MagicQ MIDI interface

[mark_s]

I have a MagicQ MIDI/timecode interface on hire for a show that I'm currently lighting, but MagicQ doesn't seem to want to respond to MIDI at all. The drivers are installed and MagicQ recognises that there is a MIDI interface plugged in...but when I send the relevant messages, nothing happens. I'm using a Behringer BCF2000, and can verify (using MIDI-OX) that it is sending what I expect it to. My usermidimap.txt looks like:

 

176,1"1,%01L"

176,2"2,%01L"

176,3"3,%01L"

176,4"4,%01L"

176,5"5,%01L"

176,6"6,%01L"

176,7"7,%01L"

176,8"8,%01L"

 

144,21"1S"

144,21"2S"

144,21"3S"

144,21"4S"

144,21"5S"

144,21"6S"

144,21"7S"

144,21"8S"

 

<snip>

 

Does anyone have any ideas? I'd get in touch with Chamsys of course, but it's a bit late and I ideally need to solve this before production rehearsals tomorrow.

[dunk]

Hey Mark,

 

Check this out:

http://www.chamsys.be/download/manuals/magicq-midismpte.pdf?dl=44

 

It may help!

 

Cheers

Duncan

[mark_s]

Hey Duncan,

 

I've had a read through both that and the manual a few times now, and I can't see anything which I haven't done or configured. It looks as if it's not receiving (or transmitting) MIDI at all - I can verify that the BCF2000 is sending things, but MagicQ doesn't see anything at all. Nothing appears on the 'LCD' as the manual says it should, and nothing happens. Similarly if I insert a cue stack macro to send MIDI, the BCF2000 doesn't do anything.

[neilalexrose]

usermidimap.txt looks like:

 

 

144,21"1S"

144,21"2S"

144,21"3S"

144,21"4S"

144,21"5S"

144,21"6S"

144,21"7S"

144,21"8S"

 

<snip>

 

 

So from that set of commands, you're asking the console to stop playbacks 1-8 when the console receives the note on command (144) on note 21 (which I think is possibly too low so is it out of range?, but could be wrong?) Is that what you are trying to achieve? It may be that you are asking the console to do too many things to one note on command.

 

176,1"1,%01L"

176,2"2,%01L"

176,3"3,%01L"

176,4"4,%01L"

176,5"5,%01L"

176,6"6,%01L"

176,7"7,%01L"

176,8"8,%01L"

 

Having just had a quick scan through the manual, I don't think magicQ responds to the 176 midi message, which I'm guessing is something to do with faders and CC values. I think MagicQ will only respond to note on (144) and note off (128).

 

If you tell us what you are trying to achieve, someone may be able to point you in the right direction in terms of re-writing the midi text table.

 

 

Neil

[dirkenstein]

Daft question- is this for a MagicQ console or MagicQ PC/Mac?

What kind of DMX interface are you using?

Serial and IP based command input isn't supported unless you have a MagicQ wing connected or one the native Chamsys USB/DMX interfaces (_not_ MagicDMX).

I'm not sure that MIDI command input works without one either!

 

In other words- I'm not sure you're 'allowed' to control playbacks 1-10 via MIDI unless you have a MagicQ console or mini/PC/Maxi wing, or a Chamsys USB/DMX interface.

 

I'm not sure _just_ having the Chamsys MIDI interface with a 3rd-party DMX interface lifts these restrictions on Magicq PC or Mac unless you also have a USB wing of some type.

 

However, I could be wrong on that front. The manual is a bit ambiguous on the subject, but I'm sure someone from Chamsys will be along to confirm or deny my suspicions.

[mark_s]

Whoops, yes the note on bit is a slip - it should be note 21-28 stops playbacks 1-8 respectively. I read the manual and came to the conclusion that it should respond to 176 - it only gives examples for notes on and off, but doesn't specifically state that they're the only messages that it responds to.

 

It also doesn't seem to work with the default miditable.txt though (and also doesn't seem to transmit MIDI), so I'm fairly certain that it's not usermidimap.txt that is the problem.

[smalljoshua]

Just a quick one to check, is the Midi In Type set correctly in The MIDI/Timecode tab of setup?

 

Josh

[neilalexrose]

Similarly if I insert a cue stack macro to send MIDI, the BCF2000 doesn't do anything.

 

What cue stack midi commands are you trying to send. And what are you expecting the BCF2000 to do? Again, looks to me as if in the cue stack it will only send note on/off commands. How does the BCF respond to note on/off commands?

 

And silly question (granny and eggs moment, sorry, no offence meant!) is the BCF2000 connected to the magicQ midi interfaces input/output via midi cables, or via USB. (going back to the question about whether it's a PC/Mac or console, as it needs to connected via midi cables)

 

Tell us what you want to achieve with the two pieces of equipment, and we may be able to help you further.

 

Neil

[dbuckley]

So there is a MIDI cable between the BCF2000 and the MagicQ MIDI interface, and the BCF2000 is set to send MIDI out of the MIDI sockets not along the USB cable?

 

I ask because if you're running MIDI-OX, and have the BCF plugged into the PC via USB, then by connecting MIDI-OX to the BCF in the computer you'll sending MIDI using the USB cable. Where the BCF sends MIDI information is configurable.

 

I'm assuming here that the Chamsys MIDI interface is not a normal Windows MIDI interface, as MagicQ is awfully particular about its own proprietry hardware. OTOH, perhaps with a chamsys MIDI interface attached, MagicQ will work with any old interface, and their interface enables Windows MIDI operation through normal MIDI interfaces. I don't know. But thought it a question worth asking.

[mark_s]

Yes, BCF2000 and Chamsys' proper MIDI/timecode interface all connected by MIDI cable. I had the BCF2000 connected via USB to check just what it was sending, but unplugged the USB when it was connected to the interface.

 

I'm travelling at the minute and won't have a chance to play further until after our get-in, but it sounds like I possibly haven't configured the BCF2000 to spit out MIDI on MIDI out A?

[dirkenstein]

I'm travelling at the minute and won't have a chance to play further until after our get-in, but it sounds like I possibly haven't configured the BCF2000 to spit out MIDI on MIDI out A?

 

Definitely possible. There are 8 different modes (s1 -s4 and u1-u4) for the bcf2000 and of the usb modes only u-4 outputs bcf commsnds on midi port a for daisy-chaining additional bcfs.

 

All modes s1-s4 ouput bcf commands on midi A.

 

If you're in the default USB mode(u-3) you won't get bcf output on midi A.

[tvi675]

Having had a read through all the posts just a couple of things to add:

 

If you're not seeing a MIDI message in MagicQ then it's likely to be a setup issue, either the MIDI isn't being output in the first place, dodgy cable, or in MagicQ. From the MagicQ side of things you just want SETUP > VIEW SETTINGS > MIDI Timecode you have MIDI in type and MIDI out type set to Any and the in/out chans to 0.

 

As far as I'm aware there is no reason why the software shouldn't respond to CC messages providing the midi mapping file is set up correctly to map them to something in MagicQ.

 

Also, MIDI works with just the MIDI interface. To be able to use any of the remote control functionality in MagicQ you need a wing or interface (not MagicDMX or our very old 3 port Etherenet) connected to the system but it doesn't matter what it is. MIDI is all dealt with through the MIDI/Timecode interface so it's all you need to get that side of things working.

 

Having had a read of what other people have said my money would be on the Behringer not outputting!

 

Matt

[dirkenstein]

Also, MIDI works with just the MIDI interface. To be able to use any of the remote control functionality in MagicQ you need a wing or interface (not MagicDMX or our very old 3 port Etherenet) connected to the system but it doesn't matter what it is. MIDI is all dealt with through the MIDI/Timecode interface so it's all you need to get that side of things working.

 

So if you have a Chamsys MIDI/timecode interface, can you receive MIDI CC messages and use them to set playback fader levels, even if you don't have a wing or interface?

 

Thanks,

 

Dirk

[Wol]

if you have a <snip> interface

<snip>

even if you don't have a <snip> interface?

 

You're contradicting yourself there a bit! You can't both have and not have an interface connected.

 

If you have an interface (whether it be MIDI/TC, Audio or other) connected, then remote control functionality is enabled.

If you dont have anything connected, then this functionality is disabled.

If you have an Audio interface connected, you can't get MIDI into MagicQ (no, you cant solder a RCA onto the end of a MIDI cable and hope ;-) )

If you want to get MIDI into MagicQ, you have to have one of our MIDI interfaces

[greenalien]

I think there is some confusion in this topic - bottom line seems to be, if you have a Chamsys Midi interface connected to MagicQ PC, can you use a Behringer BCF2000 to control the faders in MagicQ (thus doing away with the need to have a PC wing or Mini-wing). I'm sure the answer would be of interest to a lot of people, because the BCF2000 + MIDI interface is a lot cheaper than even the mini-wing!

I'd also be interested to know, if the answer to the above question is 'yes', then is it possible to get feedback from MagicQ PC to the BCF2000 to move the motorised faders when changing pages?