Jump to content
Vari-Lite Controls Support Forum

gatj98

Members
  • Posts

    4
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by gatj98

  1. Thanks Keith, have sent an email to your sales colleagues so will see what they say. It looks as if Alpha do still make them with the right shaft - but their minimum order is 1000, slightly more than I need! The Rapid ones are actually made by Alpha as well - just with a different shaft design. thanks for your help, Gordon
  2. Hi, Our local drama group has an XLS desk that I picked up second hand for us a few years ago from John Henry's in London. We operate on a shoestring budget so I bought it faulty and got it going (new battery and silver conductive paint on the button pads). We've gradually had to replace faders since then as they give up the ghost (think it was previously used somewhere sandy as they are quite gritty - notice that John Henry's used to have a Dubai branch!). When I went on a fader hunt last time the best I could find was these from Rapid: http://www.rapidonline.com/Electronic-Components/Resistors-Potentiometer/Control-Potentiometers/Slide-potentiometers/65234 They are a perfect physical and electrical match - with one important exception - the shaft is too short to reach through the front panel and still let you fit the control knob properly. Up till now our solution has been to open up the new and old fader and swap the old track board out for the new one - thus we're changing the resistance track but using the existing shaft and wiper. This works fine and means the knobs go back on with no problem. Problem is it's damned fiddly and takes quite a while - and invariably I stab myself in the finger with the screwdriver whilst trying to prise the crimps open! We're getting to the stage where we really need to replace the remaining faders and be done with it - and given I've almost run out of the Rapid faders am on the hunt again for better replacements. Does anyone know of a source of faders with the right shaped shaft that won't bankrupt us? Cheers, Gordon (on behalf of Church Crookham Players)
  3. Hi Keith, Thanks for the reply. I've already got the XLS manual, but it doesn't give any detail on the Run and Preset mode MIDI outputs - except that they are only of use to another XLS or a computer. The desk is actually outputting MIDI NRPN (Non-Registered Parameter Number) messages. This is a fairly common way for devices to communicate with others like themselves over MIDI without having to have a special protocol. (more info on it here: http://www.philrees.co.uk/nrpnq.htm). It's basically a whole load of numbered parameters that can be set to any value between 0 and 127. So for example setting parameter 12 to value 64 might make the receiving device set a channel to half brightness. What I'm basically after is the NRPN specification of the XLS desk so that I know what the various parameter numbers relate to in terms of it's functionality. I can then do something with the output. Gordon
  4. Hi, Does anyone have any info on the midi messages that an XLS desk sends when it's in Preset or Run modes? The manual states that they are only of use to another desk or a computer. I have used a midi sniffing program to see what messages are being sent - and it appears to be a series of MIDI NRPN messages. There seems to be a series of parameters that are assigned values, but without knowing what these parameters correspond to I can't make much use of them on the computer. I'm hoping to trigger sound effects by flashing one channel (using the strobe setting in the SU menu) and have the sound program respond to the midi event. The alternative approach is to use the sound program (sound cue system) to control the XLS - I've figured out how to bring memories up, but not how to access the fade time control, or the Go button (it may not even be possible). Any ideas? cheers,
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.