Can you use Yamaha Mixer M7CL scenes to control a playlist of songs

[tomgray]

I'm using the board for a Christmas Play. I was wondering if it is possible to Start, Stop and increment a playlist of songs and sound effects by changing scenes with the M7CL. It has a Midi out, but I don't know how to use it.
Thank you,
Tom

[Tim Padrick]

You can put the tunes (as MP3 files) on a usb stick and play them. I believe you can have them start when a particular scene is recalled, or you can program a USD for each one (I'm not positive that you can play multiple files with UDKs, but you can do one for sure).

You can use a cue playback software such as MultiPlay (free) or ShowCueSystem on a PC, and use a MIDI message from the console to activate GO. Figuring that out is a bit more complicated.

[tomgray]

Thanks Tim for your reply. I have several questions though.
What is USD?
What is UDK?
Do run the usb stick from a computer and then connect the sound board to the computer via midi? Are you using a program to run the sound files on the usb stick?
Thanks again,
Tom

[pdc]

I wouldn't from a show production standpoint. Use a computer or hard disk player. Why? What if you need to hold the show for an unexpected event? What if someone is not ready or there is an emergency? You maybe have already advanced to the next scene and the music has rolled. Keep it separate, with the "tape op" (that's what we called them in the old days...when we used tape) on the ClearCom (or communication headset of choice) with the director, taking the cues.

[tomgray]

Thanks for your input, but I would rather have answers to my questions.
Tom

[pdc]

Read the manual. There is no mention of it. The LS9 plays and records, not the 7. Check out the two page list of criteria for USB drives when storing data. The other comment I made was related to having an operator control a playback device and not the trigger from the console itself. Have an operator do it, because things happen. Plus, it sounds like you may not know a bunch about MIDI, MIDI Machine Control, etc, etc.

[tomgray]

Thank you so much for the tid bit, "read the manual". Very helpful. I wouldn't expect the manual to address this question. And thank you for the twice unsolicited advice not to do this. I asked the question for answers, not someone to discourage me. I'm real clear that you wouldn't do it, but that doesn't help me, because I want to. No, I don't know alot about midi, but that is why I'm asking for help.

[[Director] drew ryan]

So as to not create something that I have to delete let's get back to the original question and provide some help.

I believe that Tim's answer was a bit incorrect and a bit cryptic. The M7CL will not play files from a USB stick. That is strictly a ls9 feature. I also do not know what he is talking about where he mentions USD and UDK.

The only way that I see to do what you are asking is to have a playback device that will accept midi commands and to have a snapshot fire the appropriate midi command. Since you do not have much familiarity with midi it is going to take some additional research into what it will take to make it happen. Fortunately it is October and you should have a little time.

If you are able to get the gear that you need and can figure out the necessary programming, it would be a good idea to limit the snapshot that tells the playback device to play to do only that and maybe unmute the input for your device. Much more and things can get cumbersome and a little out of control. I have been there and done that. It is not pretty.

So, can anyone suggest to tomgray devices that will do file playback and can be triggered to advance and play via midi commands?

[pdc]

Not via MIDI, because the Yamaha M7CL will NOT do MIDI Machine Control. MIDI and MMC are two different things. He would need an interface and then a device that allows control via MMC, and those would be along the lines of a hard-disk based digital multitrack like a Tascam or a Mackie. Alesis would not work without their interface because they have their own sync. MMC also ads a bit of play latency in some cases.

The best way would be to use the RS232 and control a player that way. But they likely will not have access to a pro machine with RS232 if they are on this forum asking how to do this. There used to be more RS232 to MMC units. I can't recall any now off the top of my head. It is too early in the morning. Tascam has several RS232 hard disk and solid state units that can be controlled under RS232.

http://tascam.com/content/images/uni...hs-8_rear2.jpg

Anyway, if the user would read the manual, the remote info is in there. RS232 will allow for simple transport functions. Basically, the Yamaha will send a "dumb" command to advance. It is not intelligent.

[Mikey]

Just FYI UDK stands for "user defined key" The shortcut keys located on the console next to the centralogic faders.

[Josh Scott]

I have been looking into this too. http://www.charlie-roberts.com/midiStroke/ will let you map a keystroke to a midi note. You will need an interface to go between the computer and the sound board. Running itunes you can assign a user define key for space (play stop) you can also assign a button to advance to the next song.

The next problem is going to be I don't think you can assign midi to user defined keys on the M7, using studio manager i didn't see that option I know I can do it on the PM5D.

[Gregger]

I was going to make the same suggestion as Josh, use midistroke on a mac. I have been using midistroke with ProPresenter to advance through a playlist of video loops so that our lighting director can change the loop when the lighting cues changes. Works pretty good. We fire audio cues on propresenter too.

MidiStroke runs in the back ground and turns midi messages into keyboard short cuts to control and application that would not normally accept midi.

I know there are applications out there for the PC that will do the same thing but I don't know what they are off the top of my head.

Greg Campbell
Music & Arts
Lakeshore Christian Church