If you’re reading this, chances are you work in the live events, theater, or architectural lighting space—you know the kind of chaos that comes with setting up gear for a show, conference, or permanent installation. Last month, I got a frantic call from a regular client of mine, a production manager who had just wrapped up a 3-day festival. He told me half his DMX splitters were dead before he even loaded them into his van at the end. One had a corroded power port, another had a cracked casing from being stuffed into a too-tight equipment case, and the third wouldn’t output any signal at all because a few DMX pins were bent. DMX Splitter
This isn’t an isolated incident. As someone who’s been selling DMX splitters for over a decade now— I’m the guy you call when you need 8-channel splitters for Broadway tours or compact units for small pop-up events— I’ve seen way too many splitters get written off prematurely because of bad storage habits. A DMX splitter might look like a hunk of metal and plastic, but it’s a precision piece of gear. Its job is to take the weak DMX signal from a controller, amplify it, and send it to dozens of fixtures without dropouts or flicker. Skimp on storage, and you’re not just risking the splitter itself—you’re risking an entire show, event, or project.
Today, I want to walk you through exactly how to store a DMX splitter properly. These aren’t just random tips I picked up; they’re lessons I’ve learned from years of working with lighting teams, fixing broken gear, and refining our products to hold up to the abuse the industry throws at them.
First, let’s talk about the biggest enemy of any electronic lighting gear: environmental damage. DMX splitters are designed to work in a range of temperatures and humidity levels, but when they’re not in use, that range narrows fast. I’ve seen splitters left in the bed of a work truck during a summer shoot where temperatures hit 110°F, only to have their internal power supplies fry a week later when they were stored in a cold, damp warehouse over the winter. Or worse, left in a venue’s unairconditioned storage closet during a rainy season, where condensation seeped into the ports and shorted out the circuit boards.
The sweet spot for storing DMX splitters is a dry, temperature-controlled space. That means keeping the area between 50°F and 77°F (10°C to 25°C) with a humidity level of 40% to 60%. No basements, no attics, no van trunks left parked in the sun—those spaces swing wildly in temperature and trap moisture. If you don’t have a dedicated climate-controlled storage area, here’s a quick hack I recommend to our clients: keep a few desiccant packs (the kind you get in new electronics packaging) in each equipment case or storage bin with your splitters. They’ll absorb excess moisture and prevent condensation buildup. For clients who work in especially humid climates, we even sell moisture-resistant storage bags for our splitters—they’re lightweight, tear-proof, and have a small vent that lets air circulate while keeping out humidity and dust.
Next up, handling and protection during storage. This is the part where most people cut corners. When a show ends, everyone’s in a hurry to pack up and move to the next venue. Splitters get tossed into cases with cables, stands, and fixtures, their ports exposed to whatever sharp edges or heavy cables are laying around. Let’s go back to that 8-channel splitter that died on my client last month—it had a bent DMX data pin that was caused by a coiled XLR cable being slammed into the port while the splitter was stuck under a stack of par cans. A bent pin doesn’t just look bad; it can ruin an entire DMX universe because it interrupts the signal.
The fix here is simple, but it requires a little extra attention during packing. Every DMX splitter we sell comes with protective rubber caps for all its ports—we don’t skimp on these because we know how important they are. The first rule: always put those caps back on before you stow the splitter away. The caps are made of thick, flexible rubber that will absorb impact and keep dust, dirt, and moisture out of the pins. Don’t just leave the ports open—even a small speck of dirt can cause signal interference when you go to use the splitter next.
Then, don’t stack heavy gear on top of your splitters. That 200-pound lighting truss section you’re bringing back from a tour? Put it on its own shelf or at the bottom of your equipment case, not on top of a bin of small splitters. Our splitters are built with durable aluminum casings, but they’re not indestructible. A heavy object pressing down on the casing can crack the circuit board inside or warp the metal frame, which will throw off the signal amplification when you power it up. If you’re storing splitters loose, not in cases, keep them separated—never stack them directly on top of each other without a layer of padding in between. A folded towel or a piece of foam works perfectly here.
Cable management might seem like it has nothing to do with storing the splitter, but it’s a huge part of keeping the splitter in good shape. When you pack a splitter, you’ll have power cables and DMX cables attached to it. If you just coil those cables up and yank them off the splitter, you risk pulling the ports loose from the circuit board over time. Instead, disconnect all cables gently, and don’t leave cables coiled tight around the splitter while it’s in storage. Tight coils can put constant stress on the port connections, leading to broken wires or loose pins over months of storage. I teach our clients to bundle loose cables with soft velcro straps (never metal twist ties—those can scratch the casing and leave sharp edges that damage gear) and store them separately from the splitters. If you have to leave a cable attached for a temporary storage period, make sure it’s not stretched tight or bent at a sharp 90-degree angle—sharp bends can damage the internal wire insulation and cause signal drops later.
Wait, what about power? If you leave a DMX splitter plugged into power 24/7 in storage, is that a bad thing? A lot of people ask me this, and the short answer is: it depends. Our splitters are designed with built-in surge protection and power regulation, so a small amount of trickle power won’t hurt them. But if you’re storing splitters for weeks or months, leaving them plugged into an unregulated power source (like an old outlet with frequent voltage spikes) can shorten their lifespan. I recommend two options: if you’re storing splitters short-term (under a month), it’s fine to leave them unplugged, but if you want to be extra cautious, plug them into a surge protector. If you’re storing them long-term (more than a month), definitely unplug them from power. Constant power flow, even low-level, can degrade internal components like capacitors over time. If you’re worried about keeping them ready to go for a quick callout, test them once every 3 months: plug them in, run a quick signal test with a simple controller, and check that all channels are outputting correctly. It only takes 5 minutes, and it can save you from a disaster when you need gear in a pinch.
Another point that’s often overlooked: labeling and organization. I can’t tell you how many times a client has called me saying they have 10 splitters in storage, but they have no idea which ones are 4-channel, which are 8-channel, or which have been tested recently. When you store splitters without labeling them, you end up digging through a pile of gear, wasting time looking for the right one, and possibly tossing a broken one with a good one because you can’t tell them apart. We always include blank labels with our splitters, and I tell every customer to use them. Label each splitter with its model number (for example, “DS-8: 8-channel DMX splitter”), its last calibration date (if you calibrate them periodically, which we recommend every 2 years), and any notes about its performance (like “works best for outdoor use” or “minor signal drop on long runs”). When you put them away, group like splitters together—all small 4-channel units in one bin, all high-output 8-channel units in another. That way, when a show comes up, you can grab exactly what you need in 2 minutes instead of 20.
I also want to address a common misconception: some people think “industrial-grade” splitters don’t need proper storage. We build our splitters to handle rough use on tour, in venues, and in construction sites, but that doesn’t mean they’re unbreakable. Even the most durable circuit boards will fail prematurely if they’re stored in damp, cold spaces with heavy objects stacked on them. Last year, a client of ours rented 12 splitters for a permanent architectural lighting project for a mall. They stored them in a back closet during the 3-month build, and when they went to install them, half wouldn’t output signal because the circuit boards had corroded from the mall’s high humidity. We replaced them, but it cost the client thousands in extra labor and delayed the project. That could’ve been avoided with a simple desiccant pack and a well-ventilated storage shelf.
Let’s wrap this up with a quick checklist you can print out and tape to your equipment room wall, so you never forget the steps:
- Store in a dry, temperature-controlled space (50-77°F, 40-60% humidity). No vans, basements, or attics.
- Always put rubber port caps back on before storage to protect pins and ports.
- Never stack heavy gear on top of splitters; separate them with foam or towels if stacked.
- Disconnect all cables, bundle with velcro, and store cables separately from splitters.
- Unplug from power for long-term storage (over 1 month); test every 3 months if stored for extended periods.
- Label each splitter clearly and group like units together for easy organization.
At the end of the day, DMX splitters are workhorses for your events. Taking 5 extra minutes to pack them correctly and store them the right way will extend their lifespan, save you money on replacements, and keep you from the panic of a gear failure mid-show. We’ve been making DMX splitters for all types of applications—from small theater productions to large stadium tours—and we stand behind every unit we sell. If you have questions about which splitter is right for your storage setup, if you need bulk units for your upcoming projects, or if you want advice on maintaining your gear, don’t hesitate to reach out for a conversation about your specific needs. Your events deserve reliable gear, and we’re here to help make sure that’s what you have.
LED Follow Spot Light References:
- "Lighting Equipment Storage Best Practices," Live Sound International, 2022
- "DMX Signal Integrity and Hardware Maintenance," Stage Directions Magazine, 2021
- "Environmental Guidelines for Electronic Audio/Visual Gear," Audio Engineering Society, 2020
Guangdong New Start Lighting Co., Ltd.
Guangdong New Start Lighting Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional dmx splitter manufacturers and suppliers in China. Welcome to wholesale durable dmx splitter in stock here and get quotation from our factory. All customized products are with high quality and competitive price.
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