Wireless DMX: CRMX, W-DMX and When to Cut the Cable

What wireless DMX really replaces, how CRMX, W-DMX and the manufacturer systems differ, which transmitters will talk to which fixtures, and how to set up a link that survives a full room on show night.

~12 min read · Updated October 2026 · By the Stage Supply team

In this guide: What it is · The main systems · Compatibility · 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz and Wi-Fi · Range · Latency and dropouts · Linking · Universes · Built-in receivers · When cable wins · Setup checklist · Troubleshooting · FAQ

What wireless DMX actually does

Wireless DMX replaces a length of DMX cable with a radio link. A transmitter takes the DMX512 output of your desk, controller or node and sends it over the air; one or more receivers turn it back into ordinary DMX at the other end, either through an XLR output into a fixture or directly inside a fixture that has a receiver built in. The desk does not know the cable has gone, and neither does the fixture. Addressing, modes and universes all work exactly as they do on a wired line, so if those are hazy, start with our DMX Explained guide and come back.

So wireless removes a cable run; it does not add channels or fix a bad patch. A receiver is effectively the start of a fresh DMX line: anything wired out of its XLR still needs proper DMX cable, a sensible daisy chain and a terminator on the last fixture.

It earns its money on battery uplighters around a wedding breakfast, a run that would cross a fire route, a listed building where nothing may be fixed, or a mobile DJ who wants to be packed down twenty minutes after the last song.

The main systems

There is no single wireless DMX standard. There are radio protocols, owned by companies, and the protocol decides which transmitters and receivers can work together. You will meet three broad families.

LumenRadio CRMX

CRMX is LumenRadio’s protocol, which the company describes as the de facto wireless lighting control standard. It is built into professional fixtures from many different manufacturers, usually via LumenRadio’s TiMo receiver module. It runs in the licence-free 2.4 GHz band (2.402 to 2.480 GHz on LumenRadio’s own units). LumenRadio quotes 5 ms latency, up to 1,000 m link range, 128-bit encryption and what it calls Automated Cognitive Coexistence, a patented scheme for working around other users of the band. RDM is supported on the RDM-capable models. In the shop you will find CRMX built into fixtures such as the LEDJ Spectra Q40 MKII, which carries a LumenRadio TiMo receiver for outdoor facade and event work.

Wireless Solution W-DMX

W-DMX comes from Wireless Solution Sweden, which LumenRadio acquired in 2020, so the two pro protocols now sit under one roof while remaining separate product lines. W-DMX uses adaptive frequency hopping: rather than sitting on one fixed channel, it keeps checking the band for interference and moves to clear channels. It has been through several generations (G3, G4, G4S, G5 and G6), and the generation matters for compatibility, as covered below. Some W-DMX hardware is dual band and can work at 5.8 GHz as well as 2.4 GHz.

W-DMX is widely licensed to lighting brands, and Wireless Solution states that a product specifically described as W-DMX will behave like its own branded units. That is why you see “W-DMX compatible” on LEDJ and Equinox fixtures and accessories, “W-DMX Sweden” on Elumen8 Evora moving heads, and W-DMX/CRMX on Chauvet Professional transceivers. LEDJ’s Mini Box G3 is a typical example: one metal box with 5-pin DMX in and out that can be set as either transmitter or receiver.

Manufacturer systems on 2.4 GHz

The DJ and mobile end of the market mostly runs on each manufacturer’s own radio system. They are simple, affordable and excellent at controlling that manufacturer’s fixtures.

• Chauvet DJ D-Fi. Built into the Freedom battery uplighters, many ILS fixtures and Sentinel moving heads. Chauvet quotes 2.412 to 2.484 GHz and up to 200 m maximum unobstructed distance for the D-Fi Hub 2, which works as transmitter or receiver. Units sync by selecting the same D-Fi channel.
• ADJ WiFLY and Aria X2. WiFLY is ADJ’s long-running 2.4 GHz system. Aria X2 is its newer multi-band system, using 2.4 GHz plus 868/863 MHz in Europe, with Bluetooth setup and over-the-air updates. ADJ quotes up to 700 m line of sight for Aria X2 on the Mirage Q6 Pak. The Aria X2 Bridge exists specifically to link Aria X2 to older WiFLY, Elation eFly, Magmatic MagFly and Acclaim Aria systems.
• City Theatrical Multiverse and SHoW DMX. A professional 2.4 GHz frequency-hopping family from the US. The SHoW Baby carries one universe plus RDM and selects its link by SHoW ID, six of which are set from the front panel.

Compatibility: who talks to whom

The rule of thumb: the transmitter has to speak the protocol the receivers understand. A D-Fi transmitter will never control a WiFLY fixture, and neither will control a CRMX fixture. Within the pro family there is more overlap than people expect, but it depends on generation and mode, so read the spec sheet rather than assuming.

If you own fixtures from two ecosystems, you need two transmitters, each fed from the desk via a DMX splitter or a second output. Also note that the newest W-DMX gear tends to receive more modes than it transmits: some compact W-DMX receivers accept CRMX and W-DMX G3 to G5, but transmit only G3. When a transmitter has to reach a mixed set of receivers, pick the mode they all share and re-link everything after changing it.

2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz and sharing with Wi-Fi

2.4 GHz is used because it is licence free across most of the world. The catch is that everybody else uses it too: venue Wi-Fi, guests’ phones, Bluetooth speakers, wireless video links and, at a festival, a hundred other production radios. A full room is also a radio problem in itself, because people absorb 2.4 GHz well.

Each serious system has its own answer. CRMX uses Cognitive Coexistence to steer around channels in use. W-DMX hops adaptively and, in the configurator app, can be limited to the lower or upper half or a third of the band, which lets you keep it away from a known fixed Wi-Fi channel or separate several of your own transmitters. Aria X2 adds a sub-GHz band as an alternative path. D-Fi and similar systems let you choose a channel manually, so if one channel misbehaves, change it.

5.8 GHz is less crowded, which is the attraction. Some W-DMX hardware supports it, and Wireless Solution notes that 5.8 GHz operation depends on local regulations, so confirm that the specific unit is approved and configured for UK use in that band before relying on it. Higher frequencies are absorbed more readily by walls and bodies, so treat 5.8 GHz as a tool for crowded sites with good line of sight, not a cure for range problems. The built-in fixture receivers covered in this guide all work at 2.4 GHz, which settles the question for most mobile and event rigs.

Range and line of sight

Published ranges (200 m for D-Fi Hub 2, 700 m for Aria X2, up to 1,000 m for CRMX) assume clear line of sight. Treat them as a measure of headroom, not a distance to plan to. Indoors, what limits you is usually what is in the way.

• Walls and floors. Brick, concrete and especially steel-reinforced structures cut the signal hard. Glass does too. LumenRadio and Wireless Solution both tell you to keep line of sight between transmitter and receiver.
• People. A room that worked at the afternoon focus can fade once 200 guests stand in the way. Get the transmitter above head height.
• Metal. Flight cases, truss and staging all shadow the signal. Do not leave the transmitter inside a rack case or behind a DJ booth fascia.
• Antenna orientation. Keep antennas upright and on the same axis as the receivers’ antennas. A transmitter antenna lying flat on a table costs real range.

If one receiver is marginal, moving the transmitter a few metres is often the whole fix. To go round a corner, a second receiver placed with line of sight to both sides can feed a short cable run, or a W-DMX transceiver can be used as a repeater on models that support it.

Latency, and what happens when the link drops

Good systems add a few milliseconds (LumenRadio quotes 5 ms for CRMX), which is invisible for lighting. What matters is behaviour when frames are lost.

When a receiver loses the transmitter, most indicate it on the panel (a W-DMX receiver’s LINK LED blinks; a CRMX receiver’s RF Link LED flashes fast) and then the fixture’s own DMX-loss setting decides what you see. Most fixtures can be set to hold the last look or black out. For wedding uplighting, hold is usually right: a one-second dropout leaves the walls purple instead of flashing dark. Check the setting on every fixture rather than trusting the default.

Linking and pairing

CRMX and W-DMX use a link-button model. A receiver remembers its transmitter until you unlink it, which is why a rig that worked last week comes back up on its own.

1. Power up the transmitter and every receiver you want on that link, antennas fitted.
2. Make sure those receivers are unlinked. On both CRMX and W-DMX, holding the receiver’s button for more than three seconds unlinks it; holding the transmitter’s button unlinks every powered receiver linked to it.
3. Press and release the link button on the transmitter. It searches for unlinked receivers and links all of them, however many there are.
4. Check that each receiver’s link indicator goes steady.

The trap is that the transmitter grabs every unlinked receiver in range. If you are building two universes, power off the second group while linking the first, then link the second group to its own transmitter.

Channel-select systems such as D-Fi work differently: set transmitter and receivers to the same channel and they sync. That is quick, but two DJs in adjoining rooms on the same channel will control each other’s lights. Pick an unusual channel and note it on the case.

Universes per transmitter

Most transmitters carry one universe: 512 channels, the same as one XLR output. The SHoW Baby, the Mini Box G3 and the D-Fi Hub 2 are all single-universe devices. Dual-universe units exist at the pro end (W-DMX BlackBox F-2, for example), and ADJ’s WiFLY EXR transceivers offer 15 selectable radio channels, each carrying one universe.

Every additional universe is another radio in the same band, so on bigger rigs frequency planning becomes part of the job. On a typical function room rig of eight to sixteen uplighters and a couple of effects, one universe and one transmitter is plenty.

Built-in receivers: fixtures and battery uplighters

The biggest change in recent years is that the receiver has moved inside the fixture. A battery uplighter with built-in wireless DMX needs no cable at all, which is why they dominate wedding and corporate dressing. In stock today, for example:

• Chauvet DJ Freedom Par range: built-in D-Fi.
• Equinox Colour Raider Lithium and LEDJ Rapid QB1: on-board W-DMX compatible transceivers.
• ADJ Mirage Q6 Pak: Aria X2.
• Chauvet Professional WELL fixtures: pair with the battery-powered WELL Connect W-DMX/CRMX transceiver.

Mains fixtures increasingly carry receivers too: Elumen8 Evora moving heads (W-DMX), Chauvet DJ Sentinel and many ILS fixtures (D-Fi), the LEDJ Spectra Q40 MKII (CRMX) and plenty of ADJ fixtures (WiFLY). The protocol inside the fixture dictates your transmitter, so it is a buying decision for the whole kit. Our battery uplighter guide covers why it pays to standardise on one range.

Some fixtures take a plug-in receiver instead: the LEDJ W-DMX USB transceiver fits selected LEDJ and Equinox fixtures, and the D-Fi USB 2 is powered from a Chauvet DJ fixture’s USB port. Check that the fixture lists support for the dongle before ordering. For anything else, a standalone receiver with an XLR output, or a battery stick receiver such as the D-Fi XLR RX, plugs into the fixture’s DMX input. If that fixture has a 3-pin socket and the receiver is 5-pin, our DMX adaptors guide explains the right adaptor.

When cable is still the better answer

A well-made cable on a correctly terminated line is immune to a room full of phones, needs no batteries or linking, and costs less than any transmitter.

Keep it cabled if

• The fixtures sit on a truss or bar next to the desk, or the run is short and safely routable.
• It is a permanent install with cable containment.
• The venue is radio-hostile: exhibition halls, festival production areas, or a basement with thick walls between desk and stage.
• The fixture’s behaviour on signal loss matters for safety, such as effects that must not freeze in an “on” state.

Cut the cable if

• You are dressing a room with battery uplighters and want zero cables on the floor.
• A run would cross a fire exit, a walkway or a dance floor.
• The building is listed or the client forbids fixings.
• Turnaround time is the real constraint, as on a mobile DJ changeover.

The usual answer is a hybrid: cable everything near the desk and use one wireless link to reach the far side of the room.

Setup checklist

• Confirm the protocol of every receiver, including built-in ones, and that the transmitter speaks it (and, for W-DMX, the right generation).
• Charge everything: battery transmitters, receivers and fixtures. A battery transmitter dying mid-set looks exactly like a radio fault.
• Mount the transmitter high, antenna upright, clear of metal cases and truss.
• Unlink stale receivers, then link, one universe at a time with the other groups powered off.
• Set each fixture’s DMX-loss behaviour to hold or blackout deliberately.
• Walk the room with a test look running and check the furthest and most shadowed fixtures.
• Note the channel, ID or universe on the transmitter case for the next job.
• Keep a length of DMX cable and a terminator in the kit as a fallback.

Troubleshooting

A fixture will not link at all

Check the protocol first. Then check it is unlinked from a previous transmitter, that wireless is enabled in the fixture menu (many fixtures need it selected as the DMX source), and that the transmitter is in a mode the receiver accepts.

Linked, but the fixture does nothing

The radio is fine; this is a DMX problem. Check the transmitter’s DMX indicator, then the fixture’s address and mode, then that you are sending on the universe that transmitter is fed from.

Flickers or drops out when the room fills

Classic absorption and congestion. Raise the transmitter, improve line of sight, move it out of the DJ booth or rack, and on W-DMX restrict the frequency range away from the venue Wi-Fi. On channel-select systems, change channel.

Someone else’s lights are responding

Two channel-select systems on the same channel, or a transmitter that grabbed unlinked receivers next door. Change channel, or re-link with only your fixtures powered.

Popular picks from the shop

FAQ

Do I need a licence for wireless DMX in the UK?

Not for the 2.4 GHz systems covered here, which use the licence-free band. That is different from wireless microphones, which our Ch38 licensing guide covers. If you use 5.8 GHz on dual-band kit, check that the unit is approved for UK use in that mode.

Will a CRMX transmitter control W-DMX fixtures?

Only if the receiver lists CRMX among its modes, as current W-DMX G6 receivers do. Many W-DMX compatible fixtures do not. The reverse is better documented: CRMX receivers link to older W-DMX G2, G3 and G4 transmitters on 2.4 GHz. Test the exact pair.

How many fixtures can one transmitter control?

As many as fit in the universe’s 512 channels. Chauvet states that D-Fi Hub 2 syncs an unlimited number of D-Fi fixtures, and Wireless Solution states there is no limit to the number of W-DMX receivers on one transmitter. Addressing, not radio, sets the limit.

Does wireless DMX interfere with venue Wi-Fi?

Both share 2.4 GHz and pro systems are designed to avoid occupied channels. In practice a busy Wi-Fi network is more of a threat to your link than the other way round.

Can I control wireless fixtures from a phone or tablet?

Yes, with a bridge that converts an app’s Wi-Fi signal to the fixture’s protocol. The Chauvet DJ FlareCON Air 2 creates its own Wi-Fi network and transmits D-Fi. ADJ’s mydmx GO is an app-based interface for running a rig from an iPad or Android tablet. See our lighting desk basics guide for what to look for in a controller.