Light desksTempo to the light desk
Which desk works how well, and how the tempo gets there.
Which desk, which way
| Desk | Status | Way | What arrives |
|---|---|---|---|
| grandMA2, grandMA2 onPC | Stable | Telnet, TCP 30000 | SpecialMaster 3.16 At 128 |
| grandMA3, grandMA3 onPC | Beta | OSC, UDP (e.g. 8000) | Master 3.1 At BPM 128 |
| Wolfmix (WTOOLS) | Alpha | OS2L, TCP 5000 | every beat with its number and the tempo |
| Daslight | Unconfirmed | OSC, UDP | a number 128.0 at /ljlinkpro/bpm |
| Own OSC target | Generic | OSC, UDP | a number at your address |
| QLC+ and other OS2L programs | Alpha | OS2L, TCP | beats and tempo |
| dot2 | Not possible | – | takes no network commands |
How the link works
LJ Link reads the tempo of the deck chosen under SEND BPM and sends it to the desk. The desk puts it on a speed master; every effect and chaser assigned to that master runs in time.
- Sent as soon as the tempo changes by at least 0.1 BPM.
- Repeated when it stays the same: OSC every 2 seconds, grandMA2 every 15 seconds (so the command line does not fill up).
- OS2L (Wolfmix) gets every single beat, so the desk also knows where the bar starts.
- LJ Link only sets the tempo. It starts no cues and changes nothing in the show.
- The demo never sends anything.
Important
A speed master only moves effects and chasers that are assigned to it. If the master changes but nothing happens on stage, the effect is almost always on another master.
SEND BPM: which deck gives the tempo
| Choice | Behaviour | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | the deck that is master and/or live; with two systems the master that is also live and playing | normal nights, one system |
| One deck | always this deck, even if another one is live; without a track nothing is sent | Ableton Link as source, tempo jumping between two masters |
The deck that sends wears a green SEND BPM in every view, tablets included. The choice stays after a restart and can only be changed on the computer itself.
Set up in LJ Link
Menu (☰) → Light desk link (send tempo), or the tab LINK.
Choose the desk. The fields below change to what this desk needs, with a hint.
Address and port, for grandMA2 also user and password. onPC on the same computer:
127.0.0.1.Save, then Send test (120 BPM). Below it *Last sent* shows the value or an error.
Status messages
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “Sending the tempo is switched off” | no desk chosen |
| “Waiting for a deck with a tempo …” | no deck plays or has a track |
| “The chosen deck has no tempo right now” | fixed deck under SEND BPM is empty |
| “Demo mode: nothing is sent to the desk” | demo runs |
| “Connection refused” | desk not reachable on this port (grandMA2: Telnet off) |
| “No OS2L receiver at …” | WTOOLS not running or OS2L off |
Something missing or wrong?
Ask in our Discord or report a problem. Reports from real gear help most, also when something does not work.