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How to Control Stage Lights From Stage

Stage lights are generally controlled from a lighting console--also called a light board--in a tech area behind the audience. However, a light board operator may need to sit on one side of the offstage area rather than in the tech area during the show, or the lighting designer may simply want control from the stage during the focus process. Musicians also sometimes want to control their own lighting setups from the stage. If your lighting console does not have a hand-held remote for this purpose, controlling lights from the stage requires relocating the entire lighting console.

Things You'll Need

  • Table
  • Lighting console
  • DMX cable
  • Gaffer's tape
  • Power strip
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Instructions

    • 1

      Turn off the console in the tech area after saving any data you need. Write down where each cable goes and whether it is the male or female end, then unplug all of the connecting cables.

    • 2

      Set up a table large enough to hold the lighting console and its monitor in the onstage location where you want the board and place the console on it. If you are using a small manual light board without a monitor, this can go on a small table or even the floor. For musicians, light boards are available that allow a few pre-set looks to be changed with a button that can be foot-controlled; this type of board can be placed near other foot pedal controls on the floor.

    • 3

      Run a long DMX cable (or the type of cable your theater's dimmer control uses) from the outlet in the tech area all the way to the stage location. This cable generally looks like microphone cable but has five pins instead of three on the connector. If you are able to, run the cable along catwalks overhead to keep it out of the audience's way. If you must run the cable along the floor, clean the floor first, then keep the cable tucked into corners where the floor meets the walls and tape the entire length securely with gaffer's tape.

    • 4

      Plug the DMX cable into the appropriate spot in the light board and reconnect all cables to the monitor and power sources. Use a power strip to minimize the number of cords running to the wall, and tape down any cords that cross walkways.

    • 5

      Turn the lighting console on and begin controlling the lights from the stage.

Stage Productions

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