diff --git a/bin/dmxserver b/bin/dmxserver
--- a/bin/dmxserver
+++ b/bin/dmxserver
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class XMLRPCServe(xmlrpc.XMLRPC):
         self.calldelay=1/options.updates_per_sec 
 
         print "starting parport connection"
-        self.parportdmx=UsbDMX() #ParportDMX()
+        self.parportdmx = UsbDMX(port=options.dmx_device)
         if os.environ.get('DMXDUMMY',0):
             self.parportdmx.godummy()
         else:
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ parser.add_option("-f","--fast-updates",
                         'of the usual reduced output'))
 parser.add_option("-r","--updates-per-sec",type='float',default=20,
                   help=('dmx output frequency'))
+parser.add_option("-d","--dmx-device", default='/dev/dmx0',
+                  help='dmx device name')
 parser.add_option("-n", "--dummy", action="store_true",
                   help="dummy mode, same as DMXDUMMY=1 env variable")
 (options,songfiles)=parser.parse_args()
diff --git a/light9/io/__init__.py b/light9/io/__init__.py
--- a/light9/io/__init__.py
+++ b/light9/io/__init__.py
@@ -55,9 +55,10 @@ class ParportDMX(BaseIO):
             self.parport.outbyte(levels[p-1]*255 / 100)
 
 class UsbDMX(BaseIO):
-    def __init__(self, dimmers=72):
+    def __init__(self, dimmers=72, port='/dev/dmx0'):
         BaseIO.__init__(self)
         self.__name__ = "UsbDMX"
+        self.port = port
         self.out = None
         self.dimmers = dimmers
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ class UsbDMX(BaseIO):
         if self.out is None:
             sys.path.append("dmx_usb_module")
             from dmx import Dmx
-            self.out = Dmx('/dev/dmx0')
+            self.out = Dmx(self.port)
         return self.out