Which controller do I need?

Home Products Which controller do I need?

If you’re not sure which Pharos controller is right for your project, we hope the product breakdowns below will help you pick. For a more detailed table of products, see our Product Comparison sheet. If you’d like more information, please feel free to contact us and a member of our Sales team will get back to you.

All Pharos controllers are extremely reliable and come with a 5 year warranty as standard. They flexibly scale with other Pharos controllers and remote devices over Ethernet to create a cohesive system that works for you.

All controllers have a build in (customisable) webserver which can be remotely managed and monitored, giving you peace of mind and complete control over your installation.

Use the TPC:

For smaller installations (512 channels/1 universe) that benefit from a user friendly, fully customisable touch interface
If the installation features eDMX based fixtures or eDMX nodes (a single TPC is all you need)
For installations that require multiple ‘smart’ user interfaces, e.g. multipurpose rooms with flexible configuration
In combination with the EXT for a mains powered installation, that has a physical DMX/RDM and DALI port, as well as 8 inputs and a RS232 port
As an additional user friendly interface in an installation with other Pharos controllers

Use the LPC:

For installations that are ‘fit and forget’: the controller is commissioned once, then can be left to reliably do its job for years without further interference
For installations with many integration requirements, e.g. RS485, MIDI, DMX in
For installations that require a distributed control system, with DMX/RDM and integration ports spread across the project

Use the LPC X:

For large installations (usually 8+ universes) that require any of the following:
- independent control of zones/areas/groups
- playback of multiple videos and/or effects on different arrays simultaneously
- fixture and/or group override of intensity and/or colour
- multiple mappings for the fixtures used (e.g. to cater for pixel precise adjusted effects, 3D setups, different viewing points over time)

Use the VLC:

If you want a cost effective solution for large installations (usually 8+ universes) that treat the fixtures as a single large screen array, where you can:
- play videos (from internal storage or live input) with the ability to add effects and text overlays
- create a “screen” that fits your installation, e.g. flat, wrapped around a structure

If you’re not sure which Pharos controller is right for your project, we hope the product breakdowns below will help you pick. If you’re still not sure, or want more information, please feel free to contact us and a member of our Sales team will get back to you.

All controllers have a build in (customisable) webserver which can be remotely managed and monitored, giving you peace of mind and complete control over your installation.

Use the LPC:

For installations that are ‘fit and forget’: the controller is commissioned once, then can be left to reliably do its job for years without further interference
For installations with many integration requirements, e.g. RS485, MIDI, DMX in
For installations that require a distributed control system, with DMX/RDM and integration ports spread across the project

Use the TPC:

For smaller installations (512 channels/1 universe) that benefit from a user friendly, fully customisable touch interface
If the installation features eDMX based fixtures or eDMX nodes (a single TPC is all you need)
For installations that require multiple ‘smart’ user interfaces, e.g. multipurpose rooms with flexible configuration
In combination with the EXT for a mains powered installation, that has a physical DMX/RDM and DALI port, as well as 8 inputs and a RS232 port
As an additional user friendly interface in an installation with other Pharos controllers

Use the LPC X:

For large installations (usually 8+ universes) that require any of the following:
- independent control of zones/areas/groups
- playback of multiple videos and/or effects on different arrays simultaneously
- fixture and/or group override of intensity and/or colour
- multiple mappings for the fixtures used (e.g. to cater for pixel precise adjusted effects, 3D setups, different viewing points over time)

Use the VLC:

If you want a cost effective solution for large installations (usually 8+ universes) that treat the fixtures as a single large screen array, where you can:
- play videos (from internal storage or live input) with the ability to add effects and text overlays
- upload video content easily to the controller, without needing to use additional software
- create a “screen” that fits your installation, e.g. flat, wrapped around a structure