ENTTEC Wings with 3rd party software

[discodespot]

I'm looking into buying a new control system and I noticed that enttec has very cheap playback and programming wings which they say can be used with other 3rd party pc-based controllers. I was wondering if anyone out there has had any success with this and if so with what software.

 

Thanks,

 

Kurt

[peter]

Hi Kurt

 

We're using the wings very successfully with LightFactory - the Playback and Program wings are now available from Cooper Controls (Zero 88) together with LightFactory itself.

 

Please let me know if you'd like more information,

 

Regards,

 

 

Peter

[mac.calder]

And Peter - the Enttec wings are designed for Lightfactory - I believe Enttec developed one part of the system alongside Cooper Controls (from memory, hardware is Enttec, and software was CC) - Enttec just call it "Enttec Lightfactory" on their website - so that would make LF 'non-3rd party' software :D

 

AFAIK though, the wings communicate with TCP/IP and the API is public, so it would not surprise me if a number of software-only offerings contained support... those with their own wings may not though. Since it is a rather specific thing that would need to be written in, your best bet would be to talk to the people who wrote the software to see if they have support for the wings.

[peter]

And Peter - the Enttec wings are designed for Lightfactory - I believe Enttec developed one part of the system alongside Cooper Controls (from memory, hardware is Enttec, and software was CC) - Enttec just call it "Enttec Lightfactory" on their website - so that would make LF 'non-3rd party' software :D

Enttec are a distributor of LightFactory and developed the wings for their own use - we are now selling them through Cooper Controls to give other LightFactory users access to the hardware interfaces. FYI LightFactory is developed by Dream Solutions Ltd in New Zealand and distributed globally by Cooper Controls.

 

AFAIK though, the wings communicate with TCP/IP and the API is public, so it would not surprise me if a number of software-only offerings contained support... those with their own wings may not though. Since it is a rather specific thing that would need to be written in, your best bet would be to talk to the people who wrote the software to see if they have support for the wings.

The API isn't published but is available from Enttec to interested parties. I believe a number of software packages are in discussions with Enttec about their use, however as you say, the wings were designed for LightFactory, the buttons and labels are layed out to make sense with that package.

 

I hope this helps clear things up.

[mac.calder]

The API isn't published but is available from Enttec to interested parties. I believe a number of software packages are in discussions with Enttec about their use, however as you say, the wings were designed for LightFactory, the buttons and labels are layed out to make sense with that package.

 

The API - straight from the website - it is not the most comprehensively documented piece of work, but a determined developer could very easily use it to write application support.

[discodespot]

Thanks guys,

 

That pretty much clears it up for me. I was just wondering if anyone had written any kind of patch for support any of the major PC Based systems. It seems like doing it myself would be as hard as developing support for any USB midi contoller, And cost a lot more.

[Jeremy Kumin]

Thanks guys,

 

That pretty much clears it up for me. I was just wondering if anyone had written any kind of patch for support any of the major PC Based systems. It seems like doing it myself would be as hard as developing support for any USB midi contoller, And cost a lot more.

 

The landscape has changed a little bit in the last few weeks. Enttec created the wings with LightFactory in mind, it's true. And I personally wouldn't recommend anything else as *superior* to LF, it's my complete favorite as a designer/programmer right now, which predates my working for Enttec, so the bias may or not be a factor here.

 

But if you have your heart set on working with other software, Enttec has now placed on its website MIDIwing, a utility (currently in beta but that won't be for long) that allows you to skip working with the API for the wings and go straight into another console/program if that thing understands MIDI notes. As an example, I have just been demonstrating at the USITT Stage Expo in the US an application of MIDIwing configured to talk to Hog2PC. With the Playback and Program Wings (Cooper's or Enttec's, it wouldn't matter really) you can get all the named button functions of the Hog II faceplate, and faders and encoders... it's really quite a complete port, if you ask me.

 

Check out the photo currently up on http://isquint.net/

 

Other configs for different desks should follow, but the clever user is able to take the manual from whichever one you like, and figure out what MIDI notes you need to send to what functions. The rest is easy.

 

More info here:

http://www.enttec.com/index.php?main_menu=...=enttecmidiwing

 

 

(Disclaimer: I have a vested interest in this product and you should employ whatever skeptical filters you feel are apropriate on claims made, but trying it for yourself is probably wisest.)

 

Jeremy

[Aaron-Hill07]

Does anybody know if the Enttec Wings work with Daslight? might be interested in buying one!

[Jeremy Kumin]

Does anybody know if the Enttec Wings work with Daslight? might be interested in buying one!

 

Aaron,

 

With the disclaimer that it's been some time since I downloaded and tried any of the Sunlite/DASLight/DMXsoft family of products, my understanding is that they accept MIDI notes as input. If this is the case, then yes, it would be a good match. One of Enttec's dealers who also sells Sunlite very frequently gave me the impression that he is going to make a killing on Enttec wings now that they have this capability, so it's not just me thinking this.

 

If you want help in configuring the Enttec Wing and MIDIwing program, I'm available to give you a hand, also. Making the maps between the wings and the programs people will use them with is my personal project.

 

Thanks,