AHM64 installation using TCP

[SengstakeParticipant]

Hello Hive Mind,
before writing a ticket and consulting my local distributor in the night about this issue I wanted to ask this place for some advice
First off I tried the search term ahm 64 with a smacking 15 results. my hopes are higher than that number.

we have some presets already set up in the Manage tab of the AHM System Manager 1.02. Now for external control I use TCP to pass some commands to a CueCore2 light controller
triggering Playbacks and Cues on that device to align the audio presets with the lighting scenes works fine.

my question is how do i manage to pass a fader or channel value to the CueCore2 (that has a TCP API already, code is pretty easy: core-pb-1-intensity=<channel value as float>)

for our contractor I want to build a GUI in the iOS App where the lights should be dimmed with a virtual fader same as audio levels.

In the Manage/Presets tab I am not able to see a solution to pass a variable via UDP/TCP
Sure is, a Preset is recalled and UDP/TCP code gets send via network and received by CueCore2, this works fine already! But it’s only sent once.
But how to control non static more dynamic funtions of any 3rd party UDP/TCP devices ???

The CueCore2 also supports MIDI and OSC protocols, so not necessarily UDP/TCP is needed. Is there another way to solve this issue

I really don´t want to sell my contractor something like this

Audio Preset 1 with 100% light intensity
Audio Preset 1 with 50% light intensity
Audio Preset 1 with 25% light intensity
Audio Preset 2 with 100% light intensity
Audio Preset 2 with 50% light intensity
Audio Preset ...

nor do i want to program this as presets.

So…how do I get a fader value transmitted via network in. real. time.?

[Nicola A&HKeymaster]

Hi Sengstake,

The External Control in AHM-64 was designed for simple commands to trigger projectors or video switchers, not as a substitute to dedicated control systems like Crestron or similar. There isn’t a way to pass on variables like fader position to a specific IP address / TCP port. My recommendation here would be to adopt a third party control system.

Alternatively, you could use the AHM-64 own TCP port to ‘read’ the level of a spare input channel, and program a piece of software to translate this NRPN message (detailed in the TCP protocol document) to a MIDI / OSC message you can send to the CueCore. For example, a computer running A&H MIDI Control (to expose the AHM messages on a virtual MIDI port) and something like Bome’s MIDI Translator can be set up this way, but will require some knowledge of MIDI and programming efforts.

[SengstakeParticipant]

Hello Nicola,
thank you for your help so far. I´m also in contact with Visual Productions(CueCore2 manufacturer) to get this to work.

To clarify the solution you supposed:

I will set the Preset in AHM-64 with a spare input channel for dimmer controls. On recalling this preset the string will be sent over TCP with an NRPM message, am I right?
CueCore2 is quite open with their protocols and can understand some TCP strings aswell. Maybe I dont need the middle man “A&H MIDI Control” on a PC/Mac?
Both products have GPI/Os so there will be a solution. But a clean over the network install is desired.

Thing is with this solution that there is still no “real time fader value over TCP”, am I getting this right aswell?

Having the customer and the design process in mind rhis would mean the following???

`Set your desired scene with dimmers
recall the preset
don’t like the dimming values?
set again with new dimming values (no immediate effect)
recall the preset with new dimmer values again to see an effect
`
So no real time fader cahnges in Custom Control app, but a way to change dimming values out of the AHM-64/Custom Control app and send over TCP to CueCore2???

I will try the computer solution tomorrow when I have access to the AHM-64 again.

Thank you for your time Nicola!
Cheers
Jan

[Nicola A&HKeymaster]

No, what I was suggesting is to use the level of a spare Input channel as a controller for the light dimmer level. You can have a fader in the Custom Control app controlling say Input 64 ‘Light’. When this fader is adjusted, the AHM will send an NRPN message to its own TCP control port. With the right software you could take this string, extrapolate the fader level, and translate it / relay it to the CueCore2. It would make for an unorthodox use of input channels, but it might work.

[Author]

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