ART-NET CONTROLLERSupport
Art-Net Controller for iPad
Email christian@weinmayr.co — I read every message and usually reply within a couple of days. Telling me your iPad model, iPadOS version, and the node or interface you're outputting to helps enormously.
Getting started
Put the iPad and your Art-Net node on the same network, then open … › Node List and tap Find nodes — or Scan network if the poll turns up nothing. Nodes that announce themselves appear on their own. You can also type the address by hand under … › Settings › NET. Aiming the output at a node is the thing most first-time setups miss. The Tester Quickstart walks through it in a few minutes.
New to the desk? The Concept & Workflows guide explains the model in nine short chapters, and the Interface Reference labels every control on every screen.
Frequently asked
Nothing is reaching my fixtures
Check three things, in order. First, the node's address is set under … › Settings › NET and matches the node — a wrong or empty address means silence. Second, the iPad and node are on the same subnet (Wi-Fi or a wired adapter). Third, your patch is addressed to the universe the node expects. The live output view under RIG confirms the desk is sending the numbers.
Can I drive several nodes at once?
Yes — list their addresses separated by commas in … › Settings › NET and every frame goes to each of them. What isn't available yet is true broadcast: iOS gates it (and sACN multicast) behind an Apple permission that's still pending, so a node that only listens for broadcast can't be reached from the iPad.
The app stops sending when I switch apps or the screen sleeps
iOS won't let the app run in the background or start on boot; output runs only while Art-Net Controller is in the foreground. For a fixed installation, turn on Guided Access and set the display to never auto-lock.
My APC mini isn't controlling anything
Open … › MIDI, switch Enable MIDI IN on, and check the controller appears under DEVICES with the right model (mk1 or mk2 — the wrong one gives wrong pad colours). Then map pads under … › Options › MIDI Map: press Learn, then do that gesture on the hardware. You can run several controllers at once through a USB hub — a powered one if they draw much — and each gets its own surface and its own mapping, with no merger box.
Where do my shows live, and how do I move one?
The desk autosaves from your first edit under a working name. Save with a name to produce a portable .show.zip — that single file holds the whole show (patch, looks, faders, sequences) and can be shared, backed up, or loaded on another iPad — including your MIDI mapping, which travels with the show. What belongs to the iPad rather than the show: which controllers are switched on and their model, the node addresses, your imported fixture library, and the app settings.
Is RDM ready to use on a live rig?
The RDM controller (under RIG › Advanced) is fully implemented and software-verified, but hasn't yet been proven against real gateway hardware. Treat it as a diagnostic tool for now, not a showtime control.
Requirements
iPad running iPadOS 17 or later. Output over Art-Net 3 or sACN (E1.31), up to four universes.