Lightkey: colors, cues and priorities

Moving intensity changes color: is the problem in MIDI or the buttons?

Record your Lightkey and macOS versions. Compare panel changes and incoming messages before blaming the controller.

The Lightkey manual, Rev. 6.0, pp. 184–185 and 205 explains that buttons whose borders touch form a group: only one stays active. Always active keeps one on. The fader's range is set in Controls (p. 204).

We suggest comparing the same control with the mouse and the APC in a copy of the project. Save a screenshot of the panel and the MIDI log before moving anything. Note which cue turns off, not just the color you see. Then separate the intensity control from the color group and repeat the sequence. If the fault persists, keep both logs and check which properties that cue contains.

Do not treat the blue in this case as the default value for every fixture, or attribute an extra message to the APC without checking. For buttons that stay active, compare this test with the scene when playback stops (Spanish). If the controller does not reflect the actual state, check MIDI feedback (Spanish).

The cue receives the command but another color remains: what has priority?

The result is still partial; there is no verified merge recipe ready to use in the show.

The manual (pp. 223–224) sets out the output order: overridden properties; active presets and sequences in the palette; cues on visible pages according to priority; and the default value. Page, frame, button and cuelist all matter. At equal priority, the cue activated most recently wins. Overrides shows overridden properties (p. 116).

Record the expected and observed colors on one chosen fixture. Check the layers in the table first; raising a button's priority number without examining the rest leaves the diagnosis incomplete. In a copy, test one cue alone, then add the second and note the activation order. Save before-and-after screenshots of each change, and restore the initial settings when finished.

If the output changes, record which property and object were involved. If it does not, continue checking MIDI reception (Spanish) and compare the project with the installed software version. The blank worksheet helps keep that record. For show looks and operation, ask about our event lighting service.

I change a color preset but the old one stays in the cue: how do I replace it?

The manual (p. 200) documents the group's Get Info and Presets are mutually exclusive: adding a preset removes others from the same group from the cue. Turning this option on does not change existing cues.

Test in a copy with two selected cues first. Record their contents, enable the option for the group you want to check, and inspect the cues before adding another preset. Then add the new preset and compare each cue's contents.

Before applying the change across a whole song, identify which cues should use the new color and which should retain the old one. Include another cue that must remain unchanged in the rehearsal. Save the contents and output before and after on the worksheet. This is an editing test; to decide which look appears when the show runs, also check priorities.

I set fade to zero but still see a transition: which timing am I changing?

First identify which timing was changed, then locate the setting responsible.

The manual (Rev. 6.0, pp. 203 and 214–215) distinguishes cue Timing from the defaults for new cues in Settings. Changing the default curve does not alter existing cues. A button has fade-in and fade-out; in a cuelist, fade leads to the next cue. With fade set to zero, the curve has no effect (p. 209). Lightkey timing does not apply to smart lights, which use a fixed fade.

To check, work in a copy and choose two looks on one fixture. Note which object you run: a button, a cuelist cue or a palette preset. Save a screenshot of the relevant cues' Timing and another of Settings. Repeat the same action with only one time value changed, leaving everything else as it was; comparing the defaults with an existing cue can reveal that you were looking at a different setting.

If the expected instant change does not occur, record where you see the transition: in the DMX monitor, on the fixture or both. Do not assume Lightkey or the fixture is faulty. Include the model, DMX mode, profile and software version. Before extending the test to an entire song, record the result and restore the original project. Use the transition worksheet; to check which look dominates the output, return to priorities.

Intensity fades but color jumps: which property and curve should I check?

The behavior of these parts of the setup has not been verified.

The manual (pp. 209 and 213) distinguishes continuous properties such as Dimmer, Pan and Tilt from discrete values such as Color Wheel or Shutter: the latter switch when the curve passes 50%. Special curves may apply to selected properties or fixtures. Curves do not apply to smart lights or to manual fades using Xfade. This helps direct the diagnosis; it does not establish the cause of the reported case.

Start with the model, DMX mode and profile of one fixture. Record the name of the property that changes; writing only “color” is not enough. To find out what that channel does, consult the manual for the exact model and mode. In a copy of the project, keep two looks and change only one property at a time. Save the initial and final values and a recording of the monitor and output, if you can access the fixture.

Check the curves and their criteria before modifying them; a screenshot records which fixtures and properties were included. Repeat the same color selection and note whether the monitor jumps with the light. For color wheel or macro channels, do not promise a continuous mix without checking the DMX chart. If another cue holds the color, return to priorities; if the profile does not match, follow the DMX mode guide. We can use that record to plan operation through our event lighting service.

Room lights go out when I quit Lightkey: what should I check first?

The manual (Rev. 6.0, p. 41) describes the behavior under Settings > General > Before quitting: dimmer to zero, exit cues for approximately 0.5 seconds, Lamp Off and channels to zero. The effect depends on the selected option and equipment. Check the exit cue and quitting settings together.

Rehearse without an audience, using a copy of the project and another way to keep the room lights on. First record which lights should remain on and which should go out. Save screenshots of the cue and every quitting option, then change one item at a time. Record the output immediately before quitting and what remains on afterward, along with the delay observed. Test one option at a time so you can compare results and restore the initial state.

Include the control that venue staff will use after your operation ends. The result to verify is whether they can restore the intended state on the actual system. If you do not have the model or its manual, leave this step open; do not assume what happens when commands stop. Record the data on the quitting and startup worksheet and coordinate the rehearsal with the venue (Spanish).

The project opens with a different look: restore the last state or activate a startup cue?

The manual (pp. 222–223) distinguishes default startup from Restore active cues, modifiers, and Master Dimmer. Restore recovers the previously active pages, cues, modifiers and Master Dimmer; in that case, it ignores Activate at startup. Startup activation applies to buttons, not cuelists. Default startup selects the first page and sets Master Dimmer to 100%.

Before changing anything, write down the intended startup look and save the quitting state: visible pages, cues, modifiers and master. In a copy, compare Restore with the startup behavior you want. Keep screenshots of Settings and the selected button. Quit and reopen in the same way for each test; record which objects are active and the output you observe.

If the look changes even though the intended button is active, revisit priorities. To complete the rehearsal, have another operator open the copy and compare the result with the table. This leaves a record the crew can use, beyond a configuration screenshot. Ask us about lighting operation with that record and the installed versions.

The snapshot does not retain the movement I wanted: how do I build a cue for the list?

The manual (pp. 126 and 192) defines New Preset With Snapshot as capturing all fixtures and properties at that moment, including those that are off. To build a cue in a cuelist, it describes adding presets and sequences to the inspector. These are different operations; this reference does not demonstrate automatic conversion of several active cues into one.

Start with a small look in a copy. List the presets, sequences and cue settings that make it up. Build a test cue from that identified content and compare it with the original look for long enough to watch the movement. Record what matches and what changes; matching the initial position is not enough to say that the full movement was reproduced.

Save the cue contents and observed modifier settings. If two objects define the same property, also compare their priority. Use a snapshot only for the state you chose to capture and document the output you expected. Before applying the method to an entire song, repeat the comparison with another look and leave differences open. For transition times, follow the fade guide.