CQ MIDI implementation

[Geoff]

Hi – I was looking through the CQ MIDI protocol doc, and I see that it’s possible to control many things, like mutes, fader adjustments, etc.

It seems to me that it would be useful to be able to turn on/off individual effects via midi as well. I imagine a lot of users, like myself, are using CQs with small bands, running sound from the stage. It might be very handy to, for example, turn on a vocal filter effect for a particular bit in a song, or turn on a deep reverb for another bit.

Those of use using backing tracks could also automate some of this and make it a very tight show.

Just some food for thought – thanks!

Geoff

[Frenchie]

Hello.
All FX Mute can be controlled via NRPN midi, 81 to 84.

[Geoff]

Thanks Frenchie, that’s great. Does this also apply to bypass/engage? Some of the effects I’m thinking of might be a channel eq.

(Now, to go research how to send NRPN messages…)

[Frenchie]

For other non Midi NRPN control the best solution is to set specific scene with specific FX settings, and switch btw scene on the fly during the show via midi program change.
There is no audible switch.
Not all controllers can handle midi NRPN but simple free soft can convert midi CC to NRPN easily, like midi-OX for rexemple if you are on PC.
I join again my Midi NRPN board for your use.
Hope it’ll help.

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[Geoff]

Ooh gotcha, I haven’t experimented with scenes yet, other than having a basic scene per band. That’s probably the easiest way then for me; a small handful of different scenes for different sections would be easy to manage, esp if there is no audible gap.

I’ll be running these MIDI commands from the Stage Traxx app in iOS on an iPad, FWIW.

[Frenchie]

Yes, ST3 and the CQ works fine together.
Have ran it multiple times with no issue, for me only to switch OFF FX on vocal btw songs and mute mics.
But more advanced setup should work fine.

[Geoff]

Great to hear, I look forward to diving into it

[Geoff]

One more thought i had – do you know of a way to set the time of a delay inside the CQ, either in BPM or msec, via midi? (Although if it were in bpm, I suppose i’d also need a way to set the tempo 😀 )

[Frenchie]

Set any of 3 Delay FX to a FX unit.
Under CONFIG, set one of the 3 Soft Keys with Tap Tempo Function.
Select the corresponding FX unit and the control.
The soft key will start to blink synced with the tap tempo.

[Frenchie]

To add more to my answer, Tap tempo cannot by directly controller via midi, but the soft key can be midi trigger, that is why you need to use it to control the tap tempo.
Then with any external midi controller, create a button and assign a send midi note ON (48 to 50 for soft key 1 to 3) to the CQ mixer midi IN.
Last important info, there is 4 FX with tap tempo:

-EchoVerb
-Tap Delay
-Stereo Delay
-Beat Delay

The delay section of the EchoVerb can be assign to a softKey but for an unknown reason there is not blinking of the soft key at all.
Tap Delay have only one Tap input (L/R) but the 2 other have L and R control, each could be assign to a soft key.
So one can really fast run short of soft key if you want to midi control them independently.

Extending midi control or adding more “virtual soft key” in a future update would be great.

[Geoff]

Thanks Frenchie, I’ll give that a test tonight

It looks like the Stage Traxx app is also able to send out MIDI clock, so that might take care of things too. Not sure if the CQ can take a midi clock though.

It’s got tight enough to synchronize delays and reverbs and such, although I probably wouldn’t want to rely on it for looping and keeping equipment in super-tight synchronization.

[Frenchie]

Depending if you like it or not, you might also consider controlling tap tempo via foot switch directly connected to the mixer.

[Author]

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