Hi! I very recently became a Photon user after finding @Sharonzaz video on YouTube. I am also a StageTraxx user but until now light automation was not a priority. Right now I am waiting for an ArtNet/DMX interface (Pknight CR011R) to arrive in the mail but to prove that I can make a direct ethernet connection and use StageTraxx, I created a DIY ArtNet LED ring using an Arduino. This is of course only an experiment and I’ll be using my real fixtures as soon as I have the interface. Anyway, here is my very first demo using StageTraxx → MIDI → Photon → USB Ethernet adapter → Ethernet → Light fixture
I’ve been using the same setup for some time. I would not put the time into programming for Photon 2. It’s been 2+ years since there has been an update, and it has bugs that make it unstable. The app has great potential, but the ongoing development has not been good.
You are right. It seems I put a lot of trust in what I read here iPadOS 26 Updates? - #5 by Cclleemm before I paid the $99. I hope something significant happens soon. I have already noticed that MIDI support has a lot of potential improvements to be made.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good product and feature rich. It’s 95% there. But not many people use the midi functionality, and it is not stable. I generally get 3-4 crashes at every gig. I’ve seen other users who restart the app during every break to try and buy time. That’s not a solution. So yes, the IOS 26 updates are a worry. And if they say first qtr 2026, it’s more likely to be 2027. The current beta version looks like it’s been in testing for well over a year.
I get you right. But your story about crashes makes me feel a bit stupid right now for not researching more before committing. What iPad based alternatives have you considered?
I use photon with stage Traxx too and I haven’t experienced any crashes during any of my gigs yet. From what I’ve read it mainly happens when people have it running in the background on the same iPad but I use a separate iPad for it.
Now I finally got the Pknight and have started experimenting with the actual setup (single iPad, Photon in background, StageTraxx in foreground sending MIDI, Ethernet to Pknight, DMX fixtures). One thing I have noticed already is that even during playback of a single song, the light show will freeze until I bring Photon back into running in the foreground.
Hi @Cclleemm, so nice to hear from you! The DIY lights was for some early testing before I had a real ART-Net interface, but I might come back to it. Our drummer wants a metronome that flashes in time
I tested Live mode and that seems to work better. I do notice that flash presets with fade transitions don’t fade out smoothly in Live, if I trigger them manually. With MIDI it seems ok.
Andy, I have midi lighting programmed for over 300 songs. The lights for the band are all battery powered (Chauvet Freedom Series) and wireless. I have significant time invested to the programming and agree that there are definitely improvements that can and should be made. My trust level is not high. But, I am willing to try it for one more year and pay for subscription. But, the update better include more than just the multi page feature that has been a beta for well over a year now
The story continues. Right now I’m comparing with LightRider, realizing what you all are saying about how moving lights must be handled in Photon.
LR is focused on automation with only few choices and parameters needing to be set, while Photon has more freedom at the expense of more manual setup needed.
Motion; LR has it built in and Photon can emulate it by sequencing between presets with static positions for moving lights.
Hardware; LR requires their expensive LR512 to be purchased, Photon can use third party ArtNet nodes.
Tempo sync; both can use the built in mic and Ableton Link. LR can use a connected audio interface. Neither support MIDI clock or other messages for tempo.
MIDI; both can change presets using MIDI. Photon can learn by listening and LR has predetermined set of messages.
Presets; LR is limited to 60 while Photon seems unlimited (though the Live page my limit how many can be picked from using MIDI?)
Background running; Photon can run fully in the background, while LR will do so for 10 minutes after which it stops.
Try before you buy; Photon is full featured but limits the number of DMX channels. LR lets you tap around in the app but basically nothing works until you purchase the LR512 interface.
Learning today just how much work is involved in creating something as simple as a chase, single color, rapid pulse from left to right with some fade. The fastest a sequence can run (0.25 beats per preset) is not achieving the effect I am looking for.
The story pauses here. It is too much work for me to program advanced effects that include movements. The app instability is too much risk. I’m moving on to Wolfmix.
But your story about crashes makes me feel a bit stupid right now for not researching more before committing. What iPad based alternatives have you considered?
