This diy DMX Light Rig will Change Your Live Shows
Ғылым және технология
Here's how I built a Modular DMX Lighting Rig for quick and affordable custom light shows.
Join my Discord Server to Talk Shop or just chat about anything really! / discord
And If you find value in my content, please consider donating to help me continue putting out more elaborate videos! bmc.link/supervalid
Links for some of the parts:
Amazon.com (For US viewers)
24 Channel DMX Decoder: amzn.to/42jkU02
12 Channel DMX Decoder: amzn.to/3N3VzC3
LED Strip 12 V: amzn.to/43hEKdF
30 Amp 12v Power Supply: amzn.to/3ONipjy
3 Amp 12v Power Supply: amzn.to/3qiVxhK
Amazon.ca (For Fellow Canadian Viewers)
24 Channel DMX Decoder: amzn.to/3CdVgzs
12 Channel DMX Decoder: amzn.to/45OFyZ5
30 Amp 12v Power Supply: amzn.to/43JMHIg
6 Amp 12v Power Supply: amzn.to/3oPIG6f
Tent Pole Springs: amzn.to/3WXnDvq
DMXIS Box: amzn.to/3J0T95O (Unfortunately Discontinued)
16mm Aviation Plug: amzn.to/471K2eh
Special thanks to:
Katherine Kwan for the awesome time lapse footage and set up photos! Check out her videography/photography website @ www.katherinekwan.com/ and instagram @
Evan Konrad for the great footage of the tubes and helping with the initial version of this build. Check out his music @ www.evankonrad.com/
Ria Mae for bringing me and this light rig on tour across Canada. Check out her music @ riamae.com/
Пікірлер: 799
This is a ridiculously cool system, as someone who's been in both the music and lighting world for a while being able to have something that I could use for my own solo performances which is affordable but also has a level of production that I'm happy with is something incredibly valuable. Even with just the 4 tubes at the end you had a great demo, and it's crazy to think how cheap it was to build. Definitely wanna see if I can build one of these rigs, thanks for the video!!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I hope you do end up building a similar rig! I'll likely be setting up a discord or something so when I do, feel free to reach out anytime discord.gg/JbADZPtu
@1GSweetP
9 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing in detail your incredible light rig built. I have a 360 photo booth business, and I'm always looking for ideas to enhance my business. Like you said, it can be tedious work to pack and unpack after two or more shows in an organized fashion.. Your system would solve most of all my problems. I'm not a hands-on electrical designer DIY guy, but can you share how a novice like me can hire someone to build out a system like yours for me? And , yes, I would be a very happy donor for your channel because this is priceless. Thank you.
@ShaylaRMcDaniel
8 ай бұрын
@@SuperValidDesigns Great video! Do you sell the electronics enclosure box you described at at 6:25 ? Also, discord is saying the link is invalid.
This the smartest lighting rig for bands I've ever seen on KZread. Other videos made these DIY tube lights, but didn't take into consideration easy load in and out. You solved that problem. Pure genius. Can't thank you enough.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Part of the reason i did this video is because, when I initially wanted to build a rig like this, i searched youtube and likely watched all the videos you referenced. And while they were helpful to get the lights going, no one had a good system for transport and for touring, that's half the battle for sure! I'd still make some improvements but this worked pretty well on the road!
As a professional stage technician and extremely unprofessional hobbyist musician, I would *love* to buy you a beer and talk shop about this setup. Thanks for sharing this with the world! Most of my time lately is spent in a shoebox nightclub with an always crowded stage. I've spitballed making my own fixtures in tube protectors just like yours, with a 4-channel decoder in the base each. Never even crossed my mind to centralize the DMX brains, what a brilliant way to reduce spaghetti!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for comment! Happy to talk shop anytime! I'm probably going to set up a discord or something so people can have a place to discuss ideas and what not
@christintauriainen8816
3 ай бұрын
there's always spaghetti! any way to help untangle the chaos is awesome!!
DMX cables are xlr cables. The connector is what gives it its name. The only difference can be the impedance of the cable. Most people only use cables with the right impedance for DMX as it doesnt compromise other applications.
1. I know absolutely nothing about lighting and I thought this was fascinating. Great work. 2. Your hair is awesome.
@SuperValidDesigns
15 күн бұрын
1. I'm so happy you found it interesting! Thank you! 2. You're too kind :)
Honestly such an amazing walk-through of something that has clearly had a lot of time put into it. The demo at the end was great, and really showed how much can be done with just a small setup. Really loved it.
Incredible work! You took DIY to the next level with this build. I learned how to setup my own light show with secondhand lighting equipment sending midi changes to a dmx controller. Upgraded a few things along the way and also ended up with a DMXIS box which was a great addition. Always wanted to build my own lighting like this but never took the time to experiment/try. Definitely want to make bulbs like that now!
really cool system, i did a big 4x 8 sign with decoders and a ballast for a band once and have been thinking of building something for new projects. the thought you put into load time, with the distro and aviator plugs has me thinking of all kinds of ideas, thank you!
This is incredible, so well done, even with the revisions and continuous improvement ideas going on.
This is insanely impressive. I will be making some lights soon and was searching KZread for options, yours came up and boy am I glad I found it.
Dude, that Casio keyboard music you played when explaining DMX brought back some good childhood memories. Great design concept and great video!
Genius. I love your use of off-the-shelf parts and simple design principles. Inspiring project! And yes - rework the slip-ring concept and the spool boxes!
This is AMAZING. As someone who does lights for my own bands, and went through the process of getting a more “conventional” rig this is a freaking incredible idea. We’re only ever really able to use our lights on the rare occasion we are headlining. Lately I’ve just been offering all the other bands on the bill to use our lights as well and I just plug them into a DMX controller and do the light show on the fly. This way I can get there early and setup our lights. Our show if fully programmed using Ableton & ENTTEC Pro DMX usb alongside EMU (pretty much the replacement for DMXIS). I just HAD to let you know this is super impressive. I LOVE seeing how other people implement the different uses of DMX and lights. Amazing! Keep it up!!!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for this comment! Lighting makes the show so much better and its always a hassle to implement it but so worth it if you can figure out how to make it work for your show. Sounds like you've got a great system going though and nice of you to offer other bands the option to partake! I'll have to check out the enttec Pro DMX usb!
As a drummer, stagehand, LED builder and tinkerer; this is awesome! Great work!
Found this at the perfect time. I’ve been getting into dmx, stage lighting, live visuals… this is exactly the content I need rn
You ... are ... BRILLIANT! With a few modifications (expansions really), this could easily work for videography as well! Glad I found this video! Thank you!
Bro this is *absolutely* wild! Actually incredible you were able to pull this off. My entire collection of hats and beanies off to you.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Was a fun project with a bunch of mistakes made and many things I'd still like to improve but I'm glad you liked the video and I hope you like the next one just as much!
I bought one of those dmx led controllers a while ago to be used with led lines as ambient lighting. You on the other hand took that to whole another level
I built a very similar rig using a lot of the same components (DMXis, same decoders and power supplies, and same style of light bars and edison bulbs) but you did it so much better and I wish I saw this video a few years ago when I built our rig! Now I need to re-do it using your as inspiration.
This is absolutely insane. So creative and such a smart solution for something that easily burns a huge hole in your pocket. Thank you so much for sharing, definitely gave me some inspiration to improve my light setup on gigs. You're the man! :)
this is by far the best video I've ever seen on building and affordable custom lighting rig. Please keep them coming!
Super cool project, and a fantastic video! I love your presentation style, editing, and your visual illustrations (especially the one with the string wires and pushpins) were awesome!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
I appreciate the comment! Hopefully you'll find the next video just as interesting!
@0vesl0
Жыл бұрын
@@SuperValidDesigns Which after watching this.....I'm eagerly waiting for that lol
Very helpful. Especially the diy aspects. Addressable led strips inside plastic tubes is such a fantastic money saver!!
this dropped my jaw and I am giving you a standing ovation. I have DMXIS and it does the trick. The big brand tubes cost like $5k and these look very similar. awesome work!
Man, I made something very similar for my band 5 years ago. I didn't really take any pictures, wish I would have now. I used many of the same things you ended up using - including the bulb protectors and the same 12v dmx decoder, etc. You did a really amazing job on these, very cool!
DUDE! Well done, I love the fact you made a mini 3D set up to show how it works! Great effort and looks very effective!
This video is amazing! Love how detailed you were and how you included links to everything in the description
I am currently starting to do lights as a hobby please continue making this video its very informative TYSM
Very clever off the shelf alternative work around to an expensive lighting set up. I love your way of thinking! Awesome job!!👏
I'm just getting into doing live shows and I know expressive lighting can make all the difference, music is one dimension, light another, and the two together are unstoppable
Great video! I've been researching lighting systems for my STEAM education events, and your timing couldn't be better. This has inspired me to create my own. Your creativity and innovation are truly appreciated. Keep up the fantastic work!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
So cool! Let me know if I can help in any way!
I am beyond impressed. This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen
This is rad! I've never used DMX, but it's been on my periphery due to other interests. Artemis starship bridge simulator uses DMX for scene lighting(like going to Red Alert and such) and I'm starting to get into things CLOSER to stage production/ lighting (Neotropolis festival every April). I love the modularity of this system as well as the DIY nature of it. I look forward to seeing more from you.
And this is why I love youtube. I"ve been doing this kind of trial and error myself lately. I DJ at a local club, and I'm always trying to find easier, less expensive ways to improve things. Bravo man. SUBBBBBBBB ez
My God you have just changed the world. This is so very well thought out and implemented.
I love this so much!! Definitely gonna copy this rig, with some tweaks here and there. Thanks for sharing this with all of us!
This is one of the best DIY videos I’ve ever seen. The rig is freaking awesome, and your hair is glorious. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, but please get this patented like other commenters suggested! ASAP! Awesome job!!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I'm working on a better version to hopefully sell as a kit one day. Will definitely go through the patenting process then if I can! It's unfortunately very expensive but certainly worth it at some point
Awesome rig, I by myself own 10 Standard LED bars, but your setup gives a whole other vibe to the stage...maybe because of it's special design 📈👌🏼
Wow, this is amazing! The product, the thought on future improvements, the visual and physical effects in the video... Definitely subscribing, I wanna see everything in your brain!
@SuperValidDesigns
7 ай бұрын
Thanks so much! Looking forward to getting many more videos out!
Glasson Electronics based out of the UK makes an RGB "bulb" with an added white led "filament" inside. It has a standard E26 socket on it and they are dmx addressable. We just did a show with about 1000 of them and they worked out great! They have a special box (that looks like something out of the 80s) where you to push the bulb into a socket on the box for very quick addressing. No screwing and unscrewing, very clever. The crazy part about this whole system, is that you send your DMX signal into the distro box, and it sends the data through the power cable to the bulb by sending very specific voltages down the line that the bulbs react to. The failure rate was very low. Maybe 0.5% of the 1100 we ordered were faulty. The support is a little weird.. I believe it's just one guy making these things, so communication takes time, but we were very happy with the rig we built with them. Anyway, as someone thats been in stage lighting for over a decade, this video was great, and I really loved the DIY engineering here. Hope to see more of your stuff in the future. It's people like you who keep this industry interesting and fun to work in.🤙 Edits: I suck at grammar.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
So cool, I just looked them up! I’m gonna dig more into their rigs for sure!
Dude. What?? Seriously??? I love you.
Georgeous system everything from the deployment of the reels to led parchment tubes is pure rock and roll you could make an awesome slap stick intro "lightsabering the set together" the whole thing is pure joy thank you for sharing.
YOU ARE WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR YEARS! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!!!
This is a fantastic idea, explanation and execution. Well done. I’m working on a mini Jumbotron backdrop with LED strips currently, but you’ve given me a lot more to think about with lighting embellishments. Hope to see more from you. Thanks for this video.
Wow, impressive system and love your tutorial style. Thanks for the share mate!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Watching the bulb slide down was so satisfying. Such a great idea. Excellently executed. Have subscribed.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
I promise, it's even more satisfying in person! Thanks so much for the sub, next video is taking longer than expected but I hope it's going to be equally as enjoyable!
Very well thought out approach to lighting that scales up or down as required. Excellent video! Thank you.
Amazing! Love the idea of combining power and DMX into a single connector!
wooow, iv just been getting into building some lighting fixtures, your system is really inspiring
Wow verry cool modulair system i like the scene with LOTS of tubes! Im stunned that this is your only vid on the channel. I love to see more about the rig! Keep on going
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I'm working on the second video now, its taken longer than I had hoped but with a full time job and a bunch of unrelated projects on the go, it's been a bit difficult to manage but hoping to have another video up soon! The next one is entirely unrelated to this video or lighting in general but I hope you like it too! It will be about a different "Invention" I've been working on, so this channel will just be a bunch of random things I've come up with to solve an array of problems in my life! I'll likely do an updated build on these lights at some point though!
Wow ,great work. I went down a similar rabbit hole a few years ago DIYing a bunch of stuff for cinematography uses. Love your socket approach, pretty freakin genius.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks man!
And why this doesn't have over 1M views already?! This is insane! Respect for sharing it so detailed and explanatory!
Thank you my friend I just opened the venue I really needed some lighting I was really in the dark no pun inten ded but this helped a lot.
Actually, this is so sick! If I had been more handy with electronics I would certainly have made something similar! This is so fantastic! And just like you say, it adds so much to your show! Well done!!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Amazing!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this. i was looking for something like this for a long time and finally i found someone super cool sharing everything he knows. really thank you for sharing your knowledge
Pure genius, thank you for all your hard work, this video included!
this is exactly what I was looking for! i just started building my first lighting rig two hours ago but I already know my design is not going to be as smooth as yours 😅 thanks for the video, i'll keep you updated!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Feel free to join the discord link in the description, I’m trying to help folks build this rig on there!
YES! ive been needing a more elegant solution for doing stage lights. Id love to see what could be done with Addressable LED strips and using the DMX to control animation modes
Love the modular design. :)
What an absolutely phenomenal design built wonderfully. You've considered, here, everything that would stop a small scale band from considering a lighting rig and made it a desirable and achievable option. Set up times, modularity, portability, tidiness and self-sufficiency are all accounted for and the result looks absolutely professional and incredible. My music projects need this and I'm going to pursue something similar. Thanks for posting and thanks for the great explainer.
@SuperValidDesigns
7 ай бұрын
Thanks for the great comment! I’m hoping to see bands starting to pick this up! Come join the discord if you have any questions discord.gg/hesTCU5F
Love this. I'm always searching for unique lighting for performance videos and live shows. Can't wait to see what else you cook up
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! I’m wrapping up the next video shortly here, though it’s not relevant to stage lighting at all lol. It’s a completely different invention I’ve been working on but I hope you find it interesting still! I’ll likely do more lighting vids in the future though
I was a ROADIE/Soundman back in the 70’s early 1980’s when you had to tap into the MAIN powerboxes with jumper cable connectors and it was FREAKEN SUPER DANGEROUS !!!!! Each time I risked ELECTROCUTION bigtime, so it’s amazing to see how far you have come…peace P.S you STOOD on the main Cable in case you touched a positive line and BANG you were DEAD!!!…peace
I’ve been looking for a video like this for YEARS THANK U
Wow, epic work! One of the best things I've ever seen on youtube! Keep it up!
That's awesome. You're officially my hero for today.
This is an incredible design and well thought out! I like the spool idea! I'd probably build it out of a road case with casters to easily roll in. Another thing i haven't seen people mention to give yourself a competitive edge, is to use individually addressable lights. I'd watch some videos on home christmas lighting and WS2811's to start. Throw a pixel controller in your brainboard instead of the 0-12v board. Place a network jack as input instead of DMX, and send sACN to the controller.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Having the addressable LED's would definitely be a step up for sure! I opted to keep things simpler for the initial build but this would definitely be a a massive improvement. I'll look into this for the updated version!
@LAGASTEST
9 ай бұрын
The question is, if you can actually program the lights with the dmx sofwares, or you would just be limited to the WLED apps and such. do know if programing them with a dmx sofware like EMU or SoundSwitch would be possible?
this is fantastic! awesome work mate.... my 2 peice 80's cover band would benefit from a rig like this for sure!!! you rock!
Uuuhhh this is badass. You have such an amazing skillset. Huge props.
Amazing system. So far the best solution I've seen. You are very clever. Great job. I will try to solve it in a similar way. Thanks for the inspiration and detailed explanation.
Amazing! I hope you make a ton of videos, this is inspiring and will have me building my own!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks so much! Second video is in progress and while it has nothing to do with lighting, I hope you enjoy it just as much! I will revisit this lighting system though
Man... you blew my mind! This is so cool and genius! I am taking this with me in the workshop
@SuperValidDesigns
8 ай бұрын
Come join the discord if you need any more info! discord.gg/E8Bk9pRv
IDK how I ended up here, but i was about to start digging into light shows, this is amazing, keep this videos coming!
This is the most genius thing I have ever seen. I've tried a similar idea before, but the lights were cumbersome, and the power was unreliable - this is just absolutely genius, and the result is fantastic!!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Took quite a bit of trial and error to get to this stage but the pressure was on so I had to figure it out!
I totally agree with the other comments, your system looks way too cool and accessible for a lot of people! Congrats bud!
Your Grandad would love this! Way to go Jeffery
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Brian!
Wonderful work. I’ve been playing with an idea like this, and you filled in some gaps for me.
Thank you for sharing, genius project !
DIY done right! Such a good concept, and so well and effectively done. Thanks for sharing!
I had exactly the same idea last year but I couldn't carry it out because in my country (Argentina) many things are not available or are ridiculously expensive due to import problems. I hope to be able to do it at some point, this video inspired me to be able to resume the project. Thank you very much for sharing this information.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Awe bummer I hear you. Being from Canada, I am often feeling limited by whats available here vs the US but I guess I should feel lucky that we have enough to make projects like this work still! I hope you continue to work on your own project!
This is amazing. I help run a small stage for concert/theater and I am making this. Great work and inspiration!
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
I love it! Come join the Discord Channel linked in the description if you have any questions!
Totally cool, Can see so many places this could work.
I love the multi-drum spool idea. It could have applications for audio too.
this is insane. amazing video. thank you for taking the time to make this video. love this content.
This idea is amazing. I plan to construct an 8 LED tube system to act as a facade for my DJ booth and control it with SoundSwitch. I discovered in design phase, that RGBW LED strips require 5-pin aviation connectors, which are oriented by design and can only be plugged in one-way. I also had to upgrade to an RGBW encoder to use all the effects of the RGBW strip. Although the strips are more expensive, I prefer a cool white over the warm white for my visuals. Thank you for posting this, definitely a huge inspiration for my upcoming rig.
Great work! Got some nice ideas from this, it's always fun to see others doing this type of creative craftmanship with standard off the shelf components.
This is such an awesome project! Thank you for sharing, I'm inspired!
This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much for sharing this
I'm thinking of building something like this myself. You drastically expanded the scale of which I want to build it now. Different fixtures, and a that box with cables, custom connector. All things that I hadn't thought about. I do want want todo addressable LED though. And still figuring out how I want to do that.
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Awesome! Yes the addressable leds would be a step up for sure. I never figured out a way to make that work effectively but might be worth another shot! Feel free to join the discord link in the description. A bunch of us going over ideas on there!
This is freaking amazing! Thank you for this video... it inspired me to up my live show game with some lights!
This is extremely useful for some stage show ideas I have been thinking about! Thank you!
this is insane. I would be shocked if this doesn't become more regularly used going forward
@NonnyStrikes
6 ай бұрын
the brain + power combo is a no brainer! Unreal they haven't implemented this already.
@dtrmnts
6 ай бұрын
well for one it's not as affordable as buying used lights and dongle and laptop with free software to run it.
@BudWilson13
6 ай бұрын
@@dtrmnts so?
@dtrmnts
6 ай бұрын
so its a majorly time consuming project that cost more than buying lights...@@BudWilson13
This is super useful, I am building out a large live streaming venue and will def be building some interesting fixtures like this! Really want to "DMX my whole house now :)
Worth the price of admission if only for the parchment paper idea. This is all so so impressive, congrats on the first video of i hope, many
@SuperValidDesigns
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! I eill be doing another video on this type of thing eventually but I will be filming a few different inventions/diy builds on this channel so expect to see some more videos on a wide variety of things!
Wow... This is a killer system. Well played sir!!
Love the ingenuity, my dude.
AMAZING Project...Well Done
You're an amazing genius!! Thx for sharing your craft. You've inspired me a ton. Thank you😊
Fantastic design and build! Looking forward to more.
I don't comment often but well done! Your system was amazing and the video matched. More please!
@SuperValidDesigns
8 ай бұрын
Really appreciate the comment! More to come!
Beautifully done man.