Bespoke Lighting Software

ShowControl

Professional lighting, without needing a professional. And when a professional does show up, everything they need is right there.

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The Problem

Intelligent lights, untrained operators

Most small-to-medium venues face a common challenge: they invest in modern intelligent lighting, but the people who run the venue day-to-day aren't lighting technicians.

Traditional DMX desks are powerful but intimidating. Generic lighting apps are either too simple or too complex. There's nothing in the middle that actually fits how venues work.

ShowControl bridges this gap.

Traditional DMX desks

Powerful but intimidating. Channel faders, cue stacks, programming modes – requires a trained operator.

Generic lighting apps

Either too simple (just on/off) or too complex (another desk in disguise). Never designed for how venues actually work.

ShowControl

Staff learn it in minutes. Visiting engineers connect with zero friction. Built for the venue, from the ground up.

How It Works

Simple architecture, powerful results

ShowControl runs as a web application on a dedicated server at the venue. Any device with a browser can control the lights – nothing to install, no special hardware.

1

Open a browser

On any device – iPad, phone, laptop – navigate to the ShowControl interface on the venue's network. No app to download.

Any modern browser
2

Tap the look you want

Choose from curated scenes and programmes designed specifically for the venue. One tap for houselights, one tap for party mode.

35 frames per second
3

Lights respond

ShowControl sends DMX data via Art-Net over the venue's network to an Art-Net node, which outputs DMX to the fixtures. Built-in smoothing prevents visible LED flicker while still allowing sharp effects like strobes to cut through.

Art-Net / DMX512
The Interface

Simple to advanced, one tab at a time

The interface is organised into tabs that progress from simple one-tap operation to full fixture configuration.

ShowControl Easy Mode – large, clearly labelled buttons for one-tap lighting control: Houselights, Cabaret, Music Mode, Party Mode
Default View

Easy Mode

Large, clearly labelled buttons for the most common looks. One tap for houselights, one tap for party mode, one tap for music-reactive lighting. This is where staff spend 95% of their time.

Includes master dimmer, blackout, and Live Mode auto-pilot toggle.

ShowControl Scenes tab – grid of static lighting looks including colour washes, themed palettes, and house lights with crossfade controls
Static Looks

Scenes

A grid of all available static looks – colour washes, palettes, themed scenes – with a fade time selector. Tap a scene, choose a crossfade duration, done.

Includes themed palettes like sunset, ocean, forest, arctic, and fire.

ShowControl Programmes tab – animated lighting effects with speed control, including disco sweeps, sound-to-light, and themed effects
Animated Effects

Programmes

Animated lighting effects that run continuously – disco sweeps, colour chases, audio-reactive patterns, themed effects. Speed control lets operators dial the energy up or down.

Sound-to-light programmes react in real time to the venue's audio.

ShowControl Patch tab – complete fixture reference with DMX channel addresses, function descriptions, and value ranges for visiting lighting engineers
For Professionals

Patch

A complete fixture reference showing every fixture in the rig with brand, model, DMX mode, channel addresses, and per-channel function descriptions with value ranges.

This is the page a visiting engineer reads to patch into their own software. Includes fixture identify buttons.

ShowControl Config tab – moving head calibration, sunstrip lock settings, zone management, and system status
System Settings

Config

Moving head calibration, sunstrip lock settings, per-lamp control, zone management, and system status. The tools needed to fine-tune the installation for the physical space.

Zone restriction prevents moving heads from pointing into the audience.

Capabilities

Built for every user

From the staff who need houselights to the touring engineer who wants full DMX control.

For Day-to-Day Operation

One-tap presets Staff select from curated looks designed for the venue
Live Mode Automatic hands-off operation that listens to audio and transitions between ambient and performance lighting
Master dimmer Global brightness control, 0–100%
Crossfading Smooth transitions between any two scenes with configurable fade times
Blackout Instant kill or graceful fade to black

For Audio-Reactive Lighting

Real-time beat detection FFT-based frequency analysis with automatic gain control
3-band frequency splitting Separate responses for kick drums (low), snare (mid), and hi-hats (high)
Music confidence scoring Distinguishes music from speech and crowd noise, preventing false triggers
Tap tempo Manual beat sync when audio detection isn't available

For Visiting Professionals

Art-Net standard Connect any Art-Net-compatible desk or software to the venue's lighting network
Complete patch documentation Every fixture's brand, model, DMX mode, and channel-by-channel function reference
Fixture identify Pulse any fixture from the interface to confirm which physical unit is which
Open architecture No lock-in – designed to let visiting engineers use their own preferred tools

For Venue Management

Usage statistics Track system usage over time
Persistent state Remembers its last configuration across restarts
Remote access Control from anywhere on the venue network
Zero maintenance Runs as a Docker service, starts automatically, no intervention needed
Under the Hood

Technical foundation

Built on proven technologies and open standards.

Backend

Python (FastAPI)

Async architecture for low-latency DMX transmission and real-time audio processing.

Frontend

Vanilla JavaScript SPA

No framework dependencies. Fast, lightweight, works on any device with a browser.

Protocol

Art-Net (DMX512)

35 frames per second over the venue's local network. Industry-standard protocol, compatible with all professional lighting equipment.

Smoothing

Exponential Moving Average

Smooths LED output to prevent visible flicker, while still allowing sharp effects like strobes and beat-reactive flashes to cut through cleanly.

Audio

FFT Analysis

Analyses audio in real time to detect beats and musical energy. Automatically adjusts to varying volume levels and can use the venue's audio feed or a browser microphone.

Deployment

Docker Compose

Nginx reverse proxy, persistent volumes for configuration and state. Zero-touch operation.

Safety

Built-in Protection

Moving heads are prevented from accidentally strobing during scene transitions. Zone restriction keeps heads from pointing into the audience.

Philosophy

What makes it different

ShowControl isn't trying to replace professional lighting software. It's not competing with LightKey, QLC+, or grandMA. Instead, it's the control layer that makes a venue's lighting accessible to everyone – from the staff who just need houselights, to the club committee member running a cabaret night, to the touring sound engineer who wants to take the lights off auto-pilot and run their own show.

Every installation is bespoke. The scenes are designed for the room. The programmes are tuned to the fixtures. The calibration is set to the physical space. It's lighting control that fits the venue like a glove.

There's no one-size-fits-all configuration. No generic presets. No learning curve that requires a manual. ShowControl is built for each venue from the ground up – and that's exactly what makes it work.

Let's talk about your venue

Every ShowControl installation starts with understanding the space, the fixtures, and the people who'll be using it.

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