Problem
In complex venues, customers want a scheduled playback (typically driven by an S-PLAY) to run automatically, but also want a live lighting console (grandMA, Obsidian, etc.) to take over the moment it comes online — and revert to the schedule when the console disconnects. Doing this with manual repatching is fragile and disruptive during shows.
Root cause
sACN (E1.31) has a per-source priority field. When multiple sources transmit the same universe, receivers honour the highest-priority active source. If priorities are left at default, or are inconsistent across devices, two sources end up fighting and the takeover behaviour becomes unpredictable.
Recommended approach
- Assign the live console a higher priority than the playback. A working pattern is console at 150, S-PLAY at 100. The exact numbers don't matter as long as console > playback.
- Let the receivers do the work. When the console comes online, every sACN-capable fixture / node sees the higher-priority stream and switches to it automatically. When the console drops out, the playback's stream becomes the highest active source again and control reverts.
- Apply consistently across the rig. Every device that consumes sACN — S-PLAY, Storm, Pixelator, third-party fixtures — must agree on the priority scheme. One mis-set device will fight the rest.
- Document the priority map for the venue. Keep a single source of truth (a wiki page or commissioning sheet) listing every transmitter and its priority, so future changes don't quietly break handover.
Notes
- Audience: integration partners and internal support working with sACN-capable hardware (S-PLAY, Storm, Pixelator, and third-party consoles).
- Most "the console isn't taking over" calls are a priority-config inconsistency, not a hardware fault. Ask for the priority value of every transmitter on that universe before troubleshooting deeper.
- This pattern generalises to any backup / failover scenario on sACN — e.g. a backup playback at priority 50 below the main playback.