","vendor":"openFrameworks community","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core addon."},{"kind":"software","id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"software","id":"processing","name":"Processing","vendor":"Processing Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through the widely used oscP5 library."},{"kind":"software","id":"propresenter","name":"ProPresenter","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Network API control."},{"kind":"software","id":"protokol","name":"Protokol","vendor":"Hexler","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Core supported protocol for monitoring/logging."},{"kind":"software","id":"provideoplayer","name":"ProVideoPlayer (PVP)","vendor":"Renewed Vision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"pure-data","name":"Pure Data","vendor":"Miller Puckette and contributors","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through standard external objects."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlab","name":"QLab","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"QLab exposes a full OSC API for control and feedback, and can send OSC as a cue type."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlc-plus","name":"QLC+","vendor":"QLC+ project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"reaper","name":"REAPER","vendor":"Cockos Incorporated","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Built-in OSC control surface. Cockos state a device can receive messages from REAPER, send messages to it, or both; message mapping lives in .ReaperOSC pattern config files."},{"kind":"software","id":"resolume-arena","name":"Resolume Arena","vendor":"Resolume","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"touchdesigner","name":"TouchDesigner","vendor":"Derivative","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"touchosc","name":"TouchOSC","vendor":"Hexler","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Core."},{"kind":"software","id":"unity","name":"Unity","vendor":"Unity Technologies","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through community packages rather than built in."},{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out via plugins."},{"kind":"software","id":"ventuz","name":"Ventuz","vendor":"Ventuz Technology","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"vmix","name":"vMix","vendor":"StudioCoast","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control, depending on version."},{"kind":"software","id":"vvvv","name":"vvvv","vendor":"vvvv group","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Standard nodes."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Open Sound Control dissector, documented display filter fields since Wireshark 1.12.0."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","vendor":"7thSense","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-binloop-hd","name":"Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD","vendor":"Alcorn McBride","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control, depending on model."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Native OSC over TCP, widely used with QLab and show control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-sq-6","name":"Allen & Heath SQ-6","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"MIDI/TCP control; OSC through third-party bridges."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-aquilon-rs4","name":"Analog Way Aquilon RS4","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Third-party control over the network API."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control via Eucon and third-party apps."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"barco-e2","name":"Barco Event Master E2","vendor":"Barco","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control via third-party systems over the network API."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Undocumented-but-stable OSC protocol that a whole generation of third-party apps and QLab workflows is built on."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Remote control and feedback."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Two-way OSC for external control surfaces and show control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out, heavily used via Widget Designer."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","vendor":"Crestron","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through modules."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"dataton-watchpax-60","name":"Dataton WATCHPAX 60","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC is the control surface for object positions, used by tracking systems and show control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control of the desk."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via the external control protocol."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC control of Designer cues and parameters."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Over UDP or TCP. Needs no gateway."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Remote control and feedback."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out, widely used with QLab."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Remote control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Remote control of engine parameters."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"kinesys-elevation-1-plus","name":"Kinesys Elevation 1+","vendor":"Kinesys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Integration with show control systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out for show control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"qsys-core-510i","name":"Q-SYS Core 510i","vendor":"QSC (Q-SYS)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"External control of named controls in the design."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"tait-navigator","name":"TAIT Navigator","vendor":"TAIT","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Show control integration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"tta-stagetracker-ii","name":"TTA StageTracker II","vendor":"TTA — Track The Artist","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control and data."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Limited OSC via third-party bridges rather than natively."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"OSC via the console API."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","vendor":"zactrack","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OSC for integration with audio and show control."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"pathport","name":"Pathport","aka":["Pathport Protocol","Pathway Pathport"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"Pathway Connectivity's own DMX-over-ethernet protocol, used by Pathport gateways for data and for the discovery and configuration that Pathscape depends on. Most modern jobs run sACN or Art-Net through the same boxes and only meet Pathport when setting them up.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":3792,"transport":"udp","role":"Pathport data, ARP-style node discovery, and configuration","note":"0x0ED0. Taken from the Open Lighting Architecture implementation; Pathway does not publish the protocol."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["239.255.237.1 (data)","239.255.237.2 (configuration)","239.255.237.255 (status)"],"note":"Group addresses as implemented by the Open Lighting Architecture Pathport plugin. Nodes are also addressed individually by a 32-bit Pathport device ID, with 0xFFFFFFFF used as a broadcast ID."},"universe_model":"A flat xDMX channel space rather than numbered universes: channels 0-511 are the first universe, 512-1023 the second. OLA notes the spec says 64 universes while devices appear to support up to 128.","openness":"proprietary-closed","steward":"Pathway Connectivity (Acuity Brands)","status":"current","typical_use":["Pathport gateway data and configuration on Pathway networks","Pathscape discovery and setup of DMX/RDM gateways","Legacy installs that predate widespread sACN deployment","Mixed networks where Pathway boxes sit alongside ETCNet and ShowNet sources"],"gotchas":["Pathway does not publish the protocol. The only public description is the Open Lighting Architecture plugin source, so treat any third-party implementation as best effort and test it against the actual firmware.","Addressing is a flat xDMX channel space, not universes. Console universe 2 is xDMX channels 512-1023, so a one-universe offset here shifts an entire rig by 512 slots rather than by one fixture.","Node discovery uses a Pathport ARP request and reply, not IP ARP. A gateway that does not answer is not necessarily offline; it may be on a different multicast group or filtered out by IGMP snooping.","If Pathscape cannot see a gateway that is visibly passing data, look at multicast and IGMP snooping on the switch before assuming a device fault. Data and configuration ride different groups.","Pathport gateways also accept sACN, Art-Net, ETCNet2, ETCNet3 and Strand ShowNet, and will take several at once. It is easy to create an accidental merge that only shows up when the second console is patched."],"implementations":[{"name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","dmx-over-ip","pathway","proprietary","multicast"],"sources":[{"title":"OLA Pathport plugin — PathportNode.h (PATHPORT_PORT 0xed0, data/config/status multicast groups, broadcast ID)","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenLightingProject/ola/master/plugins/pathport/PathportNode.h","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"OLA Pathport plugin README (xDMX flat channel space, universe mapping)","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenLightingProject/ola/master/plugins/pathport/README.md","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"Pathport DMX Management System Specification, C Series Nodes (protocol list including Pathport Protocol)","url":"https://www.fullcompass.com/common/files/27565-PathwayConnectivityPathportCSeriesSpecifications.pdf","publisher":"Pathway Connectivity","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Pathport DMX Ethernet Gateways product family (Pathscape configuration)","url":"https://pathway.acuitybrands.com/products/family/pathport-dmx-ethernet-gateways","publisher":"Pathway Connectivity / Acuity Brands","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Pathport output, and received for capture or merging. Unusual for a non-Pathway console."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Listed as the Pathway Pathport plugin."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","vendor":"Pathway Connectivity","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Pathway's own protocol."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"poe","name":"Power over Ethernet","aka":["PoE","PoE+","PoE++","IEEE 802.3af","IEEE 802.3at","IEEE 802.3bt"],"category":"network-transport","summary":"DC power delivered down the same cable as the data, negotiated between the switch and the device before any current flows. It is why a wireless access point, a camera, an intercom panel or a small DMX node needs one cable rather than two.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3/","label":"IEEE 802.3 standards"},"steward":"IEEE","status":"current","typical_use":["Wireless access points, IP cameras and intercom panels","Small DMX and network nodes at truss height","Anywhere pulling a separate mains feed costs more than the device"],"gotchas":["Budget is per switch as well as per port. A 24-port switch rarely delivers the maximum on all 24 at once, and the shortfall shows up as devices rebooting under load rather than refusing to start.","The class negotiation means power is allocated before it is drawn. A device that mis-declares its class can be granted less than it needs.","Passive \"PoE\" injectors that put voltage on the pairs without negotiating are not this standard and can damage equipment that is expecting it.","Power is delivered at the switch and consumed at the far end, so the cable loses some along the way. A long run near the class limit is a marginal run."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["network","power","ethernet"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.3 — Ethernet, including Clauses 33 and 145 (DTE Power via MDI)","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3/","publisher":"IEEE","primary":true},{"title":"Power over Ethernet standards and compatibility","url":"https://kb.netgear.com/12902/Power-over-Ethernet-PoE-standards-and-compatibility","publisher":"NETGEAR"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":null,"flow_note":"Power, not traffic. It shares the cable with a flow rather than being one."},{"id":"profinet","name":"PROFINET","aka":["PROFINET IO","PROFINET CBA"],"category":"machinery-motion","summary":"PI's real-time industrial Ethernet standard for connecting PLCs, drives and I/O, spanning acyclic RPC parameter access over UDP/TCP up to sub-millisecond isochronous real-time (IRT) cyclic I/O carried as raw Ethernet frames. In entertainment it shows up where show control hands off to venue or stage-machinery automation, such as fixed-theatre stage-technology installs.","transport":["ethernet-l2","udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":34962,"transport":"udp","role":"PROFINET RT unicast (registered alternative to raw-Ethernet RT; rarely used in practice)","iana_registered":true},{"number":34963,"transport":"udp","role":"PROFINET RT multicast (registered, rarely used in practice)","iana_registered":true},{"number":34964,"transport":"udp","role":"RPC Context Manager — acyclic connection setup, parameter/record read-write, diagnostics","iana_registered":true,"note":"Connection setup on this port must complete before cyclic I/O starts on Ethertype 0x8892."}],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.profibus.com/download/profinet-specification","label":"PROFINET Specification downloads (PI membership login required)"},"steward":"PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International)","first_published":2003,"status":"current","typical_use":["Machinery-level integration between venue/stage-automation PLCs and drives","Theme-park and large fixed-venue control architectures run alongside EtherNet/IP on redundant switch infrastructure","General industrial machine and drive networking behind scenic automation, rigging and building-adjacent equipment"],"gotchas":["Cyclic real-time I/O (Ethertype 0x8892) runs on raw Ethernet frames with no IP address and does not route, while the RPC Context Manager handshake on UDP 34964 is ordinary routable traffic; a capture from a router or a different VLAN shows the setup but never the actual cyclic data.","IRT (isochronous real-time, sub-1ms cycles used for drive/motion applications) requires PROFINET-aware switches with synchronized scheduling; dropping a standard unmanaged switch into an IRT segment breaks the timing guarantee even though the link still passes traffic.","The full specification set sits behind a paid PI membership (PI North America lists annual dues from roughly $800 for integrators up to $8,000 for larger device manufacturers) or individual purchase of the equivalent IEC 61158/61784 documents from the IEC Webstore — there is no free public PDF."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["industrial-ethernet","machinery","pi","fieldbus"],"sources":[{"title":"Which TCP/UDP ports are used by PROFINET? (34962 RT unicast, 34963 RT multicast, 34964 RPC Context Manager)","url":"https://support.hms-networks.com/hc/en-us/articles/6794937733394-Which-TCP-UDP-ports-are-used-by-PROFINET","publisher":"HMS Networks","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"PROFINET Port Numbers Explained (Ethertype 0x8892 cyclic data vs UDP 34964 acyclic RPC handshake)","url":"https://scadaprotocols.com/profinet-port-numbers-explained","publisher":"SCADA Protocols","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"PROFINET Specification — Official Downloads (PI member login required)","url":"https://www.profibus.com/download/profinet-specification","publisher":"PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International)","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Become a Member — PI North America (membership fees by category)","url":"https://us.profinet.com/membership/become-a-member/","publisher":"PI North America","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Profinet (history and first release circa 2003, real-time classes and cycle times)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profinet","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Advanced Control System Architecture for Theme Parks (PROFINET named alongside EtherNet/IP on redundant switches)","url":"https://pacificblueengineering.com/advanced-control-system-architecture/","publisher":"Pacific Blue Engineering","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"twincat","name":"TwinCAT","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via supplementary functions."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"beckhoff-cx5140","name":"Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"With the relevant supplement."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"profisafe","name":"PROFIsafe","category":"machinery-motion","status":"current","openness":"published-paid","transport":["ethernet-l2","udp"],"summary":"Functional safety carried over an ordinary PROFINET or PROFIBUS network. The trick is the black channel: the safety layer adds its own sequence numbers, timeouts, identifiers and CRC on top of whatever the network does, so the network itself never has to be safety-rated. Corruption, loss, delay, repetition and misdirection of a safety message are all detected by the layer above.","multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Safety relationships are point to point between a safety controller and a safe device."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://www.profibus.com/technologies/profisafe","label":"PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International)"},"standards":["iec-61508","iec-62061"],"steward":"PROFIBUS & PROFINET International","first_published":1999,"typical_use":["Emergency stop, guard monitoring and safe motion on stage machinery","Carrying a safety function across the same cable as ordinary control data","Safe torque off and safely limited speed commands to a drive"],"gotchas":["The black channel means the network needs no safety rating — and the watchdog timeout still becomes part of the total stopping time, which becomes millimetres of safety distance.","A safety address is configured per device and a duplicated one is a commissioning fault that has to be found before anybody relies on it.","It carries the safety function. It does not carry the responsibility: the assessment is still ISO 13849-1 or IEC 62061 across the whole chain."],"tags":["functional-safety","machinery","profinet","black-channel"],"sources":[{"title":"PROFIsafe","url":"https://www.profibus.com/technologies/profisafe","publisher":"PROFIBUS & PROFINET International","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"psn","name":"PosiStageNet","aka":["PSN","PosiStage","PosiStageNet"],"category":"tracking-position","summary":"An open multicast UDP protocol for streaming live 3D position, orientation, speed and acceleration of tracked objects on stage. It is how a tracking system tells lighting consoles, media servers and audio renderers where a performer or a piece of scenery actually is, right now.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":56565,"transport":"udp","role":"PSN_INFO and PSN_DATA packets","note":"Default in the specification. Both address and port are configurable at the tracking server."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["236.10.10.10 (IPv4 default group)"],"note":"The default group sits in globally scoped multicast space rather than the administratively scoped 239.0.0.0/8 block, so networks with strict multicast policy may drop it. One stream feeds every consumer at once, which is the whole point of using multicast here."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vyv/psn-cpp/master/doc/PosiStageNetprotocol_v2.03_2019_09_09.pdf","label":"PosiStageNet protocol description v2.03 (PDF)"},"steward":"VYV Corporation, developed with MA Lighting Technology GmbH","first_published":2013,"status":"current","typical_use":["Automated followspot systems driven from performer tracking","Projection mapping onto moving scenery and performers","Feeding object-based audio renderers with source positions","Sending automation and scenery positions to consoles and media servers","Broadcasting one tracker stream to several consumers at once"],"gotchas":["There are two packet types. PSN_INFO carries system and tracker names at a slow rate, PSN_DATA carries the positions. A parser that only reads DATA gets numbers with no idea which tracker they belong to.","Default rate is 60 Hz and it can be pushed to 250 Hz. Every increase multiplies packet load on a network that is often shared with lighting multicast, so raise it deliberately, not by default.","Positions are metres in the tracking system's own coordinate frame. PSN carries no origin, axis convention or handedness, so the venue origin and which way is up have to be agreed and written down before anyone patches.","The protocol is public domain and royalty-free, but the name is not. You can implement it freely; you cannot ship something called PosiStageNet without talking to VYV.","Trackers can drop out and reappear. Consumers that hold the last known position will happily keep pointing a light at a spot the performer left thirty seconds ago, so check what your receiver does on timeout."],"implementations":[{"name":"psn-cpp","url":"https://github.com/vyv/psn-cpp","language":"C++","license":"MIT","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["tracking","position","multicast","followspot","vyv"],"sources":[{"title":"PosiStageNet protocol description v2.02","url":"https://posistage.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PosiStageNetprotocol_v2.02_2016_09_15.pdf","publisher":"VYV Corporation and MA Lighting Technology GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"PosiStageNet protocol description v2.03 (PDF in the reference implementation)","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vyv/psn-cpp/master/doc/PosiStageNetprotocol_v2.03_2019_09_09.pdf","publisher":"VYV Corporation","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"PosiStageNet — An Open Protocol for On-Stage, Live 3D Position Data","url":"https://posistage.net/","publisher":"VYV Corporation","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"PosiStageNet protocol description v1.7 (earliest dated release, September 2013)","url":"https://posistage.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/PosiStageNetprotocolv1.7.pdf","publisher":"VYV Corporation","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"depence","name":"Depence","vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"PosiStageNet listed as a supported tracked-object input on the same page."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Listed among Designer's position drivers."},{"kind":"software","id":"grandma3-onpc","name":"grandMA3 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"PosiStageNet controller receives position, velocity and acceleration for multiple tracked objects, with axis interpolation smoothing. Docs say new projects should use the Automation Reader."},{"kind":"software","id":"l-isa-controller","name":"L-ISA Controller","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Performer position from tracking systems."},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"PosiStageNet input for tracked objects."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PosiStageNet in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"PosiStageNet via plugin."},{"kind":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"PosiStageNet tracking input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"PosiStageNet positions, usually via a bridge."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PosiStageNet tracking input for automation-following content."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"follow-me-3d","name":"Follow-Me 3D","vendor":"Follow-Me","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Position exchange."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PosiStageNet input for tracking-driven follow."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Position data for tracking-driven fixtures."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"kinesys-elevation-1-plus","name":"Kinesys Elevation 1+","vendor":"Kinesys","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"PosiStageNet output of axis positions to lighting and media systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PosiStageNet for tracked objects and moving scenery."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PosiStageNet input for tracked objects."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"tait-navigator","name":"TAIT Navigator","vendor":"TAIT","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"PosiStageNet output of axis and object positions."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"tta-stagetracker-ii","name":"TTA StageTracker II","vendor":"TTA — Track The Artist","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Position output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","vendor":"zactrack","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PosiStageNet output of tracked positions."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"ptp-1588","name":"PTP (IEEE 1588)","aka":["Precision Time Protocol","IEEE 1588","PTPv2","gPTP"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol distributes a common clock across an ethernet network to sub-microsecond accuracy by timestamping messages in both directions. It is the timing foundation under AES67, Dante, RAVENNA, ST 2110 and AVB, and when it is unhappy all of them fail at once.","transport":["udp","ethernet-l2"],"default_ports":[{"number":319,"transport":"udp","role":"PTP event messages (Sync, Delay_Req, Pdelay_Req, Pdelay_Resp)","iana_registered":true,"note":"These are the timestamped messages. Anything that delays them asymmetrically becomes a clock offset error."},{"number":320,"transport":"udp","role":"PTP general messages (Announce, Follow_Up, Delay_Resp, management)","iana_registered":true}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["224.0.1.129 (IPv4 PTP primary address)","224.0.0.107 (IPv4 peer delay messages, link-local)","FF0X::181 (IPv6)"],"note":"Some profiles also use 224.0.1.130 through 224.0.1.132; Audinate and ALC NetworX both document the 224.0.1.129-132 block plus 224.0.0.107 as the addresses to allow through a switch. PTP can also run unicast or over Layer 2 (gPTP) depending on profile."},"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1588/6825/","label":"IEEE 1588-2019 (paid, or via the IEEE GET Program)"},"steward":"IEEE","first_published":2002,"status":"current","typical_use":["Master clock for AES67, Dante, RAVENNA and ST 2110 audio and video networks","Genlock replacement in IP broadcast plants (SMPTE ST 2059-2 profile)","gPTP (IEEE 802.1AS) timing for AVB and Milan networks","Timestamping and coordinated motion in industrial and machinery control"],"gotchas":["Profiles are the trap. Default profile, the AES67 media profile, SMPTE ST 2059-2 and gPTP (802.1AS) are all IEEE 1588. Devices on different profiles, or on the same profile with different domain numbers, will never lock.","Dante's default clock is PTP version 1 (IEEE 1588-2002), not PTPv2. A Dante plant and an AES67 or ST 2110 plant need something that deliberately bridges the two clock domains, not just a patch cable.","The Best Master Clock Algorithm means the grandmaster can change without anyone touching anything. Plug in a device advertising a better clock class and the whole facility re-locks, usually at the worst moment.","Asymmetry is invisible and fatal. Different fibre lengths in each direction, a one-way shaper, or a switch that is transparent-clock aware in one direction only, all produce a constant offset that no log will flag.","A switch that is not PTP aware still passes PTP, it just adds variable queue delay. It will look fine on a quiet network at setup and drift when the show traffic arrives.","UDP 319 and 320 are frequently blocked by default on firewalls and by multicast filtering. Symptoms are audio that works for a few minutes after boot and then falls apart as the local clock walks away."],"implementations":[{"name":"linuxptp (ptp4l, phc2sys)","url":"https://github.com/richardcochran/linuxptp","language":"C","license":"GPL-2.0-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["timing","clock","ieee","multicast","ptp"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 9760 — Enterprise Profile for the Precision Time Protocol (PTP ports 319/320, address 224.0.1.129)","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9760.html","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"IEEE 1588-2019 — Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1588/6825/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"RAVENNA Network Requirements V1.4 (PTP multicast addresses, DSCP, profiles)","url":"https://www.ravenna-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/RAVENNA-Network-Requirements-V1.4.pdf","publisher":"ALC NetworX","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"Dante Information for Network Administrators v7.1 (Dante uses PTPv1 by default)","url":"https://www.getdante.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Information-for-Network-Admins-v7.1.pdf","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"dante-controller","name":"Dante Controller","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Displays PTP clock status, master election and offsets."},{"kind":"software","id":"dante-domain-manager","name":"Dante Domain Manager","vendor":"Audinate","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Clock management across domains."},{"kind":"software","id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"For synchronised multi-machine playback."},{"kind":"software","id":"qsys-designer","name":"Q-SYS Designer","vendor":"QSC, LLC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"PTPv2 (IEEE 1588-2008) on multicast 224.0.1.129, UDP 319-320. It is the clock for Q-LAN and AES67 and is documented as time-sensitive traffic the network must prioritise."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Transparent or boundary clock support varies sharply by model and licence."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9300","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Depending on licence and configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"For AES67 and RAVENNA."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"PTP grandmaster, depending on option."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock distribution."}],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"q-lan","name":"Q-LAN","aka":["QLAN"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"QSC's gigabit audio and video transport for the Q-SYS ecosystem, carrying low-latency streams between Cores, peripherals and cameras with PTPv2 clocking. It is what a Q-SYS install runs on even when Dante or AES67 cards are also fitted.","transport":["udp"],"openness":"proprietary-documented","steward":"QSC (Q-SYS)","status":"current","typical_use":["Q-SYS Core to peripheral audio and video transport in installed systems","Corporate, hospitality and themed-venue AV backbones built on Q-SYS"],"media":{"audio":{"bit_depths":[32],"encoding":"32-bit floating point linear PCM","note":"QSC documents the word length and the packet layout — 16 samples for each of up to 16 channels per stream packet, 1100 octets including overhead, up to 128 streams per Core — but does not state a sample rate in current documentation. The 48 kHz figure widely quoted for Q-LAN traces back to a 2009 white paper, so it is deliberately not repeated here. Confirm against your Q-SYS release."}},"gotchas":["Q-LAN marks its PTPv2 clock DSCP 46 (EF) and audio DSCP 34, while Dante marks AUDIO as DSCP 46. Shared fabric puts Dante audio in the queue that carries the Q-LAN clock and can starve it: separate by VLAN or remap.","Q-LAN audio moves in fixed 16-channel streams at 48 kHz/32-bit (roughly 33 Mbps each), so channel counts round up to the next stream whether you use the channels or not.","Like every PTP-clocked transport it assumes IGMP snooping with a querier and no Energy Efficient Ethernet on AV ports; QSC's switch requirements are explicit about both."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","networking","qsys"],"sources":[{"title":"Q-LAN Networking, Q-SYS 8.1 help","url":"https://q-syshelp.qsc.com/q-sys_8.1/Content/Networking/01_Q-LAN_Networking.htm","publisher":"QSC","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Quality of Service settings across QLAN, Dante, and AES67","url":"https://support.qsys.com/en_US/awareness/awareness-%7C-quality-of-service-settings-across-qlan-dante-and-aes67","publisher":"Q-SYS (QSC)","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Networked Systems Technical Notes (Q-LAN)","url":"https://q-syshelp.qsc.com/q-sys_7.0/content/Appendix/q_dn_qlan_notes.pdf","publisher":"QSC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Ethernet switch requirements","url":"https://help.qsys.com/q-sys_8.0/Content/Networking/Ethernet_Switch_Requirements.htm","publisher":"Q-SYS (QSC)","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"qsys-core-510i","name":"Q-SYS Core 510i","vendor":"QSC (Q-SYS)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Native transport to Q-SYS peripherals, cameras and other Cores."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"ravenna","name":"RAVENNA","aka":["RAVENNA/AES67"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"ALC NetworX's audio-over-IP technology built on RTP media streams, PTPv2 clocking, DNS-SD discovery and RTSP connection management. It is common in broadcast infrastructure and Merging Technologies recording systems, and it carries AES67 as a subset.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":8080,"transport":"tcp","role":"HTTP configuration interface","note":"Assignable, with 8080 as the documented default. RTP, RTCP and RTSP ports are all assignable too; RTCP is always the RTP port plus one."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"RTP streams can be unicast or multicast and the addresses are assigned by the implementation, not reserved by the specification. PTP uses the well-known 224.0.1.129 to 224.0.1.132 and 224.0.0.107 groups."},"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://ravenna-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RAVENNA_Operating_Principles_-_Draft_1.0_final.pdf","label":"RAVENNA Operating Principles (Draft 1.0)"},"steward":"ALC NetworX GmbH, merged into Lawo in January 2024","first_published":2010,"status":"current","media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[44.1,48,88.2,96,176.4,192,352.8,384],"bit_depths":[16,24,32],"encoding":"Linear PCM, L16 and L24, over RTP","note":"The high rates are the point of RAVENNA and the reason it is not interchangeable with AES67. Anything above 48 kHz, or a packet time other than 1 ms, is outside the subset an AES67-only receiver accepts."}},"typical_use":["Broadcast studio and OB truck audio infrastructure","Merging Technologies Pyramix and Horus/Hapi recording systems","High channel count and high sample rate studio links","Feeding and receiving AES67 streams from other vendors' networks"],"gotchas":["RAVENNA is a superset of AES67. Two RAVENNA devices can agree on sample rates above 48 kHz or packet times other than 1 ms that an AES67-only receiver cannot accept, so interop needs the stream forced into the subset.","Discovery is DNS-SD, with mDNS only as the fallback where there is no DNS server. A plant running unicast DNS-SD and a device expecting mDNS will not see each other even though both are working correctly.","Connection management is RTSP plus SDP, not SAP. Many AES67 devices only listen for SAP announcements on 9875, which is why converter tools exist to translate between the two.","PTP is IEEE 1588-2008 and RAVENNA supports Default, AES67 and SMPTE ST 2059-2 profiles. Domain number and profile must match across the whole plant, and mismatches present as slow drift rather than as a clean fault.","ALC NetworX recommend static IP addressing and explicitly warn off DHCP. A DHCP lease change mid-show pulls the stream addresses out from under receivers that were told about them in an SDP.","Recommended DSCP is CS6 for PTP event messages and EF or AF41 for RTP, and RAVENNA traffic normally has to outrank VoIP on shared corporate infrastructure. On a default switch config it will not."],"implementations":[{"name":"ALSA RAVENNA/AES67 driver","url":"https://github.com/bondagit/ravenna-alsa-lkm","language":"C","role":"both"},{"name":"aes67-linux-daemon","url":"https://github.com/bondagit/aes67-linux-daemon","language":"C++","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","audio-over-ip","broadcast","aes67","ptp"],"sources":[{"title":"RAVENNA Operating Principles — Draft 1.0","url":"https://ravenna-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RAVENNA_Operating_Principles_-_Draft_1.0_final.pdf","publisher":"ALC NetworX","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"RAVENNA Network Requirements V1.4","url":"https://www.ravenna-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/RAVENNA-Network-Requirements-V1.4.pdf","publisher":"ALC NetworX","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ALC NetworX (introduced at IBC 2010, merged with Lawo January 2024)","url":"https://www.ravenna-network.com/partners/alc-networx/","publisher":"RAVENNA Network","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"RAVENNA and AES67 white paper","url":"https://ravenna-network.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RAVENNA___AES67_V1.0.pdf","publisher":"ALC NetworX","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via module."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, listed alongside AES67."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"rdm","name":"RDM","aka":["Remote Device Management","E1.20","RDM over DMX"],"category":"device-management","summary":"Bidirectional device management that shares the same pair as DMX512, using alternate start code 0xCC so level data and management traffic interleave on one line. It is how you read and change a fixture's address, personality and sensors without going up in the truss.","transport":["rs485"],"multicast":{"used":false},"universe_model":"Shares the DMX512 slot space. Devices are addressed by a UID built from a 16-bit ESTA manufacturer ID plus a device-specific part, not by DMX address.","openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (ANSI E1.20, free download)"},"steward":"ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)","first_published":2006,"status":"current","typical_use":["Reading and setting DMX addresses and personalities from front of house","Pulling lamp hours, temperature and error sensors during a preshow check","Identifying which physical fixture sits on which address","Configuring gateways, splitters and dimmer racks on a DMX line"],"gotchas":["Every splitter, buffer and opto in the path has to be RDM aware. A one-way splitter passes DMX perfectly and silently swallows every response, so discovery finds nothing and the rig looks dead to the controller.","Fixtures that do not check start codes will act on 0xCC packets as if they were levels. Enabling RDM on a line with old kit on it can produce flicker or jumps that look like a data fault.","RDM traffic occupies slots that would otherwise carry DMX. Heavy discovery or continuous sensor polling measurably drops the refresh rate, so turn the polling down before doors.","Discovery is a binary search over the UID space with collision retries. On a large or marginal line a full discovery takes minutes and can still miss devices; run it twice before believing the count.","The controller owns the line. Two RDM controllers on the same universe talk over each other and responses get attributed to the wrong device, which produces genuinely confusing patch data.","Manufacturer IDs 8000h to FFFFh are reserved for the dynamic UIDs used by E1.33 RDMnet. A device showing one of those is not identifiable by manufacturer from the UID alone.","Response timing is tight and specified. A long line, a bad terminator or a cheap USB dongle that turns the driver around too slowly will produce intermittent discovery with clean-looking DMX."],"implementations":[{"name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"ETCLabs RDM","url":"https://github.com/ETCLabs/RDM","language":"C","license":"Apache-2.0","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","rdm","device-management","esta","rs485"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.20 — Remote Device Management over DMX512 Networks (current edition, free download)","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.20-2010 preview — scope, half-duplex operation, DISC_UNIQUE_BRANCH discovery","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/preview-pages/esta/preview_ansi_e1-20_2010.pdf","publisher":"ESTA / ANSI webstore","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"DMX512 Alternate START Codes registry (0xCC = E1.20 RDM)","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/working_groups/CP/DMXAlternateCodes.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ESTA Manufacturer IDs (16-bit ID, 8000h-FFFFh reserved for E1.33 dynamic UIDs)","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/working_groups/CP/mfctrIDs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Patching by RDM requires an RDM-enabled Art-Net node. The console's own XLR connectors do not support RDM."},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM is listed among the features available in demo mode, so it does not need a wing or dongle."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmx-workshop","name":"DMX-Workshop","vendor":"Singularity (UK) Ltd","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"RDM over Art-Net discovery/control."},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcat","name":"DMXcat","vendor":"City Theatrical, Inc.","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"RDM Controller app performs RDM discovery, listing devices/addresses/attributes, via the DMXcat hardware."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Device discovery from the Patch display. Network RDM requires an ETC Net3 or Response Mk2 gateway with RDM enabled on the DMX ports, running gateway software 5.1 or newer."},{"kind":"software","id":"etcdmxtool","name":"ETCDmxTool","vendor":"ETC Labs","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Acts as an RDM controller and can capture RDM traffic; full feature set requires ETC Gadget II hardware."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"OLA carries a full RDM responder and controller stack."},{"kind":"software","id":"rdm-controller-jese","name":"RDM Controller","vendor":"JESE","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Full RDM discovery, GET and SET."},{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"E1.20 RDM dissector; base fields since Wireshark 1.8.0, extended fields since 3.4.0."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM discovery and patch from Titan."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM from Titan."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Through supported nodes and outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Discovery and parameter setting from the console."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"city-theatrical-multiverse","name":"City Theatrical Multiverse Transmitter","vendor":"City Theatrical","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Wireless RDM."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"elc-dmxlan-node8","name":"ELC dmXLAN node8","vendor":"ELC Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on model and firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-din-ethergate-mk2","name":"ENTTEC DIN Ethergate MK2","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-dmx-usb-pro","name":"ENTTEC DMX USB Pro","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Requires the DMX/RDM firmware; ENTTEC also supplies separate DMX-only firmware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-ode-mk3","name":"ENTTEC ODE Mk3","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"ANSI E1.20 RDM."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM data is carried over Art-Net and over ETC Net3."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Through Net3 gateways."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM through Net3 gateways."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM proxy for discovery and configuration from the console."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"RDM for module reporting on supported configurations."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Configuration and feedback."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM on the local DMX ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Fixture discovery and configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lumenradio-crmx-nova-tx2","name":"LumenRadio CRMX Nova TX2","vendor":"LumenRadio","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Bidirectional RDM over the wireless link."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM discovery and proxy."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM discovery on the local ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","vendor":"Pathway Connectivity","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Discovery and configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"wireless-solution-blackbox-f2","name":"Wireless Solution W-DMX BlackBox F-2 G6","vendor":"Wireless Solution","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM over the wireless link."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RDM on the local DMX ports."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Discovery, addressing and configuration sharing the DMX pair. It has no show deadline and it competes with traffic that does — which is exactly why it is scheduled between the lighting frames rather than instead of them."},{"id":"rdmnet","name":"RDMnet","aka":["E1.33","RDM over IP"],"category":"device-management","summary":"Carries RDM messages over IP, with brokers routing between controllers and devices instead of every controller polling every wire. It also defines LLRP, a multicast side channel for finding and fixing devices whose IP settings are wrong.","transport":["tcp","udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5569,"transport":"udp","role":"LLRP discovery and configuration (multicast)","iana_registered":true,"note":"IANA registers 5569/udp as rdmnet-device and 5569/tcp as rdmnet-ctrl to PLASA for E1.33. Broker connections do not use a fixed port; brokers advertise their listening port over DNS-SD."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["239.255.250.133 (LLRP request, IPv4)","239.255.250.134 (LLRP response, IPv4)","ff18::85:0:0:85 (LLRP request, IPv6)","ff18::85:0:0:86 (LLRP response, IPv6)"],"note":"Multicast is used only by LLRP. Normal RPT traffic between controllers, brokers and devices is unicast TCP through a broker. Addresses as defined in the ETC reference implementation of E1.33."},"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (ANSI E1.33-2019, free download)"},"steward":"ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)","first_published":2019,"status":"current","typical_use":["Configuring RDM devices across a whole building from one controller","Recovering nodes that have the wrong IP address, via LLRP","Gateways exposing their downstream DMX/RDM responders to the network","Multi-controller environments where a single DMX line would be a bottleneck"],"gotchas":["Nothing works without a broker. With no broker running in the scope, controllers and devices sit there discovered and unable to exchange a single message. Some products embed a broker, most do not.","Discovery is DNS-SD, normally over mDNS, which does not cross a subnet boundary without a reflector or a unicast DNS-SD server. That is the usual reason a device on another VLAN never appears in the list.","Scope is a text string and it defaults to \"default\". A device left on the wrong scope is invisible to the controller even though it is on the right network and answers a ping.","LLRP is the recovery path, not the working path. It is multicast and deliberately limited in what it can do, so never design a routine control workflow around it.","Dynamic UIDs are allocated by the broker in the 8000h-FFFFh manufacturer ID range and are not stable across sessions. Never key a patch, a preset or a show file off one.","A gateway presents its downstream DMX responders as endpoints, but the wire behind it is still RS-485 RDM. A slow or marginal DMX leg gates the whole conversation regardless of how fast the network is.","TCP connections to the broker are health-checked with heartbeats. A network that drops idle flows, or a firewall with a short state timeout, will make devices appear and disappear on a cycle."],"implementations":[{"name":"ETCLabs RDMnet","url":"https://github.com/ETCLabs/RDMnet","language":"C","license":"Apache-2.0","role":"both"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","rdm","device-management","esta","dns-sd"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.33-2019 (RDMnet), approved 27 August 2019 — free download","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.33-2019 preview — scope, Broker/Controller/Device roles, DNS-SD, LLRP","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/preview-pages/ESTA/preview_ANSI+E1.33-2019.pdf","publisher":"ESTA / ANSI webstore","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ETCLabs RDMnet — include/rdmnet/defs.h (LLRP addresses, LLRP_PORT, default scope, DNS-SD service type)","url":"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ETCLabs/RDMnet/main/include/rdmnet/defs.h","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"IANA Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry (5569 rdmnet-ctrl / rdmnet-device, PLASA E1.33)","url":"https://www.iana.org/assignments/service-names-port-numbers/service-names-port-numbers.xhtml","publisher":"IANA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"RDMnet dissector added in Wireshark 3.4.0 (commit 'Added RDMnet protocol', March 2020)."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"The same job over IP, and the same reasoning."},{"id":"rs-232","name":"RS-232","aka":["TIA-232","EIA-232","RS232","Serial"],"category":"device-management","summary":"Single-ended point-to-point serial signalling, and still the control input on a large amount of installed projection, switching and audio gear. One driver, one receiver, one cable, no addressing — which is exactly why it keeps working long after the network around it has been replaced.","transport":["rs232"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/standards/","label":"TIA standards catalogue"},"steward":"TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)","status":"current","typical_use":["Projector and display control","Matrix switchers and older audio processors","Serial passthrough in control systems and HDBaseT extenders"],"gotchas":["Single-ended and unbalanced: the signal is referenced to ground, so it has none of the noise rejection of RS-422 or RS-485 and is limited to short runs. It also means a ground difference between the two ends becomes part of the signal.","Straight-through versus null-modem is still the first thing to check. Two devices that both expect to be the DTE need their transmit and receive swapped, and nothing about the connector tells you which is which.","Flow control is often the difference between working and not. A device expecting hardware handshaking on a cable that carries only three wires will accept the first command and then go quiet.","Baud, data bits, parity and stop bits all have to match at both ends, and a mismatch produces plausible-looking garbage rather than silence."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["serial","control","legacy"],"sources":[{"title":"TIA-232-F — Interface Between Data Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing Serial Binary Data Interchange","url":"https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/standards/","publisher":"Telecommunications Industry Association","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":null,"flow_note":"An electrical and connector standard. What rides on it decides the flow."},{"id":"rs-422","name":"RS-422","aka":["TIA-422","EIA-422","RS422"],"category":"device-management","summary":"Balanced point-to-point serial signalling with one driver and up to ten receivers. It sits between RS-232 and RS-485: the noise immunity of a differential pair, without the multi-drop arbitration, which suits a one-to-many broadcast rather than a bus.","transport":["rs232"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/standards/","label":"TIA standards catalogue"},"steward":"TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)","status":"current","typical_use":["Machine and deck control in broadcast","Some stage-machinery installations","The physical layer under several proprietary show-control links"],"gotchas":["One driver only. RS-422 is not a bus and cannot arbitrate: putting two transmitters on the same pair is an electrical conflict, not a collision that gets retried.","Frequently confused with RS-485 because both are differential pairs at similar voltages. A device wired for one will often part-work with the other, which is worse than not working at all."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["serial","differential","control"],"sources":[{"title":"TIA-422-B — Electrical Characteristics of Balanced Voltage Digital Interface Circuits","url":"https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/standards/","publisher":"Telecommunications Industry Association","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":null,"flow_note":"An electrical standard, like RS-232 but balanced. The flow is whatever it carries."},{"id":"rs-485","name":"RS-485","aka":["TIA-485","EIA-485","TIA/EIA-485-A","RS485"],"category":"device-management","summary":"The balanced, multi-drop electrical layer that DMX512, many Modbus installations and most machinery buses actually run on. It defines voltages and drive capability, not data — what the bits mean is always somebody else's standard sitting on top.","transport":["rs485"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/standards/","label":"TIA standards catalogue"},"steward":"TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)","status":"current","typical_use":["Under DMX512 and RDM","Under most Modbus RTU field wiring","Motion and machinery control buses"],"gotchas":["RS-485 says nothing about connectors, pinout, baud rate or protocol. Two devices can both be \"RS-485\" and share nothing else. That is a feature of the standard and a recurring surprise on site.","The load limit is stated in unit loads, not devices. One unit load is a 12 kΩ impedance across the pair and a driver must handle 32 of them. A quarter-unit-load receiver puts four devices in one unit load, which is why a modern DMX line can exceed 32 fixtures and an older one cannot.","Termination is 120 Ω at each physical end of the bus and nowhere else. Two terminators give 60 Ω across the pair, which is what the driver expects. A terminator part-way along a run, or a missing one, both show up as intermittent errors rather than a clean failure.","The common-mode range is −7 V to +12 V. A ground potential difference outside that window between two ends of a long run will corrupt data on a pair that measures fine, which is the case for a proper ground reference rather than just two conductors."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["serial","differential","multidrop","dmx"],"sources":[{"title":"TIA-485-A — Electrical Characteristics of Generators and Receivers for Use in Balanced Digital Multipoint Systems","url":"https://tiaonline.org/what-we-do/standards/","publisher":"Telecommunications Industry Association","primary":true},{"title":"The RS-485 Design Guide (SLLA272)","url":"https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slla272","publisher":"Texas Instruments"},{"title":"Guidelines for Proper Wiring of an RS-485 (TIA/EIA-485-A) Network","url":"https://www.analog.com/en/resources/technical-articles/rs485-cable-specification-guide--maxim-integrated.html","publisher":"Analog Devices"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":null,"flow_note":"The electrical layer DMX and many machinery buses sit on. It has no payload of its own."},{"id":"rtmp","name":"RTMP","aka":["Real-Time Messaging Protocol"],"category":"video-transport","openness":"open-published","first_published":2009,"status":"current","summary":"Adobe-originated streaming protocol that survives as the ingest format nearly every streaming platform still accepts. Largely replaced downstream by HLS and DASH, but the encoder-to-platform hop is still overwhelmingly RTMP.","transport":["tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":1935,"transport":"tcp","role":"RTMP ingest","iana_registered":true}],"spec_url":{"url":"https://rtmp.veriskope.com/docs/spec/","label":"RTMP specification"},"steward":"Adobe (specification published), maintained in practice by platform vendors","media":{"video":{"compression":"H.264 video with AAC audio, frozen there in practice","note":"RTMP fixes no resolution or frame rate; the encoder decides both and the platform sets what it will accept. What is effectively fixed is the codec pair, so newer codecs need extensions that not every platform takes."}},"typical_use":["Pushing a stream from OBS or a hardware encoder to a platform","Ingest into a CDN for onward HLS delivery","Simple venue-to-cloud streaming"],"gotchas":["RTMP is TCP. On a lossy link it stalls and buffers rather than degrading gracefully, which is why SRT exists for contribution over unmanaged networks.","Codec support is frozen in practice at H.264 and AAC. Anything newer needs RTMP extensions the platform may not accept, or a different protocol entirely.","The stream key is a credential. It is routinely pasted into chat and left in show files, and it lets anyone broadcast to that channel."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["rtmp","streaming","ingest","obs"],"sources":[{"title":"RTMP specification","url":"https://rtmp.veriskope.com/docs/spec/","publisher":"Veriskope","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"obs-studio","name":"OBS Studio","vendor":"OBS Project","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RTMP output is the default path to almost every streaming platform."},{"kind":"software","id":"vmix","name":"vMix","vendor":"StudioCoast","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Streaming."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"rtp","name":"RTP","aka":["Real-time Transport Protocol","RTP/RTCP"],"category":"network-transport","summary":"The framing that carries real-time media over UDP — sequence numbers, a timestamp and a payload type on every packet, so a receiver can reorder, detect loss and reconstruct timing. AES67, ST 2110 and most VoIP intercom are RTP underneath.","transport":["udp"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3550","label":"RFC 3550 — RTP"},"steward":"IETF","status":"current","first_published":1996,"typical_use":["The media layer under AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110","VoIP and IP intercom","Streaming contribution feeds alongside RTSP or SIP signalling"],"gotchas":["RTP carries no reliability of its own. There are no retransmissions, so a lost packet is a lost packet — which is the correct trade for live media and the wrong one for file transfer.","The timestamp is a media clock, not a wall clock. Aligning several RTP streams to each other needs a shared reference such as PTP.","Port numbers are assigned by the signalling that set the session up, not by RTP itself, which is why a firewall rule for \"RTP\" is rarely a single port."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["network","streaming","realtime"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 3550 — RTP, A Transport Protocol for Real-Time Applications","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3550","publisher":"IETF","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media","flow_note":"The transport AES67, RAVENNA and ST 2110 all actually run on."},{"id":"rttrpm","name":"RTTrPM","aka":["Real Time Tracking Protocol Motion","RTTrP Motion","BlackTrax protocol"],"category":"tracking-position","summary":"The packet format BlackTrax uses to stream tracked position and orientation to third party systems. It carries centroid and individual point positions, quaternion or Euler orientation, velocity, acceleration and zone collisions for lighting, video and audio consumers.","transport":["udp"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://rttrp.github.io/RTTrP-Wiki/RTTrPM.html","label":"RTTrPM packet structure and module definitions"},"steward":"CAST Group (BlackTrax)","status":"current","typical_use":["BlackTrax feeding media servers for projection onto moving objects","Driving moving lights and followspot systems from beacon positions","Positioning sources in object-based audio renderers","Triggering show events from zone collision detection"],"gotchas":["The RTTrP header carries both a big-endian signature (0x4154) and a little-endian one (0x5441). Read the signature first and byte-swap the rest of the packet accordingly, or every position you decode looks like noise.","A packet is a header plus a variable list of modules, each with its own type and size. Do not assume fixed offsets. Walk the module list by declared size or you will break on the next firmware release.","Centroid position and tracked point position are separate module types. A beacon taped to a performer's shoulder is not the centroid of the trackable, and consuming the wrong one puts the light in the wrong place.","RTTrPM (motion) and RTTrPL (lighting) share the same header. Motion is a fixed-rate stream, lighting is event-driven, so a receiver that assumes a steady packet rate will time out on the lighting side.","The wiki documents no default port and no default address. Whatever the BlackTrax output configuration says is the truth, so get it from the tracking operator rather than guessing."],"implementations":[{"name":"RTTrP reference stub code (C++ and Python)","url":"https://github.com/RTTrP/RTTrP-v1.8.7.0","language":"C++","license":"MIT","role":"receiver"},{"name":"RTTrPMtoOSC bridge","url":"https://github.com/bastidererste/RTTrPMtoOSC","language":"C++","role":"receiver"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["tracking","position","blacktrax","cast"],"sources":[{"title":"Real-Time Tracking Protocol — RTTrPM","url":"https://rttrp.github.io/RTTrP-Wiki/RTTrPM.html","publisher":"CAST Group","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Real-Time Tracking Protocol (RTTrP overview, RTTrPM vs RTTrPL)","url":"https://rttrp.github.io/RTTrP-Wiki/index.html","publisher":"CAST Group","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"BlackTrax developer resources (simulator, UDP player, sample code)","url":"https://blacktrax.cast-soft.com/developers/","publisher":"CAST Group","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Used for BlackTrax tracking data."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"BlackTrax is listed among MultiController automation readers; the manual names the product rather than the RTTrPM protocol version, so the exact wire format is not confirmed in vendor docs."},{"kind":"software","id":"l-isa-controller","name":"L-ISA Controller","vendor":"L-Acoustics","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Performer position from tracking systems."},{"kind":"software","id":"notch","name":"Notch","vendor":"Notch (10bit FX Limited)","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":"BlackTrax is listed among supported tracking systems, but the docs name the product rather than the RTTrPM protocol version. Tracking support is an RFX-tier feature: Indie and VFX tiers have no tracking systems."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RTTrPM in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"blacktrax-system","name":"BlackTrax","vendor":"CAST Group","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RTTrP is CAST's open real-time tracking protocol, with RTTrPM and RTTrPL variants for third-party systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Positional data from BlackTrax and other RTTrPM sources, usually via a bridge."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"BlackTrax position data."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"BlackTrax tracking input via RTTrPM."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"RTTrPM tracking input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"tta-stagetracker-ii","name":"TTA StageTracker II","vendor":"TTA — Track The Artist","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Position output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","vendor":"zactrack","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"RTTrPM output for audio object positions."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"sacn","name":"sACN","aka":["Streaming ACN","E1.31","Streaming ACN (E1.31)"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"Carries DMX512 data over standard IP networks as multicast UDP, one multicast group per universe. It is the vendor-neutral way to get lighting data around a building without running a copper DMX line to every position.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":5568,"transport":"udp","role":"sACN data and synchronisation packets","iana_registered":true,"note":"Registered with IANA as \"sdt\" (Session Data Transport), the ACN transport E1.31 sits on."}],"multicast":{"used":true,"ranges":["239.255.0.0/16 (IPv4, universe in low two octets)","FF18::83:00:00:00/104 (IPv6)"],"note":"IPv4 group for universe N is 239.255.<high byte of N>.<low byte of N>, so universe 1 is 239.255.0.1. Unicast is also permitted by the standard and is increasingly the safer choice on shared networks."},"universe_model":"512 slots per universe; universes 1-63999, plus 64214 for E1.31 discovery.","openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents"},"standards":["ansi-e1-31","ansi-e1-17"],"steward":"ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association)","first_published":2009,"status":"current","typical_use":["Console to lighting network backbone in theatres, arenas and studios","Feeding DMX gateways that break out to local XLR5 lines","Driving pixel controllers and LED processors directly over ethernet","Previsualisation and offline programming links"],"gotchas":["Multicast without IGMP snooping configured on the switch turns into a broadcast storm. This is the single most common cause of \"the network died when we patched the second console\".","Priority is per-universe (0-200, default 100) and sources with equal priority get merged by the receiver, not by the sender. Two consoles at default priority will fight.","Universe numbering is 1-based here but many products expose a 0-based index internally. Always confirm against the receiving device, not the console."],"implementations":[{"name":"sACN (Python)","url":"https://github.com/Hundemeier/sacn","language":"Python","license":"MIT","role":"both"},{"name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","language":"C++","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"both"},{"name":"sacn (Rust)","url":"https://github.com/lucasmerlin/sacn","language":"Rust","license":"Apache-2.0","role":"both"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","dmx-over-ip","multicast","esta"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.31 — Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using ACN","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","primary":true},{"title":"Service Name and Transport Protocol Port Number Registry (port 5568, sdt)","url":"https://www.iana.org/assignments/service-names-port-numbers/service-names-port-numbers.xhtml","publisher":"IANA","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN control from a lighting console."},{"kind":"software","id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"sACN out to nodes, and Streaming ACN In is also available as an external trigger source on supported consoles."},{"kind":"software","id":"capture","name":"Capture","vendor":"Capture Visualisation AB","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"sACN out in multicast or unicast, and received for capture or merging."},{"kind":"software","id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"daslight","name":"Daslight","vendor":"Daslight (Nicolaudie)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"sACN output."},{"kind":"software","id":"depence","name":"Depence","vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Listed alongside Art-Net on Syncronorm's own system-integration page as a supported DMX-over-network input."},{"kind":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dmx-workshop","name":"DMX-Workshop","vendor":"Singularity (UK) Ltd","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","vendor":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output."},{"kind":"software","id":"dot2-onpc","name":"dot2 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Output multicast, universes 1 to 8, sACN priority fixed at 100. On onPC the first universe is free; beyond that a dot2 Node4 is required."},{"kind":"software","id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Enabled by default in Patch, universes 1-63,999. Incoming sACN levels can also be used as a show control trigger."},{"kind":"software","id":"grandma3-onpc","name":"grandMA3 onPC","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"One of the two Ethernet DMX protocols grandMA3 supports for sending and receiving."},{"kind":"software","id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Accepted by the DMX component for desk control and available as a PixelMapper output protocol."},{"kind":"software","id":"l8","name":"L8","vendor":"L8 LLC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"DMX input protocol on every edition, e.g. 2 universes on the entry CE edition."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightconverse","name":"LightConverse","vendor":"LightConverse","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN input from a console."},{"kind":"software","id":"lightkey","name":"Lightkey","vendor":"Lightkey","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output."},{"kind":"software","id":"madmapper","name":"MadMapper","vendor":"garageCube","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"sACN for lighting integration."},{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"sACN output alongside Art-Net; the manual warns sACN universe numbering starts at 1 whereas Art-Net starts at 0."},{"kind":"software","id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","vendor":"Open Lighting Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented as the Streaming ACN (E1.31) plugin."},{"kind":"software","id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Can be set to output, input or both, with a settable sACN priority in the 0-200 range."},{"kind":"software","id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and output."},{"kind":"software","id":"qlab","name":"QLab","vendor":"Figure 53","direction":"out","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"qlc-plus","name":"QLC+","vendor":"QLC+ project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Shipped as the E1.31 plugin."},{"kind":"software","id":"realizzer-3d","name":"Realizzer 3D","vendor":"Realizzer","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN input from a console."},{"kind":"software","id":"sacnview","name":"sACNView","vendor":null,"direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Core purpose is monitoring and sending ANSI/ESTA E1.31 (Streaming ACN)."},{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in for console control."},{"kind":"software","id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"sACN in and out."},{"kind":"software","id":"touchdesigner","name":"TouchDesigner","vendor":"Derivative","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":null},{"kind":"software","id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN through the DMX plugin."},{"kind":"software","id":"vectorworks-vision","name":"Vectorworks Vision","vendor":"Vectorworks, Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented alongside Art-Net as a DMX-provider option for Vectorworks' previsualisation line."},{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Dissected via the ACN dissector's 'Streaming DMX' (E1.31) option, which must be enabled in Preferences > Protocols > ACN."},{"kind":"software","id":"wysiwyg","name":"WYSIWYG","vendor":"CAST Group Inc.","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Documented alongside Art-Net as a network DMX input from the console."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN control input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output, with priority per universe."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Multiple universes over network."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Output and input; sACN priority and merging handled in the console patch."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in for console control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported. IGMP snooping and querier configuration are what make sACN behave here."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9300","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported; IGMP snooping and a querier must be configured."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"city-theatrical-multiverse","name":"City Theatrical Multiverse Transmitter","vendor":"City Theatrical","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","vendor":"disguise","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via Designer's DMX device drivers."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"elc-dmxlan-node8","name":"ELC dmXLAN node8","vendor":"ELC Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Per port."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-din-ethergate-mk2","name":"ENTTEC DIN Ethergate MK2","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Both ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"enttec-ode-mk3","name":"ENTTEC ODE Mk3","vendor":"ENTTEC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":null},{"kind":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"The primary output protocol for Eos, and also usable as a show control input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Primary network output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output, the Eos default."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","vendor":"ETC","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in, DMX out, and DMX in to sACN."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN input from the console."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","vendor":"ETC","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Network control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"follow-me-3d","name":"Follow-Me 3D","vendor":"Follow-Me","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Fixture control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"One of the two Ethernet DMX protocols grandMA3 supports for sending and receiving."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Primary network output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Control and pixel output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Alternative DMX-over-Ethernet path to Art-Net."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","vendor":"High End Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Over the dedicated gigabit Ethernet port. Universe count expands with networked DP8000 processors."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lumenradio-crmx-nova-tx2","name":"LumenRadio CRMX Nova TX2","vendor":"LumenRadio","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"sACN input on network-equipped models."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported. IGMP snooping is the reason to use it over an unmanaged switch."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, not originated. IGMP snooping is the reason to use a managed switch here."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported, with IGMP snooping."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in and out per port."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","vendor":"Megapixel VR","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in for console control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Transported; IGMP snooping with querier is the point of using a managed switch here."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","vendor":"Pathway Connectivity","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Per port."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN in for console control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"wireless-solution-blackbox-f2","name":"Wireless Solution W-DMX BlackBox F-2 G6","vendor":"Wireless Solution","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"sACN on Ethernet-equipped variants."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","vendor":"zactrack","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"sACN output for tracked fixture control."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"sACN output."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"sdi-embedded-audio","name":"SDI Embedded Audio","aka":["Embedded audio","SDI audio"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"AES3-derived digital audio mapped into the ancillary data space of an SDI video signal. It carries programme, mix-minus and isolated feeds with the picture instead of on separate audio cables.","transport":["other","fibre"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/latest/st299-1/st0299-1-2009.pdf","label":"SMPTE ST 299-1:2009 — 24-Bit Digital Audio Format for SMPTE 292"},"steward":"SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)","status":"current","typical_use":["Camera and replay audio carried with video into a production switcher","Programme and mix-minus feeds through SDI routers and distribution amplifiers","Audio extraction at recorders, monitors and streaming encoders"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[32,44.1,48,96],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":16,"encoding":"AES3-derived linear PCM or SMPTE ST 337 non-PCM data","note":"ST 299-1 carries four groups of four channels at up to 48 kHz. At 96 kHz, each group carries two channels, reducing the maximum to eight."}},"gotchas":["Channels travel in groups of four. An embedder or de-embedder configured for the wrong group can pass clean video while returning silence on the expected audio pair.","The 16-channel maximum applies at 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz. At 96 kHz ST 299-1 carries eight channels, so raising the sample rate halves the available channel count.","Audio data and audio control packets occupy different ancillary spaces. Equipment that processes or strips ancillary data can preserve the picture while losing embedded audio or its control information."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["audio","video","sdi","embedded-audio","smpte"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 299-1:2009 — 24-Bit Digital Audio Format for SMPTE 292","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/latest/st299-1/st0299-1-2009.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-09-11","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE 299-0:2010 — Roadmap for the 299 Document Suite","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/ov299-0/20100721-pub/ov0299-0-2010.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-09-11","primary":true}],"contributed_by":["iibaranov-IG"],"updated":"2026-09-11","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"sdi","name":"SDI (Serial Digital Interface)","aka":["SDI","HD-SDI","3G-SDI","6G-SDI","12G-SDI","SMPTE 259M","SMPTE 292"],"category":"video-transport","summary":"SMPTE's uncompressed baseband digital video interface, carried on 75 ohm coax and BNC from 270 Mb/s standard definition up to 11.88 Gb/s 12G. It is still the backbone of most live video: point to point, no negotiation, no network, and it either locks or it does not.","transport":["other","fibre"],"openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st292-1/st292-1-2018.pdf","label":"SMPTE ST 292-1:2018 — 1.5 Gb/s Signal/Data Serial Interface (free PDF)"},"steward":"SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)","status":"current","typical_use":["Camera to switcher and switcher to projector or LED processor","Distribution amplifiers and routers in a control room or OB truck","Feeding media servers, recorders and multiviewers","Long runs on fibre via SDI to fibre converters (SMPTE ST 297)"],"media":{"video":{"max_resolution":"3840x2160","max_frame_rate":60,"colour_sampling":["4:2:2","4:4:4"],"bit_depths":[10,12],"compression":"None — uncompressed","note":"3840x2160 needs 12G-SDI on a single link; above that you are on two or four. The rate tiers are SD 270 Mbit/s, HD 1.485, 3G 2.97, 6G 5.94 and 12G 11.88. Cable reach falls as the rate rises, because coax loss goes with the square root of frequency and the frequency that matters is half the bit rate."},"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":16,"encoding":"Embedded AES3 in the ancillary data space","note":"Sixteen channels in four groups, riding in the horizontal blanking."}},"gotchas":["The bit rate is fixed by the standard, not by the picture. ST 259 is 143/270/360 Mb/s, ST 292-1 is 1.485 Gb/s (or 1.485/1.001), ST 2082-1 is 11.88 Gb/s. A \"12G\" run is really an 11.88 Gb/s run.","The connector is 75 ohm BNC per IEC 61169-8. 50 ohm BNCs are mechanically identical, will fit, will pass SD happily, and will then fail at 3G and 12G in a way that looks like a bad cable everywhere else in the chain.","Cable loss is specified at half the clock frequency, around 20 dB for ST 292-1. The same drum of cable that carries HD across a stadium will not carry 12G, so re-derate every existing run when you upgrade rate.","There is no negotiation, no handshake and no error correction. A marginal link produces sparkles or black frames, and the receiver reports lock rather than quality, so \"it says it is locked\" proves very little.","Audio, timecode and captions ride as ancillary data in the blanking intervals. Some converters, re-clockers and scalers pass video cleanly and drop ANC, so timecode and captions vanish with no error anywhere.","Return loss is specified at 15 dB and rise time at 270 ps for HD, 45 ps for 12G. Cheap patch panels and barrel connectors are the usual reason a 12G path that works on the bench fails in the rack."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["video","baseband","coax","smpte","bnc"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 292-1:2018 — 1.5 Gb/s Signal/Data Serial Interface","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st292-1/st292-1-2018.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE ST 259:2008 — SDTV Digital Signal/Data, Serial Digital Interface","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st259/st0259-2008.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE ST 2082-1:2023 — 12 Gb/s Signal/Data Serial Interface","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2082-1/20231115-pub/st2082-1-2023.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE EG 2111-1:2021 — SD-SDI and HD-SDI Standards Roadmap","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/latest/eg2111-1/eg2111-1-2021.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"verified","note":"Via Blackmagic (Intensity, UltraStudio, DeckLink) and AJA cards, used both for capture and as outputs; Epiphan, Magewell, Inogeni and GigE cameras are also listed for capture."},{"kind":"software","id":"ventuz","name":"Ventuz","vendor":"Ventuz Technology","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"SDI in and out with suitable capture hardware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-aquilon-rs4","name":"Analog Way Aquilon RS4","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"12G and 3G-SDI on the input and output cards."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"barco-e2","name":"Barco Event Master E2","vendor":"Barco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"3G-SDI inputs and outputs on the standard cards."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"blackmagic-atem-4me-constellation-hd","name":"Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD","vendor":"Blackmagic Design","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"3G-SDI in and out across all ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"blackmagic-smart-videohub-40x40","name":"Blackmagic Smart Videohub 40x40","vendor":"Blackmagic Design","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"12G-SDI routing across all ports."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-sx40","name":"Brompton Tessera SX40","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"12G / quad 3G-SDI input depending on configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"novastar-mx40-pro","name":"NovaStar MX40 Pro","vendor":"NovaStar","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"3G-SDI input."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"smpte-st-2110","name":"SMPTE ST 2110","aka":["ST 2110","2110","SMPTE 2110"],"category":"video-transport","summary":"A suite of SMPTE standards for carrying uncompressed video, audio and ancillary data as separate RTP streams over a managed IP network, all locked to PTP. It is the broadcast plant replacement for an SDI router, used in OB trucks, studios and large arena control rooms.","transport":["udp"],"multicast":{"used":true,"note":"Streams are normally multicast, but the suite does not reserve an address range. Addresses are assigned by the facility and handed to receivers in the SDP, usually via a broadcast controller rather than typed in by hand."},"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards/st2110","label":"SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards"},"steward":"SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers)","first_published":2017,"status":"current","typical_use":["IP video routing in broadcast facilities and OB trucks","Arena and stadium control rooms replacing large SDI routers","Carrying camera, replay and graphics feeds on shared network infrastructure","Audio (ST 2110-30) alongside video on the same physical network"],"media":{"video":{"colour_sampling":["4:2:2","4:4:4"],"bit_depths":[8,10,12,16],"compression":"None — uncompressed essence","note":"ST 2110-20 is resolution and frame-rate agnostic by design; what limits you is the link. Uncompressed HD is around 1.5 Gbit/s and UHD around 12 Gbit/s, so the practical ceiling is the network rather than the standard. Audio travels separately in ST 2110-30 as AES67."},"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[48],"bit_depths":[16,24],"encoding":"ST 2110-30, which is AES67","note":"Essence streams are separate, so audio and video are independently routable — which is the whole point of 2110 and the reason lip sync becomes something you have to manage rather than something you get."}},"gotchas":["Video, audio and ancillary data are separate streams with separate multicast addresses. Losing one leaves the others running, so \"no audio\" or \"no timecode\" can present as a perfectly healthy video path.","Everything hangs off PTP. ST 2110-10 defines the system timing model, so a grandmaster that steps, or two grandmasters fighting, takes the whole plant out at once rather than degrading gracefully.","ST 2110-20 video is genuinely uncompressed. Bandwidth is set by raster and frame rate, not by an average bitrate, so plan link capacity from the video format and leave headroom before you commit to a switch.","ST 2110-21 defines sender traffic shaping types. A sender and a receiver with mismatched shaping expectations gives intermittent picture breakup under load, not a clean failure you can point at.","ST 2110-30 audio is closely related to AES67 but the two do not automatically interoperate. Packet time and channel count profiles have to match on both ends before anything passes.","The suite is a dozen separate documents (ST 2110-10, -20, -21, -22, -30, -31, -40, -41, -43, plus RPs) and they are priced individually. Budget for the whole set, not one part number."],"implementations":[{"name":"EBU LIST (pi-list)","url":"https://github.com/ebu/pi-list","language":"C++","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","role":"analyser"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","video-over-ip","broadcast","smpte","ptp"],"sources":[{"title":"ST 2110 Suite of Standards","url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards/st2110","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE ST 2110 FAQ","url":"https://www.smpte.org/smpte-st-2110-faq","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE Publishes ST 2110 Standards for Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks","url":"https://www.tvtechnology.com/the-wire-blog/9354-509354","publisher":"TV Tech","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"ST 2110 on suitably equipped systems."},{"kind":"software","id":"vmix","name":"vMix","vendor":"StudioCoast","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"On higher tiers with suitable hardware."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"analog-way-alta-4k","name":"Analog Way Alta 4K","vendor":"Analog Way","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Depending on option."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-s8","name":"Brompton Tessera S8","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"IP video with the relevant option."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-sx40","name":"Brompton Tessera SX40","vendor":"Brompton Technology","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"ST 2110 input on suitably licensed systems."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","vendor":"Megapixel VR","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"IP video input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"ST 2110 on suitably equipped nodes."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"snmp","name":"SNMP","aka":["Simple Network Management Protocol"],"category":"device-management","openness":"open-published","first_published":1988,"status":"current","summary":"The long-standing network device monitoring protocol. In live entertainment it is how switches, UPSs, projectors and increasingly amplifiers and processors report status into a monitoring dashboard.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":161,"transport":"udp","role":"SNMP agent","iana_registered":true},{"number":162,"transport":"udp","role":"SNMP trap receiver","iana_registered":true}],"spec_url":{"url":"https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3411","label":"RFC 3411 (SNMPv3 framework)"},"steward":"IETF","typical_use":["Monitoring switch port status and errors on a show network","Alerting when a UPS goes to battery","Projector lamp hours and status in an installation"],"gotchas":["SNMPv1 and v2c send the community string in clear text and are effectively unauthenticated. On a venue network reachable from anywhere, that is a real exposure; v3 exists for a reason.","Traps are fire-and-forget UDP. A trap that never arrives looks exactly like nothing having gone wrong.","Vendor MIBs are what make the data meaningful. Without the MIB you get numbered OIDs and no idea which one is the temperature."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["snmp","monitoring","network","management"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 3411: SNMP management frameworks","url":"https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3411","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Decodes SNMP."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"SNMP agent and traps, the usual way a venue monitors its switches."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9300","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","vendor":"Cisco","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","vendor":"Crestron","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"kinesys-libra","name":"Kinesys Libra","vendor":"Kinesys","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Monitoring, depending on configuration."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"SNMP monitoring of switch state."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"SNMP monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rts-adam","name":"RTS ADAM Intercom Matrix","vendor":"RTS (Bosch)","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Monitoring."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"symetrix-radius-nx-12x8","name":"Symetrix Radius NX 12x8","vendor":"Symetrix","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Monitoring."}],"flow":"management","flow_note":"Monitoring. The definitive no-deadline protocol."},{"id":"soundgrid","name":"SoundGrid","category":"audio-transport","openness":"proprietary-closed","status":"current","summary":"Waves' networked audio and processing protocol, carrying audio between interfaces, consoles and a dedicated DSP server over standard gigabit Ethernet at low latency.","transport":["ethernet-l2"],"typical_use":["Running plug-in racks on a live console","Multitrack recording and virtual soundcheck","Offloading processing from a mixing surface"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[44.1,48,96],"note":"Channel capacity halves as the rate doubles: an interface rated 128 channels at 48 kHz carries 64 at 96 kHz. Bandwidth is also counted per receiving device, so 64 channels sent to four destinations spends 256 channels of it. Bit depth is a property of the interface rather than the transport, and several console cards are held to their host console's rates, so check both ends."}},"gotchas":["SoundGrid wants its own dedicated network interface and its own switch. Sharing the NIC with a show network or the internet is the standard cause of dropouts.","It is a layer 2 protocol on ordinary gigabit hardware, which makes the switch choice matter more than people expect: energy-saving features and cheap switches both cause problems."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","waves","soundgrid","plugins","network-audio"],"sources":[{"title":"Waves Live — common questions answered","url":"https://www.waves.com/support/waves-live-common-questions-answered","publisher":"Waves Audio","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Waves SoundGrid","url":"https://www.waves.com/","publisher":"Waves Audio","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-avantis","name":"Allen & Heath Avantis","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via option card."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Via module."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"spdif","name":"S/PDIF","aka":["Sony/Philips Digital Interface","IEC 60958 Type II","SPDIF"],"category":"audio-transport","summary":"The consumer form of AES3: the same two-channel data format at a much lower voltage, on 75 Ω coax with an RCA connector or on TOSLINK optical fibre. Same bits, different electrical world.","transport":["other"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/","label":"IEC Webstore"},"steward":"IEC","status":"current","typical_use":["Consumer and semi-pro playback sources into a system","Optical feeds where galvanic isolation is wanted","Interfacing a laptop or media player to a professional chain"],"media":{"audio":{"sample_rates_khz":[32,44.1,48],"bit_depths":[24],"max_channels":2,"encoding":"Linear PCM, or a compressed bitstream carried transparently","note":"The consumer form of AES3. It also carries compressed multichannel bitstreams unchanged, which is why a receiver can be handed something it cannot decode and simply produce nothing."}},"gotchas":["Nominal 0.5 V peak-to-peak on 75 Ω, against AES3's several volts on 110 Ω. The data survives a converter; it does not survive a soldered adaptor.","Practical coax runs are short — around 10 m is the usual working figure. TOSLINK is shorter still and intolerant of tight bends.","Consumer channel-status bits carry copy-protection flags that some professional receivers act on and others ignore."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","digital","consumer"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60958-3 — Digital audio interface, Part 3 Consumer applications","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","primary":true},{"title":"Interfacing AES3 and S/PDIF (RaneNote 149)","url":"https://www.ranecommercial.com/legacy/note149.html","publisher":"Rane Corporation"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"media"},{"id":"srt","name":"SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)","category":"video-transport","openness":"open-published","first_published":2017,"status":"current","summary":"Open-source low-latency video transport designed to carry contribution-quality streams over unmanaged networks, recovering lost packets with ARQ inside a configurable latency budget. The standard way a live feed leaves a venue over the public internet.","transport":["udp"],"default_ports":[{"number":9000,"transport":"udp","role":"Common default, but SRT has no fixed port: it is set per stream","iana_registered":false,"note":"Deployment chooses the port; 9000 and 1935 are conventions, not assignments."}],"spec_url":{"url":"https://www.srtalliance.org/","label":"SRT Alliance"},"steward":"SRT Alliance / Haivision","typical_use":["Sending a show feed to a remote broadcaster or streaming platform","Site-to-site contribution over the public internet","Remote production where a dedicated circuit is not available"],"media":{"video":{"compression":"Whatever the payload carries","note":"SRT does not define a video format at all. It carries an MPEG transport stream, so resolution, frame rate and codec are decided by the encoder feeding it. What SRT contributes is retransmission and a configurable latency buffer over a link you do not control."}},"gotchas":["Latency is a setting, and it is a trade against packet recovery. A latency budget set too low on a lossy link produces exactly the artefacts SRT is meant to prevent.","Caller, listener and rendezvous modes decide who initiates. Two ends both configured as caller will never connect, and it is the most common first-time failure.","Encryption is optional and off by default in many implementations. \"Secure\" is in the name, not necessarily in the configuration."],"implementations":[{"name":"srt","url":"https://github.com/Haivision/srt","language":"C++","license":"MPL-2.0"},{"name":"FFmpeg (SRT protocol support)","url":"https://ffmpeg.org/","language":"C","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["srt","streaming","contribution","low-latency","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"SRT Alliance","url":"https://www.srtalliance.org/","publisher":"SRT Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"Haivision/srt on GitHub","url":"https://github.com/Haivision/srt","publisher":"GitHub","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"obs-studio","name":"OBS Studio","vendor":"OBS Project","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"SRT output and input, for contribution over an unmanaged network."},{"kind":"software","id":"vmix","name":"vMix","vendor":"StudioCoast","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Contribution and distribution."},{"kind":"software","id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"SRT dissector in current builds."}],"flow":"media"},{"id":"thread","name":"Thread","category":"network-transport","status":"current","openness":"open-free-registration","transport":["wireless-rf"],"summary":"A low-power IPv6 mesh network on 802.15.4 radio. Every device gets a real IP address and routes to its neighbours, so there is no translating hub in the middle and the mesh heals around a node that dies. The transport Matter was designed for.","multicast":{"used":true,"note":"IPv6 multicast across the mesh."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://www.threadgroup.org/","label":"Thread Group"},"steward":"Thread Group","first_published":2014,"typical_use":["Battery sensors and controls across an installation, with no mains at the device.","Anything that must survive a single node failing."],"gotchas":["Mesh is resilient and not quick — every hop adds latency and jitter. Fine for a sensor, wrong for a cue.","It needs a border router to reach the rest of the network, and that border router is the thing that fails.","Shares the 2.4 GHz band with Wi-Fi and everything else. See the RF map before assuming it is quiet."],"tags":["iot","mesh","ipv6","low-power"],"sources":[{"title":"Thread","url":"https://www.threadgroup.org/","publisher":"Thread Group","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via a border router."}],"flow":"control","flow_note":"A low-power mesh, and in a venue what crosses it is device control."},{"id":"tpm2net","name":"TPM2.net","aka":["TPM2","tpm2net","TPM2 Net"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"A minimal LED matrix protocol from the ledstyles.de community: a start byte, a block type, a 16-bit frame size and raw pixel bytes, sent over UDP. It turns up whenever Jinx! or cheap ESP-based matrix hardware meets a real show and something has to feed it.","transport":["udp","rs232"],"default_ports":[{"number":65506,"transport":"udp","role":"TPM2.net data frames","note":"0xFFE2. This is the port WLED and other receivers listen on."},{"number":65442,"transport":"udp","role":"Receiver responses back to the sender","note":"0xFFA2. Many receivers never answer at all, so do not depend on it."}],"multicast":{"used":false,"note":"Sent unicast or broadcast. The protocol description assumes a small flat network with no routers and expects packets to arrive in the order they were sent."},"universe_model":"No universes. A frame is raw pixel bytes split across numbered packets, with a one-based packet number and total packet count from 1 to 255 telling the receiver where each chunk belongs.","openness":"open-published","spec_url":{"url":"https://gist.github.com/jblang/89e24e2655be6c463c56","label":"TPM2 and TPM2.net protocol description (English translation of the original)"},"steward":"ledstyles.de community; no formal standards body","status":"current","typical_use":["Jinx! and similar matrix software driving DIY LED controllers","ESP8266 and ESP32 LED controllers taking a live pixel feed","Small scenic LED panels where a full DMX-over-IP stack is overkill","Bench testing pixel hardware without a lighting console in the room"],"gotchas":["The serial and network variants use different start bytes: 0xC9 for TPM2 over serial, 0x9C for TPM2.net. A parser written for one silently rejects the other and you get a dead matrix with clean traffic on the wire.","Packet number and total packet count are one-based, 1 to 255. A mapper that counts panels from zero puts the first chunk of every frame in the wrong place, which looks like a wiring fault.","There is no acknowledgement, no sequence recovery and no discovery. The protocol assumes a small flat switch, so the first wifi hop or router in the path turns it into a slideshow.","Nothing in the header describes colour order. RGB versus GRB is a receiver setting, so a matrix with the wrong colours is almost never the sender's fault.","Frame size is a 16-bit field, so one packet cannot carry an arbitrarily large matrix. Big panels have to be split and reassembled in order by the receiver, with no help if a packet goes missing.","The specification is a forum post, originally in German, with no conformance test. Implementations differ in small ways, so budget time for a packet capture against any receiver you have not used before."],"implementations":[{"name":"tpm2net (ESP8266)","url":"https://github.com/rehrbar/tpm2net","language":"C++","license":"MIT","role":"receiver"},{"name":"WLED","url":"https://github.com/wled/WLED","language":"C++","license":"EUPL-1.2","role":"receiver"}],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","pixel","led","diy","udp"],"sources":[{"title":"TPM2 Protocol Description (English translation; serial 0xC9 vs net 0x9C, ports 65506 and 65442, packet numbering)","url":"https://gist.github.com/jblang/89e24e2655be6c463c56","publisher":"jblang, translating the original ledstyles.de thread","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"UDP Realtime / tpm2.net — WLED documentation (listen port 65506)","url":"https://kno.wled.ge/interfaces/udp-realtime/","publisher":"WLED Project","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"tpm2net — ESP8266 receiver implementation","url":"https://github.com/rehrbar/tpm2net","publisher":"rehrbar","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"tri-level-sync","name":"Tri-level sync","aka":["Tri-level","HD genlock reference"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"The high-definition genlock reference, replacing black burst for HD and above. A bipolar pulse whose zero crossing marks the frame start, distributed to every device that has to begin its frame at the same instant.","transport":["other"],"openness":"published-paid","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards","label":"SMPTE standards"},"steward":"SMPTE","status":"current","typical_use":["Locking cameras, switchers and servers to a common frame start","Any multi-projector or multi-panel surface where a seam is visible","Plants where a shared reference predates or sits alongside PTP"],"gotchas":["Genlock fixes when a frame starts. It does not fix latency: two devices can be perfectly locked and still be several frames apart if one is doing more processing.","The reference rate has to suit the format. Feeding a 25 Hz reference to a device running 29.97 does not part-work, it fails.","Reference distribution is a chain of its own, with its own terminations and its own single point of failure. It is worth drawing.","Black burst is the standard-definition equivalent and is not interchangeable with tri-level for HD formats."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","sync","genlock","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 274 and related HD sync reference standards","url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards","publisher":"SMPTE","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"uwb","name":"UWB","aka":["Ultra-wideband","IEEE 802.15.4z"],"category":"tracking-position","status":"current","openness":"published-paid","transport":["wireless-rf"],"summary":"A radio that is poor at carrying data and superb at measuring distance. Very short pulses across a wide band give a precise time of arrival, and time of arrival is range — which makes it the basis of most centimetre-class performer and object tracking.","multicast":{"used":false},"spec_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/","label":"IEEE 802.15.4z"},"steward":"IEEE","first_published":2020,"typical_use":["Performer and prop tracking feeding lighting and object audio, usually output as PSN or RTTrPM.","Precise indoor positioning where GNSS cannot reach."],"gotchas":["Anchors have to be surveyed, and the tracking is only as correct as that survey.","Metal and dense structure produce reflections; a position built from a reflected path looks like a valid position.","A tag behind a body loses line of sight, which is why systems fuse it with an inertial sensor."],"tags":["tracking","positioning","uwb","rtls"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.15.4z","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"visca-over-ip","name":"VISCA over IP","aka":["VISCA/IP","Sony VISCA over IP","VISCA"],"category":"video-control","summary":"Sony's VISCA camera control commands wrapped in an eight byte header and sent over UDP. It is the usual way to drive PTZ cameras (pan, tilt, zoom, focus, iris, presets) from a controller, a switcher or a show control system.","transport":["udp","tcp"],"default_ports":[{"number":52381,"transport":"udp","role":"Sony VISCA over IP commands, inquiries and replies","note":"This is Sony's documented port. Many third party cameras instead expose raw serial VISCA on a TCP socket at a vendor-chosen port with no header at all, which is a different protocol wearing the same name."},{"number":52380,"transport":"udp","role":"Network setup commands (IP configuration and discovery)","note":"Documented on Sony's ILME-FR7. Not present on every camera that speaks VISCA over IP."}],"openness":"proprietary-documented","spec_url":{"url":"https://pro.sony/s3/cms-static-content/uploadfile/59/1237493025759.pdf","label":"Sony HD Color Video Camera Command List (BRC-H900), VISCA over IP section"},"steward":"Sony","status":"current","typical_use":["PTZ camera control from a hardware joystick controller over the house network","Preset recall driven from cues in a show control or streaming system","Multi-camera control from a single operator position","Camera control travelling on the same network as the video feed"],"gotchas":["The header carries a sequence number that the camera echoes back. Restart the controller or power-cycle the camera and the two disagree, so you get error replies until a reset control command re-syncs the counter.","Sony state plainly that UDP delivery is not guaranteed and that retransmission is the application's job. A dropped preset recall does not error, it simply does not happen.","Two controllers on one camera fight over the sequence number stream. Give each camera one owner, or put a proxy in front of it, before you add a second control surface.","\"VISCA over IP\" on a non-Sony camera often means raw VISCA bytes on a TCP socket with no eight byte header and no sequence number. Find out which one the camera wants before blaming the network.","Payload type distinguishes command (0x0100) from inquiry (0x0110). Sending an inquiry with a command payload type gets you a silent no-op on some cameras and an error on others."],"implementations":[{"name":"libvisca-ip","url":"https://github.com/norihiro/libvisca-ip","language":"C","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","role":"sender"}],"confidence":"verified","tags":["camera","ptz","control","sony"],"sources":[{"title":"Sony HD Color Video Camera Command List Version 2.20 (BRC-H900) — VISCA over IP, port 52381","url":"https://pro.sony/s3/cms-static-content/uploadfile/59/1237493025759.pdf","publisher":"Sony Corporation","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Sony Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera VISCA Command List v2.00 (ILME-FR7, ports 52381 and 52380)","url":"https://pro.sony/s3/2022/09/14131603/VISCA-Command-List-Version-2.00.pdf","publisher":"Sony Corporation","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"libvisca-ip — libvisca with TCP and UDP connection","url":"https://github.com/norihiro/libvisca-ip","publisher":"Norihiro Kamae","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16","spoken_by":[{"kind":"hardware","id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","vendor":"Crestron","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Camera control."}],"flow":"control"},{"id":"w-dmx","name":"W-DMX","aka":["Wireless DMX"],"category":"lighting-control","summary":"Proprietary radio system for carrying DMX512 and supported RDM traffic between lighting controllers, transmitters, receivers and fixtures without a DMX cable.","transport":["wireless-rf"],"universe_model":"One or more 512-channel DMX universes, with capacity determined by the transmitter and radio mode.","openness":"proprietary-closed","steward":"Wireless Solution / LumenRadio","status":"current","typical_use":["Sending DMX to fixtures where running a data cable is impractical","Temporary stage and event lighting links","Built-in wireless control of moving lights and battery fixtures","Bidirectional RDM discovery and configuration on supported products"],"gotchas":["W-DMX generations and radio modes are compatibility settings, not cosmetic labels. Changing the transmitter control mode requires receivers to be linked again.","Frequency-band support depends on the hardware. G3 uses 2.4 GHz; later G4S and G5 equipment may also offer 5.2 or 5.8 GHz, but not every receiver supports them.","A transmitter and receiver must be linked before DMX passes. A receiver remembered from another rig can appear healthy while ignoring the transmitter on this show.","RDM support depends on the product and selected mode. Verify the whole chain before relying on remote fixture discovery or configuration during a live setup."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["dmx","rdm","wireless","lighting","rf"],"sources":[{"title":"W-DMX G5 user manual","url":"https://lumenradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/W-DMX-G5-User-Manual-2017_October.pdf","publisher":"Wireless Solution","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true},{"title":"W-DMX OEM implementation guide, revision 4","url":"https://lumenradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Implementation-Guide-2021_revision_4.pdf","publisher":"Wireless Solution","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true},{"title":"LumenRadio upgrades CRMX with W-DMX support","url":"https://lumenradio.com/stories/lumenradio-upgrades-the-crmx-protocol-to-add-support-for-multiple-universes-and-the-w-dmx-protocol/","publisher":"LumenRadio","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true}],"contributed_by":["iibaranov-IG"],"updated":"2026-09-10","spoken_by":[],"flow":"control"},{"id":"word-clock","name":"Word Clock / AES11","aka":["Digital Audio Reference Signal","DARS"],"category":"timecode-sync","summary":"A dedicated square-wave timing signal (or the AES11-standardized Digital Audio Reference Signal carried over AES3) distributed by coax/BNC to keep multiple digital audio devices sample-locked, still essential wherever non-networked digital audio gear must share a clock.","transport":["other"],"openness":"open-free-registration","spec_url":{"url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=18"},"steward":"Audio Engineering Society (AES)","status":"current","gotchas":["Word clock cabling needs correct 75-ohm termination and respects cable length limits - mis-terminated runs are a common cause of clicks/dropouts in digital audio systems.","Networked audio protocols (Dante, AES67, AVB) generally replace word clock with PTP-based sync, but word clock remains common for interfacing older digital audio hardware."],"confidence":"verified","sources":[{"title":"AES11-2020: Synchronization of digital audio equipment - AES Standards","url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=18","primary":true},{"title":"AES11 - Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AES11"}],"updated":"2026-08-17","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Clocks to the audio interface."},{"kind":"software","id":"pro-tools","name":"Pro Tools","vendor":"Avid","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clocks to an external word clock via the interface."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-avantis","name":"Allen & Heath Avantis","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Clock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Word clock input."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out for the digital rack."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Audio reference."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ferrofish-a32-dante","name":"Ferrofish A32 Dante","vendor":"Ferrofish","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"focusrite-rednet-a16r-mk2","name":"Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII","vendor":"Focusrite","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lab-gruppen-plm-20k44","name":"Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","direction":"in","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Clock follows the Dante or AES3 source."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"lake-lm44","name":"Lab.gruppen Lake LM44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"unverified","note":"Clock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rme-digiface-dante","name":"RME Digiface Dante","vendor":"RME","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"rosendahl-nanosyncs-hd","name":"Rosendahl nanosyncs HD","vendor":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","direction":"out","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock distribution outputs."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"ssl-live-l550","name":"SSL Live L550","vendor":"Solid State Logic","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-dm7","name":"Yamaha DM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock in and out."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rio3224-d2","name":"Yamaha Rio3224-D2","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Clock."},{"kind":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Word clock in and out."}],"flow":"clock"},{"id":"zigbee","name":"Zigbee","category":"network-transport","status":"current","openness":"open-free-registration","transport":["wireless-rf"],"summary":"Low-power mesh networking on the same 802.15.4 radio as Thread, with its own application layer and its own addressing rather than IP. Long established in building automation and consumer devices; a hub translates it into whatever the rest of the system speaks.","multicast":{"used":true,"note":"Group addressing within the Zigbee network, not IP multicast."},"spec_url":{"url":"https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/zigbee/","label":"Connectivity Standards Alliance"},"steward":"Connectivity Standards Alliance","first_published":2004,"typical_use":["Installed sensor and control networks, often already present in a building.","Consumer devices being brought into a venue system through a hub."],"gotchas":["No IP, so a hub is not optional — it is the translator, and it is a single point of failure.","Profile compatibility between vendors has historically been imperfect. Test the specific pairing.","2.4 GHz, alongside Wi-Fi and everything else on site."],"tags":["iot","mesh","low-power","building"],"sources":[{"title":"Zigbee","url":"https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/zigbee/","publisher":"Connectivity Standards Alliance","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29","spoken_by":[{"kind":"software","id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":false,"confidence":"reported","note":"Via a coordinator."}],"flow":"control","flow_note":"Same: a mesh whose payload is control, usually lighting and sensors."}],"software":[{"id":"ableton-live","name":"Ableton Live","aka":["Live","Live 12"],"vendor":"Ableton AG","category":"audio-playback","summary":"Clip and timeline based playback software, widely used to run backing tracks, click and guide vocals on tour. Strong on network tempo sync through Ableton Link and extensible via Max for Live, but it neither chases nor generates SMPTE timecode natively.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"ableton-link","direction":"bidirectional","since_version":"9.6","note":"Peer-to-peer tempo, beat and phase sync over the local network. There is no master: any peer can change the session tempo. Tempo Follower and External Sync are mutually exclusive.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI in and out for control surfaces and instruments. MIDI Clock can be sent to an external sequencer or received to slave Live, set per port with the Sync switch in Link/Tempo/MIDI preferences.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"Live slaves to MTC and reads it as an Arrangement position, with MIDI Timecode Frame Rate and Offset settings. Ableton state Live can only act as a MIDI sync device, not a host; MTC carries no tempo and tempo changes cannot be tracked.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"note":"No native OSC. Reached through Max for Live, included in Suite and sold as an add-on for Standard; Ableton cite OSC as a Max for Live use case.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.ableton.com/en/live/","label":"ableton.com"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.ableton.com/en/live-manual/12/","label":"Live 12 Reference Manual"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Backing tracks, click and guide/cue feeds for touring musicians","Keeping several laptops, tablets and instruments on one tempo with Link","Triggering lighting and video by printing an LTC audio file onto a track","Max for Live devices bridging Live to OSC-controlled show systems","Session view playback where set order and tempo change nightly"],"gotchas":["Ableton state plainly that Live does not sync to incoming SMPTE timecode, and does not generate SMPTE natively. A rig that must live on house LTC needs a workaround, not a preference change.","The standard workaround is an LTC audio file printed onto a track with Warp off and routed to a spare output. Solid, but frozen: change the arrangement, tempo or start time and the timecode file has to be regenerated.","Live chases MTC but cannot host it, and MTC carries no tempo information, so tempo must be set by hand and tempo changes are not tracked. Slaving Live to MTC does not make its grid follow the master.","Ableton's recommended timecode-generating Max for Live device requires Suite or the Max for Live add-on, and Ableton list that workaround as macOS only. A Windows playback rig cannot take that route.","Max for Live is not in Intro or Standard by default, so any show-control patch you build assumes a Suite or add-on machine. Check what the depping player actually has installed before handing over a set.","Link is tempo, beat and phase only, with no master and no absolute position. It will keep a band together and will not lock them to a video server timeline."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["backing-tracks","touring","playback","tempo-sync","timecode"],"sources":[{"title":"Live 12 Reference Manual - Synchronizing with Link, Tempo Follower and MIDI","url":"https://www.ableton.com/en/live-manual/12/synchronizing-with-link-tempo-follower-and-midi/","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE Timecode FAQ - Live does not sync to incoming SMPTE timecode","url":"https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010120320-SMPTE-Timecode-FAQ","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Ableton Link: now available in Live 9 - Link shipped in Live 9.6","url":"https://www.ableton.com/en/blog/link-now-available-in-live/","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Live Minimum System Requirements - supported Windows and macOS versions","url":"https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001663530-Live-Minimum-System-Requirements","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Ableton shop - Live editions and licence structure","url":"https://www.ableton.com/en/shop/live/","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Max for Live - controlling external things including OSC","url":"https://www.ableton.com/en/live/max-for-live/","publisher":"Ableton AG","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ClipSMPTE introduction - Max for Live device that outputs an LTC audio signal","url":"https://support.showsync.com/sync-tools/clipsmpte/introduction","publisher":"Showsync","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"after-effects","name":"Adobe After Effects","vendor":"Adobe","category":"content-creation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Motion graphics and compositing application, and the tool most show content for LED walls and projection is actually finished in before it reaches a media server.","typical_use":["Producing looping content for LED screens","Titles and lower thirds for event screens","Compositing camera plates for stage content"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html","label":"Adobe After Effects"},"gotchas":["Export codec matters more than the source project. A media server wants a codec it can decode in real time at the required resolution, which is rarely the export default.","Colour management between After Effects, the media server and the LED processor is where content stops matching the approval render. Agree the pipeline before the content is made.","Content pixel dimensions must match the screen map, not a convenient 4K frame. Scaling on the server costs quality and sometimes performance."],"tags":["content","motion-graphics","adobe","led","codec"],"sources":[{"title":"Adobe After Effects","url":"https://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html","publisher":"Adobe","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ardour","name":"Ardour","vendor":"Ardour Community","category":"audio-playback","license":"GPL-2.0-or-later","price_model":"open-source","repo":{"url":"https://github.com/Ardour/ardour","label":"Ardour source (official mirror)"},"status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"Free and open-source digital audio workstation with full multitrack recording, editing and timecode sync. The credible open-source option for virtual soundcheck recording and playback.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"LTC generate and chase, built in.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI timecode in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control and machine control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control surface support.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"in","note":"Clocks to the audio interface.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Dante Virtual Soundcard or a Dante interface.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Multitrack recording of a live show","Virtual soundcheck playback","Timecode-locked playback on Linux"],"homepage":{"url":"https://ardour.org/","label":"Ardour"},"gotchas":["Built-in LTC generate and chase is unusually good for a free DAW, which makes it viable for timecode playback rigs where Pro Tools licensing is not.","Plug-in format support differs by platform. A session built on Linux with LV2 plug-ins will not open the same way on a Windows show machine."],"tags":["audio","daw","open-source","ltc","virtual-soundcheck"],"sources":[{"title":"Ardour","url":"https://ardour.org/","publisher":"Ardour Community","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"arkaos-mediamaster","name":"ArKaos MediaMaster","vendor":"ArKaos","category":"media-server","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Long-established DMX-controlled media server software aimed at lighting operators: clips are triggered and manipulated as if they were fixture parameters from the lighting console.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net control from a lighting console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"sACN control from a lighting console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","note":"Direct DMX in via an interface.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails to the console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC sync.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["LED screen content driven entirely from the lighting desk","Small-format projection with console control","Club and corporate video walls"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.arkaos.com/","label":"ArKaos"},"gotchas":["The DMX personality is the interface. Changing the personality mid-programming shifts every parameter address and invalidates the console patch.","CITP thumbnails need the console and server on the same network segment with multicast working, which is the usual reason a lighting operator sees black tiles."],"tags":["media-server","arkaos","dmx","citp","led"],"sources":[{"title":"ArKaos","url":"https://www.arkaos.com/","publisher":"ArKaos","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"artnet-monitor-pixilab","name":"ArtNet Monitor (PixiLab)","vendor":"PixiLab","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Small open-source Java application that displays live Art-Net DMX-512 channel values in a single window, for single-universe or 'omni' (all-universe) monitoring on Mac, Linux, or Windows.","license":"GPL-3.0","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Simple Art-Net DMX-512 monitor with single-universe or omni (multi-universe) modes."},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","confidence":"reported","note":"Displays per-channel DMX values received via Art-Net."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://github.com/pixilab/artnet-monitor"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/pixilab/artnet-monitor"},"status":"historical","typical_use":["Quick, no-install visual check of DMX values arriving over Art-Net on a workstation","Cross-platform sanity check when Windows-only monitors aren't an option"],"gotchas":["Binds to the machine's default network interface only; on multi-NIC systems you may need to adjust routing/interface priority to receive the intended Art-Net traffic.","Distributed as a runnable JAR requiring a Java 8+ runtime; small commit history (~10 commits) suggests it's a minimal, infrequently updated utility."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["art-net","dmx","java","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"pixilab/artnet-monitor GitHub repository","url":"https://github.com/pixilab/artnet-monitor","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"artnetominator","name":"The ArtNetominator","vendor":"Lightjams Inc.","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Free Windows utility that gives a real-time view of Art-Net network activity, showing nets, subnets, universes, nodes, and live DMX channel values for troubleshooting Art-Net rigs.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Primary function: real-time monitor of Art-Net nets/subnets/universes/nodes."},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","confidence":"reported","note":"Displays current DMX channel values and channel history as carried inside Art-Net packets."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.lightjams.com/artnetominator/"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Spot-check which Art-Net nodes and universes are actually broadcasting on a network","Watch live DMX channel values coming from a specific universe during rig troubleshooting"],"gotchas":["Windows only (Vista through 11); no macOS or Linux build.","Does not monitor sACN/E1.31 — the same developer's separate 'sACNominator' tool is needed for that protocol."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["art-net","dmx","windows-utility"],"sources":[{"title":"The ArtNetominator - official product page","url":"https://www.lightjams.com/artnetominator/","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"artnetview-haute-technique","name":"ArtNetView","vendor":"Haute Technique","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Free standalone macOS/Windows app to view and monitor Art-Net traffic on a network, showing active universes, source IPs, per-channel history graphs, and hex-formatted DMX values.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["macos","windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Standalone Art-Net monitor showing universes, source IPs, and per-channel value history."},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","confidence":"reported","note":"Displays DMX universe values (including in hex) as carried inside Art-Net."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://artnetview.com/"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Confirm a lighting console (e.g. grandMA) is actually outputting Art-Net onto the network","Graph a channel's value history over time to catch intermittent/flickering levels"],"gotchas":["Shares its exact name with an unrelated, older Art-Net diagnostic utility historically bundled by Artistic Licence/Singularity alongside DMX-Workshop — check the publisher before downloading."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["art-net","dmx","macos","windows"],"sources":[{"title":"ArtNetView - official product page","url":"https://artnetview.com/","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ArtNetView on the Mac App Store","url":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/artnetview/id1439166791?mt=12","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"autocad","name":"AutoCAD","vendor":"Autodesk","category":"cad-drafting","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","web"],"summary":"General-purpose CAD, and the format most venue drawings, ground plans and structural drawings arrive in. Often the common denominator between a venue, a scenic shop and a production office.","typical_use":["Reading venue-supplied ground plans and sections","Producing drawings for a scenic shop","Exchanging drawings with architects and structural engineers"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/","label":"AutoCAD"},"gotchas":["DWG version compatibility is a real workflow tax. Ask which version a venue or shop needs before sending a file.","A venue drawing is not a survey. Structural steel, rigging points and sightlines on an old DWG are a starting point to be verified, not a fact.","Vectorworks and AutoCAD exchange via DWG with loss. Symbols, classes and layer structure rarely survive intact in either direction."],"tags":["cad","drafting","autodesk","dwg","drawings"],"sources":[{"title":"AutoCAD","url":"https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/","publisher":"Autodesk","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"autodesk-revit","name":"Revit","vendor":"Autodesk","category":"cad-drafting","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows"],"status":"current","summary":"Building information modelling: the venue's own world, where every element carries data about what it is and what it can take, and clashes are found by query rather than by eye. For touring work you mostly consume the output; for installed and new-build work you contribute to it.","speaks":[],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/","label":"Autodesk Revit"},"typical_use":["New-build and refurbishment venue coordination","Finding where the steel is and what it takes","Clash detection between production systems and building services"],"gotchas":["IFC round trips lose things. Agree what has to survive an exchange before relying on it.","A model can be beautifully detailed and out of date. Ask when it was last updated against the building as built."],"tags":["bim","cad","venue","ifc"],"sources":[{"title":"Autodesk Revit","url":"https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/","publisher":"Autodesk","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"avolites-titan","name":"Avolites Titan","aka":["Titan","Titan Mobile","Titan Go","Titan Simulator","Titan PC Suite"],"vendor":"Avolites","category":"lighting-control","summary":"Avolites' lighting control software: the operating software on Sapphire, Diamond, Tiger Touch and Arena consoles, and the same code on Windows as Titan Mobile, Titan Go and Titan Simulator. Standard kit for rock and roll touring and festivals.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"dongle-locked","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"One of the two network DMX protocols Titan uses to reach nodes and dimmers.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN out to nodes, and Streaming ACN In is also available as an external trigger source on supported consoles.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Physical DMX512 on console XLR outputs; on a PC, via a T1/T2/T3 interface. DMX In is a separate trigger source on supported consoles.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Patch syncs both ways with stand-alone Capture (fixture, position, orientation, legend, user number) and fixture selection follows across. Levels still need Art-Net or sACN enabled on those universes.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Patching by RDM requires an RDM-enabled Art-Net node. The console's own XLR connectors do not support RDM.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"SMPTE/LTC listed on T2, T3, D3, D3 Core, D7, D9, Arena, Tiger Touch 2 and Sapphire. A T2 plugged into another console adds an audio/LTC input.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MIDI is one of the external trigger types and is not available on every console; USB MIDI devices are supported for triggering and control.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"A cue list can read timecode from the system clock, an internal timecode source, MIDI, SMPTE or the Winamp player. Up to 4 separate timecode sources per console.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.avolites.com/","label":"Avolites"},"docs":{"url":"https://manual.avolites.com/","label":"Avolites Titan manual (v19.0)"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Busking and timecoded playback for touring bands and festivals","Pre-programming a show on a laptop with Titan Simulator or Titan Mobile","Small rigs run from Titan Go on a T1/T2 interface","Previsualisation against the integrated Capture visualiser"],"gotchas":["Everything is keyed to an AvoKey. Titan Mobile only runs while its panel is connected, Titan Go licenses the AvoKey built into a T1/T2/T3, and Titan Simulator needs an Editor AvoKey.","Titan Simulator does output full Art-Net/sACN on all universes, but deliberately inserts periodic random DMX values as a spoiler. It is not a show controller.","64 lines/universes is the system ceiling. Line numbers can be anything from 1 to 9999 but there cannot be more than 64 of them. T3 needs an optional licence pack to reach 64, and its onboard processing stays at 16 lines.","RDM discovery only works through an RDM-enabled Art-Net node. The console XLRs will not do it, and a non-RDM buffer or splitter anywhere in the chain blocks the reply.","Windows only. Windows 11 is supported from v16.0 onwards, and Avolites explicitly does not support Bootcamp, VMware or Parallels.","Titan Mobile and Titan Go will not launch at all without their hardware connected, so a dead panel also means no offline editing on that machine."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","titan","touring","avolites"],"sources":[{"title":"DMX Settings (DMX output mapping) - Avolites Titan manual","url":"https://manual.avolites.com/docs/system-settings/dmx-output-mapping/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Titan Simulator - Avolites Titan manual","url":"https://manual.avolites.com/docs/titan-basics/titan-simulator/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"External triggering - Avolites Titan manual","url":"https://manual.avolites.com/docs/running-the-show/midi-dmx-or-audio-triggering/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Cue List Timing - Avolites Titan manual","url":"https://manual.avolites.com/docs/cue-lists/cue-list-timing/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Patching New Fixtures or Dimmers (Patching by RDM) - Avolites Titan manual","url":"https://manual.avolites.com/docs/patching/patching-new-fixtures-or-dimmers/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Linking the Console to Stand-Alone Capture - Avolites Titan manual","url":"https://manual.avolites.com/docs/capture-visualiser/linking-the-console-to-stand-alone-capture/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Titan PC Suite: System Requirements & Installation Notes","url":"https://www.avolites.com/support/titan-pc-system-requirements/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"blender","name":"Blender","vendor":"Blender Foundation","category":"content-creation","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","price_model":"open-source","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"Free and open-source 3D creation suite covering modelling, animation, rendering, compositing and video editing. Increasingly used in live events for content, previs and set visualisation.","typical_use":["Rendering content for LED and projection","Modelling a set for previs","Camera-matched visualisation of a stage design"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.blender.org/","label":"Blender"},"repo":{"url":"https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender","label":"Blender source"},"gotchas":["Render output has to match the screen geometry exactly. Content rendered at the wrong aspect or pixel pitch is the single most common reason a wall looks wrong on site.","Version changes can alter render results. Pin the Blender version for a project the way you would pin a media server version."],"tags":["3d","content","open-source","rendering","previs"],"sources":[{"title":"Blender","url":"https://www.blender.org/","publisher":"Blender Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"bome-midi-translator","name":"Bome MIDI Translator Pro","vendor":"Bome Software","category":"show-control","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Turns any MIDI, keystroke, serial or timer event into any other. Unglamorous and enormously useful: the tool that makes an arbitrary controller drive software that was never expecting it.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC messages can be constructed and parsed.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.bome.com/","label":"Bome Software"},"typical_use":["Mapping a cheap controller onto software with no learn function","Translating between MIDI dialects","Turning a keystroke into a cue and back"],"gotchas":["Rule order matters and a large ruleset becomes hard to reason about. Comment it.","It sits in the middle of the chain, so it is also a place latency and confusion accumulate."],"tags":["midi","translation","glue"],"sources":[{"title":"Bome MIDI Translator","url":"https://www.bome.com/","publisher":"Bome Software","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"capture","name":"Capture","vendor":"Capture Visualisation AB","category":"previsualisation","summary":"Lighting design, documentation and visualisation software that renders a rig in real time from live DMX. It covers lighting, video, laser, moving scenery and water effects in one model.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"One of the two recommended network DMX inputs.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Adds DMX talkback, selection sync and patch exchange with consoles that implement MSEX.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Documented as supporting DMX talkback with ETC Eos consoles.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.capture.se/Products/Capture","label":"capture.se"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Offline programming against a rendered rig before the fixtures arrive","Producing plots and reports that update with the design","Selling a look to a designer or client before load-in","Checking beam angles, focus and coverage in a modelled venue"],"gotchas":["Editions are capped by universe count. Solo is one universe, Duet two, Quartet four and Symphony unlimited, and the cap applies to documentation as well as visualisation, so a small licence limits the paperwork too.","CITP/MSEX gives selection sync and patch exchange, but only with consoles that implement it. On everything else you are back to plain Art-Net or sACN and manual patch matching.","Wi-Fi is explicitly advised against for the console link. Run a cable, or expect visualisation that lags the desk under load."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["previsualisation","lighting","visualiser","documentation"],"sources":[{"title":"Capture — Overview","url":"https://www.capture.se/Products/Capture","publisher":"Capture Visualisation AB","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Capture — Console Connectivity","url":"https://www.capture.se/Support/Connectivity","publisher":"Capture Visualisation AB","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Capture — Pricing and editions","url":"https://www.capture.se/Products/Capture/Pricing","publisher":"Capture Visualisation AB","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Capture 2026 Reference Manual — Universes Tab","url":"https://www.capture.se/Manual/en-UK/2026/UniversesTab.html","publisher":"Capture Visualisation AB","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"casparcg","name":"CasparCG Server","aka":["CasparCG"],"vendor":"CasparCG project","category":"media-server","summary":"Open-source playout server for video, audio and HTML graphics, controlled over a text protocol called AMCP on TCP. Built at SVT for broadcast and used widely as a free graphics and playback engine in live production.","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"out","note":"Sends per-layer status and playback position. Default port 6250 in casparcg.config.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI consumer and producer are both present in the shipped configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"An ArtNet consumer is documented in the shipped casparcg.config.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://casparcg.com/","label":"casparcg.com"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/CasparCG/server","label":"CasparCG/server"},"docs":{"url":"https://github.com/CasparCG/help/wiki","label":"CasparCG help wiki"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Lower-third and full-screen graphics playout driven from an automation system","Free video playback engine behind a show control layer","Blackmagic DeckLink SDI output in a broadcast or streaming rack"],"gotchas":["AMCP commands must be terminated with both carriage return and linefeed. A client that sends only a newline will appear to connect and then do nothing.","The server needs an OpenGL 4.5 capable GPU. Integrated graphics on an old laptop will start the process and then fail at the first composite.","Configuration lives entirely in casparcg.config next to the binary. There is no UI, so a channel that is missing from that file does not exist as far as AMCP is concerned."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","playout","broadcast","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"CasparCG/server source repository","url":"https://github.com/CasparCG/server","publisher":"CasparCG project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"casparcg.config default configuration","url":"https://github.com/CasparCG/server/blob/master/src/shell/casparcg.config","publisher":"CasparCG project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"CasparCG help wiki — Protocols","url":"https://github.com/CasparCG/help/wiki/Protocols","publisher":"CasparCG project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"CasparCG help wiki — AMCP Protocol","url":"https://github.com/CasparCG/help/wiki/AMCP-Protocol","publisher":"CasparCG project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"chamsys-magicq","name":"ChamSys MagicQ","aka":["MagicQ","MagicQ PC","MQ"],"vendor":"ChamSys","category":"lighting-control","summary":"ChamSys's lighting control software: free to download for Windows, macOS and Linux, and the operating software on MagicQ consoles. Demo mode outputs 64 universes of Art-Net/sACN with no dongle at all, which makes it the default free real-world lighting controller.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net 1, 2, 3 and 4 in broadcast or unicast mode for output; Art-Net is also received for capture into the console or for merging. 64 universes of output are enabled in the free demo mode.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN out in multicast or unicast, and received for capture or merging.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"pathport","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Pathport output, and received for capture or merging. Unusual for a non-Pathway console.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct DMX via a MagicDMX interface, a MagicQ wing/interface, or console XLR outputs. MagicDMX is one universe, out or in.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM is listed among the features available in demo mode, so it does not need a wing or dongle.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP with the Capture visualiser carries both lighting control and transfer of the show patch between MagicQ and Capture in either direction.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"note":"OSC requires Unlocked mode, activated by a MagicQ wing, Connect interface or rack-mount dongle. The manual documents both receiving and sending messages.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"Timecode receive (Art-Net, MIDI, LTC) is an Unlocked-mode feature; demo and Core mode will not chase timecode.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MIDI timecode receive is part of the same Unlocked-mode timecode feature set.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MIDI notes and CC from third-party USB or virtual interfaces require Unlocked mode.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"Listed as Show control alongside MIDI notes and CC in the Unlocked-mode feature list.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://chamsyslighting.com/","label":"ChamSys"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.chamsys.co.uk/magicq/manual/","label":"MagicQ manual"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Free full-function lighting control for schools, churches and small venues","Touring and festival control on MagicQ consoles","Offline programming and previs against Capture over CITP","Merging or capturing incoming Art-Net/sACN/Pathport from another desk"],"gotchas":["MagicDMX Basic and Full do not unlock anything. With only a MagicDMX attached the software stays in demo mode, and MagicDMX Basic is additionally limited to 5-hour sessions.","Timecode, MIDI and OSC are all Unlocked-mode features. Free MagicQ will run 64 universes of Art-Net all day but will not chase LTC.","There are three tiers, not two: Demo, Core and Unlocked. Core (GeNetix GN2, SnakeSys, audio interface) buys scheduled events, the remote app and the web server, but not timecode or OSC.","The tier follows the connected device, so losing the wing or dongle mid-run silently drops the rig to demo-mode features.","Linux builds are limited to current Ubuntu LTS releases on 64-bit x86. There is no ARM build.","The tier structure was reworked from v1.9.5.0 onwards, so older forum advice about what a given dongle unlocks may no longer match."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","magicq","chamsys","free-tier"],"sources":[{"title":"MagicQ Software Licensing","url":"https://chamsyslighting.com/software/magicq-software-licensing/","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Installing MagicQ Software & Drivers","url":"https://docs.chamsys.co.uk/magicq/installing-software/installing_drivers.html","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Networking - ChamSys","url":"https://uk.chamsyslighting.com/software/networking/","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"MagicDMX Basic","url":"https://chamsyslighting.com/product/magicdmx-basic/","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"MagicQ Manual (complete PDF export)","url":"https://secure.chamsys.co.uk/docs/magicq/_exports/magicq.pdf","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Using MagicQ with the Capture visualiser","url":"https://www.capture.se/Portals/0/DemoPacks/ChamSys_Instructions.pdf","publisher":"Capture Visualisation","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"chataigne","name":"Chataigne","vendor":"Ben Kuper","category":"show-control","summary":"Modular hub that connects protocols, software and sensors and maps any of them to any other with state machines and sequences. It is the free tool people reach for when two systems have no common language.","license":"GPL-3.0-only","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Also supports OSCQuery for discovery.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ableton-link","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Listed among the built-in protocol modules.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://benjamin.kuperberg.fr/chataigne/en","label":"Chataigne home"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/benkuper/Chataigne","label":"benkuper/Chataigne"},"docs":{"url":"https://benjamin.kuperberg.fr/chataigne/docs","label":"Chataigne documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Translating between OSC, MIDI, DMX and serial for an installation","Sensor input driving lighting, video or audio playback","Prototyping interaction before it is committed to a show controller","Bridging a piece of software that has no direct integration with another"],"gotchas":["Modules for third-party software are community maintained. A module built against an older version of the target application can break on the first update and there is no vendor to call.","Chataigne is an interaction engine, not a redundant show controller. For a twenty-year installation that has to boot unattended, treat it as one piece of the plan rather than the whole of it.","Builds exist for Raspberry Pi as well as desktop, but they are separate downloads. Verify the show file on the exact target before install day."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["show-control","interaction","open-source","protocol-bridge"],"sources":[{"title":"Chataigne — official site","url":"https://benjamin.kuperberg.fr/chataigne/en","publisher":"Ben Kuper","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"benkuper/Chataigne source repository","url":"https://github.com/benkuper/Chataigne","publisher":"Ben Kuper","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"cinema-4d","name":"Cinema 4D","vendor":"Maxon","category":"content-creation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"3D modelling, animation and rendering application widely used for concert and event screen content, largely because of its motion graphics tooling and its long-standing After Effects workflow.","typical_use":["Animated 3D content for LED walls","Stage and set visualisation","Renders for client approval"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d","label":"Cinema 4D"},"gotchas":["Render time is a schedule risk on event timelines. A change requested at rehearsal may not be renderable before the show.","The same aspect, pitch and colour pipeline caveats apply as with any content tool: match the actual screen map, not a nominal resolution."],"tags":["3d","content","maxon","motion-graphics"],"sources":[{"title":"Cinema 4D","url":"https://www.maxon.net/en/cinema-4d","publisher":"Maxon","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"codesys","name":"CODESYS","vendor":"CODESYS Group","category":"show-control","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["windows"],"status":"current","summary":"A vendor-independent IEC 61131-3 development environment used as the programming front end for a very large number of PLCs and drives. Knowing CODESYS transfers across a lot of hardware, which is exactly why it exists.","speaks":[{"protocol":"opc-ua","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Standard integration for exposing controller state.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"modbus-tcp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Standard.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"canopen","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Standard.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ethercat","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Supported as a fieldbus.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.codesys.com/","label":"CODESYS"},"typical_use":["Programming machinery controllers from many different manufacturers","Automation work where the hardware choice is not fixed"],"gotchas":["A shared environment does not mean portable projects. Hardware configuration, libraries and safety functions remain vendor-specific."],"tags":["plc","automation","iec-61131","machinery"],"sources":[{"title":"CODESYS","url":"https://www.codesys.com/","publisher":"CODESYS Group","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"companion","name":"Bitfocus Companion","aka":["Companion"],"vendor":"Bitfocus AS","category":"show-control","summary":"Turns a Stream Deck or similar button surface into a control panel for switchers, playback software and broadcast gear, using community-written modules. It is the standard way to give an operator physical buttons.","license":"MIT","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Companion can be controlled over OSC on a configurable listen port, and modules send OSC out.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Companion can be controlled over Art-Net by setting a universe and start channel in settings.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://bitfocus.io/companion","label":"bitfocus.io/companion"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/bitfocus/companion","label":"bitfocus/companion"},"docs":{"url":"https://companion.free/user-guide/v4.1/config/settings/","label":"Companion user guide — settings"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Button surface for a video switcher or playback machine at front of house","Bridging one control protocol to another without writing code","Remote surfaces over a network using Companion Satellite"],"gotchas":["Modules are community maintained and versioned separately from Companion itself. A module that worked on the last tour can lag behind a major Companion release, so freeze versions before a run rather than updating on site.","Remote control listeners are all off by default and each has its own listen port set in settings. Nothing accepts TCP, UDP, OSC, RossTalk, Ember+ or Art-Net until you enable it.","A surface plugged into the show machine is claimed exclusively. Elgato's own Stream Deck application must not be running at the same time."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["show-control","stream-deck","open-source","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"bitfocus/companion source repository","url":"https://github.com/bitfocus/companion","publisher":"Bitfocus AS","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Companion licence (MIT)","url":"https://github.com/bitfocus/companion/blob/main/LICENSE.md","publisher":"Bitfocus AS","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Companion user guide — Settings","url":"https://companion.free/user-guide/v4.1/config/settings/","publisher":"Bitfocus AS","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"dante-controller","name":"Dante Controller","vendor":"Audinate","category":"networking-utility","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"The routing and configuration tool for every Dante network: subscribe channels between devices, set sample rate and latency, name devices, and read the clock status that tells you why audio is ticking.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Discovers, routes and configures Dante devices. Does not itself carry audio.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Configures AES67 mode on capable devices.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Displays PTP clock status, master election and offsets.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mdns-dns-sd","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Dante discovery is mDNS, which is why devices vanish across a routed boundary.","confidence":"reported"}],"typical_use":["Patching a Dante network","Diagnosing clock and latency problems","Naming devices before a show file references them"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-controller","label":"Dante Controller"},"gotchas":["Device names are the patch. Renaming a device breaks every subscription that referenced the old name, which is why naming happens before programming, not after.","The clock status tab is the first place to look for ticks and dropouts, not the audio path. One device set as preferred master while another insists on being master is the classic cause.","Latency is set per device and the network must accommodate the highest. A single device left at 0.15 ms on a multi-switch network will drop audio while everything else looks fine."],"tags":["audio","dante","networking","diagnostics","free"],"sources":[{"title":"Dante Controller","url":"https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-controller","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"dante-domain-manager","name":"Dante Domain Manager","vendor":"Audinate","category":"networking-utility","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["linux","web"],"summary":"Management layer for large Dante deployments: user roles, audit logging, and the ability to run several Dante domains across subnets rather than one flat network.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Manages Dante devices, domains and routing policy.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock management across domains.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["A campus or stadium with several independent Dante systems","Restricting who can re-route audio","Auditing what changed and when after an incident"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-domain-manager","label":"Dante Domain Manager"},"gotchas":["Enrolling a device into a domain changes how it behaves outside that domain. A device borrowed from a DDM-managed system into a touring rack may not simply work.","It solves an organisational problem more than a technical one. If nobody is going to administer the roles, it adds a dependency without adding safety."],"tags":["audio","dante","management","enterprise","install"],"sources":[{"title":"Dante Domain Manager","url":"https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-domain-manager","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"dante-virtual-soundcard","name":"Dante Virtual Soundcard","vendor":"Audinate","category":"networking-utility","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Turns a computer's Ethernet port into a Dante audio interface, giving a DAW or playback machine up to 64 channels in and out with no hardware beyond the network card.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Presents Dante channels as an ASIO / Core Audio device.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AES67 mode where the network supports it.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Multitrack recording of a live show from the console","Playback into a Dante system without an interface","Virtual soundcheck"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-virtual-soundcard","label":"Dante Virtual Soundcard"},"gotchas":["A general-purpose laptop is a poor real-time audio device. Wi-Fi, power management and background updates all cause dropouts that look like network faults.","The licence is tied to the machine. A spare laptop is not a spare unless it is licensed and configured in advance.","Virtual soundcheck is only as good as the channel naming. Record with the device and channel names the show file expects, or playback lands on the wrong inputs."],"tags":["audio","dante","virtual-soundcheck","recording"],"sources":[{"title":"Dante Virtual Soundcard","url":"https://www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-virtual-soundcard","publisher":"Audinate","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"daslight","name":"Daslight","vendor":"Daslight (Nicolaudie)","category":"lighting-control","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"DMX control software from the Nicolaudie family, sold with USB-DMX interfaces and aimed at clubs, bars, small venues and architectural installations that need stand-alone playback.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"DMX via the bundled interface.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Art-Net output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MIDI triggering.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Club and bar lighting","Architectural installations with stand-alone playback","Small mobile rigs"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.daslight.com/","label":"Daslight"},"gotchas":["The licence is tied to the interface hardware, so the dongle is the licence. A lost interface is a lost licence, not just lost output.","Stand-alone mode uploads a limited version of the show to the interface. Not everything programmed on the computer survives the upload."],"tags":["lighting","club","architectural","nicolaudie","dongle"],"sources":[{"title":"Daslight","url":"https://www.daslight.com/","publisher":"Nicolaudie","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"db-arraycalc","name":"d&b ArrayCalc","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","category":"previsualisation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"System design and simulation software for d&b loudspeaker systems: array geometry, splay angles, predicted coverage, rigging load and the amplifier setup that follows from it.","typical_use":["Designing a d&b array before it is hung","Producing rigging load figures for the venue","Exporting amplifier configuration to R1"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/","label":"d&b audiotechnik"},"gotchas":["The prediction assumes the array is hung where the drawing says. Real trim heights and real venue geometry are what actually determines coverage, so remeasure rather than trusting the plot.","The rigging load numbers it produces are for the loudspeaker array only. They are an input to a rigging plan, not a rigging plan.","ArrayCalc designs the system; R1 controls it. Both are needed, and the handoff between them is where configurations get lost."],"tags":["audio","system-design","simulation","db-audiotechnik","rigging"],"sources":[{"title":"d&b audiotechnik","url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/","publisher":"d&b audiotechnik","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"depence","name":"Depence","aka":["Depence²","Depence2"],"vendor":"Syncronorm GmbH","category":"previsualisation","summary":"Windows show-design and visualisation platform covering stage lighting, laser, video, fountains and special effects in one real-time 3D model. A separate Control module can drive the actual show output as well as previsualise it.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"dongle-locked","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Listed on Syncronorm's system-integration page; used to receive console output for previz, and the separate Control module is marketed as able to drive the real show over the same DMX network protocols.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"Listed alongside Art-Net on Syncronorm's own system-integration page as a supported DMX-over-network input.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"Listed among Depence's documented show-control integration protocols.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"in","note":"NewTek/Vizrt NDI listed as a supported input on Syncronorm's system-integration page.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet listed as a supported tracked-object input on the same page.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Listed as \"SMPTE\" among Depence's supported protocols; matched here to SMPTE/LTC timecode by name.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.syncronorm.com/products/depence2/overview","label":"Syncronorm — Depence"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Previsualising a combined lighting, video, laser and fountain design in one 3D scene before load-in","Rehearsing a multimedia show against a photorealistic model of the venue","Driving the real show over DMX/RDM and analog/digital I/O from the same show file via the Control module","Selling a fountain, laser or architectural lighting concept to a client before installation"],"gotchas":["Windows only, and integrated Intel graphics are explicitly called out as not fully supported. Syncronorm's own spec recommends a dedicated gaming GPU with at least 6 GB VRAM.","Licensing is modular and dongle-locked: Stage, Fountain, Special-FX, Laser, Animate and Control are separate paid modules, and none of them run without the USB licence dongle attached, even though the software itself installs on unlimited machines.","Perpetual module licences are valid for the current major release only (R4 at time of writing). Minor updates within a release are free; moving to the next major release is a separate paid upgrade."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["previsualisation","lighting","visualiser","show-control"],"sources":[{"title":"Depence — Overview","url":"https://www.syncronorm.com/products/depence2/overview","publisher":"Syncronorm GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Depence — System Integration","url":"https://www.syncronorm.com/products/depence2/show-control/system-integration","publisher":"Syncronorm GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Depence — System Requirements","url":"https://www.syncronorm.com/products/depence2/system-requirements/page","publisher":"Syncronorm GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Depence — Licensing","url":"https://www.syncronorm.com/products/depence2/licensing","publisher":"Syncronorm GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","aka":["d3","Designer"],"vendor":"disguise","category":"media-server","summary":"The software that drives disguise media servers, combining a 3D stage model, timeline and mapped video output in one project. The same application is used for previs, programming and running the show.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"One of the documented timecode sources alongside MTC, MIDI beat clock and system time.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"Listed among Designer's position drivers.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"Used for BlackTrax tracking data.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"kinet","direction":"out","note":"KiNET v1 and v2 are listed as DMX device drivers.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/products/designer","label":"disguise Designer"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.disguise.one/designer/getting-started/designer","label":"disguise Designer user guide"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Programming and playing back mapped video on LED and projection","Previsualisation of a stage design before load-in","Driving disguise hardware in a multi-server session with understudy backup","Extended reality and virtual production stages"],"gotchas":["Projects saved in the free Starter tier are permanently locked to Starter. Pro can open anything except a Starter project, so evaluating on Starter and then upgrading means rebuilding the file.","Starter cannot join a session with disguise servers or Pro instances, and its output carries an intermittent blue flash. It is a learning tier, not a small-show tier.","Licensing is either a cloud licence tied to a disguise Cloud account or a CodeMeter USB dongle. Only dongles with serial numbers starting \"3-\" are supported, and cloud licences need internet to activate and check in or out."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["media-server","projection-mapping","previs","xr"],"sources":[{"title":"Designer Starter vs Pro","url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/products/designer-starter-vs-pro","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Designer Licensing FAQs","url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/designer-licensing-faqs","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"disguise User Guide — Devices Index","url":"https://help.disguise.one/designer/devices/devices-index","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"dmx-workshop","name":"DMX-Workshop","vendor":"Singularity (UK) Ltd","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Free Windows software suite for lighting network management, analysis, configuration and diagnostics, supporting Art-Net 4, DMX512, RDM over Art-Net, sACN, and KiNet — a long-standing reference tool for Art-Net devices.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"Described as the reference standard tool for Art-Net implementations; sends and receives."},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"RDM over Art-Net discovery/control."},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"kinet","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://singularity-uk.com/product/dmx-workshop/"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Discover and diagnose Art-Net nodes and their configuration on a network","Send test DMX/RDM/sACN data to isolate whether a fault is upstream or downstream of a device","Analyze network bandwidth/traffic patterns via the bundled Bandwidth-Tester and Multicaster tools"],"gotchas":["Windows only; requires completing a registration form before the download link is provided.","New users frequently get tripped up by Windows NIC (network adapter) configuration before Art-Net traffic appears — the vendor publishes a dedicated setup tutorial for this exact step."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["art-net","sacn","rdm","kinet","windows"],"sources":[{"title":"DMX-Workshop - Singularity (UK) product page","url":"https://singularity-uk.com/product/dmx-workshop/","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Open Lighting wiki: DMX Workshop","url":"https://wiki.openlighting.org/index.php/DMX_Workshop","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"ACT Lighting: Test Art-Net Signal Using DMX Workshop","url":"https://support.actlighting.com/knowledgeBase/4366047","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"dmxcat","name":"DMXcat","vendor":"City Theatrical, Inc.","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Bluetooth LE hardware dongle plus a suite of free iOS/Android apps (DMX Controller, RDM Controller, DMX Tester, Fixture Controller) for controlling, analyzing, and testing DMX512 and RDM fixtures in the field.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"dongle-locked","platforms":["ios","android"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"Measures break time, mark-after-break, inter-slot timing, refresh rate, and real-time channel levels."},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"RDM Controller app performs RDM discovery, listing devices/addresses/attributes, via the DMXcat hardware."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.citytheatrical.com/products/electronics/other-electronic/dmxcat-multi-function-test-tool"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Walk a DMX/RDM line to physically locate a bad connector, cable, or termination via the 'Flicker-Finder' feature","Run RDM discovery in the field to confirm addressing and identify unresponsive fixtures","Manually drive individual DMX channels from a phone to bench-test a fixture without a full console"],"gotchas":["All app functionality requires the separate DMXcat Bluetooth LE hardware dongle (sold separately); the free apps alone cannot monitor or control anything.","Some analyzer features (e.g. RF Spectrum Analyzer, Light Meter) are Android-only and unavailable on iOS."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["dmx","rdm","hardware","field-tool","ios","android"],"sources":[{"title":"DMXcat Multi Function Test Tool - City Theatrical","url":"https://www.citytheatrical.com/products/electronics/other-electronic/dmxcat-multi-function-test-tool","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"DMXcat on the Apple App Store","url":"https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dmxcat/id1163856486","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"DMXcat product brochure (PDF)","url":"https://media.musson.com/mti/docs/d/m/dmxcat_brochure.pdf","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","vendor":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","category":"lighting-control","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","price_model":"open-source","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Free and open-source Windows lighting control software with a full fixture library, effects engine and multi-universe output. A genuine no-cost option for schools and small venues.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"DMX out via supported USB interfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net output and input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MIDI triggering.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["School and youth theatre lighting","Small venue rigs with no console budget","Learning lighting control without a licence cost"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.dmxcontrol.org/","label":"DMXControl"},"gotchas":["Community-maintained, so hardware interface support is uneven. Check that the specific USB-DMX widget is supported before buying it.","Documentation is strongest in German. English material exists but is less complete."],"tags":["lighting","open-source","free","windows","education"],"sources":[{"title":"DMXControl","url":"https://www.dmxcontrol.org/","publisher":"DMXControl Projects e.V.","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"dot2-onpc","name":"dot2 onPC","aka":["dot2 on PC","dot2 PC"],"vendor":"MA Lighting","category":"lighting-control","summary":"The free Windows version of MA Lighting's dot2 console software, widely used for teaching and small rigs. One universe of Art-Net or sACN output is free; more universes require a dot2 Node4.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Output broadcast, Art-Net 1, universes 0:0 to 0:7. On onPC the first universe is free (introduced in software v1.2.2.8); beyond that a dot2 Node4 is required.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"Output multicast, universes 1 to 8, sACN priority fixed at 100. On onPC the first universe is free; beyond that a dot2 Node4 is required.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI note remote input, and MIDI note output from cues or the command line. On onPC you must choose the MIDI in and out devices yourself in Tools > MIDI Configuration.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC input to control executors, and MSC output to control other devices.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode can run cues automatically. Receiving timecode does not require a network session.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.malighting.com/product-archive/product/dot2-onpc-dot2_onPC/","label":"dot2 onPC (MA Lighting product archive)"},"status":"deprecated","typical_use":["Teaching moving-light programming in schools and colleges","One-universe control of a small rig from a laptop with no hardware at all","Offline programming for a dot2 console show file","Small installs driving up to 8 universes through a dot2 Node4"],"gotchas":["Art-Net and sACN only work inside a session. You have to start a session, even standalone, or nothing leaves the machine.","Only the first Art-Net/sACN universe is free on onPC. Universes 2-8 need a dot2 Node4 (1K), which itself tops out at 1,024 channels spread across the 8 universes.","Art-Net output is broadcast Art-Net 1 on universes 0:0-0:7 and sACN is multicast on 1-8, and the same address must not be assigned to two universes.","MA has discontinued dot2 and moved it to the product archive. It still runs, but there are no new features, and there was never a macOS build.","On onPC the MIDI in and out devices are not selected for you. Nothing MIDI or MSC works until you set them in Tools > MIDI Configuration."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","dot2","ma-lighting","education","free"],"sources":[{"title":"Network Protocols Configuration - dot2 User Manual","url":"https://help2.malighting.com/dot2/en/help/key_window_networkprotocols.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"dot2 onPC - product archive","url":"https://www.malighting.com/product-archive/product/dot2-onpc-dot2_onPC/","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Use MIDI and MIDI Show Control (MSC) - dot2 User Manual","url":"https://help.malighting.com/dot2/en/help/key_ht_usemidiandmsc.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Timecode Configuration Window - dot2 User Manual","url":"https://help2.malighting.com/Page/MA_dot2/window_timecode/en/1.9","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"ease-focus","name":"EASE Focus","vendor":"AFMG","category":"previsualisation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Vendor-neutral loudspeaker array simulation using manufacturer GLL data, so systems from different brands can be modelled and compared in the same room.","typical_use":["Comparing array proposals from different manufacturers","Modelling a system when the vendor tool is not available","Teaching array behaviour"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.afmg.eu/","label":"AFMG"},"gotchas":["GLL data quality varies by manufacturer. A vendor-neutral tool inherits whatever the vendor chose to publish.","It models acoustics, not rigging. Mechanical safety still has to come from the manufacturer's own tool and a rigger."],"tags":["audio","system-design","simulation","gll","vendor-neutral"],"sources":[{"title":"AFMG","url":"https://www.afmg.eu/","publisher":"AFMG","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"eos-family","name":"Eos","aka":["Eos family","ETCnomad","Nomad","Eos Apex","Ion Xe","Gio","Element"],"vendor":"Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC)","category":"lighting-control","summary":"ETC's lighting control software for the Eos family: the same code runs on Apex, Gio, Ion Xe and Element consoles and on a Windows or Mac laptop as ETCnomad. The dominant console platform in English-language theatre.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"dongle-locked","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Enabled by default in Patch, universes 1-63,999. Incoming sACN levels can also be used as a show control trigger.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Disabled by default in Patch. Art-Net universes 0-255.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Local DMX ports on consoles, or an ETC Gadget/Gadget II USB to DMX-RDM converter on a PC or Mac. Up to four Gadgets per computer.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Device discovery from the Patch display. Network RDM requires an ETC Net3 or Response Mk2 gateway with RDM enabled on the DMX ports, running gateway software 5.1 or newer.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","since_version":"2.3","note":"ETC states all Eos family devices can send and receive OSC when running software v2.3 or higher.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Local MIDI connections on Eos Ti and Gio; Gio @5 and Ion Xe use USB; other consoles need a Net3 Show Control Gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Raw MIDI can be sent and received. MIDI notes are output only, and cannot be received by a Net3 Show Control Gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode is receive only, locally or via a Show Control Gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"SMPTE/LTC timecode is receive only and arrives via a Net3 Show Control Gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"0-10v","direction":"in","note":"0-10 VDC analogue inputs and contact closures. Four local closures on Ti/Gio/Ion, more via a Net3 I/O Gateway.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/ETCnomad/","label":"ETCnomad - Eos software for PC and Mac"},"docs":{"url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family","label":"ETC Eos Family support hub"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Main lighting control for plays, musicals and opera","Offline programming and paperwork on a laptop before the fit-up","Backup, mirror or remote programming station inside an Eos network","Small rigs run from Nomad plus a Gadget II or a Net3 gateway"],"gotchas":["The free Eos download outputs nothing. Without an ETCnomad USB key it runs only as an offline editor or in mirror mode.","ETC counts outputs (addresses), not universes. A base ETCnomad key is 1,024 outputs, which is two universes of 512; the unlocked key is 6,144.","From v2.6.0/v8.0.0 a dongle has only two possible counts, base and unlocked. The old ladder of 256/512/1536/2560 and so on is gone.","Eos v3.2.0 and later, Apex consoles, Windows 10 consoles and all ETCnomad devices dropped Net2 (EDMX) and AVAB UDP output. A house with legacy ETCNet2 nodes has to move to sACN or Art-Net.","Element's output count is fixed at 1,024 and cannot be upgraded. Element 2 goes from 1,024 base to 6,144 unlocked.","RDM Device Discovery is disabled by default, and switches itself off again as soon as you leave the Patch display.","Art-Net is disabled by default in Patch, so a visualiser or node expecting Art-Net sees nothing until the protocol is enabled."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","theatre","eos","offline-programming"],"sources":[{"title":"ETCnomad - Eos Family Online Help","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/WebDocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en/Content/02_Eos_Family_Product_Overview_and_Setup/Other_Eos_Family_Products/ETCnomad.htm","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ETCnomad Dongle Counts","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family/Software_and_Programming/ETCnomad_Dongle_Counts","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Eos Family Console Output Counts","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family/Eos_Family_General_Topics/Eos_Family_Console_Output_Counts","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Eos Family Show Control Capabilities","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family/Software_and_Programming/Eos_Family_Show_Control_Capabilities","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Patch > Protocols - Eos Family Online Help","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/WebDocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en/Content/06_Patch/Patch_Protocols.htm","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"RDM Device List - Eos Family Online Help","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/WebDocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en/Content/06_Patch/05_Patch_Device_List/RDM_Device_List.htm","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ETCnomad does not output AVAB UDP or ETCNet2 EDMX Protocols","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family/ETCnomad_and_ETCnomad_Puck/ETCnomad_does_not_output_AVAB_UDP_or_ETCNet2_EDMX_Protocols","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"esp-vision","name":"ESP Vision","aka":["Vision Pro"],"vendor":"ESP Studios / Zzyzx, Inc. (acquired by Vectorworks, Inc., 2015)","category":"previsualisation","summary":"Realtime DMX-driven lighting visualiser sold independently from the mid-2000s until Vectorworks acquired the product and its team in 2015. Its technology became the basis for what Vectorworks now sells as Vectorworks Vision.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Documented DMX input protocol in the ESP Vision 2.0 era (2006); not necessarily reflective of every release across the product's life.","confidence":"reported"}],"status":"superseded","superseded_by":"vectorworks-vision","typical_use":["Realtime lighting simulation for touring, broadcast, corporate and theatrical shows, circa 2004-2015","Offline programming against consoles including Wholehog 3, HogPC and grandMA (via MA-Net)"],"gotchas":["Acquired by Vectorworks, Inc. in October 2015. ESP Vision's technical team joined Vectorworks' development group and its previsualisation technology became the basis for Vectorworks Vision; \"ESP Vision\" has not been sold as an independent product since.","Contemporary sources (2004-2006) describe a per-DMX-universe purchase price plus a separate per-universe annual subscription covering upgrades and support. These figures predate the 2015 acquisition by roughly a decade and should not be assumed current."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["previsualisation","lighting","visualiser","vectorworks"],"sources":[{"title":"Vectorworks, Inc. Acquires ESP Vision to Enhance Design and Visualization Workflow Synergies","url":"https://www.prweb.com/releases/vectorworks_inc_acquires_esp_vision_to_enhance_design_and_visualization_workflow_synergies/prweb13035318.htm","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Vectorworks, Inc. acquires ESP Vision to enhance Design and Visualization workflows","url":"https://architosh.com/2015/10/vectorworks-inc-acquires-esp-vision-to-enhance-design-and-visualization-workflows/","publisher":"Architosh","accessed":"2026-08-22"},{"title":"ESP Vision 2.0 (road test)","url":"https://plsn.com/articles/road-tests/esp-vision-20/","publisher":"PLSN","accessed":"2026-08-22"},{"title":"ESP Vision Lighting Simulation Software Now Available For Purchase","url":"https://www.livedesignonline.com/esp-vision-lighting-simulation-software-now-available-for-purchase","publisher":"Live Design","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"etcdmxtool","name":"ETCDmxTool","vendor":"ETC Labs","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Free open-source Windows/Linux DMX/RDM controller and sniffer for ETC's Gadget-family USB hardware, able to capture DMX/RDM data, control DMX levels, and act as an RDM controller.","license":"Apache-2.0","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"Captures DMX data and can output/control DMX levels via ETC Whip/Gadget hardware."},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"Acts as an RDM controller and can capture RDM traffic; full feature set requires ETC Gadget II hardware."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://github.com/ETCLabs/ETCDmxTool"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/ETCLabs/ETCDmxTool"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Sniff raw DMX/RDM traffic on a line using an ETC USB Whip or Gadget interface","Run RDM discovery and send GET/SET commands to responders for fixture diagnostics","Bench-test a fixture's DMX response by manually setting channel levels"],"gotchas":["Explicitly labeled 'UNOFFICIAL' in the repo — a community project, not an ETC-supported product.","Requires specific ETC USB hardware (USB Whip, Gadget I, or Gadget II); feature availability (e.g. RDM controller mode) varies by which device and firmware version you have."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["dmx","rdm","sniffer","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"ETCLabs/ETCDmxTool GitHub repository","url":"https://github.com/ETCLabs/ETCDmxTool","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"finale-3d","name":"Finale 3D","vendor":"Finale 3D","category":"previsualisation","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows","macos"],"status":"current","summary":"Fireworks design and simulation software. A designer programs to the moment an effect is seen, and the software works backwards through each item's lift and delay to produce the fire times the controller actually executes — which is why a shell that bursts on the beat was fired seconds earlier.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"out","note":"Scripts are executed against timecode by the firing system.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://finale3d.com/","label":"Finale 3D"},"typical_use":["Pyromusical design and simulation","Producing the script a firing system executes","Showing a client the show before anything is bought"],"gotchas":["The simulation is only as honest as the effect data behind it. Times, heights and durations come from the product library and from the manufacturer.","Design software does not arm anything. Permission to fire stays in the physical chain, outside every computer."],"tags":["pyro","fireworks","design","timecode"],"sources":[{"title":"Finale 3D","url":"https://finale3d.com/","publisher":"Finale 3D","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"go-button","name":"Go Button","vendor":"Figure 53","category":"cue-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","status":"current","platforms":["ios"],"summary":"iOS sound cue playback app from the makers of QLab: a simple, dependable cue list of audio files with fades and hotkeys, for shows that do not need a full QLab rig.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI triggering over a network or interface.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Sound cues for a small production from an iPad","Backup playback device","Rehearsal playback"],"homepage":{"url":"https://figure53.com/go-button/","label":"Go Button"},"gotchas":["An iPad is a phone-adjacent device. Notifications, auto-lock and incoming calls are show risks unless the device is properly locked down.","Not a QLab replacement. There is no video, no complex cue logic and no networked device control."],"tags":["cue-playback","ios","sound","figure53"],"sources":[{"title":"Go Button","url":"https://figure53.com/go-button/","publisher":"Figure 53","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"godot","name":"Godot Engine","vendor":"Godot Foundation","category":"content-creation","license":"MIT","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"status":"current","summary":"Small, fast-opening, genuinely free real-time engine under a permissive licence with no royalty and no company able to change the terms later. Smaller ecosystem and fewer industry integrations than Unreal or Unity — the right pick for learning, for tools a venue owns, and for anything that must still run in ten years.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through community add-ons.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://godotengine.org/","label":"Godot Engine"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/godotengine/godot","label":"GitHub"},"typical_use":["Bespoke interactive tools an organisation needs to own outright","Learning how a real-time engine works","Small installations and exhibits"],"gotchas":["You will build more of the show-specific integration yourself than in the commercial engines. That is the trade for owning the result."],"tags":["engine","open-source","real-time","godot"],"sources":[{"title":"Godot Engine","url":"https://godotengine.org/","publisher":"Godot Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"grandma3-onpc","name":"grandMA3 onPC","aka":["MA3 onPC"],"vendor":"MA Lighting","category":"lighting-control","summary":"The grandMA3 console software running on a Windows or macOS computer, free to download. It is the standard way to pre-program a grandMA3 show without tying up a console.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"One of the two Ethernet DMX protocols grandMA3 supports for sending and receiving.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Documented at Art-Net revision 1.4db. Unicast is used until more than five receivers subscribe to a universe.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.malighting.com/special/grandma3-software/","label":"grandMA3 software"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/","label":"grandMA3 online manuals"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Offline programming and plotting before a show goes into the room","Small rigs run from a laptop with an onPC node for DMX output","Backup and understudy station in a grandMA3 session","Training and rehearsal without a console"],"gotchas":["DMX output from onPC needs grandMA3 onPC solutions hardware connected to the computer. The free download on its own is a programming tool, not an output device.","Joining a session with grandMA3 consoles raises the memory requirement to at least 16 GB, or 24 GB unified memory on Apple silicon. A minimum-spec laptop will run onPC standalone and then fall over in session.","grandMA3 supports only sACN and Art-Net for network DMX. There is no Pathport or ShowNet path, so a house running another protocol needs a gateway."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","offline-programming","grandma3"],"sources":[{"title":"The free-of-cost grandMA3 software","url":"https://www.malighting.com/special/grandma3-software/","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"grandMA3 User Manual — System Requirements grandMA3 onPC","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.0/HTML/onpc_system_requirements.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"grandMA3 User Manual — Ethernet DMX","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.0/HTML/dmx_ethernet.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"grandMA3 User Manual — Protocol Details","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.2/HTML/network_design_protocols.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"heavym","name":"HeavyM","vendor":"HeavyM","category":"media-server","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Projection mapping aimed at getting a surface mapped quickly, with a built-in library of effects. Where a full media server is more machine than a job needs, this is often the honest answer.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"External control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"External control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on version.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode-driven playback, depending on version.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://heavym.net/","label":"HeavyM"},"typical_use":["Architectural and scenic projection mapping","Events where setup time is the constraint"],"gotchas":["Fast to map and less flexible than a full media server. Check the control surface it exposes before designing a show around it."],"tags":["projection","mapping","video"],"sources":[{"title":"HeavyM","url":"https://heavym.net/","publisher":"HeavyM","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"hippotizer","name":"Hippotizer","aka":["Hippotizer V4","Green Hippo Hippotizer"],"vendor":"Green Hippo (an ACT Entertainment brand)","category":"media-server","summary":"Windows media server software built from swappable components (DMX, Timeline, PixelMapper, Notch, CITP) around Green Hippo's FlexRes playback engine. Standard kit for large-format video, blending and LED pixel-mapping on tours and corporate shows.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"dongle-locked","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"In: the DMX component takes Art-Net from a lighting desk to control layers, mixes and viewports, with auto-patch tooling. Out: PixelMapper sends Art-Net to LED fixtures.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Accepted by the DMX component for desk control and available as a PixelMapper output protocol.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ma-net","direction":"in","note":"The DMX component accepts MA-Net alongside Art-Net and sACN, and there is a dedicated MA-Net3 component; 4.9.0 release notes add MA-Net3 networking support.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"kinet","direction":"out","note":"KiNET is one of the PixelMapper output protocols, alongside Art-Net and sACN.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"out","note":"CITP component pushes media thumbnails, media names and low-resolution streaming previews to lighting consoles and visualisers; requires the DMX component to be running. Documented as Hippotizer-to-console only.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet controller receives position, velocity and acceleration for multiple tracked objects, with axis interpolation smoothing. Docs say new projects should use the Automation Reader.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"BlackTrax is listed among MultiController automation readers; the manual names the product rather than the RTTrPM protocol version, so the exact wire format is not confirmed in vendor docs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI can be received on a layer, and each Mix can send an NDI feed at a configurable resolution and framerate, optionally with alpha. Docs warn NDI sending costs real GPU/CPU load above HD.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MultiController maps MIDI controllers (and Stream Deck) to Hippotizer pins. Feedback capability is referenced but not documented in detail, so outbound MIDI is unconfirmed.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"MultiController maps OSC (and raw TCP) to pins. As with MIDI, outbound OSC feedback is referenced but not documented in detail.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Sync Manager receives LTC from an audio input (left channel), a factory-fitted Alpermann+Velte card, or USB interfaces (Rosendahl Mif4, CB Electronics TC-5, Adrienne Electronics USB-LTC).","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"Sync Manager receives MTC via the Rosendahl Mif4 or CB Electronics TC-5 USB interfaces.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.green-hippo.com/","label":"Green Hippo"},"docs":{"url":"https://support.green-hippo.com/hc/en-gb","label":"Green Hippo technical support and Hippotizer manuals"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Large-format video playback, blending and mapping for touring concerts and corporate shows","Media-server layers patched to and cued from a lighting console over Art-Net, sACN or MA-Net","Pixel-mapping LED and fixture arrays from video content over Art-Net, sACN or KiNET","Playing Notch blocks for real-time generative and IMAG effects","Timecode-chased playback distributed across multiple servers via Sync Manager"],"gotchas":["Media encoded in 4.9 uses FlexRes V2, which the release notes state is not compatible with earlier versions. Encode a show on a 4.9 machine and any server in the rig still on 4.8 cannot read it.","CITP is listed in the 4.9.0 known issues as not yet functional, and even when working the manual warns it loads the network enough to hurt playback and recommends it for programming only, not live.","Notch playback is licensed separately from Hippotizer. V4+ systems can play the bundled stock Notch effects; any third-party Notch block needs a Notch Playback dongle.","Licensing splits by tier: V4, compatibility mode and Play are software-licensed, while V4+ and Prep are dongle-licensed. Software licences are non-transferable and drastic hardware changes stop the software running.","Hippotizer Play is genuinely free but crippled on purpose: two mixes of 16 layers, one watermarked output, no MPEG encode or playback, and PixelMapper output flashes green periodically. Fine for pre-programming, not for a show.","Ownership has changed hands: Green Hippo was acquired by Spitfire Creative Technologies on 1 October 2018, and Green Hippo now describes itself as an ACT Entertainment brand."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["media-server","pixel-mapping","notch-host","touring","windows"],"sources":[{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual 4.9.0 - Components","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.9.0/en/topic/components","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual 4.9.0 - Release Notes (FlexRes V2, MA-Net3, CITP known issue)","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.9.0/en/topic/release-notes","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual 4.9.0 - Sync Manager (LTC / MTC sources)","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.9.0/en/topic/sync-manager","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual 4.8.3 - CITP","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.8.3/en/topic/citp","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual 4.8.3 - Notch Licensing","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.8.3/en/topic/notch-licensing","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual 4.7.1 - Licensing Tab","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.7.1/en/topic/licensing-tab","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer Play Quick Start Guide - Welcome to Play","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/play-quick-start-guide/play/en/topic/welcome-to-play","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Spitfire Creative Technologies Announces Acquisition of Green Hippo Ltd and Green Hippo Media Technology Inc.","url":"https://www.green-hippo.com/spitfire-creative-technologies-announces-acquisition/","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"home-assistant","name":"Home Assistant","vendor":"Open Home Foundation","category":"show-control","license":"Apache-2.0","price_model":"open-source","repo":{"url":"https://github.com/home-assistant/core","label":"Home Assistant Core"},"status":"current","platforms":["linux","embedded"],"summary":"Open-source local control for connected devices, with an unusually large set of integrations. Relevant here because it is the most practical way to bring consumer and building devices into a venue system without handing control to a vendor cloud.","speaks":[{"protocol":"mqtt","direction":"bidirectional","note":"First-class.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"matter","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Supported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"thread","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via a border router.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"zigbee","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via a coordinator.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"knx","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Integration available.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Through integrations, and not a substitute for a lighting control system.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.home-assistant.io/","label":"Home Assistant"},"typical_use":["Local control of building and consumer devices in an installation","Keeping a venue working when a vendor cloud is not","Scheduling and automation around a space"],"gotchas":["It is building automation, not show control. Nothing a cue depends on belongs here.","Updates are frequent and occasionally breaking. Pin a version on anything installed."],"tags":["iot","automation","local-control","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"Home Assistant","url":"https://www.home-assistant.io/","publisher":"Open Home Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iperf3","name":"iperf3","vendor":"ESnet / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory","category":"networking-utility","license":"BSD-3-Clause","price_model":"open-source","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"Command-line network throughput measurement tool. Run between two machines it establishes what a link actually delivers, which is the fastest way to settle whether a network can carry a media load.","typical_use":["Proving a fibre run before the show rack depends on it","Testing a venue link before committing to media over IP","Finding the switch or cable that is negotiating at 100 Mbit"],"homepage":{"url":"https://software.es.net/iperf/","label":"iperf3"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/esnet/iperf","label":"esnet/iperf"},"gotchas":["Throughput is not the same as suitability for media. A link can pass a gigabit of TCP and still be useless for PTP-locked audio if it is queueing badly.","Test in both directions and with UDP as well as TCP. Asymmetric faults and multicast problems do not show up in a single default TCP run.","A default test saturates the link. Do not run it on a live show network."],"tags":["networking","diagnostics","throughput","open-source","free"],"sources":[{"title":"iperf3","url":"https://software.es.net/iperf/","publisher":"ESnet","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"esnet/iperf on GitHub","url":"https://github.com/esnet/iperf","publisher":"GitHub","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"isadora","name":"Isadora","aka":["Izzy","TroikaTronix Isadora"],"vendor":"TroikaTronix (Mark Coniglio)","category":"media-server","summary":"Node-based real-time media environment where video, audio, sensors and control protocols are patched together as actors inside scenes. Long-standing tool for interactive video in dance and experimental theatre, also used as a straight scene-cued playback system.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["macos","windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Specifications page lists input and output of OSC; Isadora 4 adds an OSC Address Listener actor. Commonly used to take cues from lighting consoles and other cue software.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI input and output listed on the specifications page.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","note":"MSC listed on the specifications page; the show-control page describes triggering cues from external software or hardware over MSC.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"Specifications page states MIDI Timecode support and the show-control page lists MTC for synchronisation; the docs do not state that Isadora also generates MTC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","since_version":"4","note":"Integrated Art-Net send and receive from Isadora 4. In Isadora 2 and 3 Art-Net was a separately downloaded plugin (32-bit for 2, 64-bit for 3).","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Video can be pixel-mapped to RGB DMX values and sent out via USB-DMX devices. The lighting page says DMX input and output but only output is described in any detail.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","since_version":"3.2","note":"Input via the NDI Watcher actor (integrated from Isadora 4, a downloaded add-on actor before that); output is configured in Stage Setup. Syphon (macOS) and Spout (Windows) cover local texture sharing.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://troikatronix.com/","label":"TroikaTronix"},"docs":{"url":"https://support.troikatronix.com/support/solutions","label":"TroikaTronix support and documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Interactive video for dance and experimental performance, driven by camera or sensor input","Live camera processing and GPU effects chains built as actor patches","Scene-based cue playback with crossfades, triggered from a console over OSC or MSC","Pixel-mapping video content out to LED via Art-Net or USB-DMX","Multi-projector setups with blending and routing, up to 16 stage outputs"],"gotchas":["A perpetual buy-to-own licence includes two years of updates, not updates forever. After that the installed version keeps running but newer releases need a paid update, which extends the window by another year.","Release notes explicitly exclude Surface Pro-class tablets, Linux, and macOS running on non-Apple hardware. A rented Windows laptop that turns out to be a Surface is not a supported playback machine.","Art-Net was a downloadable plugin in Isadora 2 (32-bit) and Isadora 3 (64-bit) and only became integrated in Isadora 4, so version-specific plugin builds matter when opening older patches.","IzzyCast, the remote video/audio/data streaming feature, is a separate product with its own credit-based charging rather than something the Isadora licence covers.","Perpetual licences come in digital and USB-key variants; the USB-key version is the one that needs no internet connection, which matters for air-gapped show machines."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["interactive","node-based","dance","theatre","projection-mapping"],"sources":[{"title":"Isadora Specifications","url":"https://troikatronix.com/isadora-features/specifications","publisher":"TroikaTronix","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Isadora 4 Release Notes","url":"https://support.troikatronix.com/support/solutions/articles/13000106556-isadora-4-release-notes","publisher":"TroikaTronix","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Isadora 4 License Types Overview","url":"https://support.troikatronix.com/support/solutions/articles/13000072198-isadora-4-license-types-overview","publisher":"TroikaTronix","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Isadora - Lighting Control","url":"https://troikatronix.com/isadora-features/lighting-control/","publisher":"TroikaTronix","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Isadora - Cueing (Show Control)","url":"https://troikatronix.com/isadora/cueing-show-control/","publisher":"TroikaTronix","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Basics of NDI Input and Output","url":"https://troikatronix.com/add-ons/basics-of-ndi-input-and-output/","publisher":"TroikaTronix","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"l-acoustics-soundvision","name":"L-Acoustics Soundvision","vendor":"L-Acoustics","category":"previsualisation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"3D acoustical and mechanical simulation for L-Acoustics systems, predicting SPL coverage and array mechanics in a modelled venue before anything is rigged.","typical_use":["Designing an L-Acoustics system for a specific room","Checking mechanical safety of an array configuration","Producing coverage maps for a client or promoter"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","label":"L-Acoustics"},"gotchas":["Predictions are only as good as the venue model. A rough box model gives rough answers, especially for balcony coverage.","Soundvision designs; LA Network Manager deploys. The gains, delays and presets have to be transferred deliberately."],"tags":["audio","system-design","simulation","l-acoustics"],"sources":[{"title":"L-Acoustics","url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","publisher":"L-Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"l-isa-controller","name":"L-ISA Controller","vendor":"L-Acoustics","category":"audio-mixing","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","platforms":["macos","windows"],"status":"current","summary":"Object-based audio control for L-Acoustics immersive systems: sources are positioned in the room rather than panned between speakers, and the processing works out what each output has to do. The point where a tracking system's coordinates become where a voice appears to come from.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Object positions and control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"Performer position from tracking systems.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"Performer position from tracking systems.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","label":"L-Acoustics"},"typical_use":["Immersive and object-based mixes","Following a tracked performer with a sound object","Theatre and residency work where localisation matters"],"gotchas":["It consumes a coordinate system. Agree the origin with lighting and video before anybody surveys, or the sound will be exactly as wrong as the light."],"tags":["immersive","object-audio","tracking","l-acoustics"],"sources":[{"title":"L-Acoustics","url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","publisher":"L-Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"l8","name":"L8","vendor":"L8 LLC","category":"previsualisation","summary":"Windows real-time visualiser for lighting, video, laser and moving-object shows, sold in tiered editions from a 64-fixture Community Edition up to a 4000-fixture Unlimited tier with bidirectional Hog and MA-Net console links.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX input on every edition; the Trace and Unlimited edition pages separately document \"DMX output with Art-Net.\"","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"DMX input protocol on every edition, e.g. 2 universes on the entry CE edition.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ma-net","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MA-Net 2/3 DMX input, documented on the Trace and Unlimited editions only.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"hognet","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"note":"Documented literally as \"Hog 3/4 (bidirectional)\" DMX input/output on the Trace and Unlimited editions.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"NDI texture input documented on the Unlimited edition.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://l8.ltd/","label":"L8"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Previsualising lighting, video and laser design against live console DMX before load-in","Simulating moving scenery and tracked objects, with collision detection on the higher tiers","Low-cost offline programming check on the Community Edition before committing to a full licence","Rendering a combined lighting, video and laser look to sell a concept to a client"],"gotchas":["Editions are capped by fixture and universe count, similar to Capture: the CE edition tops out at 64 fixtures and 2 DMX-input universes, while Unlimited reaches 4000 fixtures.","MA-Net and Hog console links are reserved for the Trace and Unlimited tiers. The entry CE edition only receives Art-Net or sACN.","Every edition's system requirements explicitly exclude Intel graphics; a dedicated Nvidia or AMD GPU is required.","L8 LLC and the separately operated LightConverse Ltd. both trace back to the same original LightConverse development team, who split into two independent companies in 2018. They are not the same product today."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["previsualisation","lighting","visualiser","laser"],"sources":[{"title":"L8 CE edition","url":"https://l8.ltd/m/l8-ce.html","publisher":"L8 LLC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"L8 Trace edition","url":"https://l8.ltd/m/l8-trace.html","publisher":"L8 LLC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"L8 Unlimited edition","url":"https://l8.ltd/m/l8-unlimited.html","publisher":"L8 LLC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"L8 Shop — home","url":"https://l8.ltd/","publisher":"L8 LLC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"From LightConverse to L8","url":"https://plsn.com/archives/january-2019/from-lightconverse-to-l8/","publisher":"PLSN","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"lightconverse","name":"LightConverse","vendor":"LightConverse","category":"previsualisation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Real-time 3D lighting and stage visualiser used for previsualisation and design presentation, with a large fixture library and live console input over the usual lighting protocols.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net input from a console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"sACN input from a console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP for media server and console integration.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Pre-programming and rehearsing a show off site","Presenting a lighting design to a client","Checking beam coverage and sightlines before load-in"],"homepage":{"url":"https://lightconverse.net/","label":"LightConverse"},"gotchas":["Visualiser output is a rendering, not a photometric prediction. Use it for looks and positions, not to prove illuminance on a subject.","Fixture library accuracy varies. A fixture that renders with the wrong zoom range will make a pre-programmed show wrong in a way nobody catches until the rig is up."],"tags":["previs","visualiser","lighting","3d"],"sources":[{"title":"LightConverse","url":"https://lightconverse.net/","publisher":"LightConverse","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"lightkey","name":"Lightkey","vendor":"Lightkey","category":"lighting-control","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","status":"current","platforms":["macos"],"summary":"macOS lighting control application aimed at small venues, bands and installations, with a free tier limited by fixture count and a straightforward live-oriented interface.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"DMX out via USB interfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Art-Net output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MIDI triggering from surfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Small venue and club lighting from a Mac","Band-operated lighting without a dedicated operator","Small installations"],"homepage":{"url":"https://lightkeyapp.com/","label":"Lightkey"},"gotchas":["The free tier caps fixture count rather than time. A rig that grows past the cap stops being free mid-project.","macOS only, and lighting laptops in small venues are often whatever is available. Confirm the platform before promising this to a venue."],"tags":["lighting","macos","small-venue","budget"],"sources":[{"title":"Lightkey","url":"https://lightkeyapp.com/","publisher":"Lightkey","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"lightwright","name":"Lightwright","aka":["LW","Lightwright 6"],"vendor":"Lightwright LLC (John McKernon Software)","category":"production-management","summary":"The lighting paperwork database: channel hookups, instrument schedules, colour and equipment counts, focus charts and work notes. Stays in sync with a Vectorworks plot over an .xml link and talks to Eos over OSC during focus and work calls.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Eos Console Link uses OSC over the lighting network, or 127.0.0.1 on a single machine, to trigger cues, turn lights on and off during focus and work calls, and import, label and document cues and groups.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.lightwright.com/","label":"Lightwright"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Building and maintaining the hookup and instrument schedule for a plot","Work notes and focus tracking through tech","Two-way sync with a Vectorworks Spotlight drawing via the .xml link","Channel checks and cue/group labelling straight from Lightwright to an Eos console","Colour, gobo and equipment counts for the shop order"],"gotchas":["The Vectorworks link is an .xml file named after the .vwx and living beside it. Rename or move the .vwx and Lightwright keeps reading the old .xml, so the two files silently drift apart.","Vectorworks UIDs are not guaranteed to be unique. A new light whose UID matches an old deleted one makes Lightwright restore the deleted light, which can cause all kinds of chaos.","One undefined or corrupted character in a data field can invalidate the whole exchange .xml. When the two files disagree, do a Complete Export on Exit from Vectorworks.","Backslashes in folder names, particularly on Mac, stop Vectorworks and Lightwright communicating at all.","Eos Console Link needs OSC RX and TX enabled in Eos Setup with TCP mode set to Slip (v1.1), OSC enabled on the active network port, and Lightwright on a complementary IP and subnet.","Importing into Eos from a file is a different path from the live link: tab-separated .txt with Windows line endings, and only rows whose Device Type is Light will import.","Lightwright moved from a perpetual licence to subscription with the January 2026 platform release. Lightwright 6 keeps working, but legacy bug-fix support was stated to end 1 July 2026.","The Lightwright 6 student licence was a hard stop: after three years the software will cease to function."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","paperwork","theatre","hookup"],"sources":[{"title":"About Lightwright 6","url":"https://www.mckernon.com/lightwrightmenu/lwabout6.html","publisher":"John McKernon Software","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Vectorworks / Lightwright Data Exchange","url":"https://www.mckernon.com/supportmenu/vwdataexchange.html","publisher":"John McKernon Software","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Eos Console Link - Lightwright user guide","url":"https://www.lightwright.com/docs/user-guide/14-external-integration/02-eos-console-link.html","publisher":"Lightwright LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Lightwright licence types","url":"https://www.mckernon.com/lightwrightmenu/lwlicensingmain.html","publisher":"John McKernon Software","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Lightwright Unveils Historic Platform Overhaul: Introducing Real-Time Collaboration","url":"https://www.livedesignonline.com/b2b-experience/lightwright-unveils-historic-platform-overhaul-introducing-real-time-collaboration","publisher":"Live Design","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Importing Lightwright Data Into Eos Family Consoles","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Consoles/Eos_Family/Software_and_Programming/Importing_Lightwright_Data_Into_Eos_Family_Consoles","publisher":"Electronic Theatre Controls","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"ma3d","name":"MA 3D","vendor":"MA Lighting","category":"previsualisation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"MA Lighting's visualiser, bundled with the grandMA software line, showing the rig in 3D driven live by the console for pre-programming and rehearsal without the physical fixtures.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ma-net","direction":"in","note":"Driven directly over MA-Net from a grandMA session.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net input where MA-Net is not used.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Pre-programming a grandMA show off site","Rehearsing cues without the rig","Checking fixture positions against the plot"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.malighting.com/","label":"MA Lighting"},"gotchas":["Version-locked to the console software generation. MA 3D for grandMA2 and the grandMA3 visualiser are not the same product and do not share files.","The visualiser knows the rig you built in it. Time spent making the model match the real plot is what determines whether the pre-programming is usable on site."],"tags":["previs","visualiser","grandma","ma-lighting"],"sources":[{"title":"MA Lighting","url":"https://www.malighting.com/","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"madmapper","name":"MadMapper","vendor":"garageCube","category":"media-server","summary":"Projection mapping and LED pixel mapping application that treats surfaces and fixtures as one output canvas. Common on installations and mid-size shows where a full media server is overkill.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Documented as Art-Net 4 compliant, up to 4096 DMX universes.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Includes OSC Query support.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://madmapper.com/","label":"madmapper.com"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.madmapper.com/","label":"MadMapper documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Mapping video onto scenic objects and irregular surfaces","Pixel mapping LED strips, battens and custom fixtures from video content","Permanent installations driven by the MiniMad hardware player","Laser content when paired with MadLaser"],"gotchas":["Perpetual licences are sold with a two-seat minimum. A single machine can only be licensed on the rental plan, which matters when budgeting one show laptop.","The free demo watermarks input, output and preview and disables saving and loading projects, so it cannot be used to build a show in advance.","Laser output is MadLaser, a separate product, not a MadMapper feature. Do not quote laser control on the strength of a MadMapper licence."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["projection-mapping","pixel-mapping","video","installation"],"sources":[{"title":"MadMapper Features","url":"https://madmapper.com/madmapper/features","publisher":"garageCube","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"MadMapper FAQ — licensing and system requirements","url":"https://madmapper.com/madmapper/faq","publisher":"garageCube","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"max-msp","name":"Max","aka":["Max/MSP","Max/MSP/Jitter","Cycling 74 Max"],"vendor":"Cycling '74","category":"content-creation","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows","macos"],"status":"current","summary":"Dataflow programming environment where a patch is built from objects joined by cables. Max is the message layer, MSP the sample-rate audio layer, Jitter the video and matrix layer — and being able to move between an event and a continuous signal in one patch is the whole reason it stayed the standard in music technology and interactive installation.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core to Max since the beginning.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via widely used objects rather than as a built-in.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ableton-link","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through Max for Live and Link-aware objects.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://cycling74.com/","label":"Cycling '74"},"typical_use":["Interactive installations and generative content","Custom show tooling where an audio signal and a control message need to meet","Max for Live devices inside Ableton Live"],"gotchas":["Patches do not diff. Version them by hand and write down what each version changed, because the usual \"what changed?\" safety net does not exist.","The tilde matters: objects ending in ~ run at audio rate, the rest run on messages. Mixing the two mental models is the classic beginner fault.","A show machine needs its licence sorted before the tour, not after — check what an unattended install is allowed to do."],"tags":["dataflow","patching","interactive","audio","max"],"sources":[{"title":"Cycling '74 Max","url":"https://cycling74.com/products/max","publisher":"Cycling '74","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"medialon-control-system","name":"Medialon Control System","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","category":"show-control","license":"proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Show control platform for themed entertainment, museums and permanent installations: device drivers, a scripting language and a timeline, running unattended for years at a time.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net for lighting integration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN for lighting integration.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX via interfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"LTC generation and chase.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"modbus-tcp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Modbus for building and ride systems.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"opc-ua","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OPC UA for industrial integration.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Unattended daily operation of an attraction","Integrating lighting, audio, video and ride control","Museum and visitor-centre show sequences"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.medialon.com/","label":"Medialon"},"gotchas":["Installations outlive the people who programmed them. Documentation and commented code are the deliverable as much as the running show.","Device drivers are the whole integration story. A device with no driver is a scripting project, not a checkbox.","Unattended operation means failure handling has to be designed, not discovered: what happens when a projector does not respond at 09:00 is a specification question."],"tags":["show-control","installation","themed-entertainment","medialon"],"sources":[{"title":"Medialon","url":"https://www.medialon.com/","publisher":"Medialon","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"midi-monitor-snoize","name":"MIDI Monitor","vendor":"Snoize","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Free open-source macOS app that displays MIDI signals going in and out of the computer in real time, including the ability to spy on MIDI sent to any destination by any other app via a virtual CoreMIDI driver.","license":"BSD-3-Clause","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","confidence":"unverified","note":"Generic real-time MIDI monitor; captures MIDI Time Code quarter-frame/real-time messages along with all other MIDI data, but has no dedicated MTC decoder view."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/krevis/MIDIApps"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Confirm whether MIDI Show Control or MTC bytes are actually arriving at a Mac's MIDI input","Spy on MIDI traffic another application is sending/receiving without needing a hardware MIDI monitor","Log MIDI streams to hex for offline inspection of malformed or unexpected messages"],"gotchas":["macOS only, requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later, so it can't run on older show-control machines still on legacy OS versions."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["midi","macos","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI Monitor - Snoize official site","url":"https://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"krevis/MIDIApps GitHub repository (MIDI Monitor + SysEx Librarian source)","url":"https://github.com/krevis/MIDIApps","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"midi-ox","name":"MIDI-OX","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Long-running Windows MIDI diagnostic utility and real-time stream monitor with a SysEx librarian, used by show-control technicians to inspect raw MIDI traffic including MIDI Time Code and Show Control messages.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","confidence":"reported","note":"Recommended on ControlBooth (theatre-tech forum) by author John Huntington for displaying MIDI Time Code readouts."},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","confidence":"unverified","note":"Generic real-time MIDI monitor; will show raw MSC SysEx bytes on the wire but has no dedicated MSC command decoder."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://midiox.org/"},"status":"historical","typical_use":["Watch raw MIDI messages (notes, SysEx, real-time) flowing between a console and a show-control cue system","Read a large-format MIDI Time Code display for backstage cueing reference","Back up (dump/restore) a device's SysEx patch data via the built-in librarian"],"gotchas":["The original midiox.com site was compromised and now redirects to an unsafe page; get it from the midiox.org mirror instead.","Development effectively stopped around 2017 at v7.0.2 — it is a preserved legacy tool, not actively updated."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["midi","mtc","windows","legacy"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI-OX & MIDI Yoke Legacy Resource Center","url":"https://midiox.org/","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ControlBooth forum: View MIDI Time Code (MIDI-Ox recommendation)","url":"https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/view-midi-time-code.24707/","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"controlgeek.net: Show Control Protocols - Connecting QLab and ETC Eos","url":"https://www.controlgeek.net/blog/2026-2-28-show-control-connecting-figure-53-qlab-and-etc-eos","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"millumin","name":"Millumin","aka":["Millumin V5"],"vendor":"Anomes (Philippe Chaurand)","category":"media-server","summary":"macOS media server for live video: layers, timeline and column-based cueing with soft-edge blending and projection mapping. Widely used for projection in theatre and dance, where one Mac drives the whole video rig.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Configurable OSC listeners and senders; an OSC API covers almost every feature. Docs also state Millumin supports OSCQuery, without specifying its server/client role.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI sources and destinations are enabled individually in the Devices tab; inputs can send feedback back to the controller (e.g. motorised faders).","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","note":"MSC GO with no Q-number advances to the next column or plays the timeline; GO with a Q-number launches the Nth column; GO with Q-number plus Q-list selects the board; STOP stops or pauses.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Art-Net output for Light Plot and LED Mapping; docs cite Artnet V1/V2 with V3/V4 said to be retro-compatible. Art-Net input is not documented.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output alongside Art-Net; the manual warns sACN universe numbering starts at 1 whereas Art-Net starts at 0.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct USB-DMX output; docs list Enttec DMX USB Pro and Pro Mk2, DMXking ultraDMX Micro and ShowJockey interfaces.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI streams can be used as a layer source, and outputs can be sent as NDI with or without alpha, plus audio.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Blackmagic (Intensity, UltraStudio, DeckLink) and AJA cards, used both for capture and as outputs; Epiphan, Magewell, Inogeni and GigE cameras are also listed for capture.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC over an audio input; supported framerates are 24, 25, 29.97 DF and 30. Millumin also ships a free TimecodeClock app that generates LTC, MTC or its own network timecode.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MTC over MIDI, same framerate list as LTC.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.millumin.com/","label":"Millumin"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/","label":"Millumin Help"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Video and projection playback for theatre and dance, cued column by column","Projection mapping and soft-edge blending across multiple projectors from one Mac","Taking GO from a lighting console or QLab over MSC or OSC","Driving DMX fixtures from the same show file as the video, via Light Plot","Live camera or NDI input processed and re-projected in the same document"],"gotchas":["Art-Net universes are numbered from 0 but sACN universes from 1 in Millumin's own docs. Repatch the same rig between the two protocols and everything lands one universe out.","When the 30-day trial lapses Millumin still opens, saves, plays and exposes every feature. The only change is a watermark on the outputs. Nothing else tells you the licence has run out.","Vendor docs quote 60-120 ms latency on Blackmagic capture cards. Live camera composited against audio or a moving performer will need that budgeted for, not discovered in the tech.","Output count is a chip choice, not a GPU-speed choice: docs note base M1/M2/M3 Macs drive one external display, while M-series Max parts go to five. Buy the machine by display count.","Licences are sold as lifetime (with paid upgrades between major versions) or as 7-day, 30-day and 1-year rentals; each licence has a seat count and machines must be deactivated before being moved."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["media-server","projection-mapping","theatre","dance","macos"],"sources":[{"title":"Millumin Help - Devices (MIDI, OSC, DMX, Art-Net, sACN, timecode)","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/connect/devices/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Millumin Help - Timecodes","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/connect/timecodes/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Millumin Help - Capture","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/connect/capture/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Millumin Help - Outputs","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/display/outputs/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Millumin Help - License","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/general/license/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Millumin Help - Recommendations (macOS versions, Apple Silicon display limits, codecs)","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/general/recommendations/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Millumin Help - Light Plot","url":"https://help.millumin.com/docs/lighting/light-plot/","publisher":"Anomes","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"mitti","name":"Mitti","vendor":"Imimot","category":"video-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["macos"],"summary":"Single-screen video cue player for macOS, built to be dependable and simple: a cue list of clips with go, fade and loop, and OSC control from a show controller.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control in and out, commonly driven from QLab or a console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI triggering.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI output and input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode sync on supported versions.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode chase.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["A reliable single-screen video playback machine","Video cues triggered from QLab over OSC","Corporate and conference video playback"],"homepage":{"url":"https://imimot.com/mitti/","label":"Mitti"},"gotchas":["Deliberately single-screen. Multi-output work needs a different tool, and trying to force it is how a show ends up fragile.","macOS version and codec support move together. A clip that plays on the programming Mac may not on an older show machine."],"tags":["video","playback","macos","osc","cue-player"],"sources":[{"title":"Mitti","url":"https://imimot.com/mitti/","publisher":"Imimot","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"mixing-station","name":"Mixing Station","vendor":"David Giga","category":"audio-mixing","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","ios","android"],"summary":"Third-party remote control app for a wide range of digital consoles - X32/M32, dLive, SQ, Yamaha and others - widely used because it often outruns the manufacturer app for stage-side mixing.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Uses each console's own network control protocol, OSC where the console offers it.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control where the console supports it.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Mixing monitors from the stage on a tablet","Ringing out wedges while standing at the microphone","Giving a musician control of their own monitor mix"],"homepage":{"url":"https://mixingstation.app/","label":"Mixing Station"},"gotchas":["Any tablet mixing app depends on Wi-Fi. A single access point on a stage full of bodies and RF is the weak link, not the app.","Third-party, so console firmware updates can break it before an update lands. Do not update console firmware the week of a show that depends on it."],"tags":["audio","remote-control","tablet","monitors","third-party"],"sources":[{"title":"Mixing Station","url":"https://mixingstation.app/","publisher":"Mixing Station","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"modul8","name":"Modul8","vendor":"GarageCUBE","category":"video-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["macos"],"summary":"Real-time video mixing software for VJs and live visuals, layer-based with strong live manipulation, often paired with MadMapper for projection mapping output.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control from surfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"DMX/Art-Net control on supported versions.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI in and out.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode sync via third-party bridges.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Live VJ performance","Club and festival visuals","Feeding MadMapper for mapped output"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.modul8.ch/","label":"Modul8"},"gotchas":["Built for live improvisation rather than repeatable cue playback. A show that must run identically every night is better served by a cue-based player.","The Modul8 to MadMapper pairing is a Syphon handoff on macOS, which means both applications and the OS version have to agree."],"tags":["video","vj","live-visuals","macos"],"sources":[{"title":"Modul8","url":"https://www.modul8.ch/","publisher":"GarageCUBE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"multiplay","name":"Multiplay","vendor":"Da-Share","category":"cue-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Free Windows theatre sound cue playback application, long used in amateur and educational theatre for straightforward cue lists of audio files with fades and hotkeys.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI triggering.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Amateur and school theatre sound cues","A no-budget playback machine","Teaching cue-based sound operation"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.da-share.com/software/multiplay/","label":"Multiplay"},"gotchas":["Development has been quiet for a long time. It still works for simple cue lists but should not be specified for a production that needs support.","Windows audio device handling is the usual failure. Lock the output device and disable Windows sound enhancements before the show."],"tags":["cue-playback","theatre","windows","free","amateur"],"sources":[{"title":"Multiplay","url":"https://www.da-share.com/software/multiplay/","publisher":"Da-Share","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"node-red","name":"Node-RED","vendor":"OpenJS Foundation","category":"show-control","license":"Apache-2.0","price_model":"open-source","repo":{"url":"https://github.com/node-red/node-red","label":"Node-RED source"},"status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","embedded"],"summary":"Browser-based flow programming: drag nodes onto a canvas, wire them together, and a message travels the wires. Built for exactly the glue problem — something arrives on one protocol and has to leave on another — and it runs happily on a small machine in a rack for years.","speaks":[{"protocol":"mqtt","direction":"bidirectional","note":"First-class, and the reason many people install it.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via community nodes.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via community nodes.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via community nodes.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://nodered.org/","label":"Node-RED"},"typical_use":["Translating between two systems that will never support each other","Installed automation and scheduling","Prototyping an integration before writing it properly"],"gotchas":["A flow is easy to build and hard to review — the same problem as any patching environment. Export and version it.","Community nodes vary in maintenance. Freeze the set a production depends on."],"tags":["integration","flow","glue","mqtt","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"Node-RED","url":"https://nodered.org/","publisher":"OpenJS Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"notch","name":"Notch","aka":["Notch Builder","Notch Blocks"],"vendor":"Notch (10bit FX Limited)","category":"content-creation","summary":"Windows GPU-native tool for authoring real-time generative and VFX content in Notch Builder, then exporting a self-contained Notch Block. The unusual part is that the block plays back inside someone else's media server, not inside Notch.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Vendor features page states OSC input and output; the node reference lists both an OSC Modifier (receive) and an OSC Output node (send).","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Vendor features page states MIDI input and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Vendor features page states Art-Net input and output; the Art-Net docs describe exposing any numerical parameter plus basic transport controls so a lighting desk can drive them.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"BlackTrax is listed among supported tracking systems, but the docs name the product rather than the RTTrPM protocol version. Tracking support is an RFX-tier feature: Indie and VFX tiers have no tracking systems.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.notch.one/","label":"Notch"},"docs":{"url":"https://manual.notch.one/","label":"Notch Manual"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Authoring real-time generative looks and IMAG effects for touring concert video","Exporting Notch Blocks for playback inside disguise, Hippotizer, Pixera, Ai or Resolume","Camera, depth-camera and tracking-driven interactive content for installations","VFX Block export into host applications such as After Effects for offline work","Standalone executables and network editing of a live show's content from another machine"],"gotchas":["Notch content is authored in Builder but played back inside a host media server: disguise, Hippotizer, Ai, Resolume, Pixera, 7thSense Delta, Smode, LightAct, Ventuz and others. Nobody runs Notch itself on the show machine.","Exporting media-server Notch Blocks needs the top RFX Builder tier, and RFX is USB dongle-based with no software-only option. Indie and VFX tiers cannot export media-server blocks at all.","Playback is a second, separate licence from Builder. Playback licences ship on a CodeMeter USB dongle, sold either as short-term leases or as a perpetual one-project, one-location licence for fixed installs.","The free watermarked playback licence still requires a CodeMeter dongle. You cannot test a block on a bare machine and accept a watermark instead. No dongle, no playback.","Features that lean on third-party SDKs (NVIDIA effects, Kinect, and similar) need the matching third-party DLLs copied into the host media server's install directory. Builder and standalone exports ship them; media servers do not.","Every Builder tier is subscription-only, monthly or yearly. There is no perpetual Builder licence, so re-editing an archived project depends on keeping a subscription alive.","Hosts gate which Notch versions they will load: disguise publishes a per-Designer-version Notch compatibility table. Check the host build's supported Notch version before you export.","The stated GPU floor is high for a content tool: minimum NVIDIA RTX 2080 or AMD Radeon VII, recommended RTX 4080+ or RTX A5000+, with 4 GB VRAM at 4K rising to 12 GB at 8K."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["generative","real-time","notch-block","gpu","vfx"],"sources":[{"title":"Notch - Pricing (Indie / VFX / RFX tiers, dongle requirements)","url":"https://www.notch.one/pricing","publisher":"Notch","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Notch - Playback licensing","url":"https://www.notch.one/products/notch-playback/","publisher":"Notch","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Notch - Features & Specs (protocols, tracking systems, media server list, system requirements)","url":"https://www.notch.one/features","publisher":"Notch","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Notch Manual - Notch Blocks","url":"https://manual.notch.one/2026.1/en/docs/workflows/working-with-media-servers/blocks/","publisher":"Notch","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Notch Manual - SDK Dependencies when using Media Servers","url":"https://manual.notch.one/0.9.23/en/docs/blocks/dependencies/","publisher":"Notch","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Notch v1.0+ Compatibility Table","url":"https://help.disguise.one/designer/layers/layer-types/generative/notch-1-compatibility-table","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"obs-studio","name":"OBS Studio","aka":["OBS","Open Broadcaster Software"],"vendor":"OBS Project","category":"video-playback","summary":"Free video capture, compositing, recording and streaming application built around scenes and sources. It has become the default streaming encoder in venues that added a webcast to an existing show.","license":"GPL-2.0-or-later","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"homepage":{"url":"https://obsproject.com/","label":"obsproject.com"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio","label":"obsproject/obs-studio"},"docs":{"url":"https://obsproject.com/kb","label":"OBS Knowledge Base"},"status":"current","speaks":[{"protocol":"rtmp","direction":"out","note":"RTMP output is the default path to almost every streaming platform.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"srt","direction":"bidirectional","note":"SRT output and input, for contribution over an unmanaged network.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI send and receive via the NDI plugin, not in the base install.","confidence":"reported"}],"typical_use":["Streaming a live event to RTMP, SRT or a platform endpoint","Multi-camera switching and recording as an ISO backup","Screen and presentation capture into a programme feed","Remote-controlled scene changes driven from a show control layer"],"gotchas":["OBS speaks no entertainment control protocol on its own. Everything external talks to it through obs-websocket, which is bundled from OBS Studio 28.0.0 onward and listens on port 4455 by default.","Encoding is the load, not the compositing. A machine that previews fine will drop frames the moment you add a second high-bitrate output, so test with the real encoder settings.","Plugins are compiled against a specific OBS version. A major OBS upgrade the week of a show will silently disable the plugin the show depends on."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","streaming","open-source","capture"],"sources":[{"title":"obsproject/obs-studio source repository","url":"https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio","publisher":"OBS Project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"obs-websocket — bundled with OBS Studio 28.0.0 and above","url":"https://github.com/obsproject/obs-websocket","publisher":"OBS Project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ola","name":"OLA (Open Lighting Architecture)","aka":["Open Lighting Architecture","olad"],"vendor":"Open Lighting Project","category":"networking-utility","summary":"A daemon and library that translates between lighting transports, so an application can output DMX without knowing whether it lands on Art-Net, sACN or a USB widget. The usual glue layer on Linux and macOS.","license":"LGPL-2.1-or-later","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["linux","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net 1, 2 and 3 are listed in the plugin documentation.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Documented as the Streaming ACN (E1.31) plugin.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through more than twenty supported USB DMX widgets.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"pathport","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Listed as the Pathway Pathport plugin.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"kinet","direction":"out","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OLA carries a full RDM responder and controller stack.","confidence":"reported"}],"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","label":"OpenLightingProject/ola"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.openlighting.org/ola/doc/latest/index.html","label":"OLA developer documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Protocol bridge between a USB DMX widget and an Art-Net or sACN network","Scripted and automated fixture control from Python or C++","RDM discovery and troubleshooting from a laptop","Test rigs and CI for lighting software"],"gotchas":["Windows support is partial. The documentation targets Linux, macOS and FreeBSD, so a Windows-only crew should plan on different tooling rather than a port.","A plugin has to be enabled and its universes patched in olad before anything moves. Installing the package is only the first half of the job.","Licensing is mixed across the tree, with the library under LGPL and other components under GPL. Check the specific file before you embed it in a product."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","open-source","dmx","bridge"],"sources":[{"title":"OLA developer documentation","url":"https://docs.openlighting.org/ola/doc/latest/index.html","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"OpenLightingProject/ola source repository","url":"https://github.com/OpenLightingProject/ola","publisher":"Open Lighting Project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"onyx","name":"ONYX","aka":["Obsidian ONYX","Onyx"],"vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","category":"lighting-control","summary":"Obsidian Control Systems' Windows lighting control software, running on NX consoles and on any PC, carrying forward the Martin M-Series/M-PC licence lineage. The free tier outputs one universe; everything above that unlocks by plugging in Obsidian hardware.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Each Art-Net universe can be set to output, input or both. Detected nodes are unicast their assigned universes, with an optional broadcast mode. Art-Net timecode can also be received.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Can be set to output, input or both, with a settable sACN priority in the 0-200 range.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","requires_licence":true,"note":"Direct DMX needs Obsidian USB hardware (NX-DMX, NX-Touch, NX-K, NX-P) or an NX console. Onyx USB output appears from the NOVA tier upwards, not in ONYX FREE.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"in","note":"Media server thumbnails are pushed across the network into ONYX's parameter belts, and patch can be imported from compatible visualisers. Servers on the network are auto-detected.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"Full control of main playbacks, playback buttons, F-keys and command keys. OSC is locked in FREE and NOVA mode; a free trial can be started from the licensing options.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MIDI notes and commands trigger Go, Pause, Release, Flash and similar. ONYX does not generate MIDI messages, it only passes them along. Fully enabled from the NOVA+ tier.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MSC format and device ID are set in I/O settings. Gated behind the same tier as MIDI and timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"LTC via the SMPTE IN 3-pin connector on M6+ consoles, or audio LTC via an audio interface. Timecode is only fully enabled from the NOVA+ tier.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MIDI timecode via MIDI ports or the SMPTE IN connector. Only fully enabled from the NOVA+ tier.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://obsidiancontrol.com/onyx","label":"ONYX"},"docs":{"url":"https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/","label":"ONYX manual (v4.32)"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Club, corporate and touring lighting control on NX consoles","Free single-universe PC control for small rigs and learning","Pixel mapping and media control with DyLOS","Offline programming for an NX console show file"],"gotchas":["The tier is set by whichever Obsidian device is plugged in, not by a software key file. FREE is universe 1 only; NOVA and NOVA+ give universes 1-4; the 8/16/32/64/128 tiers need the matching ONYX key or NX wing.","OSC, MIDI and all timecode protocols are locked in FREE and NOVA mode. NOVA+ (NX-Touch, NX-K, NX-P) is the first tier where they are fully enabled; below that you only get time-limited trials.","DyLOS is limited to 2 zones below the Onyx 16 tier, and extra zones render with a watermark.","ONYX never sends MIDI out. It does not generate MIDI messages, only passes them along, so anything downstream needing MIDI cues needs another device.","Legacy M-Series USB products stopped working under Windows 11 24H2 because of driver security changes, and legacy Martin keys (Maxxyz, M1, Ether2DMX8) are no longer recognised to unlock ONYX.","Windows only, Windows 10/11 64-bit. There is no macOS build.","255 universe slots are patchable but DMX processing is capped at up to 128 universes depending on licence, so patching a universe is not the same as outputting it."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["lighting","onyx","obsidian","touring"],"sources":[{"title":"Onyx PC Modes","url":"https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/Content/License_Information/Onyx_PC_Modes.htm","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"EtherDMX Settings (Art-Net and sACN)","url":"https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/Content/Onyx_Manual/Networking/EtherDMX_Settings.htm","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"CITP - ONYX manual","url":"https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/Content/Onyx_Manual/Networking/CITP.htm","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"OSC - ONYX manual","url":"https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/Content/Onyx_Manual/Networking/OSC.htm","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Timecode Settings - ONYX manual","url":"https://support.obsidiancontrol.com/Content/Onyx_Manual/Menus/System_Settings/IO_Settings/Timecode_Settings.htm","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ONYX supported hardware and license changes","url":"https://obsidiancontrol.com/blog/post/onyx-supported-hardware-and-license-changes","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"open-sound-meter","name":"Open Sound Meter","vendor":"Pavel Smokotnin","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","license":"GPL-3.0-or-later","price_model":"open-source","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","ios","android"],"summary":"Free, open-source dual-channel FFT measurement application covering transfer function, impulse response and RTA. The credible zero-cost route into system measurement.","typical_use":["Learning system alignment without a Smaart licence","Quick checks when the measurement rig is not on the truck","Teaching measurement in a training context"],"homepage":{"url":"https://opensoundmeter.com/","label":"Open Sound Meter"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/psmokotnin/osm","label":"psmokotnin/osm"},"gotchas":["Interface and driver quality set the noise floor and the latency stability. A cheap USB interface limits what any measurement software can tell you.","The same measurement discipline applies as with any FFT tool: reference feed, microphone position and coherence still decide whether the trace means anything."],"tags":["audio","measurement","open-source","fft","free"],"sources":[{"title":"Open Sound Meter","url":"https://opensoundmeter.com/","publisher":"Open Sound Meter","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"psmokotnin/osm on GitHub","url":"https://github.com/psmokotnin/osm","publisher":"GitHub","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"open-stage-control","name":"Open Stage Control","vendor":"Jean-Emmanuel Doucet","category":"show-control","license":"GPL-3.0","price_model":"open-source","repo":{"url":"https://framagit.org/jean-emmanuel/open-stage-control","label":"Open Stage Control source (moved from GitHub)"},"status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","web"],"summary":"Build a custom control surface in a browser and drive anything that speaks OSC or MIDI with it. Free, scriptable, and the standard answer when a show needs a bespoke tablet panel that no vendor sells.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://openstagecontrol.ammd.net/","label":"Open Stage Control"},"typical_use":["Custom tablet and phone control surfaces","Simplified panels for non-technical operators","A remote for software that has an OSC interface and a bad one of its own"],"gotchas":["It is a server plus a browser client. The browser is the surface, so the network between them is show-critical.","A panel that only its author understands is a handover risk. Document the layout with the show file."],"tags":["osc","control-surface","open-source","remote"],"sources":[{"title":"Open Stage Control","url":"https://openstagecontrol.ammd.net/","publisher":"Jean-Emmanuel Doucet","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"openframeworks","name":"openFrameworks","vendor":"openFrameworks community","category":"content-creation","license":"MIT","price_model":"open-source","repo":{"url":"https://github.com/openframeworks/openFrameworks","label":"openFrameworks source"},"status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"A C++ toolkit for interactive and generative work, for when a patch or a sketch has run out of performance and you need the machine itself. Steeper than everything around it and the thing people reach for when an installation has to run at full rate on modest hardware.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core addon.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core addon.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Through addons.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through addons.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://openframeworks.cc/","label":"openFrameworks"},"typical_use":["Permanent installations that must run at full rate for years","Custom real-time graphics where an engine is too heavy","Hardware-tied interactive work"],"gotchas":["C++ with no garbage collector — see the code explainer for what that buys and what it costs.","Addon quality varies enormously. Vendor the exact versions a project depends on."],"tags":["creative-coding","cpp","installation","open-source"],"sources":[{"title":"openFrameworks","url":"https://openframeworks.cc/","publisher":"openFrameworks community","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"pixera","name":"PIXERA","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","category":"media-server","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Media server software with a strong 3D scene model: content, projectors, surfaces and cameras live in one space rather than being mapped separately, which is what makes complex geometry manageable.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Video over IP.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"For synchronised multi-machine playback.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.pixera.one/","label":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA"},"typical_use":["Complex projection and LED geometry","Multi-machine synchronised playback","Permanent installations"],"gotchas":["The 3D model is the point and it is also the work. Budget the scene build, not just the content."],"tags":["media-server","projection","3d","video"],"sources":[{"title":"PIXERA","url":"https://www.pixera.one/","publisher":"AV Stumpfl","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"pro-tools","name":"Pro Tools","vendor":"Avid","category":"audio-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"The dominant professional DAW, and in a live context the machine behind playback tracks, virtual soundcheck recording and show-tape delivery. Timecode-locked playback is its most common live role.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Chases LTC via a synchroniser or interface.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI timecode in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Dante Virtual Soundcard or a Dante interface.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via MADI interface hardware.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"in","note":"Clocks to an external word clock via the interface.","confidence":"reported"}],"typical_use":["Timecode-locked playback tracks","Multitrack recording of a live show","Virtual soundcheck"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.avid.com/pro-tools","label":"Pro Tools"},"gotchas":["Playback rigs are almost always redundant, two machines locked to the same timecode. A single-machine playback rig is a single point of failure for the whole show.","Plug-in licences live on iLok. A session that opens on the programming machine can open with empty inserts on the show machine.","Chasing timecode and generating it are different jobs. Decide once whether the DAW is the clock master or a follower and label the rack accordingly."],"tags":["audio","daw","playback","timecode","recording"],"sources":[{"title":"Pro Tools","url":"https://www.avid.com/pro-tools","publisher":"Avid","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"processing","name":"Processing","vendor":"Processing Foundation","category":"content-creation","license":"LGPL / GPL","price_model":"open-source","repo":{"url":"https://github.com/processing/processing4","label":"Processing 4 source"},"status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"A sketching environment for visual programming, and the tool a very large number of people in this industry first wrote code in. Java underneath, deliberately small surface area, and still an excellent way to get from an idea to something on a screen in an evening.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through the widely used oscP5 library.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through libraries.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Through community libraries.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://processing.org/","label":"Processing"},"typical_use":["Prototyping generative content","Teaching","Small bespoke tools and visualisers"],"gotchas":["Excellent for a sketch and not built to be a show-critical playback machine. Move a piece that survives into something designed to run unattended."],"tags":["creative-coding","generative","open-source","teaching"],"sources":[{"title":"Processing","url":"https://processing.org/","publisher":"Processing Foundation","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"propresenter","name":"ProPresenter","vendor":"Renewed Vision","category":"cue-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Presentation and lyric playback software dominant in worship and widely used for conferences: slides, lyrics, video, lower thirds and multi-screen output with a live operator workflow.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI triggering.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Network API control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"DMX control of ProPresenter on supported versions.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode sync on supported versions.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Lyrics and slides in a worship service","Conference presentation playback with lower thirds","Multi-screen text and video for an event"],"homepage":{"url":"https://renewedvision.com/propresenter/","label":"ProPresenter"},"gotchas":["Stage display and audience display are separate outputs with separate content. A confidence monitor showing the audience feed is the most common operator complaint and is a configuration issue.","Presentation files reference media by path. Moving a show to another machine without the media folder produces a deck full of missing content."],"tags":["presentation","worship","lyrics","multi-screen"],"sources":[{"title":"ProPresenter","url":"https://renewedvision.com/propresenter/","publisher":"Renewed Vision","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"protokol","name":"Protokol","vendor":"Hexler","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Lightweight, cross-platform console app from the makers of TouchOSC for monitoring and logging MIDI, OSC, Art-Net, and game-controller traffic in real time, used to troubleshoot control-protocol communication.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","ios","android"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Core supported protocol for monitoring/logging."},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Listed alongside MIDI and OSC as a monitored protocol."},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","confidence":"unverified","note":"Generic MIDI monitor; would display raw MSC SysEx bytes but is not a dedicated MSC decoder."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://hexler.net/protokol"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Watch live OSC messages between a media server, lighting console, or app during integration testing","Confirm Art-Net traffic is reaching a given machine/interface before debugging further upstream","Log control-protocol traffic on iOS/Android for field troubleshooting without a laptop"],"gotchas":["Monitors Art-Net but not sACN (E1.31) or plain DMX512 directly — a dedicated tool like sACNView is needed for sACN."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["osc","midi","art-net","cross-platform"],"sources":[{"title":"Protokol - Hexler official product page","url":"https://hexler.net/protokol","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Protokol release notes / changelog","url":"https://hexler.net/protokol/releases","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"provideoplayer","name":"ProVideoPlayer (PVP)","vendor":"Renewed Vision","category":"video-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["macos"],"summary":"Multi-screen video playback and blending software aimed at worship, corporate and touring, with playlist-based operation and edge blending across several outputs.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MIDI triggering.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"DMX/Art-Net control on supported versions.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Multi-screen video in a worship or corporate context","Blended wide-screen playback","IMAG with playback in one machine"],"homepage":{"url":"https://renewedvision.com/","label":"Renewed Vision"},"gotchas":["Output configuration is tied to the machine's display arrangement. Moving a show file to a machine with different screens is not a clean transfer.","Frequently deployed alongside ProPresenter in the same rack, doing different jobs. Confirm which one owns which output."],"tags":["video","playback","multi-screen","blending","worship"],"sources":[{"title":"Renewed Vision","url":"https://renewedvision.com/","publisher":"Renewed Vision","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"pure-data","name":"Pure Data","aka":["Pd","Pd-vanilla","Pd extended"],"vendor":"Miller Puckette and contributors","category":"content-creation","license":"BSD-style","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","embedded"],"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/pure-data/pure-data","label":"Pure Data source"},"status":"current","summary":"The open-source ancestor of the same dataflow idea, by the author of Max. Smaller, plainer and free, which makes it the pragmatic choice for an installation that has to keep running for years with no licence server in the way, and for embedded work on small Linux boards.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Built in.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through standard external objects.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://puredata.info/","label":"Pure Data"},"typical_use":["Long-running installations where licensing must not be a failure mode","Embedded audio and control on small computers","Teaching dataflow without a purchase"],"gotchas":["The interface is spare and the documentation assumes you already know the model. Worth learning alongside Max rather than instead of it.","Externals vary in maintenance. Freeze the exact set a piece depends on and archive them with the patch."],"tags":["dataflow","patching","open-source","audio"],"sources":[{"title":"Pure Data","url":"https://puredata.info/","publisher":"Pure Data community","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"qlab","name":"QLab","vendor":"Figure 53","category":"cue-playback","summary":"macOS cue playback for theatre: audio, video, lighting and network cues in a single ordered cue list driven by one GO button. The de facto standard for sound and video playback in English-language theatre.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"QLab exposes a full OSC API for control and feedback, and can send OSC as a cue type.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Can both generate and chase MIDI timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Lighting cues output over Art-Net; requires a licence tier that includes lighting.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://qlab.app/","label":"qlab.app"},"docs":{"url":"https://qlab.app/docs/","label":"QLab documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Sound and video playback for plays and musicals","Triggering lighting and automation from the stage manager's GO","Timecode-locked playback in fixed installations"],"gotchas":["Cue numbers and cue IDs are different things. OSC control by cue number breaks when someone renumbers; control by unique ID does not.","macOS only. A show that depends on QLab has a hardware platform decision baked into it, which matters for touring spares."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["theatre","playback","macos"],"sources":[{"title":"QLab documentation","url":"https://qlab.app/docs/","publisher":"Figure 53","primary":true},{"title":"QLab OSC dictionary","url":"https://qlab.app/docs/v5/scripting/osc-dictionary-v5/","publisher":"Figure 53","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"qlc-plus","name":"QLC+","aka":["Q Light Controller Plus","QLCplus"],"vendor":"QLC+ project","category":"lighting-control","summary":"Open-source lighting control software with a fixture library, cue engine and a drag-built virtual console. Runs on desktop and on a Raspberry Pi, which makes it the usual answer for a small rig with no budget for a console.","license":"Apache-2.0","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net plugin, listed in the project's plugin set.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Shipped as the E1.31 plugin.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via the DMX USB plugin and supported USB widgets.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.qlcplus.org/","label":"qlcplus.org"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/mcallegari/qlcplus","label":"mcallegari/qlcplus"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.qlcplus.org/","label":"QLC+ documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Club and small venue lighting where a console is not justified","Fixed installs running headless on a Raspberry Pi with the web interface","Teaching DMX patching and cue building","Bench testing fixtures and checking channel layouts"],"gotchas":["A protocol plugin being installed is not the same as it being patched. Nothing leaves the machine until you map each universe to an output in the Input/Output panel.","Fixtures use QLC+'s own definition format. Anything not already in the library has to be built in the Fixture Definition Editor before you can patch it, which is a job to do before the truck arrives, not on site.","The Raspberry Pi build is packaged separately from the desktop builds. Do not assume a project tested on a laptop behaves identically on the Pi."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","open-source","dmx","raspberry-pi"],"sources":[{"title":"QLC+ — home","url":"https://www.qlcplus.org/","publisher":"QLC+ project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"mcallegari/qlcplus source repository","url":"https://github.com/mcallegari/qlcplus","publisher":"QLC+ project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"QLC+ documentation","url":"https://docs.qlcplus.org/","publisher":"QLC+ project","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"qsys-designer","name":"Q-SYS Designer","aka":["Q-SYS Designer Software","QDS"],"vendor":"QSC, LLC","category":"audio-mixing","summary":"Windows design and deployment software for the Q-SYS platform: you draw the DSP, control logic and touchscreen UIs as a schematic, then push the whole design to a Core. Widely specified as the audio and control brain of venues, theme parks and installed AV.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Cores stream AES67 as multicast alongside the native Q-LAN transport. QSC's capacity tables count Q-LAN and AES67 network channels together and list no separate AES67 feature licence.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"note":"Dante on a Core is the Software Dante feature licence, sold in channel-count tiers from 8x8 up to 512x512 depending on Core model and QDS version.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Stock schematic components: the SMPTE LTC Reader decodes LTC from an audio input per SMPTE 12M and exposes timecode fields as control pins for Lua; the SMPTE LTC Generator is the encoder counterpart.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"PTPv2 (IEEE 1588-2008) on multicast 224.0.1.129, UDP 319-320. It is the clock for Q-LAN and AES67 and is documented as time-sensitive traffic the network must prioritise.","confidence":"verified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.qsys.com/products-solutions/q-sys/software/q-sys-designer-software/","label":"Q-SYS Designer Software"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.qsys.com/","label":"Q-SYS Help"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Building the audio DSP, routing, paging and BGM for a venue or attraction","Lua, Control Script and Block Controller logic tying AV and building systems together","Timecode-triggered show events driven from the SMPTE LTC Reader","Custom touchscreen UCIs for operators and front-of-house staff","Offline design and emulation before the hardware exists on site","Exposing Named Controls so a third-party controller drives the system over QRC or ECP"],"gotchas":["Third-party control needs Named Controls. A control that has not been selected and named in Designer is simply not visible to QRC (TCP 1710) or ECP (TCP 1702), which is where integrators lose hours to the API cannot see my fader.","QRC and ECP connections drop if the client goes quiet: QSC require traffic at least every 60 seconds. A keepalive or polling loop is not optional in a long-running integration.","Designs are not backward compatible. Anything using hardware, features or properties introduced in a newer QDS release may not open in an older one, so the Designer version on the commissioning laptop is part of the system documentation.","Control licensing moved. Scripting Engine and UCI Deployment were paid feature licences; QSC state licences are no longer required for Q-SYS Control capabilities on v10 and above. Quotes written against older documents will be wrong in both directions.","Dante is a licensed, channel-limited software feature on a Core, not a given. Match the tier to the actual channel count and Core model before promising anyone a Dante path.","The Timeline component that plays audio files against an external LTC input is still marked BETA in v10.4: functional, but not feature complete and subject to change. Do not hang a twenty-year attraction on it without a fallback.","OSC does not appear in QSC's documented network services. Field OSC integrations are third-party plugins or sockets opened from Lua, so treat OSC as something you build rather than something you enable.","Designer is Windows only. QSC's requirements list Windows 11 x64 and note testing inside a Windows 11 VM under Parallels on Apple silicon, but a Mac-only crew has no native option."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["installed-av","dsp","show-control","lua","theme-park"],"sources":[{"title":"Q-SYS Help - Network Interfaces, Services & Protocols","url":"https://help.qsys.com/content/Networking/Interfaces_Services.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Help - Licensing (Software Dante channel tiers)","url":"https://help.qsys.com/Content/Core_Manager/Core_Management/Licensing.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Help - SMPTE Linear Timecode Decoder","url":"https://help.qsys.com/Content/Schematic_Library/linear_timecode_decoder.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Help - Timeline [BETA] component with External LTC Input","url":"https://help.qsys.com/Content/Schematic_Library/timeline.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Help - Q-SYS Remote Control Protocol (QRC)","url":"https://help.qsys.com/Content/External_Control_APIs/QRC/QRC_Overview.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Help - External Control Protocol (ECP)","url":"https://help.qsys.com/Content/External_Control_APIs/ECP/ECP_Overview.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Help - Software Requirements","url":"https://help.qsys.com/Content/Q-SYS_Compatibility/Software_Requirements.htm","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Scaling & Feature Licenses","url":"https://www.qsys.com/products-solutions/q-sys/scaling-feature-licenses/","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Designer Software - free download, Lua control of external devices, emulation mode","url":"https://www.qsys.com/products-solutions/q-sys/software/q-sys-designer-software/","publisher":"QSC, LLC","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"rdm-controller-jese","name":"RDM Controller","vendor":"JESE","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"RDM discovery and configuration tool for DMX networks: find every responder on a line, read and set addresses and personalities, and check sensor data without touching the fixture.","speaks":[{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Full RDM discovery, GET and SET.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX output and monitoring alongside RDM.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM over Art-Net where supported.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Addressing a rig from the floor without a ladder","Finding the fixture that is not responding","Auditing what is actually on a DMX line"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.jese.co.uk/","label":"JESE"},"gotchas":["RDM only reaches devices where every splitter and node in the path passes it. One non-RDM splitter makes everything downstream invisible, which reads as \"the fixtures are broken\".","RDM traffic shares the DMX line with control data. Discovery during a show can visibly disturb output on some older fixtures."],"tags":["rdm","dmx","diagnostics","addressing"],"sources":[{"title":"JESE","url":"https://www.jese.co.uk/","publisher":"JESE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"realizzer-3d","name":"Realizzer 3D","vendor":"Realizzer","category":"previsualisation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Real-time lighting visualiser and rendering tool, used to previsualise a rig, produce photorealistic renders for client approval, and rehearse a show off-site.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net input from a console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"sACN input from a console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP for media server integration.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Selling a lighting design with a photoreal render","Pre-programming a show before load-in","Checking fixture positions and beam coverage"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.realizzer.com/","label":"Realizzer"},"gotchas":["Visualiser beam appearance is a rendering choice, not a photometric measurement. Use the beam and photometrics maths for coverage decisions, not the picture.","A visualiser only knows the rig you modelled. Fixture positions that differ from the plot make the pre-programmed show wrong in a way that looks right on screen."],"tags":["previs","visualiser","rendering","lighting"],"sources":[{"title":"Realizzer","url":"https://www.realizzer.com/","publisher":"Realizzer","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"reaper","name":"REAPER","aka":["Cockos REAPER"],"vendor":"Cockos Incorporated","category":"audio-playback","summary":"Cross-platform DAW that theatre and touring departments run as a show playback host: multitrack stems, timecode generate and chase, and OSC-driven control. Unusually cheap to licence and deeply scriptable, with the same project opening on Windows, macOS and Linux.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Built-in OSC control surface. Cockos state a device can receive messages from REAPER, send messages to it, or both; message mapping lives in .ReaperOSC pattern config files.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Chases MTC via the external timecode synchronization settings against an enabled MIDI input; generates MTC from the stock SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"out","note":"The stock SMPTE LTC/MTC Timecode Generator produces an LTC audio signal at a chosen frame rate and start time. Real-time LTC chase is not part of it.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI in and out for control surfaces and MIDI learn on parameters; MIDI clock is enabled per output device in Preferences > Audio > MIDI Devices.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.reaper.fm/","label":"reaper.fm"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.reaper.fm/userguide.php","label":"REAPER User Guide (PDF)"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Multitrack backing tracks, stems and click for touring bands and musicals","Generating house timecode for lighting, video and automation to chase","Chasing an external MTC master so playback follows the show clock","OSC control and feedback from a tablet, Companion or a show controller","ReaScript (Lua, EEL2, Python) automation of routing and cue behaviour","Playback on Linux where the rest of the toolchain is macOS or Windows only"],"gotchas":["Licence tiers are self-certified, not feature-gated: the discounted licence covers individuals, small businesses under a stated revenue threshold, and education or non-profit use. The binary is identical either way.","A licence includes free upgrades only up to a stated version ceiling, not forever. Budget a repurchase at the next major cycle instead of assuming perpetual free upgrades.","Real-time chase is MTC, not LTC. REAPER 7.75 added an action to detect LTC inside media items and move to the detected position, but that is offline alignment; locking to an LTC master still needs an LTC-to-MTC converter in front of it.","Evaluation is fully functional for 60 days with no feature limits, so an unlicensed spare laptop behaves exactly like a licensed one. It works is not evidence the rig is properly licensed.","OSC control surface settings and .ReaperOSC pattern files live in the REAPER config on that machine, not in the .RPP project. Copy a show to a spare laptop and the OSC mapping does not travel with it.","REAPER ships 32-bit and ARM builds as well as x86-64 on all three platforms. Plugin bitness and architecture must match the REAPER build, which is how a same version spare machine still fails to open the show."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["playback","timecode","osc","scripting","touring"],"sources":[{"title":"REAPER purchase page - licence tiers, eligibility, upgrade ceiling and 60-day evaluation","url":"https://www.reaper.fm/purchase.php","publisher":"Cockos Incorporated","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"REAPER OSC - control surface support, bidirectional operation and .ReaperOSC pattern configs","url":"https://www.reaper.fm/sdk/osc/osc.php","publisher":"Cockos Incorporated","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"REAPER downloads - Windows, macOS and Linux builds and architectures","url":"https://www.reaper.fm/download.php","publisher":"Cockos Incorporated","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"REAPER changelog - v7.75 timecode LTC detection action","url":"https://www.reaper.fm/whatsnew.txt","publisher":"Cockos Incorporated","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"REAPER User Guide","url":"https://www.reaper.fm/userguide.php","publisher":"Cockos Incorporated","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"How to configure Source-Connect 4 and REAPER to send MTC","url":"https://support.source-elements.com/source-connect-4-hub/how-to-configure-source-connect-4-to-send-rts-via-mtc-and-reaper-to-send-mtc","publisher":"Source Elements","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Using MIDI Timecode (MTC) with your DAW - REAPER external timecode synchronization settings","url":"https://faq.ambient.de/hc/en-001/articles/8638072040978-Using-Midi-Timecode-MTC-with-your-DAW","publisher":"Ambient Recording GmbH","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"resolume-arena","name":"Resolume Arena","aka":["Arena"],"vendor":"Resolume","category":"media-server","summary":"Clip-based video playback and mixing software with projection mapping, soft edge blending and DMX fixture output. Arena is the upper tier above Avenue and carries the features a show with projectors or LED actually needs.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Pixel and fixture output to lights uses Art-Net. Enttec USB DMX devices are not supported from Arena 6 onward.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://resolume.com/","label":"resolume.com"},"docs":{"url":"https://resolume.com/support/en/","label":"Resolume support and manual"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Club and festival VJ playback","Multi-projector mapping with soft edge blending","Pixel mapping LED battens and strips from video content","Timecoded video playback in a show with a fixed running order"],"gotchas":["Projection mapping, edge blending, DMX control, DMX fixture output, SMPTE timecode input, groups and slice transforms are Arena-only. A show designed in Arena will not open usefully on an Avenue seat.","DMX output from Arena is Art-Net. Enttec USB DMX widgets stopped being supported at Arena 6, so an old USB interface in the case is dead weight.","Licences are perpetual and per computer, so a spare machine on the truck needs its own licence rather than a copy of the show file."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","vj","projection-mapping","pixel-mapping"],"sources":[{"title":"Resolume support — DMX","url":"https://www.resolume.com/support/en/dmx","publisher":"Resolume","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Difference between Avenue and Arena","url":"https://resolume.com/support/en/avenue-arena-difference","publisher":"Resolume","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Resolume Avenue & Arena product page","url":"https://www.resolume.com/software/avenue-arena","publisher":"Resolume","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"rew-room-eq-wizard","name":"REW (Room EQ Wizard)","vendor":"John Mulcahy","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","license":"proprietary","price_model":"free","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"Free acoustic measurement software covering swept-sine and RTA measurement, waterfall and decay analysis, and filter design. Widely used for room analysis and system verification.","typical_use":["Measuring room decay and modal behaviour","Verifying a system response after tuning","Designing correction filters"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.roomeqwizard.com/","label":"REW"},"gotchas":["REW is strongest at room and steady-state analysis. It is not a live dual-channel alignment tool in the way Smaart or Open Sound Meter are, so do not reach for it mid-soundcheck.","Swept-sine measurements need a quiet room. A measurement taken over a load-in tells you about the load-in."],"tags":["audio","measurement","acoustics","room","free"],"sources":[{"title":"REW","url":"https://www.roomeqwizard.com/","publisher":"Room EQ Wizard","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"rhino-3d","name":"Rhino 3D","vendor":"Robert McNeel & Associates","category":"cad-drafting","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"NURBS modelling application used for scenic design, complex geometry and stage architecture, and increasingly as the geometry source for projection mapping and LED screen design.","typical_use":["Modelling complex scenic geometry","Producing the surface model a projection map is built against","Fabrication drawings for a scenic shop"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.rhino3d.com/","label":"Rhino 3D"},"gotchas":["A mapping model needs clean, correctly scaled geometry with sane units. A beautiful visual model with inconsistent scale is unusable to a media server.","Grasshopper work is often the real deliverable in complex scenic design, and it does not survive export to a mesh format. Hand over the definition, not only the geometry."],"tags":["cad","3d","scenic","nurbs","mapping"],"sources":[{"title":"Rhino 3D","url":"https://www.rhino3d.com/","publisher":"Robert McNeel & Associates","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"sacnview","name":"sACNView","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Cross-platform open-source application for monitoring, viewing, and transmitting Streaming ACN (sACN/E1.31) DMX-over-Ethernet data, widely used to inspect universes, sources, and priorities.","license":"Apache-2.0","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified","note":"Core purpose is monitoring and sending ANSI/ESTA E1.31 (Streaming ACN)."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://sacnview.org/"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/docsteer/sacnview"},"status":"current","typical_use":["View live per-channel DMX levels for any sACN universe on the network","Detect duplicate or conflicting sACN sources on the same universe and compare their priorities","Send test sACN data to verify a fixture, node, or console's reception","Oscilloscope-style view of channel level changes over time for chase/timing diagnosis"],"gotchas":["'sACNView mark 2' is a ground-up Qt6/C++ rewrite; it is not config- or plugin-compatible with the older Delphi-based original sACNView.","A separate legacy build is maintained for Windows XP since the current releases require newer OS versions."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["sacn","e1.31","dmx-over-ip"],"sources":[{"title":"sACNView official site","url":"https://sacnview.org/","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"docsteer/sacnview GitHub repository","url":"https://github.com/docsteer/sacnview","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Open Lighting wiki: SACNView","url":"https://wiki.openlighting.org/index.php/SACNView","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"shoflo","name":"Shoflo","vendor":"Shoflo","category":"production-management","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["web"],"summary":"Browser-based live rundown and cue sheet tool that keeps a production team on the same running order in real time, with timing that updates for everyone as the show moves.","typical_use":["Live rundown for a broadcast or corporate show","Keeping stage management, video and audio on one running order","Tracking actual versus planned timing during a show"],"homepage":{"url":"https://shoflo.tv/","label":"Shoflo"},"gotchas":["It is only useful if everyone has it open. A rundown half the crew is reading from a printout is worse than a printout for everyone.","Browser-based means it depends on venue internet, which is the least reliable part of most venues. Have a printed fallback for the moment the wifi drops."],"tags":["production","rundown","cue-sheet","collaboration","web"],"sources":[{"title":"Shoflo","url":"https://shoflo.tv/","publisher":"Shoflo","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"show-cue-system","name":"Show Cue System (SCS)","vendor":"Show Cue Systems","category":"cue-playback","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Windows cue playback software for theatre sound, covering audio cues, video, MIDI and DMX triggering. The main Windows counterpart to QLab in community and regional theatre.","speaks":[{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI triggering and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"DMX output via interface.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Art-Net output on supported versions.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode chase.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Theatre sound cue playback on Windows","Triggering lighting cues from the sound operator position","Community and educational theatre"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.showcuesystems.com/","label":"Show Cue Systems"},"gotchas":["The Windows alternative to QLab, and cue lists do not transfer between them. A production moving platforms is a re-programming job.","Audio device selection is a Windows problem more than an SCS one. Lock the interface and disable device switching before the show."],"tags":["cue-playback","theatre","windows","sound"],"sources":[{"title":"Show Cue Systems","url":"https://www.showcuesystems.com/","publisher":"Show Cue Systems","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"sketchup","name":"SketchUp","vendor":"Trimble","category":"cad-drafting","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows","macos","web"],"status":"current","summary":"Fast, forgiving 3D modelling that answers \"roughly, does this fit and what does it feel like\" in an afternoon. Excellent for the conversation with a director or a client. Not a data model and not a documentation tool, so it is the wrong place for the source of truth on a build.","homepage":{"url":"https://www.sketchup.com/","label":"SketchUp"},"typical_use":["Early massing and design communication","Quick venue and scenic studies","Sharing an idea with people who do not read plans"],"gotchas":["Geometry only. Nothing in a SketchUp model knows what it weighs, draws or is patched to, so no paperwork comes out of it.","Imported models from warehouses vary wildly in scale, cleanliness and polygon count. Check a known dimension immediately."],"tags":["cad","3d","modelling","design"],"sources":[{"title":"SketchUp","url":"https://www.sketchup.com/","publisher":"Trimble","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"smaart","name":"Smaart","vendor":"Rational Acoustics","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Dual-channel FFT measurement software: transfer function, impulse response, RTA and SPL logging. The standard tool for aligning and tuning a PA system against a reference.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"in","note":"Measurement input via Dante Virtual Soundcard or a Dante interface.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Aligning subs to tops and delays to mains","Verifying system EQ against a measurement","Logging SPL against a venue limit"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.rationalacoustics.com/","label":"Rational Acoustics"},"gotchas":["The measurement microphone position is the measurement. Two engineers measuring the same system three metres apart get different, equally correct answers.","Transfer function needs a genuine reference feed of the same signal. A reference taken after processing measures nothing useful about that processing.","Coherence is the honesty indicator. Low coherence means the data in that band should not be acted on, however convincing the trace looks."],"tags":["audio","measurement","system-tuning","fft","spl"],"sources":[{"title":"Rational Acoustics","url":"https://www.rationalacoustics.com/","publisher":"Rational Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"smode","name":"Smode","vendor":"Smode Tech","category":"media-server","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Real-time 3D compositing and media server software combining generative content creation and playback in one environment, used for concert visuals, projection mapping and LED stage design.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in for console control and out for fixture control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in for console control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI send and receive.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC for timeline sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet input for tracked objects.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"bidirectional","note":"ST 2110 on suitably equipped systems.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Generative concert visuals","Projection mapping with live content","LED screen content driven from a lighting console"],"homepage":{"url":"https://smode.fr/","label":"Smode"},"gotchas":["Smode is both the design tool and the playback engine, which is efficient and means a design change on site is a live edit to the thing that is playing the show.","Real-time generative content is GPU-bound in ways that pre-rendered playback is not. The machine that ran the design at 60 fps in the studio may not with the full show loaded."],"tags":["media-server","generative","3d","smode","projection"],"sources":[{"title":"Smode","url":"https://smode.fr/","publisher":"Smode Tech","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"stage-precision","name":"Stage Precision","vendor":"Stage Precision","category":"tracking","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Integration and data-routing platform that sits between tracking systems, media servers, lighting and automation: it takes positional data in any of several formats, calibrates and transforms it, and republishes it where it is needed.","speaks":[{"protocol":"psn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"PosiStageNet in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RTTrPM in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in and out.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"in","note":"NDI input for camera and video sources.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode input.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Bridging a tracking system to media servers and lighting","Calibrating tracking data to a stage coordinate system","Routing and transforming show data between departments"],"homepage":{"url":"https://stage-precision.com/","label":"Stage Precision"},"gotchas":["It becomes a single point of failure by design: everything routes through it. Plan the redundancy the same way you would for a media server.","Coordinate systems are the whole job. Lighting, automation, audio and video rarely agree on where the origin is or which way Z points, and reconciling that is the actual work."],"tags":["tracking","integration","psn","rttrpm","data-routing"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage Precision","url":"https://stage-precision.com/","publisher":"Stage Precision","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"timecodedisplay","name":"TimecodeDisplay","vendor":"Figure53","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"Small open-source macOS app from the makers of QLab that listens for incoming MIDI Time Code and displays it in large, easily readable digits for backstage cueing and MTC troubleshooting.","license":"MIT","price_model":"open-source","platforms":["macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Listens to and displays incoming MIDI Time Code."}],"homepage":{"url":"https://github.com/Figure53/TimecodeDisplay"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/Figure53/TimecodeDisplay"},"status":"historical","typical_use":["Confirm MTC is actually being received and is running/counting correctly before a show","Give a stage manager or crew member a large, unambiguous timecode readout separate from the show computer's main screen"],"gotchas":["macOS only, no Windows build.","Repository shows no formal tagged releases, so most users build it from source rather than downloading a signed binary."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["mtc","midi","macos","qlab"],"sources":[{"title":"Figure53/TimecodeDisplay GitHub repository","url":"https://github.com/Figure53/TimecodeDisplay","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"ControlBooth forum: View MIDI Time Code (TimecodeDisplay recommendation)","url":"https://www.controlbooth.com/threads/view-midi-time-code.24707/","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"touchdesigner","name":"TouchDesigner","aka":["TD"],"vendor":"Derivative","category":"content-creation","summary":"Node-based visual development environment for real-time generative content, interactive installations and custom control surfaces. Frequently deployed as the content engine behind a show rather than as a cue playback tool.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://derivative.ca/","label":"derivative.ca"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.derivative.ca/","label":"TouchDesigner documentation"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Generative and reactive content driven by live data or sensors","Custom operator interfaces and bespoke control glue","Projection content and LED processing pipelines","Prototyping interactive installations"],"gotchas":["The free Non-Commercial licence caps image resolution at 1280x1280 and locks out Shared Memory, C++ and SDI operators. A project prototyped on it will not scale to a real output without paying.","Projection calibration, optical tracking, motion capture input and multi-process sync are Pro-tier only, so a Commercial licence is not enough for a mapped or tracked show.","Non-Commercial keys are tied to the machine and cannot be moved. Only Commercial and higher licences transfer between computers, which matters when a show laptop dies."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["generative","realtime","visuals","interactive"],"sources":[{"title":"TouchDesigner Products — licence tiers and limits","url":"https://derivative.ca/UserGuide/TouchDesigner_Products","publisher":"Derivative","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Derivative — TouchDesigner","url":"https://derivative.ca/","publisher":"Derivative","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"touchosc","name":"TouchOSC","vendor":"Hexler","category":"show-control","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux","ios","android"],"summary":"Design a control layout and run it on a tablet or phone, sending OSC or MIDI. The long-standing default for a quick wireless remote, now with a scripting layer and desktop hosts as well as mobile.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://hexler.net/touchosc","label":"Hexler TouchOSC"},"typical_use":["A wireless remote for a console, media server or playback machine","Purpose-built panels for a specific show"],"gotchas":["A remote over production Wi-Fi is only as reliable as that Wi-Fi. Never make it the only path to something a cue needs.","Older TouchOSC layouts do not carry across to the current application."],"tags":["osc","midi","remote","tablet"],"sources":[{"title":"TouchOSC","url":"https://hexler.net/touchosc","publisher":"Hexler","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"twincat","name":"TwinCAT","aka":["TwinCAT 3"],"vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","category":"show-control","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","platforms":["windows"],"status":"current","summary":"Beckhoff's automation platform, and the reason an ordinary industrial PC can be trusted with a motion loop: a hard real-time kernel runs alongside Windows on reserved CPU cores, so the control task keeps its cycle no matter what Windows is doing. Developed inside Visual Studio, programmed in the IEC 61131-3 languages plus C++ and Simulink modules.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ethercat","direction":"bidirectional","note":"The native fieldbus — drives, I/O and sensors on one line, updated every cycle.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"opc-ua","direction":"bidirectional","note":"The usual way state is exposed upward to other systems.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"modbus-tcp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via supplementary functions.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"profinet","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via supplementary functions.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.beckhoff.com/twincat/","label":"Beckhoff TwinCAT"},"typical_use":["Winches, lifts, revolves, turntables and kinetic scenery","Deterministic control where a general-purpose OS cannot give a cycle guarantee","Bridging automation state to a show-control system over OPC UA"],"gotchas":["Functional safety is a separate rated channel — TwinSAFE — and it is not where your control code goes. It has to stay valid when the control program is wrong.","The show network may supply timing to an automation system. It must never supply permission.","Deterministic behaviour comes from the real-time kernel and reserved cores. A badly configured machine loses the guarantee without any obvious symptom until it matters."],"tags":["plc","automation","machinery","ethercat","beckhoff"],"sources":[{"title":"Beckhoff TwinCAT","url":"https://www.beckhoff.com/twincat/","publisher":"Beckhoff Automation","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"ugcs","name":"UgCS","vendor":"SPH Engineering","category":"production-management","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"status":"current","summary":"Mission planning and ground control for unmanned aircraft, including a drone-show workflow: choreography is designed, checked for separation and limits across the whole flight, and uploaded to each aircraft before launch, after which the fleet flies its own files against GNSS time.","homepage":{"url":"https://www.ugcs.com/","label":"UgCS"},"typical_use":["Planning and validating drone light show choreography","Ground control and fleet monitoring during a display"],"gotchas":["The plan is the safety case. A show that cannot be checked collision-free offline should not be armed.","Every jurisdiction requires authorisation for a display. Confirm the current requirement with the regulator, not with the software."],"tags":["drone","uav","show","planning","gnss"],"sources":[{"title":"UgCS","url":"https://www.ugcs.com/","publisher":"SPH Engineering","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"unity","name":"Unity","vendor":"Unity Technologies","category":"content-creation","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"status":"current","summary":"Real-time engine that dominates XR work. If a project involves headsets, handheld AR or an interactive exhibit on modest hardware, the device SDK you need almost certainly exists for Unity first. Scripted in C#, lighter to start with than Unreal, and less turnkey for camera-tracked broadcast and LED volume work.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through community packages rather than built in.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through community and vendor packages.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through vendor plug-ins.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://unity.com/","label":"Unity"},"typical_use":["VR, AR and MR applications","Museum and exhibition interactives","Interactive content on constrained hardware"],"gotchas":["Licence tiers and their terms have changed more than once. Confirm what applies to your seat and your revenue before committing a long project.","Show-specific plumbing — timecode, Art-Net, tracking — is community-supplied more often than it is first-party. Check maintenance before depending on a package."],"tags":["engine","xr","real-time","csharp"],"sources":[{"title":"Unity","url":"https://unity.com/","publisher":"Unity Technologies","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"unreal-engine","name":"Unreal Engine","vendor":"Epic Games","category":"content-creation","license":"proprietary","price_model":"freemium","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"summary":"Real-time 3D engine that became core infrastructure for virtual production and increasingly for live event content, driving LED volumes with camera-tracked in-camera VFX.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out via plugins.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX in and out through the built-in DMX plugin.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN through the DMX plugin.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI via plugin.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode via plugin and hardware.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet via plugin.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"freed","direction":"in","note":"FreeD camera tracking input via Live Link, the usual path in an LED volume.","confidence":"reported"}],"typical_use":["LED volume virtual production","Real-time generated content for concert screens","Previsualisation of a lighting and video design"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.unrealengine.com/","label":"Unreal Engine"},"gotchas":["A virtual production volume is a synchronised system: engine frame rate, genlock, camera shutter and LED processor all have to agree, and any one of them being wrong looks like a content fault.","nDisplay clusters need identical machines and configuration. A mismatched node is not a degraded node, it is a visibly wrong one.","Project size and build times make last-minute changes expensive. Treat content freeze the way a broadcast production would."],"tags":["real-time","3d","virtual-production","unreal","dmx"],"sources":[{"title":"Unreal Engine","url":"https://www.unrealengine.com/","publisher":"Epic Games","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"vectorworks-braceworks","name":"Vectorworks Braceworks","vendor":"Vectorworks","category":"production-management","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Structural load analysis add-on for Vectorworks that calculates loads on trusses, hoists and rigging points from the drawn rig, integrated with the Spotlight design workflow.","typical_use":["Load calculations from a drawn lighting and audio rig","Producing hoist load figures for a venue","Checking a truss span against manufacturer data"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/","label":"Vectorworks"},"gotchas":["Results depend entirely on the drawn model being accurate: real fixture weights, real cable weights, real hang points. A rig drawn with default weights produces confident, wrong numbers.","It is an aid to a qualified rigger and an engineer, not a substitute for either. The output is an input to a rigging plan.","Truss and hoist manufacturer data has to be loaded and current. Analysing a generic truss and hanging a specific one is not the same calculation."],"tags":["rigging","load","vectorworks","structural","production"],"sources":[{"title":"Vectorworks","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/","publisher":"Vectorworks","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"vectorworks-spotlight","name":"Vectorworks Spotlight","aka":["Spotlight"],"vendor":"Vectorworks, Inc.","category":"cad-drafting","summary":"CAD and 3D design package aimed at lighting, scenic and event work, with a fixture and truss library and automatic paperwork. It is where most lighting plots and hanging plots in theatre and events are actually drawn.","license":"proprietary","homepage":{"url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/spotlight","label":"Vectorworks Spotlight"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Drawing light plots, section and hanging plots","Generating channel hookups, instrument schedules and equipment lists from the drawing","Exchanging a rig with a console or visualiser using GDTF and MVR","Scenic modelling and event layout including seating and tables"],"gotchas":["Worksheets are generated from the objects in the drawing. A fixture with an incomplete record produces a report that looks correct and quietly omits it, so check counts against the plot before sending paperwork out.","Braceworks rigging analysis and Vision previsualisation are separate products, not Spotlight features. Budget for them separately if the job needs load calculations or previs.","GDTF and MVR round-tripping depends on both ends supporting the same revision. Test the export against the actual console before relying on it to carry patch."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["cad","lighting-design","paperwork","gdtf"],"sources":[{"title":"Vectorworks Spotlight product page","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/spotlight","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Vectorworks Spotlight Capabilities","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/spotlight/capabilities","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"vectorworks-vision","name":"Vectorworks Vision","aka":["Vision"],"vendor":"Vectorworks, Inc.","category":"previsualisation","summary":"Real-time previsualisation companion to Vectorworks Spotlight and Design Suite. It renders a lighting design live from console DMX so a look can be built and cued before load-in, and is licensed separately from the CAD drawing itself.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","platforms":["windows","macos"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"ma-net","direction":"in","requires_licence":true,"note":"MA-Net2 input requires a Vision-specific USB dongle; MA-Net3 requires an MA viz-key plus a grandMA3 console or onPC, per Vision's own manual.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Documented by Vectorworks as a DMX-provider option for its Spotlight-integrated previsualisation line, which shares Vision's DMX engine.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"Documented alongside Art-Net as a DMX-provider option for Vectorworks' previsualisation line.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/vision","label":"Vectorworks Vision"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Previsualising a lighting design against live console DMX before load-in","Testing focus, colour and gobo choices in a rendered venue model","Offline programming when the physical rig or venue is not available","Rehearsing and cueing a show ahead of tech"],"gotchas":["Vision is not standalone software — it requires an active Vectorworks Spotlight or Design Suite licence. Service Select subscribers get it included (Unlimited tier annually, a 4-universe Plus tier otherwise); everyone else buys Vision Unlimited as a separate add-on module.","MA-Net2 and MA-Net3 need different hardware keys — a Vision dongle versus an MA viz-key — and are not interchangeable, matching the generation split documented for the MA-Net protocol itself.","Distinct from \"Showcase,\" the real-time previz feature built directly into Spotlight 2025. Vectorworks sells and supports both; existing Vision workflows are unaffected by Showcase's introduction."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["previsualisation","lighting","visualiser","vectorworks"],"sources":[{"title":"Vectorworks Vision — product page","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/vision","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Buy Vectorworks Vision","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/vision/buy","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Vision 2024 Help: Setting the DMX Provider","url":"https://app-help.vectorworks.net/2024/Vision/2024_Vision/Vision/Setting%20the_DMX_provider.htm","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Connectivity Options with Showcase in Vectorworks Spotlight","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/newsroom/showcase-connections-lighting-consoles","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Previz with Showcase in Vectorworks Spotlight","url":"https://www.vectorworks.net/en-US/newsroom/showcase-previz-vectorworks-spotlight-2025","publisher":"Vectorworks, Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ventuz","name":"Ventuz","vendor":"Ventuz Technology","category":"media-server","license":"proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Real-time 3D graphics and interactive content platform used for broadcast graphics, data-driven visuals, live event screens and interactive installations.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in and out.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI send and receive.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"SDI in and out with suitable capture hardware.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Live data-driven graphics on event screens","Broadcast-style overlays for a live show","Interactive installations and touch walls"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.ventuz.com/","label":"Ventuz"},"gotchas":["Ventuz is a development environment before it is a playback tool. Budget engineering time, not just content time.","Designer and Runtime are licensed separately. A machine that can play the show may not be able to edit it, which is deliberate and occasionally inconvenient on site."],"tags":["graphics","real-time","3d","broadcast","data-driven"],"sources":[{"title":"Ventuz","url":"https://www.ventuz.com/","publisher":"Ventuz Technology","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"vioso-anyblend","name":"VIOSO Anyblend","vendor":"VIOSO","category":"content-creation","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"quote-only","platforms":["windows"],"status":"current","summary":"Camera-assisted warping and blending for multi-projector systems. A camera measures what each projector actually puts on the surface, and the software builds the warp and blend from the measurement rather than from an assumption about where the projectors are.","homepage":{"url":"https://vioso.com/","label":"VIOSO"},"typical_use":["Multi-projector blends on curved and irregular surfaces","Domes and simulators","Automated realignment in permanent installations"],"gotchas":["Blending equalises brightness in the overlap. It cannot make a projector's black darker, so the black level in an overlap stays lifted no matter how good the alignment is."],"tags":["projection","blending","warping","calibration"],"sources":[{"title":"VIOSO","url":"https://vioso.com/","publisher":"VIOSO","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"vmix","name":"vMix","vendor":"StudioCoast","category":"video-playback","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows"],"summary":"Software video production: switching, titles, playback, streaming and recording on one Windows machine. The workhorse of small broadcast and corporate work, and increasingly of hybrid events.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"srt","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Contribution and distribution.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rtmp","direction":"out","note":"Streaming.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"Control, depending on version.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"bidirectional","note":"On higher tiers with suitable hardware.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.vmix.com/","label":"vMix"},"typical_use":["Live streaming and hybrid events","Small-scale broadcast switching","Playback and titling on one machine"],"gotchas":["One machine doing everything is one machine that can fail. Plan the fallback before the show, not during it.","Feature availability is tiered — confirm the licence covers the inputs and outputs the design assumes."],"tags":["video","streaming","switching","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"vMix","url":"https://www.vmix.com/","publisher":"StudioCoast","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"vvvv","name":"vvvv","aka":["vvvv gamma","vvvv beta"],"vendor":"vvvv group","category":"content-creation","license":"Proprietary","price_model":"freemium","platforms":["windows"],"status":"current","summary":"A long-standing visual programming environment for real-time media, strong on GPU work, large projection setups and hardware interfacing. Free for non-commercial use, which is how most people meet it.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Standard nodes.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Widely used for driving and receiving lighting data.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through interfaces.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Standard nodes.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://vvvv.org/","label":"vvvv"},"typical_use":["Interactive installations","Large multi-projector and LED content systems","Prototyping hardware-driven media"],"gotchas":["Windows only, and the two generations (beta and gamma) are different environments — check which one a project was built in before quoting time on it."],"tags":["dataflow","patching","projection","interactive"],"sources":[{"title":"vvvv","url":"https://vvvv.org/","publisher":"vvvv group","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","vendor":"Dataton","category":"media-server","summary":"Multi-display media server software that composites and plays video across many synchronised outputs from a timeline. Long established in corporate, museum and large-format projection work.","license":"proprietary","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Documented as ArtNet Input for external control of WATCHOUT.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Handled by the LTC Bridge component.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"in","note":"NDI sources can be used as video inputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.dataton.com/downloads/watchout7","label":"Dataton WATCHOUT"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.dataton.com/watchout-7-new/watchout/index.html","label":"WATCHOUT 7 User Guide"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Multi-projector blended shows in museums, visitor attractions and corporate events","Timecode-locked video playback across many outputs","Large-format canvases split across a cluster of display computers"],"gotchas":["Windows only. Both the production application and the display servers are Windows software, so a Mac-based crew has no path here.","A real system needs a minimum of two licence keys, one for the production computer and one for each display computer. Only a keyless production machine with no outputs attached runs unlicensed.","WATCHOUT 7 is a different architecture to WATCHOUT 6 and the user guide carries a separate WATCHOUT 6 protocol section for backwards compatibility. Do not assume a v6 control integration drives a v7 system unchanged."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["media-server","projection","multi-display","timecode"],"sources":[{"title":"Dataton WATCHOUT current version and licensing","url":"https://www.dataton.com/downloads/watchout7","publisher":"Dataton","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"WATCHOUT License Keys","url":"https://www.dataton.com/watchout-license-keys","publisher":"Dataton","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"WATCHOUT 7 User Guide","url":"https://docs.dataton.com/watchout-7-new/watchout/index.html","publisher":"Dataton","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"waves-soundgrid-studio","name":"Waves SoundGrid Studio","vendor":"Waves Audio","category":"audio-mixing","license":"proprietary","price_model":"one-off-purchase","status":"current","platforms":["windows","macos"],"summary":"Networked audio processing system that offloads plug-ins to a dedicated SoundGrid server, letting a live console run large plug-in racks at low latency without loading the mixing desk.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via a SoundGrid/Dante interface, not natively.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via SoundGrid interface hardware.","confidence":"unverified"}],"typical_use":["Plug-in racks on a live console","Multitrack recording and virtual soundcheck","Offloading processing from the mixing surface"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.waves.com/","label":"Waves Audio"},"gotchas":["SoundGrid is its own network on its own NIC. Sharing that NIC with a show network or the internet causes exactly the dropouts it exists to avoid.","Plug-in licences are on a Waves account and USB drive. The server is useless without them, so the licence drive is show-critical hardware.","Latency is low but not zero. Inserting a SoundGrid rack on a monitor path is a decision to make deliberately with the monitor engineer."],"tags":["audio","plugins","soundgrid","waves","live"],"sources":[{"title":"Waves Audio","url":"https://www.waves.com/","publisher":"Waves Audio","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"wireshark","name":"Wireshark","aka":["Ethereal"],"vendor":"Wireshark Foundation","category":"monitoring-diagnostics","summary":"General-purpose packet analyzer with built-in dissectors for Art-Net, ACN/sACN (E1.31), RDM, RDMnet, and OSC, making it a de facto low-level protocol sniffer for lighting/AV networks.","license":"GPL-2.0","price_model":"free","platforms":["windows","macos","linux"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Native artnet dissector present since very early Wireshark releases (display filter fields documented back to version 1.0.0)."},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Dissected via the ACN dissector's 'Streaming DMX' (E1.31) option, which must be enabled in Preferences > Protocols > ACN."},{"protocol":"acn","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Dissects the underlying ACN/E1.17 root layer (Root Layer, SDT, wrappers) that sACN rides on."},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"E1.20 RDM dissector; base fields since Wireshark 1.8.0, extended fields since 3.4.0."},{"protocol":"rdmnet","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"RDMnet dissector added in Wireshark 3.4.0 (commit 'Added RDMnet protocol', March 2020)."},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","confidence":"verified","note":"Open Sound Control dissector, documented display filter fields since Wireshark 1.12.0."},{"protocol":"mdns-dns-sd","direction":"in","note":"Decodes mDNS, the fastest way to prove a discovery problem.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"in","note":"Decodes SNMP.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"srt","direction":"in","note":"SRT dissector in current builds.","confidence":"unverified"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.wireshark.org/"},"repo":{"url":"https://github.com/wireshark/wireshark"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/a/artnet.html"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Confirm whether sACN/Art-Net packets are actually reaching a node's NIC","Diagnose sACN priority conflicts by inspecting per-address priority (start code 0xDD) vs level (0x00) packets","Verify RDM/RDMnet discovery and GET/SET transactions between controller and responder","Capture and archive a show's network traffic for post-mortem analysis after a failure"],"gotchas":["sACN ('Streaming DMX') dissection is off by default; enable it in Edit > Preferences > Protocols > ACN or universes show up undissected.","Wireshark only shows what's on the wire, it does not judge whether DMX/sACN data is 'correct' — you must manually expand fields to tell level packets (start code 0x00) from per-address priority packets (0xDD).","The Art-Net dissector is missing most Art-Net 4 fields introduced from protocol document revision 1.4DA onward (open bug, GitLab issue #18293).","The ACN/sACN dissector does not fully dissect Universe Discovery or Universe Sync packets in some releases (GitLab issues #18755, #18767)."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["packet-capture","protocol-analyzer","network-troubleshooting"],"sources":[{"title":"Wireshark Display Filter Reference: Art-Net","url":"https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/a/artnet.html","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Wireshark Wiki: ACN protocol dissector","url":"https://wiki.wireshark.org/ACN","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Wireshark Display Filter Reference: RDMnet","url":"https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/r/rdmnet.html","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Wireshark Display Filter Reference: RDM","url":"https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/r/rdm.html","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"Wireshark Display Filter Reference: Open Sound Control","url":"https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/o/osc.html","accessed":"2026-08-17"},{"title":"ETC Support: Troubleshooting sACN priority using Wireshark","url":"https://support.etcconnect.com/ETC/Networking/General/Troubleshooting_sACN_priority_using_Wireshark","accessed":"2026-08-17","primary":true},{"title":"Wireshark GitLab issue #18293: Art-Net dissector missing Art-Net 4 features","url":"https://gitlab.com/wireshark/wireshark/-/issues/18293","accessed":"2026-08-17"}],"updated":"2026-08-17"},{"id":"wysiwyg","name":"WYSIWYG","vendor":"CAST Group Inc.","category":"previsualisation","summary":"Lighting design, plotting and previsualisation software that renders a rig in real time from live console DMX. A longstanding dedicated previz tool for touring, broadcast, theatre and corporate work, sold as Core, Design and Perform editions.","license":"proprietary","price_model":"subscription","platforms":["windows"],"speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Documented as one of the network options for receiving console DMX (e.g. merged BlackTrax tracking data reaches WYSIWYG this way).","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"Documented alongside Art-Net as a network DMX input from the console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"in","note":"Live media-server preview is a supported feature; CAST's own known-issues list references CITP video-display behaviour after a resolution change.","confidence":"reported"}],"homepage":{"url":"https://cast-soft.com/WYSIWYG/","label":"CAST Software — WYSIWYG"},"status":"current","typical_use":["Offline programming and plotting against a rendered rig before load-in","Producing CAD plots and paperwork alongside the visualisation","Simulating BlackTrax-tracked automated fixtures and effects","Selling a look to a designer or client before the rig is in the room"],"gotchas":["WYSIWYG is a Windows-only application. It can run on an ARM-based Mac via Parallels inside a Windows 11 ARM-64 environment, but Intel Mac support via Boot Camp or Parallels is explicitly not officially supported.","Dongles and perpetual licences have been discontinued. Licences are cloud-based subscriptions billed monthly or annually, and the software will not run once the subscription lapses.","CITP video preview can take up to ten seconds to display correctly after a resolution change, per CAST's own WYSIWYG 2025 known-issues list."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["previsualisation","lighting","visualiser","cad"],"sources":[{"title":"WYSIWYG — Lighting Design Software","url":"https://cast-soft.com/WYSIWYG/","publisher":"CAST Software","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"CAST Software FAQ","url":"https://cast-soft.com/faq/","publisher":"CAST Software","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"WYSIWYG 2025 Known Issues","url":"https://cast-soft.com/WYSIWYG-known-issues/","publisher":"CAST Software","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"CAST Software — company and product overview","url":"https://cast-soft.com/","publisher":"CAST Group Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"}],"hardware":[{"id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","vendor":"7thSense","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"High-frame-rate uncompressed playback server built for domes, planetariums, theme parks and large-format projection, where frame-accurate multi-channel playback matters more than live compositing.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net control in.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC for show sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"in","note":"MSC for show control integration.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"out","note":"NDI output on suitably configured systems.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"19-inch rack server, configuration varies by channel count","homepage":{"url":"https://7thsense.one/","label":"7thSense"},"gotchas":["Delta is a playback engine, not a live compositor. Content is prepared and ingested; last-minute creative changes are a content pipeline job, not a knob on the server.","Uncompressed high-frame-rate playback is storage-bandwidth bound. The disk subsystem is part of the spec, so a \"same model\" spare with different storage may not sustain the same show."],"tags":["media-server","7thsense","dome","themed-entertainment"],"sources":[{"title":"7thSense","url":"https://7thsense.one/","publisher":"7thSense","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"alcorn-mcbride-binloop-hd","name":"Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD","vendor":"Alcorn McBride","category":"show-controller","status":"current","summary":"Multi-channel synchronised video and audio player built for attractions: several outputs that stay frame-locked to each other and to a house clock, in a box designed to be switched on and left alone for years.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Timecode master or slave.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Frame reference.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"Control, depending on model.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount synchronised player","rack_units":3,"homepage":{"url":"https://alcorn.com/","label":"Alcorn McBride"},"gotchas":["Synchronised playback is the product. Mixing it with a general-purpose player elsewhere in the same show reintroduces exactly the drift it was bought to remove."],"tags":["playback","sync","attraction","alcorn-mcbride"],"sources":[{"title":"Alcorn McBride","url":"https://alcorn.com/","publisher":"Alcorn McBride","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"alcorn-mcbride-v16pro","name":"Alcorn McBride V16Pro","aka":["V16Pro-S","V16 Pro"],"vendor":"Alcorn McBride","category":"show-controller","summary":"Solid-state show controller for attractions, with sixteen serial ports, sixteen opto inputs, sixteen relay outputs and SMPTE timecode read and generate. Programmed in WinScript Live and superseded by the V16X.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"SMPTE LTC in and out on XLR, 600 ohm balanced, 1-4 V peak to peak. The V16Pro reads and generates; the V4Pro does not.","confidence":"verified"}],"physical_ports":["16x DB-9M serial, individually configurable RS-232C or RS-422","2x RJ-45 10/100 Base-T Ethernet","1x MIDI in (5-pin DIN female) and MIDI out","SMPTE LTC in and out on XLR","16x opto-isolated inputs","16x relay outputs","1x RS-232C programmer port and USB programmer connection"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount, 19 x 3.5 x 10.25 in, 9.5 lbs","rack_units":2,"status":"superseded","homepage":{"url":"https://alcorn.com/products/v16pro-s/","label":"V16Pro-S"},"docs":{"url":"https://alcorn.com/library/manuals/man_v16pro.pdf","label":"V Series Network Controllers user's guide"},"gotchas":["Discontinued. Alcorn McBride lists the V16Pro-S as legacy and points new work at the V16X, so treat this as a maintenance and spares entry rather than a specification for a new install.","The V4Pro shares the platform but drops to four serial ports and has no SMPTE generation. Do not substitute one for the other on a timecode-driven show.","Sixteen serial ports means sixteen device-specific cables and pinouts. Confirm RS-232 versus RS-422 per port before the loom is made, because each port is configured individually.","Relay outputs are dry contacts, not powered. Anything being switched needs its own supply and, where the load is inductive, its own protection."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["show-control","attractions","timecode","legacy"],"sources":[{"title":"V16Pro-S product page","url":"https://alcorn.com/products/v16pro-s/","publisher":"Alcorn McBride","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"V16Pro-S specification cutsheet","url":"https://alcorn.com/library/cutsheets/lit_v16pros.pdf","publisher":"Alcorn McBride","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"V Series Network Controllers user's guide","url":"https://alcorn.com/library/manuals/man_v16pro.pdf","publisher":"Alcorn McBride","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Alcorn McBride products index","url":"https://alcorn.com/products/","publisher":"Alcorn McBride","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"allen-heath-avantis","name":"Allen & Heath Avantis","vendor":"Allen & Heath","category":"audio-console","status":"current","summary":"Compact dLive-engine console at a price that put a serious processing platform into venues and rental stock that would not previously have carried one. Two full-size touchscreens and card-based I/O.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via option card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"soundgrid","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via option card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Console","homepage":{"url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","label":"Allen & Heath"},"gotchas":["I/O is entirely a question of which cards are fitted and which stage boxes are on the loop. Confirm the whole system, not the surface."],"tags":["audio","console","allen-heath"],"sources":[{"title":"Allen & Heath","url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","publisher":"Allen & Heath","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"allen-heath-dlive-s7000","name":"Allen & Heath dLive S7000","vendor":"Allen & Heath","category":"audio-console","released":2016,"status":"current","summary":"Large dLive surface with 36 faders and a 15-inch touchscreen, driving a separate DM MixRack engine over gigaACE. Strong in theatre, houses of worship and mid-to-large touring.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via I/O card in the MixRack or surface.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via I/O card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes50","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via card, for compatibility with AES50 stage boxes.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control and scene recall.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Native OSC over TCP, widely used with QLab and show control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC input for scene firing.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["gigaACE link to MixRack","I/O card slots (Dante, MADI, Waves)","Word clock","MIDI","Ethernet control"],"form_factor":"Control surface plus separate DM MixRack","homepage":{"url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","label":"Allen & Heath"},"gotchas":["The surface is a control surface. All the audio lives in the MixRack, so the surface can be swapped or lost mid-show without dropping audio, which is a genuine operational advantage worth designing around.","gigaACE runs on Cat5e and looks like Ethernet. It is not, and it must not be patched into a general network switch.","dLive OSC is well documented and open, which makes it one of the easier large consoles to drive from QLab or a show controller."],"tags":["audio","console","allen-heath","dlive","osc"],"sources":[{"title":"Allen & Heath","url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","publisher":"Allen & Heath","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"allen-heath-sq-6","name":"Allen & Heath SQ-6","vendor":"Allen & Heath","category":"audio-console","released":2018,"status":"current","summary":"Compact 48-channel 96 kHz console with very low latency, 24 mic inputs and an expansion slot. The desk that covers small theatre, corporate and worship work where a dLive is oversized.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional SLink / option card.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes50","direction":"bidirectional","note":"SLink port supports AES50-compatible expanders.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via option card.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI over DIN and USB.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI/TCP control; OSC through third-party bridges.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["24x XLR in","12x XLR out","SLink port","Option card slot","MIDI in/out","2x USB","Ethernet"],"form_factor":"Console, 25 faders","homepage":{"url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","label":"Allen & Heath"},"gotchas":["The 96 kHz architecture buys genuinely low latency, which matters for in-ear monitor work, and it halves some channel counts on option cards. Check the card spec at 96 kHz, not at 48.","SLink carries several protocols depending on what is plugged in. The same socket talking to a different expander is a different protocol, so label the ends."],"tags":["audio","console","allen-heath","sq","96khz"],"sources":[{"title":"Allen & Heath","url":"https://www.allen-heath.com/","publisher":"Allen & Heath","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"analog-way-alta-4k","name":"Analog Way Alta 4K","vendor":"Analog Way","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"Mid-range multi-screen presentation processor: several independent outputs, layers across them, and a preview-then-take workflow. The machine that stands between many sources and several surfaces at a conference or an awards show.","speaks":[{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Reference input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on option.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on option.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount presentation processor","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.analogway.com/","label":"Analog Way"},"gotchas":["Layer count is shared across outputs. A specification that lists a total is not promising that total on one screen."],"tags":["video","processor","presentation","analog-way"],"sources":[{"title":"Analog Way","url":"https://www.analogway.com/","publisher":"Analog Way","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"analog-way-aquilon-rs4","name":"Analog Way Aquilon RS4","vendor":"Analog Way","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"4K/8K-capable presentation switcher and screen management system for large corporate and live events, with mixable layers, soft edge blending and redundant power.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"12G and 3G-SDI on the input and output cards.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Reference input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"Third-party control over the network API.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Modular 4K input cards","Modular output cards","Genlock","Redundant PSU","Gigabit control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack frame","rack_units":4,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.analogway.com/","label":"Analog Way"},"gotchas":["Layer budget depends on the input format. Running 4K sources consumes the machine's processing far faster than HD, so a layer count quoted in HD terms is misleading for a 4K show.","Aquilon and Picturall are both Analog Way and do different jobs. Confirm which one a rider means before speccing."],"tags":["video","switcher","analog-way","4k"],"sources":[{"title":"Analog Way","url":"https://www.analogway.com/","publisher":"Analog Way","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","vendor":"Analog Way","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"Linux-based media server range aimed at reliable multi-output playback and soft-edge blending, sold from compact single-output units up to large multi-output frames.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net control input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"sACN control input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"in","note":"NDI input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"in","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"19-inch rack server, size varies by model","homepage":{"url":"https://www.analogway.com/","label":"Analog Way"},"gotchas":["Picturall is a playback and blending server rather than a generative compositor. If the brief involves real-time 3D or notch blocks, this is the wrong tool.","Analog Way also makes presentation switchers (Aquilon, Midra). \"An Analog Way\" on a rider is ambiguous between a server and a switcher."],"tags":["media-server","analog-way","picturall","blending"],"sources":[{"title":"Analog Way","url":"https://www.analogway.com/","publisher":"Analog Way","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"avid-venue-s6l-32d","name":"Avid VENUE S6L-32D","vendor":"Avid","category":"audio-console","released":2016,"status":"current","summary":"Modular VENUE system with a 32-fader control surface, separate E6L engine and Stage 64 I/O, notable for running Pro Tools and AAX plug-ins natively inside the live mix path.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional engine card.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through Dante in AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI for snapshot and external control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC for snapshot automation.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control via Eucon and third-party apps.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["AVB link between surface, engine and stage rack","Optional MADI / Dante engine cards","Word clock","MIDI","Redundant PSU"],"form_factor":"Control surface plus E6L engine and Stage 64 I/O","homepage":{"url":"https://www.avid.com/","label":"Avid"},"gotchas":["The plug-in rack is the reason to choose it and the main thing to plan for: DSP is finite, and an engine that ran the show last tour may not run this one's plug-in list.","Surface, engine and stage rack are linked over AVB on dedicated cabling. This is not a general show network and should not be shared with one.","AAX plug-in licences travel on iLok, not with the desk. A show file that opens without its iLok is a show file with empty inserts."],"tags":["audio","console","avid","venue","plugins"],"sources":[{"title":"Avid","url":"https://www.avid.com/","publisher":"Avid","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","vendor":"Avolites","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"Avolites media server running Ai, with the Salvation patching engine underneath — which means the machine is programmable in a dataflow environment rather than only configurable, and is unusually comfortable being driven directly from a lighting console.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Thumbnails.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Video over IP.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount media server","rack_units":3,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.avolites.com/","label":"Avolites"},"gotchas":["Salvation makes deep customisation possible, which also makes an undocumented patch somebody built at 2am a real handover risk."],"tags":["media-server","video","avolites","ai"],"sources":[{"title":"Avolites Ai","url":"https://www.avolites.com/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","vendor":"Avolites","category":"lighting-console","status":"current","summary":"Mid-to-large Titan console with a built-in touchscreen and motorised faders, aimed at touring and festival work where the console has to be quick to take over on someone else's rig.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Network output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"Network output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct outputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Media server thumbnails and control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Notes and MSC.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Console","runs_software":["avolites-titan"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.avolites.com/","label":"Avolites"},"gotchas":["Titan show files move across the Avolites range; check the software version on the console matches the one the show was built on before load-in."],"tags":["lighting","console","avolites","titan"],"sources":[{"title":"Avolites","url":"https://www.avolites.com/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"avolites-diamond-9","name":"Avolites Diamond 9","vendor":"Avolites","category":"lighting-console","released":2018,"status":"current","summary":"Avolites flagship running Titan, sold in 5, 7 and 9 panel widths with dual redundant PSUs and hot-swappable fader modules. The desk Titan was rebuilt around after the Sapphire generation.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN output, with priority per universe.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net output and input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Direct DMX out of the rear XLRs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM discovery and patch from Titan.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server thumbnails in the pixel mapper.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI and MIDI timecode over DIN.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC input for timecoded cue lists.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["DMX XLR5 outputs (count varies by panel width)","2x etherCON Gigabit","MIDI in/out","LTC in","USB","DisplayPort for external screens"],"form_factor":"Modular console, 5 / 7 / 9 panel widths","runs_software":["avolites-titan"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.avolites.com/products/lighting-consoles/","label":"Avolites lighting consoles"},"gotchas":["Titan show files are forward-compatible but not backward-compatible. A file saved on a newer Titan version will not open on an older one, which bites when a spare desk in the shop has not been updated.","Avolites separates the \"Fixture\" and \"Palette\" model in a way that differs from Eos and grandMA. Cue content stored in palettes updates globally, which is powerful and is also how a whole show accidentally changes colour.","The panel width changes fader and wheel count, not capability. A show programmed on a D9-330 fits a D9-215 but with far fewer physical playbacks, so plan the playback layout for the smallest desk on the tour."],"tags":["lighting","console","titan","avolites"],"sources":[{"title":"Avolites lighting consoles","url":"https://www.avolites.com/products/lighting-consoles/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"avolites-tiger-touch-3","name":"Avolites Tiger Touch III","vendor":"Avolites","category":"lighting-console","released":2021,"status":"current","summary":"Mid-size Titan console with a single large touchscreen, twenty motorised faders and integrated wing options. The desk most Avolites rental stock is built around.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net output and input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct DMX from the rear XLR5 outputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM from Titan.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails from media servers.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI over DIN.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC timecode input.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["4x XLR5F DMX out","2x etherCON Gigabit","MIDI in/out","LTC in","USB","DisplayPort"],"form_factor":"Console with integrated 15-inch touchscreen","runs_software":["avolites-titan"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.avolites.com/products/lighting-consoles/","label":"Avolites lighting consoles"},"gotchas":["Same Titan software as the Diamond 9, so the same forward-only show file rule applies.","The onboard DMX outputs are a small fraction of the licensed universe count. Anything past the rear XLRs needs nodes on the network, which is a different failure mode to plan for."],"tags":["lighting","console","titan","avolites"],"sources":[{"title":"Avolites lighting consoles","url":"https://www.avolites.com/products/lighting-consoles/","publisher":"Avolites","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"barco-e2","name":"Barco Event Master E2","vendor":"Barco","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"Large-format presentation switcher and screen management system for corporate and arena work: multiple mixable layers across several outputs, with soft-edge blending and native backup pathways.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"3G-SDI inputs and outputs on the standard cards.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Genlock reference input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"Control via third-party systems over the network API.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Modular input cards (SDI, HDMI, DisplayPort)","Modular output cards","Genlock in/loop","Gigabit control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack frame","rack_units":4,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.barco.com/","label":"Barco"},"gotchas":["E2 systems are configured as a whole show: inputs, backgrounds, layers and destinations. A \"spare E2\" is only a spare if the show file and the same card population go with it.","Layer count is a resource shared across destinations, not a per-screen number. Adding a screen late can silently cost you layers on the main screen."],"tags":["video","switcher","barco","corporate"],"sources":[{"title":"Barco","url":"https://www.barco.com/","publisher":"Barco","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"beckhoff-cx5140","name":"Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC","vendor":"Beckhoff Automation","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"DIN-rail embedded PC running TwinCAT with EtherCAT terminals clipped directly onto it. The physical form the determinism argument takes: a hard real-time control task on reserved cores, with Windows and the rest of the world alongside it rather than in the way.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ethercat","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Native fieldbus to drives and I/O.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"opc-ua","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Exposing state upward to show systems.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"modbus-tcp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Supplementary.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"profinet","direction":"bidirectional","note":"With the relevant supplement.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"DIN-rail embedded PC","runs_software":["twincat"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.beckhoff.com/","label":"Beckhoff Automation"},"gotchas":["Functional safety is TwinSAFE — a separate rated channel. It is not where control code goes, and it must remain valid when the control program is wrong.","The show network may give an automation system timing. It must never give it permission."],"tags":["plc","automation","ethercat","beckhoff","machinery"],"sources":[{"title":"Beckhoff","url":"https://www.beckhoff.com/","publisher":"Beckhoff Automation","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"behringer-x32","name":"Behringer X32","vendor":"Behringer","category":"audio-console","released":2012,"status":"current","summary":"32-channel digital console that reset the price of digital mixing, with 40 input channels, motorised faders, AES50 stage box support and a large ecosystem of remote-control apps. Ubiquitous in schools, clubs, houses of worship and small touring.","speaks":[{"protocol":"aes50","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Two AES50 ports for S16 / S32 stage boxes.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional expansion card.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional expansion card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"in","note":"Word clock input.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI in and out over DIN.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Undocumented-but-stable OSC protocol that a whole generation of third-party apps and QLab workflows is built on.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["32x XLR in","16x XLR out","2x AES50","Expansion card slot","MIDI in/out","AES3 out","USB","Ethernet"],"form_factor":"Console, 25 motorised faders","homepage":{"url":"https://www.behringer.com/","label":"Behringer"},"gotchas":["The X32 OSC implementation is the reason it appears in so many show-control rigs, and it is not formally published by the vendor. Community documentation is what everyone actually uses, so treat behaviour as reported, not guaranteed.","X32 and M32 are near-identical hardware with different preamps and branding. Show files largely interchange, which is convenient and occasionally surprising.","AES50 needs shielded Cat5e and a direct run. The single most common X32 fault call is an unshielded cable to the stage box."],"tags":["audio","console","behringer","x32","osc","budget"],"sources":[{"title":"Behringer","url":"https://www.behringer.com/","publisher":"Behringer","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"biamp-tesira-forte","name":"Biamp TesiraFORTÉ","vendor":"Biamp","category":"audio-processor","status":"current","summary":"Fixed-I/O networked DSP for meeting rooms, lecture theatres and small venues, with AEC variants for conferencing and Dante on most models. The box behind a very large share of corporate and hotel AV audio.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Dante on the network-equipped variants.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AES67 mode on supported firmware.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"bacnet","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control integration with building systems.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Analogue mic/line in","Analogue out","Dante etherCON","Control Ethernet","GPIO","USB audio on some variants"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack DSP","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.biamp.com/","label":"Biamp"},"gotchas":["Acoustic echo cancellation is a model feature, not a setting. A non-AEC TesiraFORTE cannot be turned into a conferencing DSP in software.","Tesira systems are designed and compiled in Tesira software and pushed to the device. Live tweaking is limited by design, which is deliberate for installs and frustrating in a rehearsal."],"tags":["audio","dsp","biamp","install","conferencing"],"sources":[{"title":"Biamp","url":"https://www.biamp.com/","publisher":"Biamp","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"blackmagic-atem-4me-constellation-hd","name":"Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD","vendor":"Blackmagic Design","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"Four mix/effects live production switcher with forty SDI inputs, built-in multiview, chroma key and streaming. The switcher that made multi-M/E production affordable for small crews.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"3G-SDI in and out across all ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Blackburst / tri-level reference input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"out","note":"NDI via separate Blackmagic conversion, not native.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["40x 3G-SDI in","24x 3G-SDI out","Reference in","2x Ethernet","USB-C webcam out","Analogue audio in"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack switcher","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/atem","label":"Blackmagic ATEM"},"gotchas":["ATEM control is a software panel or a hardware panel over IP; the switcher has almost no front-panel control of its own. Losing the control network means losing the ability to cut.","ATEM Software Control version must match the switcher firmware. A laptop that has auto-updated will refuse to talk to a switcher that has not.","The audio mixer inside is capable but easy to overlook, and an embedded-audio problem often turns out to be a Fairlight setting rather than a source."],"tags":["video","switcher","blackmagic","atem","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"Blackmagic ATEM","url":"https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/atem","publisher":"Blackmagic Design","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"blackmagic-smart-videohub-40x40","name":"Blackmagic Smart Videohub 40x40","vendor":"Blackmagic Design","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"40 in, 40 out 12G-SDI routing matrix with a front-panel control and network control. The unglamorous box that decides which source reaches which destination on a large video rack.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"12G-SDI routing across all ports.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["40x 12G-SDI in","40x 12G-SDI out","Reference in","Ethernet","USB"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack router","rack_units":4,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/smartvideohub","label":"Blackmagic Videohub"},"gotchas":["Router labels are the whole usability story. An unlabelled Videohub in a dark rack at 2am is functionally a random number generator; export the label set with the show file.","Routing changes are instant and global. A crosspoint changed to check a source will also change it for anyone else using that destination, including the record."],"tags":["video","router","blackmagic","sdi"],"sources":[{"title":"Blackmagic Videohub","url":"https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/smartvideohub","publisher":"Blackmagic Design","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"blacktrax-system","name":"BlackTrax","aka":["BlackTrax tracking system"],"vendor":"CAST Group","category":"tracking-system","summary":"Infrared beacon tracking system of BTSensor cameras and a server that outputs live position data to lighting, audio and media systems. Used to make followspots, spatial audio and mapped video chase a performer automatically.","speaks":[{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"out","note":"RTTrP is CAST's open real-time tracking protocol, with RTTrPM and RTTrPL variants for third-party systems.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["Ethernet between BTSensors and the BlackTrax server"],"form_factor":"System of IP66-rated BTSensor cameras, IR beacons and a rack-mounted server","status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://cast-soft.com/blacktrax/","label":"BlackTrax"},"docs":{"url":"https://rttrp.github.io/RTTrP-Wiki/BlackTrax.html","label":"Real-Time Tracking Protocol wiki"},"gotchas":["Server tier sets the hard ceilings. BT-1 covers 900 m2 with 8 sensors and 20 unique IDs, BT-3 covers 1200 m2 with 12 sensors and 40 IDs, and BT-U goes to 54,000 m2 with 50+ sensors and 255 IDs. Adding beacons to an undersized server is not an option on the day.","Every tracked object needs a beacon with a battery and a line of sight to enough sensors. Costume, scenery and crowd positions all block IR, so the sensor plot is a design job, not a rigging afterthought.","The system delivers position data, nothing more. Every consumer of that data needs its own configuration to turn coordinates into a fixture position, a sound object or a mapped surface."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["tracking","followspot","rttrp","spatial-audio"],"sources":[{"title":"BlackTrax — CAST Software","url":"https://cast-soft.com/blacktrax/","publisher":"CAST Group","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Real-Time Tracking Protocol wiki — BlackTrax","url":"https://rttrp.github.io/RTTrP-Wiki/BlackTrax.html","publisher":"RTTrP project","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"brainstorm-dxd-8","name":"Brainstorm DXD-8 Distripalyzer","vendor":"Brainstorm Electronics","category":"timecode-generator","status":"current","summary":"Timecode distribution amplifier, analyser and generator in one: reads LTC, shows what it actually is, regenerates it clean, and feeds eight outputs. The diagnostic box for when timecode \"is not working\".","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Reads, analyses, regenerates and distributes LTC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"out","note":"MIDI timecode output.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["LTC in (XLR)","8x LTC out (XLR)","MIDI out","Video reference in"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack unit","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.brainstormtime.com/","label":"Brainstorm Electronics"},"gotchas":["Most \"timecode problems\" are level, frame rate or drop-frame mismatches rather than a dead cable. A box that displays the incoming rate and flags drop-frame settles the argument in seconds.","Daisy-chaining timecode through device thru ports degrades it. A distribution amplifier that regenerates rather than buffers is the difference between eight good feeds and eight progressively worse ones."],"tags":["timecode","ltc","distribution","diagnostics","brainstorm"],"sources":[{"title":"Brainstorm Electronics","url":"https://www.brainstormtime.com/","publisher":"Brainstorm Electronics","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"brompton-tessera-s8","name":"Brompton Tessera S8","vendor":"Brompton Technology","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"Brompton's mid-size LED processor, with the same feature set and calibration tools as the larger units at a lower pixel capacity. The tools — Dynamic Calibration, Frame Remapping, Extended Bit Depth — are why panels behave on camera.","speaks":[{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Frame reference.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"in","note":"IP video with the relevant option.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount LED processor","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.bromptontech.com/","label":"Brompton Technology"},"gotchas":["Calibration data lives with the panels. Moving a wall between processors without carrying the calibration loses the thing you bought the processor for."],"tags":["led","processor","video","brompton"],"sources":[{"title":"Brompton Technology","url":"https://www.bromptontech.com/","publisher":"Brompton Technology","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"brompton-tessera-sx40","name":"Brompton Tessera SX40","vendor":"Brompton Technology","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"4K LED processor and the de facto standard for high-end LED walls, especially virtual production. Drives up to four 10G outputs and carries Brompton features like Dynamic Calibration, ThermaCal and frame remapping.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net control of processor parameters.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"in","note":"12G / quad 3G-SDI input depending on configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"in","note":"ST 2110 input on suitably licensed systems.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Genlock reference input for camera-synchronous operation.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["12G-SDI and quad 3G-SDI inputs","HDMI 2.0 input","4x 10G fibre outputs to Tessera receiver cards","Genlock in/out","Gigabit Ethernet control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack processor","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.bromptontech.com/","label":"Brompton Technology"},"gotchas":["Brompton processors only drive panels fitted with Tessera receiver cards. A panel is \"Brompton compatible\" or it is not, and that is a hardware fact about the panel, not a setting.","Frame rate, genlock and shutter angle are one problem on a camera shoot. The processor can be locked and still beat against a camera if the shutter is wrong, which reads as a processor fault and is not one.","Dynamic Calibration and extended dynamic range features require calibration data loaded for the specific panel batch. Mixing calibrated and uncalibrated tiles in one wall shows up instantly on camera."],"tags":["led","processor","brompton","virtual-production"],"sources":[{"title":"Brompton Technology","url":"https://www.bromptontech.com/","publisher":"Brompton Technology","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"bss-blu-806","name":"BSS Soundweb London BLU-806","vendor":"BSS Audio","category":"audio-processor","status":"current","summary":"Networked DSP with a configurable processing engine, BLU link digital audio bus and Dante, aimed at fixed installs: conference centres, stadiums, hotels and multi-zone venues.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Dante card fitted on the 806 variant.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"bacnet","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Integration with building management systems.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["BLU link ring","2x Dante etherCON","Analogue in/out cards","Control ports","GPIO"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack DSP","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://bssaudio.com/","label":"BSS Audio"},"gotchas":["BLU link and Dante are two separate digital audio networks in the same box. The BLU link ring is for BSS devices; Dante is for everything else, and they are bridged inside the DSP, not automatically.","The whole configuration lives in a single Audio Architect file. There is no useful front panel: without the design file, an installed system is very hard to modify on site."],"tags":["audio","dsp","bss","install","harman"],"sources":[{"title":"BSS Audio","url":"https://bssaudio.com/","publisher":"BSS Audio","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"chainmaster-d8-plus","name":"ChainMaster D8 Plus chain hoist","vendor":"ChainMaster","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"Electric chain hoist built to the D8 Plus classification: a second, independent brake so that a single brake failure does not drop the load. That permits a static load to be suspended above people — and does not permit it to be moved while they are there.","physical_ports":["Power and control multipin","Chain"],"form_factor":"Electric chain hoist","homepage":{"url":"https://www.chainmaster.de/","label":"ChainMaster"},"gotchas":["D8 Plus is about holding, not moving. Suspending a static load over people is permitted; moving it with people underneath is not.","The classification is a property of the whole system — hoist, controller and the way it is rigged — not a sticker on the motor.","Inspection intervals and the qualification of the person doing them are part of the classification, not an optional extra."],"tags":["hoist","rigging","d8-plus","machinery","chainmaster"],"sources":[{"title":"ChainMaster","url":"https://www.chainmaster.de/","publisher":"ChainMaster","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","vendor":"ChamSys","category":"lighting-console","status":"current","summary":"Compact console running the full MagicQ software, with the same show files as the rest of the range. The usual argument for it is that the software is free on a laptop, so a designer can program anywhere and land on the console with a show that already works.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Multiple universes over network.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"Multiple universes over network.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct DMX outputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through supported nodes and outputs.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode for playback.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Remote control and feedback.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Compact console","homepage":{"url":"https://chamsyslighting.com/","label":"ChamSys"},"gotchas":["Universe counts on the physical outputs and over the network are different numbers. Check both against the rig before quoting.","The free PC software is the same application, which makes offline programming genuinely equivalent — and makes it easy to build a show that outgrows the console it is going onto."],"tags":["lighting","console","chamsys"],"sources":[{"title":"ChamSys","url":"https://chamsyslighting.com/","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"chamsys-mq500m-stadium","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ500M Stadium","vendor":"ChamSys","category":"lighting-console","released":2019,"status":"current","summary":"Ten-universe-plus flagship MagicQ console with a 15.6 inch touchscreen, ten motorised faders and dual gigabit network. The Stadium variant adds redundant PSUs and the higher output licence count.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Output and input; sACN priority and merging handled in the console patch.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net 4 output, and input for remote or backup desks.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Direct DMX from the rear XLR5 ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Discovery and parameter setting from the console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Two-way OSC for external control surfaces and show control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI notes and MSC over the DIN ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Linear timecode input for timecoded playbacks.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server thumbnails and visualiser feeds.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["4x XLR5F DMX out","1x XLR5M DMX in","2x etherCON Gigabit","MIDI in/out/thru","LTC in (XLR)","2x USB","DVI out"],"form_factor":"Console, built-in 15.6-inch touchscreen","rack_units":0,"runs_software":["chamsys-magicq"],"homepage":{"url":"https://secure.chamsys.co.uk/products/consoles","label":"ChamSys consoles"},"docs":{"url":"https://secure.chamsys.co.uk/help/","label":"MagicQ documentation"},"gotchas":["MagicQ output universes are licensed. The free PC version outputs a limited number of universes without a dongle or console, which is why a show file that runs on the desk may not output fully from a laptop.","The Stadium designation is about redundancy and universe count, not a different feature set. Show files move between MagicQ consoles freely, but the patch may exceed a smaller desk's licensed output.","MagicQ has both \"Execute\" and \"Playback\" windows and a deeply modal interface. A visiting operator who knows Eos or grandMA will need a briefing, not just a channel list."],"tags":["lighting","console","magicq","chamsys"],"sources":[{"title":"ChamSys consoles","url":"https://secure.chamsys.co.uk/products/consoles","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"MagicQ documentation","url":"https://secure.chamsys.co.uk/help/","publisher":"ChamSys","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","vendor":"Christie","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"Long-running media server and show control platform, originally coolux, covering projection mapping, LED and multi-display playback with its own Widget Designer companion for control logic.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in for console control, out from Widget Designer.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in for console control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out, heavily used via Widget Designer.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX via interfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC timeline sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet tracking input.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails to consoles.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rack server, plus Widget Designer software","homepage":{"url":"https://www.christiedigital.com/","label":"Christie"},"gotchas":["Pandoras Box and Widget Designer are two products that are almost always deployed together. Ask which one a workflow depends on: the show logic often lives in Widget Designer, not in the server.","The coolux heritage means a lot of field knowledge, forum threads and show files predate the Christie branding. Version numbers matter more than the badge on the box."],"tags":["media-server","pandoras-box","christie","coolux"],"sources":[{"title":"Christie","url":"https://www.christiedigital.com/","publisher":"Christie","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","vendor":"Cisco","category":"network-switch","status":"current","summary":"Enterprise access switch commonly specified for permanent show networks in venues, where the IT department owns the estate and wants a switch their tooling already manages.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported. IGMP snooping and querier configuration are what make sACN behave here.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported. Art-Net broadcast on older nodes is what floods a badly configured VLAN.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported. Requires QoS DSCP trust and correct queue mapping.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, with the same QoS requirements as Dante.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transparent or boundary clock support varies sharply by model and licence.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"SNMP agent and traps, the usual way a venue monitors its switches.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["24 or 48 Gigabit access ports","Uplink module (1G/10G/25G SFP)","PoE+ / PoE++ on PoE models","Console port"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack switch","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.cisco.com/","label":"Cisco"},"gotchas":["Out of the box this is not a media switch. Multicast will flood without an IGMP querier somewhere on the VLAN, and audio will glitch without DSCP trust configured on the access ports.","The IT department owns it. Getting a VLAN, a querier and QoS configured for a show is a scheduling problem weeks ahead, not something to raise at load-in.","Energy-efficient Ethernet and some power-saving features interact badly with PTP and low-latency audio. Turn them off on media ports."],"tags":["networking","switch","cisco","install","igmp"],"sources":[{"title":"Cisco","url":"https://www.cisco.com/","publisher":"Cisco","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"cisco-catalyst-9300","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","vendor":"Cisco","category":"network-switch","status":"current","summary":"Enterprise stackable switch that turns up as venue and broadcast infrastructure rather than as touring kit. Powerful, well supported, and configured in a language that assumes a network engineer — which is why an entertainment-focused switch is often the better answer on a truck.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on licence and configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported when configured correctly.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported; IGMP snooping and a querier must be configured.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount stackable switch","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.cisco.com/","label":"Cisco"},"gotchas":["IGMP snooping without a querier is worse than no snooping. On a venue switch this is the single most common cause of a lighting network that dies when audio is added.","Feature availability is licensed. Confirm the licence tier before designing around PTP or advanced QoS."],"tags":["networking","switch","cisco","enterprise"],"sources":[{"title":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","url":"https://www.cisco.com/","publisher":"Cisco","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"city-theatrical-multiverse","name":"City Theatrical Multiverse Transmitter","vendor":"City Theatrical","category":"wireless-dmx","status":"current","summary":"Wireless DMX transmitter that carries multiple universes on one radio and can operate in the 900 MHz band as well as 2.4 GHz — which matters at a festival where 2.4 GHz is already full of everything else.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Network input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"Network input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Wired input and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Wireless RDM.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Wireless DMX transmitter","homepage":{"url":"https://citytheatrical.com/","label":"City Theatrical"},"gotchas":["Band availability is a regulatory question and differs by country. Confirm the 900 MHz band is legal where the show is before specifying it.","Wireless DMX systems from different manufacturers do not interoperate. The transmitter and the receivers have to be the same family."],"tags":["wireless","dmx","rdm","city-theatrical"],"sources":[{"title":"City Theatrical","url":"https://citytheatrical.com/","publisher":"City Theatrical","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"clear-com-freespeak-ii","name":"Clear-Com FreeSpeak II","vendor":"Clear-Com","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Wireless intercom system built on DECT in the 1.9 GHz band, with beltpacks roaming between distributed antennas. The 1.9 GHz choice is the point: it is not competing with the venue's Wi-Fi, which is why DECT displaced 2.4 GHz systems on show sites.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dect","direction":"bidirectional","note":"The radio link to the beltpacks.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio to the base station, depending on configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Antenna transceiver connections","Partyline and 4-wire interfaces","Ethernet"],"form_factor":"Base station, antennas and beltpacks","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.clearcom.com/","label":"Clear-Com"},"gotchas":["Antenna coverage is a survey problem, and handover between antennas is where a system shows whether it was designed or hoped.","Band allocation for DECT differs by region, so packs are not always portable between countries.","Every wireless hop adds latency the wired partyline did not have."],"tags":["intercom","comms","wireless","dect","clear-com"],"sources":[{"title":"Clear-Com","url":"https://www.clearcom.com/","publisher":"Clear-Com","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","vendor":"Crestron","category":"show-controller","status":"current","summary":"Building and AV control processor: the box behind the touch panel in a boardroom, a lecture theatre or a venue's front of house. Where a show controller thinks in cues and timecode, this thinks in rooms, sources and schedules.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through modules.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through modules.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"bacnet","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Building systems integration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"visca-over-ip","direction":"out","note":"Camera control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount control processor","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.crestron.com/","label":"Crestron"},"gotchas":["Programming it is a specialism with its own toolchain and certification. Budget for the programmer, not just the processor.","It is often the boundary between production systems and the building. Agree who owns that boundary before commissioning."],"tags":["av-control","installation","crestron","building"],"sources":[{"title":"Crestron","url":"https://www.crestron.com/","publisher":"Crestron","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"dataton-watchpax-60","name":"Dataton WATCHPAX 60","vendor":"Dataton","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"Small, silent, solid-state display server for WATCHOUT. Designed for installations where a machine has to sit in a ceiling void or a plinth and start reliably every morning for years.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode for synchronised playback.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"Control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Compact solid-state server","runs_software":["watchout"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.dataton.com/","label":"Dataton"},"gotchas":["A WATCHOUT system is a cluster: production computer plus display computers on one network. Sizing one box tells you very little about the system you actually need."],"tags":["media-server","installation","watchout","dataton"],"sources":[{"title":"Dataton","url":"https://www.dataton.com/","publisher":"Dataton","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"db-40d","name":"d&b audiotechnik 40D installation amplifier","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","category":"amplifier","status":"current","summary":"Four-channel installation amplifier with the same DSP and loudspeaker library as the touring range, in a form intended to be racked once and left. Networked control and monitoring are the reason it belongs in an install rather than a plain power amp.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Digital audio input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"aes70-oca","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and monitoring.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount four-channel amplifier","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/","label":"d&b audiotechnik"},"gotchas":["The loudspeaker setup selected in the amplifier is part of the system design, not a preference. Changing it changes the protection and the response."],"tags":["audio","amplifier","install","d&b"],"sources":[{"title":"d&b audiotechnik","url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/","publisher":"d&b audiotechnik","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"db-d80","name":"d&b audiotechnik D80","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","category":"amplifier","summary":"Four-channel touring amplifier with the d&b loudspeaker preset library and array processing on board: the standard drive unit behind GSL, KSL and V-Series rigs, remote-managed from R1.","speaks":[{"protocol":"aes70-oca","direction":"bidirectional","note":"R1 remote control speaks OCA (AES70) to the amplifier over Ethernet.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["4x amplified outputs (EP5/NL4 variants)","4x analog and 2x AES3 inputs","2x etherCON remote network (OCA)"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount","rack_units":2,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/global/en/products/electronics/amplifiers/d80/","label":"D80 product page"},"gotchas":["The D80 itself takes analog or AES3 audio: networked audio into a d&b rig arrives through a DS10 or DS20 Dante bridge in front of the amps, so the Dante domain ends at the bridge, not at the amplifier."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","amplifier","pa","oca"],"sources":[{"title":"D80 product page","url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/global/en/products/electronics/amplifiers/d80/","publisher":"d&b audiotechnik","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","vendor":"d&b audiotechnik","category":"audio-processor","status":"current","summary":"64x64 matrix processor and the engine behind d&b Soundscape. Takes positional data for sources and renders them across a loudspeaker system, which is why it turns up wherever object-based audio and performer tracking meet.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"64 in / 64 out over Dante.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC is the control surface for object positions, used by tracking systems and show control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"Positional data from BlackTrax and other RTTrPM sources, usually via a bridge.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet positions, usually via a bridge.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["2x etherCON Dante (primary/secondary)","Ethernet control","Redundant PSU"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack processor","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/","label":"d&b audiotechnik"},"gotchas":["Soundscape is an approach, not a plug-in. The DS100 renders objects across a specific speaker layout that has to be designed for it, so retrofitting Soundscape onto an existing left-right PA does not work.","Object positions arrive by OSC. Whatever generates them - a tracking system, a console plug-in, a show controller - is a live dependency of the audio, which is a different reliability conversation than a normal matrix."],"tags":["audio","processor","soundscape","object-audio","tracking"],"sources":[{"title":"d&b audiotechnik","url":"https://www.dbaudio.com/","publisher":"d&b audiotechnik","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"digico-quantum-338","name":"DiGiCo Quantum 338","vendor":"DiGiCo","category":"audio-console","released":2020,"status":"current","summary":"FPGA-based touring console with 122 input channels, 3 x 17-inch touchscreens and Quantum processing including Mustard and Spice Rack channel strips. The desk a very large share of international touring riders name.","speaks":[{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Native MADI on the rear, the DiGiCo optical and coax stage-rack backbone.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional DMI card.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via DMI Dante card in AES67 mode.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out for the digital rack.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI for snapshot triggering and external control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control of the desk.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC for snapshot firing against timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode in.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Optical and coax MADI","2x DMI card slots","Word clock in/out","MIDI in/out","LTC in","Redundant PSU","Gigabit control"],"form_factor":"Touring console, 3 x 17-inch touchscreens","homepage":{"url":"https://digico.biz/","label":"DiGiCo"},"gotchas":["Channel count is not fixed: it depends on how the FPGA resources are allocated between channels, buses and processing. A session that opens is not proof it will run at the sample rate you want.","DMI slots are the entire connectivity story beyond MADI. A Dante rider on a Quantum needs a DMI Dante card physically fitted, and rental stock is not consistently populated.","Session files are version-locked to console software. Carry the exact version, or a session from the previous city may not load."],"tags":["audio","console","digico","touring"],"sources":[{"title":"DiGiCo","url":"https://digico.biz/","publisher":"DiGiCo","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","vendor":"DiGiCo","category":"audio-console","status":"current","summary":"Compact SD-range console that has become a rental-stock standard: enough channels for most touring work in a frame two people can carry, on the same show-file ecosystem as the larger desks.","speaks":[{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Optical and coaxial MADI.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via optional card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes50","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on fitted option.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via the external control protocol.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Console","homepage":{"url":"https://digico.biz/","label":"DiGiCo"},"gotchas":["I/O capability is a function of the fitted option cards and the racks, not of the surface. Two identical-looking SD12s can be very different systems.","Agree the clock master before the first line check. A console and a stage rack disagreeing about clock is the most common cause of intermittent digital noise."],"tags":["audio","console","digico"],"sources":[{"title":"DiGiCo","url":"https://digico.biz/","publisher":"DiGiCo","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","vendor":"DirectOut","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Modular audio processing and format-conversion platform: the box that sits between networks and formats that do not otherwise talk, with redundancy and monitoring designed in rather than bolted on.","speaks":[{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Core format.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via module.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ravenna","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via module.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via module.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"soundgrid","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via module.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"For AES67 and RAVENNA.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount modular converter","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.directout.eu/","label":"DirectOut"},"gotchas":["A converter in the middle of a system becomes the clock question. Decide what is master before adding it, not after."],"tags":["audio","conversion","madi","dante","ravenna"],"sources":[{"title":"DirectOut","url":"https://www.directout.eu/","publisher":"DirectOut","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","aka":["GX 3"],"vendor":"disguise","category":"media-server","summary":"4U media server from disguise built for real-time generative and notch-heavy content, with 96 GB of RAM, VFC-based 4K outputs and 100 Gb networking. Runs disguise Designer on Windows 11 Enterprise.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Designer's DMX device drivers.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Designer's DMX device drivers.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Via Designer's timecode sources.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"BlackTrax position data.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["3x 4K video out via VFC cards","1x DisplayPort 1.4","3x 12G HD-BNC video in, or 12x 3G HD-BNC","1x 1Gb Ethernet","2x 10Gb Ethernet","2x 100Gb QSFP28","1x management Ethernet","1x BNC genlock"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount server","rack_units":4,"status":"current","runs_software":["disguise-designer"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/products/gx-3","label":"disguise GX 3"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.disguise.one/hardware/gx-range/gx3/gx3-specs","label":"GX 3 specification"},"gotchas":["Video output count depends on which VFC cards are fitted. The chassis specification alone does not tell you how many outputs a specific unit has, so confirm the fitted cards before you commit a screen layout.","Running a show on disguise server hardware needs a Pro licence on the server or on an editing machine in the session. A free Starter instance cannot join.","4U and mains-hungry. Budget rack space, cooling and power for it as a workstation, not as a playback appliance."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["media-server","disguise","xr","generative"],"sources":[{"title":"GX 3 Specification","url":"https://help.disguise.one/hardware/gx-range/gx3/gx3-specs","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"GX 3 product page","url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/products/gx-3","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Designer Licensing FAQs","url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/designer-licensing-faqs","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","vendor":"disguise","category":"media-server","summary":"Flagship-generation disguise playback server: four 4K60 outputs driven by the Designer software, built for tours and broadcast where the pre-vis file and the show file are the same thing.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI capture and output are part of the Designer feature set.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control of Designer cues and parameters.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet tracking input for automation-following content.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX-over-Ethernet in and out of Designer for lighting integration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC timecode input for show sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Reference input for output phase lock.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["4x DisplayPort 1.2 (VFC-backed outputs)","2x 25GbE SFP28 media network","1GbE management","LTC in, genlock reference in"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount","rack_units":4,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/products/vx-range","label":"disguise vx range"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.disguise.one/hardware/legacy/vx4/vx4-specs","label":"vx 4 specifications"},"gotchas":["Outputs go through VFC cards, so the connector on the back is whatever VFC is fitted, and a spare server is only a spare if its VFC loadout matches."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["media-server","video"],"sources":[{"title":"vx 4 specifications","url":"https://help.disguise.one/hardware/legacy/vx4/vx4-specs","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"disguise vx range","url":"https://www.disguise.one/en/products/vx-range","publisher":"disguise","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"elc-dmxlan-node8","name":"ELC dmXLAN node8","vendor":"ELC Lighting","category":"dmx-node","status":"current","summary":"Eight-port ethernet-to-DMX node with per-port configuration and merging, long established in touring racks. Configured through ELC's own tooling, which is worth having on the show laptop before load-in rather than after.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Per port.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Per port.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Eight ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on model and firmware.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["8x DMX (XLR5)","Ethernet"],"form_factor":"Rackmount node","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.elclighting.com/","label":"ELC Lighting"},"gotchas":["Merging behaviour is per port and is exactly the setting that causes a \"console has no output\" call. Check it before re-patching anything."],"tags":["dmx","node","gateway","elc"],"sources":[{"title":"ELC Lighting","url":"https://www.elclighting.com/","publisher":"ELC Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"enttec-din-ethergate-mk2","name":"ENTTEC DIN Ethergate MK2","vendor":"ENTTEC","category":"dmx-node","status":"current","summary":"DIN-rail ethernet-to-DMX gateway for installed work, where the node belongs in a distribution board rather than in a rack. Two universes, configured over a web interface.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Both ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Both ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Two universes.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on firmware.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["2x DMX (terminals)","Ethernet"],"form_factor":"DIN rail module","homepage":{"url":"https://www.enttec.com/","label":"ENTTEC"},"gotchas":["DIN-rail devices end up behind locked panels. Record the IP address somewhere that is not only on the device."],"tags":["dmx","node","din-rail","install","enttec"],"sources":[{"title":"ENTTEC","url":"https://www.enttec.com/","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"enttec-dmx-usb-pro","name":"ENTTEC DMX USB Pro","aka":["70304"],"vendor":"ENTTEC","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Single-universe USB interface for sending or receiving DMX512 from a computer, with buffered timing handled by the device and optional RDM firmware.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"One 512-channel universe; the linked input and output ports are used in one direction at a time.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Requires the DMX/RDM firmware; ENTTEC also supplies separate DMX-only firmware.","confidence":"verified"}],"physical_ports":["1x USB Type-B","1x XLR5F DMX output","1x XLR5M DMX input"],"form_factor":"Compact USB interface, 112 x 73 x 45 mm, 0.25 kg","homepage":{"url":"https://www.enttec.com/product/dmx-usb-interfaces/dmx-usb-pro-professional-1u-usb-to-dmx512-converter/","label":"DMX USB Pro"},"docs":{"url":"https://cdn.enttec.com/pdf/assets/70304/70304_DMX_USB_PRO_USER_MANUAL.pdf","label":"DMX USB Pro user manual"},"gotchas":["Only one application can use an ENTTEC USB DMX interface at a time. Close EMU and other lighting software before trying to connect from the show application.","The DMX input and output connectors share the same internal DMX port. Treat the unit as input or output, because simultaneous use can degrade the stream and flicker.","ENTTEC offers DMX-only and DMX/RDM firmware. Some software only connects with the DMX-only image, while enabling RDM can upset older fixtures that do not support it."],"confidence":"verified","tags":["dmx","rdm","usb","interface","enttec"],"sources":[{"title":"DMX USB Pro product page","url":"https://www.enttec.com/product/dmx-usb-interfaces/dmx-usb-pro-professional-1u-usb-to-dmx512-converter/","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true},{"title":"DMX USB Pro user manual","url":"https://cdn.enttec.com/pdf/assets/70304/70304_DMX_USB_PRO_USER_MANUAL.pdf","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true},{"title":"USB to DMX interfaces: input and output","url":"https://support.enttec.com/dmx/usbdmx/usbdmx-input-output","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true},{"title":"DMX USB Pro: RDM","url":"https://support.enttec.com/dmx/usbdmx-dmx-usb-pro-70304/dmx-usb-pro-rdm","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-09-10","primary":true}],"contributed_by":["iibaranov-IG"],"updated":"2026-09-10"},{"id":"enttec-ode-mk3","name":"ENTTEC ODE Mk3","aka":["Open DMX Ethernet Mk3","ODE MK3","70407"],"vendor":"ENTTEC","category":"dmx-node","summary":"Two-universe DMX and RDM gateway powered over Ethernet and configured from a web browser. The small cheap node people hang above a truss position and forget about.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Includes Art-RDM.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"USITT DMX512-A on two 5-pin XLR ports, each settable as input or output.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"ANSI E1.20 RDM.","confidence":"verified"}],"physical_ports":["2x XLR5F bidirectional DMX512-A / RDM","1x RJ45 Ethernet 10/100 with PoE (IEEE 802.3af)","1x DC 12-24 V input"],"form_factor":"Compact ABS-bodied node, 129 x 58 x 40 mm, 0.10 kg, IP20","status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.enttec.com/product/dmx-ethernet/ode-mk3-dmx-ethernet-converter/","label":"ODE MK3"},"docs":{"url":"https://cdn.enttec.com/pdf/assets/70407/70407_ODE_MK3_USER_MANUAL.pdf","label":"ODE MK3 user manual"},"gotchas":["IP20. This is an indoor, dry-location device. Outdoor and wet-location positions need it in an enclosure.","Both XLR ports are female and each can be configured as an input or an output in the web interface. A port set the wrong way looks physically correct and passes nothing.","Powered either by 802.3af PoE or by a 12-24 V DC supply. A non-PoE switch means a local power supply and another thing to lose in the pack.","Configuration lives on the device and is reached over the network. Note the IP addressing scheme before it goes up in the air."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["dmx","node","gateway","poe"],"sources":[{"title":"ODE MK3 (70407) datasheet","url":"https://cdn.enttec.com/pdf/assets/70407/70407_ODE_MK3_DATASHEET.pdf","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ODE MK3 product page","url":"https://www.enttec.com/product/dmx-ethernet/ode-mk3-dmx-ethernet-converter/","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ODE MK3 user manual","url":"https://cdn.enttec.com/pdf/assets/70407/70407_ODE_MK3_USER_MANUAL.pdf","publisher":"ENTTEC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","aka":["Apex 5"],"vendor":"ETC","category":"lighting-console","summary":"The smallest console in ETC's Eos Apex range, with 24,576 outputs, five motorised faders and a single 23.8-inch 4K touchscreen. All output leaves over the network because the desk carries no DMX ports.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"The primary output protocol for Eos, and also usable as a show control input.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Carries DMX and RDM data and coexists with sACN on the same network.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM data is carried over Art-Net and over ETC Net3.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Over UDP or TCP. Needs no gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Available on the console's own MIDI ports or through a Gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"Receive only, from local MIDI or a Gateway.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"SMPTE timecode is receive only and needs a Response show control gateway.","confidence":"verified"}],"physical_ports":["4x etherCON Gigabit Ethernet, individually configurable, PoE++ (802.3bt)","2x 10-Gigabit SFP+, individually configurable","MIDI In and Out","8x USB-A, 6x USB-C, plus 2x 5V 2A charging ports"],"form_factor":"Console with one articulating 23.8-inch 4K touchscreen","status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Apex/","label":"Eos Apex"},"gotchas":["There are no DMX ports on the console. Local DMX needs an I/O Garage with Gadget II modules, so a job that expects five-pin out of the desk needs extra kit ordered.","SMPTE and analogue inputs are receive-only and generally need a Response gateway. Only MIDI and OSC are available directly from the console.","Eos software v3.2.0 and later dropped ETCNet2. An older Net2 node in a house rig will not be picked up by a current Apex.","Apex 5, 10 and 20 differ in fader count and screens, not in output capacity. Specify by playback layout, not by channel count."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","console","eos","theatre"],"sources":[{"title":"Eos Apex Tech Specs","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/Eos-Consoles/Apex/Tech-Specs.aspx","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Eos Family online help — Control Protocols","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/WebDocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en/Content/03_Eos_System_Requirements_and_Setup/Eos_Networking_Overview/Network_Protocols/Control_Protocols.htm","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Eos Family online help — About Eos Family Show Control","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/WebDocs/Controls/EosFamilyOnlineHelp/en/Content/23_Show_Control/About_Eos_Show_Control.htm","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","vendor":"ETC","category":"lighting-console","status":"current","summary":"The larger Apex: the same Eos software family as every other ETC console, with more faders, more screens and the motorised encoder layout the range introduced. Show files move across the whole family, which is the reason theatres standardise on it.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Primary network output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Network output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"etcnet3","direction":"bidirectional","note":"ETC networking.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct outputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through Net3 gateways.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Remote control and feedback.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Console","runs_software":["eos-family"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","label":"ETC"},"gotchas":["Output count is licensed. A console with the ports is not necessarily a console with the outputs.","Show files move down the family as well as up, but features used on a larger desk may have nowhere to live on a smaller one."],"tags":["lighting","console","etc","eos"],"sources":[{"title":"ETC","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"etc-ion-xe-20","name":"ETC Ion Xe 20","vendor":"ETC","category":"lighting-console","released":2017,"status":"current","summary":"Compact Eos-family console with twenty motorised faders and a single external monitor, running the same Eos software as an Apex. The workhorse of regional theatre and mid-size touring.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN output, the Eos default.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"etcnet3","direction":"bidirectional","note":"ETCNet3 for ETC gateways, Net3 and Sensor racks.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Local DMX out via the rear ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM through Net3 gateways.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out, widely used with QLab.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI notes and MSC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC timecode in.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode in.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["2x XLR5F DMX / RDM","2x etherCON","MIDI in/out","LTC in","USB","DisplayPort"],"form_factor":"Console, 20 motorised faders","runs_software":["eos-family"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/","label":"ETC consoles"},"gotchas":["Eos show files move between every console in the family, but output capacity does not. An Ion Xe is licensed to a lower parameter count than an Apex, so a file that plays back on the big desk may exceed it.","Eos speaks sACN, Art-Net and ETCNet3 at once and will happily output all three. Two consoles quietly outputting the same universe on different protocols is a merge problem that looks like a fixture fault."],"tags":["lighting","console","eos","etc"],"sources":[{"title":"ETC consoles","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","vendor":"ETC","category":"dmx-node","status":"current","summary":"One, two, four or eight port DMX/RDM gateway for Net3 systems, configured from the console or from Concert. The standard way an Eos rig reaches copper DMX in an installed venue.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in, DMX out, and DMX in to sACN.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net supported alongside sACN.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"etcnet3","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Net3 device discovery and configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX out and in on the physical ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM proxy for discovery and configuration from the console.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["1-8x XLR5F DMX/RDM","1x etherCON or RJ45","PoE on supported models"],"form_factor":"Wall, rack or portable variants","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","label":"ETC"},"gotchas":["A gateway set to output and a console outputting the same universe over a second protocol is the classic double-drive fault. Decide sACN or Art-Net per universe and stick to it.","RDM through a gateway only works if every device in that DMX chain passes RDM. One non-RDM splitter in the line makes everything past it invisible.","Gateways hold configuration locally. A swapped spare comes up in its previous show's configuration unless it was reset, which is worse than a factory default because it looks configured."],"tags":["dmx","node","gateway","etc","rdm"],"sources":[{"title":"ETC","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","vendor":"ETC","category":"dimmer-distro","status":"current","summary":"Installed dimmer and constant-power rack with per-module electronics, network feedback and the CEM3 control module that reports load, breaker state and rack temperature back to the console.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"sACN input from the console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"etcnet3","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Net3 for control, feedback and configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","note":"DMX input as a backup or primary path.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM for module reporting on supported configurations.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["DMX in (XLR5)","2x Ethernet","Dimmer / relay / constant-power modules","Feeder lugs"],"form_factor":"Floor-standing dimmer rack","homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","label":"ETC"},"gotchas":["A dimmer module and a constant-power (ThruPower or relay) module are physically interchangeable and electrically very different. Putting an LED fixture on a dimmer module is how expensive things get damaged.","CEM3 feedback only reaches the console if the rack is on the control network. Many installs wire DMX only, and then nobody sees the breaker trip.","Rack load and feeder size are a building electrical matter. Adding a moving-light rig to a house dimmer rack is a load calculation, not a patching exercise."],"tags":["dimmer","power","etc","install","sensor3"],"sources":[{"title":"ETC","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","vendor":"ETC","category":"dimmer-distro","status":"current","summary":"Rack whose modules can be configured per circuit as dimmed, switched relay or constant power, so a venue can move between tungsten and LED without rewiring. The answer to a building that has both and will have both for years.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"Network control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Network control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Configuration and feedback.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"etcnet3","direction":"bidirectional","note":"ETC networking.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Floor-standing dimmer and power rack","homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","label":"ETC"},"gotchas":["A circuit set to constant power will happily deliver mains to a fixture somebody expected to be dark. Label the configuration at the socket, not only in the rack.","Configuration lives in the rack. Record it, because the next person will assume the default."],"tags":["power","dimmer","install","etc"],"sources":[{"title":"ETC","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/","publisher":"ETC","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","vendor":"Evertz","category":"timecode-generator","status":"current","summary":"Broadcast master sync generator: house video reference, word clock, LTC and PTP from one disciplined source, optionally locked to GNSS. The single box that decides what time it is for an entire facility.","speaks":[{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"out","note":"Blackburst and tri-level reference.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"out","note":"Audio reference.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"out","note":"PTP grandmaster, depending on option.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"nmea-0183","direction":"in","note":"GNSS discipline.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ntp","direction":"out","note":"Time of day for the facility.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount master sync and clock","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://evertz.com/","label":"Evertz"},"gotchas":["One master clock is the point. A second reference added \"just for the video rack\" recreates the problem the first one solved.","Video reference, word clock, LTC, PTP and NTP are five different things that all get called \"sync\". Be explicit about which one a device needs."],"tags":["sync","clock","ptp","ltc","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"Evertz","url":"https://evertz.com/","publisher":"Evertz","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"ferrofish-a32-dante","name":"Ferrofish A32 Dante","vendor":"Ferrofish","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"32 in, 32 out analogue interface with both MADI and Dante, commonly used as the bridge between a MADI-based console world and a Dante-based system world.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"32 channels to and from Dante.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Optical and coaxial MADI.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["32x analogue in (DB25)","32x analogue out (DB25)","MADI optical and coax","2x Dante etherCON","Word clock in/out"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack interface","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.ferrofish.com/","label":"Ferrofish"},"gotchas":["MADI channel count halves at 96 kHz. A 64-channel MADI plan silently becomes 32 channels when someone changes sample rate for the broadcast feed.","It is a clock decision point as much as a format converter. Decide whether MADI or Dante is the clock source and configure it deliberately, or you get intermittent ticks nobody can locate."],"tags":["audio","io","madi","dante","ferrofish","bridge"],"sources":[{"title":"Ferrofish","url":"https://www.ferrofish.com/","publisher":"Ferrofish","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"focusrite-rednet-a16r-mk2","name":"Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII","vendor":"Focusrite","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"16 in, 16 out analogue-to-Dante interface with redundant network and PSU, used to get analogue sources and destinations onto a Dante network in a rack.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"16x16 analogue to Dante, primary and secondary ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["16x analogue in (DB25)","16x analogue out (DB25)","2x etherCON Dante","Word clock in/out","Redundant PSU"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack interface","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://focusrite.com/","label":"Focusrite"},"gotchas":["Dante device naming is the patch. Two identically named RedNet units on the same network is an immediate identity clash.","Redundant Dante means two physically separate networks, not two cables into the same switch. Wiring both ports to one switch provides no redundancy at all."],"tags":["audio","io","dante","focusrite","rednet"],"sources":[{"title":"Focusrite","url":"https://focusrite.com/","publisher":"Focusrite","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"follow-me-3d","name":"Follow-Me 3D","vendor":"Follow-Me","category":"tracking-system","status":"current","summary":"Remote followspot system: an operator tracks a performer on a video image and the system drives moving lights to that point, so one operator can run several fixtures from front of house instead of several operators sitting in trusses.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Fixture control and merge with the console.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Fixture control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Position exchange.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Operator console and processing system","homepage":{"url":"https://www.follow-me.systems/","label":"Follow-Me"},"gotchas":["It merges with the lighting console's output. Agree the merge and priority model before the first cue session, or a busk will fight the follow.","Fixture positions must be measured accurately. The system can only be as correct as the rig survey it was given."],"tags":["tracking","followspot","lighting"],"sources":[{"title":"Follow-Me","url":"https://www.follow-me.systems/","publisher":"Follow-Me","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"grandma2-full-size","name":"grandMA2 full-size","vendor":"MA Lighting","category":"lighting-console","released":2010,"status":"superseded","superseded_by":"grandma3-full-size","summary":"The console that defined large-scale lighting control for a decade: 4096 parameters per unit, three internal screens plus externals, and the MA-Net2 session model that lets several desks and NPUs act as one system.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ma-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MA-Net2 for sessions with other grandMA2 devices and NPUs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Direct DMX from the rear XLR5 ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM on the local DMX ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server thumbnails.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI notes, MIDI timecode and MSC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC input for timecode-driven sequences.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet input for tracking-driven follow.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["8x XLR5F DMX","2x etherCON","MIDI in/out","LTC in","DVI outputs for external screens","Audio in"],"form_factor":"Console, three internal displays","homepage":{"url":"https://www.malighting.com/","label":"MA Lighting"},"gotchas":["MA-Net2 and MA-Net3 are different and do not interoperate. A grandMA2 and a grandMA3 cannot share a session; the grandMA3 runs a grandMA2 compatibility mode instead, on separate hardware or a separate boot.","Still everywhere in rental stock and on riders long after being superseded, so a \"grandMA\" request needs pinning down to a generation before the truck is loaded.","Sessions are the whole point and the whole risk: an accidental second session master on the same network is one of the classic ways a rig goes dark mid-show."],"tags":["lighting","console","grandma","ma-lighting","historical"],"sources":[{"title":"MA Lighting","url":"https://www.malighting.com/","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","aka":["MA3 full-size"],"vendor":"MA Lighting","category":"lighting-console","summary":"The largest grandMA3 control surface, rated at 20,480 parameters with six DMX outputs and three network ports on the back. The desk most large touring and arena rigs are built around.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Six DMX512-A outputs on 5-pin XLR female.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"in","note":"One DMX512-A input on 5-pin XLR male.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"One of the two Ethernet DMX protocols grandMA3 supports for sending and receiving.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net revision 1.4db. Sent as unicast until more than five receivers subscribe to a universe.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["6x XLR5F DMX512-A out","1x XLR5M DMX512-A in","3x etherCON/RJ45 Ethernet","2x DisplayPort 1.2 for external displays"],"form_factor":"Console with integrated displays and built-in UPS","status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.malighting.com/product/grandma3-full-size-4010500/","label":"grandMA3 full-size"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/","label":"grandMA3 online manuals"},"gotchas":["44 kg and 1256 mm wide before you add monitors. Check the FOH riser and the door it has to go through, not just the truck pack.","Only sACN and Art-Net are available for network DMX. A venue standardised on Pathport or ShowNet needs a gateway in the path.","Art-Net is unicast by default until more than five receivers want the same universe. A node that appears late in the patch can silently change the traffic pattern on the network.","Six physical DMX outputs is nowhere near 20,480 parameters. Anything past a handful of universes leaves the desk over the network, so the switch is part of the control system."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","console","grandma3","touring"],"sources":[{"title":"grandMA3 User Manual — Technical Data (consoles)","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.3/HTML/key_consoles_technical_data.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"grandMA3 full-size product page","url":"https://www.malighting.com/product/grandma3-full-size-4010500/","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"grandMA3 User Manual — Ethernet DMX","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.0/HTML/dmx_ethernet.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"grandMA3 User Manual — Protocol Details","url":"https://help.malighting.com/grandMA3/2.2/HTML/network_design_protocols.html","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","vendor":"MA Lighting","category":"lighting-console","status":"current","summary":"The smaller grandMA3 console: same software, same show files and same network model as the full size, with fewer physical faders and executors. Where a full size is a workspace, this is the one that travels.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Primary network output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Network output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ma-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Session networking between MA devices.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Direct outputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Fixture discovery and configuration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"MIDI timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Remote control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"Position data for tracking-driven fixtures.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Console","runs_software":["grandma3-onpc"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.malighting.com/","label":"MA Lighting"},"gotchas":["Parameter count is licensed and is the number that actually constrains a rig, not the number of DMX ports.","Plugins are written in Lua, which makes small automations approachable — and makes it worth version-controlling them like any other code."],"tags":["lighting","console","ma","grandma3"],"sources":[{"title":"MA Lighting","url":"https://www.malighting.com/","publisher":"MA Lighting","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"green-go-beltpack","name":"Green-GO Digital Intercom","vendor":"Green-GO (ELC)","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Fully networked intercom in which every device is an equal peer on a standard ethernet network with no central matrix at all — the configuration lives in the devices. Powered over ethernet, and priced so a small venue can own a real intercom system.","speaks":[{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on model and firmware.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"On specific interface models.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["etherCON or RJ45 with PoE","Headset connector"],"form_factor":"Beltpacks, wall panels and rack interfaces","homepage":{"url":"https://www.greengodigital.com/","label":"Green-GO"},"gotchas":["It is a real network load. Give it a properly configured switch with PoE budget, not a desk hub.","Peer-to-peer configuration means the settings are distributed. Back up the configuration file before a show, not after."],"tags":["intercom","comms","network","poe","green-go"],"sources":[{"title":"Green-GO Digital","url":"https://www.greengodigital.com/","publisher":"Green-GO","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"Mid-range Hippotizer: the same software and toolset as the larger machines, sized for shows that need real playback and mapping without a flagship's output count.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and pixel output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and pixel output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Thumbnails to consoles.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Video over IP.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount media server","rack_units":2,"runs_software":["hippotizer"],"homepage":{"url":"https://www.green-hippo.com/","label":"Green Hippo"},"gotchas":["Output count and Notch capability are the two things that separate the models. Confirm both against the design rather than the range name."],"tags":["media-server","video","hippotizer"],"sources":[{"title":"Green Hippo","url":"https://www.green-hippo.com/","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","vendor":"Green Hippo","category":"media-server","summary":"Mid-size touring media server in the Hippotizer V4 family: four outputs with the full Hippotizer toolset of layers, mixes and pixel mapping, sitting between the Amba and the Taiga in the range.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI input and output are part of Hippotizer V4.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX personality control in, pixel-mapper output out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Alternative DMX-over-Ethernet path to Art-Net.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Thumbnail and media exchange with lighting consoles.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"in","note":"Remote control of engine parameters.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"BlackTrax tracking input via RTTrPM.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode-driven playback.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount","status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.green-hippo.com/boreal-mk2/","label":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.6.4/en/topic/boreal-mk2","label":"Hippotizer V4 manual, Boreal+ MK2"},"gotchas":["Hippotizer licensing lives on the machine, and the software toolset is the product: two servers of different generations running different V4 builds will not back each other up cleanly mid-tour."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["media-server","video"],"sources":[{"title":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2 product page","url":"https://www.green-hippo.com/boreal-mk2/","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Hippotizer V4 manual, Boreal+ MK2","url":"https://www.manula.com/manuals/green-hippo/hippotizer-v4/4.6.4/en/topic/boreal-mk2","publisher":"Green Hippo","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","aka":["Hog 4-18","Hog4"],"vendor":"High End Systems","category":"lighting-console","summary":"Flagship Hog console with ten motorised master playbacks, dual 18.5-inch touchscreens and eight DMX outputs on the back. Long-standing choice for concert touring and festival lighting.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Eight Neutrik XLR-5 outputs, 8,192 output channels onboard.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Over the dedicated gigabit Ethernet port. Universe count expands with networked DP8000 processors.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"Over the dedicated gigabit Ethernet port. Universe count expands with networked DP8000 processors.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"in","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Linear timecode input on 3-pin XLR.","confidence":"verified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["8x XLR5 DMX out (Neutrik)","2x etherCON for HogNet and FixtureNet","1x Gigabit Ethernet for Art-Net and sACN","MIDI In, Out and Thru","1x XLR3 LTC/SMPTE in","3x DisplayPort for external monitors"],"form_factor":"Console with dual 18.5-inch tilt-adjustable touchscreens","status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/High-End-Systems/Hog-4-Consoles/Hog-4-18/Features.aspx","label":"Hog 4-18 features"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/webdocs/Controls/HOG/HTML/en/index.htm","label":"Hog 4 Lighting Control System manual"},"gotchas":["Onboard processing stops at 8,192 channels and eight physical outputs. Past that you are buying DP8000 processors, which means rack space, power and network at the other end of the run.","HogNet and FixtureNet are separate networks on separate etherCON ports, and Art-Net or sACN leaves on a third port. Patching all three into one flat switch is a good way to lose a show.","The product is now sold and supported under ETC after High End Systems was acquired. Documentation and downloads live on etcconnect.com, not on the old highend.com paths."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","console","hog","touring"],"sources":[{"title":"Hog 4-18 Features","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/Products/High-End-Systems/Hog-4-Consoles/Hog-4-18/Features.aspx","publisher":"ETC / High End Systems","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Hog 4 Lighting Control System manual","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/webdocs/Controls/HOG/HTML/en/index.htm","publisher":"ETC / High End Systems","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Hog 4 manual — MIDI Show Control","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/webdocs/Controls/HOG/HTML/en/sect-midi_show_control.htm","publisher":"ETC / High End Systems","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Hog 4 manual — MIDI Timecode","url":"https://www.etcconnect.com/webdocs/Controls/HOG/HTML/en/sect-midi_timecode.htm","publisher":"ETC / High End Systems","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"kinesys-elevation-1-plus","name":"Kinesys Elevation 1+","vendor":"Kinesys","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"Motor control system for chain hoists in entertainment rigging, driving hoists with position feedback and monitored safety functions, operated from Vector or K2 control software.","speaks":[{"protocol":"psn","direction":"out","note":"PosiStageNet output of axis positions to lighting and media systems.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Integration with show control systems.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Motor output connectors","Position feedback inputs","Control network","E-stop circuit"],"form_factor":"Rack or road-case motor control system","homepage":{"url":"https://kinesys.com/","label":"Kinesys"},"gotchas":["Position feedback and monitored safety are what separate this from a basic hoist controller. A rig running variable-speed positional moves over an audience is a different safety category to a dead-hang motor, governed by documents like DIN 56950-5 and EN 17206.","The e-stop circuit is hardwired and is not a software function. It must reach every position where a person could be hurt, which is a cabling design decision made at the plot stage.","Axis positions can be published to lighting and media so that followspots and projection track moving scenery. That makes the motion system a live dependency of the visual departments."],"tags":["automation","rigging","motion-control","kinesys","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"Kinesys","url":"https://kinesys.com/","publisher":"Kinesys","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"kinesys-libra","name":"Kinesys Libra","vendor":"Kinesys","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"Load-cell monitoring system for hoists and rigging points: it measures what each point is actually carrying, live, and alarms on limits. The measurement that tells you whether the calculation was right.","speaks":[{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"out","note":"Monitoring, depending on configuration.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Load cells with monitoring and display system","homepage":{"url":"https://www.kinesys.com/","label":"Kinesys"},"gotchas":["Monitoring is not a substitute for a load calculation and a competent rigger. It is the check on both.","Calibration matters and has a date on it. An uncalibrated load reading is a number, not a measurement."],"tags":["rigging","load","monitoring","kinesys"],"sources":[{"title":"Kinesys","url":"https://www.kinesys.com/","publisher":"Kinesys","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"l-acoustics-la12x","name":"L-Acoustics LA12X","vendor":"L-Acoustics","category":"amplifier","summary":"Four-channel amplified controller that drives and processes L-Acoustics loudspeakers: DSP, preset library and amplification in one 2U box, the standard engine behind K-series line arrays.","speaks":[{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"in","note":"AVB network audio input; L-Acoustics is a founding Milan proponent.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["4x amplified outputs (speakON)","AES/EBU and analog inputs with fallback","2x etherCON for network audio and L-Net remote control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount","rack_units":2,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/products/la12x/","label":"LA12X product page"},"gotchas":["Remote control and monitoring run over L-Net in LA Network Manager, which is its own management layer on the same Ethernet ports as the AVB audio: plan the network for both, not just the streams."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","amplifier","pa","milan"],"sources":[{"title":"LA12X product page","url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/products/la12x/","publisher":"L-Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"l-acoustics-la4x","name":"L-Acoustics LA4X","vendor":"L-Acoustics","category":"amplifier","status":"current","summary":"Four-channel amplified controller for smaller L-Acoustics systems, with the same LA Network Manager control and preset model as the LA12X but at lower power.","speaks":[{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"in","note":"AES67 input on current firmware.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"in","note":"Not native; AVB and AES67 are the network audio paths.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["4x amplifier output","AES3 in","Analogue in","2x etherCON control network"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack amplified controller","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","label":"L-Acoustics"},"gotchas":["Presets are matched to specific L-Acoustics cabinets and are not optional. The amplified controller and the box are one system.","LA4X and LA12X share the control software but not the power or channel capability. A system designed in Soundvision around LA12X will not simply drop onto LA4X."],"tags":["audio","amplifier","l-acoustics"],"sources":[{"title":"L-Acoustics","url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","publisher":"L-Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"l-acoustics-la7-16i","name":"L-Acoustics LA7.16i","vendor":"L-Acoustics","category":"amplifier","status":"current","summary":"Sixteen-channel installation amplified controller, aimed at fixed systems with many small loudspeakers — immersive rooms, theatres and venues where channel count matters more than raw power per channel.","speaks":[{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"aes70-oca","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and monitoring.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount sixteen-channel amplified controller","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","label":"L-Acoustics"},"gotchas":["Milan is an AVB profile and needs an AVB-capable switch. It is not something a general-purpose switch will simply carry."],"tags":["audio","amplifier","install","l-acoustics","milan"],"sources":[{"title":"L-Acoustics","url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","publisher":"L-Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"l-acoustics-p1","name":"L-Acoustics P1","vendor":"L-Acoustics","category":"audio-processor","status":"current","summary":"Processor and measurement platform combined: AVB bridging, system processing, and a built-in measurement engine so alignment happens in the same device that applies it rather than in a separate laptop workflow.","speaks":[{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on configuration.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount processor","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","label":"L-Acoustics"},"gotchas":["Measurement built into the signal path is convenient and still needs a disciplined method. The tool does not choose the microphone position."],"tags":["audio","processor","measurement","l-acoustics"],"sources":[{"title":"L-Acoustics","url":"https://www.l-acoustics.com/","publisher":"L-Acoustics","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"lab-gruppen-plm-20k44","name":"Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","category":"amplifier","status":"current","summary":"Four-channel 20 kW touring amplifier with Lake processing built in, Dante and AES3 input, and per-output load verification. A standard in large-format PA racks.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"in","note":"Dante input, primary and secondary.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"in","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"in","note":"Clock follows the Dante or AES3 source.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["4x amplifier output","2x etherCON Dante","AES3 in","Analogue in","Ethernet control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack amplifier","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://labgruppen.com/","label":"Lab.gruppen"},"gotchas":["The Lake processing inside is the system tuning. Swapping an amplifier without moving its Lake module configuration replaces the tuning as well as the amplifier.","Load verification will flag a driver fault before it is audible, which is only useful if someone is actually watching the monitoring during the show."],"tags":["audio","amplifier","lab-gruppen","lake","dante"],"sources":[{"title":"Lab.gruppen","url":"https://labgruppen.com/","publisher":"Lab.gruppen","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"lake-lm44","name":"Lab.gruppen Lake LM44","vendor":"Lab.gruppen","category":"audio-processor","status":"current","summary":"Four-in, four-out loudspeaker processor running Lake processing, with the Mesa EQ and linear-phase crossovers that made the platform a system-tech standard. Where a system's alignment and limiting actually live.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount loudspeaker processor","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.labgruppen.com/","label":"Lab.gruppen"},"gotchas":["The processor holds the system design. Back up the file, and know which version is in the rack before anybody adjusts anything."],"tags":["audio","processor","lake","system"],"sources":[{"title":"Lab.gruppen","url":"https://www.labgruppen.com/","publisher":"Lab.gruppen","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"lumenradio-crmx-nova-tx2","name":"LumenRadio CRMX Nova TX2","vendor":"LumenRadio","category":"wireless-dmx","status":"current","summary":"Two-universe CRMX transmitter with RDM support, the wireless DMX system built into a very large share of modern fixtures. Frequency-hopping in 2.4 GHz with automatic clear-channel selection.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX in on the XLR, DMX out wirelessly to CRMX receivers.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Bidirectional RDM over the wireless link.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net input on network-equipped models.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"sACN input on network-equipped models.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["2x XLR5 DMX in","Antenna connectors","Ethernet on network models","PowerCON"],"form_factor":"Half-rack transmitter","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://lumenradio.com/","label":"LumenRadio"},"gotchas":["CRMX and W-DMX are different, incompatible systems. A fixture with a built-in CRMX receiver will not pair with a W-DMX transmitter, and both are commonly called just \"wireless DMX\" on a rider.","Receivers stay linked to the last transmitter they were paired with, stored in the fixture. A fixture that arrives from another job will ignore your transmitter until it is unlinked.","2.4 GHz is shared with Wi-Fi, comms and everything else. CRMX hops and copes well, but a dense festival site is still a spectrum planning problem, not a plug-and-play one."],"tags":["dmx","wireless","crmx","lumenradio","rdm"],"sources":[{"title":"LumenRadio","url":"https://lumenradio.com/","publisher":"LumenRadio","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","category":"network-switch","status":"current","summary":"Compact eight-port managed gigabit switch with the same Groups model and profile system as the larger GigaCores, sized for a single rack, a stage box or a small touring rig.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, with protocol-aware handling.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported. IGMP snooping is the reason to use it over an unmanaged switch.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AVB support depending on model and firmware.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["8x etherCON Gigabit","2x SFP cage on some variants","PoE on PoE models"],"form_factor":"Half-rack managed switch","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.luminex.be/","label":"Luminex Network Intelligence"},"gotchas":["Same Groups abstraction as the bigger GigaCores, so profiles port across the range. Export and carry the profile: a swapped spare boots to defaults.","Eight ports goes fast once consoles, nodes, media servers and a laptop are on it. Plan the port count with the spare laptop and the visiting engineer included."],"tags":["networking","switch","luminex","touring"],"sources":[{"title":"Luminex Network Intelligence","url":"https://www.luminex.be/","publisher":"Luminex Network Intelligence","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","aka":["GigaCore 16XT"],"vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","category":"network-switch","summary":"1U managed gigabit switch built for show networks, with twelve etherCON ports, four SFP cages and an optional 160 W PoE budget. Configured with named Groups rather than raw VLAN numbers.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, not originated. The switch is protocol-aware for QoS and multicast handling.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, not originated. IGMP snooping is the reason to use a managed switch here.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported. The manual claims low-jitter handling for Dante traffic.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"The manual states full AVB and AVB Milan support.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, listed alongside RAVENNA.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ravenna","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, listed alongside AES67.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"out","note":"SNMP monitoring of switch state.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["10x etherCON 10/100/1000 (front)","2x etherCON 10/100/1000 (rear)","4x SFP cages for mini-GBIC transceivers (rear)"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount, 482 x 204.3 x 44 mm","rack_units":1,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.luminex.be/products/gigacore/gigacore-16xt-2/","label":"GigaCore 16Xt"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.luminex.be/wp-content/uploads/doccenter/GigaCore_16XT_User_Manual-rev-2.8.5.pdf","label":"GigaCore 16Xt user manual"},"gotchas":["PoE is optional and budgeted. The PoE model shares 160 W across the ten front etherCON ports at a maximum of 30 W per port, so a rack of PoE++ devices will exceed it.","Groups are Luminex's VLAN abstraction. Group 0 is reserved for inter-switch links and Group 1 for management, leaving 19 generic groups, and a port left in the wrong group looks exactly like a bad cable.","Link aggregation via MultiLinkX only applies to inter-switch link ports. You cannot bond arbitrary edge ports to a device.","Ten stored profiles per switch and export/import between switches. Save and export the profile before the truck leaves, because a swapped spare comes out of the box in the default configuration."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["networking","switch","poe","avb"],"sources":[{"title":"GigaCore 16Xt user manual","url":"https://www.luminex.be/wp-content/uploads/doccenter/GigaCore_16XT_User_Manual-rev-2.8.5.pdf","publisher":"Luminex Network Intelligence","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"GigaCore 16Xt quick start guide","url":"https://www.luminex.be/wp-content/uploads/doccenter/lu_01_00048_qsg_rev5.pdf","publisher":"Luminex Network Intelligence","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","category":"network-switch","status":"current","summary":"Larger managed switch in the GigaCore range, with fibre cages and the same Groups model as the rest — so a profile built on a small system ports onto the big one. Sized for a full production network rather than a single rack.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, with IGMP snooping.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ptp-1588","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock distribution.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount managed switch","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.luminex.be/","label":"Luminex"},"gotchas":["Export and carry the profile. A spare switch boots to defaults, and a defaulted switch on a multicast-heavy network floods everything.","Fibre needs the right optic for the right fibre type. Carry spares of both."],"tags":["networking","switch","luminex","fibre"],"sources":[{"title":"Luminex","url":"https://www.luminex.be/","publisher":"Luminex Network Intelligence","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","vendor":"Luminex Network Intelligence","category":"dmx-node","status":"current","summary":"Twelve-port Ethernet-to-DMX node with per-port protocol selection, merging, and the LumiNode processing model that lets each port do conversion, merge or filter independently.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in and out per port.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in and out per port.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX out and in on the XLR ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM discovery and proxy.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"kinet","direction":"bidirectional","note":"KiNET output for Color Kinetics fixtures.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["12x XLR5 DMX/RDM","2x etherCON Gigabit","PoE input on supported models"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack node","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.luminex.be/","label":"Luminex Network Intelligence"},"gotchas":["Every port is independently configured, which is the strength and the trap: twelve ports can be twelve different protocol and universe settings, and none of that is visible from the front of the rack.","Merging happens in the node. Two consoles merged HTP at a node behaves differently from two consoles merged by priority at the fixture, and the difference only shows during a handover."],"tags":["dmx","node","luminex","rdm"],"sources":[{"title":"Luminex Network Intelligence","url":"https://www.luminex.be/","publisher":"Luminex Network Intelligence","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","vendor":"Medialon (Barco)","category":"show-controller","status":"current","summary":"Dedicated solid-state show controller for permanent installations: no operating system to update behind your back, no desktop to be clicked on, and enough protocol support to be the thing that starts and coordinates everything else in an attraction every morning.","speaks":[{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi-show-control","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MSC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Timecode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through interfaces.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Network lighting control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount show controller","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.medialon.com/","label":"Medialon"},"gotchas":["A dedicated controller earns its place by not being a PC. Resist the temptation to run the show from something that also has a browser on it.","Document the logic. A show controller that works and that nobody understands is a maintenance liability from the day it is commissioned."],"tags":["show-control","installation","medialon","attraction"],"sources":[{"title":"Medialon","url":"https://www.medialon.com/","publisher":"Medialon","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","vendor":"Megapixel VR","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"LED processor built for camera work: high frame rates, high bit depth and the scan behaviour that decides whether a wall photographs cleanly. On a virtual production stage the processor is a colour and timing device, not a cable adaptor.","speaks":[{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"in","note":"IP video input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"in","note":"Video over IP.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Frame reference — the whole point on a camera stage.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"in","note":"Control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount LED processor","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://megapixelvr.com/","label":"Megapixel VR"},"gotchas":["An LED wall does not display a frame all at once; it refreshes in a scan. A camera shutter out of step with that scan photographs banding no grade will remove.","Processor capacity is measured in pixels and in frame rate together. A pixel count that fits at 30p may not fit at 60p."],"tags":["led","processor","video","virtual-production"],"sources":[{"title":"Megapixel VR","url":"https://megapixelvr.com/","publisher":"Megapixel VR","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"meyer-galaxy-816","name":"Meyer Sound Galileo GALAXY 816","vendor":"Meyer Sound","category":"audio-processor","summary":"Loudspeaker system processor with 8 inputs and 16 outputs: the alignment and drive brain in front of a Meyer PA, handling delay, EQ and array processing under Compass control.","speaks":[{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AVB network audio streams alongside analog and AES3 I/O; Milan-certified firmware exists for GALAXY.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["8x analog/AES3 inputs","16x analog outputs","AVB network ports (etherCON)"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount","rack_units":1,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://docs.meyersound.com/products/en/datasheet---galileo-galaxy-816.html","label":"GALAXY 816 datasheet"},"docs":{"url":"https://docs.meyersound.com/products/en/user-guide---galileo-galaxy.html","label":"Galileo GALAXY user guide"},"gotchas":["An AVB path into a GALAXY needs AVB-capable switches end to end; it will not cross an ordinary gigabit core, which is the practical difference from the DSCP-marked transports it shares racks with."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","pa","processor","milan"],"sources":[{"title":"Galileo GALAXY 816 datasheet","url":"https://docs.meyersound.com/products/en/datasheet---galileo-galaxy-816.html","publisher":"Meyer Sound","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Galileo GALAXY user guide","url":"https://docs.meyersound.com/products/en/user-guide---galileo-galaxy.html","publisher":"Meyer Sound","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"midas-hd96-24","name":"Midas HD96-24","vendor":"Midas","category":"audio-console","released":2019,"status":"current","summary":"Midas flagship with 144 input channels, a 24-fader surface and three touchscreens, using AES50 to its DL series stage boxes and carrying the Midas preamp lineage.","speaks":[{"protocol":"aes50","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AES50 to DL stage boxes, the Midas and Klark Teknik backbone.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via expansion card.","requires_licence":true,"confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via expansion card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC input.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["AES50 ports","Expansion card slots","Word clock","MIDI","AES3 in/out","Redundant PSU"],"form_factor":"Touring console, 24 faders, 3 touchscreens","homepage":{"url":"https://www.midasconsoles.com/","label":"Midas"},"gotchas":["AES50 runs on shielded Cat5e and is latency-critical. Unshielded cable or a patch through a switch will not work, no matter how short the run.","The Midas, Klark Teknik and Behringer AES50 ecosystems overlap. A DL stage box may well work with an X32, which is useful and also a way to end up with unexpected gear on a rider."],"tags":["audio","console","midas","aes50"],"sources":[{"title":"Midas","url":"https://www.midasconsoles.com/","publisher":"Midas","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"mo-sys-startracker","name":"Mo-Sys StarTracker","vendor":"Mo-Sys Engineering","category":"tracking-system","status":"current","summary":"Camera tracking that works by looking upward at retro-reflective markers on the ceiling and computing where the camera is from what it sees. Robust because the reference is fixed to the building rather than to encoders on a moving rig.","speaks":[{"protocol":"freed","direction":"out","note":"Camera position and lens data.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Frame reference so tracking data lines up with the picture.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Camera-mounted sensor plus processing unit","homepage":{"url":"https://www.mo-sys.com/","label":"Mo-Sys Engineering"},"gotchas":["Lens calibration is as important as position. An AR graphic that slides when the camera moves is usually a lens data problem, not a tracking one.","It needs a ceiling it can see. Rigging, drapes and moving trusses all take markers out of view."],"tags":["tracking","camera","freed","virtual-production"],"sources":[{"title":"Mo-Sys","url":"https://www.mo-sys.com/","publisher":"Mo-Sys Engineering","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","vendor":"Modulo Pi","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"French media server platform built around a real-time 3D engine, used for projection mapping, LED and immersive installs. Splits into a Designer workstation for authoring and V-Node playback machines driven from it.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in for console control, out for fixture and pixel control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in for console control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out for show control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI input and output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC for timeline sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet for tracked objects and moving scenery.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"in","note":"RTTrPM tracking input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"smpte-st-2110","direction":"bidirectional","note":"ST 2110 on suitably equipped nodes.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rack workstation plus V-Node playback servers","homepage":{"url":"https://www.modulo-pi.com/","label":"Modulo Pi"},"gotchas":["Designer and V-Node are separate machines with separate roles. The show is authored on Designer and played by the nodes, so a rider asking for \"a Kinetic\" needs to say how many of each.","The 3D scene is the master. Warping and blending live in the scene rather than in per-output correction, which is powerful and means the on-site alignment workflow is not the same as a warp-per-projector server."],"tags":["media-server","projection-mapping","3d","modulo-pi"],"sources":[{"title":"Modulo Pi","url":"https://www.modulo-pi.com/","publisher":"Modulo Pi","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","vendor":"NETGEAR","category":"network-switch","summary":"Managed switch family designed for AV-over-IP, with an AV-mode interface that applies preconfigured profiles (QoS, IGMP, VLANs) per protocol instead of leaving DSCP tables to hand configuration.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, with a shipped AV profile that sets Dante's QoS and multicast handling.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, AV profile available.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported, AV profile available for NDI's bursty streams.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported; IGMP snooping with querier is the point of using a managed switch here.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Transported.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"avb-milan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"AVB licence available on M4250, making it one of the few mainstream switches that can carry Milan.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"SNMP monitoring.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Model-dependent GbE/PoE+ copper plus SFP/SFP+ uplinks"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount, 1U","rack_units":1,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/av-line-m4250/","label":"M4250 AV Line"},"docs":{"url":"https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/M4250/M4250_AV_UM_EN.pdf","label":"M4250 AV user manual"},"gotchas":["The AV profiles only help on the ports you actually apply them to: a port left in the default profile still forwards traffic, just without the QoS and IGMP behaviour the rest of the network assumes."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["networking","switch","av-over-ip"],"sources":[{"title":"M4250 AV user manual","url":"https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/M4250/M4250_AV_UM_EN.pdf","publisher":"NETGEAR","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"novastar-mx40-pro","name":"NovaStar MX40 Pro","vendor":"NovaStar","category":"video-processor","status":"current","summary":"All-in-one 4K LED controller with sending-card capability built in, widely deployed on rental LED because it pairs with the enormous installed base of NovaStar receiving cards.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sdi","direction":"in","note":"3G-SDI input.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"in","note":"Art-Net brightness and control on some firmware.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Genlock reference for camera work.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["HDMI 2.0 in","3G-SDI in","DisplayPort 1.2 in","20x Gigabit Ethernet outputs","4x 10G fibre","Genlock","Gigabit control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack controller","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.novastar.tech/","label":"NovaStar"},"gotchas":["NovaStar receiving cards, sending cards and firmware versions have to match. A wall assembled from two hire stocks with different receiving card generations may simply not map.","Screen configuration files travel with the wall, not the processor. Losing the file means rebuilding the map panel by panel on site."],"tags":["led","processor","novastar","rental"],"sources":[{"title":"NovaStar","url":"https://www.novastar.tech/","publisher":"NovaStar","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"obsidian-nx4","name":"Obsidian Control Systems NX4","vendor":"Obsidian Control Systems","category":"lighting-console","released":2019,"status":"current","summary":"ONYX console with four internal DMX ports, dual touchscreens and motorised faders. ONYX is the successor to the M-Series and Martin M-PC line, and the software runs free on a PC with output limited by hardware key.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Four DMX ports on the console itself.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM discovery on the local ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX for media server integration.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI and MSC.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC timecode in.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["4x XLR5F DMX","2x Gigabit Ethernet","MIDI in/out","LTC in","USB"],"form_factor":"Console with dual integrated touchscreens","runs_software":["onyx"],"homepage":{"url":"https://obsidiancontrol.com/","label":"Obsidian Control Systems"},"gotchas":["ONYX output beyond the console's own ports is unlocked by hardware: a console, a NET dongle or an NX wing. A PC alone runs the software fully but outputs only a limited universe count.","ONYX inherited the M-Series show file lineage. Older M-PC files import, but not everything survives, so budget time rather than assuming a clean conversion."],"tags":["lighting","console","onyx","obsidian"],"sources":[{"title":"Obsidian Control Systems","url":"https://obsidiancontrol.com/","publisher":"Obsidian Control Systems","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","vendor":"Pathway Connectivity","category":"dmx-node","status":"current","summary":"Eight-port DMX and RDM gateway with per-port protocol and direction selection. The workhorse node in a lot of installed theatre infrastructure, and the one most likely to already be in the venue's wall.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Per port.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Per port.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"pathport","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Pathway's own protocol.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Eight ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Discovery and configuration.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["8x DMX/RDM (XLR5)","Ethernet"],"form_factor":"Rackmount or wall-mount gateway","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.pathwayconnect.com/","label":"Pathway Connectivity"},"gotchas":["Ports are individually configurable for protocol and direction. A node that appears dead is very often a port set to input.","Export the configuration. A swapped spare boots to defaults and will not tell you what the old one was doing."],"tags":["dmx","node","gateway","rdm","pathway"],"sources":[{"title":"Pathway Connectivity","url":"https://www.pathwayconnect.com/","publisher":"Pathway Connectivity","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"pilz-pnoz-safety-relay","name":"Pilz PNOZ safety relay","vendor":"Pilz","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"The monitored safety relay that made two-channel emergency stop circuits ordinary. It watches both channels of the button, detects a discrepancy or a cross-fault between them, reads back the mirror contacts of the downstream contactors, and refuses to reset if any of it disagrees — which is the difference between a stop button and a safety function.","physical_ports":["Dual-channel input terminals","Positively guided output contacts","Feedback loop"],"form_factor":"DIN-rail safety relay","homepage":{"url":"https://www.pilz.com/","label":"Pilz"},"gotchas":["A safety relay is not a rating on its own. The Performance Level belongs to the whole function — button, wiring, logic, contactors and the mechanics they switch.","The feedback loop is not optional wiring. Without it a welded contactor is invisible and the redundancy is theatre.","A monitored reset needs a rising and a falling edge, which is why a taped-down reset button cannot arm the system."],"tags":["safety-relay","e-stop","functional-safety","machinery","pilz"],"sources":[{"title":"Pilz","url":"https://www.pilz.com/","publisher":"Pilz","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","vendor":"AV Stumpfl","category":"media-server","status":"current","summary":"Single-box PIXERA server for mid-size projection and LED work, running the same PIXERA software as the larger two and four output machines. Real-time 3D compositing with node-based content flow.","speaks":[{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net in for console control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN in for console control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ndi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"NDI send and receive.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC timeline sync.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"in","note":"PosiStageNet input for tracked objects.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"citp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"CITP/MSEX thumbnails to lighting consoles.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"19-inch rack server","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://pixera.one/","label":"PIXERA"},"gotchas":["PIXERA licences by output count and feature set. A machine that plays the show in the shop may not have the licence tier the venue rig needs, and licences are tied to hardware.","The timeline and the node graph are two different mental models running at once. Content that behaves in the node graph can still be sequenced wrongly on the timeline, and vice versa."],"tags":["media-server","pixera","av-stumpfl","projection"],"sources":[{"title":"PIXERA","url":"https://pixera.one/","publisher":"AV Stumpfl","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"powersoft-x8","name":"Powersoft X8","vendor":"Powersoft","category":"amplifier","status":"current","summary":"Eight-channel touring amplifier platform with onboard DSP, Dante and AES67 input and per-channel load monitoring. Notable for its very high power density in 2U.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"in","note":"Dante audio input with redundancy.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"in","note":"AES67 input mode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes50","direction":"in","note":"Not supported; listed here only to prevent confusion.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["8x amplifier output (speakON / Phoenix depending on variant)","2x etherCON Dante","Analogue and AES3 inputs","Ethernet control"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack amplifier","rack_units":2,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.powersoft.com/","label":"Powersoft"},"gotchas":["Mains inrush and total draw on a rack of high-density amplifiers is the real constraint, not the audio. Size the distro on the amplifier's worst case, not its idle draw.","Presets are tied to specific loudspeaker models. Loading the wrong preset can damage drivers, so preset management is a safety matter, not a convenience."],"tags":["audio","amplifier","powersoft","dante"],"sources":[{"title":"Powersoft","url":"https://www.powersoft.com/","publisher":"Powersoft","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"qsys-core-510i","name":"Q-SYS Core 510i","vendor":"QSC (Q-SYS)","category":"audio-processor","summary":"Card-based Q-SYS processing core for installed AV: audio DSP, control scripting and video features in one engine, with eight I/O card slots and Q-LAN as its native transport.","speaks":[{"protocol":"q-lan","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Native transport to Q-SYS peripherals, cameras and other Cores.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","requires_licence":true,"note":"Via Q-SYS Dante license or CDN64 card options.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Software AES67 streams for interop with other AoIP systems.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"External control of named controls in the design.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["8x I/O card slots (analog, AES3, Dante, telephony options)","4x GbE (LAN A/B, AUX)"],"form_factor":"19-inch rack mount","rack_units":2,"status":"current","homepage":{"url":"https://www.qsys.com/products-solutions/q-sys/processing/core-510i/","label":"Core 510i product page"},"docs":{"url":"https://help.qsys.com/q-sys_8.1/Content/Hardware/Cores/Core_510i.htm","label":"Core 510i help entry"},"gotchas":["Q-LAN clocking is PTPv2 at DSCP 46 while any Dante card in the same chassis marks its audio DSCP 46: running both fabrics through one switch without VLAN separation or remapping is the classic self-inflicted QoS collision."],"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","dsp","qsys"],"sources":[{"title":"Core 510i product page","url":"https://www.qsys.com/products-solutions/q-sys/processing/core-510i/","publisher":"QSC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Q-SYS Core 510i specifications","url":"https://www.qscaudio.com/resource-files/productresources/dn/dsp_cores/core_510i/q_qsys_core_510i_specs.pdf","publisher":"QSC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"riedel-bolero","name":"Riedel Bolero","vendor":"Riedel Communications","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Wireless intercom on DECT with antennas fed over a standard network, and beltpacks that can be used as walkie-talkies away from the antenna coverage. Integrates into Riedel's matrix rather than standing alone.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dect","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Radio link to beltpacks.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Depending on configuration.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Antennas, beltpacks and matrix integration","homepage":{"url":"https://www.riedel.net/","label":"Riedel Communications"},"gotchas":["It is designed around a matrix. Deploying it standalone gives up most of the reason to buy it.","Antenna count and placement decide coverage; adding packs later can mean adding antennas."],"tags":["intercom","comms","wireless","dect","riedel"],"sources":[{"title":"Riedel Communications","url":"https://www.riedel.net/","publisher":"Riedel Communications","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"rme-digiface-dante","name":"RME Digiface Dante","vendor":"RME","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Bus-powered USB interface that puts a laptop on a Dante network with a large channel count and RME's driver stability. The device that makes a measurement rig, a virtual soundcheck or a playback machine a network participant rather than a cabling problem.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"64 channels each way at base rates.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["2x etherCON or RJ45 Dante","USB","Word clock"],"form_factor":"Compact USB interface","homepage":{"url":"https://www.rme-audio.de/","label":"RME"},"gotchas":["A laptop on a show audio network is a laptop on a show audio network. Give it its own port and think about what else that machine does."],"tags":["audio","interface","dante","rme","measurement"],"sources":[{"title":"RME","url":"https://www.rme-audio.de/","publisher":"RME","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"rosendahl-nanosyncs-hd","name":"Rosendahl nanosyncs HD","vendor":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","category":"timecode-generator","status":"current","summary":"Compact master clock and sync generator producing word clock, video reference and LTC from one stable source. The small box that stops a rack from having three different opinions about time.","speaks":[{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"LTC generate and read.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"out","note":"Word clock distribution outputs.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"out","note":"Blackburst and tri-level video reference.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"mtc","direction":"out","note":"MIDI timecode output.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["Word clock outputs (BNC)","Video reference outputs (BNC)","LTC in/out (XLR)","MIDI out"],"form_factor":"Half-rack sync generator","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.com/","label":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik"},"gotchas":["One master clock is the point. Adding a second \"just for the video rack\" recreates exactly the problem this box exists to solve.","LTC, word clock and video reference are three different things that all get called \"sync\". Be explicit about which one a device needs before wiring the rack."],"tags":["timecode","sync","clock","ltc","rosendahl"],"sources":[{"title":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","url":"https://www.rosendahl-studiotechnik.com/","publisher":"Rosendahl Studiotechnik","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"rts-adam","name":"RTS ADAM Intercom Matrix","vendor":"RTS (Bosch)","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Large-format intercom matrix: a central router where every panel gets its own configurable set of keys, so a position hears the departments it needs and nothing else. The broadcast standard for big-facility comms.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio via cards.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via cards.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount intercom matrix frame","homepage":{"url":"https://www.rtsintercoms.com/","label":"RTS Intercoms"},"gotchas":["A matrix is programmed, and the programming is a design job with opinions in it. Budget the configuration, not just the frame.","RTS and Clear-Com partyline conventions differ; interfacing them takes deliberate work rather than a cable."],"tags":["intercom","comms","matrix","broadcast","rts"],"sources":[{"title":"RTS Intercoms","url":"https://www.rtsintercoms.com/","publisher":"RTS","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"ssl-live-l550","name":"SSL Live L550","vendor":"Solid State Logic","category":"audio-console","status":"current","summary":"Solid State Logic's large-format live console, with the processing architecture and the stem-based workflow that come from the company's studio history — which is why it turns up on theatre and broadcast-adjacent work as often as on tours.","speaks":[{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Primary I/O transport.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via option card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Console","homepage":{"url":"https://www.solidstatelogic.com/","label":"Solid State Logic"},"gotchas":["The signal-path model is not the same as the channel-strip model most live desks use. Budget familiarisation time for a visiting engineer."],"tags":["audio","console","ssl"],"sources":[{"title":"Solid State Logic","url":"https://www.solidstatelogic.com/","publisher":"Solid State Logic","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"stype-redspy","name":"stYpe RedSpy","vendor":"stYpe","category":"tracking-system","status":"current","summary":"Camera tracking sensor for broadcast augmented reality and virtual studios, outputting camera position and lens data to a render engine over FreeD.","speaks":[{"protocol":"freed","direction":"out","note":"Camera position and lens data.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"genlock","direction":"in","note":"Frame reference.","confidence":"reported"}],"form_factor":"Camera-mounted tracking sensor","homepage":{"url":"https://stype.tv/","label":"stYpe"},"gotchas":["Registration between the virtual and the real set is a coordinate-system agreement, and it is surveyed once and then protected."],"tags":["tracking","camera","broadcast","ar"],"sources":[{"title":"stYpe","url":"https://stype.tv/","publisher":"stYpe","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"symetrix-radius-nx-12x8","name":"Symetrix Radius NX 12x8","vendor":"Symetrix","category":"audio-processor","status":"current","summary":"Open-architecture DSP for installed audio: the processing is drawn in software rather than chosen from presets, which makes it the box behind conference centres, houses of worship and multi-zone venues.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Networked audio.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Where enabled.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"snmp","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Monitoring.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Rackmount DSP","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.symetrix.co/","label":"Symetrix"},"gotchas":["An open-architecture DSP is a program. Treat the design file like source code: version it, comment it, and hand it over with the system."],"tags":["audio","dsp","install","symetrix"],"sources":[{"title":"Symetrix","url":"https://www.symetrix.co/","publisher":"Symetrix","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"tait-navigator","name":"TAIT Navigator","vendor":"TAIT","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"Automation control platform for large-scale stage machinery: multi-axis motion, 3D visualisation of the moving set, cue sequencing and the safety architecture around performer flying and heavy scenery.","speaks":[{"protocol":"psn","direction":"out","note":"PosiStageNet output of axis and object positions.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Show control integration.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"Timecode-driven automation sequences.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Operator console plus distributed drive and safety hardware","homepage":{"url":"https://www.taittowers.com/","label":"TAIT"},"gotchas":["Automation is the department with the shortest tolerance for improvisation. A cue change is a re-commissioning question, not a keystroke, and the schedule has to reflect that.","Publishing axis positions to lighting and video is now routine, which means the automation network is load-bearing for departments that do not own it. Agree who is allowed to touch it."],"tags":["automation","motion-control","tait","stage-machinery"],"sources":[{"title":"TAIT","url":"https://www.taittowers.com/","publisher":"TAIT","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"tta-stagetracker-ii","name":"TTA StageTracker II","vendor":"TTA — Track The Artist","category":"tracking-system","status":"current","summary":"Performer tracking system built around small worn tags and fixed receivers, outputting position for both lighting and object audio. Designed so one measurement feeds several departments rather than each buying its own.","speaks":[{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"out","note":"Position output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"psn","direction":"out","note":"Position output.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control and data.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Tag, receiver and processing system","homepage":{"url":"https://www.tta.eu/","label":"TTA"},"gotchas":["Coverage is a survey problem. Receiver placement decides where tracking works, and a steel venue reflects.","Position arrives in a coordinate system somebody has to define. Agree the origin with lighting, audio and video before the survey, not after."],"tags":["tracking","performer","rttrpm","psn"],"sources":[{"title":"TTA","url":"https://www.tta.eu/","publisher":"TTA","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"verlinde-stagemaker-sr","name":"Verlinde Stagemaker SR","vendor":"Verlinde","category":"motion-control","status":"current","summary":"Long-established electric chain hoist for entertainment rigging, available in variants for the different European classifications. The workhorse of a very large number of touring rigs.","physical_ports":["Power and control multipin","Chain"],"form_factor":"Electric chain hoist","homepage":{"url":"https://www.verlinde.com/","label":"Verlinde"},"gotchas":["Which variant you have decides what it may be used for. The model name alone does not tell you whether it may hold a load over people.","Chain bag, limit switches and the control system are all part of the assembly being classified."],"tags":["hoist","rigging","machinery","verlinde"],"sources":[{"title":"Verlinde","url":"https://www.verlinde.com/","publisher":"Verlinde","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"wireless-solution-blackbox-f2","name":"Wireless Solution W-DMX BlackBox F-2 G6","vendor":"Wireless Solution","category":"wireless-dmx","status":"current","summary":"Two-universe W-DMX transceiver operating in 2.4 and 5 GHz, with RDM support and the option to act as transmitter or receiver. The main alternative ecosystem to CRMX.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"bidirectional","note":"DMX in or out on the XLR ports depending on mode.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM over the wireless link.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Art-Net on Ethernet-equipped variants.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"bidirectional","note":"sACN on Ethernet-equipped variants.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["XLR5 DMX in/out","Antenna connectors","Ethernet on network variants"],"form_factor":"Half-rack transceiver","rack_units":1,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.wirelessdmx.com/","label":"Wireless Solution"},"gotchas":["Not compatible with CRMX. Confirm which system the fixtures have built in before hiring transmitters.","Dual-band operation helps enormously on a congested site, but only if the receivers also support 5 GHz. A mixed-generation receiver stock pins you to 2.4 GHz."],"tags":["dmx","wireless","w-dmx","rdm"],"sources":[{"title":"Wireless Solution","url":"https://www.wirelessdmx.com/","publisher":"Wireless Solution","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"yamaha-cl5","name":"Yamaha CL5","vendor":"Yamaha","category":"audio-console","released":2012,"status":"current","summary":"72-channel Dante-native console that made Dante the default in installed and mid-size touring audio. Still one of the most widely installed large-format desks in theatres and houses of worship.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Dante is native, with primary and secondary ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode on supported firmware.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Mini-YGDAI card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control and scene recall.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Limited OSC via third-party bridges rather than natively.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["2x Dante etherCON (primary/secondary)","Mini-YGDAI card slots","Word clock in/out","MIDI in/out","AES3","Redundant PSU"],"form_factor":"Console, 5 fader banks","homepage":{"url":"https://www.yamahaproaudio.com/","label":"Yamaha Professional Audio"},"gotchas":["Dante device names and channel labels are the whole patch. A CL5 dropped into a house system with clashing Dante names will fight the existing devices for identity.","CL and QL series share much of the workflow but not the channel counts. A CL5 file does not simply open on a QL1.","The console can be the Dante clock master or a follower. Two Yamaha desks both configured as preferred master on one network is a classic install fault."],"tags":["audio","console","yamaha","dante","install"],"sources":[{"title":"Yamaha Professional Audio","url":"https://www.yamahaproaudio.com/","publisher":"Yamaha","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"yamaha-dm7","name":"Yamaha DM7","vendor":"Yamaha","category":"audio-console","status":"current","summary":"Yamaha's compact digital console aimed at broadcast, installation and corporate work as much as at live music, with a heavy emphasis on Dante-based I/O rather than local connectors.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Primary I/O path.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through Dante interoperability.","confidence":"unverified"}],"form_factor":"Console","homepage":{"url":"https://www.yamaha.com/proaudio/","label":"Yamaha Professional Audio"},"gotchas":["A Dante-centric console makes the network a show-critical path. Design the switch, the clock and the redundancy accordingly."],"tags":["audio","console","yamaha","dante"],"sources":[{"title":"Yamaha Professional Audio","url":"https://www.yamaha.com/proaudio/","publisher":"Yamaha","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"yamaha-rio3224-d2","name":"Yamaha Rio3224-D2","vendor":"Yamaha","category":"io-interface","status":"current","summary":"Dante stage box with remote-controlled preamps, and the standard I/O behind a great many Yamaha live systems. The head amps are controlled from the console over the same network that carries the audio.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Primary transport, with redundancy.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Through Dante interoperability where enabled.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Clock.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["Analogue inputs (XLR)","Analogue outputs (XLR)","AES/EBU","2x etherCON Dante (primary/secondary)"],"form_factor":"Rackmount stage box","rack_units":3,"homepage":{"url":"https://www.yamaha.com/proaudio/","label":"Yamaha Professional Audio"},"gotchas":["Gain sharing is the classic multi-console problem: two consoles controlling the same head amp will fight unless one is following the other.","Redundant Dante needs two physically separate networks to mean anything. Two cables into one switch is not redundancy."],"tags":["audio","stage-box","dante","yamaha"],"sources":[{"title":"Yamaha Professional Audio","url":"https://www.yamaha.com/proaudio/","publisher":"Yamaha","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"yamaha-rivage-pm7","name":"Yamaha RIVAGE PM7","vendor":"Yamaha","category":"audio-console","released":2017,"status":"current","summary":"Yamaha flagship digital mixing system: a CS-R10 style control surface with the DSP-RX engine, TWINLANe fibre ring to the RPio stage boxes, and a large complement of onboard Rupert Neve and Yamaha modelling.","speaks":[{"protocol":"dante","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Dante is native on the RPio boxes and the engine.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"aes67","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via Dante AES67 mode.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"madi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Via HY card.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"word-clock","direction":"bidirectional","note":"Word clock in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI control and scene recall.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC via the console API.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC input for scene automation.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["TWINLANe fibre ring","HY card slots (Dante, MADI)","Word clock in/out","MIDI","Redundant PSU"],"form_factor":"Control surface plus separate DSP engine and RPio I/O","homepage":{"url":"https://www.yamahaproaudio.com/","label":"Yamaha Professional Audio"},"gotchas":["TWINLANe and Dante are two different networks on the same system and they are not interchangeable. TWINLANe carries the high channel-count ring between engine and RPio; Dante is how everything else gets in.","RIVAGE is a system, not a console. The surface without its DSP engine does nothing, which changes what a \"spare desk\" means on a tour.","PM7 and PM10 differ in DSP capability and I/O, and share files only within limits. Confirm the model, not just \"a RIVAGE\"."],"tags":["audio","console","yamaha","rivage","dante"],"sources":[{"title":"Yamaha Professional Audio","url":"https://www.yamahaproaudio.com/","publisher":"Yamaha","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","vendor":"zactrack","category":"tracking-system","status":"current","summary":"UWB radio-based performer tracking system that drives automated followspots, moving lights and audio object positions without needing line of sight to cameras.","speaks":[{"protocol":"psn","direction":"out","note":"PosiStageNet output of tracked positions.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Direct fixture control output for tracked followspot behaviour.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output for tracked fixture control.","confidence":"unverified"},{"protocol":"osc","direction":"bidirectional","note":"OSC for integration with audio and show control.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rttrpm","direction":"out","note":"RTTrPM output for audio object positions.","confidence":"unverified"}],"physical_ports":["UWB anchors over network","Performer tags","Ethernet control"],"form_factor":"Server plus distributed UWB anchors and worn tags","homepage":{"url":"https://zactrack.com/","label":"zactrack"},"gotchas":["UWB does not need line of sight the way optical tracking does, which is its main advantage over camera systems in a busy set. Anchor placement is still the whole accuracy story.","Tags are worn by performers, so wardrobe, battery life and quick changes are part of the system design, not an afterthought.","Tracking output usually drives lighting and audio at once. Whoever owns the tracking system has become a dependency of two departments; agree the failure plan before the show, not during."],"tags":["tracking","uwb","followspot","psn","zactrack"],"sources":[{"title":"zactrack","url":"https://zactrack.com/","publisher":"zactrack","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"zero88-flx-s48","name":"Zero 88 FLX S48","vendor":"Zero 88","category":"lighting-console","released":2016,"status":"current","summary":"Compact 48-fader console aimed at schools, small venues and touring band rigs, with a simple two-mode workflow and modest universe count. The desk that turns up when the budget did not stretch to an Eos.","speaks":[{"protocol":"sacn","direction":"out","note":"sACN output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"art-net","direction":"out","note":"Art-Net output.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"dmx512","direction":"out","note":"Two DMX outputs on the rear.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"rdm","direction":"bidirectional","note":"RDM on the local DMX ports.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"midi","direction":"bidirectional","note":"MIDI in and out.","confidence":"reported"},{"protocol":"ltc","direction":"in","note":"LTC input for timecode playback.","confidence":"reported"}],"physical_ports":["2x XLR5F DMX","1x Ethernet","MIDI in/out","USB","LTC in"],"form_factor":"Console, 48 faders","homepage":{"url":"https://zero88.com/","label":"Zero 88"},"gotchas":["Universe count is low compared with a touring desk. Fine for a house rig, tight once a visiting LED wall or a pixel-mapped set arrives.","FLX and FLX S are different products with different fader counts and capabilities; a rider that just says \"FLX\" needs clarifying."],"tags":["lighting","console","zero88","education"],"sources":[{"title":"Zero 88","url":"https://zero88.com/","publisher":"Zero 88","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"}],"standards":[{"id":"ada-standards-2010","designation":"2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design","title":"2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design","body":"US Department of Justice","domain":"accessibility","year":2010,"scope":"The enforceable US design standard under the Americans with Disabilities Act. For venues: accessible routes, wheelchair spaces and companion seats in assembly areas, dispersion and line-of-sight requirements, accessible performance areas, and assistive listening system provision and receiver counts.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards/2010-stds/","label":"ADA.gov (free)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Section 221 (assembly areas) and section 219 (assistive listening) are the ones that decide house seating layouts and how many hearing-loop or IR receivers a venue must hold. Free to read in full. Scenic and FOH positions that eat an accessible route or block a sightline from a wheelchair space are a compliance problem, not just a courtesy one.","confidence":"reported","tags":["ada","accessibility","venue","assistive-listening","us"],"sources":[{"title":"2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design","url":"https://www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/design-standards/2010-stds/","publisher":"US DOJ","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"aes10","designation":"AES10-2008 (r2019)","title":"AES Recommended Practice for Digital Audio Engineering - Serial Multichannel Audio Digital Interface (MADI)","body":"AES","domain":"audio","year":2008,"scope":"MADI: 64 channels of linear PCM at 48 kHz down one coax or one multimode fibre, unidirectional, point to point.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=17","label":"AES Standards Store"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Still the workhorse of stage-box-to-console links because it is dumb, deterministic and has no network to misconfigure. 64 channels is at 48 kHz: at 96 kHz you get 32, which is the trap in a festival patch that switches sample rate between acts.","confidence":"reported","tags":["aes","madi","multichannel-audio"],"related_protocols":["madi"],"sources":[{"title":"AES10 standard listing","url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=17","publisher":"AES","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"aes11","designation":"AES11-2009 (r2019)","title":"AES Recommended Practice for Digital Audio Engineering - Synchronization of digital audio equipment in studio operations","body":"AES","domain":"audio","year":2009,"scope":"Digital Audio Reference Signal (DARS): what a house sync signal for digital audio looks like, how accurate it must be, and how equipment locks to it.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=18","label":"AES Standards Store"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"The document behind the word clock distribution amp in the bottom of the rack. In an AES67 or Dante world the equivalent job is done by PTP, and mixing the two - some devices on DARS, some on PTP, no defined relationship between them - is a reliable way to generate clicks nobody can find.","confidence":"reported","tags":["aes","clock","sync","word-clock"],"related_protocols":["word-clock","aes67","ptp-1588"],"sources":[{"title":"AES11 standard listing","url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=18","publisher":"AES","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"aes3","designation":"AES3-2009 (r2019)","title":"AES standard for digital audio - Digital input-output interfacing - Serial transmission format for two-channel linearly represented digital audio data","body":"AES","domain":"audio","year":2009,"scope":"AES/EBU: two channels of linear PCM on one balanced 110 ohm pair, self-clocking, with status and user bits alongside the samples. The consumer S/PDIF interface is the same data on different electricals.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=13","label":"AES Standards Store"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"An AES3 pair carries its own clock, so a device fed AES3 usually has to slave to it. That is why the AES/EBU feed from a playback machine is so often the accidental clock master of a rack that was supposed to follow word clock.","confidence":"reported","tags":["aes","digital-audio","aes-ebu"],"related_protocols":["madi","word-clock"],"sources":[{"title":"AES3 standard listing","url":"https://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=13","publisher":"AES","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"aes67-std","designation":"AES67-2023","title":"AES standard for audio applications of networks - High-performance streaming audio-over-IP interoperability","body":"AES","domain":"audio","year":2023,"scope":"Specifies an interoperability profile for high-performance streaming audio over IP networks, covering synchronisation, media clock identification, transport, encoding, session description, and connection management, so that equipment built on different manufacturers' audio networking systems can exchange streams.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://aes2.org/publications/standards-store/","label":"AES Standards Store"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Free to AES members, USD 100 otherwise. AES67 is a profile rather than a product: a device claiming AES67 support is claiming it can exchange streams with another AES67 device, not that it does everything Dante or Ravenna does natively.","confidence":"verified","tags":["aes","audio-over-ip","networking"],"sources":[{"title":"AES67-2023, \"AES standard for audio applications of networks - High-performance streaming audio-over-IP interoperability\" has been published","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/blog/2024/2/aes67-2023-aes-standard-for-audio","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"AES Standards Store","url":"https://aes2.org/publications/standards-store/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-11","designation":"ANSI E1.11-2024","title":"Entertainment Technology - USITT DMX512-A Asynchronous Serial Digital Data Transmission Standard for Controlling Lighting Equipment and Accessories","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2024,"scope":"Defines the DMX512-A method of digital data transmission for control of lighting equipment and accessories, covering the electrical layer, connector and pinout, packet timing, start codes, and the alternate start code mechanism that later standards such as RDM build on.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"notes":"The document descends from the USITT DMX512/1990 protocol. The 2024 edition replaces the long-lived 2008 text and its R2013 and R2018 reaffirmations. Earlier editions remain downloadable from the ESTA page, which matters when you are working on equipment built to the older text.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","lighting","dmx"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.11-2024 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1112024","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-17","designation":"ANSI E1.17-2015 (R2025)","title":"Entertainment Technology - Architecture for Control Networks (ACN)","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2015,"scope":"A suite of documents specifying an architecture, protocols, and a device description language for networked control of entertainment equipment. It is transport agnostic but is normally run over UDP/IP, and it supplies the root layer and PDU structure that ANSI E1.31 (sACN) reuses for streaming DMX512 data.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"related_protocols":["sacn"],"notes":"ESTA lists the current edition as ANSI E1.17-2015 reaffirmed in 2025. Full ACN is implemented far less often than sACN, but sACN cannot be read properly without the root layer definitions that live here.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","networking","control"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.17-2015 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ANSIE1172015","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-19","designation":"ANSI E1.19-2021","title":"Recommended Practice for the Use of Class A Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) Intended for Personnel Protection in the Entertainment Industry","body":"ESTA","domain":"electrical","year":2021,"scope":"Where and how Class A GFCIs should protect people in entertainment power distribution, and where nuisance tripping makes other protection strategies appropriate.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Wet-location festival power and orchestra-pit distro arguments end by citing this document.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","electrical","gfci","power"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-2","designation":"ANSI E1.2-2021","title":"Entertainment Technology - Design, Manufacture and Use of Aluminum Trusses and Towers","body":"ESTA","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2021,"scope":"Covers the design, manufacture, and use of aluminium trusses, towers, and associated aluminium structural components such as head blocks, sleeve blocks, bases, and corner blocks used in portable structures in the entertainment industry.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"This is the document behind the load tables printed in truss manufacturers' catalogues. A truss span rating means nothing without the loading assumptions the rating was produced under.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","rigging","truss","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.2-2021 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie12021-2440346","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-20","designation":"ANSI E1.20-2025","title":"Entertainment Technology - Remote Device Management over DMX512 Networks (RDM)","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2025,"scope":"Adds bidirectional communication to a DMX512 line so a controller can discover devices, read and set DMX start addresses, query sensors, and collect status messages, using an alternate start code so that it shares the cable with ordinary DMX512 traffic.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"notes":"ESTA distributes the download as an archive containing ANSI E1.20 together with ANSI E1.37-1 and ANSI E1.37-2, which define additional parameter messages. Any RDM work needs the E1.37 parts as well as this one.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","lighting","dmx","rdm"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.20-2025 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1202025","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-21","designation":"ANSI E1.21-2024","title":"Entertainment Technology - Temporary Structures Used for Technical Production of Outdoor Entertainment Events","body":"ESTA","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2024,"scope":"Minimum design and performance requirements for temporary ground-supported structures used in the technical production of outdoor entertainment events, including stage roofs, towers, and support structures, with the aim of keeping those structures reliable under the loads and weather they will actually meet.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The 2024 edition is referenced by the 2024 International Fire Code and by the 2024 International Building Code provisions for temporary structures, so in many US jurisdictions this stops being advisory and becomes the thing the inspector is holding.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","outdoor","temporary-structures","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.21-2024 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1212024","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-22","designation":"ANSI E1.22-2022","title":"Entertainment Technology - Fire Safety Curtain Systems","body":"ESTA","domain":"machinery","year":2022,"scope":"Design, construction, installation, testing and maintenance of fire safety curtain systems protecting proscenium openings, including release systems and closing-time requirements.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Covers the iron: the curtain the audience never thinks about until the one night it matters. Local fire codes typically adopt or reference it.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","fire-safety","stage-machinery","theatre"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-23","designation":"ANSI E1.23-2023","title":"Entertainment Technology - Design, Execution, and Maintenance of Atmospheric Effects","body":"ESTA","domain":"safety-management","year":2023,"scope":"How to plan, run and maintain fog, haze and other atmospheric effects: exposure planning, ventilation interaction, documentation and the responsibilities of whoever signs the effect off.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The process-side companion to E1.5. Between them they answer the recurring question of whether the haze on stage is a managed effect or an unmanaged exposure.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","fog","haze","atmospherics"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-27-1","designation":"ANSI E1.27-1-2006 (R2016)","title":"Entertainment Technology - Standard for Portable Control Cables for Use with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) and USITT DMX512/1990 Products","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2006,"scope":"What a portable DMX cable actually has to be: characteristic impedance, conductor and shield construction, connector wiring, and the marking that distinguishes it from microphone cable.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/E1-27-1_2006R2016.pdf","label":"ESTA TSP (free PDF)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"notes":"This is the standard that says, in writing, that a 3-pin mic cable is not a DMX cable. It works on a short run at low load and then does not, usually on the longest run of the rig in front of an audience. Free to read, so there is no excuse for the argument.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","ansi","dmx","cable"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.27-1-2006 (R2016) full text","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/E1-27-1_2006R2016.pdf","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ansi-e1-27-2","designation":"ANSI E1.27-2-2009 (R2019)","title":"Recommended Practice for Permanently Installed Control Cables for Use with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) and USITT DMX512/1990 Products","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2009,"scope":"The installed-cable companion to E1.27-1: cable types, pathways and termination practice for permanent DMX infrastructure in a venue.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ESTA_E1-27-2_2009_R2019.pdf","label":"ESTA TSP (free PDF)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"notes":"If you are specifying a new build or a refit, this is the document to hand the electrical contractor alongside the riser diagram.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","ansi","dmx","cable","installation"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.27-2-2009 (R2019) full text","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ESTA_E1-27-2_2009_R2019.pdf","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ansi-e1-28","designation":"ANSI E1.28-2022","title":"Guidance on Planning Followspot Positions in Places of Public Assembly","body":"ESTA","domain":"safety-management","year":2022,"scope":"Sightline geometry, structural provisions, egress and operator welfare for permanent and temporary followspot positions.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","followspot","lighting","venue-design"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-3","designation":"ANSI E1.3-2001 (R2016)","title":"Entertainment Technology - Lighting Control Systems - 0 to 10 V Analog Control Specification","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2001,"scope":"The analogue 0 to 10 V control interface: signal levels, polarity, source and load impedance, and connector pinout, for dimmers and fixtures that predate or sit alongside DMX.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ANSI_E1-3_2001_R2016s.pdf","label":"ESTA TSP (free PDF)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"notes":"Still live: architectural dimming, house lights and a lot of LED drivers take 0-10 V, and the analogue leg is often the thing that stays powered when the show network does not. Note that \"0-10 V\" in architectural lighting is frequently the current-sinking variety, which is not the same electrical animal as this specification.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","ansi","analog","dimming"],"related_protocols":["0-10v","dmx512"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.3-2001 (R2016) full text","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ANSI_E1-3_2001_R2016s.pdf","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ansi-e1-31","designation":"ANSI E1.31-2018","title":"Lightweight streaming protocol for transport of DMX512 using ACN","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2018,"scope":"Defines how DMX512 data is packaged into the ACN root layer and streamed over IPv4 and IPv6 networks, including universe-to-multicast-address mapping, source priority, synchronisation packets, and universe discovery.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download after registration)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"related_protocols":["sacn"],"notes":"ESTA makes its ANSI entertainment technology standards available at no cost, which is unusual among standards bodies and worth knowing when you are specifying a system on someone else's budget.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","lighting","networking"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-33","designation":"ANSI E1.33-2019","title":"Entertainment Technology - (RDMnet) - Message Transport and Device Management of ANSI E1.20 (RDM) compatible and similar devices over IP Networks","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2019,"scope":"Carries RDM messaging over IP networks rather than over a DMX512 line, defining broker-based discovery, TCP transport of RDM messages, and the component roles that let a controller manage E1.20 compatible and similar devices across a network.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"notes":"ESTA ships the download as a ZIP bundled with an index of other standards that define RDM parameter messages usable with E1.33. RDMnet is management traffic, not level data; it does not replace sACN or Art-Net for driving fixtures.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","networking","rdm"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.33-2019 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1332019","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-37-1","designation":"ANSI E1.37-1-2012 (R2022)","title":"Additional Message Sets for ANSI E1.20 (RDM) - Part 1, Dimmer Message Sets","body":"ESTA","domain":"control-data","year":2012,"scope":"Extra RDM parameter messages for dimmers: curve selection, minimum and maximum levels, output response time and related settings, beyond the base parameters in E1.20.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"notes":"RDM support is a spectrum, not a yes/no. A device can be fully E1.20 compliant and implement none of these, which is why a console can discover a dimmer rack and still not be able to set its curve remotely.","confidence":"reported","tags":["esta","ansi","rdm","dimming"],"related_protocols":["rdm","dmx512"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA TSP published documents index","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ansi-e1-4-1","designation":"ANSI E1.4-1-2022","title":"Entertainment Technology - Manual Counterweight Rigging Systems","body":"ESTA","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2022,"scope":"Design, construction, inspection and maintenance requirements for manual counterweight rigging systems: the fly systems in most proscenium theatres, arbors, rope locks, loading galleries and all.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The document behind how a counterweight house is meant to be built and looked after. If a venue survey finds a fly system with no inspection history, this is the reference to hold it against.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","rigging","counterweight","theatre"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-43","designation":"ANSI E1.43-2025","title":"Entertainment Technology - Performer Flying Systems","body":"ESTA","domain":"machinery","year":2025,"scope":"Minimum performance parameters for the design, manufacture, use, and maintenance of performer flying systems in entertainment production. The 2016 edition covered mechanical systems supporting airborne performers or ride-on props and excluded flying members of the public, fall protection systems, and aerial acts that depend on the performer's own strength.","status":"current","access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1432025","label":"ANSI catalogue listing for the 2025 edition"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The 2025 edition is a substantial revision of the 2016 text. ESTA hosts the 2016 edition as a free PDF at https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ANSI_E1-43--2016_PerformerFlyingSystems.pdf, but free availability of the 2025 edition was not confirmed, so free_to_read is deliberately omitted here rather than guessed. Powered hoists that are not lifting performers fall under ANSI E1.6-1 instead.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","rigging","performer-flying","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.43-2025 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie1432025","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.43-2016 Entertainment Technology — Performer Flying Systems (full text)","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ANSI_E1-43--2016_PerformerFlyingSystems.pdf","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-5","designation":"ANSI E1.5-2009 (R2024)","title":"Entertainment Technology - Theatrical Fog Made With Aqueous Solutions of Di- And Trihydric Alcohols","body":"ESTA","domain":"safety-management","year":2009,"scope":"Composition limits and use requirements for glycol and glycerine based theatrical fog so that exposure stays within documented limits for performers and crews who stand in it nightly.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The fluid-side companion to E1.23: what may be in the tank. Actor unions and venue agreements lean on it in fog disputes.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","fog","atmospherics","health"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-6-1","designation":"ANSI E1.6-1-2021","title":"Entertainment Technology - Powered Hoist Systems","body":"ESTA","domain":"machinery","year":2021,"scope":"Requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, inspection, and maintenance of powered hoist systems used to lift and suspend loads for performance, presentation, and theatrical production. It excludes structural attachment points, the rigging of the load itself, performer flying systems, welded link chain hoists, and manually powered hoists.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Performer flying is deliberately out of scope here and is covered by ANSI E1.43 instead. Read the exclusion list before quoting this document in a method statement, because a hoist that lifts scenery and a hoist that lifts a person are held to different standards.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","rigging","hoists","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI E1.6-1-2021 catalogue listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/esta/ansie12021","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ansi-e1-6-2","designation":"ANSI E1.6-2-2020","title":"Entertainment Technology - Design, Inspection, and Maintenance of Electric Chain Hoists for the Entertainment Industry","body":"ESTA","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2020,"scope":"Design, inspection and maintenance requirements specific to electric chain hoists used in entertainment: the motors that fly truss over people every day.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Part of the E1.6 family: E1.6-1 covers powered hoist systems, this part the chain hoists themselves, E1.6-3 their selection and use.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","rigging","hoists","truss"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-e1-8","designation":"ANSI E1.8-2018 (R2023)","title":"Entertainment Technology - Loudspeaker Enclosures Intended for Overhead Suspension","body":"ESTA","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2018,"scope":"Requirements for loudspeaker enclosures designed to be flown: rated working load, attachment hardware, proof testing and marking, so a hang point on a box means something.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The reason serious PA boxes publish working load limits and rigging manuals. A box with no WLL documentation has no business over an audience.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","rigging","audio","pa"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-es1-18","designation":"ANSI ES1.18-2022","title":"Event Safety - Rigging","body":"ESTA","domain":"safety-management","year":2022,"scope":"Event-level rigging safety requirements: competence, documentation, inspection and the interface between venue, production and rigging vendor at live events.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Sits above the E1.6 hardware standards: who is allowed to make rigging decisions on the day, and what paper trail the event carries.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","event-safety","rigging"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-es1-7","designation":"ANSI ES1.7-2021","title":"Event Safety - Weather Preparedness","body":"ESTA","domain":"safety-management","year":2021,"scope":"Requirements for weather preparedness at live events: monitoring, triggers, decision authority and action plans for the weather calls an outdoor show will eventually face.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The document that turns \"keep an eye on the sky\" into named thresholds and a named decision-maker. Written into many outdoor event permits since stage-collapse litigation made weather plans standard.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","event-safety","outdoor","weather"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-es1-9","designation":"ANSI ES1.9-2026","title":"Event Safety - Crowd Management","body":"ESTA","domain":"safety-management","year":2026,"scope":"Requirements and guidance for crowd management planning at live events: capacity, flow, monitoring, communication and the interfaces between security, production and emergency services.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","label":"ESTA TSP published documents (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Post-Astroworld, the reference US document for what a defensible crowd plan contains.","confidence":"verified","tags":["esta","event-safety","crowd","festival"],"sources":[{"title":"ESTA Technical Standards Program — published documents","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ansi-z136-1","designation":"ANSI Z136.1-2022","title":"American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers","body":"ANSI / LIA","domain":"laser","year":2022,"scope":"The US laser safety framework: maximum permissible exposure, nominal hazard zone calculation, control measures by laser class, and the Laser Safety Officer role. Z136.1 is the parent document of the Z136 series.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/lia/ansiz13612022","label":"ANSI Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"IEC 60825-1 classifies the product; Z136.1 governs how you may operate it and who is responsible. A US show laser also has to satisfy the FDA/CDRH requirements in 21 CFR 1040 and, for audience scanning, a variance. Three separate hurdles, commonly confused for one.","confidence":"reported","tags":["ansi","laser","lso","safety","us"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI Z136.1-2022 listing","url":"https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/lia/ansiz13612022","publisher":"ANSI","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"bs-7671","designation":"BS 7671:2018+A2:2022","title":"Requirements for Electrical Installations - IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition","body":"BSI","domain":"electrical","year":2022,"scope":"The UK national standard for electrical installations: earthing arrangements, protective devices, cable selection, RCD requirements, inspection and testing, and the special-location sections that cover temporary installations for events.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/search?searchkey=BS%207671","label":"BSI Knowledge (paid)"},"jurisdiction":["UK"],"notes":"BS 7909 covers temporary systems for entertainment; BS 7671 is the general installation standard it sits on. Section 711 (exhibitions, shows and stands) is the part event electricians reach for. Not statutory in itself, but compliance is how you demonstrate you met the Electricity at Work Regulations.","confidence":"reported","tags":["bsi","uk","electrical","wiring-regulations"],"sources":[{"title":"BSI Knowledge: BS 7671","url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/search?searchkey=BS%207671","publisher":"BSI","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"IET Wiring Regulations","url":"https://electrical.theiet.org/bs-7671/","publisher":"IET","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"bs-7906-1","designation":"BS 7906-1","title":"Lifting equipment for performance, broadcast and similar applications — Code of practice for the selection, use and maintenance of lifting equipment for production purposes","body":"BSI","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2021,"status":"current","free_to_read":false,"scope":"UK code of practice for lifting equipment used in performance and broadcast: selection, use, inspection and maintenance, including the distinction between lifting loads and suspending loads above people.","access_url":{"url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/","label":"BSI Knowledge"},"jurisdiction":["GB"],"notes":"The UK reference where a German site would reach for DGUV and an American one for the ANSI E1.6 family. All three are answering the same question and none of them uses the others’ words for it.","tags":["rigging","hoists","lifting","uk"],"sources":[{"title":"BS 7906-1","url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/","publisher":"BSI","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"bs-7909","designation":"BS 7909:2011","title":"Code of practice for temporary electrical systems for entertainment and related purposes","body":"BSI","domain":"electrical","year":2011,"scope":"The UK code of practice for temporary electrical systems at events, productions and broadcast: system design, earthing arrangements, RCD protection, documentation and the competence and sign-off of the Senior Person Responsible.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/search?searchkey=BS%207909","label":"BSI Knowledge (paid)"},"jurisdiction":["UK"],"notes":"UK event power is specified, built and signed off \"to 7909\". The SPR (Senior Person Responsible) role that UK power vendors put on paperwork comes from this document.","confidence":"reported","tags":["bsi","electrical","event-power","uk"],"sources":[{"title":"BSI Knowledge: BS 7909","url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/search?searchkey=BS%207909","publisher":"BSI","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"cns-62471-7","designation":"CNS 62471-7","title":"Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems - Part 7: Light sources and luminaires primarily emitting visible radiation (光源及光源系統之光生物安全性－第7部：主要發射可見光輻射之光源及燈具)","body":"BSMI (經濟部標準檢驗局)","domain":"electrical","year":2021,"scope":"The Taiwanese adoption of IEC/TR 62471-7: how to assess the photobiological risk - blue light, thermal and retinal hazards - of lamps and luminaires whose output is mainly visible light.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.cnsonline.com.tw/","label":"國家標準(CNS)網路服務系統 (free viewing, registration)"},"jurisdiction":["TW"],"notes":"Taiwan's CNS standards are viewable free through 標準檢驗局's CNSonline service. Relevant to high-output LED and laser-phosphor fixtures pointed at performers and audience, and the companion to IEC 62471-5 for image projectors. CNS numbers that mirror an IEC number are normally identical adoptions, but the edition can lag.","confidence":"reported","tags":["cns","taiwan","photobiological","led","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"國家標準(CNS)網路服務系統","url":"https://www.cnsonline.com.tw/","publisher":"經濟部標準檢驗局","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"經濟部標準檢驗局 中華民國國家標準分類目錄","url":"https://www.bsmi.gov.tw/wSite/lp?ctNode=9334&CtUnit=2422&BaseDSD=7&mp=1","publisher":"BSMI","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"dci-dcss","designation":"DCI DCSS","title":"Digital Cinema Initiatives - Digital Cinema System Specification","body":"Digital Cinema Initiatives","domain":"video","scope":"The studio-consortium specification digital cinema is built to: image formats and 48 cd/m2 screen luminance reference, JPEG 2000 compression, packaging (DCP), security and projection requirements, with SMPTE standards carrying the formal definitions.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.dcimovies.com/specification/","label":"DCI specification (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["international"],"notes":"Where the 14 fL / 48 cd/m2 cinema brightness target that projectionists and screen calculators quote comes from. Event cinema and premieres in venues inherit these expectations even outside DCI-compliant rooms.","confidence":"reported","tags":["dci","cinema","projection","dcp"],"sources":[{"title":"DCI specification page","url":"https://www.dcimovies.com/specification/","publisher":"Digital Cinema Initiatives","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"dguv-vorschrift-17","designation":"DGUV Vorschrift 17/18","title":"Veranstaltungs- und Produktionsstätten für szenische Darstellung","body":"DGUV","domain":"machinery","year":2021,"status":"current","free_to_read":true,"scope":"The German accident-prevention regulation for venues and production sites used for scenic presentation. Covers stage machinery, suspension of loads, inspection intervals and the qualification of the people operating and checking them.","access_url":{"url":"https://publikationen.dguv.de/","label":"DGUV publications (free)"},"jurisdiction":["DE"],"notes":"Formerly BGV C1, and still universally called that. This is where the D8, D8 Plus and C1 shorthand used across Europe comes from — a German regulation that became the international vocabulary for what a hoist may be used for.","tags":["rigging","hoists","machinery","germany","d8","c1"],"sources":[{"title":"DGUV Vorschrift 17","url":"https://publikationen.dguv.de/","publisher":"Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"din-15905-5","designation":"DIN 15905-5:2022-07","title":"Entertainment technology - Sound engineering - Part 5: Measures to prevent the risk of hearing loss of the audience by high sound exposure of electroacoustic sound systems","body":"DIN","domain":"audio","year":2022,"scope":"How to measure and evaluate the sound level an audience is exposed to from a PA system, and the measures that follow: measurement position, averaging, logging and the responsible-person role.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-15905-5/352773526","label":"DIN Media (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["DE"],"notes":"This is why German shows have a logging SPL meter at a defined measurement point and a named person watching it. It governs exposure of the AUDIENCE; crew exposure is a separate occupational question under the EU noise directive. The 2022 edition replaced the 2007 version and its 2013 corrigendum.","confidence":"reported","tags":["din","spl","noise","audience","audio"],"sources":[{"title":"DIN 15905-5:2022-07 catalogue entry","url":"https://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-15905-5/352773526","publisher":"DIN Media","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"din-56950-1","designation":"DIN 56950-1:2020-09","title":"Entertainment technology - Machinery installations - Part 1: Safety requirements and inspections","body":"DIN","domain":"machinery","year":2020,"scope":"Safety requirements for machinery in places of assembly and production facilities: fly bar hoists, point hoists, lighting towers, revolves, orchestra pit lifts, movable plateaus and projection screens, including the case where loads move over people.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-56950-1/329525891","label":"DIN Media (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["DE","International practice"],"notes":"The German reference that much of the touring automation world is built to, and the ancestor of the pan-European EN 17206. Its scope explicitly includes theatres, multi-purpose halls, film and TV studios, concert halls, open-air stages, clubs and exhibition spaces - not only proscenium theatres.","confidence":"reported","tags":["din","machinery","stage-automation","hoist","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"DIN 56950-1 catalogue entry","url":"https://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-56950-1/329525891","publisher":"DIN Media","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"DIN 56950-1 scope summary","url":"https://www.sis.se/en/produkter/domestic-and-commercial-equipment-entertainment-sports/equipment-for-entertainment/theatre-stage-and-studio-equipment/din5695012/","publisher":"SIS","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"din-56950-5","designation":"DIN 56950-5","title":"Entertainment technology - Machinery installations - Part 5: Safety requirements for electric chain hoist systems","body":"DIN","domain":"machinery","year":2020,"scope":"The part of the DIN 56950 series specific to electric chain hoists: construction, braking, control and inspection requirements for the hoists that fly almost every touring rig.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-56950-5/329525900","label":"DIN Media (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["DE","International practice"],"notes":"This is the document behind the D8 / D8 Plus / C1 classification language on hoist data sheets and in touring riders. A D8 hoist is not rated to hold a load over people; C1 is. Getting that wrong is the single most consequential spec error in rigging.","confidence":"reported","tags":["din","chain-hoist","rigging","d8","c1","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"DIN 56950-5 catalogue entry","url":"https://www.dinmedia.de/en/standard/din-56950-5/329525900","publisher":"DIN Media","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"DIN 56950-5 scope summary","url":"https://www.sis.se/en/produkter/domestic-and-commercial-equipment-entertainment-sports/equipment-for-entertainment/theatre-stage-and-studio-equipment/din-56950-5/","publisher":"SIS","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"din-spec-15800","designation":"DIN SPEC 15800","title":"General Device Type Format (GDTF)","body":"DIN","domain":"control-data","year":2022,"scope":"Specifies GDTF, an open file format describing an entertainment fixture: its DMX modes and channel layout, its geometry and physical properties, and its behaviour — so one definition can serve a console, a visualiser and a CAD package.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://gdtf-share.com/","label":"GDTF Share"},"notes":"With MVR, this is what allows a plot to move from CAD to previsualisation to console without anybody retyping a patch. Check that a downloaded file matches the firmware the fixture is actually running.","tags":["gdtf","mvr","fixtures","cad","interchange"],"sources":[{"title":"GDTF — General Device Type Format","url":"https://gdtf-share.com/","publisher":"GDTF Group","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"displayport-standard","designation":"VESA DisplayPort Standard v2.1b","title":"VESA DisplayPort Standard","body":"VESA","domain":"video","year":2025,"scope":"Defines the DisplayPort interface: the Main Link (up to UHBR20, 80 Gbit/s over 4 lanes), Multi-Stream Transport for daisy-chaining monitors, Display Stream Compression, and the connector/cable requirements a device or cable has to meet to claim a given DisplayPort version or UHBR rate.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.displayport.org/faq/","label":"DisplayPort.org version FAQ (full spec is a VESA member/adopter benefit)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"DisplayPort 2.1b was announced January 2025, superseding 2.1a, and adds the DP80LL (\"low loss\") active-cable specification, allowing UHBR20 cables roughly 3x the length of the original passive DP80 cable. VESA develops and administers the standard; the full specification text is a member/adopter benefit rather than a public download.","confidence":"verified","tags":["vesa","displayport","video","connector"],"sources":[{"title":"DisplayPort.org FAQ","url":"https://www.displayport.org/faq/","publisher":"VESA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"VESA DisplayPort 2.1b / DP80LL announcement","url":"https://vesa.org/press/vesa-to-update-displayport-2-1-with-new-active-cable-specification-for-up-to-3x-longer-dp80-cables/","publisher":"VESA","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"en-13782","designation":"EN 13782:2015","title":"Temporary structures - Tents - Safety","body":"CEN","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2015,"scope":"Safety requirements for the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance and operation of tents and marquees used as temporary structures, including wind loading and anchoring.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.cencenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=205:110:0::::FSP_PROJECT:38129","label":"CEN (via national member bodies, paid)"},"jurisdiction":["EU","EEA","UK"],"notes":"The wind-speed thresholds in a festival production plan - when to clear a tent, when to drop it - trace back to a document like this via the supplier's operations manual. Ask the marquee contractor which standard their manual is written to.","confidence":"reported","tags":["cen","en","tent","temporary-structure","wind"],"sources":[{"title":"CEN standards catalogue: EN 13782","url":"https://standards.cencenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=205:110:0::::FSP_PROJECT:38129","publisher":"CEN","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"en-13814-1","designation":"EN 13814-1:2019","title":"Safety of amusement rides and amusement devices - Part 1: Design and manufacture","body":"CEN","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2019,"scope":"Structural and mechanical design requirements for amusement rides and devices, including the temporary and demountable structures that sit alongside them at events.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.cencenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=205:110:0::::FSP_PROJECT:60483","label":"CEN (via national member bodies, paid)"},"jurisdiction":["EU","EEA","UK"],"notes":"Relevant to live events because the boundary between \"stage structure\" and \"amusement device\" is thinner than it looks once an audience is carried, lifted or moved. Replaced the single-part EN 13814:2004 with a three-part series (design, operation, inspection).","confidence":"reported","tags":["cen","en","structures","amusement","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"CEN standards catalogue: EN 13814 series","url":"https://standards.cencenelec.eu/dyn/www/f?p=205:110:0::::FSP_PROJECT:60483","publisher":"CEN","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"en-17206","designation":"EN 17206:2020","title":"Entertainment technology - Machinery for stages and other production areas - Safety requirements and inspections","body":"CEN/CENELEC","domain":"machinery","year":2020,"scope":"The European safety standard for stage machinery: powered flying systems, elevators, revolves and effects machinery, with safety-function requirements expressed against EN ISO 13849 performance levels, plus inspection regimes.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/search?searchkey=EN%2017206","label":"BSI Knowledge (paid, as BS EN 17206)"},"jurisdiction":["EU","UK"],"notes":"Successor to the German DIN 56950 family as the pan-European reference. When a European venue asks whether performer flying is \"compliant\", this plus the machinery directive is what compliance means.","confidence":"reported","tags":["cen","stage-machinery","performer-flying","inspections"],"sources":[{"title":"BSI Knowledge: BS EN 17206","url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/search?searchkey=EN%2017206","publisher":"BSI","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"etsi-en-300-422-1","designation":"ETSI EN 300 422-1","title":"Wireless microphones; Audio PMSE up to 3 GHz; Part 1: Class A Receivers","body":"ETSI","domain":"audio","year":2017,"scope":"The harmonised standard for professional wireless microphone and in-ear equipment in Europe: transmitter masks, receiver performance classes and the spectrum-efficiency requirements. Later revisions add the transmit mask and 20 MHz bandwidth ceiling that make Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems (WMAS) legal.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.etsi.org/standards","label":"ETSI standards (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["EU / EEA","widely referenced elsewhere"],"notes":"ETSI publishes its standards free of charge. This is the document behind WMAS, and the FCC aligned its own rules with the same approach in February 2024.","tags":["rf","wireless","pmse","wmas","microphones"],"sources":[{"title":"ETSI EN 300 422-1","url":"https://www.etsi.org/standards","publisher":"European Telecommunications Standards Institute","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"eu-directive-2003-10-ec","designation":"Directive 2003/10/EC","title":"Minimum health and safety requirements regarding exposure of workers to noise","body":"European Union","domain":"safety-management","year":2003,"scope":"EU-wide worker noise exposure limits: lower action value 80 dB(A), upper action value 85 dB(A), exposure limit 87 dB(A) daily/weekly with hearing protection attenuation counted, on a 3 dB exchange rate.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32003L0010","label":"EUR-Lex full text"},"jurisdiction":["EU"],"notes":"Member states transpose this into national law (UK: Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, kept post-Brexit). Article 14 obliges sector codes of conduct for music and entertainment, which is where venue sound-level codes come from.","confidence":"verified","tags":["eu","noise","hearing","venues"],"sources":[{"title":"Directive 2003/10/EC","url":"https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32003L0010","publisher":"EUR-Lex","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"fda-21-cfr-1040","designation":"21 CFR 1040.10 / 1040.11","title":"Performance standards for light-emitting products: laser products","body":"FDA (CDRH)","domain":"laser","scope":"US federal performance standard for laser products, including the demonstration-laser provisions under which laser light shows operate; show operators additionally require an FDA variance for audience-scanning and Class IIIb/IV display use.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-J/part-1040","label":"eCFR part 1040 full text"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The practical chain for US laser shows: product complies with 1040.10, the show runs under an FDA variance, and the operator files annual reports. Internationally the equivalent framework hangs off IEC 60825-1.","confidence":"verified","tags":["fda","laser","variance","light-shows"],"sources":[{"title":"21 CFR Part 1040 (eCFR)","url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-J/part-1040","publisher":"eCFR","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"gb-36726","designation":"GB 36726-2018","title":"Mechanical equipment on stages - Fire curtain (舞台机械 刚性防火隔离幕)","body":"SAMR / SAC","domain":"machinery","year":2018,"scope":"Mandatory Chinese national standard for the rigid proscenium fire curtain: design principles, main components, material combustion performance, operating methods, key performance parameters, and provisions for acceptance testing, operation and maintenance.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://std.samr.gov.cn/gb/search/gbDetailed?id=7643B2F2502C267CE05397BE0A0AAF6A","label":"全国标准信息公共服务平台"},"jurisdiction":["CN"],"notes":"Mandatory, not advisory: GB without the /T prefix is a compulsory standard. Applies to vertical-winch, monolithic rigid curtains at the proscenium of new, rebuilt and extended theatres, and to modifications of existing ones. Proposed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, drafted with the China Performing Arts Equipment Technology Association and the Tianjin Fire Research Institute.","confidence":"reported","tags":["gb","china","fire-curtain","stage-machinery","mandatory"],"sources":[{"title":"GB 36726-2018 record, 全国标准信息公共服务平台","url":"https://std.samr.gov.cn/gb/search/gbDetailed?id=7643B2F2502C267CE05397BE0A0AAF6A","publisher":"SAMR","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"gb-7000-1","designation":"GB 7000.1-2015","title":"Luminaires - Part 1: General requirements and tests (灯具 第1部分：一般要求与试验)","body":"SAMR / SAC","domain":"electrical","year":2015,"scope":"The Chinese national luminaire safety standard, the domestic counterpart of IEC 60598-1: construction, creepage and clearance, temperature rise, insulation and marking requirements for luminaires sold in mainland China.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=4DEBB5925A2F390C48D7B3148ACA0C65","label":"国家标准全文公开 (free full text)"},"jurisdiction":["CN"],"notes":"Published 2015-12-31, effective 2017-01-01, and free to read on the national full-text portal. This is the base document for CCC marking of lighting equipment; a fixture certified only to IEC or UL is not automatically acceptable for sale in mainland China. GB/T 7000.1-2023 is the newer revision.","confidence":"reported","tags":["gb","china","luminaire","ccc","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"GB 7000.1-2015 full text, 国家标准全文公开系统","url":"https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=4DEBB5925A2F390C48D7B3148ACA0C65","publisher":"SAMR","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"gb-t-36727","designation":"GB/T 36727-2018","title":"Stage machinery - Acceptance and testing specification (舞台机械 验收检测规范)","body":"SAMR / SAC","domain":"machinery","year":2018,"scope":"The national recommended standard for accepting stage machinery on handover: what is tested, to what tolerances, and how the results are recorded.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://std.samr.gov.cn/gb/search/gbDetailed?id=7643B2F2502C267CE05397BE0A0AAF6A","label":"全国标准信息公共服务平台 (search GB/T 36727)"},"jurisdiction":["CN"],"notes":"GB/T is recommended rather than mandatory, but it is what a Chinese venue commissioning contract will name for handover testing. The older industry document WH/T 27-2007 covers the same ground from the Ministry of Culture side.","confidence":"reported","tags":["gb","china","stage-machinery","commissioning"],"sources":[{"title":"全国标准信息公共服务平台 (national standards portal)","url":"https://std.samr.gov.cn/gb/search/gbDetailed?id=7643B2F2502C267CE05397BE0A0AAF6A","publisher":"SAMR","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"hdmi-specification","designation":"HDMI Specification 2.2","title":"High-Definition Multimedia Interface Specification Version 2.2","body":"HDMI Forum","domain":"video","year":2025,"scope":"Defines the HDMI interface: TMDS/FRL signalling, connector pinout and types, the audio/video protocols it carries, the EDID and HDMI-CEC control channels, and (from 2.1 onward) the higher-bandwidth modes such as Dynamic HDR and higher resolution/refresh-rate combinations. Each version number describes the maximum a source, sink, or cable can do — the connector shape alone never tells you which version a given port or cable actually supports.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.hdmi.org/spec/hdmi2_1","label":"HDMI Forum specification overview (full text via Adopter Extranet)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Released 25 June 2025 by the HDMI Forum's Technical Working Group, raising maximum bandwidth to 96 Gbit/s over a new \"Ultra96\" cable and FRL lane structure. The HDMI Forum, Inc. develops and releases the technical specification; HDMI Licensing Administrator, Inc. (HDMI LA) is the separate entity appointed as licensing agent, handling trademark and compliance licensing for adopters. Full specification text requires signing the (no-cost) HDMI Adopter Agreement, not a cash purchase, but is not a public download.","confidence":"verified","tags":["hdmi","video","display","connector"],"sources":[{"title":"HDMI Forum Releases Version 2.2 of the HDMI Specification","url":"https://hdmiforum.org/hdmi-forum-releases-version-2-2-of-the-hdmi-specification/","publisher":"HDMI Forum","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"HDMI 2.2 Specification Technology Overview","url":"https://www.hdmi.org/spec/hdmi2_1","publisher":"HDMI Licensing Administrator","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"iec-60118-4","designation":"IEC 60118-4:2014+AMD1:2017","title":"Electroacoustics - Hearing aids - Part 4: Induction-loop systems for hearing aid purposes - System performance requirements","body":"IEC","domain":"accessibility","year":2017,"scope":"The performance standard for audio frequency induction loop systems (hearing loops): field strength, frequency response, background noise and overspill, plus how the installed system is verified.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/23252","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"A loop that is installed but not commissioned to this standard is the normal failure: the T-coil symbol on the door and nothing usable in the back third of the room. Ask for the field-strength measurement report, not the installation invoice.","confidence":"reported","tags":["iec","hearing-loop","accessibility","assistive-listening"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60118-4:2014 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/23252","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iec-60204-1","designation":"IEC 60204-1","title":"Safety of machinery — Electrical equipment of machines — Part 1: General requirements","body":"IEC","domain":"electrical","year":2016,"status":"current","free_to_read":false,"scope":"The electrical safety requirements for machinery, including supply disconnection, protection against electric shock, control circuits, conductor identification, and the definition of stop categories 0, 1 and 2.","access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/26037","label":"IEC Webstore"},"notes":"Stop categories come from here. Category 0 is immediate removal of power — correct for a hoist, because the brake is spring-applied and losing power applies it. Category 1 is a controlled stop and then power removal. Category 2 keeps power on and is not permitted for an emergency stop.","tags":["machinery","electrical","stop-category","e-stop"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60204-1","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/26037","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iec-60268-16","designation":"IEC 60268-16:2020","title":"Sound system equipment - Part 16: Objective rating of speech intelligibility by speech transmission index","body":"IEC","domain":"audio","year":2020,"scope":"Defines the Speech Transmission Index (STI): the 0-1 objective measure of how intelligibly a sound system delivers speech, including STIPA measurement for installed systems.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/search/?q=60268-16","label":"IEC Webstore (paid)"},"jurisdiction":["international"],"notes":"Voice alarm and PA intelligibility specs are written as STI or STIPA numbers against this document (life-safety systems commonly demand 0.50 or better). If a contract says \"intelligible\", this is the maths it means.","confidence":"reported","tags":["iec","sti","intelligibility","voice-alarm"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC Webstore: 60268-16","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/search/?q=60268-16","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"iec-60529","designation":"IEC 60529:1989+AMD2:2013","title":"Degrees of protection provided by enclosures (IP Code)","body":"IEC","domain":"electrical","year":2013,"scope":"Defines the two-digit IP rating: the first digit for solid objects and dust, the second for water, plus the optional supplementary letters. IP65, IP54 and IP20 on a fixture data sheet all come from here.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/2452","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"An outdoor festival spec that says \"IP65\" is asking for dust-tight plus low-pressure water jets from any direction. It is not a submersion rating, it is not a rating against pressure washing, and it says nothing about UV or temperature. Two fixtures at the same IP number can behave very differently in a rain event depending on how the connectors are sealed.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iec","ip-rating","weather","outdoor"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60529:1989+AMD1:1999+AMD2:2013 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/2452","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iec-60598-2-17","designation":"IEC 60598-2-17:2017","title":"Luminaires - Part 2-17: Particular requirements - Luminaires for stage lighting, television and film studios (outdoor and indoor)","body":"IEC","domain":"electrical","year":2017,"scope":"The safety requirements specific to stage, television, film and photographic studio luminaires, including spot and floodlight projectors, on supplies up to 1000 V. Covers the hanger as part of the luminaire; tripods, booms and other supports are explicitly out of scope.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/34497","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Edition 2.0 replaced the 1984 first edition and widened the scope from lamp types to \"electric light source\", which is how LED fixtures with non-replaceable sources came inside it. Adopted in Europe as EN IEC 60598-2-17 and in the UK as BS EN IEC 60598-2-17:2018. If a fixture is CE marked for stage use, this is one of the documents behind the mark.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iec","luminaire","stage-lighting","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60598-2-17:2017 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/34497","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"BS EN IEC 60598-2-17:2018","url":"https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/luminaires-particular-requirements-luminaires-for-stage-lighting-television-and-film-studios-outdoor-and-indoor","publisher":"BSI","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iec-60825-1","designation":"IEC 60825-1:2014","title":"Safety of laser products - Part 1: Equipment classification and requirements","body":"IEC","domain":"laser","year":2014,"scope":"Covers the safety of laser products emitting laser radiation in the wavelength range 180 nm to 1 mm. It sets the classification scheme that produces the Class 1 to Class 4 labels found on show lasers, along with the manufacturer's requirements for labelling, engineering controls, and accessible emission limits.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/3587","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase, CHF 405 as listed)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Edition 3.0, published 15 May 2014, with interpretation sheets from December 2017. This part classifies the product. It does not by itself authorise audience-scanning or set the exposure limits an operator has to work to, and national regulators add their own requirements on top.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iec","laser","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60825-1:2014 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/3587","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"IECEE listing for IEC 60825-1:2014","url":"https://www.iecee.org/certification/iec-standards/iec-60825-12014","publisher":"IECEE","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"iec-61131-3","designation":"IEC 61131-3","title":"Programmable controllers — Part 3: Programming languages","body":"IEC","domain":"machinery","year":2013,"scope":"Defines the five programming languages used on programmable logic controllers — Structured Text, Ladder Diagram, Function Block Diagram, Sequential Function Chart and Instruction List — together with a common data type and program organisation model.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/4552","label":"IEC Webstore"},"notes":"The reason a control program written for one PLC platform is recognisable to somebody who works on another. Underlies TwinCAT, CODESYS, TIA Portal and most of the automation platforms used for entertainment machinery.","tags":["plc","automation","machinery","programming"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 61131-3","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/4552","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iec-61508","designation":"IEC 61508-1:2010","title":"Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems - Part 1: General requirements","body":"IEC","domain":"machinery","year":2010,"scope":"Part 1 of the seven-part IEC 61508 series. It sets out the overall safety lifecycle and the general requirements for electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic systems that carry out safety functions, and it is the basic safety publication from which sector-specific functional safety standards are derived.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/5515","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase, CHF 380 as listed)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Edition 2.0, published 30 April 2010. This is where the Safety Integrity Level concept comes from, which is why stage machinery control specifications quote SIL ratings for emergency stops and load monitoring. A SIL number on a machinery data sheet is a claim about the whole safety function, not about a single component, so ask what function was assessed.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iec","functional-safety","automation","sil"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 61508-1:2010 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/5515","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"iec-61672-1","designation":"IEC 61672-1:2013","title":"Electroacoustics - Sound level meters - Part 1: Specifications","body":"IEC","domain":"audio","year":2013,"scope":"Specifies the performance requirements and tolerances for sound level meters, including the A, C, and Z frequency-weighting curves that produce dB(A), dB(C), and dB(Z) readings, and the Fast/Slow time-weightings used to integrate a reading. It is the document a meter's accuracy class (Class 1 or Class 2) is actually rated against.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/5708","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Edition 2.0, published 30 September 2013, stability date 2029; a technical revision of the 2002 first edition, which replaced the older \"Linear\" weighting with the defined Z (zero) weighting used today. Part 2 (IEC 61672-2) covers pattern-evaluation tests and Part 3 covers periodic testing — separate documents from this specifications part.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iec","spl","weighting","sound-level-meter"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 61672-1:2013 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/5708","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"iec-62061","designation":"IEC 62061","title":"Safety of machinery — Functional safety of safety-related control systems","body":"IEC","domain":"machinery","year":2021,"status":"current","free_to_read":false,"scope":"The machinery-sector application of IEC 61508. Expresses the required risk reduction as Safety Integrity Levels and gives the methods for designing and verifying a safety-related control function against one.","access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/59927","label":"IEC Webstore"},"related_protocols":["ethercat","profinet"],"notes":"The sibling of ISO 13849-1: the same problem approached through SIL rather than Performance Level. Either route is acceptable, and a specification that quotes both without saying which was assessed is quoting a marketing claim.","tags":["functional-safety","sil","machinery"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 62061","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/59927","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iec-62368-1","designation":"IEC 62368-1:2023","title":"Audio/video, information and communication technology equipment - Part 1: Safety requirements","body":"IEC","domain":"electrical","year":2023,"scope":"The hazard-based safety standard that replaced IEC 60065 (audio/video) and IEC 60950-1 (IT equipment). Classifies energy sources rather than listing constructions, so it applies to consoles, media servers, amplifiers, network gear and anything else in a rack.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/78700","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"The transition from 60065/60950-1 is done: equipment placed on the market now is certified to 62368-1. If you are reading a compliance sheet on an amp or a server and it still cites 60065, you are looking at an old certificate.","confidence":"reported","tags":["iec","equipment-safety","av"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 62368-1 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/78700","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iec-62471-5","designation":"IEC 62471-5:2015","title":"Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems - Part 5: Image projectors","body":"IEC","domain":"laser","year":2015,"scope":"Defines a risk group classification system (RG1, RG2, RG3) and the measurement conditions for optical radiation emitted by image projectors — theatre projectors, data projectors, and home-use projectors — regardless of whether the light source is a lamp, LED, or laser. This is the part of the 62471 series that actually governs projector risk-group labelling; the base IEC 62471 document covers general lamps and lamp systems and explicitly excludes projection uses from its own scope.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/22639","label":"IEC Webstore (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Edition 1.0, published 9 June 2015, developed by TC 76 (Optical radiation safety and laser equipment), stability date 2027. Often cited loosely alongside IEC 60825-1 as \"IEC/EN 62471\" for laser-illuminated projectors: 60825-1 classifies the laser diodes as a source, while this part classifies the projected output an audience is actually exposed to, measured at a defined projection ratio (2.0:1 for interchangeable optics). A European harmonised EN 62471-5 also exists.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iec","laser","projector","risk-group"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 62471-5:2015 publication page","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/22639","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ieee-1588","designation":"IEEE 1588-2019","title":"IEEE Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems","body":"IEEE","domain":"networking","year":2019,"scope":"PTP version 2.1: the master/slave clock election, the sync and delay-request message exchange, and the profile mechanism that AES67, ST 2059 and AVB each specialise. This is how packets on a show network agree what time it is to sub-microsecond accuracy.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1588/6825/","label":"IEEE (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Almost nobody deploys bare 1588. You deploy a profile of it: AES67 media profile, SMPTE ST 2059-2, or gPTP (802.1AS). Two devices can both be \"PTPv2\" and never lock because they are on different profiles or different domain numbers.","confidence":"verified","tags":["ieee","ptp","clock","sync"],"related_protocols":["ptp-1588","aes67","smpte-st-2110","dante"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 1588-2019 standard page","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1588/6825/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ieee-1789","designation":"IEEE 1789-2015","title":"IEEE Recommended Practice for Modulating Current in High-Brightness LEDs for Mitigating Health Risks to Viewers","body":"IEEE","domain":"video","year":2015,"scope":"How much flicker an LED light source may carry at a given modulation frequency before it becomes a health risk, expressed as low-risk and no-effect boundaries against percent modulation.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1789/4479/","label":"IEEE (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"This is the document behind \"why does that LED fixture strobe on camera at 1/1000th\". PWM dimming below a few kilohertz is visible to a rolling shutter long before it is visible to a person, which is why broadcast specs quote flicker limits that stage rigs never had to meet.","confidence":"reported","tags":["ieee","led","flicker","broadcast"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 1789-2015 standard page","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1789/4479/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ieee-802-11","designation":"IEEE 802.11-2024","title":"IEEE Standard for Information Technology - Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems - Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Specific Requirements - Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications","body":"IEEE","domain":"networking","year":2024,"scope":"Defines the Wi-Fi family: the MAC layer and the physical-layer radio specifications (the amendments given the marketing names Wi-Fi 4/5/6/6E/7) for wireless local area networks in the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands. It is a full revision rather than an amendment on top of the prior text: it folds Amendments 1 through 7, published 2021-2024, into one consolidated base standard.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.11/10548/","label":"IEEE SA standard listing (free via the IEEE GET Program)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Approved by the IEEE-SA Standards Board 26 September 2024, published 28 April 2025; supersedes IEEE 802.11-2020. Marketing generation names are not part of the standard itself: \"Wi-Fi 6\" is the Wi-Fi Alliance's label for the 802.11ax amendment, now folded into this base text along with 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), and the others.","confidence":"verified","tags":["ieee","wifi","wireless","networking"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.11-2024 standard listing","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.11/10548/","publisher":"IEEE Standards Association","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ieee-802-1as","designation":"IEEE 802.1AS-2020","title":"IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Timing and Synchronization for Time-Sensitive Applications","body":"IEEE","domain":"networking","year":2020,"scope":"gPTP, the tightly constrained PTP profile used by AVB and TSN. Every bridge on the path must participate, which is what makes AVB switches a shopping list rather than a setting.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1AS/7121/","label":"IEEE (free via the GET Program)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"The reason an AVB/Milan network needs AVB-capable switches end to end while a Dante network does not: gPTP requires every hop to be a time-aware bridge, where the AES67 and ST 2059 profiles tolerate ordinary switches with good QoS.","confidence":"verified","tags":["ieee","gptp","avb","tsn","sync"],"related_protocols":["avb-milan","ptp-1588"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.1AS-2020 standard page","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1AS/7121/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ieee-802-1q","designation":"IEEE 802.1Q-2022","title":"IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks - Bridges and Bridged Networks","body":"IEEE","domain":"networking","year":2022,"scope":"VLAN tagging, priority code points and the bridging behaviour every managed switch implements. The document behind \"put lighting on VLAN 10, audio on VLAN 20\" and behind the QoS priority values that keep Dante and ST 2110 ahead of file copies.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1Q/10323/","label":"IEEE (free via the GET Program)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"The 3-bit PCP field in the VLAN tag is what audio-over-IP vendors mean by \"priority 5 for media, 7 for clock\". Without a tag there is no PCP, which is why untagged access ports quietly lose the QoS you thought you configured.","confidence":"verified","tags":["ieee","vlan","qos","networking"],"related_protocols":["dante","aes67","smpte-st-2110","avb-milan"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.1Q-2022 standard page","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1Q/10323/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ieee-802-3","designation":"IEEE 802.3-2022","title":"IEEE Standard for Ethernet","body":"IEEE","domain":"networking","year":2022,"scope":"The Ethernet standard itself: the MAC layer and every copper and fibre physical layer from 10BASE-T to 400GBASE, plus the Power over Ethernet clauses that feed half the boxes on a modern show network.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3/10422/","label":"IEEE (free via the GET Program)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Free to download through the IEEE GET Program, which opens the 802 family at no cost. Everything else in this index that says \"runs over Ethernet\" - sACN, Art-Net, Dante, AES67, ST 2110 - is standing on this document.","confidence":"verified","tags":["ieee","ethernet","networking"],"related_protocols":["sacn","art-net","dante","aes67","smpte-st-2110"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.3-2022 standard page","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3/10422/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"IEEE GET Program (free access to 802 standards)","url":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/browse/standards/get-program/page/series?id=68","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ieee-802-3bt","designation":"IEEE 802.3bt-2018","title":"IEEE Standard for Ethernet Amendment 2: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair (PoE Type 3 and Type 4)","body":"IEEE","domain":"electrical","year":2018,"scope":"The four-pair Power over Ethernet amendment: Type 3 up to 60 W and Type 4 up to 90 W at the source, against 30 W for the older 802.3at. This is the clause that lets a single Cat6 run power a moving light, a PTZ camera or a powered speaker.","status":"superseded","superseded_by":"ieee-802-3","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3bt/6749/","label":"IEEE (free via the GET Program)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Rolled into IEEE 802.3-2022, so quote the base standard for compliance and this number for the feature. Vendor labels do not all mean the same thing: \"PoE++\", \"UPoE\" and \"Hi-PoE\" are marketing, Type 3 and Type 4 are the standard, and a Type 4 load on a Type 2 switch simply will not come up.","confidence":"verified","tags":["ieee","poe","power","ethernet"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.3bt-2018 standard page","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3bt/6749/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iso-12100","designation":"ISO 12100:2010","title":"Safety of machinery - General principles for design - Risk assessment and risk reduction","body":"ISO","domain":"machinery","year":2010,"scope":"The type-A machinery safety standard: the risk assessment method and the three-step hierarchy (design out, then guard, then inform) that every machinery standard below it assumes you have already applied.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/51528.html","label":"ISO Store (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"EN 17206 and DIN 56950 are entertainment-specific machinery standards sitting on top of this one. If a stage automation supplier hands you a risk assessment, this is the method it should be following.","confidence":"reported","tags":["iso","machinery","risk-assessment","automation"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 12100:2010 catalogue page","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/51528.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iso-13849-1","designation":"ISO 13849-1:2023","title":"Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems - Part 1: General principles for design","body":"ISO","domain":"machinery","year":2023,"scope":"How to design and rate the control system that makes a machine safe, using Performance Levels PL a to PL e derived from architecture, component reliability and diagnostic coverage.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/69883.html","label":"ISO Store (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"This is where \"PL d, Category 3\" on a stage automation or hoist controller spec comes from. It is a property of the whole safety chain - sensor, logic, contactor - not of the PLC alone, so a PL d controller wired to a single unmonitored limit switch is not a PL d system.","confidence":"reported","tags":["iso","machinery","performance-level","automation","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 13849-1:2023 catalogue page","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/69883.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iso-13850","designation":"ISO 13850","title":"Safety of machinery — Emergency stop function — Principles for design","body":"ISO","domain":"machinery","year":2015,"status":"current","free_to_read":false,"scope":"Specifies the emergency stop function: what it must do, how the device must be identified and operated, that it must latch, that releasing it must not restart the machine, and that it is a complementary protective measure rather than a primary one.","access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/59970.html","label":"ISO"},"notes":"The source of the red actuator on a yellow background, of the requirement that release only PERMITS a restart rather than causing one, and of the statement people most often skip: an emergency stop does not make a machine safe, it is the last resort after safe design and guarding.","tags":["e-stop","machinery","safety","iso"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 13850:2015","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/59970.html","publisher":"International Organization for Standardization","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iso-13855","designation":"ISO 13855","title":"Safety of machinery — Positioning of safeguards with respect to the approach speeds of parts of the human body","body":"ISO","domain":"machinery","year":2010,"status":"current","free_to_read":false,"scope":"How far a guard, light curtain or detection field must be from a hazard so that the hazard has stopped before anybody can reach it. Gives the approach speed constants and the S = (K × T) + C formula.","access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/42845.html","label":"ISO"},"notes":"The reason a slow safety network pushes a barrier further away: T is the total time from detection to the hazard stopping, and every millisecond in the chain becomes millimetres on the floor.","tags":["machinery","guarding","safety-distance"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 13855:2010","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/42845.html","publisher":"International Organization for Standardization","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iso-16739-1","designation":"ISO 16739-1","title":"Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) for data sharing in the construction and facility management industries","body":"ISO","domain":"rigging-structural","year":2024,"scope":"Defines IFC, the open data model for exchanging building information between software: elements, their properties, and the relationships between them, rather than geometry alone.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/84123.html","label":"ISO"},"notes":"The format a venue's BIM model travels in. For touring work you mostly consume it — where the steel is, what it takes, where the services run — rather than author it.","tags":["bim","ifc","cad","venue"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 16739-1","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/84123.html","publisher":"International Organization for Standardization","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iso-20121","designation":"ISO 20121:2024","title":"Event sustainability management systems - Requirements with guidance for use","body":"ISO","domain":"sustainability","year":2024,"scope":"A management-system standard for events: how an organiser identifies the sustainability issues of an event, sets objectives, involves the supply chain, and demonstrates improvement. Certifiable, and increasingly written into tenders for festivals, arenas and touring.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/86389.html","label":"ISO Store (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Written for London 2012 and revised in 2024. It certifies a management system, not an event: \"ISO 20121 certified\" means the organisation has the process, not that a given show hit a carbon number. Useful to know which is being claimed when it appears in a rider.","confidence":"reported","tags":["iso","sustainability","event-management"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 20121:2024 catalogue page","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/86389.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iso-226","designation":"ISO 226","title":"Acoustics — Normal equal-loudness-level contours","body":"ISO","domain":"audio","year":2023,"scope":"Defines the equal-loudness contours: the sound pressure level required at each frequency for a pure tone to be judged as loud as a reference tone at 1 kHz. The modern replacement for the Fletcher–Munson curves.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/83117.html","label":"ISO"},"notes":"The reason a mix balanced at show level sounds thin at rehearsal level, and the basis of the A-weighting used in every noise-exposure measurement.","tags":["acoustics","loudness","psychoacoustics","measurement"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO 226:2023","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/83117.html","publisher":"International Organization for Standardization","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iso-iec-7498-1","designation":"ISO/IEC 7498-1:1994","title":"Information technology - Open Systems Interconnection - Basic Reference Model: The Basic Model","body":"ISO/IEC","domain":"networking","year":1994,"scope":"Defines the seven-layer OSI reference model — physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application — as an abstract framework for describing how open systems communicate. It does not define any wire protocol itself; it is the layer vocabulary (\"layer 2\", \"layer 3\") that networking documentation on show networks borrows, even though almost no real protocol stack, including TCP/IP, maps onto all seven layers cleanly.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/20269.html","label":"ISO catalogue listing (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Second edition, dated 1994-11-15, reviewed and confirmed in 2000; ISO's own catalogue still lists this as the current version with no later edition published. It replaced the first edition, ISO 7498:1984. Companion parts in the same family — 7498-2 (security architecture), 7498-3 (naming and addressing), 7498-4 (management framework) — cover material this basic-model part does not.","confidence":"verified","tags":["iso","iec","osi","reference-model","networking"],"sources":[{"title":"ISO/IEC 7498-1:1994 catalogue listing","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/20269.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"itu-r-bt-2020","designation":"ITU-R BT.2020-2","title":"Parameter values for ultra-high definition television systems for production and international programme exchange","body":"ITU-R","domain":"video","year":2015,"scope":"The UHDTV parameter set: 4K and 8K raster sizes, frame rates, 10 and 12 bit depths, and the wide colour gamut usually just called Rec. 2020.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.2020/en","label":"ITU (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"The Rec. 2020 gamut is wider than any display panel currently reaches, so real hardware works inside it, usually to something near DCI-P3. \"2020 container, P3 content\" is the normal state of affairs and is worth pinning down in a spec before a screen arrives.","confidence":"verified","tags":["itu","colour","uhd","rec2020"],"sources":[{"title":"Recommendation ITU-R BT.2020","url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.2020/en","publisher":"ITU","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"itu-r-bt-2100","designation":"ITU-R BT.2100-2","title":"Image parameter values for high dynamic range television for use in production and international programme exchange","body":"ITU-R","domain":"video","year":2018,"scope":"The HDR television parameters: both transfer functions - PQ (ST 2084) and HLG - alongside the Rec. 2020 primaries, at HD, 4K and 8K rasters.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.2100/en","label":"ITU (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"PQ is absolute (a code value means a nit figure) and HLG is relative (it scales to the display). Feeding PQ content to an HLG chain, or either to an SDR LED processor, produces the \"why is it grey\" call. Ask which curve before the content is delivered, not on site.","confidence":"verified","tags":["itu","hdr","colour","pq","hlg"],"sources":[{"title":"Recommendation ITU-R BT.2100","url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.2100/en","publisher":"ITU","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"itu-r-bt-709","designation":"ITU-R BT.709-6","title":"Parameter values for the HDTV standards for production and international programme exchange","body":"ITU-R","domain":"video","year":2015,"scope":"The HD colour space: primaries, white point, transfer characteristic and the RGB-to-YCbCr matrix that essentially all 1080-line production has used since the 1990s.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.709/en","label":"ITU (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"ITU-R Recommendations are free. Rec. 709 is the default assumption of nearly every projector, LED processor and media server, which is why content graded in P3 or 2020 goes flat and desaturated when nobody sets the conversion.","confidence":"verified","tags":["itu","colour","hdtv","rec709"],"sources":[{"title":"Recommendation ITU-R BT.709","url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.709/en","publisher":"ITU","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"itu-r-tf-460","designation":"ITU-R TF.460","title":"Standard-frequency and time-signal emissions","body":"ITU-R","domain":"networking","year":2002,"scope":"The recommendation that defines UTC as a time scale: how it relates to International Atomic Time (TAI), and the leap-second mechanism that keeps it within a fraction of a second of the earth's rotation.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-TF.460/en","label":"ITU-R TF.460"},"related_protocols":["ntp","ptp-1588","nmea-0183"],"notes":"Relevant on a show because the three time scales in the rack are not the same: UTC includes leap seconds, TAI does not, and GNSS time is offset from both. A device that mixes them up is out by whole seconds, not milliseconds.","tags":["time","utc","tai","leap-second"],"sources":[{"title":"Recommendation ITU-R TF.460","url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-TF.460/en","publisher":"International Telecommunication Union","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"nfpa-101","designation":"NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code)","title":"NFPA 101: Life Safety Code","body":"NFPA","domain":"safety-management","year":2024,"scope":"Occupant life safety in buildings: means of egress, occupant load calculation, assembly occupancy requirements, and the provisions for stages and platforms including proscenium fire curtains and smoke venting.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-101-standard-development/101","label":"NFPA (free read-only access after registration)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The chapter on assembly occupancies is what an inspector is holding when they ask about your egress width, your aisle, your occupant load and whether that scenic build is blocking a route. Free to read online, which makes it worth actually reading before a load-in argument.","confidence":"reported","tags":["nfpa","life-safety","egress","assembly","venue"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 101 code page","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-101-standard-development/101","publisher":"NFPA","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"nfpa-1123","designation":"NFPA 1123","title":"Code for Fireworks Display","body":"NFPA","domain":"pyro-flame","year":2022,"scope":"Outdoor fireworks displays: separation distances by shell size, site inspection, firing crew qualification, storage and transport of the product, and misfire procedure.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1123-standard-development/1123","label":"NFPA (free read-only access after registration)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"NFPA 1123 is outdoor display fireworks; NFPA 1126 is pyrotechnics used before a proximate audience, which is what most indoor and stage effects fall under. Picking the wrong one is how a site plan ends up with separation distances an arena floor cannot possibly provide.","confidence":"reported","tags":["nfpa","pyrotechnics","fireworks","us"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 1123 code page","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1123-standard-development/1123","publisher":"NFPA","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"nfpa-1126","designation":"NFPA 1126","title":"Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience","body":"NFPA","domain":"pyro-flame","scope":"Requirements for pyrotechnics fired close to an audience indoors or out: device types, separation distances, operator licensing interfaces, plans and demonstration shots for the authority having jurisdiction.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1126-standard-development/1126","label":"NFPA 1126 (free online viewing with registration)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"The Station nightclub fire is the case study behind modern enforcement of this document. The demonstration shot for the fire marshal is not a formality.","confidence":"reported","tags":["nfpa","pyro","proximate","permits"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 1126 standard development page","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1126-standard-development/1126","publisher":"NFPA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"nfpa-160","designation":"NFPA 160","title":"Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience","body":"NFPA","domain":"pyro-flame","scope":"Requirements for flame effects used before an audience: effect classification, plans, permits, operators, fuel handling and the safety distances between open flame and people.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-160-standard-development/160","label":"NFPA 160 (free online viewing with registration)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Flame effects (fire as an effect) are NFPA 160; pyrotechnics (things that go bang) before a proximate audience are NFPA 1126. Permits usually require compliance with the one that actually matches the effect.","confidence":"reported","tags":["nfpa","flame","pyro","permits"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 160 standard development page","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-160-standard-development/160","publisher":"NFPA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"nfpa-70","designation":"NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code)","title":"NFPA 70: National Electrical Code","body":"NFPA","domain":"electrical","year":2023,"scope":"The US electrical installation code. Article 520 covers theatres, motion picture and television studios and similar locations; Article 530 covers motion picture and television studios; Article 525 covers carnivals, circuses, fairs and similar events.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-70-standard-development/70","label":"NFPA (free read-only access after registration)"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"NFPA publishes its codes for free reading online. Articles 520, 525 and 530 are the ones that decide whether a US venue power tie-in, a company switch or a festival distro is acceptable, and UL 1573 luminaires are listed against Article 520.","confidence":"reported","tags":["nfpa","nec","us","electrical","article-520"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 70 code page","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-70-standard-development/70","publisher":"NFPA","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"osha-1910-95","designation":"29 CFR 1910.95","title":"Occupational noise exposure (OSHA)","body":"OSHA","domain":"safety-management","scope":"US federal limits on workplace noise exposure: 90 dBA permissible exposure limit over 8 hours on a 5 dB exchange rate, hearing conservation programme required from 85 dBA time-weighted average.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.95","label":"OSHA 1910.95 full text"},"jurisdiction":["US"],"notes":"Crew and house staff at a loud show are workers under this rule: FOH mix level debates are also exposure-limit debates. The EU equivalent directive uses 87 dBA with a 3 dB exchange rate, so multinational tours meet two different maths.","confidence":"verified","tags":["osha","noise","hearing","foh"],"sources":[{"title":"29 CFR 1910.95 Occupational noise exposure","url":"https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.95","publisher":"OSHA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"rfc-5905","designation":"RFC 5905","title":"Network Time Protocol Version 4: Protocol and Algorithms Specification","body":"IETF","domain":"networking","year":2010,"scope":"Defines NTPv4: the on-wire protocol, the clock-filter and selection algorithms, and how a client disciplines a local clock from one or more servers while compensating for network delay.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5905","label":"RFC 5905 (free)"},"related_protocols":["ntp"],"notes":"Free to read, like every RFC. Worth skimming for the distinction between stepping and slewing a clock, which is the behaviour that surprises people on show machines.","tags":["time","ntp","networking"],"sources":[{"title":"RFC 5905","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5905","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"verified","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"smpte-st-12-1","designation":"SMPTE ST 12-1:2014","title":"Time and Control Code","body":"SMPTE","domain":"control-data","year":2014,"scope":"Defines the time and control code used by television and audio systems at 60, 59.94, 50, 48, 47.95, 30, 29.97, 25, 24, and 23.98 frames per second. It specifies the structure of the time address, binary groups, and flag bits, and two carriers: linear time code (LTC) for recording on linear media or a serial interface, and vertical interval time code (VITC).","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st12-1/st0012-1-2014.pdf","label":"SMPTE Standards Library — full text PDF"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"notes":"This is the document that defines what crews call LTC or SMPTE timecode. On 17 June 2026 SMPTE opened its whole standards catalogue at no cost, so the full text can now be read without membership or purchase. Approved 20 February 2014.","confidence":"verified","tags":["smpte","timecode","ltc","synchronisation"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-1:2014 Time and Control Code (full text)","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st12-1/st0012-1-2014.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE Makes Its Standards Freely Accessible","url":"https://www.smpte.org/blog/smpte-makes-its-standards-freely-accessible-openingstandards-library-to-the-global-media-technology-community","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"smpte-st-12-2","designation":"SMPTE ST 12-2:2014","title":"Transmission of Time Code in the Ancillary Data Space","body":"SMPTE","domain":"video","year":2014,"scope":"How SMPTE timecode rides inside an SDI signal as ancillary data (ATC), rather than as an audio-band LTC signal on its own cable.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st12-2/","label":"SMPTE public access"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Companion to ST 12-1, which defines the timecode itself. Worth knowing which one a device means by \"timecode input\": an ATC-only camera will not read the LTC feed you sent it down an XLR.","confidence":"reported","tags":["smpte","timecode","sdi"],"related_protocols":["ltc","sdi"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-2 (public access)","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st12-2/","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"smpte-st-2059-2","designation":"SMPTE ST 2059-2:2021","title":"SMPTE Profile for Use of IEEE-1588 Precision Time Protocol in Professional Broadcast Applications","body":"SMPTE","domain":"video","year":2021,"scope":"The broadcast PTP profile: the message rates, domain numbers and default parameters a media network uses so that video, audio and timecode all derive from one grandmaster.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2059-2/","label":"SMPTE public access"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"ST 2059-1 defines how a signal relates to the epoch; -2 is the PTP profile itself. This is the profile that has to match on every device: a Dante card on the AES67 media profile and a camera on ST 2059-2 in different PTP domains will each be happily locked, to different clocks.","confidence":"reported","tags":["smpte","ptp","sync","broadcast"],"related_protocols":["ptp-1588","smpte-st-2110"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 2059-2 (public access)","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2059-2/","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"smpte-st-2082-1","designation":"SMPTE ST 2082-1:2022","title":"12 Gb/s Signal/Data Serial Interface - Electrical","body":"SMPTE","domain":"video","year":2022,"scope":"12G-SDI: the 11.88 Gb/s single-link electrical interface that carries 2160p up to 60 fps on one coax.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2082-1/","label":"SMPTE public access"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Cable loss at 12G is brutal compared with 1.5G: runs that were unremarkable in HD need better coax, shorter distance, or fibre. Belden and Canare publish per-cable distance figures against each SDI rate - use those, not habit.","confidence":"reported","tags":["smpte","sdi","12g","uhd"],"related_protocols":["sdi"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 2082-1 (public access)","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st2082-1/","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"smpte-st-2110-10","designation":"SMPTE ST 2110-10:2022","title":"Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks: System Timing and Definitions","body":"SMPTE","domain":"video","year":2022,"scope":"The system layer of ST 2110: how the separate video, audio and ancillary essence streams are carried in RTP, described in SDP, and locked to a common PTP reference so a receiver can reassemble them in step.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st2110-10/st2110-10-2022.pdf","label":"SMPTE public access (free PDF)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"SMPTE opened its standards library, so the ST 2110 documents are free to read. The essence parts are separate: -20 uncompressed video, -30 PCM audio, -40 ancillary data. \"We support 2110\" without saying which parts is not an answer.","confidence":"verified","tags":["smpte","st2110","video-over-ip","ptp"],"related_protocols":["smpte-st-2110","ptp-1588","aes67"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 2110-10:2022 (public PDF)","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/pub/st2110-10/st2110-10-2022.pdf","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"SMPTE ST 2110 standards suite overview","url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards/st2110","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"smpte-st-292-1","designation":"SMPTE ST 292-1:2018","title":"1.5 Gb/s Signal/Data Serial Interface","body":"SMPTE","domain":"video","year":2018,"scope":"HD-SDI: the 1.485 Gb/s serial interface over 75 ohm coax that carries 1080i and 720p, with its scrambling, embedded audio and ancillary data space.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st292-1/","label":"SMPTE public access"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"The reason \"SDI\" alone is not a spec: ST 292-1 is 1.5G, ST 424 is 3G, ST 2081 is 6G and ST 2082 is 12G, and a cable run that is fine at 1.5G can fail entirely at 12G. Match the rate, not just the connector.","confidence":"reported","tags":["smpte","sdi","video"],"related_protocols":["sdi"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 292-1 (public access)","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st292-1/","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"tia-485","designation":"ANSI/TIA-485-A","title":"Electrical Characteristics of Generators and Receivers for Use in Balanced Digital Multipoint Systems","body":"TIA","domain":"networking","year":1998,"scope":"Defines the electrical layer commonly called RS-485: driver and receiver voltage levels, common-mode range, unit loads, and termination for balanced differential multipoint data transmission over a twisted pair. It specifies electrical characteristics only — no connector, no data-link framing, no protocol — which is why every RS-485-based control protocol has to define its own connector, unit-load budget, and packet framing on top of it.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://store.accuristech.com/standards/tia-ansi-tia-485-a?product_id=2591400","label":"TIA's official standards store (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"related_protocols":["dmx512","rdm"],"notes":"Approved 1 March 1998 as a revision of the original EIA-485 (1983); no later edition has been found in TIA's own published revision lists, so -A remains the current text. This is the generic industrial electrical layer both DMX512 and RDM (E1.20) ride on — both are explicitly RS-485 transports in their own showstack entries — with ANSI E1.11 (DMX512-A) adding its own connector, termination, and unit-load rules on top of this document.","confidence":"reported","tags":["tia","rs-485","electrical-layer","dmx"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI/TIA-485-A standard listing","url":"https://store.accuristech.com/standards/tia-ansi-tia-485-a?product_id=2591400","publisher":"TIA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"tia-568-2","designation":"ANSI/TIA-568.2-E","title":"Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications Cabling and Components Standard","body":"TIA","domain":"networking","year":2024,"scope":"Defines the copper structured-cabling requirements for balanced twisted-pair systems: the Category 5e/6/6A/8 electrical performance specifications, connecting hardware, cords, and field-test limits a cable actually has to meet to be sold under its category name. This is the part of the TIA-568 series that a bare \"EIA/TIA-568\" citation usually means when the subject is copper Ethernet cable and termination quality, as opposed to the wider cabling architecture in TIA-568.0 or the optical-fibre requirements in TIA-568.3.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://tiaonline.org/standardannouncement/tia-publishes-new-standards-ansi-tia-568-2-e-and-ansi-tia-568-5-1/","label":"TIA standard announcement (purchase via TIA's official store)"},"jurisdiction":["US","International"],"notes":"Developed by TIA committee TR-42; announced 5 November 2024, incorporating the balun (Category 8 test) and power-delivery addenda from the prior -D edition, plus new DC resistance-unbalance limits for Category 5e/6/6A. TIA-568 is a family, not one document: 568.0-E (generic cabling architecture), 568.1-E (commercial building infrastructure), 568.3-E (optical fibre), 568.4-D (broadband coax) and 568.5 (single twisted-pair) are separate parts with their own edition letters and dates.","confidence":"verified","tags":["tia","ansi","cabling","ethernet","structured-cabling"],"sources":[{"title":"TIA Publishes New Standards - ANSI/TIA-568.2-E and ANSI/TIA-568.5-1","url":"https://tiaonline.org/standardannouncement/tia-publishes-new-standards-ansi-tia-568-2-e-and-ansi-tia-568-5-1/","publisher":"TIA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"ANSI/TIA-568.2-E Is Here. Are Your Cables Compliant?","url":"https://www.siemon.com/en/ansi-tia-568-2-e-released/","publisher":"Siemon","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"tia-598","designation":"ANSI/TIA-598-D","title":"Optical Fiber Cable Color Coding","body":"TIA","domain":"networking","year":2014,"scope":"Defines the jacket and print colour convention used to identify optical fibre type by sight: colours such as orange, aqua, and erika violet for the various multimode grades (OM1-OM4), and yellow for single-mode (OS1/OS2), plus codes for buffered fibres and connector strain-relief boots. It is an industry naming convention, not a physical property of the glass, so an unlabelled or repurposed cable has to be confirmed against its printed spec rather than assumed from jacket colour alone.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://store.accuristech.com/standards/tia-ansi-tia-598-d?product_id=2594507","label":"TIA's official standards store (purchase)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Published 9 July 2014 as a revision of TIA-598-C (2005), with Addendum 1 and Addendum 2 (both 2018) adding a jacket colour for OM5 wideband multimode fibre. As of TIA's own June 2023 published standards-revision list, a further -E revision was still \"work in progress\"; no published -E edition has been found since, so -D with its addenda remains the current text.","confidence":"reported","tags":["tia","fibre","color-code","cabling"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI/TIA-598-D standard listing","url":"https://store.accuristech.com/standards/tia-ansi-tia-598-d?product_id=2594507","publisher":"TIA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"List of Current TIA Standards Revisions (TIA Fiber Optics Technology Consortium)","url":"https://www.tiafotc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/List-of-Current-TIA-Standards-Revisions-6-12-2023.pdf","publisher":"TIA Fiber Optics Technology Consortium","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"ul-1573","designation":"UL 1573","title":"Standard for Safety - Stage and Studio Luminaires and Connector Strips","body":"UL Standards & Engagement","domain":"electrical","year":2023,"scope":"Safety requirements for stage and studio luminaires rated 600 V or less for theatres and studios, plus connector strips and drop boxes: borderlights, spotlights, floodlights, footlights and portable strips, in line with NEC Articles 520 and 530.","status":"current","free_to_read":false,"access_url":{"url":"https://standardscatalog.ul.com/standards/en/standard_1573_4","label":"UL Standards Catalog"},"jurisdiction":["US","CA"],"notes":"The listing mark a US venue or AHJ looks for on a stage fixture. Carbon arc lamps, amateur movie lights and residential lighting are explicitly outside its scope. A fixture built to IEC 60598-2-17 for the European market is not automatically acceptable to a US inspector, and vice versa.","confidence":"reported","tags":["ul","luminaire","stage-lighting","us","listing"],"sources":[{"title":"UL 1573 catalogue entry","url":"https://standardscatalog.ul.com/standards/en/standard_1573_4","publisher":"UL Standards & Engagement","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"usb-type-c-spec","designation":"USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification Release 2.5","title":"Universal Serial Bus Type-C Cable and Connector Specification","body":"USB-IF","domain":"networking","scope":"Defines the USB-C connector: the 24-pin reversible mechanical design, pin assignment, and the Alternate Mode negotiation mechanism that lets a USB-C port carry DisplayPort or Thunderbolt signalling instead of USB data, plus the electrical and mechanical requirements a cable or connector has to meet to be sold as USB-C.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://usb.org/document-library/usb-type-cr-cable-and-connector-specification-release-25","label":"USB-IF document library (free download)"},"jurisdiction":["International"],"notes":"Listed on USB-IF's own document library as Release 2.5, the current edition; its exact publication date could not be independently confirmed beyond that listing, so no year is asserted here. Prior releases followed roughly an autumn cadence — 2.2 in October 2022, 2.3 in October 2023, 2.4 in October 2024. There is no separate \"Thunderbolt connector\": Thunderbolt 3 and 4 run over this same 24-pin connector using its Alternate Mode mechanism, where Thunderbolt 1/2 used the older 20-pin Mini DisplayPort connector instead.","confidence":"verified","tags":["usb","usb-c","connector","usb-if"],"sources":[{"title":"USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification Release 2.5","url":"https://usb.org/document-library/usb-type-cr-cable-and-connector-specification-release-25","publisher":"USB-IF","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"wh-t-28","designation":"WH/T 28-2007","title":"Stage machinery - Safety of above-stage equipment (舞台机械 台上设备安全)","body":"文化和旅游部 (MCT)","domain":"machinery","year":2007,"scope":"Safety requirements for above-stage machinery: fly bar hoists, point hoists, front curtain machines and the rest of the equipment that moves loads over the stage floor.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://zwgk.mct.gov.cn/zfxxgkml/hybz/202012/t20201206_916686.html","label":"文化和旅游部 政府信息公开 (free)"},"jurisdiction":["CN"],"notes":"WH/T is the Ministry of Culture and Tourism industry standard series - the Chinese equivalent in role to DIN 56950 or EN 17206, and published free on the ministry's own disclosure site. Pairs with WH/T 36-2009 for below-stage equipment.","confidence":"reported","tags":["wht","china","stage-machinery","rigging","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"WH/T 28-2007 舞台机械 台上设备安全","url":"https://zwgk.mct.gov.cn/zfxxgkml/hybz/202012/t20201206_916686.html","publisher":"文化和旅游部","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"wh-t-35","designation":"WH/T 35-2022","title":"Stage machinery - Terminology (舞台机械 术语)","body":"文化和旅游部 (MCT)","domain":"machinery","year":2022,"scope":"The controlled vocabulary for stage machinery in Chinese: the defined term for each piece of equipment, motion and control concept.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://www.mct.gov.cn/whzx/zxgz/wlbzhgz/201907/t20190703_844796.htm","label":"文化和旅游部 (WH/T 35 series)"},"jurisdiction":["CN"],"notes":"Directly useful to this index: it is the official Chinese term list for the same objects our glossary carries in English and 繁中. Published 2022-12-27, effective 2023-03-27, replacing WH/T 35-2009 演出场馆设备技术术语 舞台机械. Note that mainland 简体 terminology and HK/TW 繁中 crew slang are not always the same word.","confidence":"reported","tags":["wht","china","terminology","stage-machinery","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"WH/T 35-2009 演出场馆设备技术术语 舞台机械","url":"https://www.mct.gov.cn/whzx/zxgz/wlbzhgz/201907/t20190703_844796.htm","publisher":"文化和旅游部","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"WH/T 35-2022《舞台机械 术语》颁布实施","url":"https://casti.org.cn/casti/kydt/202302/c2a6eb1bd4b346c79529b294b33d76e1.shtml","publisher":"中国演艺设备技术协会","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"wh-t-36","designation":"WH/T 36-2009","title":"Stage machinery - Safety requirements for below-stage equipment (舞台机械 台下设备安全要求)","body":"文化和旅游部 (MCT)","domain":"machinery","year":2009,"scope":"Safety requirements for below-stage machinery: stage lifts, orchestra pit elevators, revolves, wagons and the drive and control systems that move them.","status":"current","free_to_read":true,"access_url":{"url":"https://zwgk.mct.gov.cn/zfxxgkml/hybz/202012/t20201206_916703.html","label":"文化和旅游部 政府信息公开 (free)"},"jurisdiction":["CN"],"notes":"The below-stage half of the pair with WH/T 28-2007. Between them they are the reference a Chinese venue's automation maintenance regime is written against.","confidence":"reported","tags":["wht","china","stage-machinery","lift","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"WH/T 36-2009 舞台机械 台下设备安全要求","url":"https://zwgk.mct.gov.cn/zfxxgkml/hybz/202012/t20201206_916703.html","publisher":"文化和旅游部","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"}],"terms":[{"id":"abort","en":"Abort","zh_hant":"中止／ABORT","zh_hans":"中止／ABORT","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The instruction to abandon a sequence rather than pause it. Where a hold freezes everything in place, an abort ends the attempt: automation comes off its move, an effect is not fired, and the show recovers by some other route that the stage manager will name. On pyrotechnics, flame and automation it is usually tied to a physical control rather than a spoken word, because a word can be misheard and a key cannot.","definition_zh_hant":"放棄整個序列、而非暫停它的指令。Hold 是把一切凍結在原地，abort 則是終止這次執行：自動化退出動作、效果 不發射，演出改由舞台監督另行指定的方式接續。在煙火、火焰與自動化系統上，abort 通常綁定在實體控制上而 不是一句口令，因為口令可能聽錯，鑰匙與按鈕不會。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Abort"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Abort"}],"false_friends":["An abort is not a hold. Hold means stop here and wait for instructions; abort means this is not happening. Treating an abort as a hold leaves a sequence loaded and liable to continue.","An abort is not necessarily a stop of the show. It abandons one sequence, and the performance frequently continues around it.","On effects systems the abort is usually hardware for a reason, and it is distinct from an emergency stop, which removes power and is a different decision with different consequences."],"see_also":["hold","go","standby"],"related_protocols":["midi-show-control"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","cueing","safety","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"NFPA 160 Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-160-standard-development/160","publisher":"National Fire Protection Association","accessed":"2026-10-09"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"absolute-polarity","en":"Absolute polarity","zh_hant":"絕對極性","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Whether a whole signal chain preserves the sign of the original pressure change, so that a source moving towards the microphone ends with a loudspeaker cone moving towards the audience. Largely inaudible on symmetrical waveforms and sometimes audible on asymmetrical ones such as kick drum, bass, brass and plosives. Worth getting right because it is free to get right, and distinct from relative polarity between two sources, which is not subtle and cancels real output.","definition_zh_hant":"整條訊號鏈是否保留原始壓力變化的正負號，亦即聲源朝麥克風移動時，喇叭紙盆最終是否朝觀眾方 向移動。對稱波形上大致聽不出來，但在大鼓、貝斯、銅管與爆破音等非對稱波形上有時可聽辨。由 於校正的代價為零，值得做對；它與兩個聲源之間的相對極性截然不同，後者並不細微，且會實際抵 消輸出。","false_friends":["Absolute polarity is not phase. Polarity is a sign flip, identical at every frequency; phase is a time relationship worth a different number of degrees at every frequency."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Absolute polarity"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"絕對極性"}],"tags":["audio","polarity","system-tuning"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"additive-mixing","en":"Additive colour mixing","zh_hant":"加色混合","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"Mixing by adding light. Each emitter contributes its own spectrum and the surface receives the sum, so you start at black and every source you bring up adds. Red plus green is yellow. This is what multi-emitter LED fixtures do, and what any two lamps pointed at the same wall do.","definition_zh_hant":"以疊加光線來混色。每個發光體貢獻自己的光譜，表面接收到的是總和，因此起點是黑，每加一盞燈就加一分光。紅加綠得黃。多晶片 LED 燈具即以此方式混色，兩盞燈打在同一面牆上亦然。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Additive mixing"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"加色混合 / 加法混色"}],"false_friends":["The primaries differ from paint's. Additive primaries are red, green and blue; subtractive are cyan, magenta and yellow. Anyone taught colour with paint expects red and green to make brown."],"see_also":["subtractive-mixing","metamerism"],"tags":["lighting","colour"],"sources":[{"title":"CIE colorimetry and colour mixing fundamentals","url":"https://cie.co.at/e-ilv","publisher":"International Commission on Illumination","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"adsr","en":"ADSR","zh_hant":"ADSR 波封","domain":"audio","definition_en":"The four stages of a standard synthesiser envelope: attack, decay, sustain and release. Three are times and one is not. Attack is how long to reach full, decay how long to fall from full to the sustain level, sustain the level held while the key is down, and release how long to fall to silence after it is let go.","definition_zh_hant":"標準合成器波封的四個階段：起音、衰減、延持、釋音。其中三個是時間，一個不是。起音是升到最 大值所需時間，衰減是由最大值降至延持位準所需時間，延持是按鍵持續按下期間所維持的位準，釋 音則是放開按鍵後降至無聲所需時間。","false_friends":["Sustain is a level, not a duration. A note that will not stop while the key is held wants a sustain of zero and a decay, not a shorter release."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"ADSR / envelope"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"ADSR / 波封"}],"tags":["audio","synthesis","instrument"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"anti-aliasing-filter","en":"Anti-aliasing filter","zh_hant":"抗混疊濾波器","domain":"audio","definition_en":"The low-pass filter in front of an analogue-to-digital converter, removing everything above half the sample rate before sampling can fold it down into the audible band as a frequency that was never present. Aliasing is unrecoverable once it has happened, which is why the filter is in hardware and ahead of the converter. A steep filter close to the band edge is difficult to build cleanly, which is the real engineering argument for higher sample rates: they let the filter be gentle and start well above hearing.","definition_zh_hant":"置於類比數位轉換器之前的低通濾波器，在取樣之前濾除高於取樣率一半的所有成分，以免這些成分 被折返到可聽頻段，成為原本並不存在的頻率。混疊一旦發生便無法還原，因此這個濾波器必須是硬 體、且位於轉換器之前。緊貼頻帶邊緣的陡峭濾波器難以做得乾淨，這正是提高取樣率的真正工程理 由：可讓濾波器和緩，並自遠高於聽覺上限之處開始作用。","false_friends":["A reconstruction filter is the mirror of this at the output of a converter, not the same component. One protects the sampling; the other smooths what the samples are turned back into."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Anti-aliasing filter / brickwall filter"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"抗混疊濾波器"}],"tags":["audio","digital","conversion"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"azimuth-tape","en":"Azimuth (tape)","zh_hant":"磁頭方位角","domain":"audio","definition_en":"The angle of a magnetic head gap relative to the tape path, which should be exactly perpendicular. If the recording and playback machines disagree, the top of the track is read fractionally before the bottom and high frequencies partly cancel across the track width. It presents as a dull recording and is a phase error, so equalisation cannot recover it; aligning the playback head can.","definition_zh_hant":"磁頭間隙相對於磁帶行進方向的角度，理應完全垂直。若錄音機與放音機的方位角不一致，磁軌上緣 會比下緣稍早被讀取，高頻便會在磁軌寬度上部分相消。聽感上像是高頻不足，但本質是相位誤差， 因此無法用等化補回；調整放音磁頭方位角則可完全復原。","false_friends":["A dull archive tape is far more often an azimuth mismatch than a degraded recording. Boosting the top end cannot help, because the energy is cancelling itself rather than being absent."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Azimuth"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"方位角 / azimuth"}],"tags":["audio","analogue","archive"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"barn-door","en":"Barn door","zh_hant":"遮光板","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"The hinged metal flaps that clip into the front of a fresnel or PAR to cut the edge of the beam off scenery, a portal or the front row. Four leaves, rotatable in the accessory slot.","definition_zh_hant":"夾在菲涅爾燈或 PAR 燈前方的鉸鏈金屬葉片，用來把光邊切離景片、台口或前排觀眾。通常四片，可在配件槽內旋轉。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Barn door"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"遮光板 / 四葉片"}],"false_friends":["Barn doors soften a cut; shutters in a profile/ellipsoidal make a hard one. Asking for a \"sharp cut\" on a fresnel gets you the softest edge in the rig."],"see_also":["gel","focus"],"tags":["lighting","accessory"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"batten","en":"Batten / bar / pipe","zh_hant":"吊桿","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"The horizontal pipe flown over the stage that scenery, lighting or cloths hang from. UK crews say bar, US crews say batten or pipe or electric (when it carries lighting), and the fly system numbers them from the proscenium upstage.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台上方可升降的橫桿，掛景、掛燈或掛幕。編號由鏡框往上舞台數。掛燈的吊桿在美制叫 electric。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Bar"},{"region":"US","term":"Batten / pipe / electric"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"吊桿"}],"false_friends":["In lighting control, \"batten\" is also a linear LED fixture type. On headset, bar 3 and batten 3 and LX3 may all be the same object: agree the naming before the first flying cue."],"see_also":["fly","cyclorama"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["rigging","flying","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Batten (theater)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batten_(theater)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"beam-angle","en":"Beam angle / field angle","zh_hant":"光束角／場角","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"Two different measurements of how wide a light source spreads. Beam angle is where intensity has fallen to 50 percent of centre; field angle is where it has fallen to 10 percent. A fixture quoted at one number and compared against the other will look wrong on paper and on stage.","definition_zh_hant":"描述光源擴散寬度的兩種不同量測。光束角是強度衰減至中心 50% 之處，場角則是衰減至 10% 之處。以其中一個數字標示的燈具，若拿去和另一個定義比較，紙上與台上都會對不起來。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Beam angle / field angle"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"光束角 / 場角"}],"false_friends":["Field angle is always the larger number. A data sheet quoting a single \"beam\" figure is usually quoting the 50 percent one, which makes the fixture look tighter than it looks in a room."],"see_also":["moving-head","focus"],"tags":["lighting","optics","beam"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.9 reporting photometric performance data","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"biphase-mark","en":"Biphase mark encoding","zh_hant":"雙相符號編碼","domain":"video","definition_en":"The line code LTC uses. There is a transition at every bit boundary, and a one gets one extra transition in the middle of the bit. That gives a self-clocking, DC-free, polarity-independent signal that decodes over a wide range of speeds — which is what lets timecode survive an audio track and be read while shuttling backwards.","definition_zh_hant":"LTC 使用的線路編碼。每個位元邊界都有一次跳變，代表 1 的位元在中間再多一次跳變。這產生一個自帶時脈、無直流成分、與極性無關的訊號，並可在很寬的速度範圍內解碼 —— 這正是時碼能存活在音軌上、並能在倒帶時被讀取的原因。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Biphase mark / BMC / FM encoding"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"雙相符號編碼"}],"false_friends":["The encoding is polarity-independent, so a swapped pair on a timecode feed has no symptom at all. A wiring fault that would break anything else stays hidden here."],"see_also":["drop-frame","frame-rate"],"tags":["video","timecode","encoding"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-1 Time and Control Code","url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"related_protocols":["ltc"],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"black-box","en":"Black box","zh_hant":"黑盒劇場","domain":"general","definition_en":"A square or rectangular room with black walls and a black floor, built with no fixed stage or seating so it can be reconfigured for whatever the production needs. When someone says \"we're in a black box,\" they mean the venue type — not the other thing this exact phrase means on the same crew.","definition_zh_hant":"四面牆與地板皆為黑色的方形或長方形空間，座位與演區可自由配置。中文亦作「小劇場」，但小劇場指規模，黑盒指形式，兩者不必然相同。","false_friends":["Elsewhere on the same show, \"black box\" means a system judged only by its inputs and outputs — a media server or DSP unit nobody can see inside. Same words, unrelated to the venue."],"see_also":["house"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["venue","scenic","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Black box theater","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box_theater","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Black box","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_box","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"blackout","en":"Blackout","zh_hant":"暗場（BO）","zh_hans":"暗场","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A lighting state in which all stage light goes out, usually as punctuation at the end of a scene. A dead blackout means no light at all, including work light and equipment glow, which is a different and much harder request than an ordinary blackout.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台燈全部熄掉的燈光狀態，通常用來結束一場戲。Dead blackout 是連工作燈和設備亮光都不能有，這是完全不同、也難得多的要求。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"暗場","note":"Cue 表上常縮寫成 BO。"}],"false_friends":["中文口語的 blackout 通常指停電。劇場的暗場是刻意做出來的燈光狀態，不是斷電。","\"Dark\" describes a building with no performance booked. A blackout is a state inside a running show. See the entry for dark.","Blackout cloth is a fabric that stops light passing through it. It has nothing to do with the cue.","Exit signs and aisle lighting stay on during a blackout in nearly every jurisdiction. Promising a true dead blackout may be promising something illegal."],"see_also":["dark","cue","bump","house"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","cue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"bridle","en":"Bridle","zh_hant":"分力吊索","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"Two or more legs of steel taken from separate structural points down to a single hanging position, used when the load needs to hang somewhere the structure has no point. The geometry decides everything: as the angle between the legs opens up, the tension in each leg climbs above the weight being carried, and at wide angles it climbs fast.","definition_zh_hant":"由兩個以上的結構吊點分別拉鋼索，匯集到同一個懸掛位置，用於負載必須落在結構沒有吊點的地方。幾何決定一切：兩腿之間的夾角越大，每一腿的張力越高於實際負載，角度很大時上升極快。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Bridle"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"分力吊索 / 分力鋼索"}],"false_friends":["A bridle is not extra capacity. It moves a load sideways between existing points and puts MORE tension in each leg than a dead hang. Two 500 kg points are not a 1000 kg bridle."],"see_also":["rigging-point","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["rigging","bridle","load","geometry"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"bump","en":"Bump","zh_hant":"零秒變化（bump）","zh_hans":"零秒变化","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A cue that changes state instantly with no fade time. Used for snaps to black, hard hits on a musical accent, and stutter effects. Crews in Hong Kong and Taiwan generally say the English word rather than translate it.","definition_zh_hant":"沒有漸變時間、瞬間切換的 cue，用在瞬間切黑、跟著音樂重拍的硬切、閃動效果。香港和臺灣的工作人員多半直接講英文 bump，不翻譯。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Bump","note":"口語直接用英文，中文書面可寫「零秒」或「即時變化」。"}],"false_friends":["In Australia and New Zealand bump-in and bump-out mean load-in and load-out. Nothing to do with a zero-count cue.","In audio a bump is usually a small level or EQ nudge, not an instant change of state.","「零秒」只是描述漸變時間，不是 cue 的名稱。寫在 cue 表上要寫時間值，不要只寫這兩個字。"],"see_also":["cue","blackout","load-in"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","cue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"call","en":"Call","zh_hant":"報 cue（叫戲）／集合時間","zh_hans":"报 cue／集合时间","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"Two different jobs share one word. To call the show is to speak the standbys and the gos over comms so every department executes together. A call is also the time crew or cast have to be in the building, and the announcement that brings people to the stage.","definition_zh_hant":"同一個字兩件事。Call the show 是在通話系統上報 standby 和 go，讓各部門一起動作。Call 也指工作人員或演員必須到場的時間，以及叫人上台的廣播。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"Call time／入台時間","note":"香港製作在時間表上直接寫 call time。"},{"region":"TW","term":"集合時間","note":"臺灣的通告表多寫集合時間，口語仍會講 call。"}],"false_friends":["\"Call time\" and \"calling the show\" are unrelated jobs. Confirm which one is meant before you accept a call.","把 call 直譯成「打電話」會誤事。Headset 上的 call 不是通話，是報點。","In the UK the deputy stage manager calls the show. In the US the stage manager does. Same word, different person holding the book.","A five-minute call is an announcement to the company. A five-minute standby is a warning to a department. They are not interchangeable."],"see_also":["cue","deputy-stage-manager"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Prompt corner","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prompt_corner","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"chain-hoist","en":"Chain hoist / chain motor","zh_hant":"電動葫蘆","domain":"automation","definition_en":"A powered or hand-chain hoist built to raise and lower a suspended load, used in entertainment rigging as point hoists for trussing, scenery or effects. \"Chain motor\" usually means the electric version run from a pendant or network control; a plain \"chain hoist\" can be manual. What makes it a hoist under the entertainment standard is not the chain — it is a locking brake built to hold a suspended load. A winch is a different class of machine.","definition_zh_hant":"以鏈條升降吊掛負載的葫蘆，可為電動或手拉。台灣多稱「電動吊車」或「電動葫蘆」，香港常直接說 motor 或「摩打」。","false_friends":["ANSI E1.6-1's own annex draws the line: a hoist lifts with a locking brake for suspension; a winch pulls, and a capstan winch is explicitly outside the standard's scope.","Crews use \"hoist,\" \"chain motor\" and \"winch\" almost interchangeably. If it's actually a winch under that truss, it may not be rated to hold a static load the way a purpose-built hoist is."],"see_also":["winch","fly","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"verified","tags":["automation","rigging","hoist","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.6-1 – 2019: Entertainment Technology – Powered Hoist Systems","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ANSI%20E1.6-1%20-%202019.pdf","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"What is the difference between a chain motor and a manual chain hoist?","url":"https://www.4wall.com/help/what-is-the-difference-between-a-chain-motor-and-a-manual-chain-hoist--n-209","publisher":"4Wall Entertainment","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"colour-temperature","en":"Colour temperature (CCT)","zh_hant":"色溫","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"The apparent warmth or coolness of white light, in kelvin: tungsten around 3200 K, daylight around 5600 K. Correlated colour temperature says where a source sits on that scale, but says nothing about how well it renders colour.","definition_zh_hant":"白光偏暖或偏冷的表觀程度，單位為 K：鎢絲燈約 3200 K，日光約 5600 K。相關色溫只說明光源落在這條刻度的哪個位置，完全不描述其演色能力。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Colour temperature / CCT"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"色溫"}],"false_friends":["Two fixtures at the same CCT can render skin completely differently. CCT is one axis; colour rendering (CRI, or better, TM-30 Rf and Rg) is another, and camera work cares about both."],"see_also":["gel"],"tags":["lighting","colour","camera"],"sources":[{"title":"ITU-R BT.709 parameter values","url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BT.709/en","publisher":"ITU","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"competent-person","en":"Competent person","zh_hant":"適任人員","domain":"safety","definition_en":"Whoever is legally allowed to sign off that a task, a rig or a piece of equipment is safe. What that actually requires depends entirely on which country's regulation you are standing under — it is not a synonym for \"someone who is good at their job,\" and it is not one qualification you can carry between jurisdictions.","definition_zh_hant":"法規上有資格簽署某項作業、吊掛系統或設備可安全使用的人。重點在「經指定且能舉證」，不是「做過很多次」。","false_friends":["US OSHA (29 CFR 1926.32(f)): able to identify hazards AND has authority to fix them on the spot, tied to a specific hazard class such as fall protection or excavation.","UK law (Management of H&S at Work Regs 1999, reg. 7): a broader general-duty role — sufficient training, experience or knowledge to assist the employer, not tied to one hazard class.","A sign-off valid under one country's definition does not automatically satisfy the other's, even though riders use the phrase as if it meant one thing worldwide."],"see_also":["lockout-tagout","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"verified","tags":["safety","compliance","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Competent Person - Overview","url":"https://www.osha.gov/competent-person","publisher":"OSHA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"1926.32 - Definitions","url":"https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.32","publisher":"OSHA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999: Regulation 7","url":"https://legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/7/made?view=plain","publisher":"legislation.gov.uk / UK National Archives","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"What is a Competent Person?","url":"https://hse.gov.uk/involvement/competentperson.htm","publisher":"UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE)","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"counterweight","en":"Counterweight","zh_hant":"配重","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"The steel weights in a fly system arbor that balance what hangs on the bar. Loading them to match the load, in the right order, from the loading gallery, is one of the most safety-critical routines in a theatre.","definition_zh_hant":"吊桿系統配重架內的鐵，用來平衡桿上掛的東西。上重與落重的次序同崗位是劇場最講安全的例行工作之一。","safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","false_friends":["An out-of-weight bar is a stored accident: a runaway arbor moves fast enough to kill. If the weight state of a bar is unknown, nobody unclamps anything until it is known."],"see_also":["fly","batten"],"tags":["rigging","flying","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Fly system","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_system","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"cri","en":"CRI (Colour Rendering Index)","zh_hant":"顯色指數","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A single number summarising how faithfully a source renders a set of test colours against a reference illuminant. The general figure, Ra, averages eight pale test samples. R9 — the deep red sample — is not in that average, which is why a source can post a high CRI and still render skin and reds badly.","definition_zh_hant":"以單一數值概括光源相對於參考光源、還原一組測試顏色的忠實度。一般公布的 Ra 值是八個淺色測試樣本的平均。深紅色樣本 R9 並不在這個平均之內，因此一支光源可以標示很高的顯色指數，卻仍然把膚色與紅色還原得很差。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"CRI / Ra"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"顯色指數 / 演色性"}],"false_friends":["CRI 95 says nothing on its own about R9. Ask for R9 stated separately, and for TM-30's Rf and Rg, which use 99 samples and report fidelity and gamut as two different things."],"see_also":["colour-temperature","metamerism"],"tags":["lighting","colour","measurement"],"sources":[{"title":"CIE 13.3 Method of measuring and specifying colour rendering properties of light sources","url":"https://cie.co.at/publications/method-measuring-and-specifying-colour-rendering-properties-light-sources","publisher":"International Commission on Illumination","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"crossover","en":"Crossover","zh_hant":"後台橫通道","domain":"general","definition_en":"The route performers and crew use to get from one side of the stage to the other unseen: behind the cyc, under the stage, or a corridor. Show traffic is planned around it, and blocking it with cases is a classic get-in mistake.","definition_zh_hant":"演員同工作人員睇唔到咁由台左去台右嘅路線：天幕後、台底或走廊。用 flight case 塞住佢係裝台常見錯誤。","false_friends":["In audio a crossover is the filter network that splits a signal into frequency bands for different drivers. Same word on the same site every day, disambiguated only by which department is talking."],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["backstage","venue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"cue-to-cue","en":"Cue-to-cue","zh_hant":"技術排練（跳cue）","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"A technical rehearsal that jumps from one cue moment to the next, skipping the scenes between, so the technical departments rehearse every transition without playing the whole show.","definition_zh_hant":"只排技術點的排練：由一個 cue 跳到下一個 cue，中間戲跳過，讓技術部門把所有轉接位走一次。","regional_variants":[{"region":"US","term":"Q2Q / dry tech (without actors)"}],"see_also":["tech-rehearsal","dry-tech","cue"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","rehearsal","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Technical rehearsal","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_rehearsal","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"cue","en":"Cue","zh_hant":"Cue／提示","zh_hans":"Cue／提示","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The signal to execute something in a show. A cue is both the trigger, which may be a line, a move or a sound, and the action it fires. The person calling the show gives a standby first and a go second. Nothing moves on the standby.","definition_zh_hant":"演出中執行動作的指令。Cue 同時指觸發點（台詞、動作、音效）和被觸發的動作。舞台監督先報 standby，再報 go；聽到 standby 只是準備，不能動。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"落 cue／畀 cue","note":"香港製作習慣直接講英文 cue，中文書面資料寫「提示」。"},{"region":"TW","term":"下 cue／走 cue","note":"臺灣同樣直接講 cue，很少譯成中文。"}],"false_friends":["中文口語「被 cue 到」是被點名、被突然叫到的意思，跟劇場的 cue 沒有關係。","A cue number is announced on the standby. The action happens on \"go\". Treating the standby as the instruction is how people get hit.","In a script, a cue can also mean the last words of the previous speech that tell an actor to come in. That is a different object from a technical cue."],"see_also":["call","deputy-stage-manager","plot","blackout"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["cue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Cue (theatrical)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cue_(theatrical)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"cyclorama","en":"Cyclorama","zh_hant":"天幕","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"The large plain cloth or wall across the back of the stage, lit to become sky, colour field or projection surface. Usually the last thing upstage, and the reason the upstage lighting bar is called the cyc bar.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台最後方的大面素色幕或牆，打燈後變成天空、色底或投影面。最上舞台那支燈桿因此叫天幕燈桿。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Cyc (said \"sike\")"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"天幕"}],"see_also":["batten"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","lighting","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Cyclorama (theater)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclorama_(theater)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"daisy-chain","en":"Daisy chain","zh_hant":"串接","domain":"networking","definition_en":"Wiring devices in a straight line, in and out, rather than back to a central point. DMX and RS-485 in general are meant to run this way — console to fixture to fixture to fixture, terminated at the far end. Splitting one line out to several fixtures from a single point — a passive Y-split, a hub-and-spoke run — is not a daisy chain, and is where most unexplained DMX flicker actually comes from.","definition_zh_hant":"設備一進一出串成一條線，而不是各自回到中央設備。DMX 與部分音訊、網路設備常用；一台故障即中斷後段。","false_friends":["A climbing \"daisy chain\" is a sewn webbing sling aid climbers clip into for positioning — real gear, not rated as an anchor, and nothing to do with wiring topology despite the shared name."],"see_also":["unit-load"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["networking","rs485","dmx","topology","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Daisy chain (electrical engineering)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_chain_(electrical_engineering)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"What is a Daisy Chain?","url":"https://blog.weighmyrack.com/what-is-a-daisy-chain/","publisher":"WeighMyRack","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"damping-factor","en":"Damping factor","zh_hant":"阻尼係數","domain":"audio","definition_en":"The load impedance divided by the amplifier’s output impedance, describing how firmly the amplifier resists the voltage a moving loudspeaker cone generates back into it. Cable resistance is in series with the amplifier’s output impedance, so a long or thin speaker run dominates the figure: a couple of tenths of an ohm collapses a quoted factor of several hundred to a few tens.","definition_zh_hant":"負載阻抗除以擴大機輸出阻抗，用以描述擴大機抑制喇叭紙盆運動所產生反電動勢的能力。線材電阻 與擴大機輸出阻抗串聯，因此過長或過細的喇叭線會主導這個數字：僅零點幾歐姆便足以令標示數百 的阻尼係數降至數十。","false_friends":["A damping factor above roughly 50 is a specification rather than a benefit, because the cable has already decided the figure the driver actually experiences."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Damping factor"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"阻尼係數","note":"Usually written on a spec sheet rather than said aloud."}],"tags":["audio","amplifier","loudspeaker"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"dark","en":"Dark","zh_hant":"封箱 / 暗場","zh_hans":"封箱 / 暗场","domain":"general","definition_en":"A day or period when a venue has no performance. Also used for a stage that is unlit. Which one is meant depends entirely on context, and getting it wrong costs a day of crew.","definition_zh_hant":"劇場沒有演出的日子，或指舞台無燈的狀態。兩種意思差很多，要看上下文判斷。","regional_variants":[{"region":"US","term":"Dark day","note":"A scheduled non-performance day in a running production."},{"region":"UK","term":"Dark","note":"Also used of a theatre with no production booked at all, sometimes for months."}],"false_friends":["\"Going dark\" in a broadcast or corporate AV context means losing signal or going off air, not taking a day off.","\"Blackout\" is a lighting state inside a show. \"Dark\" is a state of the building. Calling a blackout \"dark\" on headset will get you a confused LX op."],"see_also":[],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"verified","tags":["scheduling","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://www.theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/theatre-glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"dead-hang","en":"Dead hang","zh_hant":"直吊","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"A load hung straight down from a single point, with no bridle and no angle. The simplest case: the tension in the steel equals the weight of the load, and nothing multiplies.","definition_zh_hant":"負載自單一吊點垂直吊下，不做分力、沒有角度。最單純的情形：鋼索張力等於負載重量，沒有任何倍數效應。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Dead hang"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"直吊"}],"see_also":["bridle","rigging-point"],"safety_critical":false,"tags":["rigging","load"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"dead","en":"Dead","zh_hant":"定位高度（dead）","zh_hans":"定位高度","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"The fixed height a flown bar is set to and marked at. A piece has an in dead and an out dead. \"Take it to its dead\" means run it to that mark and stop there. British and Hong Kong usage. North American crews call the same thing a trim.","definition_zh_hant":"吊桿升降時預先設定並做好記號的固定高度。一件景有下定位和上定位；「去 dead」是走到那個記號就停。這是英式和香港的用法，北美叫 trim。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / HK","term":"Dead","note":"高低兩個位置分別是 in dead 和 out dead。"},{"region":"US / CA","term":"Trim","note":"North American houses say high trim and low trim for the same marks."}],"false_friends":["\"Dead\" also means de-energised. From an electrician, \"the bar is dead\" means no power. From a flyman it means the bar is at its mark. Confirm which.","A US electrician saying \"trim it\" wants the height changed. A UK flyman saying \"on its dead\" means the height is already correct. Opposite actions.","中文直譯成「死」會被聽成故障或斷電，所以實務上多半直接講英文 dead。"],"see_also":["fly","spike"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["rigging","flying","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Fly system","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_system","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Fly crew","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_crew","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"deadman","en":"Deadman / hold-to-run","zh_hant":"持壓運轉開關","domain":"automation","definition_en":"A control that only allows motion while an operator is actively holding it, so releasing it, or gripping it in panic, stops the move. Standard on stage automation, hoist controllers and anything that moves scenery with people nearby.","definition_zh_hant":"只有在操作者持續按住時才允許動作的控制器；放手或驚慌之下用力握死，動作即停止。舞台自動化、電動葫蘆控制器，以及任何在人員附近移動景物的設備都以此為標準配備。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Deadman / hold-to-run"},{"region":"US","term":"Deadman switch / enable"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"持壓開關 / 安全開關"}],"false_friends":["A three-position enabling device is not the same as a simple hold-to-run button: it stops both when released AND when squeezed fully, which is the behaviour that matters when someone is startled."],"see_also":["e-stop"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["automation","safety","control"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"ISO 13849-1 safety-related parts of control systems","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/69883.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"deck","en":"Deck / the deck","zh_hant":"舞台面／台板","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"The stage floor. Crews say \"clear the deck,\" \"walk the deck\" before a tech to check for trip hazards, and \"deck crew\" for whoever works at floor level during the show. A raked deck is a sloped one.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台地板。「clear the deck」即淨空舞台面。台灣亦稱「台板」，香港常說「台面」。","false_friends":["In audio and video, a \"deck\" is a playback or recording transport — a tape deck, an ISO deck. \"Roll the deck\" and \"clear the deck\" are instructions to different people about different things."],"see_also":["rake","ground-stack"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","stage","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage (theatre)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Cassette deck","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_deck","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"delay-tower","en":"Delay tower","zh_hant":"延時塔","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A loudspeaker position deep in a large audience area, fed the same mix delayed to match the arrival of sound from the main PA, so distant listeners get level without echo. The delay time is distance over the speed of sound: the maths in the speaker delay tool.","definition_zh_hant":"大型場地觀眾區後方的補聲塔，訊號按與主 PA 的距離加延時，遠處觀眾有音量而無回聲。延時就是距離除以聲速。","see_also":["front-fill"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","pa","festival","system-design"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"deputy-stage-manager","en":"Deputy stage manager (DSM)","zh_hant":"執行舞台監督／副舞台監督","zh_hans":"执行舞台监督","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"In the British system the DSM sits at the prompt corner, holds the book and calls the show. The stage manager runs the backstage floor and the department and does not usually call. In the American system the production stage manager calls the show and there is no DSM at all.","definition_zh_hant":"英式體系裡，執行舞台監督坐在提示角、拿著 prompt book、負責報 cue。舞台監督管後台現場和整個部門，通常不報 cue。美式體系由 stage manager 自己報 cue，根本沒有 DSM 這個職位。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"DSM","note":"Calls the show from the prompt corner."},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"舞台監督","note":"港臺的舞台監督通常自己報 cue，職務範圍比較接近美式 SM。"}],"false_friends":["\"Stage manager\" does not tell you who calls the show. In the UK it is the DSM, in the US the SM. Get it wrong in a contract and nobody is on the book.","中文「舞台監督」對應 SM 還是 DSM，要看製作採哪一套體系，不能直接對譯。","ASM is assistant stage manager, a floor role. Deputy and assistant are not interchangeable ranks in the British structure."],"see_also":["call","cue"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","roles","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Prompt corner","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prompt_corner","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"di-box","en":"DI box","zh_hant":"DI 盒","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A box that converts a high-impedance, unbalanced instrument output into a low-impedance balanced mic-level signal that can run down a long multicore without picking up noise. Passive types use a transformer; active types need phantom or a battery.","definition_zh_hant":"把高阻抗、非平衡的樂器輸出轉換成低阻抗平衡麥克風位準訊號的設備，使訊號能走長距離多芯線而不拾取雜訊。被動式使用變壓器，主動式則需幻象電源或電池。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"DI box"},{"region":"US","term":"DI / direct box"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"DI 盒 / 直入盒"}],"false_friends":["A ground-lift switch on a DI lifts the shield at the box end only. It fixes hum from a ground loop; it does not fix hum from a bad mains supply, and it never makes an unsafe rig safe."],"see_also":["phantom-power","line-check"],"tags":["audio","stage","impedance"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"dichroic","en":"Dichroic filter","zh_hant":"二向色濾片","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A filter that reflects the wavelengths it does not pass, rather than absorbing them. Made from thin interference coatings on glass. Because the rejected light leaves rather than turning into heat in the filter, a dichroic survives sitting in a beam that would burn a gel to ash in seconds — which is why colour-mixing flags in moving lights are dichroic and not gel.","definition_zh_hant":"把不通過的波長反射掉、而非吸收掉的濾片，以玻璃上的薄膜干涉鍍層製成。被擋下的光是離開而非在濾片內轉為熱，所以二向色濾片能長時間待在會把色紙瞬間燒穿的光束裡 —— 這正是搖頭燈的混色葉片用二向色而非色紙的原因。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Dichroic / dichro"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"二向色濾片 / 分光鏡片"}],"false_friends":["A dichroic works by interference, so its colour shifts with the angle light strikes it. The edge of a beam reads differently from the centre; that is physics, not a faulty filter."],"see_also":["gel","subtractive-mixing"],"tags":["lighting","colour","optics"],"sources":[{"title":"CIE colorimetry and colour mixing fundamentals","url":"https://cie.co.at/e-ilv","publisher":"International Commission on Illumination","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"dimmer","en":"Dimmer","zh_hant":"調光器","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"The device that varies power to a lighting load. A generation ago every stage light lived on a dimmer channel; now most fixtures dim themselves and dimmers survive for tungsten, practicals and houselights, with \"hot power\" (constant circuits) doing the rest.","definition_zh_hant":"控制燈具電力的設備。以前每盞燈都行 dimmer channel；而家大部分燈自己調光，dimmer 留返俾鎢絲燈、道具燈同觀眾席燈，其餘行常火。","see_also":["patch"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","power","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Dimmer","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimmer","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"dmx-address","en":"DMX address","zh_hant":"DMX 位址","zh_hans":"DMX 地址","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A numbered control slot from 1 to 512 within one DMX universe. A fixture's start address is the first slot it reads; a fixture with a larger DMX footprint then uses the following consecutive slots for its remaining parameters.","definition_zh_hant":"一個 DMX universe 內由 1 至 512 編號的控制位址。燈具的起始位址是它讀取的第一個位址； 若燈具的 DMX footprint 較大，其餘參數會依次使用後續位址。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"DMX address / start address"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"DMX address / DMX 位址"}],"false_friends":["A console channel is a user-facing control number and may be patched to a different DMX address; the two numbers are not necessarily the same.","An address is only unique inside its universe. Address 1 in universe 1 and address 1 in universe 2 control different slots."],"see_also":["patch","dmx-universe"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","dmx","addressing"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.11 - 2024, Entertainment Technology - USITT DMX512-A","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-09-11","primary":true}],"contributed_by":["iibaranov-IG"],"updated":"2026-09-11"},{"id":"dmx-universe","en":"Universe","zh_hant":"一條 DMX 線路 (universe)","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"One complete DMX512 stream of 512 channels. Everything about rig capacity is counted in universes: a console outputs so many, a node converts so many, a fixture in its largest personality eats a chunk of one.","definition_zh_hant":"一組完整的 DMX512 訊號，含 512 個通道。燈光系統的容量都以 universe 計算：控台輸出幾條、節點轉換幾條、燈具在最大模式下吃掉其中多少通道。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Universe"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Universe / 宇宙 / 線路"}],"false_friends":["An sACN universe number and an Art-Net universe are not the same field. Art-Net splits a 15-bit port-address into Net, Sub-Net and Universe, so \"universe 5\" can mean two different wires."],"see_also":["patch"],"related_protocols":["dmx512","sacn","art-net"],"tags":["lighting","dmx","addressing"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.31 (sACN)","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"downstage","en":"Downstage","zh_hant":"下舞台（舞台前方）","domain":"general","definition_en":"The part of the stage nearest the audience: downhill on a historical raked stage. Cross downstage and you get closer to the house.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台上最接近觀眾的區域，斜舞台的「下坡」方向。","see_also":["upstage","rake"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-directions","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"dresser","en":"Dresser","zh_hant":"服裝助理","domain":"wardrobe","definition_en":"The wardrobe crew member assigned to get a performer in and out of costume on time, including the quick changes that happen in the wings with seconds to spare. Works to a plot of who is where, in what, at which cue.","definition_zh_hant":"負責讓演員準時穿脫服裝的服裝組人員，包括在側台只有數秒時間完成的快換。依據一份標明「誰、在哪裡、穿什麼、在哪個 cue」的表工作。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Dresser"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"服裝助理 / 跟裝"}],"see_also":["quick-change","plot"],"tags":["wardrobe","crew"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"drop-frame","en":"Drop frame","zh_hant":"丟幀時碼","domain":"video","definition_en":"A timecode counting scheme that skips frame numbers 00 and 01 at the start of every minute except every tenth minute, so the count stays in step with the wall clock at 29.97 fps. It drops numbers, not frames — no picture is lost. 108 labels an hour, which is very close to the 107.89 frames a 30 fps counter gains over real 29.97 time.","definition_zh_hant":"一種時碼計數方式：每分鐘開頭跳過 00 與 01 兩個幀號，但每第十分鐘不跳，使計數在 29.97 fps 下與牆上的時鐘同步。它丟的是編號而不是畫格，沒有任何影像遺失。每小時跳過 108 個編號，與 30 fps 計數器相對真實 29.97 時間所多算的 107.89 格非常接近。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Drop frame / DF, against non-drop / NDF"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"丟幀 / 掉幀時碼"}],"false_friends":["The name is the problem; no picture is dropped. And 00:01:00:00 is not a valid drop-frame time at all, so a system that accepts it is not validating."],"see_also":["frame-rate","biphase-mark","quarter-frame"],"tags":["video","timecode","sync"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-1 Time and Control Code","url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"related_protocols":["ltc","mtc"],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"dry-ice","en":"Dry ice","zh_hant":"乾冰","domain":"safety","definition_en":"Solid carbon dioxide at about minus 78 degrees Celsius. Dropped into hot water it produces dense white low fog, doing the chilling and the fog-making in one gesture and with no machine in the sight line. It sublimes directly from solid to gas, so it leaves no liquid behind.","definition_zh_hant":"固態二氧化碳，約攝氏零下 78 度。投入熱水即產生濃密的白色低空煙，同時完成冷卻與造霧，且視線內不需要機器。它由固態直接昇華為氣體，不會留下液體。","false_friends":["The visible white cloud is condensed water vapour from the air, not the carbon dioxide. The gas itself is invisible, and it is the gas that displaces air.","It is a contact hazard as well as an atmosphere one. At minus 78 degrees it causes cold burns, and it must never be transported in a sealed container or in an unventilated vehicle cab."],"see_also":["low-fog","fog"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["atmospherics","effects","safety","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.23 — Design, Execution, and Maintenance of Atmospheric Effects","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ESTA_ANSI_E1-23-2010-R2015.pdf","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"dry-tech","en":"Dry tech","zh_hant":"無演員技術排練","zh_hans":"无演员技术排练","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"A technical rehearsal run without performers, so departments can work through scene changes, cue sequences and automation moves at their own pace before anyone is put into them. It is usually the cheapest place in the schedule to find the problems.","definition_zh_hant":"不帶演員的技術排練，讓各部門先按自己的節奏走一次換景、cue 的順序和機械動作，再讓演員進來。整個進度表裡，這是找出問題成本最低的時段。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Dry tech","note":"中文沒有固定譯法，口語多半直接講英文，或說「不帶演員的技排」。"}],"false_friends":["把 dry tech 譯成「乾排」會被理解成不帶技術的走位排練，意思剛好相反。","A dry tech is not a paper tech. A paper tech is a table meeting about where cues sit, with nothing switched on and nobody on stage.","Scheduling a dry tech does not release the cast. Check the call sheet before anyone assumes a day off."],"see_also":["tech-rehearsal","cue"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["rehearsal","stage-management","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Technical rehearsal","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_rehearsal","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"e-stop","en":"E-stop / emergency stop","zh_hant":"緊急停止","domain":"automation","definition_en":"The mushroom-head button that removes motive power from an automation system immediately. It is a category of safety function with a defined behaviour, not just a big red switch: it must be hardwired, must not rely on the software that might be the thing failing, and must be reachable from wherever a person could be hurt.","definition_zh_hant":"按下即切斷自動化系統動力的蕈狀頭按鈕。它是一種有明確行為定義的安全功能，不只是一顆紅色大按鈕：必須為硬體佈線、不得依賴可能正在故障的軟體，且在任何可能造成人員傷害的位置都必須伸手可及。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"E-stop / emergency stop"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"緊急停止 / 急停"}],"false_friends":["An e-stop is not a pause and not a hold. It drops power, which on some machines means a controlled brake and on others means the load stops where friction leaves it. Know which before you need it."],"see_also":["deadman","lockout-tagout"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["automation","safety","control"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"ISO 13850 / machinery emergency stop principles","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/59970.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"edge-blend","en":"Edge blend","zh_hant":"邊緣融合","domain":"video","definition_en":"Overlapping two or more projectors and ramping the brightness down across the overlap so the join disappears. The maths is easy; matching black level, colour and lamp age across the blend is what actually takes the day.","definition_zh_hant":"讓兩台以上投影機的畫面重疊，並在重疊區將亮度漸變下降，使接縫消失。計算本身不難，真正耗時的是讓融合區兩側的黑階、色彩與燈泡老化程度一致。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Edge blend / soft edge"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"邊緣融合"}],"false_friends":["Blending cannot fix black level. In a blended overlap two projectors both put up their black floor, so the overlap is visibly lighter in dark content no matter how good the ramp is."],"see_also":["keying"],"tags":["video","projection"],"sources":[{"title":"Projection blending fundamentals","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple-projector_display","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"exclusion-zone","en":"Exclusion zone","zh_hant":"管制區","domain":"safety","definition_en":"An area kept clear of people while something dangerous happens in it: a load moving overhead, a piece of automation running, a pyrotechnic firing, a laser projecting. Marked, briefed and enforced by a named person, not assumed.","definition_zh_hant":"在危險作業進行期間淨空人員的區域：頭頂有負載移動、自動化設備運行、煙火擊發、雷射投射等。必須劃設、宣達，並由指定人員執行，不能只是默認。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Exclusion zone / sterile area"},{"region":"US","term":"Clear zone / hot zone"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"管制區 / 淨空區"}],"false_friends":["\"The area under the truss\" is not automatically an exclusion zone. It becomes one when someone declares it, marks it and stands on it. An unenforced zone is a line on a plan."],"see_also":["lockout-tagout","competent-person"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["safety","site","procedure"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"flame-effect","en":"Flame effect","zh_hant":"火焰效果","domain":"safety","definition_en":"A controlled open flame used as part of a performance, fuelled by gas or a liquid fuel rather than by a burning solid composition. Regulated separately from pyrotechnics — in the United States under NFPA 160 — because the hazards differ: a continuous fuel supply, a flame that can be sustained or re-ignited, and an abort that must remove fuel rather than simply stop a sequence.","definition_zh_hant":"演出中使用的受控明火，以氣體或液體燃料驅動，而非燃燒固態藥劑。其法規與煙火分開（美國適用 NFPA 160），因為危害性質不同：燃料持續供應、火焰可持續或復燃，而且中止程序必須切斷燃料，不能只是停止序列。","false_friends":["A flame effect abort is not a pause. It has to remove the fuel, which is why the control is usually a physical key or valve rather than a spoken cue.","The hazard is not only the flame. It is also the heat above it, the products of combustion in an enclosed room, and the oxygen it consumes."],"see_also":["pyro","abort"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["pyro","effects","safety","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1126-standard-development/1126","publisher":"National Fire Protection Association","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"NFPA 160, Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-160-standard-development/160","publisher":"National Fire Protection Association","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"flat","en":"Flat","zh_hant":"景片","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"A rectangular scenic unit — a lightweight frame covered in muslin or luan — built, painted, and either flown in on a batten or braced upright at the edge of the stage with a stage weight or brace. The basic unit most built scenery still reduces to, long before anyone says \"unit set\" or \"modular.\"","definition_zh_hant":"木框或鋁框繃布或釘板的平面景，是硬景的基本單位。","false_friends":["Lighting crews use \"flat\" for shadowless, low-contrast light — the opposite problem from a piece of scenery. \"It's reading flat\" on comms is almost always about the light, not the build."],"see_also":["stage-weight"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","construction","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Flat (theatre)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_(theatre)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Stage Lighting Design, Part 5: Lighting Angles","url":"https://blog.etcconnect.com/stage-lighting-design-part-5","publisher":"ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls)","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"fly","en":"Fly","zh_hant":"吊桿／拉 fly","zh_hans":"吊杆／拉 fly","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"To move scenery, lighting bars or people vertically on a suspension system, and by extension the bar itself. Flying happens over people's heads, so the word carries a standing instruction with it: call it, clear underneath, and watch the load all the way to its dead.","definition_zh_hant":"用懸吊系統把佈景、燈桿或人上下移動，也用來指吊桿本身。吊桿在人頭上作業，所以講到 fly 就一定要先喊、先清底下的人、再看著它走到定位。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"吊杆","note":"康文署官方中文技術資料寫「吊杆」。"},{"region":"TW","term":"吊桿","note":"臺中國家歌劇院技術資料寫「吊桿」。"},{"region":"TW","term":"拉 Fly","note":"臺灣現場口語，指操作吊桿升降。"}],"false_friends":["香港官方中文寫「吊杆」，臺灣寫「吊桿」，是同一件設備的不同寫法，不是兩種東西。","In audio \"fly it\" can mean rig a line array, and on tour \"fly\" can mean air freight. In a venue with a grid, assume a bar is about to move.","Flying a performer is a different trade from flying scenery, with its own standard and its own competence requirements. Do not merge the two calls."],"see_also":["dead","spike"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["rigging","flying","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Fly system","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_system","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"香港大會堂劇院詳細技術設施資料（中文）","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/b5/hkch-th-lfc.pdf","publisher":"康樂及文化事務署","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"臺中國家歌劇院 技術資料","url":"https://www.npac-ntt.org/venuehire/technical","publisher":"臺中國家歌劇院","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"focus","en":"Focus","zh_hant":"對燈","zh_hans":"对灯","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"Pointing and shaping each lighting fixture: where the beam lands, how hard the edge is, what it has to miss. A focus session is a scheduled call with the designer on the deck and electrics up ladders, not something squeezed in while other departments work underneath.","definition_zh_hant":"把每一盞燈調到位：光打在哪裡、邊緣多硬、要避開什麼。對燈是排定的工作時段，設計在台上、燈光組在梯上，底下不能同時有別的部門在做事。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"對燈","note":"兩地口語一致，不用「對焦」。"}],"false_friends":["「對焦」和「聚焦」是相機用語。跟華語劇組講「對焦」，來的可能是影像組。","In moving light programming a focus can also be a stored pan and tilt position recalled by name. The activity and the stored value are different.","Soft focus describes the beam edge. It does not mean the fixture is incorrectly focused."],"see_also":["gel","gobo","plot"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"請走、拉fly、下舞台？劇場黑話大破解","url":"https://www.thenewslens.com/article/67015","publisher":"The News Lens 關鍵評論網","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"fog","en":"Fog","zh_hant":"煙霧／煙","domain":"general","definition_en":"A visible cloud of condensed fluid droplets, a few micrometres across, produced by flashing a glycol or glycerin solution to vapour and letting it condense in room air. Large enough to attenuate every visible wavelength about equally, which is why it reads neutral white and why you cannot see through it. Distinct from haze, which is a smaller particle doing a different optical job, and from smoke, which is a product of combustion.","definition_zh_hant":"由甘醇或甘油溶液加熱汽化後在室溫空氣中凝結而成的可見霧團，液滴直徑數微米。因為顆粒夠大，對可見光各波長的衰減大致相同，所以呈中性白色且無法透視。與 haze（顆粒更小、作用不同）及 smoke（燃燒產物）均不相同。","false_friends":["Fog is not a lot of haze. The difference is droplet size, not quantity: turning a hazer up gives you too much haze, not fog.","Fog is not smoke. Smoke is solid combustion particulate, falls under different rules, and leaves residue."],"see_also":["haze","low-fog","smoke"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["atmospherics","effects","lighting","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.23 — Design, Execution, and Maintenance of Atmospheric Effects","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ESTA_ANSI_E1-23-2010-R2015.pdf","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"followspot","en":"Followspot","zh_hant":"追光燈","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A manually operated spotlight that follows a performer, run by an operator on cue: iris, douser, colour boomerang and all. Modern remote-followspot systems move the operator off the truss and onto a camera-based console.","definition_zh_hant":"由操作員手動追住表演者嘅聚光燈，聽 cue 做 iris、douser、換色。新式遙控追光將操作員由天橋移到鏡頭操作台。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK (older)","term":"Limes","note":"歷史上用石灰光，行內口語仍然講。"}],"see_also":["focus"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","operators","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Followspot operator","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Followspot_operator","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"frame-rate","en":"Frame rate","zh_hant":"影格率","domain":"video","definition_en":"How many complete images a video signal carries per second. On a show it is a system-wide decision, not a per-device one: content, playback, switcher, processor, LED wall and camera all have to agree, or something judders.","definition_zh_hant":"影像訊號每秒傳送的完整畫面數。在演出中這是全系統的決定而非單機設定：內容、播放、切換台、處理器、LED 屏與攝影機必須一致，否則某處會出現跳動。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Frame rate / fps"},{"region":"HK","term":"幀率"},{"region":"TW","term":"影格率"}],"false_friends":["29.97 and 30 are not the same, and 23.976 is not 24. The 1000/1001 pull-down is where drifting timecode and rejected content files come from."],"see_also":["pixel-pitch"],"related_protocols":["ltc","genlock"],"tags":["video","timing","timecode"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-1 time and control code","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st12-1/","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"front-fill","en":"Front fill","zh_hant":"前區補聲","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Small loudspeakers along the stage edge covering the first rows, which sit under the main PA's coverage. Time-aligned to the mains so the image stays on stage rather than at the nearest box.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台邊沿的小喇叭，補主 PA 蓋不到的前幾行觀眾，同主系統做時間對齊，聲像先會留喺台上。","see_also":["delay-tower"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","pa","system-design"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"front-of-house","en":"Front of house (FOH)","zh_hant":"前台（觀眾服務）／FOH 控制位（音響）","zh_hans":"前台／FOH 控制位","domain":"general","definition_en":"In theatre, front of house is everything on the audience side of the proscenium plus the staff who run it: box office, ushers, bars, and the duty manager who owns the decision to hold the curtain. In live sound, FOH is the mix position out in the house and the main system it drives.","definition_zh_hant":"在劇場，前台指台口以外觀眾這一側的所有空間和負責的人：售票、帶位、酒吧，以及有權決定延後開演的值班經理。在演唱會音響裡，FOH 指觀眾席中的混音位置和它推動的主擴系統。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"前台","note":"音響組講 FOH 時通常不翻譯，直接說 FOH。"}],"false_friends":["同一封 email 裡的兩個 FOH 常常不是同一件事。音響組指混音位置，前台組指觀眾服務，要先問清楚。","An FOH bar in a UK theatre sells drinks. An FOH bar in lighting is a lighting position over the auditorium. Same two words, different trade.","An FOH engineer and a house manager are unrelated roles even though both are described as front of house."],"see_also":["house","green-room","iron-safety-curtain"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["venue","audio","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Front of house","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_of_house","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Hong Kong City Hall Theatre — technical specification","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/en/hkch-th-lfe.pdf","publisher":"Leisure and Cultural Services Department","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"gain-before-feedback","en":"Gain before feedback (GBF)","zh_hant":"回授前增益","domain":"audio","definition_en":"How much a microphone can be turned up before the system starts to ring, usually talked about in dB of headroom above operating level. Driven far more by mic placement and polar pattern than by EQ — moving a vocal mic six inches closer to the mouth usually buys more GBF than any amount of notching ever will.","definition_zh_hant":"麥克風在系統開始鳴叫（回授）之前還能推多大。決定於音箱與麥克風的相對位置、指向性與空間，而不是等化器。","see_also":["ring-out"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","feedback","system-design","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Gain before feedback","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gain_before_feedback","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Gain Before Feedback","url":"https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/gain-before-feedback/","publisher":"Sweetwater InSync","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"gel","en":"Gel","zh_hant":"色紙","zh_hans":"色纸","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A sheet of coloured polyester or polycarbonate placed in front of a lamp to colour the beam. Modern gel is not gelatine; the name survives from the material used before plastics, and is specified by a manufacturer's number rather than by a colour name.","definition_zh_hant":"放在燈前面替光上色的塑膠色片。現在的色紙不是明膠做的，這個英文名字只是從塑膠出現以前的材料留下來的。實務上用廠牌編號指定，不用顏色名稱。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"色紙","note":"兩地口語一致。"}],"false_friends":["「凝膠」是 gel 的字典翻譯，在劇場是錯的。要講色紙。","Diffusion and frost come in the same swatch books and the same size sheets but are not colour. Asking for \"a gel\" when you want frost gets the wrong sheet.","Colour correction filters such as CTB and CTO are gels, but they are specified by mired shift, not by how blue or orange they look."],"see_also":["gobo","focus"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","consumables","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Color gel","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_gel","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"get-in","en":"Get-in","zh_hant":"入台","zh_hans":"入台","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"The British and Hong Kong word for load-in: the production arriving at the venue and going up. The same word also names the physical access route, so \"what is the get-in like\" is a question about the dock, the doors and the lift, not about the schedule.","definition_zh_hant":"英式和香港說法的裝台：製作進場、把演出裝起來。同一個字也指實體進場路線，所以問「get-in 怎麼樣」是在問卸貨區、大門和貨梯，不是在問進度表。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Get-in"},{"region":"HK","term":"入台","note":"香港的入台進度表在英文文件裡寫 move-in schedule。"},{"region":"US","term":"Load-in"},{"region":"TW","term":"裝台"},{"region":"AU / NZ","term":"Bump-in"}],"false_friends":["Get-in names both the process and the access route. A rider asking for get-in dimensions wants door and dock sizes, not a timetable.","香港的「入台」涵蓋整段進場期間，臺灣的「裝台」比較偏實際搭建的動作。","Get-in and fit-up are not the same. Fit-up is assembling the set; the get-in is the whole arrival."],"see_also":["load-in","load-out","strike"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scheduling","production","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"go","en":"Go","zh_hant":"GO／執行","zh_hans":"GO／执行","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The single word that executes a cue. It is said last, on its own, at the exact frame the action should happen, and it is the only thing on a headset that means act now. The convention around it is deliberate: the cue is named in the standby, acknowledged by each department, and then the operator is given nothing further to parse except the word itself.","definition_zh_hant":"執行 cue 的唯一指令詞。它單獨出現、放在最後、落在動作應該發生的那一刻，也是通訊系統上唯一代表「現在動作」 的字。這套慣例是刻意的：cue 編號在 standby 時已經報過並由各部門確認，到了動作點，操作者除了這個字之外 不需要再分析任何資訊。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Go"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"GO","note":"中文製作同樣直接喊英文 GO，不會譯成中文，正是因為這個字必須短、清楚、不會聽錯。"}],"false_friends":["\"Go\" is not the Go programming language, however often a search engine disagrees. In a control room it is a cue trigger and nothing else.","Never say the word go in any other sense while a standby is live. \"Can you go and check the DSL boom\" will fire a cue. The usual phrasings that avoid it are \"head over to\" and \"take a look at\".","The cue number belongs in the standby, not the go. Naming it again invites the operator to act on hearing the number, which is how a cue goes early."],"see_also":["standby","cue","call","deputy-stage-manager"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","cueing","headset","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-10-09"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"gobo","en":"Gobo","zh_hant":"圖案片（gobo）","zh_hans":"图案片","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A cut metal or etched glass template placed at the gate of a profile fixture so the beam projects a pattern: leaves, window bars, texture, a logo. Sizes follow fixture-specific gate dimensions, so a gobo is bought against a fixture, not against a universal standard.","definition_zh_hant":"放在聚光燈成像位置的金屬或玻璃片，讓光投射出圖案：樹葉、窗格、質感、標誌。尺寸依燈具的片框規格而定，所以買 gobo 要對著燈具型號買，沒有通用尺寸。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Gobo","note":"口語直接用英文，書面寫「圖案片」。"}],"false_friends":["In audio a gobo is a movable acoustic screen used to isolate a source. Same word, different department, completely different object.","對燈光組講「圖案片」沒問題，對影視或音響組講可能被理解成別的東西，講 gobo 最不會出錯。","Glass and metal gobos are not interchangeable in every fixture. Holder depth and heat handling differ, and a glass gobo in the wrong gate cracks."],"see_also":["gel","focus"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","consumables","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Gobo (lighting)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobo_(lighting)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"green-room","en":"Green room","zh_hant":"演員休息室","zh_hans":"演员休息室","domain":"general","definition_en":"The shared room near the stage where performers and crew wait between calls. It is a working space carrying the show relay and the tannoy, which is why calls given there are expected to be heard and acted on.","definition_zh_hant":"靠近舞台、演員和工作人員在等場時待著的公共空間。裡面接著演出實況轉播和廣播系統，所以在那裡叫的 call 是要聽到並且照做的。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"演員休息室","note":"有些場地也叫「後台休息室」。"}],"false_friends":["直譯成「綠色房間」沒有意義，房間本身通常也不是綠色的。","A green room is shared. A dressing room is assigned and private. Riders that use the two interchangeably cause arguments on arrival.","In broadcast the green room is where guests wait before going on air, with different access, security and hospitality expectations attached."],"see_also":["front-of-house","house"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["backstage","venue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Green room","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_room","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Parts of a theatre","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parts_of_a_theatre","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"ground-stack","en":"Ground stack","zh_hant":"落地疊放","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A PA array built on the deck rather than flown from a rigging point — cabinets on a stacking frame, on subs, or straight on the floor. Faster to build and needs no rigging sign-off, but it eats sightlines, covers a smaller area evenly than a flown array of the same box count, and puts the entire weight of the hang on the floor instead of overhead.","definition_zh_hant":"音箱直接疊在舞台面或台架上，而非吊掛。多用於無吊點或載重不足的場地。","see_also":["front-fill","fly","deck"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","pa","system-design","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Ground Stacking vs Flown Line Array Systems: Which is Best for Your Event?","url":"https://www.ti-audio.com/guides/ground-stacking-vs-flown-line-array-systems.html","publisher":"TI Audio","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Line array","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_array","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"haze","en":"Haze","zh_hant":"薄霧","domain":"general","definition_en":"A fine, even atmospheric suspension that makes light beams visible without reading as smoke. Distinct from fog (a visible cloud) and low fog (which hugs the floor); the fluid chemistry and exposure rules live in ANSI E1.5 and E1.23.","definition_zh_hant":"令光束現形而唔似煙嘅均勻懸浮微粒。同 fog（成團嘅煙）同低煙（貼地）唔同。使用同暴露規範見 ANSI E1.5 / E1.23。","false_friends":["Haze triggers ionisation smoke detectors: venues isolate specific zones for the effect through a permit process, and un-isolated haze is how a show meets the fire brigade mid-number."],"see_also":["fog","low-fog","smoke","blackout"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["atmospherics","effects","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrical smoke and fog","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatrical_smoke_and_fog","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"heads-up","en":"Heads up","zh_hant":"小心上方／HEADS UP","zh_hans":"小心上方／HEADS UP","domain":"safety","definition_en":"The call shouted when something is falling, or is about to move, overhead. It is not a general notification and it is not a figure of speech: it means something is coming down, protect yourself, and in most houses the correct response is to move rather than to look up. It is one of a very small number of calls anybody on a stage may make without authority, because the time cost of asking permission is the whole problem.","definition_zh_hant":"當有物件掉落、或上方即將有動作時喊出的警告。它不是一般的通知，也不是日常用語：它的意思是「有東西從上面 下來，保護自己」，而在多數劇場裡正確反應是立刻離開該位置，而不是抬頭看。這是少數任何在台上的人都可以不經 授權直接喊出的警示之一，因為請示的時間成本正是問題本身。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Heads / heads up","note":"The bare \"heads\" is the older and still common UK call."},{"region":"US","term":"Heads up"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Heads up／小心"}],"false_friends":["In ordinary speech a heads-up means advance notice of something minor. On a stage it means an object is in the air. Using it to mean \"just so you know\" is how the call gets ignored when it matters.","The intuitive response — looking up to find the hazard — presents your face to it. Most houses teach moving out from under, or covering your head, and looking afterwards.","It is distinct from \"walking\", which warns that a load is moving horizontally through a space at ground level."],"see_also":["go","hold"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["safety","rigging","vocabulary","stage-management"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"hold","en":"Hold","zh_hant":"暫停／HOLD","zh_hans":"暂停／HOLD","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The instruction to stop where you are without resetting. A hold freezes the sequence: a fade stops part way, a move stops mid-travel, and everything stays put until the stage manager either releases the hold or calls a reset. It is the instruction that buys thinking time, which is why it exists as a separate word from abort.","definition_zh_hant":"要求「停在原地、不要歸零」的指令。Hold 會凍結整個序列：淡入淡出停在中途，移動停在半路，一切保持現狀， 直到舞台監督解除 hold 或另外下令歸位。它的作用是爭取思考時間，這也是它必須與 abort 分開成兩個字的原因。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Hold"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Hold","note":"中文製作同樣直接講 hold，與 GO 一樣保留英文以免聽錯。"}],"false_friends":["A hold is not an abort. Hold means stay here and wait; abort means abandon the sequence. On moving automation the difference is a safety one.","A hold is not a pause button. Nothing resets, and a fade left half way is a lighting state nobody designed. Wait to be told what to do next.","Not a cargo hold, and not the grip sense of the word. On a headset it is always the sequence instruction."],"see_also":["go","standby","cue"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","cueing","headset","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"house-lights","en":"House lights","zh_hant":"觀眾席燈","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"The lighting over the audience seating. Controlled from the console during a show and from a panel at front of house otherwise, and the one lighting circuit that has to work when everything else has failed.","definition_zh_hant":"觀眾席上方的照明。演出中由控台控制，其餘時間由前廳的面板控制。這是所有燈光迴路中，在其他系統全部失效時仍必須能運作的一路。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"House lights / houselights"},{"region":"US","term":"House lights"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"觀眾席燈 / 大燈"}],"false_friends":["House lights are not the same as working lights. Work lights are for the crew and usually stay up during a changeover; house lights are part of the show and part of the egress plan."],"see_also":["house","blackout"],"tags":["lighting","venue","front-of-house"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"house","en":"House","zh_hant":"觀眾席","zh_hans":"观众席","domain":"general","definition_en":"The part of the building the audience occupies. \"House open\" means the audience may come in, which fixes the moment work on stage has to stop. The word also attaches to anything belonging to the venue rather than to the visiting production.","definition_zh_hant":"觀眾所在的區域。「開 house」是放觀眾入場，也就是台上工作必須停下來的時間點。這個字也用來指場地自備、而不是製作帶來的東西。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"觀眾席","note":"康文署官方中文技術資料使用「觀眾席」，英文版寫 auditorium。"},{"region":"TW","term":"觀眾席"}],"false_friends":["House left and house right are read from the audience's seat and are the mirror image of stage left and stage right. This reverses on every call.","House lights, house sound and house rig mean the venue's own equipment. None of them refer to the seating area.","中文「前台」偏向觀眾服務單位，「觀眾席」才是 house 這個空間，兩者不能互換。"],"see_also":["front-of-house","blackout"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["venue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Parts of a theatre","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parts_of_a_theatre","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"香港大會堂劇院詳細技術設施資料（中文）","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/b5/hkch-th-lfc.pdf","publisher":"康樂及文化事務署","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"Hong Kong City Hall Theatre — technical specification","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/en/hkch-th-lfe.pdf","publisher":"Leisure and Cultural Services Department","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"hrtf","en":"HRTF","zh_hant":"頭部相關傳輸函數","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Head-related transfer function: the filtering a listener’s head, torso and outer ear impose on a sound before it reaches the eardrum. Interaural time and level differences only ever resolve left and right; it is the notches the pinna carves into the spectrum that carry elevation and front-versus-behind. The filters are individual, so a generic HRTF gives someone else’s localisation and is the usual cause of front-back confusion in binaural rendering.","definition_zh_hant":"頭部相關傳輸函數：聲音抵達耳膜之前，受聽者頭部、軀幹與外耳所施加的濾波效果。雙耳時間差與 強度差只能判別左右；真正承載仰角與前後訊息的，是耳廓在頻譜上刻出的凹陷。這組濾波器因人而 異，因此通用 HRTF 給的是別人的定位能力，也正是雙耳算繪中前後混淆的主因。","false_friends":["Binaural and stereo are not the same thing. Binaural encodes a full sphere through HRTF filtering and assumes headphones; stereo encodes a pair of loudspeaker feeds."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"HRTF"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"HRTF","note":"The acronym travels; 頭部相關傳輸函數 is written, not spoken."}],"tags":["audio","spatial","binaural","psychoacoustics"],"sources":[{"title":"ITU-R BS series recommendations on sound systems and assessment","url":"https://www.itu.int/rec/R-REC-BS/en","publisher":"International Telecommunication Union","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"iem","en":"IEM (in-ear monitor)","zh_hant":"入耳式監聽","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A personal monitor mix sent to a performer over a body-pack receiver and moulded or universal earpieces, instead of a wedge on the deck. Each mix needs its own RF channel, so a band on IEMs plus radio mics is a frequency coordination job before it is an audio one.","definition_zh_hant":"以腰包接收機與訂製或通用耳機送給表演者的個人監聽混音，取代放在台面的地板監聽。每一路混音需要一組獨立的無線頻率，因此樂團同時使用 IEM 與無線麥克風時，先是頻率協調問題，其次才是混音問題。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"IEMs / in-ears"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"入耳式監聽 / IEM / 耳機監聽"}],"false_friends":["IEM transmitters and radio mic receivers occupy the same spectrum from opposite directions. Plan them as one frequency plan, not two, or the transmitters will sit on top of the mics."],"see_also":["monitor-wedge","line-check"],"tags":["audio","monitors","rf"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"iron-safety-curtain","en":"Iron / safety curtain","zh_hant":"防火幕（臺灣）／防火閘（香港）","zh_hans":"防火幕","domain":"safety","definition_en":"A fire-rated barrier that drops in the proscenium opening to separate the stage from the auditorium. It is a statutory life safety device, its operation normally has to be demonstrated to the fire authority, and its travel path has to be kept clear at all times, including during a get-out.","definition_zh_hant":"裝在台口、放下來就把舞台和觀眾席隔開的防火屏障。它是法定的救生設備，動作通常要向消防單位示範，行程範圍任何時候都不能有東西擋住，拆台時也一樣。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"The iron","note":"Not slang. In UK houses this is the licensed fire barrier."},{"region":"HK","term":"防火閘","note":"康文署技術資料寫「消防處視舞台的防火閘為安全屏障」。"},{"region":"TW","term":"防火幕"},{"region":"US","term":"Fire curtain"}],"false_friends":["「防火幕」和「防火閘」是同一件設備的兩地寫法。臺灣的 rider 問防火幕，就是香港場地的防火閘。","Flame-retardant drapes are not a safety curtain. Treating a treated cloth as fire separation is a licensing failure, not a shortcut.","\"Bring in the iron\" is an instruction to drop a heavy fire barrier through the proscenium line. Anything stored on that line will be destroyed or will stop the curtain from sealing."],"see_also":["house","wings","front-of-house"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["safety","fire","venue"],"sources":[{"title":"香港大會堂劇院詳細技術設施資料（中文）","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/b5/hkch-th-lfc.pdf","publisher":"康樂及文化事務署","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Hong Kong City Hall Theatre — technical specification","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/en/hkch-th-lfe.pdf","publisher":"Leisure and Cultural Services Department","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Safety curtain","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_curtain","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"jam-sync","en":"Jam sync","zh_hant":"同步鎖定","domain":"video","definition_en":"Matching a timecode generator to incoming code and then continuing to generate in step. Continuous jam keeps correcting to the incoming code for as long as it is present; one-time jam takes the value once when armed and then free-runs on its own crystal. One-time jam is what a camera needs to keep sensible code after being unplugged, and it is also how a device silently stops following the master while still displaying plausible timecode.","definition_zh_hant":"將時碼產生器對準輸入時碼後，繼續同步產生時碼。連續鎖定會在輸入時碼存在期間持續修正；單次 鎖定則只在啟動當下取值一次，之後便依自身晶振自由運行。攝影機拔線後仍要輸出合理時碼時需要 單次鎖定；但這也是裝置在畫面仍顯示合理時碼的情況下、悄悄停止跟隨主時鐘並開始漂移的原因。","false_friends":["Freewheel is not jam sync. Freewheel is how long a reader keeps counting after code disappears; jam sync is a generator that took the time and now produces its own."],"see_also":["biphase-mark"],"related_protocols":["ltc","mtc"],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Jam sync"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Jam sync","note":"Said in English; 同步鎖定 is the written form."}],"tags":["timecode","sync","video"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 12-1 time and control code","url":"https://www.smpte.org/standards","publisher":"Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"keying","en":"Keying (chroma key / luma key)","zh_hant":"去背／鍵控","domain":"video","definition_en":"Making part of an image transparent so another source shows through it. Chroma key removes a specific colour — green or blue screen. Luma key removes a brightness range instead, which is why it still works on footage with no coloured screen at all: titles on black, or pulling a bright practical light through a layer.","definition_zh_hant":"將畫面的一部分變成透明，讓另一個訊號透出。色鍵（chroma key）看顏色，亮度鍵（luma key）看亮度。","false_friends":["Calling for \"a key\" on comms doesn't say which technique. If the background isn't a clean solid colour, chroma key won't pull it — you need luma key or a different composite instead."],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","compositing","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Chroma key","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_key","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"A Glossary of Live Production Buzzwords","url":"https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/video/tips-and-solutions/a-glossary-of-live-production-buzzwords","publisher":"B&H Photo Video / eXplora","accessed":"2026-08-22"},{"title":"Video Post-Production Workflow Guide: Keying","url":"https://workflow.frame.io/guide/keying","publisher":"Frame.io","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"kill","en":"Kill","zh_hant":"關（切斷）","domain":"safety","definition_en":"To switch something off, immediately: kill the smoke, kill channel 5, kill pyro. In safety contexts it is the ONLY verb - a kill switch or e-stop removes energy and the call is not ambiguous. Never used casually about rigging or automation moves.","definition_zh_hant":"即時切斷：kill 煙機、kill pyro。喺安全語境入面係唯一動詞，e-stop 斷能量，呢個字無歧義，所以唔會亂用。","safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","false_friends":["\"Lose\" (lose the haze) is a soft fade request; \"kill\" is now. Mixing them up on comms turns a taste note into an emergency stop, or worse, the reverse."],"see_also":["blackout","cue"],"tags":["safety","comms","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"latency","en":"Latency","zh_hant":"延遲","domain":"general","definition_en":"The time between something happening and the system showing or sounding it. Every conversion, network hop, scaler, processor and wireless link adds some, and it accumulates down a chain until a video wall no longer matches the PA and a performer no longer trusts their monitor.","definition_zh_hant":"事件發生到系統呈現出來之間的時間差。每一次轉換、網路跳躍、縮放、處理與無線傳輸都會增加延遲，沿著訊號鏈累積，直到影像牆與 PA 不再同步、表演者不再信任自己的監聽。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Latency / delay"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"延遲"}],"false_friends":["Audio and video latency are budgeted separately and then have to be reconciled. Fixing lip sync by delaying the audio can push the performer monitor feed past what they can play to."],"see_also":["time-alignment","skew"],"related_protocols":["dante","ndi","smpte-st-2110"],"tags":["general","timing","av"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"led-processor","en":"LED processor / sending card","zh_hant":"LED 處理器","domain":"video","definition_en":"The box between a video source and an LED wall that takes a standard video signal, scales and maps it onto the physical panel layout, and drives the receiving cards in the panels. It owns the colour, the gamma, the brightness and the frame rate the wall actually shows.","definition_zh_hant":"介於影像訊號源與 LED 顯示屏之間的設備，接收標準影像訊號，縮放並對應到實際的箱體排列，再驅動箱體內的接收卡。屏幕最終呈現的色彩、gamma、亮度與更新率都由它決定。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Processor / sender"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"LED 處理器 / 發送卡"}],"false_friends":["The processor, not the panel, usually causes camera flicker. Refresh rate and scan mode are processor settings, so \"the wall strobes on camera\" is nearly always a processor conversation."],"see_also":["pixel-pitch","scaler"],"tags":["video","led","processing"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 1789 recommended practice on LED flicker","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/1789/4479/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"legs","en":"Legs","zh_hant":"側幕","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"Narrow vertical drapes hung in pairs at the sides of the stage to mask the wings from the audience's sightline. Usually velour or commando cloth, hung with enough fullness that they do not look limp, and numbered from the proscenium upstage the same way battens are. Only the legs create the wing entrances — a border above them masks overhead, not the sides.","definition_zh_hant":"掛在舞台兩側、成對出現的窄幕，用來遮擋側台視線並形成入口。","see_also":["wings"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","masking","drapery","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Fabric Legs and Borders are on almost every stage… So what do they do exactly?","url":"https://sewwhatinc.com/blog/2016/05/23/fabric-legs-and-borders-are-on-almost-every-stage-so-what-do-they-do-exactly/","publisher":"Sew What? Inc.","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Stage (theatre)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"limit-switch","en":"Limit switch","zh_hant":"限位開關","domain":"automation","definition_en":"A sensor that tells an automation controller a moving axis has reached the end of its travel. Usually two layers: soft limits set in software for normal operation, and hard limits wired into the safety circuit for when the software is wrong.","definition_zh_hant":"告訴自動化控制器某一運動軸已到達行程末端的感測器。通常分兩層：軟體中設定、供正常運作使用的軟限位，以及接入安全迴路、在軟體出錯時作用的硬限位。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Limit switch"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"限位開關 / 極限開關"}],"false_friends":["A soft limit is a setting and can be edited or lost with a show file. A hard limit is wiring. If a rig has only soft limits, it has no protection against the file being wrong."],"see_also":["e-stop","deadman"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["automation","control","safety"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.43 Performer Flying Systems","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"line-array","en":"Line array","zh_hant":"線陣列","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A column of loudspeaker elements hung close together so they behave as one long source, throwing further and covering more evenly front to back than a stack of separate boxes. Coverage is set by splay angles between elements, calculated in the manufacturer prediction software before it leaves the shop.","definition_zh_hant":"多個音箱單元緊密排列成一列，使其表現如同一個長形音源，投射更遠、前後覆蓋更均勻。覆蓋範圍由單元之間的夾角決定，在出庫前就以原廠預測軟體算好。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Line array"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"線陣列 / 線陣"}],"false_friends":["A line array is not automatically louder. It trades vertical directivity for even coverage, and hung with the wrong splay it is just an expensive point source with comb filtering."],"see_also":["ground-stack","delay-tower"],"tags":["audio","pa","loudspeaker"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"line-check","en":"Line check","zh_hant":"線路檢查","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Verifying every input reaches the console: mic by mic, DI by DI, before anyone plays a note. A soundcheck without a line check is how the first song opens with a dead vocal mic.","definition_zh_hant":"逐路輸入證明訊號到台：每支咪、每個 DI，未 check 完無人開歌。","see_also":["soundcheck","patch"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","concert","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"link-aggregation","en":"Link aggregation (LAG / LACP)","zh_hant":"鏈路聚合","domain":"networking","definition_en":"Making several physical cables behave as one logical link, for redundancy and for total throughput. The switch picks a physical link per flow by hashing addresses or ports, so every packet of one conversation follows one cable and arrives in order.","definition_zh_hant":"讓多條實體線路表現成一條邏輯鏈路，用於備援與提升總頻寬。交換器以位址或連接埠雜湊為每個流量選定一條實體線路，因此同一段對話的封包都走同一條線，順序得以維持。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"LAG / LACP / port channel / bonding"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"鏈路聚合 / 埠聚合"}],"false_friends":["Aggregation is resilience always and bandwidth only sometimes. A single 1.4 Gbit/s stream across two 1 Gbit/s links does not work; it picks one link and drops the excess."],"see_also":["vlan","qos"],"tags":["networking","redundancy"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.1AX Link Aggregation","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1AX/7479/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"load-in","en":"Load-in","zh_hant":"裝台","zh_hans":"装台","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"The period when the production arrives at the venue and goes up: trucks unloaded, rig hung, set built, systems powered and tested. The load-in schedule is the document every department negotiates over, because there is only one stage and everyone needs it first.","definition_zh_hant":"製作進場、把演出裝起來的時段：卸貨、掛燈、搭景、開電測試。裝台進度表是各部門最常爭的文件，因為舞台只有一個，每個部門都想先用。","regional_variants":[{"region":"US","term":"Load-in"},{"region":"UK","term":"Get-in"},{"region":"HK","term":"入台","note":"香港的入台進度表對應英文的 move-in schedule。"},{"region":"TW","term":"裝台"},{"region":"AU / NZ","term":"Bump-in"}],"false_friends":["Australian and New Zealand crews say bump-in. It sounds like the lighting term bump and has nothing to do with it.","香港的「入台」涵蓋整段進場期間，臺灣的「裝台」比較偏實際搭建的動作，兩者不完全等同。","Load-in is not fit-up. Fit-up is assembling the set once it is in the room; the load-in is the whole arrival including dock time and unloading."],"see_also":["get-in","load-out","bump"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scheduling","production","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"臺中國家歌劇院 技術資料","url":"https://www.npac-ntt.org/venuehire/technical","publisher":"臺中國家歌劇院","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"load-out","en":"Load-out","zh_hant":"拆台","zh_hans":"拆台","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"Taking the production out of the venue: strike the set, de-rig, pack, load the trucks. It usually happens at night, at speed, against a curfew, with people who have already worked a show, which is why it takes a large share of the industry's injuries.","definition_zh_hant":"把演出撤出場地：拆景、落燈、打包、上車。通常在深夜趕時間進行，而且大家已經做完一場演出，所以工傷比例特別高。","regional_variants":[{"region":"US","term":"Load-out"},{"region":"UK","term":"Get-out"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"拆台"},{"region":"AU / NZ","term":"Bump-out"}],"false_friends":["「拆台」在日常華語裡是當眾拆別人的台、扯後腿的意思。在通告表上它就是撤場。","Load-out is not strike. Strike is dismantling the physical production; load-out is the whole departure, including packing, dock and trucks.","A venue's stated load-out finish time is usually a licence condition, not a target. Overrunning it is a legal problem, not a scheduling one."],"see_also":["strike","load-in","get-in"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scheduling","production","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"臺中國家歌劇院 技術資料","url":"https://www.npac-ntt.org/venuehire/technical","publisher":"臺中國家歌劇院","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"lockout-tagout","en":"Lockout/tagout (LOTO)","zh_hant":"上鎖掛牌","domain":"safety","definition_en":"Physically locking an energy-isolating device — a breaker, a disconnect, a valve — in the off position and tagging it before anyone works on the equipment downstream, so a second person cannot re-energise it while a tech's hands are inside. The tag is a warning; the lock is the actual control. US practice under OSHA treats it as one program covering every energy type, verified by trying to start the equipment afterward, not just reading a meter.","false_friends":["US LOTO (OSHA 1910.147) verifies by \"try-out\" — attempting to start the equipment. UK \"safe isolation\" is narrower, electrical-only, verified by proving dead with a voltage indicator.","The two overlap but are not one procedure. A site running to one standard is not automatically compliant with the other, whatever a touring rider assumes."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"上鎖掛牌","note":"HKSAR EMSD guidance on breaker/switch isolation for electrical work uses 開關掣上鎖掛牌 for this exact procedure."}],"see_also":["kill","dead"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"verified","tags":["safety","electrical","loto","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"1910.147 - The control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout)","url":"https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.147","publisher":"OSHA","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Safe Isolation vs Lockout Tagout: Key Differences Explained","url":"https://www.hseblog.com/safe-isolation-vs-lockout-tagout/","publisher":"HSEBlog","accessed":"2026-08-22"},{"title":"電力安全評估表格的填寫和斷路器上鎖掛牌的處理","url":"https://www.emsd.gov.hk/filemanager/sc/content_1278/sem20171107-Topic2.pdf","publisher":"Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, HKSAR Government","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"low-fog","en":"Low fog","zh_hant":"低空煙／貼地煙","domain":"general","definition_en":"Fog cooled below the temperature of the room so that it sinks and lies on the deck. Produced by chilling ordinary fog, by dropping solid carbon dioxide into hot water, or with liquid nitrogen. The layer is temporary by definition: as it warms to room temperature it becomes neutrally buoyant again and rises as ordinary fog.","definition_zh_hant":"冷卻到低於室溫、因而下沉並停留在地面的霧。可用製冷機冷卻一般霧、將乾冰投入熱水，或使用液態氮產生。這層霧本質上是暫時的：回到室溫後恢復中性浮力，便會像一般霧一樣升起。","false_friends":["Low fog does not disperse where it lies. It warms, rises, and arrives in the lighting beams a minute later looking like a hazer fault.","Dry ice and cryo release carbon dioxide, which displaces air and pools in the low, still places the effect fills — pits, traps, under-stage. A person lying down is in the worst of it."],"see_also":["fog","haze","dry-ice"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["atmospherics","effects","safety","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.23 — Design, Execution, and Maintenance of Atmospheric Effects","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ESTA_ANSI_E1-23-2010-R2015.pdf","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"metamerism","en":"Metamerism","zh_hant":"同色異譜","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"Two different spectra that look identical to a human observer. The eye has three cone types, so it collapses a whole spectrum into three numbers, and many different spectra collapse to the same three. A camera's three sensitivity curves are not the eye's, so a pair that matches by eye can visibly clash on a broadcast feed.","definition_zh_hant":"兩種不同的光譜在人眼看來完全相同。人眼只有三種錐狀細胞，會把整段光譜壓縮成三個數值，而許多不同光譜會壓縮成同一組數值。攝影機的三條感光曲線與人眼不同，因此肉眼看來相配的兩者，在轉播訊號上可能明顯不搭。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Metamerism / metameric match"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"同色異譜 / 條件等色"}],"false_friends":["A metameric match holds under one spectrum only. Two fabrics that match in the workroom can separate under a narrowband LED wash, so samples must be approved under the rig."],"see_also":["additive-mixing","colour-temperature"],"tags":["lighting","colour","video"],"sources":[{"title":"CIE colorimetry and colour mixing fundamentals","url":"https://cie.co.at/e-ilv","publisher":"International Commission on Illumination","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"monitor-wedge","en":"Monitor wedge","zh_hant":"地面監聽（wedge）","domain":"audio","definition_en":"The angled floor loudspeaker pointed at a performer so they hear themselves. Each mix a monitor engineer runs is a different answer to \"what do YOU need to hear\"; wedges trade against in-ear monitors, which take the stage volume war away but isolate the performer.","definition_zh_hant":"斜放喺台面向表演者嘅監聽喇叭。每個 mix 係一位表演者「想聽到咩」嘅答案；同 IEM 互為取捨。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"monitor / 監聽","note":"口語直接叫 wedge。"}],"see_also":["soundcheck"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","monitors","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Stage monitor system","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_monitor_system","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"moving-head","en":"Moving head","zh_hant":"搖頭燈","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A fixture whose whole optical head pans and tilts on motorised yokes, as opposed to a fixed fixture or a mirror-scanner. The category everything else in a modern rig is described against: wash, spot, beam, hybrid, profile.","definition_zh_hant":"整個燈頭透過馬達在支架上做水平與垂直轉動的燈具，相對於固定燈具或反射鏡掃描燈。現代燈光系統的其他分類都以此為基準描述：染色、成像、光束、混合型。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Moving head / mover"},{"region":"HK","term":"搖頭燈 / Mover"},{"region":"TW","term":"搖頭燈"}],"false_friends":["Wash, spot and beam are marketing categories, not defined terms. A \"beam\" from one brand and another can have very different field angles and zoom ranges."],"see_also":["focus","patch"],"tags":["lighting","fixture"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"multicast","en":"Multicast","zh_hant":"多播","domain":"networking","definition_en":"Sending one copy of a stream to a group address that many receivers can subscribe to, instead of one copy per receiver. How sACN, Dante, AES67 and ST 2110 scale past a handful of devices.","definition_zh_hant":"把一份串流送到群組位址，由多個接收端訂閱，而不是為每個接收端各送一份。sACN、Dante、AES67 與 ST 2110 能擴展到大量設備，靠的就是這個機制。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Multicast"},{"region":"HK","term":"多播 / Multicast"},{"region":"TW","term":"群播"}],"false_friends":["Without IGMP snooping a switch treats multicast as broadcast and floods every port. That is why a small DMX-over-IP network works fine and a big one falls over on the same gear."],"see_also":["vlan","qos"],"related_protocols":["sacn","dante","aes67","smpte-st-2110"],"tags":["networking","multicast","igmp"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.31 (sACN) multicast addressing","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA TSP","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"network-tap","en":"Network TAP","zh_hant":"網路分接器","domain":"networking","definition_en":"A passive device spliced into a link that copies everything passing through it to a monitoring port. Passive is the point. It has no configuration, cannot drop traffic, and keeps working if it loses power, so it never becomes the thing that broke the show.","definition_zh_hant":"串接在線路中的被動裝置，把通過的所有流量複製到監看埠。被動正是重點：它沒有設定、不會丟棄流量，斷電後仍能導通，因此絕不會變成把演出弄壞的那個環節。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"TAP / network tap"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"網路分接器 / 分光器"}],"false_friends":["A port mirror or SPAN does the same job in software and costs nothing, but a busy switch drops mirrored frames before real ones. For proving a timing problem, use a TAP."],"see_also":["vlan","qos","link-aggregation"],"tags":["networking","diagnostics"],"sources":[{"title":"IETF RFC 7011 — traffic capture and monitoring concepts","url":"https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7011","publisher":"IETF","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"onion-routing","en":"Onion routing","zh_hant":"洋蔥路由","domain":"networking","definition_en":"Sending traffic through several relays in layers of encryption, so no single relay knows both ends. The first knows who you are but not where you are going; the last knows where you are going but not who you are. Tor is the well-known implementation. It protects metadata rather than content, and the cost is very high and variable latency.","definition_zh_hant":"讓流量經過多個中繼節點，並以多層加密包覆，使任何單一節點都無法同時得知兩端。第一個節點知道你是誰但不知道你去哪裡，最後一個知道去向卻不知道來源。Tor 是最著名的實作。它保護的是中繼資料而非內容，代價是延遲極高且變動很大。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Onion routing / Tor"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"洋蔥路由"}],"false_friends":["A VPN moves trust to its operator, who can see both ends. Onion routing splits trust so nobody holds both. Neither hides what you do once you have logged in to something."],"see_also":["vlan","qos"],"tags":["networking","privacy","security"],"sources":[{"title":"Tor Project — how Tor works","url":"https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/overview/","publisher":"The Tor Project","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"paper-tech","en":"Paper tech","zh_hant":"紙上技術會議","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"A meeting before technical rehearsals where stage management and department heads walk the whole cue list on paper: numbers, placement, who takes what on which line, with no stage time burned.","definition_zh_hant":"進劇場前把整份 cue 表在紙上走一次的會議：cue 號、位置、邊個部門食邊句對白，唔使用舞台時間。","see_also":["cue-to-cue","plot"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","rehearsal","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"patch","en":"Patch","zh_hant":"配接（patch）","zh_hans":"配接","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"The mapping between a control channel and the thing it drives. On a lighting desk it is which DMX address a fixture answers to and which profile the desk applies to it. In audio and video it is which physical input arrives on which channel.","definition_zh_hant":"控制通道和被控制對象之間的對應關係。在燈光控台上，是燈具用哪個 DMX 位址、控台套哪個燈庫檔。在音響和影像則是哪個實體輸入進到哪個通道。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Patch","note":"口語直接用英文，書面寫「配接」或「位址設定」。"}],"false_friends":["A soft patch lives in the desk's show file. A hard patch is physical cabling or a dimmer rack assignment. Changing one does not change the other.","「跳線」在中文通常指實體接線。燈光控台上的 patch 是軟體對應，兩者不要混用。","In audio a patchbay is a physical panel. Telling a sound engineer to \"repatch it\" may send someone to a rack rather than to a laptop."],"see_also":["plot","gobo"],"related_protocols":["dmx512"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","control","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"phantom-power","en":"Phantom power","zh_hant":"幻象電源","domain":"audio","definition_en":"48 volts DC sent up the same balanced pair that carries the microphone signal, to power a condenser capsule or an active DI. Equal on both legs, so a balanced input rejects it and a dynamic microphone ignores it.","definition_zh_hant":"沿著傳送麥克風訊號的同一組平衡線，送上 48V 直流電，用來供電給電容式麥克風或主動式 DI。兩腳電位相同，因此平衡輸入會將其抵消，動圈麥克風也不受影響。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Phantom power / 48V"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"幻象電源 / 48V"}],"false_friends":["Phantom is not the same as T-power (A-B powering) and it is not the same as bias for an electret lavalier. Patching a ribbon mic into a live 48V leg can destroy it."],"see_also":["di-box","line-check"],"tags":["audio","microphone","power"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"phase-rotation","en":"Phase rotation","zh_hant":"相序","domain":"safety","definition_en":"The order in which the three phases of a supply reach their peaks. Swapping any two conductors reverses it. Single-phase loads, dimmers and heaters are unaffected and give no indication, but a three-phase motor turns in whatever direction the field rotates, so a chain hoist on a reversed supply runs the opposite way to its controls. Checked with a rotation meter at every unfamiliar supply and after every adaptor, before anything is connected.","definition_zh_hant":"三相電源各相到達峰值的先後次序。任意對調兩條相線即會反轉。單相負載、調光器與電熱負載完全 不受影響，也不會有任何徵兆；但三相馬達的旋轉方向取決於磁場旋轉方向，因此電動吊車接到相序 相反的電源時，動作方向會與控制器相反。每逢接觸陌生電源或經過轉接頭後，都必須先用相序表檢 查再接入設備。","false_friends":["A rotation meter says nothing about voltage or earth quality. A correct rotation is not evidence of a sound supply, only of a correctly ordered one."],"see_also":["chain-hoist"],"safety_critical":true,"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Phase rotation"},{"region":"US","term":"Phase sequence / phase rotation"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"相序","note":"Spoken as 相序; crews often just say \"check the rotation\" in English."}],"tags":["power","electrical","rigging","safety"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60364 and IEC 60038 low-voltage installation and supply standards","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/1880","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"pixel-pitch","en":"Pixel pitch","zh_hant":"點間距","domain":"video","definition_en":"The centre-to-centre distance between LED pixels on a video wall panel, in millimetres — P2.6, P3.9, P4.8 and so on. A smaller pitch packs more pixels into the same panel area and holds up at closer viewing distance, at a real cost in price, weight and power draw. The right pitch is set by minimum viewing distance, not by \"smaller is always better.\"","definition_zh_hant":"LED 顯示屏相鄰像素中心到中心的距離，單位為毫米。數字越小、解析度越高，最短可視距離也越近。","safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["video","led","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"About pixel pitch and viewing distance for LED walls","url":"https://www.barco.com/en/inspiration/news-insights/2020-03-11-ledtalks-what-is-pixelpitch","publisher":"Barco","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Understanding LED video wall pixel pitch","url":"https://www.christiedigital.com/spotlight/understanding-pixel-pitch-led-video-wall/","publisher":"Christie Digital","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"plot","en":"Plot","zh_hant":"燈圖（圖面）／Cue 表（提示表）","zh_hans":"灯图／Cue 表","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"In British usage a plot is the list of cues belonging to a department, and plotting is the session at the desk where those cues get built. In American usage the light plot is the drawing showing where every fixture hangs. One word, two documents, produced weeks apart by different people.","definition_zh_hant":"英式用法裡 plot 是某個部門的 cue 表，plotting 是在控台前編 cue 的工作時段。美式用法裡 light plot 是標示每盞燈掛在哪裡的圖面。同一個字，兩份完全不同的文件。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Plot / plotting session","note":"The cue list, and the session where cues are recorded."},{"region":"US","term":"Light plot","note":"The hanging drawing, produced in pre-production."}],"false_friends":["Asking for \"the plot\" gets you whichever document the person grew up with. Say cue list or hanging plan and the ambiguity disappears.","中文「燈圖」通常指圖面，也就是美式 light plot。要 cue 表就直接說 cue 表或提示表。","A sound plot in the UK is the cue list. In some US houses a sound plot is the loudspeaker plan. Same trap, different department."],"see_also":["cue","tech-rehearsal","patch"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["lighting","paperwork","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Stage lighting","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_lighting","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"poe","en":"PoE (Power over Ethernet)","zh_hant":"乙太網路供電","domain":"networking","definition_en":"Powering a device over the same Cat cable that carries its data. Graded by type: Type 1 up to 15.4 W at the switch, Type 2 up to 30 W, Type 3 up to 60 W and Type 4 up to 90 W.","definition_zh_hant":"透過傳輸資料的同一條網路線為設備供電。依類型分級：Type 1 交換器端最高 15.4 W、Type 2 最高 30 W、Type 3 最高 60 W、Type 4 最高 90 W。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"PoE / PoE+ / PoE++"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"PoE / 網路供電"}],"false_friends":["\"PoE++\", \"UPoE\" and \"Hi-PoE\" are vendor names, not ratings. The standard words are Type 1 to Type 4, and a Type 4 device on a Type 2 port simply will not boot."],"see_also":["vlan"],"tags":["networking","power","poe"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.3bt four-pair PoE","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.3bt/6749/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"related_protocols":["poe"],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ppe","en":"PPE (personal protective equipment)","zh_hant":"個人防護裝備","domain":"safety","definition_en":"The equipment worn to reduce harm when the hazard cannot be designed out: helmet, harness, gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear. Last in the hierarchy of control, not first.","definition_zh_hant":"在無法從源頭消除危害時，用來降低傷害的個人穿戴裝備：安全帽、安全帶、手套、護目裝備、聽力防護、反光衣、安全鞋。在控制層級中排在最後，而非最先。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"PPE"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"個人防護裝備 / PPE"}],"false_friends":["Handing out PPE does not discharge the duty to remove the hazard. A rig that needs everyone in a helmet all day is a rig with an unsolved overhead-work problem."],"see_also":["competent-person","exclusion-zone"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["safety","ppe"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"ISO 12100 risk assessment and risk reduction","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/51528.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"practical","en":"Practical","zh_hant":"實用道具（praccy）","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"A prop or scenic element that really works on stage: a lamp that lights, a hob that heats, a tap that runs. Practicals sit at the junction of departments, which is why who owns the table lamp is a production meeting question.","definition_zh_hant":"台上真識著、真識用嘅道具或佈景：識著嘅檯燈、出水嘅水龍頭。跨部門邊界物，邊個部門負責係製作會議先傾得掂嘅事。","see_also":["plot"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","props","lighting","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"projection-mapping","en":"Projection mapping","zh_hant":"光雕投影","domain":"video","definition_en":"Warping projected content to fit a non-flat, non-rectangular surface: a building facade, a set piece, a car. The content is authored against a model of the object, and the projector is aligned to that model on site.","definition_zh_hant":"把投影內容變形以貼合非平面、非矩形的表面：建築外牆、景片、車輛等。內容依物件模型製作，現場再把投影機對位到該模型。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Projection mapping / video mapping"},{"region":"HK","term":"投影映射 / Mapping"},{"region":"TW","term":"光雕投影"}],"false_friends":["Mapping is not keystone correction. Keystone squares a trapezoid; mapping deforms content onto arbitrary geometry, and needs the object measured or scanned first."],"see_also":["edge-blend"],"tags":["video","projection","content"],"sources":[{"title":"Projection mapping overview","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_mapping","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-26"}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"prompt-corner","en":"Prompt corner","zh_hant":"提場角","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The stage-management position at the side of the stage from which the show is called: cue lights, comms, the book. Traditionally stage left in the UK (prompt side, PS) with the opposite side called OP (opposite prompt).","definition_zh_hant":"舞台側面叫show嘅位置：cue燈、通話、劇本。英制傳統喺演員左側（Prompt Side, PS），對面叫 OP。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Prompt side / PS and OP"},{"region":"US","term":"Calling position (often booth instead)"}],"see_also":["deputy-stage-manager","call"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","venue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"pyro","en":"Pyro","zh_hant":"煙火效果","domain":"safety","definition_en":"Short for pyrotechnics: effects produced by burning a prepared composition before an audience. A separate discipline with a separate legal basis, where the competence to design and fire is licensed rather than learned informally. In the United States, NFPA 1126 governs pyrotechnics before a proximate audience and NFPA 160 governs flame effects; elsewhere the local authority having jurisdiction has the final say.","definition_zh_hant":"Pyrotechnics 的簡稱：在觀眾面前燃燒特製藥劑所產生的效果。這是一門法律基礎獨立的專業，設計與擊發的資格需要執照，而非自行習得。在美國，近距離觀眾的煙火適用 NFPA 1126，火焰效果適用 NFPA 160；其他地區以當地主管機關的規定為準。","false_friends":["Pyro is not an atmospheric effect, even when the visible result is a cloud. Coloured smoke burns a composition and falls under pyrotechnic rules.","A device sold as \"proximate\" is not thereby safe in your room. The rating describes the device; separation distance, what is above it and the authority having jurisdiction decide its use."],"see_also":["smoke","flame-effect"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["pyro","effects","safety","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"NFPA 1126, Standard for the Use of Pyrotechnics Before a Proximate Audience","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-1126-standard-development/1126","publisher":"National Fire Protection Association","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"NFPA 160, Standard for the Use of Flame Effects Before an Audience","url":"https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-160-standard-development/160","publisher":"National Fire Protection Association","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"qos","en":"QoS (quality of service)","zh_hant":"服務品質","domain":"networking","definition_en":"Marking packets so a switch knows which ones to send first when a link is congested. On a media network the clock is marked highest, the media next, and everything else takes what is left.","definition_zh_hant":"為封包標記優先權，讓交換器在鏈路壅塞時知道該先送哪些。在媒體網路上，時脈封包優先權最高，媒體次之，其餘流量分配剩餘頻寬。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"QoS"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"QoS / 服務品質"}],"false_friends":["DSCP is layer 3, PCP is layer 2 inside the VLAN tag. An untagged access port has no PCP, so half the QoS a vendor guide describes silently does not exist on that port."],"see_also":["vlan","multicast"],"related_protocols":["dante","aes67","smpte-st-2110","ptp-1588"],"tags":["networking","qos","dscp"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.1Q priority code point","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1Q/10323/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"quarter-frame","en":"Quarter frame message","zh_hant":"四分之一幀訊息","domain":"video","definition_en":"The MIDI Timecode message that carries four bits of a timecode value. Eight of them make one complete value, sent four per frame, so a value takes two frames to arrive. That is why a running MTC receiver is always two frames behind the transmitter and needs an offset applied. Locating while stopped uses the full-frame message instead.","definition_zh_hant":"MIDI 時碼中攜帶四個位元時碼資料的訊息。八個組成一個完整的時碼值，每幀送四個，因此一個值需要兩幀才傳完。這就是為什麼運行中的 MTC 接收端永遠落後傳送端兩幀，必須補上偏移量。停止狀態下的定位改用 full frame 訊息。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Quarter frame / QF"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"四分之一幀訊息"}],"false_friends":["The frame rate rides in piece 7, the last one, so a receiver does not know what rate it is being sent until a whole sequence has arrived."],"see_also":["drop-frame","running-status","frame-rate"],"tags":["control","midi","timecode","sync"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification","url":"https://midi.org/midi-1-0-core-specifications","publisher":"MIDI Association","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"related_protocols":["mtc"],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"quick-change","en":"Quick change","zh_hant":"快速換裝","domain":"wardrobe","definition_en":"A costume change too fast for the dressing room, done in a prepared booth or wing position with a dresser: garments pre-set in order, fastenings converted to magnets or velcro, choreographed to the second.","definition_zh_hant":"快到返唔切化妝間嘅換裝，喺側台預設嘅快換區由 dresser 協助完成：衫按次序擺好、鈕扣改磁石或魔術貼，逐秒編排。","see_also":["wings"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["wardrobe","backstage","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"rake","en":"Rake","zh_hant":"斜台","zh_hans":"斜台","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"A stage floor built on a slope, higher upstage than downstage. It changes sightlines, and it also changes how anything on wheels or with a high centre of gravity behaves, so trucks, rostra and furniture destined for a rake have to be built and braked for it.","definition_zh_hant":"上舞台高、下舞台低的斜面舞台。除了改變視線，也改變所有有輪子、重心高的東西的行為，所以要放上斜台的推車、平台和家具，都必須為斜度另外設計並加上煞車。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Rake","note":"Usually quoted as a ratio such as one in twenty-four."},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"斜台"}],"false_friends":["「斜度」也用來講觀眾席的坡度。觀眾席斜度和舞台斜度是兩件事，一個場地可以只有其中一個。","A raked seating figure in a venue spec is not a stage rake figure. Reading one as the other has put scenery on the wrong geometry more than once.","Castors that are safe on a flat deck can run away on a rake. A rake changes the risk assessment for every wheeled item, not just the sightlines."],"see_also":["house","wings"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","venue","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Parts of a theatre","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parts_of_a_theatre","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Stage (theatre)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"rdm-proxy","en":"RDM proxy","zh_hant":"RDM 代理裝置","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"An RDM device that responds on behalf of others, holding a list of the UIDs behind it so a controller can be handed that list rather than discovering through it. Typically a gateway onto a segment that does not speak RDM, or a system with its own internal bus. Devices behind a proxy appear in the patch as ordinary devices.","definition_zh_hant":"代其他裝置回應的 RDM 裝置，內部保存其後方裝置的 UID 清單，控制器可直接取得該清 單，而毋須穿透它進行搜尋。通常是通往不支援 RDM 網段的閘道器，或本身具備內部匯流排的 系統。代理後方的裝置在配接表中會如同一般裝置般出現。","false_friends":["A UID on your line need not be a device on your line. Behind a proxy it may sit on another bus entirely, which is confusing when you go looking for it."],"related_protocols":["rdm"],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Proxy device"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"代理裝置 / proxy"}],"tags":["dmx","rdm","networking"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.20 Remote Device Management over DMX512 networks","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"rdm-sub-device","en":"RDM sub-device","zh_hant":"RDM 子裝置","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A logical device inside one physical RDM device, addressed by number so that a multi-channel product can expose each channel separately under a single UID. Root device zero is the box itself and carries what belongs to the box; sub-devices carry what belongs to each channel or cell. A twelve-way dimmer rack is typically one UID and twelve sub-devices.","definition_zh_hant":"RDM 實體裝置內部的邏輯裝置，以編號定址，使多通道產品能在單一 UID 之下分別呈現各 通道。根裝置（編號 0）代表機箱本身，承載屬於機箱的參數；子裝置則承載屬於各通道或各燈珠 的參數。十二路調光櫃通常就是一個 UID 加十二個子裝置。","false_friends":["Addressing the root of a multi-cell fixture addresses the fixture, not its first cell. Some products use separate UIDs per channel instead, and patch differently."],"related_protocols":["rdm"],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Sub-device"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"子裝置 / sub-device"}],"tags":["dmx","rdm","lighting"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.20 Remote Device Management over DMX512 networks","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"rigging-point","en":"Point / rigging point","zh_hant":"吊點","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"A single place in the roof structure from which a load is hung, and the whole assembly that gets it there: the steel, the shackle, the hoist and the beam or beam clamp it lands on. A tour asks a venue for a point count and a weight per point; the venue answers with what its structure can actually take, which is rarely the same number.","definition_zh_hant":"屋頂結構上用來吊掛負載的單一位置，以及到達該位置的整組配件：鋼索、卸扣、電動葫蘆與所承接的鋼樑或樑夾。巡演會向場館提出吊點數量與每點載重，場館回覆結構實際能承受的數字，兩者往往不同。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Point / rigging point"},{"region":"US","term":"Point / hang point"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"吊點"}],"false_friends":["\"Point\" can also mean a spot line or point hoist - a moveable single line, not a fixed structural attachment. Ask which a venue means before planning a load."],"see_also":["chain-hoist","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["rigging","load","venue"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"ring-out","en":"Ring out / ringing out","zh_hant":"掃頻抑制回授","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Deliberately pushing each speaker zone toward feedback before doors, then pulling the specific frequencies that ring first on a parametric or graphic EQ. Normally done on monitor wedges first, then FOH, well before soundcheck proper — not a live-mixing move, and not the same thing as EQing for tone.","definition_zh_hant":"開場前刻意把每一個音區推到接近回授，再把鳴叫的頻率壓下去，藉此換取更高的回授前增益。","see_also":["monitor-wedge","gain-before-feedback"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","feedback","system-design","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Ring Out","url":"https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/ring-out/","publisher":"Sweetwater InSync","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Ringing out","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringing_out","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"risk-assessment","en":"Risk assessment","zh_hant":"風險評估","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"The written identification of what could hurt someone on this production, how likely and how badly, and what is being done about it. In much of the world it is a legal requirement rather than paperwork, and it is the document a venue, an insurer or an inspector asks for first.","definition_zh_hant":"以書面指認本製作中可能造成傷害的事項、其可能性與嚴重度，以及所採取的控制措施。在許多國家這是法定義務而非例行文書，也是場館、保險公司或稽查人員最先索取的文件。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Risk assessment / RAMS"},{"region":"US","term":"Job hazard analysis / JHA"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"風險評估"}],"false_friends":["RAMS is risk assessment AND method statement. A venue asking for RAMS wants both: what could go wrong, and the step-by-step of how you intend to do the work."],"see_also":["competent-person","exclusion-zone"],"safety_critical":false,"tags":["safety","production","paperwork"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"ISO 12100 risk assessment and risk reduction","url":"https://www.iso.org/standard/51528.html","publisher":"ISO","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"round-sling","en":"Round sling / span set","zh_hant":"圓形吊帶","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"A continuous loop of load-bearing yarn inside a protective sleeve, used to wrap a beam or a truss and take a hoist. Colour codes the capacity in most European ranges, though the colour convention is not universal, so read the label rather than the colour.","definition_zh_hant":"保護套內為連續承力紗束的環形吊帶，用來繞過鋼樑或桁架承接葫蘆。歐系產品多以顏色標示載重，但顏色慣例並非全球一致，應以標籤為準而非顏色。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Span set / round sling"},{"region":"US","term":"Round sling"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"圓形吊帶 / 吊帶"}],"false_friends":["Capacity depends on the hitch. The same sling has one rating in a straight pull, a different one in a choke, and a different one again in a basket. A single number on the label is not the whole story."],"see_also":["shackle","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["rigging","sling","load"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"running-order","en":"Running order","zh_hant":"流程表","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"The list of what happens in what sequence on the day: acts, speeches, video packages, changeovers, with times. The document every department times its work against, and the one that changes most often.","definition_zh_hant":"當天各項內容的先後順序清單：節目、致詞、影片、換場，並附時間。所有部門據以安排工作的文件，也是改動最頻繁的一份。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Running order"},{"region":"US","term":"Rundown / run of show"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"流程表 / Rundown"}],"false_friends":["A running order is not a cue sheet. It says what happens; the cue sheet says who does what to make it happen, and one can change without the other."],"see_also":["cue","plot"],"tags":["production","schedule","paperwork"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"running-status","en":"Running status","zh_hant":"延續狀態","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A MIDI compression rule. If a status byte would be the same as the previous one, it can be omitted and only the data bytes sent. It is why a dump of a busy MIDI stream has long runs with no status byte visible, and why Note On at velocity 0 exists as a way of saying Note Off — it lets a whole passage of notes share one status byte.","definition_zh_hant":"MIDI 的一種壓縮規則：若狀態位元組與前一個相同，可以省略，只傳資料位元組。這就是為什麼繁忙的 MIDI 資料流長段看不到狀態位元組，也是為什麼「力度為 0 的 Note On」被用來表示 Note Off —— 這讓整段音符共用同一個狀態位元組。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Running status"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"延續狀態 / 執行狀態"}],"false_friends":["Data bytes with no preceding status byte are not malformed. A receiver that cannot handle running status will appear to work on a quiet stream and fail on a busy one."],"see_also":["quarter-frame","daisy-chain"],"tags":["control","midi","protocol"],"sources":[{"title":"MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification","url":"https://midi.org/midi-1-0-core-specifications","publisher":"MIDI Association","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"related_protocols":["midi"],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"safe-working-load","en":"Safe working load (SWL) / working load limit (WLL)","zh_hant":"安全操作負荷","domain":"safety","definition_en":"The maximum load a piece of rigging hardware is rated to carry in normal service — not its breaking strength, and not a number to back-calculate yourself from breaking strength by guessing at a safety factor. WLL is the term current US and ISO entertainment-rigging standards use; SWL is the older term, still current in UK and Commonwealth usage, for the same underlying idea. Read the tag or the certificate rather than assume which convention a rider is using.","false_friends":["SWL and WLL usually mean the same number today, but SWL historically implied a fixed safety factor — one that varied by hardware type and could be wrongly assumed rather than checked.","Neither is breaking strength — a lab figure from destructive testing. WLL/SWL already accounts for wear, cyclic and side loading, and is the number you're actually allowed to use."],"see_also":["chain-hoist","winch","stage-weight"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["safety","rigging","load","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Understanding Working Load Limit and Breaking Strength in Theatre Rigging","url":"https://entertainingsafety.com/knowledge-base/understanding-working-load-limit-and-breaking-strength-in-theatre-rigging/","publisher":"Entertaining Safety","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Working Load Limit (WLL) vs Safe Working Load (SWL): Definitions, Differences and Calculations","url":"https://www.safetyliftingear.com/news/post/wll-vs-swl-difference","publisher":"Safety Lifting Gear","accessed":"2026-08-22"},{"title":"起重機械及起重裝置的檢查、檢驗和測試指南","url":"https://www.labour.gov.hk/tc/public/pdf/os/C/gearc.pdf","publisher":"Labour Department, HKSAR Government","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"scaler","en":"Scaler","zh_hant":"影像縮放器","domain":"video","definition_en":"A device that converts an incoming video signal to a different resolution, frame rate or format so a display can take it. Every scale costs a frame or more of latency and some image quality, which is why a well-planned system scales once.","definition_zh_hant":"把輸入影像轉換成另一種解析度、更新率或格式，使顯示設備能夠接收的設備。每一次縮放都要付出至少一個影格的延遲與部分畫質，因此規劃良好的系統只縮放一次。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Scaler"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"縮放器 / Scaler"}],"false_friends":["A switcher with \"seamless\" outputs is scaling on every input. That is where the latency in a presentation system comes from, not from the cable length."],"see_also":["led-processor"],"tags":["video","processing","latency"],"sources":[{"title":"SMPTE ST 292-1 HD-SDI","url":"https://pub.smpte.org/doc/st292-1/","publisher":"SMPTE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"scrim","en":"Scrim / sharkstooth gauze","zh_hant":"紗幕","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"An open-weave cloth that reads as solid when lit from the front and becomes transparent when the light behind it comes up. The classic reveal: light the gauze, then cross-fade to what is behind it.","definition_zh_hant":"織紋開放的布幕，前方打光時看似實面，後方燈光亮起時即變為透明。最經典的用法就是「顯影」：先打亮紗幕，再交叉淡入其後的景。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Gauze / sharkstooth gauze"},{"region":"US","term":"Scrim / sharkstooth scrim"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"紗幕"}],"false_friends":["In US usage \"scrim\" is also a wire mesh accessory that knocks a stop or two out of a lighting fixture. Same word, completely different object, and both turn up on the same rig."],"see_also":["legs","cyclorama"],"tags":["scenic","drape","reveal"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"shackle","en":"Shackle","zh_hant":"卸扣","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"The U-shaped steel connector, closed with a pin, that joins a sling or steel to a hoist, a beam clamp or a truss. Rated by working load limit and stamped with it; the pin type matters, since a screw pin can back out under a rotating load where a bolt-type pin will not.","definition_zh_hant":"U 形鋼製連接件，以插銷閉合，用來把吊帶或鋼索連到葫蘆、樑夾或桁架上。以工作負載限值分級並打印在本體上。插銷型式很重要：螺旋插銷在負載轉動時可能鬆脫，螺栓型則不會。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Shackle / bow shackle / D shackle"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"卸扣 / U 型扣"}],"false_friends":["A hardware-store shackle that looks identical is not rated and is not traceable. Only a marked, rated shackle from a known batch belongs above people."],"see_also":["safe-working-load","rigging-point"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["rigging","hardware","load"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"shock-load","en":"Shock load","zh_hant":"衝擊負載","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"A sudden change in the velocity of a suspended load, which produces a force far greater than its static weight. A hoist snatching up slack, a scenic piece dropping onto its dead, a person falling into a lanyard: all of them briefly load the system many times harder than the mass alone would suggest.","definition_zh_hant":"懸吊負載速度突然改變所產生的力，遠大於其靜態重量。葫蘆猛然吃緊、景片落到定位、人員墜落被安全繩拉住，這些瞬間對系統的負載都遠高於質量本身所暗示的數字。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Shock load"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"衝擊負載"}],"false_friends":["Design factors on rigging hardware cover normal use, not shock. \"It is rated to five times the load\" is not permission to drop things onto it."],"see_also":["safe-working-load","bridle"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["rigging","load","safety"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"skew","en":"Skew","zh_hant":"時間偏差","domain":"networking","definition_en":"The gap in arrival time between signals that are supposed to land together. On a parallel bus, skew is why wide, fast parallel interfaces stopped scaling — every wire's propagation delay drifts slightly, and at high clock rates that drift corrupts the word being read. It is one of the main reasons almost everything fast today — USB, SATA, PCIe, Ethernet — went serial instead of parallel.","definition_zh_hant":"本應同時到達的訊號之間的到達時間差。在多對纜線、多路影像或多台機器同步時都會出現。","false_friends":["On analogue videotape decks, \"skew\" is a tension control fixing the top of the picture bending left or right — a mechanical tape problem, unrelated to digital timing."],"safety_critical":false,"related_protocols":["rs-485"],"confidence":"reported","tags":["networking","signal-integrity","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Clock skew","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clock_skew","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Chapter 10: Connecting and Operating the VTR","url":"https://cool.culturalheritage.org/videopreservation/vid_guide/10/10.html","publisher":"Video Preservation Website (Conservation OnLine)","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"slew-rate","en":"Slew rate","zh_hant":"擺率","domain":"audio","definition_en":"How fast an amplifier’s output can change, quoted in volts per microsecond. Below what a transient demands, a fast edge emerges as a ramp: a distortion that is a limit in time rather than in level, and that sounds like smearing rather than the hardness of clipping. Rarely the limiting factor in a modern amplifier and useful mainly as the one specification describing a temporal failure.","definition_zh_hant":"擴大機輸出電壓的最快變化速率，以每微秒多少伏特表示。若低於暫態訊號的需求，急促的邊緣會被 輸出成斜坡：這是一種發生在時間軸而非位準上的失真，聽感是模糊塗抹，而非削波那種硬質感。在 現代擴大機上鮮少成為限制，其主要價值在於它是唯一描述時間性失效的規格。","false_friends":["Slew limiting is not clipping. Clipping is a ceiling on level and flattens peaks; slew limiting is a ceiling on rate and rounds edges, and it can occur well below full output."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Slew rate"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"擺率 / 迴轉率"}],"tags":["audio","amplifier","specification"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"smoke","en":"Smoke","zh_hant":"煙（燃燒生成）","domain":"safety","definition_en":"Solid and liquid particulate produced by combustion. In an entertainment context it is the output of a pyrotechnic device rather than of a fog machine, and the distinction matters legally as well as practically: smoke involves heat, residue and a different hazard class from a condensed glycol fog. Coloured smoke is a pyrotechnic composition subliming a dye, not a tinted fog.","definition_zh_hant":"燃燒產生的固態與液態微粒。在演出場景中，它來自煙火類裝置而非煙霧機；這個區別同時具有法律與實務意義：smoke 涉及熱、殘留物，危害分類也與甘醇冷凝霧不同。彩色煙是煙火藥劑昇華染料的產物，並非染色的霧。","false_friends":["\"Smoke machine\" is the common name for a fog machine, which makes no smoke at all. The machine condenses a fluid; nothing burns.","Coloured smoke is pyrotechnic. It is regulated as pyro, not as an atmospheric effect, and it is in practice an outdoor effect."],"see_also":["fog","haze","pyro"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["atmospherics","pyro","safety","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.23 — Design, Execution, and Maintenance of Atmospheric Effects","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ESTA_ANSI_E1-23-2010-R2015.pdf","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-10-09","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-10-09"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-10-09"},{"id":"soft-goods","en":"Soft goods","zh_hant":"軟景／布幕類","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"Everything on the stage made of cloth: legs, borders, tabs, cyc, gauzes, black-out drapes. Bought or hired by fullness and flame-retardant rating rather than by dimensions alone.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台上所有布類的統稱：側幕、橫幕、大幕、天幕、紗幕、遮光幕。採購或租用時以打摺量與防焰等級為準，而非只看尺寸。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Soft goods / softs"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"軟景 / 布幕"}],"false_friends":["\"Inherently flame retardant\" and \"treated\" are not the same certificate. Treated fabric loses its rating after washing, and a venue asking for a flame certificate wants the current one."],"see_also":["legs","scrim","cyclorama"],"tags":["scenic","drape","fire"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"soundcheck","en":"Soundcheck","zh_hant":"試音","domain":"audio","definition_en":"The session before doors where the PA and monitors are proven with the actual performers: line check first (does every input work), then levels and mixes. In touring, the support act checks after the headliner and gets whatever time is left.","definition_zh_hant":"開場前用真樂手證明 PA 同監聽的環節：先 line check 確認每路訊號通，再執 level 同 mix。巡演慣例 headliner 先 check，暖場樂隊用剩落嘅時間。","see_also":["line-check","monitor-wedge"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["audio","concert","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Soundcheck","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundcheck","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"spike","en":"Spike","zh_hant":"定位記號（貼 mark）","zh_hans":"定位记号","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"A tape mark on the deck showing exactly where a piece of scenery, a furniture leg or a performer belongs. Spikes are what make a scene change repeatable in the dark, so stage management lays them and everyone else is expected to work around them.","definition_zh_hant":"貼在台面上的記號，標出佈景、家具腳或演員的準確位置。有了 mark，暗場中的換景才做得出一樣的結果，所以由舞監組負責貼，其他人繞開它工作。","regional_variants":[{"region":"TW","term":"馬一下","note":"從 mark 來的現場俚語，「幫我馬一下」就是用膠帶貼記號。"},{"region":"HK","term":"貼 mark／打 mark"}],"false_friends":["In audio and electrics a spike is a transient overshoot in a signal or a supply. Same word, opposite meaning, and it turns up in the same building.","Spike tape is thin low-tack tape made for marks. Gaffer tape is not spike tape, and pulling the floor finish up with it will be your problem.","「定位」單獨用也可以指吊桿的高度定位。講地面記號時說「貼 mark」比較不會被誤會。"],"see_also":["dead","strike"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-management","scene-change","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Spike (stagecraft)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_(stagecraft)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"請走、拉fly、下舞台？劇場黑話大破解","url":"https://www.thenewslens.com/article/67015","publisher":"The News Lens 關鍵評論網","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"spl","en":"SPL (sound pressure level)","zh_hant":"聲壓級","domain":"audio","definition_en":"How loud it is at a given point, in decibels relative to 20 micropascals. Always qualified: a frequency weighting (A, C or Z), a time weighting (fast, slow) or an averaging period (LAeq over 15 minutes, an hour, the show).","definition_zh_hant":"某一位置的音量大小，以相對於 20 微帕的分貝值表示。必須加上限定條件：頻率權重（A、C 或 Z）、時間權重（快、慢）或平均時距（15 分鐘、一小時或整場的 LAeq）。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"SPL"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"聲壓級 / SPL / 音壓"}],"false_friends":["A venue limit of \"100 dB\" means nothing until you know the weighting, the averaging time and the measurement position. 100 dBA slow at FOH and 100 dBC peak at the barrier are wildly different limits."],"see_also":["gain-before-feedback"],"tags":["audio","noise","compliance"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 61672-1 sound level meters","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/5708","publisher":"IEC","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"stage-weight","en":"Stage weight / brace weight","zh_hant":"舞台鐵（壓重）","domain":"scenic","definition_en":"The cast-iron slabs that anchor scenery braces, booms and free-standing elements. Counted in the ground plan, moved by hand, and the difference between a braced flat and a falling one.","definition_zh_hant":"壓住景片斜撐、燈架同企位裝置嘅鑄鐵塊。圖上要數，人手搬，係景片企得穩唔穩嘅分別。","see_also":["counterweight"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["scenic","rigging","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"standby","en":"Standby","zh_hant":"準備","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The warning the stage manager gives before a cue, so everyone taking it can get their hand on the right control and answer. Convention is a standby, an acknowledgement from each department, then GO on the action.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台監督在指令之前給出的預備通知，讓所有要執行的人先把手放到正確的操作位置並回覆。慣例是先報 standby，各部門逐一回應，動作點上再喊 GO。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Standby"},{"region":"US","term":"Warning / standby / place"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"Standby / 準備"}],"false_friends":["A standby is not a cue. The number in a standby names the cue that is coming; taking it on the standby is the classic way to fire a lighting state a bar early."],"see_also":["cue","call"],"tags":["stage-management","cueing","headset"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"strike","en":"Strike","zh_hant":"拆（拆景、收道具）","zh_hans":"拆（拆景、收道具）","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"To remove something. The word scales from one prop taken off during a scene change to the entire production coming down after the last performance. A strike call is physical work under time pressure, frequently overhead, and frequently at the end of an already long day.","definition_zh_hant":"把東西撤掉。範圍可以小到換景時拿走一件道具，大到最後一場之後整個製作拆掉。Strike 是有時間壓力的體力工作，常常在頭上作業，也常常排在一天的最後。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"拆／收","note":"整個製作拆掉講「拆台」，單件東西撤掉講「收走」。"}],"false_friends":["把 strike 直譯成「罷工」意思完全相反。在劇場它是拆除。","\"Strike it\" during a show means take that one item off now. \"Strike\" on the schedule means the whole get-out. Confirm the scope before removing things.","Strike is not load-out. Strike is dismantling; load-out is the whole departure including packing and trucks."],"see_also":["load-out","get-in","spike"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"reported","tags":["production","get-out","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Glossary of theater terms","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_theater_terms","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"Theatrical technician","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatrical_technician","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"subtractive-mixing","en":"Subtractive colour mixing","zh_hant":"減色混合","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"Mixing by removing light. One white source passes through layers that each remove part of the spectrum, and removal multiplies rather than adds, so you start at white and take away. This is what gel does, what a CMY fixture's dichroic flags do, and what a costume does to the light falling on it.","definition_zh_hant":"以扣除光線來混色。單一白光穿過若干層，每層扣掉一部分光譜；扣除是相乘而非相加，因此起點是白，逐層減去。色紙、CMY 燈具的二向色濾片，以及打在服裝上的光，都是這樣運作。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Subtractive mixing"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"減色混合 / 減法混色"}],"false_friends":["On a subtractive fixture, saturation costs output; on an additive one it does not. Two units set to the same picker value will not match, having taken different spectral routes."],"see_also":["additive-mixing","gel","dichroic"],"tags":["lighting","colour"],"sources":[{"title":"CIE colorimetry and colour mixing fundamentals","url":"https://cie.co.at/e-ilv","publisher":"International Commission on Illumination","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"talkback","en":"Talkback / comms","zh_hant":"通話系統","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The intercom that lets the stage manager, operators, followspots, deck crew and automation talk to each other during a show. Wired partyline, digital matrix or wireless, usually split into channels so a lighting call does not land in the flyman ear.","definition_zh_hant":"讓舞台監督、各操作員、追蹤燈、台面人員與自動化在演出中互相溝通的內部通話系統。可為有線環路、數位矩陣或無線，通常分頻道，以免燈光的指令跑進吊桿人員的耳朵。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Cans / comms / talkback"},{"region":"US","term":"Headsets / comms / intercom"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"通話 / Comm / 對講"}],"false_friends":["\"Talkback\" in a recording or broadcast context means the engineer talking to the studio floor, which is a different signal path from a partyline comms system."],"see_also":["call","prompt-corner"],"tags":["stage-management","comms","headset"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"tech-rehearsal","en":"Tech rehearsal","zh_hant":"技術排練（技排）","zh_hans":"技术排练","domain":"stage-management","definition_en":"The rehearsal where technical elements are added to the staging and worked through cue by cue. It runs slowly and stops often. It belongs to the technical departments rather than to the director's rehearsal process, which is the part most often misunderstood when the schedule is written.","definition_zh_hant":"把技術元素加進走位、一個 cue 一個 cue 走的排練。速度慢、停得多。主導權在技術部門手上，不是導演排戲的時段，排進度表時最常搞錯這一點。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"技術綵排","note":"香港寫「綵排」，最後一次完整跑是「總綵排」。"},{"region":"TW","term":"技排","note":"臺灣寫「彩排」，技術排練簡稱技排。"}],"false_friends":["香港寫「綵排」，臺灣和大陸寫「彩排」。合約和通告表上不要混用。","「彩排」單獨出現時通常指帶妝帶服的排練，不是技排。","A tech is not a run. Scheduling a three-hour tech for a two-hour show is the most reliable way to overrun."],"see_also":["dry-tech","cue","plot"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["rehearsal","stage-management","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Technical rehearsal","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_rehearsal","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"舞台表演的操作管理（麥秋）","url":"https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/tc/public-admin/related-bodies-schemes/edu-schemes-fund/drama/ch22.pdf","publisher":"香港教育局","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"technical-rider","en":"Technical rider","zh_hant":"技術需求書","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"The document an act sends ahead listing what the venue must provide: PA, monitors, lighting, power, stage size, rigging points, crew calls, and the input list. Contractually attached to the deal, so its contents are negotiable before signature and expensive afterwards.","definition_zh_hant":"演出方事先送出、列明場館必須提供項目的文件：PA、監聽、燈光、電力、舞台尺寸、吊點、工作人員需求與輸入表。它是合約的附件，簽約前可談，簽約後改動代價很高。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Tech rider / technical rider"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"技術需求書 / Rider"}],"false_friends":["The hospitality rider and the technical rider are separate documents with separate approvers. Sending the tech rider to catering, or the other way round, delays both."],"see_also":["load-in","plot"],"tags":["production","contract","paperwork"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"thyristor-dimmer","en":"Thyristor dimmer","zh_hant":"可控矽調光器","domain":"lighting","definition_en":"A dimmer that switches the mains on partway through each half cycle and passes the remainder, so the lamp averages a chopped waveform. Small, cheap, load independent and controllable from a tiny signal, which is what made remote consoles with hundreds of channels practical. Chopping generates harmonics including the third, a triplen that adds rather than cancels in a three-phase neutral, and the sudden switch-on is what makes filaments sing.","definition_zh_hant":"在每個半週期中途才導通、並讓其餘部分通過的調光器，燈具所感受到的是被切斷的波形的平均值。 體積小、成本低、與負載無關，且可由極小的訊號控制，這正是數百迴路的遙控燈光控制台得以實現 的原因。切波會產生諧波，其中三次諧波屬於三倍頻諧波，在三相中性線上是相加而非相消；而瞬間 導通則是燈絲鳴叫的成因。","false_friends":["A thyristor dimmer needs a minimum load to hold conduction. An LED lamp on a dimmer channel may flicker, glow when nominally off, or not light at all."],"see_also":["phase-rotation"],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK","term":"Thyristor dimmer"},{"region":"US","term":"SCR dimmer","note":"Same device. SCR is the American name for the thyristor in it."},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"可控矽調光器"}],"tags":["lighting","dimming","power","electrical"],"sources":[{"title":"IEC 60364 and IEC 60038 low-voltage installation and supply standards","url":"https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/1880","publisher":"International Electrotechnical Commission","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"time-alignment","en":"Time alignment","zh_hant":"時間對齊","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Delaying the earlier-arriving loudspeaker so that sound from two sources reaches the listener together. Applies between subs and tops, between main hangs and fills, and between the stage and a delay tower.","definition_zh_hant":"對較早到達的音箱加上延遲，使兩個音源的聲音同時抵達聽眾。適用於超低音與中高音之間、主音箱與補聲之間，以及舞台與延遲塔之間。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Time alignment / alignment"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"時間對齊 / 對時"}],"false_friends":["Aligning at one seat misaligns at another. Alignment is a compromise across the coverage area, which is why the measurement position is a decision, not a convenience."],"see_also":["delay-tower","crossover"],"tags":["audio","delay","system-tuning"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"truss","en":"Truss","zh_hant":"桁架","domain":"rigging","definition_en":"The aluminium lattice beam that carries lighting, audio and video over a stage. Sold by cross-section and chord count, and rated by a span-and-load table from the manufacturer rather than by a single number.","definition_zh_hant":"承載燈光、音響與影像設備的鋁製格構樑。以斷面尺寸與主管數量分類，其載重由製造商提供的跨距對載重表決定，而非單一數字。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Truss"},{"region":"HK","term":"桁架 / Truss"},{"region":"TW","term":"桁架"}],"false_friends":["Truss brands are not interchangeable even when the section looks identical. Mixing manufacturers in one span voids the load table, and connector hardware often differs."],"see_also":["rigging-point","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":true,"tags":["rigging","truss","structure"],"confidence":"reported","sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"understudy","en":"Understudy","zh_hant":"替補演員","domain":"production-management","definition_en":"A performer rehearsed to take over a role at need. Distinct from a swing (who covers multiple ensemble tracks) and an alternate (who is scheduled to play the role at set performances).","definition_zh_hant":"排定隨時可以頂上某角色嘅演員。同 swing（負責多條 ensemble line）同 alternate（固定場次上）唔同。","regional_variants":[{"region":"Musical theatre","term":"Swing / alternate / standby","note":"各有精確分工，合約用字唔可以混。"}],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["company","casting","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Understudy","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understudy","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"unit-load","en":"Unit load","zh_hant":"單位負載","domain":"networking","definition_en":"The standard reference load an RS-485 bus segment is rated against — one unit load is roughly a 12 kΩ receiver input. The spec caps a segment at 32 unit loads, but that is not the same as 32 devices: most modern DMX/RS-485 receiver chips present a fraction of a unit load (1/8 UL is common), so a real line can carry well over 32 physical fixtures before it needs an opto-splitter. Check the fixture manual for its actual unit-load figure rather than counting boxes.","definition_zh_hant":"RS-485 匯流排的標準參考負載。DMX512 一段最多 32 個單位負載，但現代收發器多為 1/4 或 1/8 單位負載，實際可掛的設備數因此不同。","see_also":["daisy-chain"],"related_protocols":["rs-485","dmx512"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["networking","rs485","dmx","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"TB511: The Unit Load Concept","url":"https://www.renesas.com/en/document/tra/tb511-unit-load-concept","publisher":"Renesas Electronics","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"The RS-485 Unit Load and Maximum Number of Bus Connections","url":"https://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slla166","publisher":"Texas Instruments","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"upstage","en":"Upstage","zh_hant":"上舞台（舞台後方）","domain":"general","definition_en":"The part of the stage furthest from the audience. On a raked stage it is literally higher, which is where the word comes from; moving upstage of another performer forces them to turn away from the house, which is why the word is also a verb.","definition_zh_hant":"舞台上離觀眾最遠的區域。傳統斜舞台後方較高，所以叫「上」。走位到別人上舞台一側會逼對方背向觀眾，這也是 upstage 當動詞用的由來。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK / TW","term":"上舞台","note":"方向以演員面向觀眾為準，不是觀眾視角。"}],"false_friends":["Stage directions are from the PERFORMER'S view facing the house, so a director's \"your left\" needs confirming before anyone moves a boom."],"see_also":["downstage"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["stage-directions","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Theatrecrafts glossary of technical theatre terms","url":"https://theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/beginners/glossary/","publisher":"Theatrecrafts / ABTT heritage","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Blocking (stage)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_(stage)","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"vca","en":"VCA","zh_hant":"壓控放大器","domain":"audio","definition_en":"A voltage-controlled amplifier: a gain stage set by a control voltage rather than by a knob in the signal path. It lets a fader carry DC instead of audio, which is what a VCA group is. Pulling a VCA group down offsets each member channel’s own gain, so their sends and inserts scale with them and no extra amplifier is inserted into the audio.","definition_zh_hant":"壓控放大器：增益由控制電壓決定，而非由訊號路徑上的旋鈕決定的增益級。它讓推桿傳送直流控制 電壓而非音訊，這正是 VCA 編組的原理。拉下 VCA 編組推桿等於同時偏移各成員聲道自 身的增益，因此其送出與插入點都會跟著變化，音訊路徑上也不會多出一級放大器。","false_friends":["A VCA group is not a subgroup. A subgroup sums audio onto a bus; a VCA group sums nothing and only offsets gain. A post-fade send follows one and not the other."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"VCA"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"VCA","note":"Said in English. 壓控放大器 appears in writing, almost never on headset."}],"tags":["audio","console","mixing"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"},{"id":"vlan","en":"VLAN","zh_hant":"虛擬區域網路","domain":"networking","definition_en":"A logical network carved out of one physical switch fabric, so lighting, audio, video and corporate traffic can share copper without seeing each other. Ports are either access (one VLAN, untagged) or trunk (several VLANs, tagged).","definition_zh_hant":"在同一套實體交換器架構上切分出的邏輯網路，讓燈光、音訊、影像與辦公流量共用線路而互不可見。連接埠分為 access（單一 VLAN、不加標籤）與 trunk（多 VLAN、加標籤）兩種。","regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"VLAN"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"VLAN / 虛擬區域網路"}],"false_friends":["A VLAN is not a firewall. Traffic between VLANs is blocked only until someone adds a route; and multicast still floods within a VLAN unless IGMP snooping is on."],"see_also":["multicast","qos"],"related_protocols":["sacn","dante","aes67"],"tags":["networking","vlan","switching"],"sources":[{"title":"IEEE 802.1Q bridges and bridged networks","url":"https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/802.1Q/10323/","publisher":"IEEE","accessed":"2026-08-26","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-26"},{"id":"winch","en":"Winch","zh_hant":"捲揚機","domain":"automation","definition_en":"A powered drum that spools wire rope to pull a load, mounted so the rope can run over sheaves at an angle rather than straight down — which is why winches, not chain hoists, run stage-wagon tracks, turntables and diagonal flying effects. Under the entertainment powered-hoist standard a winch is a different machine from a hoist: it pulls rather than holds a suspended load on a locking brake, and a capstan winch is explicitly excluded from that standard's scope.","definition_zh_hant":"以捲筒收放鋼索拉動負載的動力設備。與電動葫蘆不同，捲揚機的鋼索纏在捲筒上，可做水平或斜向牽引。","false_friends":["Do not assume a \"winch\" on a rig plot is rated like a point hoist. ANSI E1.6 covers powered hoists and explicitly excludes capstan winches — the safety case for a winch comes from elsewhere.","Hoists hold a suspended load on a mechanical locking brake; winches typically use dynamic braking, fine on an incline but not for holding a load static overhead."],"see_also":["chain-hoist","fly","safe-working-load"],"safety_critical":true,"confidence":"verified","tags":["automation","rigging","winch","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"ANSI E1.6-1 – 2019: Entertainment Technology – Powered Hoist Systems","url":"https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/docs/ANSI%20E1.6-1%20-%202019.pdf","publisher":"ESTA Technical Standards Program","accessed":"2026-08-22","primary":true},{"title":"Winch vs Hoist - Overview and Comparison","url":"https://southeastrigging.com/the-difference-between-a-winch-and-a-hoist/","publisher":"Southeast Rigging","accessed":"2026-08-22"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-22"},{"id":"wings","en":"Wings","zh_hant":"側台（空間）／邊幕（布幕）","zh_hans":"侧台／边幕","domain":"general","definition_en":"The offstage space to either side of the acting area, where crew, cast and scenery wait out of the audience's sight. The masking cloths that create that sightline are a separate item, although English uses the same word loosely for both.","definition_zh_hant":"表演區兩側、觀眾看不到的後台空間，工作人員、演員和佈景在那裡待命。做出那條視線的遮擋布幕是另一件東西，但英文常常兩個都叫 wings。","regional_variants":[{"region":"HK","term":"側舞台","note":"康文署官方中文技術資料寫「側舞台」，英文版寫 side stage。"},{"region":"TW","term":"側台"}],"false_friends":["中文分得比英文清楚：「側台」是空間，「邊幕」是布。英文 wings 兩個都指，翻譯搞混會把人派到錯的位置。","\"In the wings\" means standing by offstage. It does not mean hidden behind a specific leg.","Legs, tabs and borders are all masking, but only the legs form the wing entrances. A venue quoting five legs is not quoting five usable entrances."],"see_also":["house","rake"],"safety_critical":false,"confidence":"reported","tags":["venue","masking","vocabulary"],"sources":[{"title":"Parts of a theatre","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parts_of_a_theatre","publisher":"Wikipedia","accessed":"2026-08-16","primary":true},{"title":"香港大會堂劇院詳細技術設施資料（中文）","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/b5/hkch-th-lfc.pdf","publisher":"康樂及文化事務署","accessed":"2026-08-16"},{"title":"Hong Kong City Hall Theatre — technical specification","url":"https://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/tech/common/pdf/en/hkch-th-lfe.pdf","publisher":"Leisure and Cultural Services Department","accessed":"2026-08-16"}],"contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-16"},{"id":"wow-and-flutter","en":"Wow and flutter","zh_hant":"抖晃度","domain":"audio","definition_en":"Speed variation in a mechanical replay medium, named at two rates. Wow is slow variation, below roughly four hertz, heard as pitch drifting. Flutter is faster, heard as roughness or warble on sustained notes. Wow usually points at a capstan or a slipping pinch roller; flutter more often at a bearing or tape dragging on a guide.","definition_zh_hant":"機械式重播媒介的速度變動，依快慢分為兩種稱呼。抖（wow）指約四赫茲以下的慢速變動，聽感 為音高漂移；晃（flutter）指較快的變動，在持續音上聽起來是粗糙或顫抖。抖多半指向主 導軸或打滑的壓帶輪，晃則較常來自軸承或磁帶刮擦導引件。","false_friends":["Wow and flutter is not a frequency response fault and no equalisation addresses it. It is the transport, and it is measured as a percentage of speed rather than in decibels."],"regional_variants":[{"region":"UK / US","term":"Wow and flutter"},{"region":"HK / TW","term":"抖晃度"}],"tags":["audio","analogue","archive","tape"],"sources":[{"title":"AES standards for audio engineering","url":"https://www.aes.org/standards/","publisher":"Audio Engineering Society","accessed":"2026-08-29","primary":true}],"confidence":"reported","contributed_by":[],"updated":"2026-08-29"}],"gaps":[{"collection":"protocols","id":"0-10v","name":"0-10V Analog Dimming Control","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ableton-link","name":"Ableton Link","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"acn","name":"ACN","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"adat","name":"ADAT Lightpipe","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"aes3","name":"AES3","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"aes50","name":"AES50","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"aes70-oca","name":"AES70 (Open Control Architecture)","missing":["default_ports"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"avb-milan","name":"AVB / Milan","missing":["default_ports"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"aviom-a-net","name":"Aviom A-Net","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"bacnet","name":"BACnet","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"bluetooth-le","name":"Bluetooth LE","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"bluetooth-midi","name":"Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI (BLE-MIDI)","missing":["default_ports"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"canopen","name":"CANopen","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"citp","name":"CITP","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"cobranet","name":"CobraNet","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"dali","name":"DALI","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"dante","name":"Dante","missing":["first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ddp","name":"DDP","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"dect","name":"DECT","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"dhcp","name":"DHCP","missing":["first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"dmx512","name":"DMX512","missing":["default_ports"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"edid","name":"EDID","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"etcnet3","name":"ETC Net3","missing":["first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ethercat","name":"EtherCAT","missing":["default_ports","first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ethersound","name":"EtherSound","missing":["default_ports","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"freed","name":"FreeD","missing":["first_published","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"fsoe","name":"Safety over EtherCAT","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"genlock","name":"Genlock / Black Burst","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"gigaace","name":"gigaACE","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"hdbaset","name":"HDBaseT","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"hdcp","name":"HDCP","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"hdmi","name":"HDMI","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"hognet","name":"HogNet","missing":["first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"igmp","name":"IGMP","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"kinet","name":"KiNET","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"knx","name":"KNX","missing":["first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"lldp","name":"LLDP","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"lorawan","name":"LoRaWAN","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ltc","name":"LTC","missing":["default_ports","first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ma-net","name":"MA-Net","missing":["first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"madi","name":"MADI (AES10)","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"matter","name":"Matter","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"midi-2","name":"MIDI 2.0 / Universal MIDI Packet (UMP)","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"midi-show-control","name":"MIDI Show Control","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"midi","name":"MIDI 1.0","missing":["default_ports","first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"modbus-tcp","name":"Modbus TCP","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"mqtt","name":"MQTT","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"mtc","name":"MIDI Timecode","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"nmea-0183","name":"NMEA 0183","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"nmos","name":"AMWA NMOS","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"ntp","name":"NTP","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"optocore","name":"Optocore","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"osc-query","name":"OSCQuery","missing":["default_ports","first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"pathport","name":"Pathport","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"poe","name":"Power over Ethernet","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"profinet","name":"PROFINET","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"profisafe","name":"PROFIsafe","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"q-lan","name":"Q-LAN","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations","spec_url"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rdm","name":"RDM","missing":["default_ports"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rs-232","name":"RS-232","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rs-422","name":"RS-422","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rs-485","name":"RS-485","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rtmp","name":"RTMP","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rtp","name":"RTP","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"rttrpm","name":"RTTrPM","missing":["default_ports","first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"sdi-embedded-audio","name":"SDI Embedded Audio","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"sdi","name":"SDI (Serial Digital Interface)","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"smpte-st-2110","name":"SMPTE ST 2110","missing":["default_ports"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"snmp","name":"SNMP","missing":["implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"soundgrid","name":"SoundGrid","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"spdif","name":"S/PDIF","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"thread","name":"Thread","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"tpm2net","name":"TPM2.net","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"tri-level-sync","name":"Tri-level sync","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"uwb","name":"UWB","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"visca-over-ip","name":"VISCA over IP","missing":["first_published"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"w-dmx","name":"W-DMX","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"word-clock","name":"Word Clock / AES11","missing":["default_ports","first_published","implementations"]},{"collection":"protocols","id":"zigbee","name":"Zigbee","missing":["default_ports","implementations"]},{"collection":"software","id":"after-effects","name":"Adobe After Effects","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"autocad","name":"AutoCAD","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"autodesk-revit","name":"Revit","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"blender","name":"Blender","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"cinema-4d","name":"Cinema 4D","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"db-arraycalc","name":"d&b ArrayCalc","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"disguise-designer","name":"disguise Designer","missing":["platforms"]},{"collection":"software","id":"dmxcontrol-3","name":"DMXControl 3","missing":["repo"]},{"collection":"software","id":"ease-focus","name":"EASE Focus","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"esp-vision","name":"ESP Vision","missing":["platforms"]},{"collection":"software","id":"iperf3","name":"iperf3","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"l-acoustics-soundvision","name":"L-Acoustics Soundvision","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"open-sound-meter","name":"Open Sound Meter","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"rew-room-eq-wizard","name":"REW (Room EQ Wizard)","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"rhino-3d","name":"Rhino 3D","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"shoflo","name":"Shoflo","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"sketchup","name":"SketchUp","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"ugcs","name":"UgCS","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"vectorworks-braceworks","name":"Vectorworks Braceworks","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"vectorworks-spotlight","name":"Vectorworks Spotlight","missing":["speaks","platforms","price_model"]},{"collection":"software","id":"vioso-anyblend","name":"VIOSO Anyblend","missing":["speaks"]},{"collection":"software","id":"watchout","name":"WATCHOUT","missing":["price_model"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"7thsense-delta","name":"7thSense Delta Media Server","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-binloop-hd","name":"Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"alcorn-mcbride-v16pro","name":"Alcorn McBride V16Pro","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"allen-heath-avantis","name":"Allen & Heath Avantis","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"analog-way-alta-4k","name":"Analog Way Alta 4K","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"analog-way-aquilon-rs4","name":"Analog Way Aquilon RS4","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"analog-way-picturall-mk2","name":"Analog Way Picturall Mark II","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"avolites-ai-q3","name":"Avolites Ai Q3","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"avolites-arena","name":"Avolites Arena","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"barco-e2","name":"Barco Event Master E2","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"beckhoff-cx5140","name":"Beckhoff CX5140 Embedded PC","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"biamp-tesira-forte","name":"Biamp TesiraFORTÉ","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"blackmagic-atem-4me-constellation-hd","name":"Blackmagic ATEM 4 M/E Constellation HD","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"blackmagic-smart-videohub-40x40","name":"Blackmagic Smart Videohub 40x40","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"blacktrax-system","name":"BlackTrax","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"brainstorm-dxd-8","name":"Brainstorm DXD-8 Distripalyzer","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-s8","name":"Brompton Tessera S8","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"brompton-tessera-sx40","name":"Brompton Tessera SX40","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"bss-blu-806","name":"BSS Soundweb London BLU-806","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"chainmaster-d8-plus","name":"ChainMaster D8 Plus chain hoist","missing":["speaks","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"chamsys-magicq-mq80","name":"ChamSys MagicQ MQ80","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"christie-pandoras-box","name":"Christie Pandoras Box","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9200","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"cisco-catalyst-9300","name":"Cisco Catalyst 9300","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"city-theatrical-multiverse","name":"City Theatrical Multiverse Transmitter","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"clear-com-freespeak-ii","name":"Clear-Com FreeSpeak II","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"crestron-cp4n","name":"Crestron CP4N Control System","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"dataton-watchpax-60","name":"Dataton WATCHPAX 60","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"db-40d","name":"d&b audiotechnik 40D installation amplifier","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"db-d80","name":"d&b audiotechnik D80","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"db-ds100","name":"d&b audiotechnik DS100 Signal Engine","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"digico-sd12","name":"DiGiCo SD12","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"directout-prodigy-mp","name":"DirectOut PRODIGY.MP","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"disguise-gx-3","name":"disguise gx 3","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"disguise-vx-4","name":"disguise vx 4","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"elc-dmxlan-node8","name":"ELC dmXLAN node8","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"enttec-din-ethergate-mk2","name":"ENTTEC DIN Ethergate MK2","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"enttec-dmx-usb-pro","name":"ENTTEC DMX USB Pro","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"enttec-ode-mk3","name":"ENTTEC ODE Mk3","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"eos-apex-5","name":"Eos Apex 5","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"etc-eos-apex-10","name":"ETC Eos Apex 10","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"etc-response-mk2-gateway","name":"ETC Response Mk2 DMX/RDM Gateway","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"etc-sensor3-rack","name":"ETC Sensor3 Dimmer Rack","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"etc-thrupower-rack","name":"ETC ThruPower Rack","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"evertz-5601msc","name":"Evertz 5601MSC Master Sync and Clock","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"ferrofish-a32-dante","name":"Ferrofish A32 Dante","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"focusrite-rednet-a16r-mk2","name":"Focusrite RedNet A16R MkII","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"follow-me-3d","name":"Follow-Me 3D","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"grandma3-full-size","name":"grandMA3 full-size","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"grandma3-light","name":"MA Lighting grandMA3 light","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"green-go-beltpack","name":"Green-GO Digital Intercom","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"green-hippo-karst-plus","name":"Green Hippo Hippotizer Karst+ MK2","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"hippotizer-boreal-plus-mk2","name":"Hippotizer Boreal+ MK2","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"hog-4","name":"Hog 4","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"kinesys-elevation-1-plus","name":"Kinesys Elevation 1+","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"kinesys-libra","name":"Kinesys Libra","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la12x","name":"L-Acoustics LA12X","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la4x","name":"L-Acoustics LA4X","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-la7-16i","name":"L-Acoustics LA7.16i","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"l-acoustics-p1","name":"L-Acoustics P1","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"lab-gruppen-plm-20k44","name":"Lab.gruppen PLM 20K44","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"lake-lm44","name":"Lab.gruppen Lake LM44","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"lumenradio-crmx-nova-tx2","name":"LumenRadio CRMX Nova TX2","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-10","name":"Luminex GigaCore 10","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-16xt","name":"Luminex GigaCore 16Xt","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"luminex-gigacore-26i","name":"Luminex GigaCore 26i","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"luminex-luminode-12","name":"Luminex LumiNode 12","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"medialon-showmaster-pro","name":"Medialon Showmaster Pro","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"megapixel-helios","name":"Megapixel HELIOS LED Processing Platform","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"meyer-galaxy-816","name":"Meyer Sound Galileo GALAXY 816","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"mo-sys-startracker","name":"Mo-Sys StarTracker","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"modulo-kinetic","name":"Modulo Kinetic","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"netgear-m4250","name":"NETGEAR M4250 (AV Line)","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"novastar-mx40-pro","name":"NovaStar MX40 Pro","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"pathway-pathport-octo","name":"Pathway Connectivity Pathport OCTO","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"pilz-pnoz-safety-relay","name":"Pilz PNOZ safety relay","missing":["speaks","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"pixera-one","name":"AV Stumpfl PIXERA one","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"powersoft-x8","name":"Powersoft X8","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"qsys-core-510i","name":"Q-SYS Core 510i","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"riedel-bolero","name":"Riedel Bolero","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"rme-digiface-dante","name":"RME Digiface Dante","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"rosendahl-nanosyncs-hd","name":"Rosendahl nanosyncs HD","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"rts-adam","name":"RTS ADAM Intercom Matrix","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"ssl-live-l550","name":"SSL Live L550","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"stype-redspy","name":"stYpe RedSpy","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"symetrix-radius-nx-12x8","name":"Symetrix Radius NX 12x8","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"tait-navigator","name":"TAIT Navigator","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"tta-stagetracker-ii","name":"TTA StageTracker II","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"verlinde-stagemaker-sr","name":"Verlinde Stagemaker SR","missing":["speaks","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"wireless-solution-blackbox-f2","name":"Wireless Solution W-DMX BlackBox F-2 G6","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"yamaha-dm7","name":"Yamaha DM7","missing":["physical_ports","released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"yamaha-rio3224-d2","name":"Yamaha Rio3224-D2","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"hardware","id":"zactrack-pro","name":"zactrack PRO","missing":["released"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"ansi-e1-43","name":"ANSI E1.43-2025","missing":["free_to_read"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"dci-dcss","name":"DCI DCSS","missing":["year"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"fda-21-cfr-1040","name":"21 CFR 1040.10 / 1040.11","missing":["year"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"nfpa-1126","name":"NFPA 1126","missing":["year"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"nfpa-160","name":"NFPA 160","missing":["year"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"osha-1910-95","name":"29 CFR 1910.95","missing":["year"]},{"collection":"standards","id":"usb-type-c-spec","name":"USB Type-C Cable and Connector Specification Release 2.5","missing":["year"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"black-box","name":"Black box","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"chain-hoist","name":"Chain hoist / chain motor","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"competent-person","name":"Competent person","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"counterweight","name":"Counterweight","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"crossover","name":"Crossover","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"cue-to-cue","name":"Cue-to-cue","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"cyclorama","name":"Cyclorama","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"daisy-chain","name":"Daisy chain","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"dead-hang","name":"Dead hang","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"deck","name":"Deck / the deck","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"delay-tower","name":"Delay tower","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"dimmer","name":"Dimmer","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"downstage","name":"Downstage","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"dresser","name":"Dresser","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"dry-ice","name":"Dry ice","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"flame-effect","name":"Flame effect","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"flat","name":"Flat","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"fog","name":"Fog","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"followspot","name":"Followspot","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"front-fill","name":"Front fill","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"gain-before-feedback","name":"Gain before feedback (GBF)","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"ground-stack","name":"Ground stack","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"haze","name":"Haze","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"keying","name":"Keying (chroma key / luma key)","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"kill","name":"Kill","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"legs","name":"Legs","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"line-check","name":"Line check","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"lockout-tagout","name":"Lockout/tagout (LOTO)","missing":["definition_zh_hant"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"low-fog","name":"Low fog","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"monitor-wedge","name":"Monitor wedge","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"paper-tech","name":"Paper tech","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"pixel-pitch","name":"Pixel pitch","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"practical","name":"Practical","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"prompt-corner","name":"Prompt corner","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"pyro","name":"Pyro","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"quick-change","name":"Quick change","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"ring-out","name":"Ring out / ringing out","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"safe-working-load","name":"Safe working load (SWL) / working load limit (WLL)","missing":["definition_zh_hant","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"skew","name":"Skew","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"smoke","name":"Smoke","missing":["regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"soundcheck","name":"Soundcheck","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"stage-weight","name":"Stage weight / brace weight","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"understudy","name":"Understudy","missing":["false_friends"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"unit-load","name":"Unit load","missing":["false_friends","regional_variants"]},{"collection":"terms","id":"winch","name":"Winch","missing":["regional_variants"]}]}