geez, you guys bitch waaaaaaaaay too much about this stuff. I run sound, lights, play bass AND cover vocals FROM THE STAGE AS A "PERFORMING" musician! Get a freakin' footpedal, program your shows with a stop watch in hand or learn the math to coordinate the lights to the rest of your MIDI sequences and shut the hell up! You sound like a bunch of 12 year olds trying to figure out the Commodore 64... damn, I'm old...
In order to get the most out of MyDMX, you have to think outside the box. You have to find ways to get the effect/scene/show you want by "fooling" the software into doing things it wasn't designed for. If you've already got the sequences programmed and the timing is right, all you need is a one note trigger to get MyDMX to start. The rest is up to your own ability to program accordingly. YES! You'll have to use a second PC to run the lights, but I've built small systems capable of this for less than $300 in a rack mount. I've now built 7 systems for clubs and other bands using this very method. Every one of those customers has been amazed at what this package can do for the price.
Sure glad I'm not an admin on this forum. I'd probably get in trouble for talking like this... oh well, just my humble opinion.
So what if you have 18 more steps to get what you want... at least you didn't spend $4000 and 6 weeks learning to program a few par cans and movers...
I use a Behringer FCB1010 and an Edirol/Roland USB/MIDI cable. I have 3 different light shows I use on stage depending upon which size venue I'm in. I've built all of my regular stages in the 3D visualizer and built shows from that. On average, I use 30 scenes, 24 effects, and at least 10 static washes. On stage I do the same pedal dance as any guitar player that loves his effect pedals. It's so simple I've handed to footpedal to other band members and let them run the show just for fun. It can't get any easier than that, regardless of what your technical ability is.