DMX Patch Lists & Channel Planning

Best Practices + Free Template

Professional lighting rigs rarely fail because of bad fixtures — they fail because of bad planning. Overlapping addresses, inconsistent fixture modes, and undocumented changes are the most common causes of “mystery bugs” in DMX systems. This guide shows how professionals prevent those issues using structured patch lists and disciplined channel planning.

What a DMX Patch List Is (and Why It Matters)

A DMX patch list is the authoritative map of:

• Fixtures

• Start addresses

• Channel ranges

• Universes

• Modes

• Physical locations

It is the single source of truth between console, techs, rental inventory, and future you.

If you don’t have a patch list, you don’t actually have a system — you have assumptions.

(See also: channels / addresses / universes guide, DMX universe explained.)

Step 1: Choose Fixture Modes Before Addressing

Never assign addresses before locking fixture modes.

Best practice

• Use the same mode for the same fixture model across the entire rig

• Prefer extended modes when:

  • You need fine dimming

  • You need individual color or pixel control

• Prefer compact modes when:

  • You are universe-limited

  • Fixtures are background or static

Changing a fixture from 16ch to 28ch after patching guarantees overlap somewhere.

(Related: DMX channels examples.)

Step 2: Plan Channel Blocks, Not Individual Addresses

Professionals think in blocks, not single start addresses.

Example:

• Fixture uses 18 channels

• Reserve a block of 20

• Leave 2 channels as buffer

Why buffers matter:

• Some fixtures gain channels via firmware updates

• It allows swapping fixture modes without re-addressing the universe

• It makes human scanning of patch lists faster

Typical block sizes

• Small fixtures (6–10ch): reserve 12

• Medium fixtures (12–20ch): reserve 20 or 24

• Large fixtures (24–40ch): reserve 48 or 64

Step 3: Prevent Overlaps Systematically

Overlaps happen when math is done ad-hoc.

Safe addressing workflow

1. Start at address 1

2. Add fixture block size

3. Next fixture starts at previous start + block size

4. Never “squeeze” fixtures later to save space

Bad:

• Fixture A ends at 37

• Fixture B starts at 38 “because it fits”

Good:

• Fixture A block: 1–48

• Fixture B starts at 49

(See common DMX problems.)

Step 4: Use Clear Labeling Conventions

A good patch list is readable without context.

Recommended naming format

[Area]-[Type]-[Index]
FOH-SPOT-01
STAGE-WASH-04
TRUSS-RGBW-12

Include in every row

• Fixture ID

• Fixture model

• Mode

• Universe

• Start address

• Channel count

• Reserved block

• Physical location

Free DMX Patch List Template (Copyable)

You can copy this directly into Excel, Sheets, or Notion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing fixture modes of the same model

• Packing channels too tightly

• Not reserving future space

• Relying on console auto-patch without documentation

• Forgetting to update the patch list after changes

When to Split Universes

Split universes when:

• You exceed ~70% of capacity

• You need logical separation (FOH vs stage vs effects)

• You want fault isolation

(Read: DMX universe explained.)

Final Takeaway

Good DMX channel planning is boring by design. If your patch list feels exciting, something is wrong.