Lighting sync to MIDI

[livesoundproduction]

Hi There,

 

One of the muso's I do sound for has been trying to find a way of synchronising his pre-programmed light show to a MIDI timecode without using a laptop.

Being a sound man and not so switched on when it comes to lights (see what I did there?), I was wondering if anyone knows of a solution. It ma be that the signal needs to be converted to some other type, but this is just something I am not familiar with. Suggestions??

:blink:

[Guest lightnix]

This question has come up a few times recently and generated some useful replies.

 

Have a dig with the Search function and see if anything useful comes up.

 

Sorry not to have a direct answer - hope this is of some help :blink:

[neilalexrose]

One of the muso's I do sound for has been trying to find a way of synchronising his pre-programmed light show to a MIDI timecode without using a laptop.

 

What control device does he use to control his lights, hardware lighting desk, or software control? It may be that his existing control will accept midi messages (note on/off programme changes etc).

 

Also what is his source of midi messages/timecode? Is it a hardware player which transmits midi whilst playing backing tracks? And without wishing to be rude, is it actually midi timecode that is the trigger, or is it just midi messages?

 

My knowledge of midi control doesn't extend as far as midi timecode, and I have a feeling that you need a fairly sophisticated lighting control surface to decode midi timecode (I'm willing to be corrected though). Midi note messages and programme changes however are quite widely supported, even in some of the budget consoles.

There was a topic recently here about a guy who had bought a midi footpedal, and was trying to get it to work with his lighting controller. We worked out that the midi footpedal was transmitting the wrong messages for his controller to understand and fire his playbacks.

 

Could you elaborate further on what equipment he is using at the moment, and we offer further help.

 

Neil

[livesoundproduction]

One of the muso's I do sound for has been trying to find a way of synchronising his pre-programmed light show to a MIDI timecode without using a laptop.

 

What control device does he use to control his lights, hardware lighting desk, or software control? It may be that his existing control will accept midi messages (note on/off programme changes etc).

 

Also what is his source of midi messages/timecode? Is it a hardware player which transmits midi whilst playing backing tracks? And without wishing to be rude, is it actually midi timecode that is the trigger, or is it just midi messages?

 

My knowledge of midi control doesn't extend as far as midi timecode, and I have a feeling that you need a fairly sophisticated lighting control surface to decode midi timecode (I'm willing to be corrected though). Midi note messages and programme changes however are quite widely supported, even in some of the budget consoles.

There was a topic recently here about a guy who had bought a midi footpedal, and was trying to get it to work with his lighting controller. We worked out that the midi footpedal was transmitting the wrong messages for his controller to understand and fire his playbacks.

 

Could you elaborate further on what equipment he is using at the moment, and we offer further help.

 

Neil

 

Hi, sorry for the delay in getting back, and thanks or the reply...

 

I need to find out what desk he is using, but he told me that it has a 'built-in' MIDI receiver that is more for show as it doesn't actually work.

Whether he is using midi timecode or messages to trigger the lights, I will find out. I do know that the timecode/message is taken from backing tracks played during performances.

 

Watch this space, I am going to go to him with what you have written and if it aint too much trouble, pm you with all the info. If you dont mind, that is?

 

Many thanks,

 

Jon :blink:

[neilalexrose]

I need to find out what desk he is using, but he told me that it has a 'built-in' MIDI receiver that is more for show as it doesn't actually work.

Whether he is using midi timecode or messages to trigger the lights, I will find out. I do know that the timecode/message is taken from backing tracks played during performances.

 

I suspect that 'the controller doesn't work' because it's not being fed the correct messages that it knows how to respond to. If you find out the make and model of the desk, and find a manual (online or hard copy) then if there is midi support, it should give you a list of what midi message does what. (e.g. midi note on fires a scene, midi note off turns the scene off.)

If the track source can play back a midi track at the same time as audio, then it should be a case of recording a midi track with the required midi messages at the required points (e.g. 'midi note 1 on' fires scene on at the start of the song, 'note 1 off' and 'note 2 on' at the start of the verse etc etc etc.).

 

If it is timecode, then it's probably best to post back, as I really haven't encountered this in my working life as yet.

 

Check out MIDI in the wiki for a little more information.

 

 

Neil

[livesoundproduction]

I need to find out what desk he is using, but he told me that it has a 'built-in' MIDI receiver that is more for show as it doesn't actually work.

Whether he is using midi timecode or messages to trigger the lights, I will find out. I do know that the timecode/message is taken from backing tracks played during performances.

 

I suspect that 'the controller doesn't work' because it's not being fed the correct messages that it knows how to respond to. If you find out the make and model of the desk, and find a manual (online or hard copy) then if there is midi support, it should give you a list of what midi message does what. (e.g. midi note on fires a scene, midi note off turns the scene off.)

If the track source can play back a midi track at the same time as audio, then it should be a case of recording a midi track with the required midi messages at the required points (e.g. 'midi note 1 on' fires scene on at the start of the song, 'note 1 off' and 'note 2 on' at the start of the verse etc etc etc.).

 

If it is timecode, then it's probably best to post back, as I really haven't encountered this in my working life as yet.

 

Check out MIDI in the wiki for a little more information.

 

Will do...! just left a voice message on his phone...Will know soon----ish..

 

 

Neil

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Will do...! just left a voice message on his phone...Will know soon----ish..

[kitlane]

It all depends on what hardware is being used to control the lights. Some consoles can do what you want, many can't.

 

For example, a Pearl can synchronise a script file with MIDI timecode as well as be controlled with MIDI note messages.

 

A Jands Vista has MIDI ports that don't do anything (yet). But it can be triggered via incoming SMPTE timecode (MIDI timecode to SMPTE is not hard to do)

 

An ETC Expression understands standard MIDI messages plus MIDI Show Control but not timecode.

 

I could go on. Really, we can't answer the question without knowing the lighting console