Hi
I found this forum while researching the ability to add controls to the Yamaha consoles using midi controllers, like the behringer bcr2000 (or similar).
My main goal is to use it with a ls9, 01v96, or one of the new QL series, and add hardware encoders to control things like aux sends on a selected channel without NEEDING to go to sends on fader mode every time! Also, having more assignable user-defined keys, mix-select buttons for ALL mixes (on m7, CL, ql series) instead of two separate layers of on-screen keys, etc…
My main trouble is with scene changes. If a control change is made normally, the console will tell the midi device about the change and the new position. On the other hand, if a scene change is made, the console can tell the device about the scene change, but not about any other changes to any of the settings, so the midi device will lose its sync of any control’s positions.
I keep seeing that there’s no way around this but that’s not a good enough answer for me to give up on! I have an idea how to make it work but I am still VERY new to midi control, or midi in General, and have not even messed with it yet (just researched the possibilities)!
My thought is a program (preferably programmed into the midi controller, if one is available that can do this) or a separate midi control/computer program that will listen to the midi stream for a scene change, and then spit out instructions back to the console to update each encoder / control assignment that is assigned to the controller! Additionally, a separate button on the controller can be an “update” button that will trigger the console to provide all the positions (just like a scene change). Is this possible or am I dreaming?
I am hoping the company I work for gets a new Ql console soon (considering selling a m7cl to a local church to fund the upgrade) and the one thing missing is mix encoders, so if I can overcome this scene change hurdle it will be a viable control option (and help many other people trying to do similar)
Any helpful ideas to make this happen will be great!
I have read all of those links, and I would like to think I understand 70% of what I am reading (with e other 30% I should be able to get once I actually mess it all hands on). But I still did not see anywhere a way to tell the console to refresh the knob position data to the controller after a scene change, in fact that seems to be the recurring problem, and I dont believe anybody I have read about who is using separate midi controllers are using scenes because of it!
One of the links particularly quotes one person who couldn’t get the bcf2000 to work with the consoles Sysex commands. Also, aren’t each console using different sysex commands making the commands console specific? That would complicate my plan! I am thinking more than likely a separate program that can listen for a scene change (or user pressed key) and then tell the console to output position data of whichever options it is preprogrammed to (not a whole data dump, which will take longer and I heard it crashes the bcf2000, not sure about the bcr2000).
What mode does the console need to be in, in order to receive system commands (does it need to split off the connection set up for studio manager?) and can it get sysex and nrpn at the same time in the same ports or I believe I will need to use sysex from USB and nrpn from midi ports? Finally will the Sysex command output the data to nrpn or will it only update to the port the sysex is received from?
That’s because it can’t be done automatically. You would need to have something that requests Parameter values from the console on each scene change. It’s not done automatically because the amount of data would take literally minutes to send on each scene change.
One of the links particularly quotes one person who couldn’t get the bcf2000 to work with the consoles Sysex commands. Also, aren’t each console using different sysex commands making the commands console specific? That would complicate my plan!
Yup.
I am thinking more than likely a separate program that can listen for a scene change (or user pressed key) and then tell the console to output position data of whichever options it is preprogrammed to (not a whole data dump, which will take longer and I heard it crashes the bcf2000, not sure about the bcr2000).
If you’re up for that sort of challenge, that would be what you would need to do.
What mode does the console need to be in, in order to receive system commands (does it need to split off the connection set up for studio manager?) and can it get sysex and nrpn at the same time in the same ports or I believe I will need to use sysex from USB and nrpn from midi ports?
Go to the MIDI setup page on the console and turn on Parameter RX and TX. Both types of message will come from whatever MIDI port you select on the MIDI setup page. There is only 1 MIDI port selectable for MIDI messages, but another separate port can be chosen for SM communication on the older consoles.
Finally will the Sysex command output the data to nrpn or will it only update to the port the sysex is received from?
Sysex and NRPN are 2 different types of MIDI messages. You should take some time to read up on MIDI. One of those links I gave you has in the thread another link to additional MIDI information.