ArKaos

ArKaos is a company providing hardware, real-time video software, and protocols for the entertainment, music, and light industries. It was established in 1996. ArKaos' mission is to give people flexible, powerful, and easy to use products based on operational simplicity and accessibility for users of all levels of ability.

ArKaos
Developer(s)ArKaos s.a.
Stable release
3.6.5
Operating systemMac OS X, Windows
Typelive visual performance
LicenseProprietary
Websitearkaos.net

ArKaos offers two types of products: live video mixing for VJDJ and entertainment/architectural solutions. ArKaos' products are GrandVJ, GrandVJ XT, MediaMaster Express, MediaMasterPro, KlingNet protocol, and 4k Servers.

ArKaos' products are compatible with various operating systems, such as Windows and Mac.

In 2019 ArKaos integrated Pioneer ProDJ bridge in its products.

GrandVJ

GrandVJ is a live video mixer developed by ArKaos for VJs, DJs, clubs, and musicians. This VJ software runs on macOS or Windows and is using MIDI and state of the art live video technologies. The interfaces are intuitive and adapted to drive LED walls, LED DMX or Kling-Net fixtures, and projection mapping installations. GrandVJ supports 16 layers, Synth/Mixer Mode, and basic geometrical correction and soft edge. ArKaos offers a free trial for its products which can be found on their website. Installers can also run without a license in DEMO mode. The software will be fully functional with a DEMO banner displayed on the output, except saving is disabled.

GrandVJ XT

GrandVJ XT is an extended version of GrandVJ and has more functionalities. The purpose is the same as GrandVJ's. Manipulate, trigger, and mix video clips with sound, animated text strings or live cameras in much the same way as mixing music to create a spectacular audiovisual show. GrandVJ XT can mix up to 16 layers, the same as GrandVJ, with a vast library of video effects, transitions, and sound driven visual generators. Additional features are LED Mapper/Kling-Net Mapper, Video Mapper, and advanced geometrical correction and soft edge. This software also has a free demo version that can be found on ArKaos' website. Detailed features can be found here.

Kling-Net

In 2011, ArKaos introduced the Kling-Net protocol, used for lighting control and Remote Device Management (RDM).[1] It aims to provide video professionals the ability to distribute real-time video data to LED strips, LED panels and other remote devices over ethernet. Together with Art-Net, it is one of the most commonly used lighting control and Remote Device Management (RDM) protocols.

Functions and Advantages

Kling-Net is a revolutionary plug-and-play protocol for the easy operation of LED devices. Kling-Net automatically configures and connects display devices to a computer, media server or console. This means that “intelligence” is added to LED devices, enabling them to talk directly to the server or console, without the user’s input.[2]

The main benefit of this approach is that it eliminates the complexity of networking and control issues, thereby reducing the need for technical knowledge of the user. It also allows the creation of a heterogenic network of display devices from different manufacturers, which can all be controlled from one computer.[3]

Autoconfiguration

The autoconfiguration capabilities of Kling-Net ensure that many different devices can be controlled by the same media server. This avoids creating and matching the profiles of media server and individual device.[4]

Kling-Net automatically detects and configures LED devices when initiated and sends the devices' resolution and pixel formats to the media server, which reads and changes the device parameters where necessary. Once registered to the media server, the device will start to receive the real-time video data as it is mapped onto the media server screen by the user, clipping and transforming the image to the correct pixel formats and minimizing the need for user input.[5]

Furthermore, because most of the work is done by the media server, the video easily reaches 60 FPS.

Fixture Compatibility

Kling-Net was developed to function with nearly all manufacturers’ LED products, using a source code that adds intelligence to LED devices, which allows control and integration.

The devices that are compatible with Kling-Net are listed here:[6]

MediaMaster Express

MediaMaster Express has up to 12 layers and is specially designed to run video for clubs, churches, theaters.

MediaMaster PRO

MediaMaster Pro 5 features:

36 Layers MediaHub for network sharing LEDMapper 3 with unicast Lyric Player Art-Net Kling-Net DMX MIDI time code

gollark: Minoteaur development (pair programming).
gollark: Hmm. Apparently service discovery has an XEP number *after* various others. Worrying.
gollark: Which is long and inconvenient versus just saying "yes, this is an osmarkshypotheticalchatprotocol™-v2.1-capable system".
gollark: There's no particular benefit to it, and it makes it hard/unuseful to say you have a server/client supporting "XMPP" if that might mean a ton of different combinations of modules.
gollark: Putting core features into extensions brings nothing but more complex negotiations and fallbacks, and makes it a bit more annoying to depend on in other features.

See also

References

Offline Sources
  • Harlan, Rod (November 2005), "Be a VJ!", Layers, 1 (4), pp. 38–40
  • Sauer, Joachim (April 24, 2017), "Video-Jockey", c't special (in German), pp. 96–99

Online References
  1. "ArKaos Launches Kling-Net at PLASA 2011". Live Design. 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  2. "Kling-Net". ArKaos. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  3. "ArKaos Kling-Net Protocol Drives Chauvet's ÉPIX Range at NAMM 2012". Live Design. 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  4. "Prolight + Sound 2015". www.av-entertainment.nl. 2018-01-11.
  5. "CHAUVET® Professional Shows ArKaos Kling-Net Compatible Fixtures at LDI 2012". Live Design. 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  6. "Compatible Devices". ArKaos. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
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