BleedingEdgeProductions Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Hi guys, I'm currently involved in the debatable joy of setting up panto this year (in Kettering at the Lighthouse Theatre). I'm good friends with the LX guy designing the show, and we have been talking for a while now about triggering *some* LX cues from my backing track playback system (for 'in sync' chases, bumps, blackouts, state changes etc.). Now getting into the nitty gritty of working out how to do it, I could really do with some advice on the best way forward. The desk we will be using is the LeapFrog 96 - there is no guarantee that it has the MIDI expansion, so we're looking at alternative options. My playback system is "Show Cue System", which can output MIDI (MSC), RS232, Telnet, and DMX. Looking at the SCS DMX implementation, the user assigns DMX channels to the functions:- Go Button- Stop All- Pause/Resume All- Go To Top- Go Back- Go To Next There is however NO specific cue triggering, which could cause problems if anything were to go wrong (and the 'next' cue was not the correct one...) The SCS Telnet implementation sends the following commands:- scsGO("0")- scsGo("x")- scsGoTop- scsStop("x")- scsStopAll where "x" is a specific cue number. This is more promising (and neatly avoids me having to get an Enttec DMX Pro widget!). So, my two main questions (sorry for the long post!) are: 1 - Can the LeapFrog accept Telnet? 2 - If not, is there any freeware or low cost software that can accept MIDI or Telnet commands and output something that the LeapFrog can understand (I have a spare computer which can easily be pressed into service). Many thanks for any help you can offer! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjammy83 Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 HI Martin I am the House Lighting Technician at the Lighthouse theatre and will be on crew for the Panto run If it is the House Leapfrog you are using, this does not have the midi upgrade and if it is the Theatre productions Leapy. this also has no expansion card. (certainly not from the last visit to the venue. I am booked on the Leap frog Course on November 11th at zero88 so will ask the question there. in the mean time I'm sure Jon hole will be along to clarify further. If show cue puts out DMX you could try putting chases onto submasters on the leapfrog and setting the desk up to output subs as DMX address's i.e. sub 1 = DMX address 1. I may be barking up the wrong tree as I have no experience with Show cue System see you in a few weeks chap James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 We have got a Bullfrog in our venue which we control on occasion from QLab using the open contact inputs (I think there are labelled 'Remote In' or similar) and a MIDI relay box, which receives MIDI data from QLab, and closes the relay switches, therefore driving the 'Go' button on the Bullfrog. The hardware is different but if the LeapFrog still has the remote / open contact input on the back then the concept is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedingEdgeProductions Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 Hi James and Tom. Thanks for the replies! James - good to know, and thanks for the PM too. I don't know if we're using the house or TP LeapFrog. I know that whichever it is, Richie is planning on using that for the cues and conventionals, and LightFactory for the movers. Really I just want to be able to send 'go' commands (ideally with specific cue numbers) from Show Cue System. The only way it can output DMX is using (specifically) the Enttec Pro USB to DMX interface, which is obviously an expense I don't really need... Being able to send MSC would be by far the easiest method (I have a MIDI extender, which runs up to 100m or something like that...). I think it's also possible to output MIDI timecode, which would mean that the desk can handle all the cueing, and all I send is the timecode stream (although the timecode will be reset for each track). See you up there soon! Tom - so the open contact input is essentially a switch input (which can be controlled by something like a footswitch, button, or anything that closes the two contacts)? I've downloaded the LeapFrog user guide, so will have a quick look. Cheers, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonino Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 I think it's also possible to output MIDI timecode, which would mean that the desk can handle all the cueing, and all I send is the timecode stream (although the timecode will be reset for each track). if you do end up going down that record, you'd be better to start each track at a different hour (and don't go over midnight), otherwise the desk(s) won't cope with it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedingEdgeProductions Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 Good idea! Thanks. It's funny how you don't think of things out of context - I use timecode offsets all the time when I'm doing audio. Never even considered it for LX cues! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomHoward Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 Tom - so the open contact input is essentially a switch input (which can be controlled by something like a footswitch, button, or anything that closes the two contacts)? I've downloaded the LeapFrog user guide, so will have a quick look.Exactly that - it's the 'Remote Switch' or 'Remote In' or something on the back on ours. We then use it with a home-built box that receives MIDI (in our case, Midi Machine Control I believe) which closes the relay and emulates a switch close. In the desk setup you can then assign the switch inputs to different functions, including Go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjammy83 Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 why light factory for the movers the leapy loves a bit of mover shinanigans. Also using 2 different controls for conventionals and mover may mean that connecting the Midi stream may be even more complicated. good to know Richie is on board. May even be able to find him anywhere but the lorry to sleep in this time :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GridGirl Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Really I just want to be able to send 'go' commands (ideally with specific cue numbers) from Show Cue System. The only way it can output DMX is using (specifically) the Enttec Pro USB to DMX interface, which is obviously an expense I don't really need... I'd double-check this if I were you - as far as I know, SCS only *accepts* DMX, it won't output it - ie you can trigger SCS from a lighting desk, but not vice-versa.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 I don't know about the LeapFrog, but the lesser Zero88 desks that do accept MIDI control use note on / note off to operate submasters, ie you cant access cues, and also they do not have the ability to sync chases via MIDI clock of MTC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedingEdgeProductions Posted November 1, 2010 Author Share Posted November 1, 2010 why light factory for the movers the leapy loves a bit of mover shinanigans. Also using 2 different controls for conventionals and mover may mean that connecting the Midi stream may be even more complicated. That's a question that needs directing at Richie, not me! I think everything will still be cued from the Frog. good to know Richie is on board. May even be able to find him anywhere but the lorry to sleep in this time :P Haha! He seems to do that a lot! TP is sorting the accomodation out. Last year (in Arbroath) I was in a static caravan (at -17 degrees), so ended up crashing on Richie and Russell's sofa most of the time. If memory serves, I was offered the cab of the lorry! :D I'd double-check this if I were you - as far as I know, SCS only *accepts* DMX, it won't output it - ie you can trigger SCS from a lighting desk, but not vice-versa.... Certainly from v10, it can output DMX - but it only outputs a few commands as changes to DMX channels (so an SCS "Go" cue would be a change to, say, DMX channel 16 or whatever channel you assign it to be). It's an odd implementation. I don't know about the LeapFrog, but the lesser Zero88 desks that do accept MIDI control use note on / note off to operate submasters, ie you cant access cues, and also they do not have the ability to sync chases via MIDI clock of MTC. So you can't cue GOs from MIDI? Oh to be using a Hog.... I know a lot of LX guys don't like them, but the MIDI implementation (for both MSC and MTC) is pretty comprehensive! M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhole Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Hi Martin, We have replied to your threat on the support forum - sorry it took us a couple days. http://support.zero88.com/forum/index.php?...amp;#entry23754 If this, or the above, doesn't help then please let us know. Hope this helps, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boswell Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Certainly from v10, it can output DMX - but it only outputs a few commands as changes to DMX channels (so an SCS "Go" cue would be a change to, say, DMX channel 16 or whatever channel you assign it to be). It's an odd implementation. I would check that, you need the 'Plus' version for DMX and I am certain that it only accepts DMX in to control SCS. I'm using 10.7.4 at the moment and there is no DMX out that I can find. MIDI in all flavours, in and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GridGirl Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 I'd double-check this if I were you - as far as I know, SCS only *accepts* DMX, it won't output it - ie you can trigger SCS from a lighting desk, but not vice-versa.... Certainly from v10, it can output DMX - but it only outputs a few commands as changes to DMX channels (so an SCS "Go" cue would be a change to, say, DMX channel 16 or whatever channel you assign it to be). It's an odd implementation. I'm with Boswell - we're running 10.7.2 and it quite clearly says in the Help files that there is no facility to send DMX messages. I've literally just read that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjammy83 Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Haha! He seems to do that a lot! TP is sorting the accomodation out. Last year (in Arbroath) I was in a static caravan (at -17 degrees), so ended up crashing on Richie and Russell's sofa most of the time. If memory serves, I was offered the cab of the lorry! Dont worry chap we wont leave any of you out in the cold. If volleyball UK aren't in the Arena Sports there a brand new dorm we can put you up in. ( I'll ask the question this week sometime) see you soon James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.