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General. Qu. SQ. Sending CC MIDI messages from an app over TCP/IP to control QU/SQ

  • Updated

To send CC messages from an iPad to control Input Channels; the message needs to be sent over TCP/IP to the computer’s MIDI Network Driver, and then onto the CC translator via the A&H MIDI Control Driver in order to perform the necessary translation from CC to NRPN, as input channels require NRPN messages to be controlled via MIDI on both Qu and SQ.

  • Equipment required:
    • Mixer
    • Mac computer
    • iPad
    • Router or access point
    • 1 USB cable
    • 1 CAT5 cable

  • Connections:
    • Mixer to computer via USB B
    • Mac computer to a router or access point via Wi-Fi or CAT5 cable
    • iPad to same Wi-Fi network of the router

  • Create a network communication bridge between the iPad and computer to send and receive MIDI messages
    • On the Mac, go to Applications > Audio MIDI Setup > Window à MIDI Studio > Double click on “Network”.

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  • To create a new session, click on the + symbol under My Sessions, add the name and Bonjour name (can be the same) under Session and click “Enabled”.

  • For this example, the network session has been named “Computer” and the Bonjour name has been taken automatically from the computer’s information.

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  • Once the iPad has been configured on the same network as the computer, the iPad will appear under the directory box.

  • Select the iPad and click connect. It should then appear inside the “Participants” window, which means that any device under the participants roll will be able to communicate with the computer.

  • On the bottom corner of the MIDI Network Setup window, select CC translator Inputs for inbound and outbound communication via Live Routings.
    • The “Live routings” selection enables data that is generated from the MIDI device to be sent via the network connection without a third-party routing application.
    • It allows the Network Session to be selected as MIDI in or MIDI out endpoints to direct MIDI messages to hardware that cannot see the Network Session.

To know more about MIDI Network Setup, here’s an article from the Apple Support website:
Share MIDI information over a network in Audio MIDI Setup on Mac - Apple Support

  • In the A&H MIDI Control Driver V2.00 (or DAW CONTROL V1.7+)
    • Mixer = Select to match your mixer.
    • Protocol = “CC Translator”
      • The message being sent from the iPad will be a CC message, which is being translated into NRPN for the mixer to read.
    • Select “MIDI Ports”
      • Network communication is only happening between iPad and Computer
      • Communication between Computer and Mixer is using USB.
    • Input port = Select your mixer’s “MIDI Out”
      • The input port will receive MIDI messages from the selected source to send back into the computer. This won’t be used for this particular exercise, but it is recommended to leave as the MIDI output of the mixer to allow bi-directional control, in which case the message will be received as NRPN and translated to CC message
    • Output port = Select your mixer’s “MIDI In”
      • This means that any CC MIDI message received at the CC Translator will be translated to an NRPN message and sent to the MIXER

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Note: In the latest version of the A&H MIDI Control Driver, the MIDI Channel is automatically set to match the MIDI Channel selected at the mixer.
Only when selecting a protocol to control a DAW (HUI or Mackie Control), the option to select MIDI Channel will be available.
In the A&H DAW Control Driver, the MIDI channel can be set to match the MIDI channel selected on the mixer.

  • On the iPad MIDI app
    • Create a MIDI command:
      • Type of message = Control Change
      • Control Change value = The value assigned to the mixer channel (Refer to the MIDI Control documentation to find a list of these values: AH-MIDI-Control-V2.00-Help.pdf (allen-heath.com))
      • MIDI Channel = Same MIDI Channel as selected on the mixer (For example: If the Mixer is set to MIDI Channel 1, set the MIDI Channel on the app to 1)
  • MIDI Monitor app can be used to verify that the whole process is happening as desired.
    • In the example below, there is a message being sent from the Network (iPad) > Which at the same time is being sent to the CC translator > and then to the MIDI Input port of the Mixer through DAW Control as an NRPN message.

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  • Example with “Knob Lab” (free) app and SQ:
    • CC value is 0, which controls Input fader #1
    • Left and Right values represent the total of values in the fader’s path
    • Left Value 0 = - ∞ Level
    • Right Value 127 = +10 Level

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  • What happens if “Live Routings” is not enabled?
    • Selecting the Input Port as the Network Session on MIDI/DAW Control may seem like the routing step to direct the MIDI message from the iPad to the CC Translator without having to enable “Live Routings” on the MIDI Network Setup, however, MIDI Control cannot receive the message directly from the Network without enabling that bridge to the endpoint.
    • The computer will receive a MIDI message from the Network participant (iPad), but that message is not being re-directed through to the CC translator (MIDI/DAW Control).

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