URGENT: on stage in 28 hours. In Kuwait trying to trigger a Avolite Pearl 2008 with Qlab

[nizer]

Trying to figure out a way to trigger this board via qlab. Normally I use MSC but that isn't supported.

Here is a link to the manual (see section 13)

Pearl 2008 Manual - 16th July 2007 - Avolites

http://www.avolites.com/Portals/0/Downloads/Manuals/Pearl2008andTiger/Pearl%202008%20and%20Tiger%20Manual.pdf

Seems like Midi NOTE ON might do the trick but can't seem to grasp it.

This is what the manual says.

MIDI functions

The Pearl can respond to or output MIDI note information which

emulates certain buttons being pressed or faders being moved. The

console can also respond to MIDI Timecode, which is used with script

files.

If you want to know more about MIDI, a good book to read is MIDI

Systems and Control by Francis Rumsey; Published by Focal Press,

ISBN 0-240-513000-2. There’s also a huge amount of information

available on the Internet, try searching for “MIDI specification”.

The MIDI mode is set on the User Settings menu to be MIDI master

(outputs MIDI when you turn on playbacks), MIDI slave (responds to

MIDI) or MIDI disabled. The MIDI channel the Pearl will respond to is

also set on this menu (note that you need to add 1 to the number

displayed by the Pearl to get the actual MIDI channel number).

13.2.1 What a MIDI command looks like

The normal MIDI command is: STATUS BYTE1 BYTE2

Or in binary, 1cccnnnn 0xxxxxxx 0yyyyyyy

ccc = the MIDI command (note on, program change etc)

nnnn = the MIDI channel number (set on the User Settings

menu).

xxxxxxx and yyyyyyy are the data bytes.

MIDI often works in “running status” mode. If a lot of the same type of

command is being sent (lots of note on’s etc.) then the status byte can

be missed out. The receiver knows that if it doesn’t get a status byte, it

just has to run with the last one it received.

13.2.2 MIDI commands used by the Pearl

The Pearl uses standard MIDI commands. The usual name for these is

given in italics. All commands are given in hexadecimal notation ($9n),

where ‘n’ is the MIDI channel number. So a note on command for MIDI

channel 3 for example would be $92.

Set playback page : program change ($Cn xx)

Page 1 2 3 4 5 … 28 29 30

xx $00 $01 $02 $03 $04 … $1B $1C $1D

example $Cn $02 Console changes to Page 3

Turn on a playback: note on ($9n pp ll)

Note number (pp) = playback number, from 0 - 14 (decimal)

Key velocity (ll) = playback level, from 0 - 127 (decimal). 127=Full

example $9n $03 $40 Playback Fader 4 at 50% level.

(Note that Playback Fader numbers start at zero, so subtract one from

the number on the console to get the MIDI note number).

Page 210 - 13. Other features

Pearl 2008 Manual - 16th July 2007

To Turn Off a playback, send a note on command with velocity=0. The

Pearl does not recognise MIDI note off ($8n) commands.

Stop/run/step a chase etc: after touch ($An pp cc)

Note number (pp) = playback number, from 0 - 19 (decimal)

Aftertouch value (cc) = control codes:

$00 stop chase

$01 run chase

$02 restart from step 1

$03 fade to next step using programmed fade times

$04 Snap directly to next step

13.2.3 MIDI Time Code

MIDI time code is used to synchronise Script Files with an external

music track.

Quarter-frame message types are fully supported and these follow the

standard format, which can be found in most MIDI handbooks. A

suitable EBU/LTC Timecode to Midi Timecode converter is manufactured

by JC Cooper Electronics whose address is 12500 Beatrice Street, Los

Angeles CA 90066 USA, or through Avolites UK.

[nizer]

Thanks for any help here. I know I am expecting a miracle. I also read something about using art net to trigger it somehow :-/

[nizer]

I also found this but not sure if it applies to my board.

MIDI or DMX Triggering:

You can now trigger many features of the console from external triggers. MIDI and DMX triggering are available. This powerful feature is explained in more detail in the Version 5 Titan manual. Briefly, to set up triggering, connect your external device then enter System mode and select the Triggers menu. Add a new Trigger mapping and give it a name. Add a trigger to the mapping then select what you wish to trigger. To trigger a fader or button on the console press it or move it. To trigger a specific playback, fixture, palette, group or macro toggle to Trigger Type [Item] and select the item to trigger. Now scroll though the list of available actions. Having selected an action or piece of hardware select [Ok]. Now choose MIDI or DMX triggering and, if using DMX triggering, select the DMX port. Then either enter the MIDI or DMX address to use as a stimulus or simply generate the stimulus from your device, the console will learn the trigger and fill in the details for you. Now add the trigger. Repeat to add as many triggers as you wish.

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:27:46 PM UTC+3, nizer wrote:

[Rabyn]

If the lighting board can be set up to accept midi triggers, at a minimum you should be able to get Qlab to send out a generic note trigger that will trigger "next" on the light board. If the light board cue list is fixed and there is no need to jump around (you will be stuck with next only and in the order they are in) that might be fine. What I do is to set up separate note triggers for every light cue and then assign a specific trigger per cue on the lighting side. In my case, Light Factory 2 which allows for "shortcuts" and assigning midi triggers to them. I had to got to the trouble o ce to build 127 midi triggers in Qlab and 127 shortcuts assigned to trigger what X midi note comes in. After that, it just works. The documentation you've provided seems pretty straight forward as far as adding midi triggers. I would suggest getting and single trigger between Qlab and the light board to work. Once you know that the light board can catch the midi trigger, the rest should be pretty straight forward. 

Let's us know how you're progressing. If the board accepts ARTNET commands via Ethernet, that opens up some possibilities if you don't get it to work via midi. None are fast though.

 In the long run it would be great if there were an ARTNET cue in Qlab. If in the long run you need to interface with lighting, I could explain how to bypass the whole light board and with a small output device (USB or Ethernet based)  and some software run lighting directly from your Mac. It all depends on what you're trying to do.

ra byn (robin)

[nizer]

thank you so much for the reply. I think the "TRIGGER" thing in on a different board than I am using. I am hoping that is part of a software update that his board has on it, but I doubt it.

I have built a tone of different midi cues with different settings hoping that this will work. My MidiMonitor app shows they are close to what they program requires. 

I normally run all lights via a Enttec ODE ethernet or DMX-USB Pro and LX Console, but this gig is 25 moving lights that I don't have any programming done on. I use DMX when most lights are conventionals and they have hung my light plot.

The manual states:

Turn on a playback:

note on ($9n pp ll)

Note number (pp) = playback number, from 0 - 14 (decimal)

Key velocity (ll) = playback level, from 0 - 127 (decimal). 127=Full

example $9n $03 $40 Playback Fader 4 at 50% level.

(Note that Playback Fader numbers start at zero, so subtract one from

the number on the console to get the MIDI note number).

Page 210 - 13. Other features

Pearl 2008 Manual - 16th July 2007

To Turn Off a playback, send a note on command with velocity=0

 

And this is what I am sending: 

13:48:18.138 From IAC Bus 1 Note On 1 $01 $7F

This is a Midi NOTE ON Command from Qlab with Channel 1, Note 1, Velocity 127

I think the board does accept artnet and LXConsole can send that, just not sure how to trigger via that.

[Rabyn]

If the light board manufacturer is still in business, a quick call to their tech support number might do more good in 5 minutes than any other route. If there is a user list for the board, that might also prove worth joining long enough to get a working text string example. 

Can you get the console to do anything at all via midi?

ra byn (robin)

[Rabyn]

There is a direct number to Avolite tech support on this page:

http://www.avolites.com/Support.aspx

[Mark Nizer]

Gonna try in 5 min. 

Mark Nizer/Neisser

📩 Ni...@active-media.com

📲 434-974-9699

💻 http://activemedia.org

💻 http://Nizer.com

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[Mark Nizer]

I have been speaking with them but they have zero qlab knowledge. I'll let u know in about 10 min if I get anything to trigger

Mark Nizer/Neisser

📩 Ni...@active-media.com

📲 434-974-9699

💻 http://activemedia.org

💻 http://Nizer.com

On Feb 4, 2013, at 3:54 PM, Rabyn <rabyn...@gmail.com> wrote:

There is a direct number to Avolite tech support on this page:

http://www.avolites.com/Support.aspx

[Lucas Krech]

With so little time the fastest solution would be to hire an additional technician.

-L

[Rich Walsh]

On 4 Feb 2013, at 11:32, nizer <ma...@nizer.com> wrote:

13:48:18.138 From IAC Bus 1 Note On 1 $01 $7F

Are you sure you're sending to the right output? This message looks like you're sending to the IAC bus from QLab, not a physical output…

Rich

[Mark Nizer]

That is true. This just in my test before I got to the board. IT WORKS. you have to zero out the fader before bringing up another and also make sure u r in run mode not program. 

Mark Nizer/Neisser

📩 Ni...@active-media.com

📲 434-974-9699

💻 http://activemedia.org

💻 http://Nizer.com

[Tim Long]

I'm assuming you've set your midi mode & channel in your avolite setup page correctly?
 
And the midi end of Qlab is patched correctly?
 
When I can't get midi to work going one way, I try going in reverse. I'm usually off by 1 somewhere, as one piece of gear will start counting at one, the other at zero.
 
 
Try this:
 
Setup your avolite to be the midi Master and connect the output of that to the midi input of your Qlab setup.

Go to any cue in your QLab list (or a dummy cue), and under the trigger tab, click capture. Press whichever button you want to eventually trigger on the avolite and (hopefully) see what happens. If it captures the data, make sure to click the check box. Hit the avolite button again and your cue should trigger.
 
If it works, you should then have your data. Revert back to your previous setup and try it.

 

If not, I wish you luck. Try looking at the raw midi in a midi monitor.

 

 

 

I've never used an avolite but I've used this process with other gear and QLab and was successful in the end.

 

Good luck,

Tim
 

--

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live." -- Mark Twain
 

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Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2013 03:32:57 -0800
From: ma...@nizer.com
To: ql...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [QLab] Re: URGENT: on stage in 28 hours. In Kuwait trying to trigger a Avolite Pearl 2008 with Qlab

[deepvisual]

if you get nowhere with the MIDI, try using timecode.

[nizer]

Just a follow up. It ended up working using midi notes ON and velocity to control the faders on the board. You can set what note triggers what fader in settings and set what midi channel to listen on.  YOU MUST TURN THE FADER OFF before going to another cue or it will just add the other fader in.

thanks for all the help and advice in a stressful situation.

[ra byn taylor]

What a pain in the arse Mark!

ra byn