showstack / software / grandma3-onpc
grandMA3 onPC
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.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| sacn | bidirectional | One of the two Ethernet DMX protocols grandMA3 supports for sending and receiving. |
| art-net | bidirectional | Documented at Art-Net revision 1.4db. Unicast is used until more than five receivers subscribe to a universe. |
| osc | bidirectional | |
| psn | in | |
| ndi | bidirectional |
What to watch for
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.
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
Sources
- The free-of-cost grandMA3 software — MA Lighting primary
- grandMA3 User Manual — System Requirements grandMA3 onPC — MA Lighting primary
- grandMA3 User Manual — Ethernet DMX — MA Lighting primary
- grandMA3 User Manual — Protocol Details — MA Lighting primary
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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