ADJ Airstream Link User manual

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Contents
Overview .................................................................................................... 5
What’s New ................................................................................................. 5
Connecting to the Link Controller ................................................................... 6
Link Controller Top Panel .............................................................................. 8
App Navigation ............................................................................................ 9
Fixtures View ............................................................................................ 11
Patching Fixtures ................................................................................. 12
Fixture Not In Library ........................................................................... 14
Fixture Identification ............................................................................ 14
Fixture Editor ....................................................................................... 15
Edit the Fixture Button Order ................................................................. 19
Settings .................................................................................................... 20
Archive ............................................................................................... 20
Program Lock ...................................................................................... 21
Erase All Memory ................................................................................. 21
Network Settings ................................................................................. 22
Snapshots ........................................................................................... 23
Matrix Editor ............................................................................................. 24
Selecting a Matrix ................................................................................ 26
Channels View ........................................................................................... 27
Link Buttons ........................................................................................ 28
Channel Faders .................................................................................... 28
Wheel Group ....................................................................................... 30
Color Picker ......................................................................................... 31
Pan/Tilt Control .................................................................................... 32
Clear Button ........................................................................................ 32
Save Button ........................................................................................ 33
Scenes View .............................................................................................. 34
Create a Scene .................................................................................... 35
Saving Scenes ..................................................................................... 35
Edit a Saved Scene............................................................................... 38

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Edit the Button List ............................................................................... 38
Scene Files .......................................................................................... 39
Solo Button and Scene Playback ............................................................ 40
Clear Button ........................................................................................ 40
Effects in Scenes .................................................................................. 40
Sub Masters View ...................................................................................... 41
Small Rotary ....................................................................................... 43
Effects View .............................................................................................. 44
Pan/Tilt Effect Editor .................................................................................. 46
Editor Controls ..................................................................................... 47
Editing a Shape .................................................................................... 47
Link Controller ..................................................................................... 48
Save the Pan/Tilt Effect ......................................................................... 49
Load Pan/Tilt Effect .............................................................................. 50
Color Effect Editor ...................................................................................... 51
Setting the Hue Range .......................................................................... 52
Phase Control ...................................................................................... 53
Pixel Matrix ......................................................................................... 53
Color Effect Presets .............................................................................. 55
Recording Color Chases ........................................................................ 56
Function Buttons .................................................................................. 56
Save Color Effect ................................................................................. 57
Load Color Effect .................................................................................. 58
Link Controller ..................................................................................... 58
Flash Effect Editor ...................................................................................... 59
Flash Effect Presets .............................................................................. 60
Recording Flash Chases ........................................................................ 60
Empty Steps ........................................................................................ 61
Function Buttons .................................................................................. 61
Link Controller ..................................................................................... 61
Save Flash Effect ................................................................................. 62
Load Flash Effect .................................................................................. 62
Basic Effect Editor ...................................................................................... 63

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Waveforms .......................................................................................... 64
Basic Chase ......................................................................................... 66
Link Controller ..................................................................................... 67
Save Basic Effect.................................................................................. 68
Load Basic Effect .................................................................................. 68
Shows View .............................................................................................. 69
Edit a Show ......................................................................................... 69
Save Show .......................................................................................... 72
Edit a Saved Show ............................................................................... 74
Shows List ........................................................................................... 74
Show Playback ..................................................................................... 74
Master Pop-up ........................................................................................... 75
Master Fader ....................................................................................... 75
Black Button ........................................................................................ 76
Mic Gain .............................................................................................. 76
Audio Button ....................................................................................... 76
Tap Button .......................................................................................... 76
IOS Files App ............................................................................................ 77
Mac Finder ................................................................................................ 81
Idle Timer and Background State ................................................................. 83
Standalone Mode ....................................................................................... 84
Saving a Snapshot ............................................................................... 84
Using Standalone Mode ......................................................................... 84
Revision History ........................................................................................ 85
MANUFACTURER’S LIMITED WARRANTY........................................................ 86
Contacts ................................................................................................... 88

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Overview
This manual describes all of the features of the Airstream Link app. You may want
to consider downloading this manual into your IPad for easy reference while using
the app.
Airstream Link is a lighting control app designed to work alongside the ADJ Link
controller. The app and controller work together to make a complete lighting
control system that’s ideal for small to medium sized venues such as nightclubs,
churches, trade shows or anywhere intelligent lighting fixtures might be used.
Both the app and console work together to control fixtures. The app can run by
itself but DMX512 output can only come from the Link controller’s four DMX512
connectors. The four 5-pin DMX connectors on the back of the Link console allow
you to connect to any DMX512 lighting fixture from any manufacturer. Each
connector is a separate DMX512 universe giving the system control of up to a
total of 2048 DMX512 channels. The Link controller also provides a private dual
band 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi network to connect to your IPad wirelessly as well as
a USB connector if you prefer a hardwired connection.
Lighting changes, effects, fades, etc. all come from the IPad and are sent to the
Link controller either over Wi-Fi or USB. If connected using Wi-Fi the operator can
use the IPad remotely and can move around the room as long as the IPad is in
range of the Link controller’s wireless network.
There is a slot on the top of the Link console to hold an IPad in landscape
orientation. The viewing angle of the IPad can be adjusted by adjusting the angle
of the slot. (Remove the IPad when adjusting the slot angle).
What’s New
Version 1.1
Add home position feature for moving fixtures.
Add manual “Go” and “Back” for shows.
Add fixtures to library.
Utilize the page and matrix buttons when saving scenes, effects and shows.
Add “clear” function by pressing in wheels.
Add press-in functions to small rotaries.

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Connecting to the Link Controller
The Link controller connects to your IPad using either its private Wi-Fi network or
the USB connector on the back. When the Link controller is turned on, it will
create a local Wi-Fi network that you can join using the Wi-Fi settings on your
IPad. The network will show up on the list of available networks in the Wi-Fi
section in your IPad’s settings. The default network name is “ADJLink”. The
default password is “link1234”. Select and join the network as you would join any
other Wi-Fi network from your IPad. It is highly recommended that you change
the password before using it in public. The network can appear on any Wi-Fi
device in the vicinity of your lighting system. As an added security feature only
one device can connect to the network.
If you prefer to use a hardwired connection between the IPad and Link you will
need a USB cable adapter. There are several types that will work depending on
the IPad model. For an IPad with lightning connector, figures A and B will work.
Figure B, which is sometimes referred to as the Apple camera adapter also allows
the IPad to connect to a charger at the same time. If you have an IPad Pro with
USB C connector, you will need something like Figure C along with a standard
USB printer style cable.
Fig. A Fig. B Fig. C
There are several advantages to using the wireless connection. Mobility is
probably the most helpful as you will be able to carry the IPad to different parts of
the room as needed when doing setups or when you want to control the lighting
from somewhere other than where the console is located, as long as the IPad is
within range of the console’s network.
The Wi-Fi range between your IPad and the Link will vary depending on the
environment but you should expect no more than 75 feet for a fast reliable
connection indoors. Walls can shorten the range. The Link Wi-Fi is dual band and
its network can run at 5GHz or at 2.4GHz. The band is selected manually from the

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settings section in the app. 5GHz is the default band and is faster and usually less
congested but 2.4GHz usually has longer range and is better at going through
walls but is also typically more congested when other networks are in the area.
The Link will try to find the least congested Wi-Fi channel for either band when it
powers on. Consult the “Settings” chapter on how to select the Wi-Fi band.
The picture below shows the connectors on the back of the Link controller. From
left to right are four 5-pin DMX512 outputs, one for each of four DMX512
universes. In the center is the dual band Wi-Fi antenna encased in the small
plastic enclosure. To the right of the antenna is the USB connector and the DC
power connector. On the far right is a Kensington slot and the power switch.
The Link comes with a regulated external power supply that is rated for 1A at
9VDC. Always use a power supply with the equivalent rating and connector size
and polarity.
A flexible LED work light is included with the Link controller. It is attached to the
top panel of the Link in the upper right where it’s labeled “USB Light” as shown in
the photo below. The light itself has a touch switch on the top with three
brightness settings.

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Link Controller Top Panel
This illustration shows all of the control sections on the top panel of the Link
controller. When connected to the Link app each section can control various
functions running in the app depending on the current view that is displayed in
the app. Some controls are universal across the app and will always work the
same no matter which view is currently displayed. This includes the screen select
buttons, the grand master, blackout and app function buttons.
Typically controls like the button matrix, faders and wheels will be matched to the
current view that is displayed in the app. Any app view that shows a button
matrix, for example the fixture select view, will use the button matrix along with
the page controls and the LEDs inside each matrix button. The fader section along
with the controls directly above will work along with the channel and sub master
views in the app.

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App Navigation
The app uses a tab bar at the bottom of the screen that’s always visible.
The tabs divide the app into five major sections of workflow. You can move from
tab to tab from anywhere within the app by touching a tab icon at the bottom of
your screen or by pressing one of the six screen selection buttons on the Link.
There is one additional screen button on the Link that is not included in the tab
bar. The “Subs” button will take you directly to the sub masters view in the app.
The sub masters view is an alternate view that’s accessible from the scenes view.
From within each view, you can navigate to various sub views by tapping the pull-
down menu button in the upper left of the view and then tapping one of the menu
items shown.

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This illustration shows the menu list that appears when you tap the pull-down
menu button from the fixtures view.
As an alternative way to access the drop-down menus, you can also press down
on wheel 1 and then turn the wheel to select the menu item. Press down on the
wheel again to go to the selected view.

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Fixtures View
The fixtures view is where you select fixtures for programming and where you can
configure your fixture layout. The first view you will see is a field of 32 fixture
selection buttons. If you are running the app for the first time, your field will be
filled with empty buttons. These buttons will correspond with the 32 button
matrix on the Link controller.
You will notice in this example that the first four fixtures in the top row of buttons
are highlighted while the other rows are dimmed. The corresponding LEDs on the
Link controller will also be lit. This indicates that these fixtures have been selected
for programming. Fixture selection is used for setting the fixture channels as well
as programming some of the effects. Tap the fixture buttons to select or unselect
using either the screen or the buttons on the Link. To select or unselect a group,
first press and hold the first button of the group then press the last button of the
group. All buttons in between will select or unselect depending on the state of the
first button pressed. The order of selection is important for some of the effects

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that use a sequence of fixtures. Tap the “Clear” button at the top of the view or
on the Link to unselect all fixtures on all pages.
In the upper right of the view there are blue up and down arrow buttons for
changing matrix pages as well as page buttons on the Link. You can have up to
24 pages with 32 fixture buttons per page. Tap one of the up or down buttons or
tap and hold to auto repeat.
Patching Fixtures
Tap the menu button while in the fixtures view then tap “Patch” from the menu
list. You will be presented with a large table of assignments for every fixture
button. The fixtures are assigned from a library of lights that is included with the
app or from a custom library that you can create using the built-in fixture profile
editor. DMX starting addresses and universe numbers are automatically assigned
to each fixture after selection but you can manually set the address and universe
as explained later. The following screenshot shows an example. Each row
represents one of the fixture buttons on one of the fixture pages. The assigned
address and universe are also shown. Note: The universe number corresponds to
the connector number on the back of the Link controller.
Tapping any one of the empty rows will show the fixture library as in the following
example. You can also tap an occupied row to change the fixture selection that is
there. Occupied rows will have a detail button (!) as shown above. Tap the detail
button to edit that fixture’s traits or DMX address and universe. See the following
section regarding customizing a fixture for more details on the fixture editor.

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The fixture library is divided into sections that can be expanded or collapsed by
tapping the arrow to the left of each section title. At the top is a search bar where
you can enter a name or partial name to get a filtered list of every fixture in the
library that contains the search word.
The following example shows the Custom Profiles section expanded. This section
will be empty until you create and save some custom fixtures.
When you select a fixture from the library, the selected row will expand to show
the quantity selector. Use the stepper button to select the desired number of
fixtures to patch then tap the “Patch” button.

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Fixture Not In Library
If your fixture is not in the library you will have to make the fixture profile using
the editor. Start by assigning any fixture from the library to one of the buttons.
Try to choose one that is similar to the one you plan to use. The “Generic” section
contains some basic fixture types. Anything will work as you will be changing the
number of channels used and the types of channels used. See the following
section on how to make a custom profile.
Helpful hint: If you are going to customize a group of fixtures that will all be
identical, first save a single custom profile as explained in the next section. Once
you have created the fixture you will then be able to patch the whole group of
fixtures by selecting the custom profile and quantity. Customization can include
things as simple as adding a photo to be used for the button. Using a custom
profile saves time by not having to repeat assigning the same photo to each
fixture button.
Fixture Identification
When a new fixture is patched it is assigned a unique ID number that it will keep
until you remove or replace the fixture. A fixture ID is used by scenes to identify
fixtures that are part of a scene. This ID also allows you to move fixtures around
on the button field and change a fixture’s DMX address without affecting the
scenes that use that fixture.
Important Note: If you remove a fixture or change it to a different type, any
scenes that used that fixture button will no longer be able to find or control that
fixture. The scene will still work for any remaining fixtures that were used.

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Fixture Editor
Tap any detail button (!) in the patching list to show the fixture editor. From there
you can customize the fixture, change the DMX address and universe and also
save it as a custom fixture profile. The following is an example of a fixture taken
from the ADJ library that was modified by adding a custom button image. Any
fixture from the library can be modified to make it a custom fixture profile.
Important Note: You can modify the traits for each of your fixtures without
saving it as a custom profile. Any changes you make to the fixture will be saved
automatically for that individual fixture. Saving it as a custom profile is helpful
only if you plan to reuse this customized fixture or want multiple copies of it in
your patching list. Tap “Profile” in the upper right if you want to save it as a
custom profile in your Custom Profiles library.
The following paragraphs describe the fixture traits that can be edited.

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Fixture Name: When saving a custom profile, this will be the file name of your
custom profile when you save it.
Button Image: Tapping this row will show the photo picker where you can
choose a picture from your photo library to use as the fixture’s button. Screen
shots from the web page of your light usually look the best. As an alternative you
can also use the camera on your IPad to take a picture of the fixture or its subject
such as the area it is lighting.
Button Name: This will be the label that appears under the fixture’s button. This
lets you identify each button with its own name which can be helpful when there
are many fixtures of the same type but each lights a different area. Keep the
length short enough so that it fits neatly under the button.
DMX Start Address: This is the DMX starting address and universe number for
the fixture. Addresses are assigned automatically in ascending order but you also
have the option to override the assigned address. Touch “auto” and “override” will
appear in red letters. Press and hold either stepper to change the DMX address or
the universe number. Be aware that when you manually change the start address
of a fixture, surrounding fixtures that are set to “auto” will adjust their addresses
to the overridden fixture(s). Also be aware that it is possible to accidently overlap
overridden fixture channels by setting overridden start addresses too close to
each other.
To return a fixture to auto patching, touch “override” and the address will return
to “auto” mode.
To force auto patching to start using a new universe (DMX out) override the
address for the first fixture in the new universe. This will force auto patch to begin
a new universe starting at that fixture. Any subsequent fixtures will automatically
follow and use the new universe number.
It’s helpful sometimes to lock the DMX address assignment for a fixture by using
“override”, especially if you want to be able to move the location of the fixture’s
button in the order without changing its address. Simply press “override” so that
the address is displayed in red. This will prevent the address from automatically
changing if the fixture button is moved for example to another page.
Pan and Tilt Home: For moving heads that have pan and tilt channels, you can
set a home position so that the fixture will always return to that position when it
is cleared. Use the +/- stepper buttons to set the home position and the light will
respond if connected, allowing you to view the home position as you adjust it.

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Number of Channels: This sets the total number of DMX512 channels used by
the fixture. When you scroll down the fixture editor you will see listed every
channel by name as in the example below. To edit an individual channel tap the
channel’s row to show the channel editor.

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Channel Editor: When you tap a channel row, the channel editor will appear
allowing you to edit a list of traits for that particular channel as shown in the next
example.
Channel Name: This is the name that will be displayed above the channel fader
and used to identify the channel for certain features and effects. Certain colors
and also words like “Dimmer”, “Pan”, and “Tilt” are keywords used by the app.
For example, the color picker looks for “Red”, “Green” and “Blue” channel names.
Letter case is ignored, for example “Red” is treated the same as “red” or “RED”.
The color picker will also accept “Red 1” as it accepts names starting with the
word “Red”. “Pan” and “Tilt” channels are used to identify channels for the pan/tilt
controller and for the movement effects. “Dimmer” is used by the flash effects
editor. Adding the word “Fine” to the end of a name will be used to pair channels
in order to use 16 bit fades. For example “Pan” and “Pan Fine”.
Fade Mode: This controls how a channel will behave during a crossfade when a
scene is called. The choices are “8 bit fade” - a linear one channel crossfade to
the new value, “snap before fade” - the channel jumps immediately to the new
value at the start of the scene, “snap after fade” – the channel jumps to the new
value at the end of the fade, “snap during fade” – the channel jumps to the new
value at some point in the middle of the fade, (use the slider to select the snap
point), “16 bit fade coarse” – this is the high or coarse channel, for example “Pan”
when there is a “Pan Fine”, “16 bit fade fine” – this is the low or fine channel, for
example “Pan Fine”. The last two modes will generate a 16 bit linear crossfade.
Note that the fine channel must use the same name as the coarse channel with
the word “Fine” added.

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Invert Channel Output: This will invert the channel’s output. Use this to adjust
things like pan and tilt to match your stage setup.
Scale Output by Master Fader: This will cause the channel to be scaled by the
master fader and by the scene sub masters. This will normally only be used on
the dimmer channel(s). In some cases where the fixture has no dimmer, e.g. RGB
fixture, more than one channel can be set. Note: When a scene uses a fade out
time, these “Master Fader” channels will be used to fade out the scene.
Edit the Fixture Button Order
While viewing the patching list, tap “Edit” in the upper right to rearrange or delete
fixtures as shown below. Touch and drag the icons at the far right to move a
fixture location. Use this method to drag buttons to other pages as needed. Tap
“Done” when finished.
Important: If you rearrange the button order, any fixtures that use auto patch
will adjust their DMX address to the new order. To avoid this, lock a fixture’s DMX
address and universe by setting the address to “override” as explained in one of
the previous paragraphs.

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Settings
Tap the pull-down menu button from the fixtures view then tap “Settings” and
you will see a table of various global settings used to customize the app. Each
setting is described in the following paragraphs.
Archive
Archives let you backup your memory in an archive folder. Things like fixture
assignments, settings, scenes, effects and shows are backed up in the archive. All
Archive folders are saved in a master folder named “Archives”. Custom fixture
profiles are not backed up in an archive as they are shared by all archives.
Archiving is a way to back up the current setup you are using so that it can be
reused again later. Once saved, the archives are accessible from the IOS folders
app where they can be copied to a cloud service like ICloud or Dropbox. They are
also accessible from Finder running on a mac when the IPad is connected. See the
chapters on how to use the IOS files app and Finder for more details.
Tap “Save an archive” and you will be prompted to enter a name for the archive
folder before saving.
Tap “Load an archive” and a list of previously saved archives will be presented
that you can choose from. You will be prompted to allow the new archive to
replace the current memory.