Cinelex – The Future of Wireless DMX

Wireless lighting control in the film & television production industry has for a long time been fraught and complex.

The majority of existing systems use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology along with a companion smartphone or tablet application. Sure, they may have fancy user interfaces and gimmicks that might rouse an owner-operator, but in the world of professional film & television production – they do not constitute a realistic option. For starters, Bluetooth & Wi-Fi have a limited working range, restricting the distances at which fixtures can be controlled – not forgetting that each light uses its own dedicated application, making universal control a distant pipedream.

Cinelex – a UK designer & manufacturer – instigated a rigorous market analysis, with the ultimate ambition of developing a universal standard in wireless DMX lighting control. Following in-depth consultation with lighting manufacturers and international rental houses and months of meticulous engineering, Cinelex have unveiled the fruits of 'Project Spectre'.

Their flagship product is SPECTRE-TRX – an all-in-one transmitter & receiver that enables wireless control of any DMX-capable light. As a receiver, the unit mounts between the light and battery using the fixture's V-Mount or Gold Mount battery plate. Power is simultaneously supplied to SPECTRE-TRX and the light itself. Once mounted, powered & synchronised to a transmitter – SPECTRE-TRX receives and relays all signals to the light through the light fixture's DMX input.

Uniquely, SPECTRE-TRX can switch between 'receive' and 'transmit' modes at the touch of a button. In 'transmit' mode SPECTRE-TRX becomes a wireless DMX transmitter. Once tethered to a lighting control desk, SPECTRE-TRX beams all signals wirelessly to its synched receivers – giving a new lease of life to existing equipment.

Cinelex have also developed their own "Go Anywhere" portable wireless DMX control desk – SPECTRE-DESK-TX8. It can be powered from 4x AA batteries and the unit supports control of 8 channels across 512 unique DMX IDs. Designed to be lightweight and portable, SPECTRE-DESK-TX8 is the ideal solution for a truly wireless experience.

The latest model in the Cinelex line up is SKYNODE, a USB-powered wireless DMX receiver – designed for effortless integration with ARRI SkyPanel. It docks neatly to the DMX XLR input on SkyPanel and draws its power from the USB-A port directly below. Once synchronised to a transmitter – either a SPECTRE-TRX in transmit mode or SPECTRE-DESK-DX8 – wireless control becomes a straightforward reality. SKYNODE is remarkably compact, the largest component being its 5-pin XLR connector – when connected to a SkyPanel, it remains discreet.

All Cinelex products are cross-compatible – incorporating LumenRadio protocol – and meet international regulatory standards including FCC, CE & RoHS.

Through these products, Cinelex have redefined DMX lighting control, bringing universal wireless DMX to the production industry for the first time.

Please contact your usual dealer or Octica direct for more information.

t: +44 (0) 1784 450 506 | e: [email protected] | w: www.octica.tv

Image: SKYNODE.

This article also features in the September edition of Broadcast Film & Video.

(JP)