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Triggering videos

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Tue, 02/21/2012 - 06:02

iamkp

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Joined: 07/05/2011

Triggering videos

Hey Loop experts I need some help.

We run loops through Ableton, triggered from an Ability controller. All fairly standard there.

I want to trigger videos which are made for our loops. The lyrics are usually controlled by ProPresenter.

So can I set ableton to output a midi signal when it triggers a video?
Can I trigger a Proprenster slide using the incoming midi?

If not can I convert a midi to a keystroke to trigger the video?

Would all this work in time???

Have any of you played with this kind of thing??

Any and all help appreciated.

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 09:31

mattmccoy

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Joined: 03/12/2011

If I were you, I would use

If I were you, I would use the video capabilities within Ableton and trigger them within the software.

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 12:11

duganAudio

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Joined: 07/08/2011

Here's what I've found in the

Here's what I've found in the past when looking for a solution like this.

Live can only work with video in Arrangement view. Just as if you were using Live for post production. Now, if you stick in locators you can MIDI map those and jump around in the video... and usually it will look just like that. jumpy video. Live gives processing preference to audio.

Now, as far as I know, pro presenter doesn't accept MIDI.

A solution to video could be a number of different pieces of software. pro video presenter accepts MIDI as does Arkaos Grand VJ. It would be as simple as creating a MIDI track and putting clips for each section with a different MIDI note then sending this via rewire or MIDI cable to another computer.

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 13:20

benworcester

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Joined: 06/16/2011

When we do this, we export

When we do this, we export the loop (click left - loop right) then use that as the audio for the video. Then you use it as a background in ProPresenter and display the lyrics on top.

Unfortunate: you're stuck with a mono loop, which isn't a huge problem most of the time
Fortunate: the video won't lag and neither will the loop

Tue, 02/21/2012 - 22:49

(Reply to #4) #5

Jakes

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Joined: 06/01/2011

Drop your video in

Drop your video in arrangement view and you can set up locators to trigger your video just as if it where a loop or wav file then route it to your projector and send the audio out your 1/8 jack, I'm pretty sure you need the full version of live to do this.

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 11:46

mattmccoy

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Joined: 03/12/2011

@duganaudio I have heard of

@duganaudio I have heard of people triggering videos via ProVideo Presenter - and that it works well. Just set up MIDI clips in Ableton and you're good to go.

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 11:46

mattmccoy

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Joined: 03/12/2011

I also heard a rumor that

I also heard a rumor that MIDI is coming to ProPresenter.

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 19:08

paulcase

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Joined: 07/06/2011

I would love to see

I would love to see ProPresenter send DMX for lighting cues, that would be hot :)

Wed, 02/22/2012 - 21:09

(Reply to #8) #9

Jakes

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Joined: 06/01/2011

I was at a Jands vista

I was at a Jands vista training seminar a few weeks ago and they are going to be integrating midi into their consoles to communicate with ableton. Not out yet but it will blow your mind with the possibilities of controlling all lighting cues/video/lights/media through ableton with the launch of a loop.

Sat, 02/25/2012 - 00:45

#10

duganAudio

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Joined: 07/08/2011

my lighting guy uses a jands

my lighting guy uses a jands board.
this is already doable. two ways.

first we're talking about a lighting board chasing time code. right now most every high end board accepts smpte. so its a matter of your lighting guy creating a show that is queued up to a smpte track. smpte is basically audio chirps and beeps... kinda like an old school modem. you just drop a smpte track into Live and send him the audio. the board slaves to the time code and triggers his pre created scenes.
We have done this numerous times and its slick, smooth and makes the whole show punch.

now, his board doesn't accept MIDI time code. basically the same thing. but a different language. i have also heard a software update will add this feature.

don't confuse MIDI time code with MIDI clock... i did at first and it confused the heck out of me.
MIDI time code - it's like a stop watch 00:00 and counts up.
MIDI clock - it's basically BPM info. used to sync BPM between 2 devices.

second, lighting consoles are sending a language called DMX. This is what gives lighting all it's positions, colors, iris info... bla bla bla. i don't know how it works. i just know there are 5 pin and 3 pin DMX cables and i know how to plug them in. :) however, with Max for Live there is a sweet little program called DMax. http://www.theimpersonalstereo.com/software/dmax/
Now you can basically send DMX out of Live and not need the lighting console middle man. don't ask me how it works... i just know guys who went crazy over this. just reading about it is pretty exciting.

Fri, 03/09/2012 - 08:43

#11

iamkp

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Joined: 07/05/2011

Thanks for all your help.

Thanks for all your help. We've now cracked this.

I've created a midi channel called 'video triggers' and created a clip in Ableton that simply plays one note during the count in. (E3 for example)

I then used the apple AC midi driver options in utility/midi to create a network. I then selected this midi option in Ableton so that midi channels with the notes export on the AC network.

The receiving computer (also a macbook) is also connected the AC network and is running Bome's Midi Pro. I set Bome's to receive the midi note via the wifi and convert it to a keystroke (in this case K).

Finally we loaded the newly created video into ProPresenter and assigned it the hotkey K.

Now when I trigger my loop for "We are the free" ProPresenter triggers the video in perfect time.

So it works like a dream in the office, I'll be testing it this weekend in the Cinema where we hold Church.

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 10:21

#12

iamkp

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Joined: 07/05/2011

It all worked great So in

It all worked great

So in case it helps anyone else this is how we made it all work.

http://www.iam-kp.com/worship/ableton-controls-propresenter/

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 14:15

#13

duganAudio

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Joined: 07/08/2011

Awesome. Never heard of the

Awesome. Never heard of the Bome's software. I will definitely be using that one!

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 12:11

#14

mattmccoy

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@iamkp briliiant. thanks for

@iamkp briliiant. thanks for posting this.

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 12:12

#15

mattmccoy

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does Bome's software do

does Bome's software do anything with USB to KEYstroke conversion?

Sat, 03/31/2012 - 13:33

#16

iamkp

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Joined: 07/05/2011

Thanks Matt. Bome will

Thanks Matt.

Bome will recognise midi coming in on any port.
So if you mean midi on USB, then yes.

Thanks also for posting this as a blog, means a lot!

Wed, 04/04/2012 - 20:10

(Reply to #16) #17

Jakes

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Joined: 06/01/2011

Yo! I just hooked up my rig

Yo! I just hooked up my rig with the Bome translating midi to pro presenter. I am using this for our easter services to fire our loops with special video elements. Tested today works great. The only problem I had was making sure nothing was selected in pro presenter or the hot key would not fire the clip. So I will have to have our pro presenter operator hit f1 to kill all go to black then I will fire our loop with typography video. Do you have this same problem?