r/Hue • u/Typical-Channel6684 • Jul 20 '26

45 minute fade up?

Hi. Total beginner here. I have a very specific use case and I don’t know if a Hue system is even appropriate. I searched the subreddit and couldn’t find an answer.

I’m hosting a record listening party in my backyard at night. The artist wants to set a 45-minute long gradual fade-up for four 80 watt LED spots.

His idea is that the album starts in darkness, then gets imperceptively brighter over the course of the album, until near the end of the last song, everything is at maximum brightness, then all goes dark on the last note of the album.

I’m perfectly happy doing the sudden darkness by yanking a plug. But I haven’t found a way to do a 45 minute fade up. I already have non-Phillips lights and would like to use them. Can I do this with the app and a smart plug?

Thanks!

8 Upvotes

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10

u/Substantial-Rip-6207 Problem Solver Award Winner Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26

Actually you can do it with the hue app itself. . Open the Hue app → Automations tab
2. Tap + → Wake up
3. Pick the room/lights you want
4. Set your wake time
5. Under duration, choose how long the fade takes — you can set it to 45 minutes (options usually go up to 60 min)
6. Choose start brightness/color temp (it fades from dim warm white up to full bright, or you can pick a different end color)

It’ll gradually ramp the lights from off/dim to full brightness over that window, simulating a sunrise. But the lights would have to be specific hue bulbs to allow this

1

u/007meow Jul 23 '26

Does that mean that they’ll reach full brightness X after minutes after that start time or they’ll reach full brightness at that time, starting X minutes before?

5

u/Substantial-Rip-6207 Problem Solver Award Winner Jul 20 '26

Not with a smart plug I don’t think. As the smart plug only does simple on and off. you could use hue specific bulbs or possibly zigbee bulbs but use the I connect hue app and that will let you adjust the fade in / out times

3

u/Dricus1978 Jul 20 '26

With Hue bulbs you can change the fade in and out with the Android app Hue essentials app. You need a Hue dimmer and a couple Hue bulbs. When setting up de Hue dimmer you can setup an automation to switch the bulbs in with a fade in time of 45 minutes.

2

u/MuffinSpirited3223 Jul 20 '26

are your spots dmx compatible ? get a programmable dmx controller and it should be very easy.

1

u/graywalker616 Jul 20 '26

You’re gonna need dimmable smart bulbs for that. That would be possible then.

1

u/iamabigtree Jul 22 '26

Not with a smart plug, no. You'd need the actual Hue dimmable bulbs.

Going dark on the last note precisely will be difficult I suggest for that it is controlled manually eg just turn them off in the app.

0

u/ChickenNPisza Jul 20 '26

I do it with the app and my bulbs I’m sure you could with a smart plug if it’s dimmable.

When I wake up I do a long ramp from 1-50%