You can activate and control cues by sending Midi Notes, Midi Timecode and Midi Show Control (MSC) messages to your Vista console, Control surface or Windows/Mac computer. The Vista L, T, I and S series consoles have midi connectors but you can also send midi directly to a Windows or Mac PC via a suitable USB to Midi device.
For information on using Midi Time Code (MTC) see Using Timecode to control Cuelists on page 9-4
Configuring the midi port
Before you use midi you have to set a ‘device ID’ that Vista will listen on. This should correspond to the ID the Midi controller is sending on. To set the device ID select ‘User preferences’ from the File menu and click on the ‘MIDI’ tab.
| This field… | does this… |
| MSC Device ID | Sets the Device ID for Midi show control messages (0 – 126). |
| MTC Device ID | Sets the Device ID for Midi timecode. (0 – 127). |
| Midi Notes | Sets the Channel number for Midi Note messages This field can be set to listen to ‘Any Channel’ or (1 – 16). |
| External Midi Ports | Shows a list of any external or network midi interfaces. To use one of these devices tick the corresponding checkbox. |
| Use these settings for new shows | Tick this checkbox checkbox to save the Midi settings as defaults for new shows. |
| Reset to factory defaults | Sets the midi settings to the Vista default. |
MSC lighting messages
Midi controllers use standard terminolgy for lighting cues and cuelists
| This MSC term | is equivalent to this Vista component… |
| Q_number | Cue Number |
| <Q_list> | Cuelist Number |
| <Q_path> | Not used |
Vista supports all the most commonly used MSC lighting messages.
| This message… | does this… |
| Go | If a Q_number is specified, that cue plays. If no Q_number is specified, the next cues in numerical order and numbered identically and which are in Open Cue Lists GO. If a Q_number is sent without a Q_list, all cues with a number identical to Q_number and which are in Open Cue Lists GO. |
| Go_Jam | Starts a transition or fade to a cue simultaneous with forcing the Vista’s internal timecode clock to the ‘Go Time’ if the cue is a ‘Timecode’ cue. If no Cue Number is specified, the next cue in numerical sequence GOes and the clock of the appropriate Cue List Jams to that cue’s time. If the next cue in numerical sequence is a ‘Manual’ cue (i.e. if it has not been stored with a particular ‘Go Time,’ the Go/Jam_Clock command is ignored. |
| Go_Off | Starts a transition or fade of a cue to the off state. The fade time is determined by cuelist’s release time.
If no Cue Number is specified, the current cue GOes Off. If a Cue Number is specified, that cue GOes Off. |
| Timed_Go | Starts a timed transition or fade to a cue. If no Cue Number is specified, the next cue in numerical sequence GOes. Time is a standard time specification with subframes (type {ff}), providing anything from “instant” to 24 hour transitions. |
| Stop | Halts currently running transition(s). If no Cue Number is specified, all running transitions STOP. If a Cue Number is specified, only that single, specific transition STOPs, leaving all others unchanged. |
| Resume | Causes Stopped transition(s) to continue running. If no Cue Number is specified, all Stopped transitions Resume. If a Cue Number is specified, only that transition Resumes, leaving all others unchanged. |
| All_Off | Turns all cuelist intensity output to 0% without changing any other features. Equivalent to fading the Grand Master to 0%.
The console status prior to All_Off can be re-established by using the Restore command. Equivalent to fading the Grand Master to 0% |
| Restore | Re-establishes operating status to exactly as it was prior to ALL_OFF. |
| Reset | Releases all running cues. |
| Fire | Activates a Snapshot. Use the Snapshot number as the Fire Macro number. |
Advanced MSC options
You can send a message (for example Go) to several cuelists at once. To do this you first send an Open message to each of the cuelists. Vista supports the MSC messages to open and close cuelists.
| This message… | does this… |
| Open_cuelist | OPEN_CUE_LIST
Makes a Cue List available to all other commands and includes any cues it may contain in the current show. When OPEN_CUE_LIST is received, the specified Cue List becomes active and cues in it can be accessed by normal show requirements. Q_list in Standard Form must be sent. If the specified Cue List is already Open or if it does not exist, no change occurs. |
| Close_cuelist | Makes a Cue List unavailable to all other commands and excludes any cues it may contain from the current show.
When CLOSE_CUE_LIST is received, the specified Cue List becomes inactive and cues in it cannot be accessed by normal show requirements, but the status of the cues in the list does not change. Q_list in Standard Form must be sent. If the specified Cue List is already Closed or if it does not exist, no change occurs. |
Midi Timecode options
You can also control Vista’s internal timecode clock with MSC.
| This message… | does this… |
| Start_Clock | Starts Vista’s internal timecode clock. If the clock is already running, no change occurs. If the clock is paused it continues counting from the time value which it contained while it was paused. If Q_list is not sent, the clocks in all Open Cue Lists Start simultaneously. If Q_list is sent in Standard Form, only the clock in that Cue List Starts. |
| Stop_Clock | Stops Vista’s internal timecode clock. If the clock is already stopped, no change occurs. While the clock is stopped, it retains the time value which it contained at the instant it received the STOP command. If Q_list is not sent, the clocks in all Open Cue Lists Stop simultaneously. If Q_list is sent in Standard Form, only the clock in that Cue List Stops.. |
- Vista does not support these MSC commands:
Load, Set, Standby_Plus, Standby_Minus, Sequence_Plus, Sequence_Minus, Open_Q_Path, Close_Q_Path.
Midi Timecode
Midi controllers use standard terminolgy for lighting cues and cuelists
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