Theatre and drama
Show an incoming call on a prop phone, change the colour of screens held by a crowd, or cue a performer to use the torch.
Available now · iPhone
LMX Phone: Turn your phone into a lighting fixture.
LMX Phone lets you control an iPhone from your lighting desk using Art-Net over Wi-Fi. You can set its screen colour and brightness, control the torch, and display photos or videos as part of your lighting cues.
Use one phone as a prop, or give phones to performers and control them individually or together.
Available on the App Store for iPhone, free to download
An Android version is in development, and we are looking for Android testers.
In use
Using phones in a lighting show
Phones can share a DMX address or have separate addresses. In a performance, you could change every screen on the same cue, fade a group together or bring up individual phones in sequence.
The phones need to be on a Wi-Fi network that can receive Art-Net from the lighting desk.
How it works
Setting up LMX Phone
Connecting to an existing lighting network, or planning a dedicated Wi-Fi setup? Read the Art-Net networking guide for diagrams, broadcast and unicast advice, and recommended network layouts.
LMX Phone works with LMX and other lighting consoles or software that send Art-Net. Patch it as a six-channel fixture and configure the phone to listen on the same universe and address.
- 01
Patch the phone
Patch it on your console as a six-channel generic fixture. Give every phone the same address to move them together, or an address each to cue them one by one.
- 02
Join the network
Connect the phone to the same Wi-Fi as your console or Art-Net node, then enter the universe and starting channel you patched it at.
- 03
Tap Start
The screen goes full screen, auto-lock turns off, and the phone follows the desk. Double-tap and press the X to come back out.
DMX channel map
Channels count from the starting address you set in the app. The phone listens for Art-Net DMX on UDP port 6454, sent to the network's broadcast address or straight to the phone.
| Channel | Function | Values |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Screen brightness | 0 is the darkest the screen goes, 255 is full brightness |
| 2 | Red | Screen colour, and tints any photo or video |
| 3 | Green | Screen colour, and tints any photo or video |
| 4 | Blue | Screen colour, and tints any photo or video |
| 5 | Photo or video | 0 is plain colour; 1 to 255 pick a photo or video to fill the screen |
| 6 | Torch | 0 is off, 255 is full. Full version |
Try it
Try the DMX controls
Use the six sliders to see how the phone responds to DMX values. Channel 5 selects one of the 17 built-in images and videos, with 15 values assigned to each.
Quick looks
A simulation in your browser, using the app's own photos, video and channel map. Torch control on channel 6 is part of the full version.
What it does
What you can control
- Screen colour
- Mix any colour on channels 2 to 4. It fills the screen, and it tints whatever image or video is showing on top.
- Brightness and torch
- Channel 1 drives the screen brightness and channel 6 the torch on the back of the phone, both from the desk.
- Photos and video from the desk
- Channel 5 picks what fills the screen. 17 are built in: 16 photos, from fire, aurora and stained glass to TV static and an incoming call, plus a candle video that loops.
- Your own photos and videos
- Give any photo or video on the phone a channel 5 value, and the desk can bring it up on cue. It replaces the built-in one at that value and is tinted live, like the rest.
- Video playback options
- When a video of your own finishes, hold the last frame, loop it, fade to black over a second or snap straight to black.
- During a performance
- The status bar is hidden and auto-lock is off while the app runs. If you leave or exit the app, your brightness comes back and the torch goes off.
- Universe and address selection
- Listen on Art-Net universes 0 to 254, starting anywhere from channel 1 to 507, so phones fit around the rest of your patch.
- Network diagnostics
- An optional overlay shows packets per second, changed frames, lost packets and the longest gap, so you can tell a weak Wi-Fi signal from a desk problem.
Where it fits
Ways to use LMX Phone
Phones can be held by performers or incorporated into props and scenery. Here are a few ways they could be used in a production.
Choirs and concerts
Give performers phones with matching or individual addresses to control screen colour and brightness during a song.
Props and set dressing
Lay a phone into the set as a TV full of static, a computer terminal, a window at sunrise or a flickering fire that dims on cue.
Schools and youth theatre
Cast members can use their own compatible phones, provided they can connect to the Art-Net network.
Immersive shows and events
Place phones around a space or hand them to performers in the room, and cue them alongside the house lights and the rig.
Free and full versions
Free and full versions
Free
- Screen colour and brightness
- Every built-in photo and video, plus your own
- Art-Net universe 0, starting at channel 1
- An "Upgrade to remove this message" banner while running
Full version one-time in-app purchase
- Everything in the free version
- Any universe from 0 to 254 and any starting channel from 1 to 507
- Torch control on channel 6
- No on-screen upgrade message
Download
Availability and documentation
LMX Phone is available on the App Store for iPhone. An Android version is in development.
Testing the Android version
We are looking for people to test LMX Phone on their own Android phones before it is released. If you would like to take part, send us an email and we will be in touch when a test build is ready.
Become an Android testerSetup, the channel map, photos and videos, video playback and troubleshooting are all in the LMX Phone help.
Get LMX Phone for iPhone
The free version runs on universe 0 from channel 1. Unlock the full version from inside the app when you need other addresses or the torch.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does LMX Phone do?
LMX Phone turns an iPhone into a DMX lighting fixture. A lighting console sends Art-Net over Wi-Fi, and the phone uses six channels to set its screen brightness, screen colour (red, green and blue), which photo or video fills the screen, and its torch.
Which lighting consoles work with LMX Phone?
Any console, software or node that outputs Art-Net on the same network as the phone, including LMX. The phone listens for Art-Net DMX packets on UDP port 6454, broadcast or sent straight to its address. It does not receive sACN.
How many DMX channels does LMX Phone use?
Six, starting at the channel you choose: 1 screen brightness, 2 red, 3 green, 4 blue, 5 photo or video, and 6 torch. Patch it as a six-channel generic fixture.
Can I control lots of phones at once?
Yes. Every phone on the network listens for Art-Net, so phones patched at the same address move together and phones at different addresses can be cued separately. A busy or weak Wi-Fi network is the practical limit, and the app has a diagnostics overlay to show lost packets.
Can I use my own images and videos?
Yes. Give any photo or video on the phone a value on channel 5, and the lighting desk can show it full screen on cue. It takes priority over the built-in photo or video at that value, and is tinted by the red, green and blue channels like the built-in ones.
Is LMX Phone free?
The free version includes screen colour, brightness and every photo and video on universe 0, starting at channel 1, with an upgrade message on screen while it runs. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks any universe and starting channel, torch control and removes the message.
Where can I download LMX Phone?
LMX Phone is available now on the App Store for iPhone. The download is free, and the full version is a one-time in-app purchase.
Is LMX Phone available on Android?
Not yet. An Android version is in development and we are looking for testers. If you would like to try it on your own Android phone before release, email [email protected].