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[David Buller]

Hello,
This is my first time here. I am a guitarist in a dance/pop band that got thrust into the lighting position, even though I have basically zero experience with lights and DMX.

The band just purchased 8 Chauvet Colorband PiX to run with some of the lights we already have. Our controller is an old Operator II that is dying (it is pretty sketchy most of the time). I'd like to take full advantage of the these new lights as well as the Chauvet Intimidator spots and lasers we have. It looks like maybe we should get a program like MyDMX or Show Express to control all of the channels for the lights we have, as well as some more we'd like to get, but our 2 singers control changes with a midi footcontroller and don't want to change from that. We mix and control lights from stage.

Is it possible to control a program like MyDMX or Show Express (or any other) with a midi footcontroller? Any advice suggestions is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
David

[Mac Kerr]

Hello,
This is my first time here. I am a guitarist

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac

[David Buller]

Please go to your profile and change the "Name" field to your real first and last name as required by the posting rules displayed in the header at the top of the section, and in the Site Rules and Suggestions in the Forum Announcements section, and on the registration page when you registered.

Mac

Fixed. My bad. 

[Rob Gow]

Program with a foot controller, or use the controller to change scenes during a gig?

[David Buller]

Program with a foot controller, or use the controller to change scenes during a gig?

Just use the foot controller for scene changes.

[Mal Brown]

I run the Luminaire app on an Ipad2 $80 when it's on sale.  I use an interface from eDMXKing hooked to a router.  It is powered via the USB port on the router. 
Luminair is TouchOSC compliant and so midi control by external surfaces (foot switch) is possible.

When I do lights from stage p, I put the iPad on a spare mic stand and trigger it between songs.  Note that I use a lot of scenes and Luminair lets me create 'stacks' of scenes.  I select a stack and run it on a loop with tap tempo or just grab a full wash scene and call it good. 

There is a Black Out button easily reachable.

You can probably do this cheaper using Show Designer, a sacrificial laptop and a cheap usb /dmx dongle.  If something goes bad and you get AC coming down the dmx line, kiss the laptop goodbye - after it finishes smoking of course...    One advantage to the more expensive $200 ethernet to DMX interface is the opto / electrical isolation...

I went iPad, eDMXKing (Enntec compatible) and Luminar for the size.  I occasionally do a gig where everything is moved in my Subaru outback wagon.  This is a small as you can get...

[David Buller]

A friend recommended that I get DMXIS and that it would be more stable and consistent than MYDMX or Show Express. But once again, I am back to the question of how to change scenes with a midi foot controller. My friend did not have an answer to this question. I work for Musician's Friend at their DC in Kansas City and lean towards products we carry (AMDJ, Chauvet, Elatiion) so I can use my employee discount, but I just need something that is easy and reliable. We are currently using a Rocktron midimate for scene changes and it works great.

[Josh Daws]

use Martin MPC (its free) and use an Entted DMX USB OPEN dongle, combine it with Touch OSC (5bucks) + router, and you are [email protected] cost can be as little as about $120 + ipad if you don't have one!

[Jeff Lelko]

I'll throw MagicQ PC into the mix like I usually do for these threads just because I've been a happy user of that product for the past decade and know this product can fill your needs, MIDI foot controller and all.  The software itself is free, a DMX interface will run about $100, but you'll be forced to use the Chamsys MIDI Interface which is not cheap and will likely be a deal breaker for you given the price range of the other products you're looking at.  It'd also be major overkill for what you're doing.  Martin MPC will almost certainly work out to be the cheaper option here, but since both programs are free, download them both to see which one you think you'll like more before you sink money into anything.

DMXIS (from what little I've played with) is very basic DMX software.  MagicQ and MPC will both fly clear above this in capability and functionality.  I'd even take MYDMX over DMXIS, but that's a personal opinion.  The only reason I've ever considered adding a license of DMXIS to my inventory is the same reason that it might be the right solution for you - it can work seamlessly with sequencers like FL Studio, Ableton, Cubase, etc., all on the same computer.  This means that you can rig a midi controller into the software of your choice (in my case, FL Studio), and write programs that will coordinate your lights along with whatever inputs you give it.  If you can do without the need for super-high channel counts, intertwined cue stacks, macros, etc., this will be the best bang to buck and get you what you need.  You even get some nice 'canned' effects that mimic what you'd find on a controller costing 10 times as much!

[Rob Gow]

A friend recommended that I get DMXIS and that it would be more stable and consistent than MYDMX or Show Express. But once again, I am back to the question of how to change scenes with a midi foot controller. My friend did not have an answer to this question. I work for Musician's Friend at their DC in Kansas City and lean towards products we carry (AMDJ, Chauvet, Elatiion) so I can use my employee discount, but I just need something that is easy and reliable. We are currently using a Rocktron midimate for scene changes and it works great.

To change scenes with a midi controller and DMXIS, I use a Behringer FCB1010 ($160), and a Roland UM-One USB to MIDI interface. It's just plug and play.

[ProSoundWeb Community]