Sendmasage bidirectional !?

[Fedo]

Hello,

I will build me an External Console for Freestyler, with Hardware Fader and Buttons.
It is possible to use sendmasage for remote Freestyler, but only in one way.
So then I use motorized Fader, I need the actual position of the Fader in the Freestyler programm, to avoid collisions.
Or the Pages switch by the Override Buttons.

Is it possibile to get this information form Freestyler to Windows for my application in VB or C# ?

Thanks for your answers,
Fernando

[dmxlighting]

Hello,

I will build me an External Console for Freestyler, with Hardware Fader and Buttons.
It is possible to use sendmasage for remote Freestyler, but only in one way.
So then I use motorized Fader, I need the actual position of the Fader in the Freestyler programm, to avoid collisions.
Or the Pages switch by the Override Buttons.

Is it possibile to get this information form Freestyler to Windows for my application in VB or C# ?

Thanks for your answers,
Fernando

You can do this using Midi. Get yourself a BCF2000 midi mixer (this has motorized faders!)

Some but not all midi features use 2 way communication. I think you will find it will do what you want.

[remco_k]

Hello,

I will build me an External Console for Freestyler, with Hardware Fader and Buttons.
It is possible to use sendmasage for remote Freestyler, but only in one way.
So then I use motorized Fader, I need the actual position of the Fader in the Freestyler programm, to avoid collisions.
Or the Pages switch by the Override Buttons.

Is it possibile to get this information form Freestyler to Windows for my application in VB or C# ?

Thanks for your answers,
Fernando

You should not use the SendMessage protocol for that. Windows intended it as a one way protocol and so it is. (well, with some tricks it is'nt).
But FreeStyler does not use those tricks, so SendMessage is one way only.

You should use midi instead.
Today I bought me a Korg NanoKontrol (midi over USB), playing a bit with it, works really good.

[Fedo]

Thanks for your answers!

@ dmxlighting
The BCF-2000 is very interesting for me, but the faders?
Are they in a good quality?

@ remco_k:
Just imagine that the MIDI In from this console (BCF-2000) route a music trigger signal to FreeStyler ? Is it possible ?

...Fedo

[remco_k]

@ remco_k:
Just imagine that the MIDI In from this console (BCF-2000) route a music trigger signal to FreeStyler ? Is it possible ?

I'm not sure what you are asking here. If you are asking that the BCF-2000 sends midi signals to FreeStyler and FreeStyler can work with them: yes.

[Fedo]

I'm not sure what you are asking here. If you are asking that the BCF-2000 sends midi signals to FreeStyler and FreeStyler can work with them: yes.

Yes, I will build me an Hardware soundtrigger modul. And in this configuration, I must use the Midi In from the BCF-2000 to rute my Signal to FreeStyler.
My Problem is, that I never work with Midi and dosen't know the command stucture so excatly. (So I will ask promt Wikipedia...)

And I is an painful question to the guy they had invent the Sound2Light modul in FS...

...Fedo

[remco_k]

Now I get it.
You are going to build some hardware that listens to your music, and triggers FreeStyler every beat through midi?
How does the BCF2000 fit in that picture? If you make hardware that spits out the right midi signal, it will be enough.
Edit:
Wait, I think I get it. Your custom sound module makes a midi signal, and since FreeStyler can only work with one midi device at a time, you need to plug it into the BCF2000 Midi-in connector. Am I right?
Just wondering: how are you going to make that module? What are you using to create a midi signal?

Why do you not use the S2L module for that?

[Fedo]

Now I get it.
Wait, I think I get it. Your custom sound module makes a midi signal, and since FreeStyler can only work with one midi device at a time, you need to plug it into the BCF2000 Midi-in connector. Am I right?

Yes, youre right. The BCF-2000 should translate the Midi to USB, course my Laptop has no Midi Input.

Just wondering: how are you going to make that module? What are you using to create a midi signal?

I have to build a sound trigger for an Strobo-Light and then I thought: Why not a second for my FreeStyler ?
Filter like: http://sound.westhost.com/project62b.htm and a little microcontroller for Midi comunications.
It's easy to do for me...

Why do you not use the S2L module for that?

Sorry, but I have tested the new Version of S2L. With diffrent Songs in winamp and some fixtures in FS.
There is no setting for an acceptable trigger Signal arisen.

..Fedo

[dmxlighting]

@ dmxlighting
The BCF-2000 is very interesting for me, but the faders?
Are they in a good quality?

Yes they seem to be very good. The whole device is bery well made. Ive had one for a few years now and never had any trouble but I do look after my kit!

Many FS users have one as its a very cost effective control devive and easily avalible on the web. Expect to pay upto £180 but if you shop around u could pick one up for nearer £100.

[remco_k]

Why do you not use the S2L module for that?

Sorry, but I have tested the new Version of S2L. With diffrent Songs in winamp and some fixtures in FS.
There is no setting for an acceptable trigger Signal arisen.

Then you'll be dissapionted in your own built detector for sure.
What you see on the website you gave (http://sound.westhost.com/project62b.htm) is what is exactly in my S2L application (AGC - Low pass filter - convert to trigger), but S2L has many more tricks built into it. Also in this schematics you can't set the frequency it needs to respond to.
I'm sure, without any doubt, that S2L has a better response than this design of getting bass triggers.
So, if S2L is failing for you now, then there are 2 options:
1. Something is wrong some where (bad connection, bad settings, bad soundcard, bad <fill it in>).
2. You are using a type of music where detecting a beat is realy hard.

In case of 2 then S2L nor this schematic will help you out. Can you provide an example? I'm willing to see if I can make S2L some better.

You'll be stealing your own time building this if you ask me. And afterwards you'll find it works like shit. AGC + LPF + Trigger is simply not enough to detect a beat. It will detect beats though... But not the way you want it.

Still I find its an iteresting project and I'm curious if you get good beat detection out of it. Keep us informed.

[Fedo]

Still I find its an iteresting project and I'm curious if you get good beat detection out of it. Keep us informed.

There's a good case to try it with S2L again. I'll inform you after my tests. And send you, if necessary, an .mp3 File...
Case 1.: I had played songs from Winamp, so connection errors were impossibly.

But I have to build one trigger for my stand alone Strobo. Of course with switchable frequency ranges (mid, high, low). The trigger-strobe will be used for live music, behind the drummer, for every BassDrum kick. (particulary for Mettal )
I this case, it is thruely simpler to find the beat, course you get the signal direct from the mic.

@ dmxlighting:
Thanks for the tip with the BFC-2000 too, I had never found it... So I'll save my money for that

...Fedo

[remco_k]

Still I find its an iteresting project and I'm curious if you get good beat detection out of it. Keep us informed.

There's a good case to try it with S2L again. I'll inform you after my tests. And send you, if necessary, an .mp3 File...
Case 1.: I had played songs from Winamp, so connection errors were impossibly.

Dit dmxlighting wrote that?
Still misconfiguration of your soundcard or volume controlls could mess up things.

But I have to build one trigger for my stand alone Strobo. Of course with switchable frequency ranges (mid, high, low). The trigger-strobe will be used for live music, behind the drummer, for every BassDrum kick. (particulary for Mettal )
I this case, it is thruely simpler to find the beat, course you get the signal direct from the mic.

Thats very true.

Getting a beat signal out of a line that only has the bassdrum in it, is easy and should be possible without any problems.
Just a tip you ofcourse already thought of: The same mic signal could be used to feed S2L.
So next to feeding to your standalone strobe, you can feed te rest of your lighting the 'same' signal so it all goes in sync.
If you have a DMX strobe, you'll be able to configure it in a way that it flashes on every beat using S2L in combination with FreeStyler and your audio source (bassdrum). you'll even have a way to make the flash rate twice (or more) as fast (so 2 flashes and 1 drum).

So lets turn it another way; since you've self built your strobe I'm guessing you don't have a DMX strobe. Maybe its a good project to adapt that self built strobe to respond to a DMX signal, that way you have full control over all your lights.

[Fedo]

Ok, there are two diffrent cases:
In the club, they have a light commander, some fixtures, a DMX-Srobe fixed in the middle of the room (not useed for live, only for disco...) and this old non-DMX-Stobe. The light commander is chasing stand alone sound triggert, usualy one sound guy is present. And this guy will make this special effect from the sound FOH.

The other case is: If an special event, or an outdor stage. (or my own equipment stand on any wedding party...) I will use my Laptop with FS . In this situation, I trigger all the lights syncron for sure.

..Fedo

[dmxlighting]

Dit dmxlighting wrote that?

Err no I didn't