Show Cue System

Hi,

I've got a zero88 XLS lighting desk that outputs MIDI NRPN messages when it is running. I'm hoping to use it in some way to trigger sound cues. However if I assign a MIDI input device in SCS with the desk running after a few seconds or so SCS crashes with the familiar "send an error report to microsoft" message. The desk is obviously sending something that SCS doesn't like. (If you like I can post a dump of some MIDI output from the desk

I'm not sure that what I'm trying to do will even be possible - MIDI NRPN, for those that don't know, is a way for devices to communicate over MIDI with other devices like themselves, by using the program change message to send parameter values. (more info here: http://www.philrees.co.uk/nrpnq.htm ). In the case of the XLS desk it's designed to control another XLS. If I can work out what parameter corresponds to what on the desk I may be able to make some use of the output.

The other approcah is to use SCS to control the desk. This works, by using note-on and note-off messages I can bring up channels or memories. The only trouble is the XLS doesn't fade them in and out - they just jump to the brightness that you set in the note velocity. What would be really cool is if SCS could allow me to specify and fade in and out time - exactly as it does for sound cues - but for MIDI note-on/off. Any chance of such a feature in a future release?

cheers,

Gordon

I've emailed you regarding the crash, Gordon.

For sending fades to the lighting desk, does the XLS have a timed fade MIDI control message format it will recognise? Otherwise it would be a case of having SCS generate and send multiple MIDI messages as you suggest. I'll consider this in the upgrading of the MIDI Send Cues, which is still on the drawing board.

Thanks for the email Mike, I have replied to you direct.

The XLS doesn't have a fade time that can be controlled via MIDI unfortunately. So as you say it would need SCS (or anything controlling it) to send a series of MIDI messages to effect the fade up. Interestingly enough it does have an automatic fade down time that can be set on it's menu - you can adjust how long something takes to fade to zero once you've sent a note-off message. This doesn't affect the fade up though (A bit strange in my opinion)

Gordon