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Midi Show Control question (From Grand MA)


PierreLucB

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Hi,

 

I'm currently working on a show where we would like the lighting board (Grand MA 1) to trigger Watchout (Production computer).

The best options are Midi Show Control and Artnet. MSC to me seems perhaps better because you can recall specific cues. Something that one cannot do with Artnet.

 

Though right now I have a couple issues with the Midi Show Control. I got it to work, even over ethernet which is great but:

 

1-my show killer at the moment is the RESET command. Because the RESET MSC command stops ALL timelines (Main and Aux) even when the Cue List is specified in the incoming MSC message. The Grand MA outputs RESET command when pressing the OFF key, which is used quite a bit. But when it does so it also specifies a Cue List. The problem is that Watchout doesn't care about the Cue List Parameter.

 

In Grand MA it is very common to use multiple Executors (Controls of Sequences - Go+ - Go- - Load - OFF - etc) so one executor can be used for Lighting, one for special effects and one could be used for Watchout but if the RESTORE command doesn't listen to the Cue List it's a big problem because all executors can reset ALL timelines. Meaning your lighting sequence could RESET all Videos cues. Not good.

 

So could Watchout listen to the cue list parameters of the RESET command? Is there a way to tell it do so in a command file I can create? Or is this something you could do in an upcoming release? Perhaps the command could Reset everything only if no cue list is specified.

 

2-There is no way to go into Stand By mode from the GrandMA using MSC because it does not output ALL OFF or RESTORE. But it is capable of outputting FIRE commands so maybe macro 1 and 2 could be Stand By ON & Stand By OFF or again. Or if there would be a way in Watchout to manually assign different MSC commands to action in Watchout that would be great. Then more devices could talk to Watchout because any commands be used for any action.

 

Otherwise more options for using Artnet IN data to control watchout would be great. Ex: specific cues, next, previous, load, stand by, play, pause.

 

Thank you. I look forward to hearing the possibilities.

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  • 2 weeks later...

That's one way of going about it but I'd would rather not have add additional pieces of hardware or software. Thought I might have to...

I want to send the commands over network so having external hardware is not a good option for us. I found a software that can filter midi commands but it's a bit scary to use something like that because if ever this software isn't present or does not respond properly the reset command (which is used in the show) will put all video projectors to black. So again, I'd rather not do that.

 

Which leaves me to ask again if it is possible for Watchout to Ignore the RESET command.  I really don't need it. I can always make a cue at 00:00:00 and recall that cue if needed. I pretty sure the answer is no but maybe there are custom solutions that are not mentioned in the manuals.

 

I'm also trying to get some info from the GrandMA support but so far no luck...

 

Thank you.

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  • 6 months later...

In a recent show in Toronto we experienced something similar

Watchout was recieving most control from Time code as was the lighting desk but occasionally there were manual goes for both Video and Lighting.

One of the manual controls was for lighting to fire a series of cues on a different playback fader to trigger strobes. This cue stack would run its course and reset to off which sent the command 00:00:00 out to watchout from MSC. This would instantly send the playback head to the top of the main time line briefly then Timecode would jump the cursor back to wear it was meant to go.

I realize that the WATCHOUT msc input is not very complicated and has no filters. Has anyone configured a GrandMA 2 to not send this midid command? 

Ben Chaisson

Playground Studios

Toronto

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