MIDI to DMX Music Meets Lighting

Turn Your MIDI Controllers into Lighting Instruments

Controlling your DMX lighting fixtures with MIDI controllers is really easy to setup in the Lightjams world. Nowadays, MIDI controllers are plug and play when connected to a computer and since Lightjams is dedicated to DMX lighting, syncing MIDI and lighting become really straightforward.

Want to play lights with your MIDI controllers? DARE TO LIGHT gives us a nice artistic performance featuring a keytar player controlling lighting through MIDI. The performers play with the lighting as they play music. Lightjams becomes a lighting instrument expanding the possibilities of live performances, freeing artists from exactly following pre-recorded cues.

Let's see what you can do with a bass, some DMX lights and real talent. This is live music to lights as good as it can be. Thanks to Quixotic Fusion for this great rehearsal video.

Here's another rehearsal video with a MIDI keyboard and again, some DMX lights and real talent. As you'll see, there's no delay between the time a key is pressed and the lights are activated.

No Delay

The MIDI input is going really fast and can keep pace even with the most zealous musicians.

Live MIDI Monitor

The MIDI panel shows you all note or control messages at once, and this in real time. Selecting the right value is really made easy.

Full Use of MIDI Control and Note Messages

Unleash the power of MIDI control and note messages and really control any Lightjams parameters in a few mouse clicks. If remote control is your goal, you'll be served!

Unlimited Number of MIDI Controllers

Drum pad launcher, mixer, keyboard, pedal, name it. Lightjams supports it. Create a real jam by letting multiple people play with a different MIDI controller all at the same time!

Walkthrough

1. Global Configuration

Access the MIDI configuration by going to View/Configuration.

Lightjams automatically detects connected MIDI controllers at startup. You should see the connected controllers in the list.

Use: If you don't want Lightjams to use a MIDI controller, just uncheck the use box. This allows another application running on the computer to use the controller.

Connect & Refresh: The refresh button looks for newly connected MIDI controllers. So to add a controller, just plug it in your computer and hit refresh.

To receive MIDI from another software running on the same computer, you can use a virtual MIDI driver like LoopBe1.

2. Link to any slider

Select any slider and click on the MIDI icon. Then you'll be able to play with all MIDI settings.

3. Play

Notes & Controls: Select whether you're interesting in notes or controls.

Channel: You have access to all 16 MIDI channels.

Values: The viewer at the left lets you see values in realtime and easily choose the value you want. Just click a value to select it.

MIDI to Light Piano Step-by-step

Look at the next video to see how to map MIDI notes to lights. We'll be using a LED panel and a Akai LPD8 MIDI controller to create a 8 note piano.

Idea box

Let music performers control lighting parameters with their MIDI music instruments. Let the lighting crew generates live lighting effects in a really unusual way. Close your computer lid and use a MIDI keyboard to trigger your lighting effects. Map MIDI notes coming from your favorite music software and trigger lighting effects.

What's next? Try it for free!