47 replies to this topic

[novski]

Hi
Im know reading for 2 Days in this wonderful Forum about midibox_LC and i can't find out what the right stuff is to get for my own Idea.

There is a Guy Named kdiamond who wanted to do the same but far bigger thing then I'm looking for. Described on this Topic: advanced hardware controller

He actualy wanted the same solution as i do. - To control SAC (softwareaudioconsole) with some thing more handy than a PC - mouse.

Looking through the LC Pages i found this chart: MC_protocol which contains SAW Studio commands. SAW Studio is the Daddy of SAC made by the same company (RML Labs) and has the almost same Midi commands, of corse with al the Time based stuff i don't need because - I'm al the time Live...

So first of al i wold like to get Hardware with witch i can slowly increase the task.

I red about the LC witch is made up on the Core of an PIC. But i also red about that: Upcoming MBHP mf ng module
Know I'm confused.

First:

If i whant to get started with 1Fader, 1Rotary, 2 Buttons and maybe a little Display. What is the best to Buy? -What Core is "up to Date and expandable"?
considering that i what to continue after getting that done to a Controller that has: 1 Fader, 11 Rotary, 25 Buttons, 1 Display and is extendable with more Fadermodules...
I wold also like the idea of getting it plugged in my PC by one USB Cable...
The Inventor of SAC is Programing a new Version (on work since 2011) with controlling functions over TCP/IP... Maybe it wold be good to be upgradeable...

Second:

The mc_protocol_mappings chart does not contain al the needed controlls of SAC. (i wold want to get access to the Dynamics as well...)
if i sniff those commands, am i able to get those in to that software package?

And where do i find that Package? - The Link on top of that page drags me to the forum not to a specific topic...

Well at al i can say I'm very interested in that uCApps Project. Im from Switzerland and working for about 8 Jears in Pro Audio Projects as Installer and Live engineer. I made my apprenticeship as a Multimedia electronics technician before so, i know enough about Circuits but hardly anything about real programming.
Its time to get in that know...

Edited by novski, 09 March 2012 - 17:36.

[novski]

OK boys. I just orderd all. I will tell you more nice stories in a few weeks.

[novski]

I have a Question about the "Macke Control Protocol Software Mappings" and MIOS.

For Testing i tried to catch the Midi command that comes from a Behringer BCF2000 by pressing "Mute" in Channel 1. in MIOS. I connected the USB of my Behringer to the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT of MIOS

The Document "Macke Control Protocaol Software Mappings" describes that pressing Mute for SAW Studio means sending a "Ch1 E0"
What i receive from my Behringer Controller is "[26158.199] b0 49 7f" for "Mute" ON and "[26156.803] b0 49 00" for Mute OFF.
The Behringer BCF2000 works with SAW Studio well.

How can i interpret those Commands?

can i replicate those commands with the Keyboard in MIOS Studio?
I wold like to test different commands by sending commands from MIOS Studio - MIDI Out to SAW Studio. Or am i making a Error-Lapse?

Thanks for Help by understanding those Protocols..

[TK.]

Bx is a CC event which can't be sent with the keyboard of MIOS Studio (it only sends note on/off commands).
49 and 7f are hexadecimal numbers (0x49 -> the CC number, 0x7f -> the CC value)

You could send it directly from your core module of course...
Or if your operating system supports this: from the SysEx window of MIOS Studio.
Or - maybe the most comfortable solution - with Ctrlr

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[novski]

Hi TK
Thanks for your reply.
im testing Ctrlr. but thats hard stuff...
In the mean time i captured several codes thad do something. Now i read something from a Guy who made a Behringer BCR work with SAC. I just post a part of the Instruction of his Programm:

So why bother with SACCS? Why not simply program the BCR-2000 to emit codes that SAC directly understands? If SAC provided a generic MIDI template that provided complete access to all the user- manipulated controls in SAC, this would be a possibility. Unfortunately, SAC does not have such a MIDI template. The closest MIDI template SAC provides with complete control is the Mackie MCU control sur-

face; unfortunately, SAC “overloads” most of the SAC functions on eight rotary encoders (“VPots”). The same MIDI command to SAC does different things depending upon what “mode” the Mackie MCU is in. That’s were SACCS comes in -- it keeps track of the current mode (or switches to a known mode when the current mode is unknown) before sending the VPot com- mands to SAC. This allows the 32 different rotary knobs on the BCR-2000 to function like a sequence of button presses and 8 knob turns on the Mackie unit.

wil i be able to switch those "modes" of a Mackie MCU with a Midibox_LC ?

[novski]

Im searching for the schematics of the old MotorFader Module. MF_V1.
Where can i find that?
Thanks

Edit: Sorry just found: http://www.ucapps.de/mbhp/mbhp_mf.pdf

Edited by novski, 21 April 2012 - 11:49.

[novski]

I have a Problem with my brand new MF_NG V1. I Assembled it two days ago and can't get it running. All the Voltages on IC 1-9 are correct and i can't find any mistake on the Board. I got one of the first MF_NG Kits from SmashTV and Tim bruned my PIC to ID 12. Now when i connect my 12V current to J1 the fader (i just connected one...) flips down, but the status LED never lights up.
I found a sheet that describes on a CORE to connect al Fader outputs to ground if there are not used connections. May i have to do that with the MF_NG module as well? If yes, what do i do with the open connections of the touch sensors?

[TK.]

I would like to know if you've upload the MBHP_MF_NG firmware via MIOS Studio?
(I assume that MIOS V1.9g is already installed, so that you can directly upload the app)

If not, nothing will work, because no application is installed...

Yes, unused analog inputs have to be connected to ground.
The unused digital inputs (touch sensor inputs) can be left open.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[novski]

I would like to know if you've upload the MBHP_MF_NG firmware via MIOS Studio?
(I assume that MIOS V1.9g is already installed, so that you can directly upload the app)

If not, nothing will work, because no application is installed...

Yes, unused analog inputs have to be connected to ground.
The unused digital inputs (touch sensor inputs) can be left open.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Hi TK!
Yes, the sticker on top of my PIC lets me know that there is MIOS 1.9g installed. (i hope this is so...)
I tried to connect to MIOS Studio but it doesn't get response from the module.
I tried The CORE as well as the MF_NG.
The Midi interface i have is from Conrad. A single USB to Midi IN/OUT cable and the out LED on top of the Interface list up when i press Query.
Strange is that the Status LED does not light up. What is nessasary to make it light up? Just Firmware ore App as well?
Thank you.
Ivan

[TK.]

The status LED will start to flash once the application has been uploaded.

Here the link to the troubleshooting guide, which is also valid for the MBHP_MF_NG module: http://www.ucapps.de...debug_midi.html

Btw.: which MIDI interface are you using exactly?
Some cheapo interfaces (like this one) won't work, because they can't handle SysEx properly.

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[novski]

http://www.conrad.ch...-USB-MIDI-KABEL

Das nutze ich.

[novski]

I got my RME Fireface now connected but i still have the same problem.
How can i figure out if the firmware is on or not? Do i need that boot loader for that?

Edited by novski, 22 April 2012 - 20:51.

[novski]

i got connection!
Tim made a mistake and burned it to ID 18 instead as written on top to 12. Maybe somebody else now has a 12 instead of a 18...?

[novski]

TK i wold like to thank you for your help and that Project. I just got a fader running under SAC within some hours. Thats just unbelievable!
There are several steps to go, to get the Remote i need. But I'm really happy right now.

You are great!

[TK.]

Thanks! I'm glad that you got it working!

Note that the error isn't really at Tim's side, it's a more a conversion or documentation problem.
Probably you specified the device ID in hexadecimal format (0x12), which is 18 in decimal format (as selectable in MIOS Studio)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[novski]

Thanks! I'm glad that you got it working!

Note that the error isn't really at Tim's side, it's a more a conversion or documentation problem.
Probably you specified the device ID in hexadecimal format (0x12), which is 18 in decimal format (as selectable in MIOS Studio)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

Ufff. yes of course!

thx

[novski]

I have a problem i can't manage by my own.
As soon as i connect to my SAC and move the fader to top, by reaching over Middle the fader starts to move from alone to the top and then by fading down over the middle it starts to go to bottom by its self. (after the Middle...)

I can't figure out what those words/possibilities mean:
MinDutyUp
MaxDutyUp
Fader witch should be traced
AIN Deadband
MF Deadband

does anybody have a config file for a ALPS RSAON11M9? so i can compare...

I use just one Fader and the other connections A1-7 are connected to ground.

-And, is it normal that i can't touch the Stab IC. LM317 / 7805 because of heat? I tried 8V and 5V on D2 the head does not change...
Thanks

[TK.]

The default configuration is working perfectly with ALPS RSAON11M9 when the motors are supplied at 5V
I'm using exactly this configuration for my MBLC.

Heat: maybe the input voltage is too high. The voltage difference between J1 and J2, multiplied with the current, will be translated into heat!

As soon as i connect to my SAC and move the fader to top, by reaching over Middle the fader starts to move from alone to the top and then by fading down over the middle it starts to go to bottom by its self. (after the Middle...)

Does this happen with the default configuration?
If this isn't related to the configuration, it sounds a bit like if you would use faders with logarithmic scale (do you know how to determine this?) -> won't work, linear faders are required!

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[novski]

Hi TK
I checked my Fader and printed out the Data-sheet from Alps and found out that it is Linear. I measured it to go sure and measured at halfway 5k so it has to be fine...
Then i checked on the input voltage. It is 11.74V by running NG module.
Then i thought about your advice to not use cheap MIDI - USB Interfaces and that i installed the App before knowing that. So i installed the App again and now its gone! it works really smoot on fading.

Then i recognised that touching the housing of the alps fader makes the module send midi. I see the LED on my Fireface blinking by touching the housing but not by touching the faderneck (metal T-peace). In fact it makes the virtual fader of my program jump between +/-0.25 and +/-0.75 dB. I figured out that it is possible to interrupt those jumps by grounding the housing of the Fader. But thats not so simple because there is no soldering point or so on the housing it self.

Is there a way to flatten that trembling in the software?

Edited by novski, 27 April 2012 - 16:47.

[Pyjaman]

Hi TK
I checked my Fader and printed out the Data-sheet from Alps and found out that it is Linear. I measured it to go sure and measured at halfway 5k so it has to be fine...
Then i checked on the input voltage. It is 11.74V by running NG module.
Then i thought about your advice to not use cheap MIDI - USB Interfaces and that i installed the App before knowing that. So i installed the App again and now its gone! it works really smoot on fading.

Then i recognised that touching the housing of the alps fader makes the module send midi. I see the LED on my Fireface blinking by touching the housing but not by touching the faderneck (metal T-peace). In fact it makes the virtual fader of my program jump between +/-0.25 and +/-0.75 dB. I figured out that it is possible to interrupt those jumps by grounding the housing of the Fader. But thats not so simple because there is no soldering point or so on the housing it self.

Is there a way to flatten that trembling in the software?

Hi, I guess you will mount your fader in a box at the end. with a grounded metal top panel, you will ground you fader's body by simple contact with it or with the help of the mounting screw. If you don't have a metal top panel, just pinch a piece of wire or a small ground lug between the panel and the fader at one of the mounting end.

Regards,
Laurent.