My updates are still not for general publishing.
I have had to switch gears. I can confirm that MyDMX works on a MacBook Pro. I havent' tested Sonar yet, bu it looks promising. I've basically been spending a lot of time getting this new computer running.
The thing to consider is that MyDMX is a software playform, running on the computer. The MyDMX dongle only has a DMX Out and a USB B connector for input. So,the concept of "plugging in the MIDI interface to the lighting controller" isn't exact going to cut it.
Regardless, this should be a hardware dependent issue. My using an M-Audio MIDISport 2X2 is just what I'm using. Your Music Quest 8X8 should work just as well.
The main issues are:
1: MyDMX accepts MIDI input for learning the trigger.
2: MyDMX does NOT accept that input back for actual triggering.
How do I test this?
First, run MyDMX and go into the User tab. This is where triggers are learned as well.
Now, if I program some simple scenes(I'm more in a test mode, but I do own MyDMX), I can through the edit tab program QWERTY-keyboard triggers. Say, "w" is white, "r" is red, "g" is green and "b" is blue.
QWERTY-keyboard triggers DO work. Go to the user tab. You'll see it change. Works fantastic. This alone makes the product a sellng point for me. I can hit some basic stuff quick. Kicking it up a few notches, with good descriptions, my wife can call up the appropriate scenes as well from the listing n the user tab.
I can also see certain scenes mapped to MIDI(I called them MIDI White, MIDI Red, MIDI Green and MIDI Blue). But, hitting the same controller that was used to make the trigger, MyDMX is NOT responding to this input.
Now, taking this a step further. This requires lots of assumption and that's something I never feel comfortable with. I am assuming that MyDMX is looking at the MIDI Input for trigger data. If this is the case, then simply looping the appropriate MIDI channel ports should suffice. In my case, I have 16 channels on A and 16 channels on B. For this to work, assuming I've programmed the information on A, channel 16, then hard looping A's MIDI out to A's MIDI in with a short MIDI cable should suffice to get that INPUT back to the input. While a little silly, for my applications, this isn't an issue. If I need complex MIDI, I have a dedicated computer for that and would be being paid quite well for my involvemet. At the same time, that would most likely be run by a dedicated operator near guitar-world(not monitor world and not FOH).
We as users of MyDMX have to understand what we're getting for our money. Granted, for many it can be expensive. I will not discuss what I paid, but it was a great price, but still, it's money. Considering I had a theft of $10K in gear that essentially killed my corporate events for all of 2008, this theft cost me close to a quarter million dollars in lost income. Top that off with a deadbeat client oweing me a bunch of money, it's been rough.
But I digres, as I am prone to do.
It may be that depending on the application, as great as MyDMX is, perhaps it is not the correct software solution. Compu Live, while a lot more expensive, may be the proper solution. From my understanding, it has a much more sophisticated implementation of MIDI by incorporating bridge functionality. This lets Compu Live act as a true MIDI device even if just inside the computer.
People have to understand that when we go out and do events, it's not just for "love of music", it's for money. Rule #1 being "get paid", and it's something I live by. Considering I am NOT a DJ and will NOT do DJ work, my sound production company no longer rolls unless I have contract, deposit and terms clearly spelled out. Once the truck moves one milimeter towards the event, the Client is now 100% liable for the remainder of the contract.
We mus choose the proper tools for the job. We all want to save money. I hear that. I'm all for saving money. So, I stick with trusted dealers who can offer me better pricing. BUt at the same time, saving money often leads to postings here about people buying an inexpensive product that seems to address the issue, but in reality is not suitable for the intended application, and then they complain about it here as if it's ADJ's fault. It isn't. The fault lies at many levels but not at ADJ. The responsibility ultimately lies on the end user/purchaser. Unfortunately, many of these ignorant buyers are lured into an ill advised purchase by equally ignorant sales people. I am not saying that "ignorant" is stupid or idiot, I'm saying "ignorant" as being not properly educated or informed of the product or not making the proper effort to obtain the proper information.
It could end up being that MyDMX isn't going to be all that people expect from a low cost software package. That's no reason to damn MyDMX. For what MyDMX does, it really meets and exceeds my needs. It replaces my DMX operator(and lets it be a convenient backup) and gives me more features at the same time. Because I work in a mainly live sound environment, I can't do shows synced to music as many times I've never heard the band before. Even with the bands I regularly work with, they are too inconsistent, so just simple cross-faded color changes are more than sufficient.
Should I need to get into heavy light sequencing, and it turns out I need to go Compu Live, then I will buy it. I like the fact that I can stick with one company that has products that not only can grow with me, but when I outgrow it, has the upgrade path already in place.
So, as I test MIDI triggering with MyDMX more, I don't look at it as a win/lose result. I see this as informative. I can work within the restrictions of most software packages. Since I haven't used any sort of syncronization with MIDI and lighting since 2001, I am fairly sure I can live without it a bit longer. Perhaps I've found a bug in MyDMX. Perhaps not. Either way, I am really enjoying using this product and am starting to wonder how I got by without it! Then again, nobody is taking my DMX Operator from me either!