MIDI light control

Design Concepts
1

Hi

I’m new here. (I knew for this for some time, but it’s not until now that I’m able to get my hands on most parts, and so I will start building something now)

I’m not yet too much into music (I’m learning :slight_smile: ) so I’m thinking of building a midi light controller as a start.

On MIOS page it says it’s customisable, but all I can find are designs based on “official” projects (midibox64, midio128…), and now I don’t know how to connect core module (and program it) to work with something else…

Anyway, my idea is a modular midi-controlled light controller that can be used with normal light bulbs and LEDs (I have some ideas about that, but it’s not yet ready…) that can be controlled by midi control surface or sequencer (or computer, of course).

The stuff I don’t know is how to interface light dimmers/LED drivers with MIOS.

So my question is can I (and how) create and use my module with core?

Thanks

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Gimzo

2

Ok, I’ve seen TK made mios tv, so I guess it’s possible to make new modules for core. So where can I find some documentation about that?

Thanks

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Gimzo

3

ucapps.de or the wiki?

are you building an DMX module? Or what kinda light do you want to control?

4

OK, I figured out what I need to ask:

Is it possible to access a port (like J5) and use it as a 8bit digital out, or write a driver for a dimming circuit (not yet designed) that will be connected there instead of AIN module?

It says “There are also some application which use this pin as digital in- or output.” on the core page, but I haven’t seen any documentation/example of it on the site.

Thanks

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Gimzo

5

Great idea .. I use a professional NSI MIDI 616 Memory Lighting Control Console for my theatrical productions that works well as a source to control stage lighting coupled with a simple mini MIDI keyboard plugged into the lighting controller (that also can work as a stand-alone light controller without MIDI) to control up to 16 circuits of theatre lights.

Simply set a scene with up to 16 lights, then save that as a keystroke (say, C), then set another scene and save that as another keystroke (say C#) and another,  (say, D), etc. You get the point.

It’s sort of like registering an organ with pistons that you punch to energize various pre-selected ranks of pipes, except you can set the intensity of each lamp  individually in the light mix, whereas an organ sets the stoptab, but the swell pedal control intensity.

I can hardly wait to complete my own organ MIDIbox project, but I digress …

Then to perform the light cues for Act 1, Scene 1, simply “play” the C note on the synthesizer.

To transition to Act 1, Scene 2, simply “Play” the C# note of the synthesizer, etc. as each of these are set into MIDI memory . . . Saves a lot of fidgiting once the scenes have been configured to simply play a note on a keyboard instead of setting all 16 channels of lights.

If this can be accomplished via DIY MidiBoxes, what a breakthru for community theatre without the need for more than 16 channels of light circuits, or churches that transition from worship to weddings to baptisms, or whatever, by simply configuring and saving pre-set lighting cues on a synth keyboard or a MIDI button on a MiniBox.

By the way, these light mixers (slide faders that resemble a recording studio sound mixing console) simply send control TRIGGERS to master dimmer boxes (using lengths of microphone cords to interface the mixer to the dimmer boxes) … they do not directly control light bulbs.

pk

Hi

… my idea is a modular midi-controlled light controller …  that can be controlled by midi control surface or sequencer (or computer, of course).

The stuff I don’t know is how to interface light dimmers/LED drivers with MIOS.

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Gimzo

6

By the way, these light mixers (slide faders that resemble a recording studio sound mixing console) simply send control TRIGGERS to master dimmer boxes … they do not directly control light bulbs.

My idea is to build a dimmer box which will run MIOS and will be controllable by any MIDI console/sequencer.

I just need some info on creating modules/drivers on MIOS to be able to make dimmer control.

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Gimzo

7

For the case you missed this:

http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=5679.0

Best Regards, Thorsten.

8

Thanks, I did miss that, looks nice :slight_smile:

Anyway, I figured my project:

It will use only one core (for now). The core will handle all the midi communication, light dimmers will be triacs with digital triggers that will have parallel 8bit interfaces connected to the core on J5, and on J8 will be DOUT module used to select specific trigger. This configuration makes possible use of 128 lights (I’ll probably not do more than 20-30, for power problems :slight_smile: )

As dimmers will be self sustaining (they won’t need periodical refresh) latency isn’t much of a problem…

Now just to design dimmers, and I can start working on this, I’ll post here any news

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Gimzo

9

Assuming phase control dimming, (the usual for Triac circuits)

you might even consider small PICs for each dimmer, to handle the

phase timing for you.

LyleHaze

10

you might even consider small PICs for each dimmer, to handle the

phase timing for you.

I tought of that, but where I lie PICs are expensive and hard to get, so now I’m trying to make something out of logic circuits, if not then I’ll use atmel 2051 (they are a lot cheaper, but no programmers around…)

I’m already trying to do something with binary counters…

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Gimzo

11

Has anyone mentioned using CV outputs and adapting that to control lights (something in my mind says that could be used for theatre lighting…)

12

Hi,

Has anyone mentioned using CV outputs and adapting that to control lights (something in my mind says that could be used for theatre lighting…)

Sure this can be done. The standard for this purpose is 0 … 10V DC for the lightning control. So you have to adapt the CV Outs for this.

I would only do this if you have a lot of 0..10V Dimmer you want to control. If you build it new from the scratch, it’s better to use DMX for the control lines.

greets

Doc