Our range also covers test equipment and data distribution, and we are a major supplier of OEM solutions worldwide.
Company History
Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd. was founded in 1988 by Wayne Howell. In the early days, the company was predominantly involved with rock ‘n’ roll and theatre lighting technology. However, Artistic Licence has expanded and diversified to become a strong presence in the architectural and commercial world. Artistic Licence Integration (which is a trading name of Artistic Licence Engineering Ltd) specializes in project integration, while Artistic Licence Engineering drives the product development.
Biography: Wayne Howell, CEO, Artistic Licence
Wayne started out at Avolites, progressing from wireman to product designer. In 1988, he created Artistic Licence as a projects design house. Success came quickly, with end clients ranging from Pink Floyd to The Rolling Stones. From such early project work a product range evolved. In the 1990s, Wayne became involved in the ESTA technical standards programme, and was a major contributor to the development of DMX512-A. When Ethernet arrived on the scene, Wayne was again at the forefront of technology, releasing the royalty-free Art-Net protocol (now supported by 220-plus manufacturers worldwide). Wayne particularly enjoys sharing his technical expertise through writing, having authored various articles and three books (Rock Solid Ethernet, Control Freak and Light Bytes).
Light Bytes: Inside Art-Net and sACN
Written with practicality in mind, Light Bytes provides a much needed technical reference on Art-Net and sACN. Starting with a networking primer, it moves onto the detailed packet structures and definitions used in each protocol. Following the theoretical groundwork, readers are guided through the problems that are often encountered in real-world applications, with tips on how to avoid them. The book strives for a balanced approach, comparing and contrasting Art-Net and sACN, while explaining how each protocol is evolving to meet the needs of a changing marketplace. There is a handy chapter on freely available software diagnostics tools, along with useful code examples for both Art-Net and sACN developers.
Industry recognition and awards
2019 PLASA Product Innovation GOLD Award for sunDial quad
2018 PLASA Product Innovation Award for matisse f6 dmx and matisse d4 dmx
2017 The Gottelier Award for Wayne Howell, Artistic Licence CEO
2016 PLASA Product Innovation Award for Art-Net 4
2015 Lighting Design Awards - Highly Commended workplace project of the year for PNLD Ascot Underwriting project
2013 PLASA Product Innovation Award for eSense
2013 PLASA Product Innovation Honourable Mention for Art-Osc
2006 ESTA Achievement Award for Control Protocols Development
2005 PLASA Product Award for Visual-Patch. A system that uses a camera and Art-Net to automatically patch a lamp array
2004 IALD Award for Excellence - MBLD Finsbury Avenue Square
2003 PLASA Highly Commended Award for Colour-Tramp lighting control system
2002 PLASA Highly Commended Award for the development of Bit Angle Modulation, a drive technique for dimming
2001 PLASA Product Award for Down-Lynx Ethernet to DMX512 interface
2000 EDDY Award for Common-Sense protocol and sensor interface
