Cool stuff. I've got the same hobby / part-time job (mostly on GrandMA consoles). I have done two-three experiments on custom software to emit DMX which I used for something like four events. For the physical interface I'm relying on MIDI controllers; I first want a software stack I can trust before going into hardware design.

Would love to discuss the topic some more! I don't often meet people with that same interest in lighting that want to build their own tools.