This is my first post to this forum, and though this thread is not really the place for introductions, here goes!
First, thanks to Andy for referring me to this site after we met on the job, and spoke a bit via email.
I am attempting to compete a Masters Degree (in a hurry) before my deadline hits…as we all know the profession we’ve chosen doesn’t exactly lend itself to free time…
Quickly then, I am working on a midi control surface(s) for PM5D. My thought is to take an existing (or construct a new) MIDI device like a keyboard or drum pad and use it to recall atributes to a selected channel. So for example when channel 1 is selected, the user would press a certain trigger pad or keyboard key assigning that channel as kick drum. This would name the channel, apply eq/comp/gate settings from the library and when finished could select the next channel for repeat. This is all in an attempt to speed up the process of walking up to a “naked” 5D, and getting position of readiness for line/sound check. We’ve all been in that position where we don’t know what the input list will be until we arrive on site and oh yeah, sound check is in 30 minutes.
This is all in very a early stage, and the exact functionality is not even clear to me yet, but more than anything, this will serve as a proof of concept that could one day interface with automated function such as computerized instrument recognition.
What I am trying to establish, and thus asking for help with here, is the framework for gaining midi control over a PM5D, or more specifically the 5D editor (since I do possess the later). I am a relative noob to midi, and modern programming/implementation, but do have a strong understanding of programming itself.
I don’t have any experience with .NET…but then again I don’t have much programming experience at all (outside of the C++ pre-req. courses I’ve taken, and a little html)
The project for me (and my program) is more about the design of the interface. My concentration in IT is HCI (human computer interaction) not programming.
I would think that it would be easier to use channel libraries instead. If, though, that doesn’t give you all the parameters you want, then something like my change recorder software could do what you want, only that it would use a PC instead of a MIDI controller. A MIDI controller would be harder to program unless it has a great and perhaps editable “learn” function.
My thought was to develop something faster than using the channel libraries: mapping a particular midi trigger’s “note on” to recall a certain library entry to the selected channel. Then the “note off” would select the next channel.
This should save an albeit small amount of time up front, but it could be useful for on the fly instrument changes, especially in a festival environment (in which I will find myself knee deep in a few months) where you dont know an instrument is changing…until it’s changed.
I’d ultimately like to expand this to a tablet app: I often find myself going on stage and writing down an input list. Then you wire the stage, and head out front to program the console. With a mobile app, the act of “writing down the input list” would program the console for you.
Just for being sure: you do have a file for the PM5 being loaded from a flash card and are looking for a quick way to sort your channel settings to the real input patch?
I’m sorry, I still don’t get, what exactly you’re trying to do.
If there is a blank scene, where are your channel settings? If you carry a flash card to load a show into the PM5 I can imagine ways for “sorting” the channels. But if you walk up to a festival console with reset input channels and you don’t load anything, what settings do you want to assign to the channels?
Yamaha could do it… Andy as well maybe (probably)… what you, and I desire, is a drag and drop software patch for studio manager. To be able to open Studio Manager, open an (your) external library, and drag and drop the input (and other) settings directly to the channels. That would be fast. Or maybe you could write some kind of a macro to “select channel” - “select library number” - “recall” - “advance”. You would need a mixture of functions though… NRPN or sysex to select the channel, then window focus and ctrl-4 to open the library…etc.
David.