Which Pharos system is right for you?
Pharos Express and Pharos Designer both offer reliable, thoughtfully designed solutions for the control of dynamic DMX & DALI lighting.
Express is a straightforward, cost-effective, single-controller solution, ideal for typical architectural lighting control requirements. Commissioning software is single-view and easy to use, with guided programming and curated lighting tools. The versatile Designer controllers – LPCs and VLCs – are scalable, powerful, and high-capacity solutions, focusing on architainment and show control, offering all the flexibility you’ll ever need. Some projects will always need to be Designer LPCs because of complexity of requirements or high channel counts, but many projects (up to six universes of DMX) may be served by either an Express Control or by Designer LPCs.
| {{tr:ct_product_logo_row}} | {{:ct_product_logo}} | {{:ct_product_logo}} |
| {{tr:ct_blue_header_row}}{{:font-size-150}}Concepts | {{:vam}}When to use Pharos Express | {{:vam}}When to use Pharos Designer |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Goal | Dynamic lighting control made accessible | Specialist control, for even the most demanding applications |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Usage | Scene setting of static and dynamic scenes, where scenes will typically run for minutes or hours | Sub-second control of content and effects, including specific groups, timing, transitions and priorities |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Approach | Ease of use to setup common scenarios | Ultimate flexibility to deal with every situation |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Applications | Architectural lighting control in a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications; object lighting, public spaces, office, retail, hospitality, healthcare, education and more | Architainment, themed entertainment, show control and other demanding projects, from façades and structures to landmarks, experiences and many more |
| {{:ct_blue}}Users | Everyone who is comfortable with lighting control applications | Trained commissioning engineers |
| {{tr:ct_blue_header_row}}{{:font-size-150}}Implementation | {{:vam}}Express | {{:vam}}Designer |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Lighting Playback | Plays one scene at a time in any given space | Multiple timelines and scenes on any set of fixtures as needed |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Triggers | User override, clock, system integration, Cloud control | Flexible enough to integrate with almost any system with complex conditional logic options |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Presets | Easy to use, curated presets | Presets with a wealth of configurable parameters |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}Fixture support | Full fixture library, with custom profile support and static extended parameter playback | Full fixture library, with custom profiles, fixture templates, and total control over extended parameters – including dynamic playback |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}System | Single controller with selected range and quantity of accessories and user interfaces | Fully scalable system |
| {{tr:ct_line}}{{:ct_blue}}User Interfaces | Easy to configure, curated | Complete flexibility to design as required |
| {{:ct_blue}}Integration | Enable straightforward integration with curated options to allow third-party systems to trigger the controller. Allow basic actions aligned with scene starts | An extremely wide range of integration options, all flexible to setup. True, bi-directional integration, to control as well as to be controlled |
Benefits of all Pharos controllers
Extreme reliability backed by a 5-year warranty
Over 20 years’ experience and development of dynamic lighting controls
Quality built for permanent installations
Compatible with Pharos Cloud for safe, secure remote access from anywhere in the world
Free software for Windows and macOS – no cut-down version, no subscription, no dongle – and all ongoing software updates are free, including firmware upgrades
Extensive fixture library with over 30,000 fixtures
Excellent worldwide Technical Support and free product training
UK manufactured. All our controllers are proudly designed and built in London, England
Compare the ranges
Compare the software
Both Express and Designer software applications are free to download for Windows and macOS. We encourage you to explore and evaluate both, side-by-side, to see which approach and feature sets suits you and your next project best. There are plenty of tutorials available for Designer to give you a feel for using it, the original Expert tutorials are available, and we are working hard on getting more resources online for Express.
Compare the hardware
Download the datasheets for the two nearest equivalent controllers from each range to view more details about the hardware and functionality:
Datasheet
