QLC+ lighting control for DMX, Art-Net and sACN

QLC+ scope for live and installed lighting

QLC+ addresses the control layer between a lighting operator or programmer and connected fixtures. It is intended for moving heads, dimmers, scanners and other equipment controlled through DMX or analogous interfaces. The README names live shows, theatre, architectural installations and venues as its principal environments, which distinguishes it from a general-purpose MIDI utility or a single-fixture control panel.

The application is designed for people who need to build repeatable lighting behavior rather than send isolated commands manually. Its stated purpose is to control lighting systems, while the supported protocol list includes MIDI, OSC, HID, DMX, Art-Net, E1.31/S.ACN and OS2L. That range allows QLC+ to sit between input devices or show-control sources and output-oriented lighting networks. The repository description also places the project in the continuation of the original QLC codebase.

That positioning does not mean every DMX fixture or control surface is guaranteed to work. The README directs readers to a compatibility page for the supported hardware list. Protocol support and fixture support are separate questions: a lighting fixture can speak DMX, but its channel layout, operating mode and required interface still need to match what QLC+ can address. This distinction matters when evaluating a venue that mixes USB DMX adapters, network lighting and locally connected control hardware.

QLC+ protocol path from input to fixture output

Based on the repository layout and README, QLC+ has separate plugin areas for the protocols it supports. The engine and plugins sit alongside the main application, fixture editor, user interfaces and platform directories. A QML-based UI is also present under `qmlui/`, indicating that the project includes a distinct QML user-interface component rather than relying exclusively on the traditional `ui/` area.

The practical data path is straightforward at a conceptual level. Input or control information enters through one of the supported interfaces, the engine organizes the lighting operation, and an output plugin carries the resulting DMX or network data toward connected equipment. Art-Net and E1.31/S.ACN, for example, belong to the network-output side, while MIDI, OSC and HID describe other ways for control information to reach the application. The README does not expose the internal class hierarchy or a complete processing trace, so the exact update order should not be inferred beyond those boundaries.

The range of supported protocols also makes QLC+ potentially useful in mixed installations. A production can use one input method while sending fixture data over another protocol. However, the README does not document latency behavior, fail-safe output, synchronization guarantees or recovery after network interruption. Those are operational properties for live systems, and their absence from the README means they must be verified against the official documentation and the actual output configuration.

Installing QLC+ across desktop and Raspberry Pi systems

The README does not provide a single package-manager command or source-build sequence. It directs users to the official QLC+ download page for installers and to a Raspberry Pi discovery page, while compilation and platform-specific instructions are maintained in the GitHub Wiki. The available download route is therefore the documented first step for evaluating the packaged application.

For an existing QLC+ user, start by opening the official download page linked from the README and selecting a build appropriate for the host system. The project states support for Linux, Windows 10 and later, and macOS 10.12 and later. A reader using Raspberry Pi should follow the linked Raspberry Pi guidance rather than assuming that a desktop package is the intended installation path.

Source-based users should use the GitHub Wiki's compilation guide for the required Qt, plugin and platform setup. The repository includes `CMakeLists.txt`, platform directories, plugin directories and packaging scripts such as `create-deb.sh`, `create-rpm.sh`, `create-dmg.sh`, `create-exe.sh` and `create-appimg.sh`. Those entries show the build and packaging surfaces, but the README does not give enough dependency commands to reproduce a build here, so no unverified installation command would be appropriate.

After installation, the first useful activity is fixture and output setup rather than launching a cue immediately. Open the application, identify the intended output interface, select the supported protocol, and then consult the fixture compatibility information for the connected model. The README does not specify the exact menu names for this process, so the precise click path must come from the application documentation.

QLC+ platform scope and hardware verification

QLC+ presents itself as cross-platform software, but cross-platform does not mean every adapter is portable. The listed operating systems are Linux, Windows 10 and later, and macOS 10.12 and later, with Raspberry Pi treated as a separate supported context in the README's download links. The same adapter may also depend on driver support that differs by operating system.

The supported protocol badges include DMX, Art-Net, E1.31/S.ACN, OS2L, MIDI, OSC and HID. This is a protocol inventory, not a guarantee that every protocol plugin is equally suitable for a given production workflow. For example, a network fixture may be appropriate for Art-Net or sACN, but the operator still needs to match network addressing, universe selection and fixture configuration. A USB DMX interface introduces a separate hardware and driver dependency that the protocol list cannot resolve.

The project's compatibility page is therefore the correct first verification point for a new installation. Check the fixture model, interface model, connection method and operating system before building a show around it. The README also contains a Help Wanted link for confirmed issues, but it does not enumerate unresolved defects. That means an absent item from the compatibility page should not be interpreted as proof that an untested combination is unsupported or supported.

QLC+ maintenance, compilation and upgrade trade-offs

The repository is not archived. Its last push was on 2026-10-12, so the project is receiving recent repository changes at the stated maintenance point. Recent releases include QLC+ 5.3.0 on 2026-10-05, QLC+ 5.2.2 on 2026-06-13 and QLC+ 5.2.1 on 2026-03-15. This indicates an active release sequence, but it does not guarantee that every hardware combination or build environment is regression-free.

The README gives a specific warning for developers who update with `git pull`: compiler warnings, errors and unresolved symbols may occur. It attributes some cases to dependencies between objects and says that a full package recompilation can be needed instead of updating only recent changes. That is a direct upgrade cost for source users. A packaged application user avoids much of the compiler work, while source builders must treat the complete project build as a more involved maintenance operation.

QLC+ is identified as Apache-2.0 licensed. Anyone modifying or redistributing the software should review the repository's `COPYING` file and applicable license notices. The license identifier alone does not answer every deployment, trademark, dependency or packaging question. The repository also includes `check-licenses.sh`, but the README does not explain its scope or usage, so its role should not be assumed beyond the presence of that script.

Choosing QLC+ against a conventional lighting console

QLC+ is a software controller with a broad protocol and hardware surface. A conventional hardware lighting console follows a different approach: the operator uses a dedicated physical control surface and a vendor-specific playback system. QLC+ instead centers the workflow in a cross-platform application and its supported plugins, which can be useful when the required device or protocol already fits the compatibility list.

This is a meaningful distinction for venues. A production that depends on a specific console workflow, physical fader behavior or vendor-supported show format may find a conventional console a closer fit even when QLC+ supports the output protocol. Conversely, a site that needs software-based control on Linux, Windows or macOS and works with supported DMX or network lighting may find QLC+ more suitable than a console tied to one hardware platform.

The comparison has boundaries. The README does not document QLC+'s show-file interoperability, console emulation, multi-user permissions, redundant outputs or production-grade recovery. It also does not claim that QLC+ replaces every commercial feature. Its stated goal is to approach the level of available commercial software, which describes the project's ambition without establishing equivalence in any specific feature.

Editorial conclusion

QLC+ is appropriate for operators who need open-source control across supported DMX, Art-Net or sACN equipment and can verify their exact hardware. It is a poor choice for a site that requires an undocumented device, assumes a commercial console, or expects source updates to preserve an existing build without recompilation. Before adoption, check the hardware compatibility page, select the correct platform build or compilation guide, and confirm that the required output protocol is supported by both QLC+ and the installed fixture interface.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

1. Issues
2. License: Apache-2.0
3. mcallegari/qlcplus on GitHub
4. README
5. Releases