First version
Part 1 of 4
The words of stage lighting, explained simply. One short definition per word, no jargon.
The lights
It all starts with a light that obeys orders.
also “light”, “lamp”
A stage light you control remotely: you can change its brightness, its colour, and sometimes make it move.
Examples: an LED bar, a moving head (a light that moves), a beam.
one “slider” of the fixture
Each setting of a fixture is a channel: one for brightness, one for colour, one for movement… A channel takes a value from 0 to 255.
the language of lights
DMX is the standard way to tell a fixture what to do. It is a long list of channel values, sent over and over, many times per second.
a pack of 512 channels
A DMX universe holds at most 512 channels. A small show uses one; a big show uses several.
The moods
Nobody sets every slider by hand during the show. You save moods, then fire them.
say “kyoo”
A saved lighting mood: colours, movement, speed. It has a number and a name, like a photo filed in an album.
When you “fire cue 3”, all the lights take on that mood at once.
when it kicks back in
In a track, the moment the music bursts back in after a quiet part. That is where the lights should step up.
accompaniment track
A recording (drums, bass, backing vocals…) the band plays back while they sing and play on top of it.
the metronome in your ears
A steady beat only the band hears, in their earpieces, so they play in time with the tracks.
the line of time
A strip that represents the track from start to end. You place events on it: “at this moment, fire cue 2”.
The connections
There are two kinds of links: sound (an audio cable) and orders (the network).
MaestroDMX
A small device that creates and plays the cues itself, then drives the fixtures. It costs about €800 to €900.
The Velvet apps do not replace the box: they tell it which cue to fire.
the sound desk
The device that gathers all the sounds (mics, instruments, music) and sends them to the speakers. Allen & Heath CQ mixers are one example.
the box's ear
An audio socket on the box. It is the only way the box hears the music, and it must come from the mixer.
Mixer off or silent: the beams stay frozen, even if the cues are right.
the “same network”
The router is the device that links your devices together (like the box in your home). Devices connected to it are on the same network and can talk to each other.
The Mac and the box must be on the same network.
DMX over the network
It is DMX travelling over the network, instead of a special cable. The box uses it to send the light to the fixtures and to the Mac.
a small message over the network
One app sends it to another to say “do this”. Here: “fire cue number 4”. Velvet Light DJ and Velvet Show send it to the box.
The message is called /show/cue/index and the port can be changed.
another command language
Born in music, it also triggers things. Velvet Show can use it (or OSC) to fire cues.
An app says which cue to fire (OSC). The box plays the cue and sends the light (DMX). The fixtures obey.
In the apps
Velvet Visualizer
Your lights, drawn in 3D on screen. It works with no gear at all: made for trying things before installing.
a Visualizer switch
To see the box's real light in the 3D preview, turn on the Live DMX switch. The light turns green.
the Velvet Light DJ switch
While it is paused, the app sends nothing. It starts paused.
the remote
An iPhone and iPad app that works as a remote for Velvet Show.