I have a regular small sound job that I handle with an XR12 controlled from a 10" Android tablet running Mixing Station X Air Pro. The only challenge with this job is that I get very little time for get-in and get-out so any problems in setting up could be disastrous. I carry a spare 7" tablet, backup access point and an OTG adaptor for wired Ethernet but I don't have much time for trouble-shooting.
I have long thought it would be good to have basic control via MIDI in case I lost my normal user interface but I did not want a large and/or expensive controller. I did want the controller to have feedback for mute states and fader levels. I have achieved this using the XTouch Mini.
The XTouch Mini, in common with most small and reasonably priced controllers, is a USB MIDI device and the XR12 requires DIN MIDI. This can be resolved, though, with a USB/DIN MIDI converter. The
Kenton MIDI USB Host would work but is rather expensive. The
HobbyTronics MIDI USB-DIN Converter is much lower cost but looks a little fragile (*) so would need to be repackaged for life on the road. I took the low-cost route by using
HobbyTronics USB Host Mini (preloaded with MIDI firmware) plus a
HobbyTronics MIDI Breakout. These two boards are mounted in a small box along with a connector for 5Vdc power. The converter and controller only draw about 100mA so I can run it for over twelve hours from a 2000mAh phone powerbank if there is no convenient power outlet or spare USB-A port.
Using the
XTouch Editor, I have programmed eight encoders and eight buttons to control the faders and mutes for the critical channels and buses using the published MIDI messages. The encoder LED rings and mute LEDs follow the XR state when controlled by both the MIDI board and the normal network UI. When first turned on, though, the XTouch does not reflect the state of the XR. The quick solution to this is to load an XR snapshot which gives instant synchronization so I programmed one of the spare XTouch buttons to load my default snapshot. As another handy shortcut, I use the encoder press functions to set default fader levels for their respective channels/buses. This is another way to get the faders synchronized without loading a snapshot.
So I have achieved what I set out to do: I can take control of the basic mute and fader functions of the XR if my tablet and/or network fail. I hope that I don't need this capability but it's in the mixer's gig-bag just in case.
(*) HobbyTronics have improved this product. It should not now need repackaging. See
HobbyTronics USB/Midi Converter.XTouch Mini.jpgInside.jpgConverter.jpg
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38 Replies
Sorry for the double post, for some reason though I ctrl-F5 the page got stuck to my original post!
@TsolisKostantin
I did reply to you post. A simple USB/Midi cable will not do what you want. Do you need some additional information?
For some reason my page was "stuck" to my original post!
Will these host do the job for sure?
Yours,
I have programmed an x-touch mini to control an XR18. Everything works well, but I cannot programm the 'snapshot' function you mentioned in your article. I triewd several possible solutions, but none of them works. Can you send me a screenshot of the x-touch editor within the right solution to programm getting the snapshot at first startup of the x-touch mini.
It would help me a lot. It's just the last piece of the puzzle.
@Jille
In the screenshot, button 9 is set to load snapshot 1 which will also synchronize the X-Touch Mini. In current Air firmware you can also synchronize the X-Touch Mini by requesting a Midi Dump. This is done by sending value 127 to controller 127 on Midi channel 1. Button 10 in the screenshot is set to do this. The advantage is that it doesn't change any mixer settings.
Okay, still not working just like I want.
First... for snapshot 1 the min value should be 0. But that's not my problem.
With this programming I really can load a snapshot. That's working well.
But my x-touch mini stil does not synchronise. So when I turn a button, the fader will always fall back to 0.
I updated already the firmware of the XR18, but no result.
And also the midi-dump does not work.
I don't know anymore, but struggeling on.
@Jille
Make sure that you have changed the GLOBAL CH to Off or > 3. Otherwise the control modes can be scrambled by Midi messages from the XR18.
What are you using to convert between the X-Touch USB and the XR18 DIN Midi?
Have you enabled Midi transmission on the XR18?
I switched the DIN X-OSC off, but no change.
I programmed also snapshot 2 under a free button.
Now I can switch between 2 snapshots, but still no synchronising for the X-touch mini.
So after activating a snapshot and then use an encoder for changing the fader the fader jumps to the bottom.
But that's also the problem when I use the fader on my laptop. The button will not synchronise. So after changing a volume on the laptop and the changing the volume with the encoder on the mini the volume will jump to an earlyer use volume of the mini. The mini is not synchronising.
@Jille
You do have both Midi In and Out connections (two cables) from the XR18 to the Kenton converter do you? If so it seems that there must be a problem with the X-Touch Mini, the Kenton converter, the Midi cable or the XR18 Midi output. I usually debug Midi problems using a USB Midi adapter like this and MIDI-OX to check the each part of the system can transmit and receive.
@RexBeckett
Okay, found the problem. I used brand new midi-cables which I ordered with the mini. but one of them is not okay.
I also wanted to test with the X-touch compact, so I ordered that one. And this compact shows midi-signals on the front.
Still no midi-in signal. In a clear moment I switched the midi-cables and then no midi-out signal anymore.
Took another midi-cable and everthing seems to work now. Even the mini takes the right positions directly after connecting, so also without downloading settings.
Thanks again. For sofar I'm happy.