DMX-driven stage – A playful build turns a stage clock into a director’s tool: its hands are independently controlled via DMX, powered by an Arduino and driven by a dual stepper motor with a concentric shaft.
Onstage, time doesn’t have to behave. In the hands of a director, it can stretch, snap, or sit still—so long as the clock can keep up.
A new DIY stage clock aims to give that kind of control. Built specifically for theatrical use, the clock moves beyond a typical “constant rate” mechanism. Instead, its hands are independently controllable using DMX, the control standard commonly used for lighting and effects.
What makes the project feel more like engineering than props is what sits behind the face. Rather than relying on a modified clock mechanism, the build uses a dual stepper motor with a concentric shaft. That setup is driven by an Arduino paired with a stepper driver shield drawn from the world of 3D printers.
For stage integration. it also includes an RS485 interface for DMX interfacing—so the clock can take commands through the same ecosystem performers and crews already use for lighting cues. The hands themselves aren’t carved from existing parts. They’re built in OpenSCAD and 3D printed, designed to fit onto the motor shafts as an interference fit.
Controlling it is meant to feel immediate. The DMX controller software uses a rotating-knob style interface. giving an operator a straightforward way to manipulate the hands during a performance. And for anyone who wants to go deeper than the visuals. the accompanying video doesn’t just show the result—it includes an exhaustive dissection of the Arduino code.
The clock is also wrapped in a bigger story about how DMX and RS485 work together, with a reference to a prior deeper dive into RS485 control.
In the end, it’s a simple idea dressed in careful mechanics: if time is supposed to bend on stage, the hardware has to bend with it.
DMX stage clock Arduino RS485 stepper motor OpenSCAD 3D printing theatre technology
So they’re basically making a clock that can lie now lol.
Wait DMX like the music thing? I thought lighting was already on DMX, not time. Kinda cool but also kinda weird that a clock needs an Arduino.
This sounds like overkill for a stage prop. If you can control the hands independently, why not just use a regular display or projector? Also RS485… I read that as like a car thing? idk. The part about “interference fit” lost me but I’m sure it’s important.
I saw a video like this and it was like the clock was “running backwards” or something which is already nightmare fuel. People really want to mess with time onstage now? Next thing you know directors are gonna be changing everyone’s schedules with DMX too. Also I don’t trust 3D printed clock hands, they’re gonna snap right when the cue hits.