diff --git a/src/heronarts/lx/LXBuffer16.java b/src/heronarts/lx/LXBuffer16.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa28a71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/heronarts/lx/LXBuffer16.java
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+package heronarts.lx;
+
+public interface LXBuffer16 {
+    public long[] getArray();
+}
diff --git a/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayer.java b/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayer.java
index 165b886..ad3a039 100644
--- a/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayer.java
+++ b/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayer.java
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ protected LXLayer(LX lx) {
     super(lx);
   }
 
-  protected LXLayer(LX lx, LXDeviceComponent buffer) {
-    super(lx, buffer);
+  protected LXLayer(LX lx, LXDeviceComponent component) {
+    super(lx, component);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayeredComponent.java b/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayeredComponent.java
index d37d123..39d6cb3 100644
--- a/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayeredComponent.java
+++ b/src/heronarts/lx/LXLayeredComponent.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 package heronarts.lx;
 
 import heronarts.lx.color.LXColor;
+import heronarts.lx.color.LXColor16;
 import heronarts.lx.color.LXPalette;
 import heronarts.lx.model.LXFixture;
 import heronarts.lx.model.LXPoint;
@@ -30,24 +31,73 @@
 import java.util.List;
 
 /**
- * Base class for system components that run in the engine, which have common
- * attributes, such as parameters, modulators, and layers. For instance,
- * patterns, transitions, and effects are all LXComponents.
+ * Base class for system components that have a color buffer and run in the
+ * engine, with common attributes such as parameters, modulators, and layers.
+ * For instance, patterns, transitions, and effects are all LXLayeredComponents.
+ * Subclasses do their work mainly by implementing onLoop() to write into the
+ * color buffer.
+ *
+ * LXLayeredComponents have both an 8-bit color buffer (buffer) and a 16-bit
+ * color buffer (buffer16).  In subclasses marked with LXLayeredComponent.Uses16,
+ * onLoop() should internally write only to the 16-bit buffer (whose contents
+ * will be automatically converted to 8-bit colors as needed).  In subclasses
+ * not marked with Uses16, onLoop() should write only to the 8-bit buffer
+ * (whose contents will be automatically converted to 16-bit colors as needed).
+ *
+ * LXLayeredComponent subclasses can be marked as LXLayeredComponent.Buffered
+ * (which means they own their own buffers), or not (which means they operate
+ * on external buffers passed in via setBuffer()).
+ *
+ * For subclasses marked Buffered:
+ *     Internal API:
+ *         The implementation of onLoop() should write colors into the
+ *         appropriate buffer (buffer16/colors16 for a Uses16 class, or
+ *         buffer/colors otherwise).
+ *     External API:
+ *         getBuffer() returns the 8-bit colors (converting from 16 bits if needed).
+ *         getBuffer16() returns the 16-bit colors (converting from 8 bits if needed).
+ *         setBuffer() and setBuffer16() are illegal to call.
+ *
+ * For subclasses not marked Buffered:
+ *     Internal API:
+ *         The implementation of onLoop() should read and write the contents
+ *         of the appropriate buffer (buffer16/colors16 for a Uses16 class,
+ *         or buffer/colors otherwise).
+ *     External API:
+ *         getBuffer() and getBuffer16() are the same as above.
+ *         setBuffer() takes an 8-bit LXBuffer and makes it the place where
+ *             onLoop()'s results will appear (in a Uses16 class, its contents
+ *             will be converted to 16 bits before onLoop() and then back to
+ *             8 bits after; in a non-Uses16 class no conversion is needed).
+ *         setBuffer16() takes a 16-bit LXBuffer16 and makes it the place where
+ *             onLoop()'s results will appear (in a non-Uses16 class, its
+ *             contents will be converted to 8 bits before onLoop() and then
+ *             back to 16 bits after; in a Uses16 class no conversion is needed).
  */
 public abstract class LXLayeredComponent extends LXModelComponent implements LXLoopTask {
+  /** Marker interface for subclasses that work on the 16-bit buffer (buffer16). */
+  public interface Uses16 {}
 
-  /**
-   * Marker interface for instances which own their own buffer.
-   */
+  /** Marker interface for subclasses that want to own their own buffers. */
   public interface Buffered {}
 
   public final Timer timer = constructTimer();
-
   protected final LX lx;
 
-  private LXBuffer buffer = null;
+  // In a Uses16 class, buffer is nullable and buffer16 is non-nullable.
+  // In a non-Uses16 class, buffer is non-nullable and buffer16 is nullable.
+  private LXBuffer buffer = null;  // 8-bit color buffer
+  private LXBuffer16 buffer16 = null;  // 16-bit color buffer
 
+  // These can be used as convenient aliases for buffer.getArray() and buffer16.getArray()
+  // in subclass implementations of onLoop() and run().
   protected int[] colors = null;
+  protected long[] colors16 = null;
+
+  // This tracks whether buffer and buffer16 have matching data, to avoid
+  // unnecessarily repeating a data conversion.  Subclasses should never
+  // modify buffers outside of the abstract methods onLoop() and afterLayers().
+  private boolean buffersInSync = false;
 
   private final List<LXLayer> mutableLayers = new ArrayList<LXLayer>();
   protected final List<LXLayer> layers = Collections.unmodifiableList(mutableLayers);
@@ -55,47 +105,93 @@ public interface Buffered {}
   protected final LXPalette palette;
 
   protected LXLayeredComponent(LX lx) {
-    this(lx, (LXBuffer) null);
+    super(lx);
+    this.lx = lx;
+    palette = lx.palette;
+    if (this instanceof Buffered) {
+      if (this instanceof Uses16) {
+        buffer16 = new ModelBuffer16(lx);
+        colors16 = buffer16.getArray();
+      } else {
+        buffer = new ModelBuffer(lx);
+        colors = buffer.getArray();
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   protected LXLayeredComponent(LX lx, LXDeviceComponent component) {
-    this(lx, component.getBuffer());
+    this(lx);
+    setBuffer(component);
   }
 
-  protected LXLayeredComponent(LX lx, LXBuffer buffer) {
-    super(lx);
-    if (this instanceof Buffered) {
-      if (buffer != null) {
-        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot pass existing buffer to LXLayeredComponent.Buffered, has its own");
-      }
-      buffer = new ModelBuffer(lx);
-    }
-    this.lx = lx;
-    this.palette = lx.palette;
-    if (buffer != null) {
-      this.buffer = buffer;
-      this.colors = buffer.getArray();
-    }
+  protected LXLayeredComponent(LX lx, LXBuffer externalBuffer) {
+    this(lx);
+    setBuffer(externalBuffer);
   }
 
+  protected LXLayeredComponent(LX lx, LXBuffer16 externalBuffer16) {
+    this(lx);
+    setBuffer16(externalBuffer16);
+  }
+
+  /** Gets the 8-bit color buffer (performing conversions if necessary). */
   protected LXBuffer getBuffer() {
-    return this.buffer;
+    if (this instanceof Uses16) {
+      syncBufferFromBuffer16();
+    }
+    return buffer;
   }
 
+  /** Gets the 16-bit color buffer (performing conversions if necessary). */
+  protected LXBuffer16 getBuffer16() {
+    if (!(this instanceof Uses16)) {
+      syncBuffer16FromBuffer();
+    }
+    return buffer16;
+  }
+
+  /** Gets the array from the 8-bit color buffer (performing conversions if necessary). */
   public int[] getColors() {
     return getBuffer().getArray();
   }
 
+  /** Gets the array from the 16-bit color buffer (performing conversions if necessary). */
+  public long[] getColors16() {
+    return getBuffer16().getArray();
+  }
+
+  /** Sets the buffer of another component as the buffer to read from and write to. */
   protected LXLayeredComponent setBuffer(LXDeviceComponent component) {
+    if (component instanceof Uses16) {
+      return setBuffer16(component.getBuffer16());
+    } else {
+      return setBuffer(component.getBuffer());
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Sets an external 8-bit color buffer as the buffer to read from and write to. */
+  protected LXLayeredComponent setBuffer(LXBuffer externalBuffer) {
     if (this instanceof Buffered) {
-      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Cannot setBuffer on LXLayerdComponent.Buffered, owns its own buffer");
+      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Cannot setBuffer on a LXLayeredComponent.Buffered, owns its own buffer");
     }
-    return setBuffer(component.getBuffer());
+    buffer = externalBuffer;
+    colors = externalBuffer.getArray();
+    if (this instanceof Uses16) {
+      syncBuffer16FromBuffer();  // make data visible to a 16-bit onLoop
+    }
+    return this;
   }
 
-  protected LXLayeredComponent setBuffer(LXBuffer buffer) {
-    this.buffer = buffer;
-    this.colors = buffer.getArray();
+  /** Sets an external 16-bit color buffer as the buffer to read from and write to. */
+  protected LXLayeredComponent setBuffer16(LXBuffer16 externalBuffer16) {
+    if (this instanceof Buffered) {
+      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Cannot setBuffer on a LXLayeredComponent.Buffered, owns its own buffer");
+    }
+    buffer16 = externalBuffer16;
+    colors16 = externalBuffer16.getArray();
+    if (!(this instanceof Uses16)) {
+      syncBufferFromBuffer16();  // make data visible to an 8-bit onLoop
+    }
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -107,12 +203,19 @@ public void loop(double deltaMs) {
     // reference. Even if a doofus assigns colors to something else, we'll reset it
     // here on each pass of the loop. Better than subclasses having to call getColors()
     // all the time.
-    this.colors = this.buffer.getArray();
+    colors = buffer != null ? buffer.getArray() : null;
+    colors16 = buffer16 != null ? buffer16.getArray() : null;
 
     super.loop(deltaMs);
     onLoop(deltaMs);
+    buffersInSync = false;
+
     for (LXLayer layer : this.mutableLayers) {
-      layer.setBuffer(this.buffer);
+      if (this instanceof Uses16) {
+        layer.setBuffer16(buffer16);
+      } else {
+        layer.setBuffer(buffer);
+      }
 
       // TODO(mcslee): is this best here or should it be in addLayer?
       layer.setModel(this.model);
@@ -120,6 +223,18 @@ public void loop(double deltaMs) {
       layer.loop(deltaMs);
     }
     afterLayers(deltaMs);
+    buffersInSync = false;
+
+    if (!(this instanceof Buffered)) {
+      // The buffers are external; we need to make the output from onLoop() and
+      // afterLayers() visible in the external buffers, converting if needed.
+      if (this instanceof Uses16 && buffer != null) {
+        syncBufferFromBuffer16();
+      }
+      if (!(this instanceof Uses16) && buffer16 != null) {
+        syncBuffer16FromBuffer();
+      }
+    }
 
     this.timer.loopNanos = System.nanoTime() - loopStart;
   }
@@ -156,6 +271,52 @@ public void dispose() {
     super.dispose();
   }
 
+  /** Ensures that buffer contains a copy of buffer16's contents. */
+  protected void syncBufferFromBuffer16() {
+    if (buffer == null) {
+      buffer = new ModelBuffer(lx);
+    }
+    if (!buffersInSync) {
+      LXColor16.longsToInts(buffer16.getArray(), buffer.getArray());
+      buffersInSync = true;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Ensures that buffer16 contains a copy of buffer's contents. */
+  protected void syncBuffer16FromBuffer() {
+    if (buffer16 == null) {
+      buffer16 = new ModelBuffer16(lx);
+    }
+    if (!buffersInSync) {
+      LXColor.intsToLongs(buffer.getArray(), buffer16.getArray());
+      buffersInSync = true;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // NOTE(ping): Most of the utility routines below are rarely used,
+  // and rarely or never chained.  We won't reimplement them all for
+  // 16-bit color, just setColor and setColors.
+
+  /** Sets the 16-bit color of a single point. */
+  protected void setColor16(int i, long c) {
+    colors16[i] = c;
+  }
+
+  /** Sets the 16-bit color of all points. */
+  protected void setColors16(int c) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < colors16.length; i++) {
+      colors16[i] = c;
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Sets the 16-bit color of all points in a fixture. */
+  protected void setColor16(LXFixture f, long c) {
+    for (LXPoint p : f.getPoints()) {
+      colors16[p.index] = c;
+    }
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * Sets the color of point i
    *
diff --git a/src/heronarts/lx/ModelBuffer16.java b/src/heronarts/lx/ModelBuffer16.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd83210
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/heronarts/lx/ModelBuffer16.java
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+package heronarts.lx;
+
+import heronarts.lx.model.LXModel;
+
+public class ModelBuffer16 implements LXBuffer16 {
+    private long[] array;
+
+    public ModelBuffer16(LX lx) {
+        initArray(lx.model);
+
+        lx.addListener(new LX.Listener() {
+            @Override
+            public void modelChanged(LX lx, LXModel model) {
+                initArray(model);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    private void initArray(LXModel model) {
+        this.array = new long[model.size];  // initialized to 0 by Java
+    }
+
+    public long[] getArray() {
+        return this.array;
+    }
+}