Starting my first project

[TomX]

Hi,

I'm new here, I've only just found out about MIDIbox and I'm very impressed and

I think I will be building a project very soon.

My project will be a controller for the Cubase SX mixer & Transport Controls. Now I've not read through the whole MidiBox website but I've been reading sections and I'm getting a feel for what I need for my project, I was hoping I could run it by you guys to make sure I'm getting things right? I hope that's ok :D

Core - Which PIC?

I noticed different PICs can be used for the core module, and I'm unsure which one I would need, I'm guessing it's probably down to which/how many modules I'm planning on using.

Fader Section

I want to have 8 motorised faders, along side each of the faders would be 4 buttons; mute, solo, select and view (view displays the channel window within cubase). Also for the mute, solo and select buttons I'd like an LED to indicate if it's on/selected.

For this I'm thinking I'll need the following modules

AIN - 8 x faders input

MF  - 8 x faders motors

DIN - 8 x mute buttons + 8 x solo buttons + 8 x select buttons + 8 view buttons

(total 32 buttons)

DOUT - 8 x mute LEDs + 8 x solo LEDs + 8 x select LEDs + 8 transport ctrls LEDs

(total 32 leds)

The transport controls are for the transport section mentioned below.

EQ Section

I was originally thinking I'd have 8 of these but I think that's probably a bit

over the top. Therefore I decided to have 1 set of EQ controls and then apply to the currently selected track (Cubase can do this).

The Cubase EQs are 4 band EQs with Freqence, Gain and Q controls and also an Enabled button for each band (with an LED indicator). Also here I'd like a Pan/Balance Control and 2 buttons to cycle through banks of faders (not really part of this section but there 2 DIN inputs spare so I thought I'd put them here.

Frequence, Gain, Q and Pan controls I'd like to all be rotary encoders with led

rings, for this I'm thinking I'll need the following modules:

DIN - 12 EQ encoders + 4 EQ buttons + 1 Pan encoder + 2 Bank Select buttons

DOUT - 13 x LED Rings + 4 x enable LEDs

Can 13 rings and 4 leds run off 1 DOUT?

Transport Section

This is simply the 8 transport buttons (each with with LED indicators supplied but the DOUT module in the Fader Section). I'd also like a Jog/Shuttle wheel but

I've not seen anything on the site mentioning these, would it be possible to add one using the spare inputs on this DIN module or would I need an AIN or different module for this?

DIN - Rwd, Back, Fwd, FFwd, Stop, Play, Rec & Cycle = 8 x Button + hopefully jog/shuttle wheel.

LCD Section (possibility)

This main thing I'd like displayed on an LCD would be the names of the tracks, now I'm not sure if it's possible to get cubase to transmit that information via midi? If it is possibile then what would be really nice would be a little LCD screen on each fader showing it's name for that channel but I fear this may require an LCD module for each screen and this may get too complicated in which case 1 screen showing the name of the currently selected track would be fine.

So my reckoning is that the total modules needed would be:

1 x CORE

1 x AIN

1 x MF

3 x DIN

2 x DOUT

1 x LCD (possible)

Is it possible to run all these together off 1 Core?

If anyone is kind enough to read through this and respond I will be very greatful.

Many thanks,

TomX

[pay_c]

I *KNOW* you probably don´t want to hear this, but read this: http://www.midibox.org/dokuwiki/doku.php

and look at the Midibox Gallery (in the forum and ucapps.de). There you´ll get a lot of impressions and ideas what´s possible and how.

Really read the Wiki, all (?) your questions are answered there. ;D

(Reminds me of: "What is the purpose of life?" - "42")

[TomX]

Come on, I wasn't asking for the be all, end all answer to the universe, I had some fairly specific questions haha...

I've read more info on the wiki, and this section talks about combining modules...

Hardware

AIN: Up to 64 analog inputs (pots/sliders/etc) are available by chaining two AINx4 modules

DIN: Up to 128 digital inputs (switches/encoders/etc) are available by chaining four DINx4 modules

DOUT: Up to 128 digital outputs (LED’s/7-segment LED digits/etc) are available by chaining four DOUTx4 modules

LCD’s: Up to 2 40×2 Character LCD displays (IE HD44780), 1 Graphical LCD (IE KS0108), 3x Nokia GLCD (IE PCD8544)

But I can't find whether I can use all of that (i.e. 2 AIN, 4 DIN & 4 DOUT) or whether it's 1 or the other (i.e. 2 AIN or 4 DIN or 4 DOUT), not I'm thinking and hoping its the first in which case my project is perfect, can you please just confirm that 1 thing?

Thanks

[pay_c]

Answer for the universe: 99 ;D ;D ;D ;)

Okokok, to get back: Yeah, you can combine the modules (just add an "and" between all the lines). Depending on the application you´re running some modules are limited though (e.g. the MB64 does not allow Encs, the MB64E allows pots, encs and everything else). So the *hardware* can control everything easily, it´s the application where you have to ask what *can* be used. BUT: 2 AINs, 4 DINs/DOUTs are easily possible without any problems.

If you want to find out what app can use what exactly check them all out at ucapps.de (I´m not *exactly* sure if it´s stated in the wiki).

Greetz & GOOD LUCK! :)

[moxi]

hi,

the response is in your answer: read carefully what is in your quote:

for example:

DIN: Up to 128 digital inputs...

and read the Ucapps page about Dinx4 module:

...every register provides 8 digital inputs...

...and there is 4 registers on 1 module... ;)

and not so far in the text I quote, you will find a part of your answer...

Welcome !

..there is no question that don't find an answer here...

[TomX]

Ahh, ok thanks guys, I hadn't actually realised that there were different applications as such, I though they were different configs of the same program...no worries there though, when it comes to electronics I'm a bumbling idiot, however when it comes to programming there's absolutely no problem there, that's what I'm good at :D

[ultra]

hi.  i started learning about electronics around last november and i've almost completed the wiring on my sequencer and a few other projects in between.  so i would encourage you to just jump in!  it's not so much being good at electronics as it is simply following directions :).  the hard work has already been done for you.

just take it one small step at a time and everything begins to unravel.  good luck!

drew

[doc]

Hi,

have a look at the midibox LC. It is the only configuration in your case which almosts suits perfekt.

You have several errors in your module configuration, so please have a look here http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_lc.html to find out which modules you need exactly.

For Cubase I can give you the following hints:

I want to have 8 motorised faders, along side each of the faders would be 4 buttons; mute, solo, select and view (view displays the channel window within cubase). Also for the mute, solo and select buttons I'd like an LED to indicate if it's on/selected.

There is no "view" button in Cubase and also the LC doesn't have this one. You can have a button called "Select". This buttons selects the channel in Cubase and then you can press a button Edit (only need once) to edit the channel settings.

It is also possible to config cubase to select the active channel by touching a fader. If you have a touch sensor fader, the channel strip is automatically selectrd by touching its fader.

The Eq-Section won't have dedicated controls in the LC. You can use the rotarys of the channel strip to change the settings in the EQ mode. The values are displayed in the LCDs.

If you press EQ from the assignement buttons the selected channel EQ is displayed over the 8 channelstrips and you can change the values with the encoders.

I'd also like a Jog/Shuttle wheel but

I've not seen anything on the site mentioning these, would it be possible to add one using the spare inputs on this DIN module or would I need an AIN or different module for this?

A Jog-Wheel is a encoder, not a pot. You need to connect to a DIN.

greets

Doc

[TomX]

Thanks for your detailed reply doc, I'd been looking at the LC project last night and had realised that it was a good starting point for my project. I will look at it in more detail this week end and try and work out the correct configuration then...also I'm full prepared to modify the code to get what I need, I already have had experience with and am confident PIC programming.

There is no "view" button in Cubase and also the LC doesn't have this one. You can have a button called "Select". This buttons selects the channel in Cubase and then you can press a button Edit (only need once) to edit the channel settings.

It is also possible to config cubase to select the active channel by touching a fader. If you have a touch sensor fader, the channel strip is automatically selectrd by touching its fader.

I didn't know that about touch faders, selecting from the fader is a very nice feature which I think I will use, thanks for that :D

The Eq-Section won't have dedicated controls in the LC. You can use the rotarys of the channel strip to change the settings in the EQ mode. The values are displayed in the LCDs.

If you press EQ from the assignement buttons the selected channel EQ is displayed over the 8 channelstrips and you can change the values with the encoders.

Ok thanks, I will look into this a bit more, to be honest I don't intend to have to rotary encoders on the channel strip and rather have them layed out in an eq frendly layout and set them up specifically for the eq...if this requires program modification then so be it.

A Jog-Wheel is a encoder, not a pot. You need to connect to a DIN.

OK

Thanks again, I just need to wait a couple of weeks until I have the spare cash to start work ;)

[doc]

Hi again,

..also I'm full prepared to modify the code to get what I need, I already have had experience with and am confident PIC programming.

If you use the LC, there is a big difference to other midibox projects:

You won't be able to program a lot of features because the LC runs as a "Mackie Universal Controller" under Cubase. You're not able to change this protocol. The "modifing" in your case is mostly the assignement of the knobs, encoders and Leds to the desired functions. The functions itself are solid and no subject to change. Have a look in the Source also. (Download section).

greets

Doc

[TomX]

Ok doc, I'll look into this. Thanks