Show Control Software

Hey everyone. My name is Brandon, I'm part of a two piece DJ/Visual band called GoodnightHero, based out of Dallas.

My bandmate and I are looking for a very specific set of functions, and from what we can see thus far, VenueMagic almost has it all.

Before we make the purchase though, I have a few questions:

1.) Can VenueMagic lock its clock via external MID inputI? I know it can send to other devices, but can it receive, by any means? We run our Audio from Ableton and a Sony VAIO and a very large MIDI rig on one side of the stage. And our Lights and Visuals from our "mystery setup (maybe VenueMagic!)" on the other side. We would like any programs we write in VenueMagic to conform to the MIDI tempo sent from the MIDI out of the audio setup, so if I decide to change tempo mid song, the software will recognize and follow.

2.) Can VenueMagic loop a cue section? For example...if during chorus 1, we have certain lights triggered in a certain pattern, can we cue them and have them loop until the next "scene" is triggered?

3.) Is there any talk of Video Support in the future? We'd love to have our video playback integrated into the same software, rather than deal with machine controls and external playback systems.

4.) Can VenueMagic intelligently align cues to MIDI, so as not to start a chase off time with the beat clock?

I know we're looking for quite a lot! (basically an xOx/timeline style light sequencer software with video support and MIDI communication/smart triggering) but VenueMagic seems well on its way there.

If we can get these answered, expect another customer quite soon!

Thanks!
- Brandon

Really good questions

1) MIDI support: We currently have full MIDI Clock support scheduled for release in our Pro version later this year. One of the questions we have been working to answer is how people actually use the MIDI clock support and what kinds of things they do with it. I would love to have a bigger discussion here so we can get the right features to you to meet your need. We also have been evaluating a number of ways to integrate more closely with Ableton including possible rewire support.

2) Yes, cue buttons can loop both timelines and playlists.

3) Version 2.1 due out tomorrow will have basic web browser video support. Currently I have timelines launching flash video files. We are planning on adding video tracks with full video support in the future.

4) MIDI Cue support: Yes, VenueMagic handles MIDI very intellegently you can currently use pretty much any MIDI controller including a MIDI keyboard to launch cues and control light levels. Cues even include support for controlling to overall light level of the timeline by how hard you hit the key.

I look forward to answering all of your questions and having a bigger discussion on MIDI/SMTPE clocks.

Ben

Wow, awesome to hear back so fast, Ben!

Well, those all seem awesome, and I'm glad to see a new project bringing such innovation to people in this field.

1.) The MIDI clock is the biggest feature we're looking for, as no matter what happens on stage, we'd like for it to be to the tempo.
The simpler, the better, of course.
Being able to just run MIDI into the interface on the "Lights" Notebook and have VM2 detect and obey it at all times (even after a change of tempo, or to latch onto the last found tempo until a new one is detected) would be ultimate.
Were we to purchase VenueMagic 2.0 DJ Edition now, and say the Pro Edition comes out in July or August, would we need to purchase the Pro Edition as well, or will there be an upgrade option? If so, what would the pricing difference be?

2.) Awesome! We're looking for basically a way to get quick access to tempo accurate "repeating moving scenes" that we can trigger from our Korg PadKontrol or similar, and have them loop until they're instructed to move to a different section. (I.E. Pad 1 on the KPK is the "scene" for the intro, pad 2 on the KPK is the "scene" for the first verse, etc. etc. And given the 16 cues per tab, this looks like a match made in DMX/MIDI heaven.)

3.) A simple option would be to add a track type of single-frame-rate non-linear QuickTime or WMV (with a selection tool on the track that indicates/selects which video is currently active; much like Protools 8HD supports), as well as the option to output the video from a different port; the HDMI out on our VAIOs, for example. If this could punch in and out in sync with the timeline, we'd be set. Playback of the video should (to avoid confusion) probably only play back in real time. If the option is given to have it stretch or adjust with timeline/tempo changes, that'd be great too, but I know that's a big step with tons of programming required.

4.) To expand on the MIDI Intelligent Cues (I don't think I was really 100% clear, sorry!) I meant more of the "wait till end of current loop to begin next loop" option. This concept stems from my use of Korg's Electribe series of grooveboxes. In the middle of a pattern, you can change your selection to another pattern. The current pattern will play until the end of the 8-bar loop, and then begin playback at the beginning of the pattern you selected whilst the first one was playing back, therefore giving you zero-transition time between, no matter when you make a selection.
This way my visuals guy can press the pad which cues the chorus, even in the middle of a verse, and not have to worry about the chorus "scene" coming in during the middle of the verse.
I assume the best way to do this would be to create an "Assign a Scene Loop Length" function, so that VM knows where each scene begins and ends.

That all added to the current VM2.1 basically our dream software! A linear track based light sequencer that plays well with Ableton, MIDI, and external video. It's a huge order, but just laying out every last thing I could ever think to want from a DMX software.

As a final note/question here...

Does VenueMagic offer/accept endorsements with artists?
We're very proud of the gear and software we use, and we represent it proudly to other bands and the venues we work with. We'd love to help spread the word about this awesome new program!
Let us know if there's anything we can do to help the cause, or if there's any potential in the endorsement field for VM anytime soon.

Thanks a million!
- Brandon

1. VenueMagic Pro will be offered at a considerable discount to licensed users of VM 2.0 and 2.1.

2. VM Pro will offer non-linear video editing similar to what is currently available for audio editing. Frame-accurate video playback is, as you said, quite a programming task and will likeley not be available soon. But we've changed our mind on things before.

3. The "MIDI Intelligent Cues" you described is currently not available in VM 2.1, but would not be difficult to add. It could be accomplished by creating a timeline of a specified length and then causing it to loop until another timeline is cued to take its place, at which point it woulld delay cueing of the second timeline until the first is finished, or (perhaps) has reached the next in a series of pre-entered markers (representing music measures). Others have requested this feature already. Perhaps it's time to stick it in.

3. We do not currently have a formal artist endorsement plan, but any endorsements and/or testimonials are always appreciated.

- Don

Hey Don/Ben!

A few questions here...

Is VM2.1 DMX+AV the equivalent of this VM2 Pro we talked about way back when?

If so, what all features have been added since we last spoke?

We're ready to jump on board, and if at least the MIDI Tempo and "Intelligent Cues" are in place, we'll be making a buy of DMX+AV next week!

A lot of the features originally tagged for the VenueMagic Pro edition have found their way into DMX+AV, but that is not the Pro edition, which will come out next year sometime. The biggest feature we've added is video playback. The MIDI clock sync capability is slated for release this month. It's main purpose will be to allow software like Ableton Live to control and sync VM timelines.

The "MIDI Intelligent Cues" you described was a little tougher than we originally anticipated because it must be able to function independently with other, completely un related timelines running at the same time (this requirement is fundamental to VenueMagic's show design "philosophy"). We're getting there though.