Are you looking to buy a ONYX console or PC solution? It can be confusing to know which is right for you, but in this video I explain how to figure out exactly what you need, and how we can help you get it!

ONYX is a fantastic choice for a professional grade console for a lot of people and a lot of different needs. If you are buying an ONYX license it’s important to do your research so that you don’t get more or less than you need.

Licensing Page

On the licensing page you will notice that the consoles are 64 universe consoles with four DMX physical ports on them. Then on the PC side there are a couple different modes, these being Premier, Elite, Nova, Nova Plus, Essential, and Free.

If you download the ONYX software, you are going to be running on a free license. This means you get one universe of output which is wonderful, but one downside is that you don’t get MIDI, Timecode, or OSC control of playbacks. You do; however, have the option to test these out briefly in case the need arises for a customer or some other reason.

Nova

Nova is a great step up as it gives you four universes of output. You will not get OSC, MIDI, or Timecode with this either though. You will again be able to enable the test options for these within Nova for the brief allotted period.

Nova is your intermediate level which unlocks a little more output, but you still do not get those external control options.

Nova Plus

Nova Plus is the NX Touch with four universes of output with the extra step up of having MIDI, Timecode, and OSC also available to you.

For the same prices as the Nova Plus you start progressing into the ONYX Keys.

ONYX Keys

The ONYX Keys are where things really start to get interesting and hit a bit more of a professional level.

Essential

The first level of the ONYX Keys is the Essential. Essential on the PC gives you eight universes and the OSC, MIDI, and Timecode fully unlocked.

Premier

With Premier you will have sixty-four universes available to you.

Elite

Elite unlocks one hundred and twenty-eight universes.

On a Console

If you are on a console rather than a PC, you will find that everything is unlocked, and you get access to sixty-four universes. There is not the option to upgrade these to the one hundred and twenty-eight simply because of processing power.

Buying Choices

With so many options it may be a little overwhelming to figure out what is the best buy for you and your needs. This is definitely decided on a case-by-case basis. If you are looking to get started with ONYX it is recommended to either go with an EP-4 or an NX-Touch. These will give you more output and universes to work with.

You will find that the Essential Key is nearly the same cost as the Touch, it just doesn’t have a DMX output on it. The best values in our opinion are the NX-K and the NX-4.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing what is right for you it really comes down to your individual needs. It is a great idea to sit down and figure out the attributes that will benefit you the most and then dive into a little research among the ONYX products. You will most definitely find one that is right for you!