Leprecon LD-360 - Manual (Page 3)

MIDI Implementation
Normal Control
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The dimmer output channels can be controlled by anyone of the MIDI continuous controllers 00
through 120. The LM-850 console will control the dimmers using exclusively MIDI continuous con-
trollers 00 through 107, allowing each channel to be set at any of 128 discrete levels from light off (0)
to full on (127).
Stand Alone Operation
The MIDI dimmer will also respond to MIDI note ON, MIDI note OFF, and velocity messages. While
those commands are not usually generated by the console, they allow for controlling the dimmer directly
from standard MIDI controllers such as keyboard, sequencers, MIDI percussion, or drum machines.
When used in this fashion, a dimmer is turned on by MIDI note ON message. The note number
determines which dimmer is addressed according to the starting address switch (If the address switch is
set at 11, the 1st dimmer in the pack will respond to note 11, the 2nd dimmer will respond to note 12
etc..). The "velocity" value of the note ON sets the brightness of the fight. A dimmer remains on until
turned off by a note OFF message.
Even for a very short note ON note OFF sequence, a dimmer will turn on for at least 200 IDS. This will
allow drum machines or MIDI percussion systems to produce perceivable flashes of light. Even in this
stand alone application, the MIDI dimmer will still respond to MIDI continuous controller commands
having the same number as the dimmer identity number.
MIDI Channel
MIDI channel 1-16 and OMNI on-off can be set by dip switch..see previous description. Since too much
data can slow down MIDI system response time, it is advisable to run a separate MIDI circuit for the
lighting system, which will carry only lighting data. The synthesizers, etc. would be on other MIDI
circuits, so their response time would be unaffected by demands for lighting data transmission. Most
systems should therefore run in channel 1, OMNI ON.
Playing Sequenced Cues Without the LM-850
For specific applications, it is possible to use the LM-850 to program a show where the console would
not be used at all for playback, if MIDI dimmers are being used. The dimmers can be plugged into the
MIDI Out from the sequencer just as the LM-850 normally would, and they will respond to the data as if
the console were in place. This method can be used for setups where minimal equipment is desired,
but it
does have some limitations. First of all, it leaves no margin for changing the show in any way,
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without connecting in the LM-850 once again. Secondly, it leaves no way to manually being up any
lights if this becomes necessary (other than by controlling them, say, with a keyboard driving the dim-
mers). It also requires lots of MIDI data which may slow down complex shows.
The gist of this technique is that the show is recorded from the LM-850, and the sequencer is fed from .
the MIDI Dimmer Out rather than from the System Out. Anything that the console does-scene changes,
chases, etc.,-will be recorded by the sequencer. The console can send out this data in either CONTinous
controller or NOTE mode. Again, the former is the most efficient. Be sure that on playback, the dimmers
are set to the same MIDI channel that the sequencer data was recorded on. The sequencer then mimics
the LM-850's output, driving the dimmers directly-and the 850 is not needed unless real time intervention
is required.
Dimmer Control Assignment
The LD-360M and LD-360M-HP MIDI dimmer packs have 6 dimmer circuits built-in. Each dimmer
pack has a MIDI input and MIDI thru connector. Each pack also, has an identity number assignment
switch. This switch is used to assign a Starting Address to each dimmer pack from 00 to 99. If a 6
channel dimmer pack is assigned the starting address 10, the 1st dimmer in the pack will respond as
dimmer channel 10, the 2nd dimmer as number 11, the 3rd as number 12 etc. It's address range will be
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