ETC ION - Syncing Music with Light Cues - Midi?

I've looked into a similar question. I know ETC has the midi comand for 'comand x' I haven't gotta as far as using midi for anything yet. I'll snag the ETC page I found.

I found something on controlbooth which mentions using this software to output midi timecodes, but I cannot run it on windows. Even if I figure out how to output time codes (I don't) via usb to midi to the board, I don't know how the board will recognize a certain time or signal to go to next cue.

Below is pulled directly from "Ion_v1.7_Operations_Manual_RevA.pdf " can be found here: " http://www.etcconnect.com/docs/docs_downloads/manuals/Ion_v1.7_Operations_Manual_RevA.pdf "

Hope this helps you with what commands you need to send your ION. I'll keep my fourth eye on this thread to learn what to use to create the MIDI code. Break a finger:)

Ion Command Interpretation
When Ion receives a command from a MIDI source, it will look for and support the following MIDI
commands in the following ways:
• Go Runs a cue
• Stop Pauses a cue
• Resume Resumes a paused cue
• Set Controls a submaster, playback, or grandmaster
• Fire Runs a macro
The cue-related commands (go, stop, resume) affect Ion based on the cue and list fields also
contained within the MSC data. Cue and list fields will correspond directly to the Ion cues and cue
lists. In the command/effect tables below, if a field is present in the MSC data, the name is indicated
(such as "Cue" or "List"). If it is not present in the data, a "-" is indicated. For example, "Cue -"
implies that a cue is specified in the data, but not a list.
Go
When accompanying a MIDI "Go" command, data for the following fields will result in the following
effects:
Stop
When accompanying a MIDI "Stop" command, data for the following fields will result in the following
effects:
Resume
When accompanying a MIDI "Resume" command, data for the following fields will result in the
following effects:
Cue Data
Field
List Data
Field Effect
Cue List Runs the specified cue in the specified cue list
Cue - Runs the specified cue in the default cue list
- List Runs the next cue in the specified list
- - Runs the next cue in the default cue list
Cue Data
Field
List Data
Field Effect
Cue List Stops the specified cue & list (if running)
Cue - Stops the running cue from the default cue list
- List Stops the current cue from the specified list
- - Stops all cues
Cue Data
Field
List Data
Field Effect
Cue List Resumes the specified cue & list (if stopped)
Cue - Resumes the specified cue in the default cue list
- List Resumes the current cue in the specified list
- - Resumes all stopped cues
24 Using Show Control 285
Set
The "Set" command allows MSC to control potentiometers using both a numeric control number
(which specifies the potentiometer) and a data field (which controls the level: 0-100). Control values
are as follows:
Accompanying any of these indications in the MSC data, a numeric value of 0-100 would set the
specified potentiometer to that level.
All other control values are ignored.
Fire
This command fires a macro. MSC supports macros 1 through 127 only. Therefore a numeric value
of 1 - 127 would accompany this command.
Control
Value Indication
1-127 Submaster 1-127
128 Primary playback in
129 Primary playback out
510 Grandmaster

Had this problam awhile back the show ended up going somewhere else so never got to try anything but at that time you had to use a external unit that would turn timecode in to midi timecode . would love to know what you come up with .as i remember it was rather hard to find the external unit but i will try and find out where i was going to be getting the unit from

Hi there,

The Eos family has two methods of triggering cues from a form of MIDI input - MIDI Show Control (mentioned above) and MIDI Time Code (hinted at above).

MIDI Show Control

For a description on what the Eos Family sends and receives, see this wiki article: Understanding the MSC Commands Eos Family Receives/Transmits

If Eos is receiving MSC, each Go, Sub bump, Macro, or other action would have to be programmed at the show controlling device (aka not Eos) and fired at the appropriate time. Eos then responds immediately by executing the command.

(For the sake of thoroughness -- If Eos is transmitting MSC, each action (listed in the manual and wiki article) that the console does will be transmitted immediately out the specified MIDI port. As of 1.9.8, you can also have it output a custom MIDI string via a Cue Execute flag or via a Macro.)

MIDI Time Code

MIDI Time Code is a stream of time values coming into the desk either through local MIDI ports (Gio/Ion/Element) or a Net3 Show Control Gateway (all Eos Family consoles). The console can learn a show control list that tells it what to do at specific times.  In contrast to MIDI Show Control, this doesn't require a lot of programming at the show control device, but requires some time on the Eos Family console to specify which cues and other actions happen when.

There are two programming options. First, there is a Learn function. When you are in Learn mode for the event list, it will record the action (pressing the Go button, firing a macro, etc...) and the time stamp when it did it.  When you play the timecode back again, it will execute it exactly as you did it before.  The second way to do this is manual entry in the show control list.  This is also incredibly useful for editing timing once you've done your initial pass using the Learn function.

In terms of software to do this, I don't have particular recommendations.  As has been pointed out, QLab is a popular option of Mac, but it is only on that platform. I think SFX has the capability to do most of these things, and there are other software packages out there.

Hope this helps as an overview of the options! Let us know if you have questions.

Hans

I was thinking about doing macros, however I was afraid that if we do not sync it PERFECTLY in the beginning of the song, then all the light cues would be off, thus me wanting to send data over midi which is synced with the song. However, I have still no idea if I could output midi via usb to midi to the light board and it would know to set cue and go to next cue at certain times. I mean I have all the cues and times of the song where the cue starts already.

I have adobe audition CS5 and Sony Vegas. I'm having trouble just taking this all in atm. 

If you have the proper software that create the MIDI code and the USB to MIDI cable/device then you got the equipment! Now the fun of making it work:) 

My suggestion for proper syncing would be to have the cues auto follow, and have midi trigger the first cue in the series. AND manually trigger a dummy 'oh ***' cue second or third in the stack.  Do you have this series of cues in their own cue stack? You have 99 cue stacks available, ya know? I'd put something this important on it's own stack with a fader made into a playback master for it. REAL EASY to do, very helpful to have such important cues out of main stack. I know there is a way to have a cue in the main stack that triggers a different stack, haven't experimented with that. I think it would be an external link kinda thing, might be a macro.