RehabRob
tenfoot
RehabRob
We use the playlist and control the entire live show (including backing tracks, video cues, live cams, ...) with it in what I consider a flexible and easily maintainable manner. Of course, it took us a while to figure out the best setup as Sonar needs to interact with other software on other PCs but really the current playlist is at the heart of the system - and it works fine and has not let us down in more than 2 years of increasingly more complex live setup.
You may have seen this handy little beast already Rob, but if not check it out. I run it on the same laptop as Sonar, Ableton live and Traktor DJ, though as a standalone linked via loopbe30 midi rather than as a vst insert so that it can be triggered by all 3 programs at different times during the show. I believe there is now a version that has two dmx universes.
http://www.enttec.com/ind...=Products&pn=70570
Hey Bruce, are you reading my mind or my cookies??? ;-)
I was researching this thing not too long ago wondering if it would be save to run it off the Sonar PC or MIDI controlled from the video PC. Your info helps a lot as light, fog & fireworks (or maybe just light) is to be integrated next ...
Are you using predefined light scenes that you trigger via MIDI or do you use MIDI CC from Sonar tracks to adjust DMX parameters continuously along the playback???
BTW, here's a tip for you: I use BOME MIDI translator PRO to manipulate MIDI signals into all sort of other commands (e.g. batch files which exchange config files for video show setup dynamically, or control a home-made teleprompter)
Rob
Hey Rob.
Haha - great minds and all that:) With DMXIS I trigger scenes using midi notes. I previously used a dmx dimmer thast utilised aftertouch messages, but there there is no need to use continuous controller's as the dmxis software can do anything a dmx desk can, including channel masking and scene layering. For example, for continuous fades I send a single note that sets only the speed of the transition, and then a second note the triggers the scene I wish to fade to. For each chase I create a scene for each step, then trigger each step with a midi note. I have a project in Sonar with all of the scenes, chases and controls (smoke etc) saved as individually named clips. I have a track tremplate that loads 6 midi tracks (2 for bank changes, 4 for scene changes) and I just drag the midi clips across. Because each step of each chase is a midi note they automatically sync with the project tempo they are dragged into. Combined with masking and layering, there isn't much you can't do.
The other cool thing is it has batch settings and macros. For example, rather than having to refocus individual scenes in venues, you can set just the pan and tilt for who!e banks of scenes by adjusting one scene, then applying just the pan/tilt to the rest of the bank.
It all takes a bit of thinking through to make it suit your circumstance. Once done though, it is brilliant. It plays vrry well with Sonar and is rock solid. I use loopbe30 as a virtual midi patch bay between Sonar, DMXIS, Ableton live, Trakjtor DJ, and 2 instances of Lemur for remote control of the daw's.
It made much more sense for me to load DMXIS in stand alone mode and trigger the scenes via midi - it loads all scenes on startup and they stay resident, rather than having to load and unload with each song if you use it as a vst insert.
Thanks for the tip on Bome Midi translator - it looks great! Just jumping into the manual now. I am guessing you won't be needing loopbe30 for virtual midi ports:)