d8bridge working with AUDIO on the console!!

[elperroromel]

I recently made two videos, In the first video, I copied "switch.txt" file from system/firmware from the mackie CPU disk and modified it to include some button "translations" to MCU, I showed the surface working in "normal" mode, and then pressing "CTL+ALT+SHIFT" on the surface, it changes to "DAW" mode and the program detects the REC/RDY,Mute,Select,Solo, buttons and send the MCU code to the DAW, note that for now, it lacks the "feedback" to turn the corresponding leds "on" and "off" while pushing the buttons (sending the codes from "leds.txt" )



The second Video is nearly the same, except that I tried to read the faders and translate them to MCU,
now, It will be needed to "save" the last faders/buttons/leds states from each mode and recall them on each Mode change, also, I was only testing with the first 8 channels, my current DAW (FL studio) doesn't full support the extenders yet, so I will have to test on a DAW supporting them, plus I will have to send the "initialization" sysex messages for each MCU and Extender,

[Casey_Pittman]

When you switch over via the ctrl/alt combo is the d8b still receiving the commands or does it go into a stand by? And if so do the faders revert back to where they were on the d8b before you switched to DAW mode? Are you able to play audio through the console while all of the switching is happening right now?

I'm not very code literate so any in depth explanation would potentially be lost on me, with out some heavy ready on my part. All of it looks very promising. keep up the good work.

-Casey

[elperroromel]

When you switch over via the ctrl/alt combo is the d8b still receiving the commands or does it go into a stand by? And if so do the faders revert back to where they were on the d8b before you switched to DAW mode?

If with "d8b still receiving commands" you mean the d8b desk(not the CPU) yes, Its still receiving commands, but for now, it just sends commands and my programs translates to MCU and send the data through a MIDI port, but I could catch the MIDI messages received and "translate" to d8b serial messages and send back to the d8b surface(to update leds, or when moving faders in the DAW, or to follow an automation recorded) that is not yet done, and also the part that keeps the last states from each Mode to make the faders revert back to the last states on each Mode Change is not yet done, but It would not be hard to do, just saving in the corresponding array and call it on each Mode Change

If your question is If the CPU is still receiving commands , well yes, but when I switch to DAW mode, my program doesn't send commands to the CPU anymore, maybe It could be configurable to tell my program which buttons should send MCU data to a DAW, and which should keep sending info to the d8b CPU, and which should send both MCU commands to the DAW and Info to the d8b CPU, or maybe there could be a "fast switch" mode, where If Im in DAW mode, and press a footswitch, I would turn d8b Mode and move some knobs(comps,EQs,etc) then if I release the pedal, It would turn to DAW mode again

Are you able to play audio through the console while all of the switching is happening right now?

Well I didn't tried that yet but in theory that part should work well, as I think there is no audio data transmission between the desk and the mackie CPU, (maybe only messages about the vu meters to update on the Mackie OS screen, but that could be emulated ) I will try that maybe tonight just to be sure it's still working

[elperroromel]

I just made a little advance yesterday, and Uploaded a video so you can see how It works, I stored the last faders values (for now temporally only the first 8 faders and master) when in DAW or D8B Modes and could recall those values on each Mode Change, as you can see in the video, I moved the faders in DAW Mode in a different position than when in D8B Mode, and when I turn to D8B mode It gets the same position as the D8B OS screen, In theory that can be done on each fader/button led/vpot/screen

I also made the "switch MODE" works when pressing the "talkback" footswitch

[Casey_Pittman]

SWEET!!

-Casey

[bitSync]

If with "d8b still receiving commands" you mean the d8b desk(not the CPU) yes, Its still receiving commands, but for now, it just sends commands and my programs translates to MCU and send the data through a MIDI port, but I could catch the MIDI messages received and "translate" to d8b serial messages and send back to the d8b surface (to update leds, or when moving faders in the DAW, or to follow an automation recorded) that is not yet done, and also the part that keeps the last states from each Mode to make the faders revert back to the last states on each Mode Change is not yet done, but It would not be hard to do, just saving in the corresponding array and call it on each Mode Change

I'm getting confused again. Sorry. I thought you said you were using D8Bridge to do the MCU/serial translations - that was the "easy way"? This sounds like your software is now taking on the MCU/serial translation function formerly provided by D8Bridge? Or are you emulating in your own code how you would expect D8Bridge to handle the incoming d8b console serial messages because you don't have the D8Bridge software??

If your question is If the CPU is still receiving commands , well yes, but when I switch to DAW mode, my program doesn't send commands to the CPU anymore, maybe It could be configurable to tell my program which buttons should send MCU data to a DAW, and which should keep sending info to the d8b CPU, and which should send both MCU commands to the DAW and Info to the d8b CPU, or maybe there could be a "fast switch" mode, where If Im in DAW mode, and press a footswitch, I would turn d8b Mode and move some knobs(comps,EQs,etc) then if I release the pedal, It would turn to DAW mode again

How are you accomplishing the discretionary sends to the d8b CPU or not with just a single serial connection to your application host? I wish I could see how you are integrating the d8b CPU, the d8b control surface, D8Bridge and your software and its host.

I'm anxious to hear what happens to the console audio paths during these experiments. Do you suppose you could establish a few audio routes through the board and see if they persist when you switch to your DAW mode?

Thanks for keeping us so well informed. Keep up the good work!!

[bitSync]

I just made a little advance yesterday, and Uploaded a video so you can see how It works, I stored the last faders values (for now temporally only the first 8 faders and master) when in DAW or D8B Modes and could recall those values on each Mode Change, as you can see in the video, I moved the faders in DAW Mode in a different position than when in D8B Mode, and when I turn to D8B mode It gets the same position as the D8B OS screen, In theory that can be done on each fader/button led/vpot/screen

I also made the "switch MODE" works when pressing the "talkback" footswitch

Pretty cool...

[elperroromel]

I'm getting confused again. Sorry. I thought you said you were using D8Bridge to do the MCU/serial translations - that was the "easy way"? This sounds like your software is now taking on the MCU/serial translation function formerly provided by D8Bridge? Or are you emulating in your own code how you would expect D8Bridge to handle the incoming d8b console serial messages because you don't have the D8Bridge software??

well I'm doing "the hard way" because I don't have the d8bridge software for testing, but now you gave me an idea: to make two different programs, one made exclusively to send and receive serial communication (including the detections of "Mode changes" and saving the "states" of the faders,etc, ALL without a MIDI or MCU message ),
and other program to "simulate" d8bridge (well now that I don't have d8bridge) so people with d8bridge can use my first program with d8bridge ( hope it works) and the first program "emulates" the response communications to d8bridge, and people without d8bridge (like me) can use my second program (that will make the translations to MCU MIDI, like d8bridge ) then:

program 1: on D8B Mode: send/receive D8B surface desk commands from/to D8b CPU, and on DAW Mode: send/receive D8B surface commands from/to VIRTUAL SERIAL PORT ( detecting Mode changes and saving the D8B surface states(faders/leds/vpot/lcd display,etc) for recall on each Mode Change)

the the VIRTUAL SERIAL PORT could be connected either:

d8bridge

or

program 2: receives D8B commands from VIRTUAL SERIAL PORT and translates to MCU (or HUI/Logic,etc) and sends to MIDI ports (like one MCU and Extenders), and receives MCU/HUI,etc commands from the MIDI ports, then translates to D8B commands and sends to the VIRTUAL SERIAL PORT

How are you accomplishing the discretionary sends to the d8b CPU or not with just a single serial connection to your application host? I wish I could see how you are integrating the d8b CPU, the d8b control surface, D8Bridge and your software and its host.

well I couldn't understand what you said there.... can you explain ?

I'm anxious to hear what happens to the console audio paths during these experiments. Do you suppose you could establish a few audio routes through the board and see if they persist when you switch to your DAW mode?

well yesterday I only tried to connect a microphone to channel 1 and it worked well, then I need to test If the audio routes work while using DAW Mode, but I think It will work well, the problem might be to prevent a button from working the usual way while on DAW Mode,(example: that pressing a "MUTE" button on DAW Mode sends the MCU Mute message to DAW and doesn't really mute the channel on the audio path)

[elperroromel]

hey yesterday I did what I told you, I separated my program in two different programs, one exclusively in charge of the serial communications, and Mode changes, and detecting and saving faders values,etc. and send data (the same from d8b control surface, no translations )to either d8b CPU Serial Port or a Virtual Serial Port (in which d8bridge can be connected, in theory)

and the other program similar to d8bridge, that will communicate only with the Virtual Serial Port and translate the messages to MCU(in the future other Protocols) and send to MIDI Ports(for now just testing with one port) to the DAW, and receive MCU(or other PRotocols) messages from the MIDI Ports(MCU and Extenders, but for now, testing only one port :p )

TODO:

• check if the audio paths still working
• check some cros-platform MIDI and SerialPort Libraries so the programs can be compiled in other OS, especially Mac OS

[bitSync]

@elperroromel,

I'm kind of envious of the time you have to devote to this project. It's very exciting to see some progress after such a dry spell. Thanks for keeping us in the loop!