grandMA3 onPC Command Wing

grandMA3 onPC Command Wing is offered in excellent condition at €5,500 per unit. Available stock: 1 unit. The quantity is the available inventory count; the price applies to one unit.

grandMA3 onPC Command Wing: physical control for onPC

The grandMA3 onPC Command Wing gives an operator a hardware command surface for grandMA3 onPC software. It connects to a computer over USB and combines the command section, encoders and playback controls in a portable format. The listed product is the command wing itself. A computer is not named in this inventory, and this model should not be confused with the separate command wing XT.

MA Lighting specifies control of 4,096 parameters when the wing is used with grandMA3 onPC. Parameters and DMX universes are different ways of describing control capacity, so this figure should be read in the manufacturer’s own system context. It is useful to check a proposed show file and hardware arrangement against current MA documentation before deciding how to distribute output.

Hands-on programming and playback

The surface includes five dual encoders, ten motorized 60 mm faders and 40 separate playbacks. Those physical controls provide direct access to programming and operation without relying entirely on a mouse. Three DMX ports are available, together with connections for functions such as MIDI, timecode and remote control, as described in the official device overview.

For an existing grandMA3 workflow, the important purchasing questions are how the wing will fit the operator’s workspace, which computer will run onPC, and how the system will connect to the lighting network. Check the required software version and computer requirements directly with MA Lighting. The existence of ports on the surface does not establish that extra interfaces, cables, a computer or transport accessories form part of this sale.

A control surface and its host computer

The command wing is the physical operating surface in an onPC arrangement. The computer runs the software and holds the show data, while the wing supplies direct command and playback controls. Keeping those roles clear is useful when planning a system: the desk footprint, computer arrangement and monitor layout can be chosen independently, but they still form one working control position.

MA’s Quick Start documentation specifically notes that show data is saved in the onPC software. That makes the host computer and its file-management routine important parts of the workflow. A wing should not be treated as a stand-alone storage copy of a show merely because it has the physical buttons and faders used to operate it.

Programming with encoders and a command area

The command section provides a direct route into the grandMA3 programming approach. An operator can use physical keys for selection and commands while looking at the software’s relevant views. The five dual encoders offer tactile adjustment of values, complementing rather than replacing the computer display. This can be valuable when building positions, colors or other fixture states that need repeated small changes.

The practical value of a hardware command area depends on the operator’s working method. A programmer who frequently selects fixtures, edits values and stores looks may want those actions within reach of the same hand position. Screen arrangement still matters: the clearest layout places the information being edited where it can be read comfortably while the physical controls are used.

Playback controls for different types of shows

A cue-driven show and a live performance need different playback arrangements. In a cue-driven production, the emphasis may be on deliberate sequence progression and clear access to masters. In a live music setting, the operator may prefer a collection of playbacks that can be combined or varied as the performance changes. The wing’s faders, buttons and encoder playbacks give physical locations for those decisions.

An executor is an operating assignment in the grandMA3 software, rather than a promise that every control always performs one fixed task. MA’s executor documentation describes assignable button, fader and encoder behavior. The useful question is how to organize the show so that the controls needed together remain accessible together. Clear labeling and a consistent page structure help make that layout understandable to the person operating it.

Parameters, DMX ports and output planning

The stated 4,096-parameter capacity describes the onPC system’s real-time control allowance in MA’s terminology. It should not be confused with the number of physical sockets on the wing. A system can have output distribution requirements as well as a parameter requirement, and those are separate planning questions. Check the fixture patch and the intended output arrangement before selecting additional distribution equipment.

The rear panel provides two five-pin DMX outputs and one five-pin DMX input. The manufacturer also describes network-protocol output through the onPC system. The local connectors can therefore be considered as one part of the overall signal plan. An input connection is not an additional output merely because it has a similar connector shell. The current manual should govern the setup of any input or network workflow.

MIDI, timecode and remote-control connections

The hardware reference includes MIDI in and out, linear timecode input and a general-purpose remote-control interface. Those connections matter when a lighting system needs to respond to other parts of a production. Their presence provides a physical route for supported control methods; the show still needs the corresponding software configuration and a clear plan for which device initiates each action.

For example, a manually operated show and a timecode-led sequence impose different expectations on playback. The operator should decide whether timing is to be followed automatically or controlled at the surface, and organize the project accordingly. The listed wing does not by itself establish that an external timecode source, MIDI device or remote interface is part of the sale.

Choosing the right grandMA3 onPC product

The original onPC command wing and the command wing XT share related names but are separate hardware products. This inventory names the command wing. Its USB-connected host-computer workflow is therefore the relevant comparison, rather than the integrated-computer presentation of the XT. A fader wing is also a different product with a different role in a control system.

MA lists a 620 × 427 × 102 mm footprint and a 10 kg net weight for this model. Those dimensions are useful when planning an operating table or a transport arrangement, but they do not establish that a case is included. Evaluate the complete control position—wing, host and displays—against the available space, rather than assessing only one component’s dimensions.

Documentation and related equipment

MA Lighting official product documentation · MA Lighting official reference documentation · Explore lighting consoles at Bsound Pro Audio · Browse MA Lighting equipment