Tempo and cue light display

[The Elf]

I'm going to guess that the answer to this question is 'Arduino', but I will ask it anyway!

I'd like to send some MIDI data (most likely a MIDI CC) to a self-contained device that will flash lights to reflect the data value being received, 0=off, 127=on (or note on/off, maybe).

So on receipt of MIDI CC21=127 a red light comes on; on receipt of MIDI CC22=127 a yellow light comes on; on receipt of MIDI CC21=0 the red light switches off.

I guess I'm going to have to grasp the C nettle once again (ugh! ), but is this do-able?

Any other (maybe simpler) ideas out there?

[Adam Inglis]

For tempo, I like the visual ballistics of this...
https://www.innerclocksystems.com/vct

[BJG145]

For tempo, I like the visual ballistics of this

Maybe, though most of the people I play with would need a Throne Thumper turned up to 11.

Maybe there's a market for something that's a cross between Pavlok and Soundbrenner, which delivers electric shocks to musicians when they play out of time.

I'm going to guess that the answer to this question is 'Arduino'

Yep!

[n o i s e f l e ur]

Paul - there some little hardware boxes that run Pure Data.

I'd think it would be a lot easier to knock something up in that as opposed to resorting to C on Arduino / Teensy et al, especially if you're familiar with Max.

There are a few M4L devices floating about to provide a visual metronome you could probably gank to provide a decent starting point for the code-design.

[The Elf]

Thanks guys.

The metronome aspect of this is secondary to the cue countdown that is the main thing I need to build.

At the moment I rely on lending out an old iPad, but that's not an ideal situation, although the cue system itself has proved very successful.

[The Elf]

Paul - there some little hardware boxes that run Pure Data.

I'd think it would be a lot easier to knock something up in that as opposed to resorting to C on Arduino / Teensy et al, especially if you're familiar with Max.

There are a few M4L devices floating about to provide a visual metronome you could probably gank to provide a decent starting point for the code-design.

Can you please point me to a few URLs? I'm not familiar with any of this.

[n o i s e f l e ur]

Having posted the suggestion I actually did try and track down some more detailed info on this earlier, but it looks like I may have overstated the case.

There's the Critter&Guitari Organelle, which runs Pd patches but that seems to be a synthesiser only. I think this was probably the hardware I had in mind, but looking at the price . . . yeah - no. You could hand out a few old iPads for that money.

If you scroll down this page:

https://puredata.info/

. . . you can see it's available to run on RaspberryPi, iOS and Android - but I presume you've already got that far.

Hell, I even tried to find the M4L devices over @ maxforlive.com but that place is an absolute mess of Me Too stuff. I've definitely seen some devices along the lines of what you're seeking but the specifics are lost to the mists of time. I have come across M4L devices that do both of the tasks you need but at this point I can't say whether I ran across them there, or over at the Ableton forums (where some regulars post links to their wares for sale on Gumroad).

I have to hold my hand up here and admit my intention to be helpful outstripped my ability.

Oh well, perhaps the notion that Pd could be easier than coding almost to the metal in C might prove somewhat useful? Of course, if you have to learn a whole new platform, maybe not.

[The Elf]

It looks like this goes a long way towards what I'm wanting to do:
https://youtu.be/AYx55nj5vSo

It's a shame I'm so baffled by OO languages - I could rustle this up in minutes in procedural BASIC, or 6502 assembler!

Still, as long as I can get the basic thing working I think the door is now open. Hopefully I can figure out well enough how the code works to get what I need.

[The Elf]

Arduino starter kit ordered. Wish me luck!

[James Perrett]

It looks like this goes a long way towards what I'm wanting to do:
https://youtu.be/AYx55nj5vSo

It's a shame I'm so baffled by OO languages - I could rustle this up in minutes in procedural BASIC, or 6502 assembler!

Still, as long as I can get the basic thing working I think the door is now open. Hopefully I can figure out well enough how the code works to get what I need.

Arduino is just C with a thin wrapper on top (as I understand it) and is procedural. I'm not sure why they use the dots in those function names in the video as I don't think MIDI is actually an object. I don't think you'll have any problem if you are prepared to learn a little bit of C. Maybe I should set our 9 year old onto it as he has an Arduino and an interest in making electronic noises.

[manwilde]

Would Reaper's "Visual Click" be of any use to you?

https://youtu.be/XRVcSKt0omo

[The Elf]

Arduino is just C with a thin wrapper on top (as I understand it) and is procedural. I'm not sure why they use the dots in those function names in the video as I don't think MIDI is actually an object. I don't think you'll have any problem if you are prepared to learn a little bit of C. Maybe I should set our 9 year old onto it as he has an Arduino and an interest in making electronic noises.

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, I'm sure I can get enough of a grasp to get the thing working. But I may be back to call in your son's expertise when the reality kicks in!

[The Elf]

Would Reaper's "Visual Click" be of any use to you?
https://youtu.be/XRVcSKt0omo

Thanks for the thought. I don't see how I could externalise that to a box, though? This has to be a simple set of cue lights to make it workable.

More importantly this is not primarily about creating a visual metronome, though I can see that being a secondary use. Primarily I need to provide countdown cues. In other words, before (for example) the guitarist's solo he will see a red light light come on a couple of bars before he's in, then a countdown of lights to his first note.

I already have this system working to an iPad, but needless to say that nobody wants to use an iPad. Present them with a black box with four lights on and everyone will be happy!

[BillB]

Out of interest, what is generating the MIDI data / countdown CCs?

[manwilde]

I was thinking of having the visual click on a secondary monitor, and even having this split on two screens, one at the control room and another at the tracking. Combine this setup with your preroll and/or count-in settings of choice, and well... maybe not exactly what you are looking for, but quite close, IMHO.
Anyway, sorry if it doesn't seem appropiate to your needs.

[The Elf]

Out of interest, what is generating the MIDI data / countdown CCs?

Controller messages from Cantabile - which are referenced to a backing track.

[The Elf]

I was thinking of having the visual click on a secondary monitor, and even having this split on two screens...

Unfortunately there's no way I would get these guys to accept anything with a screen!

This is for stage - not studio. A couple of MIDI cables to a couple of black boxes will be accepted - anything more tecchy and I guarantee it will not get past the Luddite fringe!

[n o i s e f l e ur]

A quick websearch revealed some hits for Cantabile re: MIDI > DMX . . . perhaps a solution already exists for controlling a straightforward box of lights down that route?

[manwilde]

- anything more tecchy and I guarantee it will not get past the Luddite fringe!

Fair enough!

[The Elf]

A quick websearch revealed some hits for Cantabile re: MIDI > DMX . . . perhaps a solution already exists for controlling a straightforward box of lights down that route?

Thanks, I'll take a look.

I seem to have created clean Arduino code. I now await the test hardware arriving, whereupon I can build my test rig, run my code and then consider how I'm going to put together the 'robust' working hardware version.

Ideally I'd like to scale up from tiny LEDs to something more visible - maybe use white LEDs and place each under a bit of coloured plastic? I'm useless at DIY!

Anyway, one step at a time. First to test the circuitry and my code...

[James Perrett]

Have you found the Arduino emulator? This is the one that we've installed here

https://www.sites.google.com/site/unoardusim/home

It can emulate various external hardware as well as emulating the Arduino itself.

I bought a bunch of large 10mm LED's in various colours from Ebay which seem very bright and can be driven directly from the Arduino through current limiting resistors.

[n o i s e f l e ur]

A quick websearch revealed some hits for Cantabile re: MIDI > DMX . . . perhaps a solution already exists for controlling a straightforward box of lights down that route?

Thanks, I'll take a look.

I seem to have created clean Arduino code. I now await the test hardware arriving, whereupon I can build my test rig, run my code and then consider how I'm going to put together the 'robust' working hardware version.

Ideally I'd like to scale up from tiny LEDs to something more visible - maybe use white LEDs and place each under a bit of coloured plastic? I'm useless at DIY!

Anyway, one step at a time. First to test the circuitry and my code...

Looks like you've the situation well in hand - I guess my own experiences trying to reinvent some quite complex wheels in the past tend to send me in search of pre-existing wheels these days.

Best of luck with it!

[The Elf]

Have you found the Arduino emulator? This is the one that we've installed here...

This would be a really good aid, but it doesn't have the MIDI library included and I can't see any way to add it.

I bought a bunch of large 10mm LED's in various colours from Ebay which seem very bright and can be driven directly from the Arduino through current limiting resistors.

Sounds good, but my electronics knowledge is very basic! What constitutes a 'current limiting resistor'? What resistors would I need, and where would they be placed?

Really appreciate the advice!

[James Perrett]

I just had a quick play with the sample code from the Midi library from the Arduino website and I seem to be getting error messages about paths to the library in the emulator. The sample code compiles fine in the normal Arduino software so I guess the emulator hasn't been set up to find all the library files yet (or maybe I need to update my old version of the emulator).

You need a resistor in series with the LED. I'm always a bit cautious so I'd start with something like 390 ohms which should give around 10mA through the LED with a 5 volt output. If you don't have a 390 ohm resistor to hand you could go up to 1k or even slightly higher for testing although lower values will give you a brighter LED.

[forumuser840717]

Would something like this MIDI controlled relay module be any help? I've used a few of these in very simple show control/cueing applications for theatrical stuff, just to fire basic switch commands via the relays from MIDI from a sequencer or MSC system to kit that doesn't understand MSC messages. Using them to switch cue lights on and off is very simple.