[In 11.7.0]User choice to monitor all Incoming MIDI messages
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:57 am
Mike, in earlier (much earlier) versions of SCS, incoming MIDI messages were always displayed at the bottom of the control screen. Even when particular MIDI messages were not intended to be acted upon by SCS, the MIDI message still displayed. That always gave me a warm fuzzy that my lighting console was in communication with SCS. However recent versions of SCS have eliminated this default functionality.
I realize I can go into the Editor/Devices/Cue Control/Test Midi Inputs, to verify the connectivity, but that is a one-time, pre-show check. Once a show is started, no further visual displays are available. I've recently had the opportunity to run a dual-laptop SoundFX heavy show, where I ran two laptops running SCS in parallel with a split MIDI signal from my lighting console. It fired SCS cues on both laptops simultaneously so that if one crashed, I could simply switch my audio inputs to the backup. But occasionally, one of the laptops would drop its connection to the lighting console, and I wouldn't know it until the sound didn't play. So, when I switched to the alternate laptop, I wouldn't be 100% confident that it would be ready to go.
What I would like to have is the option to choose to have SCS display ALL incoming MIDI messages at the bottom of the screen again (like it used to do), so that I can be more comfortable that my computers are still connected to my lighting console. By seeing the messages on non-firing cues, I can visually confirm that my computers are still connected.
Ideally, this would simply be a check box in SCS Options, so that users who DON'T want to see the messages can choose not to see them, and those who do, can have it enabled.
I realize I can go into the Editor/Devices/Cue Control/Test Midi Inputs, to verify the connectivity, but that is a one-time, pre-show check. Once a show is started, no further visual displays are available. I've recently had the opportunity to run a dual-laptop SoundFX heavy show, where I ran two laptops running SCS in parallel with a split MIDI signal from my lighting console. It fired SCS cues on both laptops simultaneously so that if one crashed, I could simply switch my audio inputs to the backup. But occasionally, one of the laptops would drop its connection to the lighting console, and I wouldn't know it until the sound didn't play. So, when I switched to the alternate laptop, I wouldn't be 100% confident that it would be ready to go.
What I would like to have is the option to choose to have SCS display ALL incoming MIDI messages at the bottom of the screen again (like it used to do), so that I can be more comfortable that my computers are still connected to my lighting console. By seeing the messages on non-firing cues, I can visually confirm that my computers are still connected.
Ideally, this would simply be a check box in SCS Options, so that users who DON'T want to see the messages can choose not to see them, and those who do, can have it enabled.