Lighting Controls

When choosing which lighting control option you need, you have to try and pick the one that will be the most beneficial to your location overall. A light switch and a smart switch are very similar, but a smart switch comes with more benefits like remote control features.

• Light switch: A normal switch, typically programmed into the wall, will control your light when turning on and off. It is the most simple light controller option and can operate multiple lights depending on where it is installed.
• Smart switch: A smart switch has the same job as a light switch, but it has more benefits. A smart wall switch can be connected to Wi-Fi, which allows you to be able to control your home lighting from any smart device no matter the distance. Smart light switches also help you stay energy efficient while being cost-effective and can be beneficial for security purposes.

Lighting sensors are a great addition to have in your lighting control system because they’ll help you save energy and money! By turning on and off depending on lighting, heat, or movement, a lighting sensor will act as your wall switch to turn on and off lights when needed. If none of these factors are present, the light will remain off. Lighting sensors are used in many locations including:

• Outside of buildings
• Street lights
• Parking lots
• Hallways
• Bedrooms or other residential locations
• Retail

Lighting sensors can also improve security at commercial locations, making customers and staff more comfortable.

A dimmer is a great lighting control tool to have because it will help you stay energy efficient. Different from a motion sensor, dimming will help regulate the brightness of your lights in a room by making them shine brighter or darker. When dimmed down, you will be saving energy and costs because the bulb’s output is lower.

Dimmers work the same as a normal light switch but can be controlled in different ways. Some have a smart dimmer switch that can be controlled from a smart device (such as a phone or iPad), no matter the distance. This makes it easy to control the lighting in your commercial or residential space even if you’re not onsite.

A wall-timer can be very beneficial for your lighting control because it can program lighting for an entire day or short periods. Depending on the type of in-wall timer you use, there are different benefits. For example, a mechanical timer will help when trying to set short amounts of time for lights to be on, such as an hour on the tennis court. On the other hand, a digital in-wall timer is often programmable and can sometimes be scheduled to control lighting for up to seven days.

For example, if you have an office building that’s open Monday through Friday, you can set a lighting schedule for workdays and save money by keeping the lights off on the weekends. Digital in-wall timer switches can be used manually or automatically and help make a building more energy efficient.

The right lighting setup adds energy and excitement to a performance. If you are setting up the lighting for a concert, DJ set, or theater performance, you’ll need a mix of equipment like spotlights, strobe lights, and wash lighting to create different effects.

Most venues will have a set of lighting tools that are controlled from a standalone console, known as a digital multiplex (DMX) controller that can be incorporated into a rack mount. This lighting control console has switches and faders so you can control the movement, intensity, and color of each stage light. Look for a universal DMX lighting controller – popular models include American DJ (ADJ) WMX1, Elation Professional, ChamSys QuickQ 20, and Chauvet DJ Obey 40. The DMX interface control software also allows for recording and playback.

Other equipment you might need for professional lighting at live performances includes:

• Clamps: Clamps secure individual light fixtures to a truss or stand.
• Footswitch: This is a type of hands-free RDM or DMX control surface. It’s a good fit for musicians or DJs who need to operate show lights themselves.
• Gobos: A gobo (short for “go between optics”) is a stenciled disc used to project images or patterns from a light fixture.
• Moving heads: This is a general term for any kind of intelligent lighting that is controlled via DMX or an ethernet protocol like ArtNet.
• SoundSwitch: This is a combined software/hardware lighting control that integrates with DMX-512 to create custom lighting shows synced with audio files.
• Splitter: A splitter converts a single DMX line into two or more lines.
• Transceiver: This is a battery-powered transmitter and receiver for wireless communication between a channel DMX or RDM controller and lighting fixtures.

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