Recently, I was asked to do a presentation on console apps and consoles. I was surprised by how many of the students weren’t already familiar with Sidus Link Pro. Here are my thoughts. As usual- don’t mistake this for a review. First off- the software is still in public beta, so it’s not ready to be reviewed as it isn’t finalized. Second- I would have had to comprehensively test the app for everything I could think of to write a review. Instead, I tested the app for how it relates to my work flow. I think it’s super interesting and fills a very specific need.
Sidus Link Pro is the best solution for some unique on-set problems. Learning a console typically has a steep learning curve. Sidus seems like it is solely focussed on flattening that curve. No channel numbers or command line here. Because it’s not trying to be all things to all people- the interface is simple and easy to learn. It’s object oriented- meaning you touch something to select, then you touch controls to change your settings. When you have a look you like, you have ten faders to record to at the bottom of the screen. Each fader is capable of saving many cues, an effect, or just one cue- whatever helps you get the setup right. Respect for coming up with an original approach to an interface and making it accessible to non-programmers.
Patching is easy with the built in library of fixtures, but they also make it super easy to make custom profiles when you have something special to control. Is every attribute for every kind of light already in the database? Not yet. But nearly everything you could want for a film fixture already is. They also support import from GDTF. If you aren’t familiar, this is (hopefully) the direction the industry is headed for profiles. It is a open file format that allows the manufacturer of the light to create a profile that you can import it into whichever console supports the GDTF format.
Sidus supports up to 4 universes. My understanding is they limited the universe count to allow users to use a wide range of iPads, old to new, rather than making you stick to only M series chip iPads. Though my productions these days tend to have far more universes, many shows are happening with four or less. The limit is concerning to me for the future, but I assume that Aputure is open to expanding as time goes on and processors get stronger.
My favorite thing about Sidus is how stable it is. I’ve tried to make it freak out and I can’t get it to misbehave. My early testing was on an A15 iPad mini, which is not the most powerful chip. Also- the interface looked and worked great on my mini. It’s the larger-screen generation, so it’s 8.3 inches instead of the original 7.9 inches. But nothing was cramped or difficult to select. I love this flexibility for users to choose their preferred iPad. Don’t know about you, but I love that my mini will fit in my back pocket.
Currently, there is a small effects engine with adjustable presets in the app. Currently, effects can’t be recorded to cues, nor can you yet make custom effects yourself. Of course, effects can be built old-school as a cue list. Yes, it takes more time, but it leaves a door open to get yourself out of tight spots. Helping with some of the limitations of cue list based effects, the faders are proportional. What does that mean? Let’s say you create a flicker effect that toggles between 100, 50 and 25%. I can’t count how many times I create an effect and they like it, but want it at half the current values. Rather than needing to rewrite your cues, you can just pull the fader down to 50% and now all of your values are playing back at 50, 25 and 12.5%.
Let’s get to a subject that is divisive these days. Sidus is a subscription model. Don’t freak out. The pricing is not finalized, but I understand it will be around $10 a month for one universe and $20 a month for 4 universes. That’s super reasonable, and the one huge advantage of a subscription model is you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars up front to start learning and/or working. This helps more people (without trust funds) to learn valuable skills at a lower price point. Now we’ve all heard stories of a friend who was on set with a subscription app and it needed to be signed in to keep working. Sidus Link Pro does need to check in every 25 days, but there is a warning each day as you sign in and then an assertive five day countdown to make sure you don’t show up without the ability to control you lights. I was lucky enough to chat with Ben Dynice (Director of Sidus Link Pro) who assured me authorization concerns are something they are very aware of. Though many of us resist subscriptions- and rightly so- please remember that the task of writing fixture profiles alone as new lights are developed is a continual outgoing expense. I’d rather pay for the service (and support, and updates) than have an app that isn’t supported very well. Also- having heard some of what the roadmap is for the product- I believe you’ll feel you’re getting your money’s worth.
Speaking of support- Aputure has an incredibly active Facebook Group with professional moderators waiting to help you as well as a great user base. They have a Discord Group (which I’ve not checked out) and email support options as well. Since I’m already on Facebook, and nearly every lighting product or occupation has one or several dedicated user groups, I’d suggest the Facebook group. Very fast, very responsive. Support of your console is incredibly important and cannot be overstated. Also- they have a great video tutorial series and are obviously dedicated to maintaining it. They are well thought out and executed.
Sidus Link Pro- in my experience- is the most stable of the iPad apps. The app is the most accessible to a wide range of users I’ve seen. It’s ideal for the owner/operator that just needs to control some small-to-medium setups. It has the easiest learning curve and amazing support and a price that can’t be beat. Give it a look.
Sidus One
A little side quest here, but I hope it’s welcome. Many new programmers find networking and wireless control daunting. Aputure have done a great thing with the Sidus One series. It’s a single hand-held device that has a wireless access point built in (meaning- you sign in from your iPad like any wifi device) and each unit is capable of outputting a single universe of CRMX (the film fixture wireless DMX protocol). It couldn’t be simpler, and I stress tested my unit with a light running a chase in a metal-and-RF-rich environment to over 200 feet. What’s really cool is the ability to link up to four of the Sidus One units together- all seen as the same wifi- for up to 4 universes of output. It’s still not quite “simple” to get set up, but I do believe it is as simple as it can get for now. Battery life is amazing at 18 hours and the price point is insanely affordable. If you don’t already have a CRMX transmitter and you know you’re going to stick to smaller productions for a while, this is absolutely the unit for you. If you are using Sidus Link Pro as a stepping stone towards a full console, then you should strongly consider getting a Lumenradio transmitter with the Stardust being the one to get.
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Mark LaPierre is a programmer in film and television based out of Albuquerque. He grew up in live entertainment and has been a designer/programmer for musicals, concert dance, live music, circus and corporate. Mark is a proud member of IATSE and an ETC Eos trainer. If you enjoy his content, please consider commenting on his posts on the website to appease the Algorithm.