THE ART OF CONTROL

How ENTTEC’s S-PLAY Simplifies the Complex

“The first product I ever built was a show recorder, the DMX PlayBack, back in 1999,” recalls ENTTEC founder and director Nic Moreau. “At the time, it was unheard of to be able to record a lighting sequence into a small box and play it back later. But the idea stuck. Why shouldn’t lighting control be simpler?”

Two and a half decades later, that idea has evolved into something far more powerful: the ENTTEC S-PLAY, a smart light show controller designed to take the pain out of complex lighting systems. Whether it’s an art installation, an architectural façade, a venue, or a city precinct, the S-PLAY gives designers complete control over their creative vision, and lets them automate it with ease.

One Box to Rule Them All

Nic laughs when asked how the concept for the S-PLAY came about. “In any modern project, you’re given a pile of systems to integrate: lighting, triggers, sensors, network protocols … and, of course, a tangled mess of cables. You end up wondering how on earth it’s all supposed to work together.”

That’s the problem S-PLAY was built to solve. At its core, it’s an all-in-one show controller with a clean timeline interface that lets users record, schedule, and trigger cues without needing a rack of extra gear.

But ENTTEC hasn’t stopped there. The S-PLAY recently made an unexpected appearance at OpenAI’s DevDay 2025 in San Francisco, where it was showcased as part of a demonstration connecting ChatGPT to a live lighting system.

That same integration is now being explored by ENTTEC’s engineers through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a new open framework designed to link AI models with real-world devices. The result? Artificial intelligence that can create, modify, and trigger lighting sequences on the S-PLAY simply through natural language.

It’s an early glimpse of what could become a defining shift in control technology: lighting designers and technicians communicating directly with their systems – no code, no complex setup, just conversation. “It’s a bit of a geeky concept,” Nic smiles, “but the implications are huge. Imagine describing a mood or scene to an AI, and watching your lighting rig instantly bring it to life.”

For ENTTEC, this isn’t about replacing human creativity – it’s about giving it new tools. The S-PLAY continues to do what it was designed for: making control smarter, simpler, and more connected than ever.

With two DMX ports, Ethernet for Art-Net and sACN, and relays and inputs for sensors or switches, the S-PLAY can integrate almost any device into one seamless control system. For larger projects, the optional ENTTEC I/O Extender expands those capabilities even further.

Smarter Shows, Fewer  Headaches

From his desk in ENTTEC’s Melbourne office, Nic demonstrates the S-PLAY’s intuitive web interface. “You can program everything from your browser,” he explains. “Record cues directly from ENTTEC LED Mapper (ELM) software or another lighting console, or build effects right in the unit – gradients, sweeps, patterns – without any external software.”

Users can build up to 200 playlists from 200 cues, triggers, and events, scheduling them to run automatically or react in real time. “You could have a Monday morning ambience cue, a Friday night party mode, and a special holiday show,” Nic grins. “Basically, your venue runs itself.”

For interactive environments, those triggers really shine. Motion sensors, pressure pads, or switches can make lights respond to audience movement: perfect for art installations, themed attractions, and experiential spaces.

Control, Your Way

Perhaps Nic’s favourite feature, though, is the custom user-interface builder. “You can design your own control page and let your client load it on their phone or tablet. They only see what you want them to see – a few buttons to start or stop sequences, for example – and they never have to dig through menus.”

The S-PLAY also scales effortlessly. Each unit can control up to 32 universes of Art-Net or sACN data, and multiple units can be linked in perfect sync across a network. Need more universes? Just add another S-PLAY.

Designed and Built in Australia

While ENTTEC is now a global company with offices in Australia, the UAE, the UK, and the USA, the S-PLAY remains proudly designed and manufactured in-house in Melbourne (Production also takes place at ENTTEC’s Dubai facility to serve the EMEA market.)

“Being local gives us a real advantage,” says Nic. “Our customers know they can call us and talk to an engineer who helped design the product. That hands-on Australian service and support is something we take seriously.”

The company’s roots stretch back to the early 2000s, when ENTTEC first made its mark on the entertainment industry with innovations like the DMX USB PRO interface and the Pixelator control system. The S-PLAY represents the culmination of that expertise, refined over decades of making complex lighting networks simple.

From Playback to Possibility

ENTTEC’s show controllers have come a long way since that first DMX PlayBack box. Today’s S-PLAY series includes four models – the Nano, Mini, Lite, and flagship SP1-1 – offering scalable solutions from small interactive exhibits to massive architectural installations.

Each model runs on the same software platform, with intuitive browser-based programming and reliable playback. As Nic puts it, “Whether you’re running one universe or thirty-two, the idea is the same: make it simple, make it reliable, and make it fun to use.”

Control Made Simple

For a company that’s spent 25 years pushing the boundaries of lighting technology, ENTTEC still holds onto its founding philosophy: empower creators with tools that just work.

“Automation shouldn’t be intimidating,” Nic says. “The S-PLAY is about letting people focus on their creativity instead of the cables. It’s control made simple — and that’s something we’re really proud of.”

Learn more about the S-PLAY range at enttec.com