Entec USB Pro (I or II)

[Galvonaut]

I don't think so. But there exist programs that can split up the signals. Probably depends on the device. All I can say is, it's not possible with my BCR2000 (so I send it to Reaper which sends it to LSX using the LoopBe1 virtual midi port).

It's an Evolution MK-225c

Maybe Norty will know.

Keith

[Stuka]

That sounds promising. Is it possible to control multiple programs with a single Midi device?

Keith

Sure -

On Windows PC's:
In addition to your MIDI device drivers (if needed by your MIDI hardware), install a virtual MIDI driver such as LoopBE or MIDI Yoke.
Then use a MIDI utility such as MIDI-OX (VERY nice free MIDI utility!) and route your MIDI device input to the virtual MIDI driver.

Leave MIDI-OX running in the background, then launch the apps you want to control.
Configure them to use your virtual MIDI driver as the input.

Works great!

BTW -

There are also virtual MIDI drivers available that let you route MIDI between computers over Ethernet connections.
Those work well, too!

Randy

[White-Light]

Don't know much about DMX but apart from 2 universes I believe the difference between Entec Pro 1 & 2 is 2 has more powerful processing to eliminate stutter that you can get if you run too many fixtures using a 1 interface.

http://www.enttec.com/?main_menu=Products&pn=70314

When I looked previously, (I'm interested in strobe control), I also found it cheaper direct from Entec than some retailers, so beware on the pricing as some lighting retailers are overpricing the things!

[Galvonaut]

Sounds easy enough! I'll give it a go once my midi keyboard arrives and I've got it running.

Midi over ethernet sounds handy too - I think my cable collection is going to increase in size in the coming weeks!

Thanks
Keith

[BlueFang]

I recently purchased an Enttec USB Pro to control my lumia projector. I am not a fan of MIDI on Windows for all the reasons Stuka pointed out (too many thirdparty drivers and tools needed), I usually prefer to use OS X if I can find the software for whatever I am trying to do, and also usually prefer OSC if all I needed is simple non-tactile control (i.e., iPad)

I ended up going with QLC+, which is free, which has native support for OSC and is crossplatform and runs natively on OS X. QLC+ is being controlled by the Lemur App on my iPad which is running a little mapping that I designed specifically for the lumia projector. The lemur is using OSC which communicates directly with the QLC+ app - no need for any drivers or mapping tools.



The lemur module has some simple logic to map the independent control of each of the lasers (RGB) to the DMX value and I am basically just using QLC+ to map OSC to DMX.

[Galvonaut]

Sounds fun BlueFang.

I'm going to try and stick with physical control for the time being - there is something nice about it. Besides, I don't have an iphad.

I can see that there is a lot of flexibility with running midi and dmx on a computer rather than hardware only solutions. Lots of potential for hacking things together by the sound of it.

Keith

[norty303]

That sounds promising. Is it possible to control multiple programs with a single Midi device?

Of course. It is the listening device which dictates what is controlled, so it all comes down to how you configure your midi map in the respective software.

You could have all the white keys mapped to one application, and all the black keys to another. Or C1 to C3 to one app, D3 to G3 to both apps and C4 upwards to the second app.

Half the knobs to one app, the other half to the other.

The world is your clam.

[Galvonaut]

Of course. It is the listening device which dictates what is controlled, so it all comes down to how you configure your midi map in the respective software.

You could have all the white keys mapped to one application, and all the black keys to another. Or C1 to C3 to one app, D3 to G3 to both apps and C4 upwards to the second app.

Half the knobs to one app, the other half to the other.

The world is your clam.

Brilliant - This is going to be fun!

[Infinity6]

Seems like people are talking about MIDI and DMX interchangeably, as if they're the same thing. I may have missed something here, but this thread is about buying an Enttec USB DMX adapter, I believe.

GET THE ENTTEC USB DMX PRO. Period. The "Open USB DMX" is unreliable (I owned one, it was flakey until it died completely, I now own a Pro) and the 'MK2" is a waste of money unless you need more than 512 channels of control. The Enttec USB Pro is supported by many different applications. No DMX-to-USB device also speaks MIDI, as far as I know.

Lots of people use Freestyler. It's free. It works with the Enttec DMX adapters. It does what most people need in free DMX software. I started with it myself, but IMHO it's not very straightforward to understand, doesn't follow conventions of professional lighting consoles, is buggy and written & supported by a single dude when he has time.

After trying to figure it out for a year, I got tired of Freestyler and moved on to other FREE software, MagicQ PC by Chamsys (at www.chamsys.co.uk). They make professional lighting consoles, but give away the software inside them for free in 3 flavors: Windows, Mac and Linux. It's a bit harder to understand at first than Freestyler, but once you get your head around some basics, you're on your way to understanding how professional lighting consoles and software work.

DMX vs. MIDI. Two entirely different protocols for controlling entirely different families of gear. DMX (Digital MultipleX): an adaptation of the RS-485 serial protocol for controlling lighting-type equipment. MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface): an asynchronous serial protocol written from the ground up by a consortium from Roland, Sequential Circuits and Yamaha, for controlling musical instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines, effects processors, and much else. Many DMX controllers and software have an inkling of MIDI functionality, which is useful for folks who are on stage "performing" their music, via MIDI (which means a computer is performing on stage). Essentially MIDI events can be set up to trigger DMX events, that's about it. No protocol conversion.

You can tell your music software sending MIDI to the instrument that is performing the music, to also send certain MIDI information to the lighting controller at specific points in the song. You then program the lighting controller to do different things with its DMX output based on what it hears over MIDI. For instance, blackout on C1, all white on D1, Red and blue on E1, strobes on C2, etc. Send these notes every 16th or 32nd beat in your music software. This is useful for musical performers who program their music AND lightshows and want it to sync.

I'm well versed in both protocols, I even made a MIDI receiver which output note info to a pre-MIDI synth for my senior project in Electrical Engineering. But until I start writing music to perform live, and then program the custom light show to go along with my new hit, I won't use both at the same time. I can't see a laserist needing both MIDI and DMX, but I'm still new.

Hope this helps.

[Galvonaut]

Thanks Infinity

The reason we are discussing both is that I want to control both lasers and DMX lighting via midi - while sending certain cues from my new (thanks Norty) midi keyboard that will both stop software giving DMX output and start a laser cue - or maybe just hit a button that shuts off the DMX controlled non-coherent stuff.

I'm new to both technologies, so all this info is great

Keith