MIDI Show Control (MSC)
The MIDI Show Control protocol is an
industry standard ratified by the MIDI Manufacturers Association in 1991 which
allows all types of entertainment control devices to talk with each other and
with computers to perform show control functions in live and canned
entertainment applications. Just like musical MIDI, MSC does not transmit the
actual show media - it simply transmits digital information about a multimedia
performance.
MSC is a significant Real Time System
Exclusive extension of the international Musical Instrument Digital Interface
(MIDI) standard. MSC enables all types of entertainment equipment to easily
communicate with each other through the process of show control.
Equipment required
- 1) QLab (On Mac OS X)
- 2) ETC Ion with cue list loaded
- 3) MIDI to USB Adapter (i.e.
M-Audio MidiSport Uno)
Setting up the ion
Follow the instructions below to set up the
Ion to receive MSC:
- Ensure USB to MIDI cable is
connected (with the MIDI in and out sockets correctly connected)
- Open show file
- Double click Setup
- Click on Show Settings
- Click on Show Control (left
side of the panel)
- MSC Receive – set to enabled
- MSC Receive Channel – Choose a
number between 0 and 15. This number is
important as it’s how QLab recognizes the device.
- Next, ensure that you have a cue list
loaded into the Ion. You cannot program lighting cues from QLab – you’re only
triggering the pre-set cues from the list.
Setting up QLab
- Click on Setting tab as shown
in Figure 1
- On the left hand side of the screen,
choose MIDI, then under “Default Type” select MSC, then choose the device
you’ve connected to the Ion as shown in figure 2
- Click “Done” to close that tab
