MIDI output

[Greg in Canby]

I'm trying to get DMX to work but am having problems with one of the .dlls. Will Vixen ever consider a MIDI out plug-in?

Thanks, Greg in Canby (Oregon) extreme newbie.

[KC]

MIDI output? To drive a MIDI instrument, like a synth?

[Greg in Canby]

Last year (my first by the way) I used Cakewalk to send MIDI info to a NSI IF-501 protocol changer that in turn sent Microplex (NSI's stage light language) to NSI dimmers and relays.

It worked very well but it appears that Vixen would be about 100,000 times easier to use than making dim (and flash) sequences in Cakewalk.

I have 24 channels of dimmer and 32 of relay, which equaled a ton of fun for me and the kids last year.

Any help is appreciated.

Greg

[KC]

What kind of a port does the protocol changer connect to on the computer?

[Greg in Canby]

We have two choices with the output from the computer:

1. 15 pin (joystick/MIDI) out from the computer to a 5-pin DIN plug into the converter, and

2. USB out from the computer to a 5-pin DIN plug into the converter.

Both cables/technologies work equally as well with the system I have going.

Thanks for spending the time with me on this one,

Greg

[A Marchini]

What kind of a port does the protocol changer connect to on the computer?
You may be able to hook into the audio drivers in windows somehow. There may some kind of multimedia subsystem that picks up all midi calls.
The trick would be to convert the vixen stream into midi sequence on the fly.
On the upside, I believe that you could package canned midi preambles or something and feed in the vixen levels into that.
It would probably be better if there was a compile stage that could take ramps and stuff and turn them into attack /decay codes for the notes... Assuming this is what the converters do.

Terry Dyke , whom I don't know if he is trolling this site, has made his own controller systems based on "I believe" avr microcontroller s eating a 230 K stream of midi (not standard). The driver for that was created by another person... but I guess there are a few out there.

He was using cakewalk as well.

Anyways, its "another way" to control lights.
Tony

[Greg in Canby]

The trick would be to convert the vixen stream into midi sequence on the fly.

You hit the nail on the head, that is the precise trick I'm looking for.

Greg

[KC]

With the USB out, is it a FTDI-based device that shows up as a COM port?

[A Marchini]

With the USB out, is it a FTDI-based device that shows up as a COM port?
I think it just shows up as a midi music device in the device manager. Now I will have to go home and look.
Tony

[KC]

You have a protocol changer, Tony?

[Greg in Canby]

We just went totally over my head.

I have a Turtle Beach USB to MIDI interface and the install disk, any info on the disk that will help I will send.

The MIDI port shows up on the device manager under sound, video and game controllers.

I will post screen shots as soon as I get to the desktop computer.

I really appreciate everybody’s time and effort and hope I'm not too much of a bother.

Greg
[/img]

[Greg in Canby]

Here is what I see:

http://www.canby.com/marshall/banana/midi.JPG

The install disk,

http://www.canby.com/marshall/banana/midi2.JPG

[A Marchini]

Here is what I see:

http://www.canby.com/marshall/banana/midi.JPG


Mine is a yamaha.
No I don't have a protocol changer , just a USB midi output device.

Midi is actually rather simple as serial protocol with a lot of extensions. It does have a wierd 31.xKbaud rate.
There are midi drivers out there that are run through standard serial ports at 230K. http://home.comcast.net/~waltselectronics/ is the one that I alway come to.
He has some pictures of terry dykes home brewed MIDI controllers, though the cool examples of the shows have disappeared. I should email terry and have him post his videos, perhaps to youtube or something.

Tony