MIDI Control of Lightboard

Jesse · Post by **Jesse** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 9:19 am

I just found SCS last night and it looks fantastic for its intended use, but like most users, I have some specialized uses in mind and I'm wondering if the capability is there.

We do a lot of stage dance performances (ballet, modern, jazz) that are done to WAV file playback from my HP laptop using Audobe Audition, output through an Edirol external soundcard (FA-101) which has MIDI out. Our lightboard (Strand 300) has MIDI input for "GO" cues, so I want to use the "sound track" of the dance (the WAV file) to send MIDI signals. Audition cannot generate a MIDI signal so I'm wondering if SCS Pro can do that and, if so, could I place multiple signals at fairly precise locations (+/- sec) within the playback of the cue (the WAV file)?

Being an old fart, all this is pretty new to me so I hope I'm using the right terminology. Any/all suggestions on this topic will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Mike Daniell · Post by **Mike Daniell** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 10:00 am

With SCS-Pro you can setup a MIDI-Send cue which can be auto-activated so many seconds after the start or end of another cue. For example you could set up a MIDI-Send cue to be activated 15.75 seconds after the start of your WAV file cue, then another MIDI-Send cue to be activated 28.00 seconds after the start, and so on.

I'll need to check the MIDI messages that the Strand will recognise, but SCS currently has a good range of message types that you can send, including Note On, Note Off, Control Change and MSC.

When you say 'multiple signals' are you meaning several MIDI messages to be sent together at one point, or just several MIDI messages to be sent at different points during the playback of the WAV file?

Jesse · Post by **Jesse** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 11:06 am

The second. (single sends at different points)

The only problem with the method of timing the MIDI-sends you described is that the accuracy of each one is dependent upon the accuracy of the former ones, but it would be a big improvement and will certainly get us started in this new (to us) area.

Thanks for your quick response and in advance for checking the compatability with the Strand 300.

Jim L. · Post by **Jim L.** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 11:51 am

Accuracy is not a problem. With your Midi Cues as well as your Sound Cues, you can fine tune the play times to the 100th of a second.

Jim

Mike Daniell · Post by **Mike Daniell** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:38 pm

A quick perusal of the StrandLighting web site seems to indicate they use MIDI Note On and Note Off commands, and SCS-Professional supports that.

You can avoid any drift in timing by setting all the MIDI Send cue start times for a WAV file to be relative to the start of the WAV file cue, not relative to the previous MIDI Send cue. How many lighting changes (ie MIDI Send cues) are you planning during a single WAV file?

Jesse · Post by **Jesse** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 2:43 pm

Ahhh, I see. Yes, that should work. The typical dance is maybe five minutes and will have, say, six light changes including BO. Some run as long as 15 or 20 minutes and might have upwards of 20 cues. In an evening, we'll have 10 to 20 dances.

Another question (and this sound strange, but here goes): Can a "cue" on SCS run just the lights (MIDI send) without an accompanying WAV file, at least not at the start? In other words, it's not unusual to have a dance start with some amount of movement in silence, but (obviously) with the lights coming up or changing, and then the music starts. Thanks again.

Mike Daniell · Post by **Mike Daniell** » Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:10 pm

OK, that should be alright. 20 or more cues all 'counting down' at the same time is not something I've tried but it should be OK.

The MIDI-Send cues can function entirely on their own - they don't need a WAV file. You could, for example, start a dance with a manually-started MIDI-Send, then have a few more MIDI-Sends auto-starting at various intervals after that, and then have an audio file auto-starting some time after that, then more MIDI-Sends, and so on.

If you want BO at the end of the audio file you can set your BO MIDI-Send to auto-start 0.00 seconds after the end of the audio file cue. You may have to set an end point for the audio cue to end the cue at the end of the audio if the file has some silence at the end. If you want your BO to occur slightly before the end then you will have to set the auto-start relative to the start of the audio cue (or realtive to some other cue).

richard_cooper · Post by **richard_cooper** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 11:19 pm

A quick perusal of the StrandLighting web site seems to indicate they use MIDI Note On and Note Off commands, and SCS-Professional supports that.

Strand 500/300 also support Midi Show Control, so you can easily send a go cue x command. I use this all the time with a 520i so ask if you need any help.

EDIT: SCS works well, however there are a couple of important things to set up in GeniusPRO to make midi show control work on it's end. There are also a few potential gotcha's when doing things like firing macros via MSC because of the way some parts of GeniusPro are tied to the command line.

Jesse · Post by **Jesse** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:08 am

Richard,

You are my new best friend! I will definitely need some help as soon as I get the money (departmental) together to purchase SCS and get the time to pursue this. (Dance production opening Friday, you know the rest.) Thanks offering your expertise and I will be back in touch.

Gordon Jesse

richard_cooper · Post by **richard_cooper** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:39 pm

Ask away. I just had a bit of a look back at 300 series consoles, mine are 500s, and it appears that the midi board is optional on the 300s. Just thought I'd mention it incase yours does not have it.

Jesse · Post by **Jesse** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:46 am

The CPU has MIDI connections on the back and I was told that means we have the MIDI card, so I think we are OK in that regard. Is that your understanding and is there anything else (aside from cables, MIDI sound card for the computer, etc.) that we will need? Any special Strand software for the 300, for example? Thanks again.

Mike, as part of this will have only to do with the Strand control boards, should we take that part to email or whatever? I don't know what is etiquette and I don't want to take up your space for that which is only marginally related to SCS.

Mike Daniell · Post by **Mike Daniell** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:57 am

I'd be happy to keep this in the forum as the info could be of use to others, and also gives opportunity for others to reply.

richard_cooper · Post by **richard_cooper** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:58 am

The strand data sheets show the midi ports as optional and list a MIDI/SMTPE board as an optional extra, so the fact that you have midi ports I would have thought meant you were good to go.