DMXDesktop

Effect Types

DMXDesktop effects fall into two families: Beam effects (intensity + color) and Move effects (Pan/Tilt movement). Combine one of each to build a complete look.

If you’re new: start with Chase or Wave for energy, then add Circle or Figure of 8 for motion.

Beam effects Move effects

Beam effects

Beam effects create movement and energy using intensity and color. You can apply them to one or more groups, then tune the feel with Speed and Background.

  • Colors: pick one color for a solid look, or multiple colors for rotation/chases.
  • Spread: staggers the effect across fixtures so it cascades through your rig.
  • Phase: offsets timing/order (useful for strobe chases and phased looks).

Utility

Quick practical tools for setup and focusing.

Solo

Highlights a single fixture so you can quickly identify and focus it in your rig.

Best for

  • Finding a specific fixture on stage
  • Quick focusing during setup
Utility Min colors: 1

Identify

Runs a clear identification pattern across fixtures, making it easy to confirm patching and group membership.

Best for

  • Checking patching
  • Confirming which fixtures are in a group
Utility Min colors: 1

Chases & motion

Classic “lights moving across the rig” looks: clean, musical, and very readable from the audience.

Sequencer

A simple step-by-step sequence that runs across your fixtures in order. Great when you want motion without heavy strobing.

Best for

  • Dancefloor energy
  • Clean movement without harsh flashing

Variants

Reversed
Min colors: 1

Middle Out

Builds from the center of your rig and travels outward (or back inward). A strong ‘big moment’ look for drops and choruses.

Best for

  • Big builds and drops
  • Center-stage emphasis

Variants

Normal Reversed
Min colors: 1

Chase

A classic chase that moves a block of lit fixtures through your rig. Spread changes how the chase ripples across fixtures.

Best for

  • Fast rhythmic movement
  • Making a wide rig feel alive

Variants

Left to Right Right to Left In/Out Out/In Inverted Inverted (Reversed) Inverted (In/Out) Inverted (Out/In)
Spread Min colors: 2

Wave

A smoother chase that creates a rolling wave across fixtures. Great for flowing movement instead of hard steps.

Best for

  • Smooth, modern movement
  • Ambient energy with motion

Variants

Left to Right Right to Left In/Out Out/In Inverted Inverted (Reversed) Inverted (In/Out) Inverted (Out/In)
Phase Spread Min colors: 2

Intensity & color dynamics

From subtle shimmer to bold color movement. These are your “set the mood” and “keep it moving” tools.

Twinkle

Random flashes across fixtures for sparkle and texture. Works great on large groups to avoid looking repetitive.

Best for

  • Sparkle on top of a static look
  • Creating texture in haze
Min colors: 1

Switching

Alternates fixtures on/off in pairs. When you pick multiple colors, it rotates colors each time it switches.

Best for

  • Punchy two-step looks
  • Simple movement without a chase
Min colors: 2

Wash

A steady, solid color wash. Perfect as your base look, especially when combined with Move effects.

Best for

  • Building a clean base look
  • Slow songs or speeches
Min colors: 1

Wash (Phased)

A wash look with phased variation across fixtures so the rig feels wider and more alive than a single static color.

Best for

  • Big rigs where a flat wash looks too static
  • Adding subtle motion without flashing
Phase Spread Min colors: 2

Pulse

Pulses intensity up and down. Use Background to keep a glow between hits, and Spread for a cascading pulse.

Best for

  • Beat-matched intensity movement
  • Building energy without changing color
Spread Min colors: 1

Pulse Rotate

Like Pulse, but rotates through your chosen colors as it cycles, giving you intensity motion plus color motion.

Best for

  • Colorful pulsing looks
  • Keeping a single group interesting over time
Phase Min colors: 2

Phased Pulse

A rotating pulse that offsets fixtures so the fade travels through the rig. Great for big, smooth, modern movement.

Best for

  • A ‘traveling’ pulse across the rig
  • Smooth energy for choruses

Variants

Left to Right Right to Left Middle Out Alternating
Phase Spread Min colors: 2

Color Rotate

Rotates through selected colors evenly across all fixtures for an easy, consistent color cycle.

Best for

  • Simple color motion
  • Long transitions without intensity changes
Min colors: 2

Color Rotate HD

A smoother, richer color rotation that blends between colors for more fluid transitions.

Best for

  • More ‘premium’ looking color fades
  • Reducing harsh jumps between colors
Min colors: 2

Hybrid Pulse

A high-energy hybrid of pulsing intensity and color motion, designed to feel big and modern on stage.

Best for

  • High-energy moments
  • Festival-style looks
Min colors: 2

Alternate

Alternates between two colors across your rig, creating strong contrast and very readable movement.

Best for

  • Two-color looks
  • Making beams pop in haze

Variants

Normal Reversed
Min colors: 2

Carousel

A classic fairground/carnival style alternating pattern with color changes. Great for fun, upbeat looks.

Best for

  • Upbeat party looks
  • Retro ‘carnival’ vibes

Variants

Normal Reverse
Spread Min colors: 2

Rainbow

Cycles through a rainbow spectrum across fixtures. Spread can turn it into a flowing rainbow wave.

Best for

  • Instant color variety
  • Large rigs and pixel fixtures
Phase Spread Min colors: 1

Flash

A fast, punchy flash accent. Great as a quick hit on drops or transitions.

Best for

  • Accents and hits
  • Quick drops and fills
Min colors: 1

Audio & impact

Big moment effects that feel tied to the music.

VU-Meter

Turns your rig into an audio meter: intensity reacts to the music level for a live, responsive feel.

Best for

  • Music-reactive looks
  • Easy ‘auto DJ’ energy
Phase Spread Min colors: 2

Strobing

A simulated strobe chase using dimmer/white fluctuation. Phase offsets timing per fixture for chase-like strobe runs.

Best for

  • Big drops
  • Hard-hitting strobe moments
Phase Min colors: 1

HyperX

An intense, high-energy sequence that chains multiple looks together for maximum impact.

Best for

  • Peak moments
  • High-energy genres and big rigs
Min colors: 2

Move effects

Move effects animate Pan/Tilt to create geometric motion patterns. Use Size to control how wide the pattern is and Phase to offset fixtures so they follow each other.

  • Size: how large the movement pattern is.
  • Phase: offsets fixtures in time so the motion travels across your rig.
  • Fan: (available on some effects) fans fixtures in/out for a wider, more dramatic look.

Core geometry

Clean shapes that work in almost any venue.

Circle

Traces a circular path around a center point. With Phase, fixtures follow each other around the circle for a flowing look.

Best for

  • Smooth movement in haze
  • Keeping movers active without being chaotic
Phase

Figure of 8

Draws a horizontal infinity pattern (∞). Great for energetic motion that still feels smooth and controlled.

Best for

  • Dynamic sweeps without sharp corners
  • Choruses and builds
Phase

Box

Moves around a square/rectangle with crisp corners. Phase can turn it into a ‘follow-the-leader’ box chase.

Best for

  • Geometric looks
  • Tight, rhythmic movement
Phase

Arc

Sweeps in a curved arc. Use Fan (when available) to spread fixtures for a wider, more dramatic sweep.

Best for

  • Wide sweeps across the room
  • Big ‘stadium’ movements
Phase Fan

Sweeps

Simple, classic motions that always read well.

Up & Down

A vertical sweep up and down. With Phase it becomes a wave, with fixtures moving in sequence.

Best for

  • Simple, reliable movement
  • Keeping beams moving during a wash
Phase Fan

Left & Right

A horizontal sweep left and right. Add Phase for a traveling wave across your movers.

Best for

  • Room-filling sweeps
  • Big chorus movement
Phase Fan

Symmetry

Balanced, mirror-style movement that looks intentional and premium.

Opposites

Pairs of fixtures mirror each other, moving in opposite directions for a symmetrical stage look.

Best for

  • Symmetrical rigs
  • Clean ‘designed’ movement
Phase

Cross

Draws a cross/plus (+) path. With Phase, multiple fixtures create rotating, layered cross patterns.

Best for

  • Geometric designs
  • Layered multi-mover looks
Phase

Feature shapes

More complex shapes for standout moments.

Diamond

A sharp diamond path with strong corners. Great for crisp, rhythmic looks.

Best for

  • Tight geometric movement
  • Pop/EDM drops
Phase

Triangle

A three-point triangular path. Phase can create a rotating triangle chase across multiple movers.

Best for

  • Geometric beam designs
  • Rhythmic movement
Phase

Star

Draws a five-point star with dramatic line-crossing movement. Looks especially strong in haze.

Best for

  • High-impact ‘wow’ moments
  • Dramatic, crisscrossing motion
Phase

Vertical Figure of 8

A vertical infinity pattern (8 turned 90°). Great for adding variation to standard figure-8 motion.

Best for

  • Adding variety to movement
  • Lifting motion up the stage
Phase

Energy & random

Organic, unpredictable movement that still stays smooth.

Burst

Moves outward from a center point and returns, like an expanding ‘burst’. Great for pulsing, breathing movement.

Best for

  • Builds and drops
  • Pulsing ‘breathing’ motion
Phase

All Random

Generates random arc movements for each fixture while keeping transitions smooth and usable on stage.

Best for

  • Organic motion
  • Avoiding repetition in long sets
Phase

Random Together

Random movement where fixtures tend to move together in a coordinated way, creating controlled chaos.

Best for

  • Fun, energetic looks
  • When you want random without messy results
Phase