The best software ever!

SweetLight is a great free stage lighting software for Windows and Mac OS. It is basically a DMX lighting controlling software. It lets you create light shows with various lighting fixtures and equipment. But, this software is quite complicated to understand, especially for naive users. Made for Your Mac. Lightkey was engineered from the ground up as a native Mac app, so it’s finally goodbye to the Windows emulation. It perfectly matches your Mac’s look and feel and comes with all the familiar features like Dark Mode, full screen view, autosaving, copy and paste, unlimited undo, or automatic updates.

Light Show

MusicBeam is an open source software which enables you to use your home projector to create an entire laser show for your next party. MusicBeam is music triggered and allows you to adjust nearly every detail of the performance.

Requirements

MusicBeam is Java based and runs under every major operating system. There is no installation required. All you need is a projector plugged into a laptop, throw in a fog machine and you're ready to go!

Open Source

MusicBeam is developed with all passion by people who love dance music. That's why it's under the MIT Licence which makes is free of charge for any kind of useage. Feel invited to participate on our GitHub page and create and share your own effects..

Here is what we got.

Derby

RGB-Spots

Polygon

Strobe

It's not just free but Open Source!

Windows

Any Questions?

'MusicBeam' is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash. (Mac OSX)

This is due to Gatekeeper, which forces developers to pay Apple $100 each year. Here is a guide how to disable Gatekeeper: HT202491

I only see a grey window (Windows)

Please make sure to plug in a Projector before you launch MusicBeam. You may also try 32-bit version. This has worked for some users in the past.

Do I need a Projector?

You can test the output on a second display but you’ll need a projector for the party.

Do I need a Fog machine?

No but I looks much nicer with a little fog just like a real laser or light show.

I can't open MusicBeam, apparently a file called 'javaw.exe' is missing.

MusicBeam is based on Java, meaning that Java is required to run MusicBeam. You can download Java for free at Java.com

Keen in mind to deactivate Java in your browser.

My display turns black when I start the projector, what’s wrong?

Make sure your projector is connected and running as an extended desktop (extended to the right side), not mirror mode! You have to make sure to select the right display/projector otherwise the effect stage will be initiated on primary display. The default color is black ;)

Can I use MusicBeam professionally or commercially?

Yes, that’s the Idea about Open Source Software but we are always excited to know who uses our software and what for. Please tell us what you are doing so we can keep improving MusicBeam.

Can I use line in as audio source?

Yes, the audio source is set to system default. Just change your default audio input before starting the software and you are ready to go.

What kind of video projector do I need?

This really depends on the room size. The two important factors are (Ansi) Lumen and Contrast. The more Lumen the brighter the light, the higher the contrast the better. For a decent home party we would go with 2000 Lumen and a 1000:1 Contrast.

Where is the difference to a real laser show?

Of course a projectors light is not as bright as a laser, apart of that, there are no limitations on the effects. If you´re able to write your own effects you could even imitate the laser-effects you like.

Can I use SoundToLight effects with MusicBeam?

We know of 'beamer to light', 'sound to light' or 'beamer as light' from Klomeister. But it's aperently discontinued by Klomeister. Builds this entire software from scratch to be easy to use and available for all operating systems. Therefore ther is no compatibility with SoundToLight nor any link between both projects.

How can I contact a developer?

You can alsways use our GitHub and Facebook Page or just send us a mail to: musicbeam@johanneshoppe.com

Who produces stuff like that?

Special thanks to:

Johannes for his passionate coding

Manu for letting the world know

Olli for his fancy graphics

Skyler for his native skills and social network

Thanks to:

@glyphicons for letting us use his grahpics

@mdo and @fat for the website inspration

Tim for his annoying presence

Fabi for his expected absence

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2012-2015 Johannes Hoppe

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.

NEWVersion 3.3

See what’s new

Stage Light Design Software

• Highly Compatible.

  Bring your own DMX interface: USB, Art-Net, sACN, or ESP-Net.

• Vastly Powerful.

  Lightkey’s built-in FX engine takes your light show to a new level.

• Surprisingly Simple.

  Easy to learn, quick to set up. Engineered exclusively for Mac.

Highly Compatible.
Bring Your Own DMX Interface.

Save the cost of expensive proprietary DMX hardware: Lightkey works with a wide range of USB interfaces plus any Art-Net, sACN, or ESP-Net-compatible device, thanks to the Open Lighting Architecture. Whatever DMX interface you have, there’s a good chance that Lightkey supports it—simply download Lightkey for free, plug in your interface, and give it a try.

Choose from a wide range of USB–DMX interfaces from various manufacturers

Or use any Art-Net, sACN, or ESP Net network interface

Hardware Control.
Enhance Your Experience.

Do you prefer the physical controls on a lighting console? Then you can have the best of both worlds. Lightkey integrates seam­lessly with any standard MIDI controller and DMX console (through DMX-In). You can map each hardware control to whatever feature you like and build your own custom-tailored show control desk to trigger cues, presets and sequences, adjust fixture properties, tap the beat, and whatever else you need.

Designed for Creativity.
Take Your Light Show to a New Level.

Designed for the needs of creative lighting designers, Lightkey breaks free from the old thinking about DMX values and channels. Thru advanced fixture profiles it understands all your fixtures’ properties—like Color, Gobo, Shutter, Prism, Zoom—, and provides specially-designed, easy-to-use controls for each of them. The current state of your fixtures is always visible in the live preview. Simply concentrate on the perfect light show and let Lightkey translate it to the proper DMX values.

• Virtual Light Beams

  Virtual light beams show your lights’ real-world positions and also reflect intensity, color, focus, zoom, iris, frost, shutter/strobe, and prism states.

• Built-In Stage Editor

  The built-in graphical editor lets you recreate the stage or dance floor on the screen. Apart from your fixtures you can add shapes, trusses, and custom images.

• Copy & Paste

  Easily copy and paste properties and effects between fixtures – even fixtures of different types. Of course, you can undo as well.

• At a Glance

  Little “bubbles” in the Preview show you at a glance which fixture properties are overridden or defined by a preset, sequence, or cue.

• On-the-Fly Changes

  Quickly change any fixture property on the fly—perfect for nightclubs and parties where you don’t have a song run sheet in advance.

• Intelligent Design View

  The Design view automatically adapts itself according to your fixtures and their properties so you only see the controls you really need.

Effects.
Infinite Possibilities.

Lightkey’s powerful effects engine makes it easy and fun to create amazing dynamic looks. Choose from over 50 effect templates or create your own pattern, curve, or movement effects. Effects can be applied to almost any fixture property and stored in presets and cues while staying editable all the time. Apply effects to multi-beam LED strips and matrixes. Synchronize effects to music. Overlay multiple effects for countless possibilities.

improved

Beat Control.
Stay in the rhythm.

Effortlessly sync your light show to music. Lightkey connects to your DAW, DJ app, or audio analysis software through MIDI Clock or Ableton Link. Or simply tap the beat and Lightkey will continue at the same tempo. You can adjust the speed of individual cues at any time with a Beat Multiplier.

• Tap the Beat

  Tap the beat with the mouse, keyboard, or a MIDI controller, and Lightkey will pick up the tempo.

• MIDI Clock

  Receive a MIDI Beat Clock signal sent by a DJ software, mixer, or audio analysis tool.

• Ableton Link

  Ableton Link syncs beat information between apps on the same computer or local network.

Always in Sync.
Run Your Lighting From Ableton Live.

The unique Live Triggers feature makes it quick and intuitive to trigger lighting cues directly from Ableton Live: Simply drag cues you created in Lightkey to the Ableton Live timeline. If you’re a live performer, you can create a light show that’s perfectly in sync with the music without any manual operation during the show.

Setup.
Surprisingly Simple.

An interactive assistant guides you through the entire setup process: Configure DMX output, patch your fixtures, create a visual representation of the stage. And if you ever need a fixture profile that is not in the built-in library, simply send us the DMX specs and we’ll create it for you within a few days.

Command Central.

Don’t waste your time shuffling windows and panels around. Everything you need is cleanly arranged in a single window, providing you with exactly the controls you need at any time. The elegant, white-on-dark UI has been specially designed for use in low-light environments—it even adapts itself to the light colors.

• Full-Screen Mode

  The single-window user interface has been specially designed for full-screen mode.

• Touch Screen Support

  All controls have large clickable areas and work great with touch screens.

• Multi-Touch Gestures

  Pinch, swipe, scroll, force click: With a Multi-Touch trackpad you can change fixture properties in a natural way. (And it’s fun too.)

• Extensive Keyboard Shortcuts

  A clever, well-structured, and extensible system of keyboard shortcuts lets you control virtually every application feature.

Fixtures.
State of the Art.

Lightkey handles even the most sophisticated fixtures with ease. Its smart fixture profiles support multiple modes (“personalities”), 16-bit output, conditional properties, RGB/CMY color mixing, multiple color and gobo wheels, custom beam layouts, and much more. Lightkey comes with a huge library of over 3000 high-quality fixture profiles for all popular manufac­turers, and it can import thousands of freely available profiles in the formats SSL2, FXT, and PFF.

Built-In Fixture Editor

Stage Lighting Design Software Free

To make fixture profile creation as easy as possible, Lightkey’s fixture editor has the same layout as a typical DMX chart. (Click the image for a side-by-side comparison.) And it’s built right into the application so changes take effect instantly.

High Technology.
Made for Your Mac.

Lightkey was engineered from the ground up as a native Mac app, so it’s finally goodbye to the Windows emulation. It perfectly matches your Mac’s look and feel and comes with all the familiar features like Dark Mode, full screen view, autosaving, copy and paste, unlimited undo, or automatic updates. Under the hood, Lightkey takes full advantage of your Mac’s capabilities including 64-bit processing, multicore computing thru Grand Central Dispatch, support for Retina displays, and pristine graphics using Apple’s Core Animation and Metal 2 technologies.

Home Design Software Mac

Editions & Pricing.What’s your Lightkey edition?

Stage Light Design Software Machine

• All editions come with the full feature set, even the free edition.
• You can always upgrade if you need more channels later.

Check it Out.
Today. For Free.

Lightkey uses the Open Lighting Architecture, an open-source framework by the Open Lighting Project.
Download the source code here or get the latest version on GitHub.