Questions about Smartfade ML, SmartSoft 3, and MIDI triggers from audio playlist (MultiPlay 2509)

Hi all, 

We're a small non profit theater group that will be tackling a light heavy show in a few weeks. We have SmartFade ML, SmartSoft 3 and an audio program called "Multiplay" that we use for the music and sfx tracks. This program offers MIDI out. At the bottom of this post is a description of the MIDI options from multiplay.

Our assumptions are:

1. We can set up and save lighting sequences in the SmartFade and SmartSoft so that the cues can be fired in time with the music consistently.

2. The trick with this is to start the music and the lighting sequence at the same time.

3. By using a midi command out of the Multiplay, this can trigger the lighting GO command through the smartfade.

Questions:

Are my assumptions correct?

What, if any challenges do you foresee with this set up?

Thanks in advance and please contact me with any questions.

Regards,
Dan 

 

 

MultiPlay supports multiple MIDI output devices. MIDI messages are sent to these devices via the Outputs property in the

Cue Properties window.

Each MIDI cue can be independently routed to one of the MIDI output groups. Each group can choose one of the MIDI

output devices installed.

 

More than one named group can be routed to the same MIDI output device without error.

A cue list that utilises a certain set of MIDI devices on one PC can be run on another PC with different MIDI hardware

without any changes to the MIDI cues themselves. All you need to do is select the correct MIDI output device (from the

list of available devices) for each MIDI output group.

 

Each of the MIDI output groups has three properties.

The first is the name of the output group. This name is used in the Cue Properties window so you can select from names

that better describe what the MIDI output really controls.

 

The second is a drop-down list where you choose which of the available MIDI outputs this out routes to.

 

The third one is the Enable check box so you can easily enable or disable a whole MIDI output without going into each

MIDI cue.

  • The 'best' solution here is to use MIDI Show Control (MSC). This is where the show control system to send "Goto Cue X" commands, so it'll always be completely in sync.
    - Menu > Setup > MIDI Settings > MSC Device Id, then turn it On and set the DEV ID to match the Dev Id the show controller is sending to.

    An alternative is to use General MIDI (MIDI Notes), where the show control system sends simple "KeyDown/KeyUp" pairs to 'remotely' press the Go button.
    - Menu > Setup > MIDI Settings > MIDI Channel, then turn it On and set the MIDI CH to match the MIDI channel the show controller is sending to.

    Unfortunately I can't find info saying whether Multiplay support MSC or only General MIDI.

    - Note that you will need a suitable USB > MIDI convertor box. The USB link between SmartSoft and SmartFade doesn't support MIDI.



    [edited by: Richard at 6:33 AM (GMT -6) on Tue, Apr 19 2011]
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