DMX Latency and Jitter

(why lighting often feels a bit late – and what actually happens in the system)

Many working with lighting have experienced this:

• effects that don't quite hit the music

• lighting that feels slightly behind

• systems that behave differently from one time to another

This is often described as “poor sync” or “unstable DMX.”

In practice, it almost always comes down to latency and jitter.

The Goal of This Page

• Explain what latency and jitter actually are

• Show where in a lighting setup the delay occurs

• Explain why some solutions can never feel fully precise

• Provide a mental framework for understanding timing in lighting control

This is not a troubleshooting guide, but an explanation of why the problem exists.

Two Terms Often Confused

Latency (Delay)

Latency is the time from when an event occurs until the system reacts.

Example:

• Musical event occurs at 00:00.000

• The light changes at 00:00.180

This gives 180 ms latency.

Humans begin to notice timing errors already around 80–100 ms.
Above about 150 ms, it is clearly perceived as “too late.”

Jitter (Varying Delay)

Jitter is when latency is not constant.

Example:

• First reaction: 120 ms

• Next: 260 ms

• Next: 90 ms

Even if the average is the same, the system feels unstable.
Jitter often feels worse than high but stable latency.

Where Does Latency Occur in DMX-Based Systems?

It's important to be precise here:
DMX as a protocol is rarely the main problem.

The delay occurs earlier in the chain.

1. Audio Analysis and Event Detection

In many setups, the flow looks like this:

Music
→ microphone or line-in
→ signal processing
→ beat or transient detection
→ trigger
→ DMX output

Challenges:

• Audio input has inherent buffering

• Analysis requires time to be certain

• Many algorithms work retrospectively

This alone can yield 100–300 ms latency before DMX is sent.

2. Reactive Modes

“Sound active” and auto modes are by definition reactive.

They:

• wait for something to happen

• analyze what has already happened

• react afterwards

They have no information about what is coming next, and therefore cannot plan timing.

3. DMX Transport

The DMX signal itself:

• 250 kbit/s

• 512 channels per universe

• A full frame typically takes 22–30 ms

This is relatively minor compared to audio analysis.

Still, the following can contribute to jitter:

• long DMX chains

• poor cabling

• USB-DMX with weak drivers

4. Software and Operating System

In PC- and software-based systems, timing can be affected by:

• USB polling

• thread scheduling

• garbage collection

• non-deterministic timing

This often gives small but unpredictable variations.

Why More Lighting Doesn't Solve Timing Problems

A common reaction to poor timing is to increase complexity:

• more effects

• faster movements

• more flashing

This sometimes visually hides the problem, but does not solve it.

Latency and jitter are system properties, not a matter of effect choice.

How Precise Timing Is Actually Achieved

Precise lighting control requires that the system not only reacts, but understands progression.

This involves:

• analysis that occurs before the actual moment

• understanding of structure (tempo, sections, intensity)

• planning on a timeline

When lighting is scheduled in advance, it is possible to:

• compensate for known latency

• eliminate jitter

• execute actions deterministically

A Useful Mental Distinction

• Reactive systems:
  “Something happened – do something now”

• Planned systems:
  “Something is going to happen – do this then”

The difference between these two approaches is often the difference between lighting that feels random and lighting that feels precise.

Summary

• Latency is delay

• Jitter is variation in delay

• Most timing problems occur before DMX

• Reactive systems can never be fully precise

• Precise lighting control requires planning, not just triggering

Understanding this makes it easier to evaluate equipment, software, and architecture – and why some systems feel better than others, even when they do “the same thing.”