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    larzdj323
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Unique MIDI Question

I am a Sound Engineer for a band, that is attempting to learn how to really tap into the features of the Smartfade ML.  Since I am a Nube . . . can you tell me if something is possible, and how I might go about setting this up?

What I want to do is link our Digital Performer setup with the Smartfade ML..  Our band uses backing tracks and a click when we perform, and I would like the Smartfade ML board to slave off of the Digital Performer unit.  I would like to create unique lighting stacks for each song, and have them load and start playing when the DP controller presses play . . . 

First off . . . is this possible?

If so, what sort of Hardware setup would I need?  Currently, our DP laptop is feeding a USB MOTU Midi distribution card with 4 outputs,

(1) is feeding a Triton Synth Rack,

(2) is feeding a Roland JV 880 synth,

(3) is feeding a TC Elec. M-One Effects and

(4) is feeding another TC M-One XL Effects unit. 

Can I route Midi thru the Smartfade board and then to one of the Effects Units?

Not very familiar with Midi in relation to machine control . . .

Thanks for any insight into this!

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  • Sounds like you have hardware that would work... but just not enough of it.  You can't do MIDI Thru on SmartFade; the ports are strictly an in and an out.  So you would need an additional MIDI interface, or you need to chain together other devices that have a Thru port.

    I've used MIDI control from a laptop with SmartFade myself, and it's pretty straightforward once we actually figured it all out.  We use a TASCAM USB-MIDI interface and Cubase software to send the MIDI track to our SmartFade.  We use the Program Change commands to run the stack.

    Keep in mind with your "unique lighting stacks for each song" comment that you really only ever have one stack on the SmartFade, up to 199 steps IIRC.  The MIDI playback commands allow you to select a step to jump to (however only whole-numbered steps, not point-Q's), so you could have each song be in a different "range" of the stack, as long as they all fit.

    Hope that helps!

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  • Sounds like you have hardware that would work... but just not enough of it.  You can't do MIDI Thru on SmartFade; the ports are strictly an in and an out.  So you would need an additional MIDI interface, or you need to chain together other devices that have a Thru port.

    I've used MIDI control from a laptop with SmartFade myself, and it's pretty straightforward once we actually figured it all out.  We use a TASCAM USB-MIDI interface and Cubase software to send the MIDI track to our SmartFade.  We use the Program Change commands to run the stack.

    Keep in mind with your "unique lighting stacks for each song" comment that you really only ever have one stack on the SmartFade, up to 199 steps IIRC.  The MIDI playback commands allow you to select a step to jump to (however only whole-numbered steps, not point-Q's), so you could have each song be in a different "range" of the stack, as long as they all fit.

    Hope that helps!

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