Houston MIDI Map

inthepipeline · 04-11-2008, 12:40 PM

Let me first say that I am no developer or coder. Heck, I struggle with HTML and Java!

I've heard mention of people toying with the idea of getting the Steiny Houston going with Reaper and as much as I personally don't think that I would have a chance of being able to code something like this using the plugin SDK I thought I'd attempt to map it.

It is not complete, but I've mapped all the buttons' sends and the receives to illuminate them, the most basic stuff for the faders and jog/shuttle wheel and the rotary encoders, even though I haven't yet found the messages to control the LED display, or the array of LEDs around each encoder, but then I havent tried logging the output from Cubase SX yet.

If anyone would like me to carry on with this please post here.

*I*

Deric · 04-11-2008, 12:46 PM

Great work inthepipeline, nice to see someone doing something about it instead of just asking for it!

BTW, can you re-check what happens when you rotate the Jog/Shuttle anticlockwise vs. clockwise please?

Also please confirm if fader max/min values = 00/FF.

Cheers.

Xenakios · 04-11-2008, 12:49 PM

If it is pretty much just plain MIDI messages, I think it would not be too impossible!

Also, I think Deric is so quick to catch on things, that even if the Houston sends sequences of MIDI messages per command, he can handle it!

But, I think the best results will come from a developer who has access to the particular hardware in question!

inthepipeline · 04-11-2008, 01:00 PM

Hi Deric,

Like the faders it's really not very simple to do this using Bome's Midi Translator, even though I've spent the last few hours test ing the stuff in the .txt using it. It will at least send specific velocity messages. I'm going to try rewiring sx through my Houston via MIDI Yoke tommorow. If SX will pick up the Houston this way I should be able to log the output from SX and log it. At least this way it might be possible to work out exactly how the faders are jog/shuttle wheel are controlled and how they output.

*I*

Deric · 04-11-2008, 01:14 PM

Hi *I* (hope you don't mind - it's less typing!)

Do you have to use SX at all?

See if you can use MIDIOX.

You 'should' be able to just run MIDIOX (with no DAW running) and it will capture the MIDI-In. (once you've told it which MIDI ports to listen on).

Xenakios, of course, you are quite right - it would be much easier for Houston owner to test/debug.

Edit: Are the faders motorised?

inthepipeline · 04-11-2008, 01:16 PM

But for the moment:

Slow regular clockwise movement produces:

Slow: B0 13 7F
Slightly faster:B0 13 6C

Aargh the thing sticks!

At about 120 RPM (2 revs per sec) the value is B0 13 06. That's the highest value.
Anticlockwise, it seems to do something very similar, BO 13 7F again etc. I know that for the moment this doesn't make much sense. I take it you are expecting a nice straight forward orientation message at the beginning...
Oh, hang on,
Even though the notes seem to be the same, the MIDI Message trigger, at least for the lowest value, B0 13 7F changes
from cc#1: controller 19,127, clockwise
to CC#1: controller pp 19,127, anticlockwise.

Hope this helps.

*I*

inthepipeline · 04-11-2008, 01:20 PM

Sorry Deric, we are crossing each others posts.

I have 1/2hr to catch a beer. must go but I'll be in touch soon.

inthepipeline · 04-12-2008, 04:58 AM

Right!

After a substantial break I'm back on the case.
I've just re-installed the unmentionable, bloated, cumbersome, un-navigable program which I used to use and which now makes me mumble and spit involuntarily. For the sake of my personal sanity(or what is left of it) let us call the program "x".

I'm just off to download MIDIOX. I'll report back as soon as I can, hopefully with some useful stuff.

*I*

strinxx · 06-16-2009, 02:44 AM

Hi everybody!

Yes, I am one of those Steini-frustrated Houston-users, too.
Last week, while searching for some Help/ Documentation for the Houston, I read about you guys here and what you began to do...

This is just great!

I've read about Reaper before in the Cubase-Forum, quite a while ago now.
But I never seriously considered to give it a chance...
After I read this thread here, I downloaded this little piece of software and gave it a try.
I was really so blown away about what a few Megabytes actually are able to do!
So cool!

I can only encourage you guys, not to give up to somehow integrate the Houston into Reaper.
In Cubase, I'm actually quite happy with it's functionality now, although they never really finished Houston's implementation into Cubendo.

And I'm really not happy with steinberg's update-politics and never-ending-bug-stories... and total unawareness of their customers needs.
If there is a chance to give Houston its full capabilities - what Steinberg never did - then I defenitely would switch over to Reaper! As fast as possible!

Unfortunately I'm also not a programmer, just a guitarist and composer...so sorry.

I wrote you, not just to bring up this thread again, but also to hopefully encourage some of the Reaper-programmers, too.
I think there are many of those Houston-owners who actually like their remote, tired of being ignored by Steinberg and looking for a new alternative to work with.

In desperate hope ;o)
Mike

Geoff Waddington · 06-17-2009, 08:13 AM

Hang on... help is on the way.

I am currently starting an open source project to support MIDI based control surfaces.

It will be generalized and will accept external config files for the various surfaces.

That said the support may be fairly basic at first -- transport, faders, mute, solo, record, that sort of thing, but it will improve over time.

Unlike some I am fairly rigourous in my approach.

The steps I take are:
Requirements gathering
UML Analysis
Design
Implementation

So don't expect something tomorrow.

I know the next question "When then?"

I'm guessing early 3rd quarter (September sometime).

yhertogh · 06-17-2009, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff Waddington

Hang on... help is on the way.

I am currently starting an open source project to support MIDI based control surfaces.

It will be generalized and will accept external config files for the various surfaces.

That said the support may be fairly basic at first -- transport, faders, mute, solo, record, that sort of thing, but it will improve over time.

Unlike some I am fairly rigourous in my approach.

The steps I take are:
Requirements gathering
UML Analysis
Design
Implementation

So don't expect something tomorrow.

I know the next question "When then?"

I'm guessing early 3rd quarter (September sometime).

wow! something like Cubase's generic surface? Excellent! Is there a dedicated thread that describes your ideas? I am also toying around with C++ trying to turn my VS2480 into a surface (actually Xenakios provided all the code uptill now, i am taking it over) so i do have a vested intrest in this !

Yves

strinxx · 06-19-2009, 03:21 AM

Hey Geoff,

this is so good news!
Can't actually wait to see this coming, but... take your time!
I don't want to bother you ;o)

Thank you so much in advance for your help and work! And of course to inthepipeline and Deric for what they have done already!
This is so cool!

Mike