Automating Your
DMX Lights
Perform live with your fixtures, hit Rec — and MyStrow turns every move into a repeatable light sequence, perfectly synced with your music.
Programming lights by hand is slow. Light Rec is instant.
Traditional light programming often means hours spent creating keyframes one by one, estimating timings on a timeline, trying to reproduce the artistic intuition you had during rehearsal. It is tedious, and the result often lacks the spontaneity of a show performed live.
MyStrow's Light Rec completely flips this workflow around. Instead of programming first and then performing, you perform first — in Manual mode with your AKAI APC mini, your tablet or the mouse — and MyStrow records every action as keyframes on the timeline. You end up with a sequence born from real artistic decisions, not from a grid of numbers.
In this tutorial, we show you in detail how to use this feature to automate your light show, edit the recorded sequences and play them back during the show without touching a thing.
Heads-up: this video is narrated in French. No problem though — YouTube automatically provides English subtitles and an English dubbed audio track. Subtitles are on by default; you can switch the spoken language from the player settings (⚙️ → Audio track).
How does Light Rec work?
Light Rec captures your control actions in real time and transcribes them into keyframes on the timeline of the current track. Every color change, every level variation, every new group turned on becomes a control point timestamped to the millisecond.
The result is a ready-to-use timeline that plays back identically every time the track is launched. You can then fine-tune the timings, adjust the colors, lengthen or shorten clips — exactly as you would in traditional programming, but starting from a base built out of your own performance.
Light Rec works with any controller you use: AKAI APC mini, touch tablet, Stream Deck, or simply your mouse on the stage plot.
Create your first automated sequence
Prepare your track in the sequencer
Import your track into the MyStrow playlist. Each playlist entry is independent and can have its own lighting configuration. Assign the Light Rec mode (or Light Play for playback) to the relevant entry. MyStrow will associate the recorded timeline with this track specifically.
Start recording
Start playing the track, then click the Light REC button (or press the dedicated keyboard shortcut). A red indicator shows that recording is active. From that moment on, every action on your fixtures is captured with its precise timestamp.
Perform your show live
Use the AKAI APC mini, your tablet or the stage plot to drive your lights while the music plays. Change colors, push the faders up and down, turn groups on and off — everything is recorded. Pretend it is a real gig: instinct often delivers the best timings.
Stop recording
At the end of the track (or wherever you want), click REC again to stop. MyStrow converts all your actions into clips and keyframes on the timeline. Each fixture group has its own track, and each change is a keyframe placed exactly at the right moment in the music.
Open the timeline editor
Click Edit timeline to open the visual editor. You see your tracks (one per group) with colored clips representing the recorded sequences. Zoom in to the millisecond to adjust timings precisely, reposition keyframes, change colors or delete failed actions.
Switch to Light Play mode
Set the track to Light Play mode in the sequencer. From now on, every time this track starts, MyStrow automatically loads the timeline and plays it in perfect sync with the music. You have nothing left to do: the show runs on its own, identical at every performance.
Pro tip: You can stack several recording passes. First record the front lights and top lights, then re-record adding the side lights on top without erasing what already exists. Ideal for gradually building a complex show without replaying everything at once.
What you get after a Light Rec
Recording generates a complete multi-track timeline. Each track corresponds to a fixture group. The clips represent the periods of light activity, and the keyframes inside encode color and level at each moment.
Editing and perfecting the show
Precise keyframe editing
Open a clip to access its keyframes. Move them, change their color, adjust their intensity or switch the interpolation type (instant, linear, fade). Every change is reflected on the fixtures in real time.
Drag-and-drop clips
Move a clip along the timeline to shift its trigger point, stretch it to lengthen the sequence, or duplicate it onto another track to apply the same sequence to another fixture group.
Multiple recording passes
Record in several passes, group by group. On a new pass, choose to overwrite only certain tracks or to layer them on top. Ideal for building a complex show step by step.
Save and share
Your timeline is saved in .tui format together with the rest of the show. It is portable — reload it on any MyStrow setup. Share your shows with your team or reload them from one rehearsal to the next without losing a second.
Manual override during playback
Even in Light Play mode, you stay in control. A move on the AKAI or the stage plot triggers a temporary override on top of the automatic sequence. The timeline resumes as soon as you let go. Perfect for on-stage surprises.
Combine modes per track
Each track in your playlist can have its own mode: Light Play for programmed songs, AI Lighting for improvisations, Manual for the moments when you want to keep full control. The mode is applied automatically when the track changes.
Who uses Light Rec?
Live bands
A single member handles both light and sound. They record a complete light show during rehearsal. At the gig, the show plays automatically, freeing their hands to play their instrument or manage the mix.
Solo artists and duos
With no dedicated operator, Light Rec lets you prepare a professional light show entirely on your own. Program each song in your setlist once, then replay it dozens of times with an identical result.
Lighting operators and technicians
Prototype a light show quickly with Rec, then refine it in the editor. The setup speed is incomparable to traditional keyframe-by-keyframe programming, especially for small and mid-sized productions.
Light Rec: your questions
Can I correct a mistake after recording?
Yes, completely. The timeline editor lets you delete incorrect keyframes, move clips, change colors and adjust timings with millisecond precision. You can also re-record only the tracks you are not happy with.
Is playback really synced with the music?
Yes. The timeline is referenced to the playback position of the track, not to a system clock. If you pause the music, the timeline stops. If you jump to a specific point in the track, the light jumps to the same point. The synchronization is perfect and drift-free.
Does it work with moving heads?
Yes. Light Rec captures pan/tilt movements, gobo, color and intensity changes of moving heads. Any movement performed during recording — via the orientation pad or the context menu — is transcribed into keyframes on the timeline.
Can you combine Light Rec and AI Lighting?
Absolutely. You can assign Light Play mode (recorded timeline) to some tracks and AI Lighting mode (sound-reactive) to others. MyStrow switches automatically when the track changes. Some users record the structure of their shows with Rec and use AI for the improv moments.
Your next light show is programmed live
Download MyStrow, launch your track, hit Rec — and let your musical instinct create your light show.