X-Touch (FULL) midi mapping

I'm putting together equipment to use with ETC EOS Nomad theater lighting console software. I have a MacBook Pro (2014) running 10.13 (High Sierra). I recently acquired a Behringer X-Touch Universal Control Surface (NOT the Compact or the Mini). Will MIDI Translator allow me to use the X-Touch as a control surface for the Nomad software? Other posts suggest this will work, but my setup may be a little different.

I know the X-Touch Compact will work for me, since it can be put in MIDI mode. The X-Touch Compact communicates with a program called Luminosus which maps the MIDI coming from the X-Touch Compact to controls within the Nomad software. This doesn't work with the full X-Touch out of the box because it doesn't have a plain MIDI mode - just MCU and HUI (I think). Does the Bome MIDI Translator convert MCU to regular MIDI that Luminosus can use? Is is bi-directional so I can utilize different pages of motorized faders?

Thanks for any help.

Hi,

Yes, you can do this with Bome MIDI Translator Pro. You will need to know that Mackie MCU or HUI commands to use for conversion but it is quite acheivable if you know them.  You can also set up for 2-way communications so that if your software sends out CC (say to move a fader), it can translate back to the appropriate Mackie MCU or HUI command for the controller.  

 

I can provide a few examples here on this forum as free support if you would like. However for a fully built solution, this would require paid services which I can offer if you would like. If interested in a full solution, let me know via email. If you want just an example, then maybe what I should do is an example of 1 fader conversion.  I recommend Mackie MCU mode over HUI as Mackie MCU supports a master fader in addition to the 8 channel faders. 

 

In general you would set up Mackie MCU fader 1 with incoming trigger of raw MIDI E0 pp qq and outgoing message of B0 xx pp (where xx is the CC number you want to use and pp is a local variable which is just passed through from input to output). The variable qq is discarded on output

For the reverse (lighting software to X-touch) you would need incoming message of B0 xx pp (were xx is your controller number) and output of E0 pp pp. Back to the console.

Make sure your translators (or presets) are set up so that you pick the right input and output ports only for these messages (so that they don't go out unintentionaly to other MIDI ports that you do not want to send to.

I would recommend setting up aliases "From Mackie Application" and "To Mackie Application" and assign the Bome MIDI Translator Virtual Port 1. 

In your app, it will probably show as "BMT 1" instead of the full name but you can change that in the settings menu of MT Pro.

So the flow goes:

X-touch -> Bome MIDI Translator  Pro-> BMT 1 output

BMT 1 Input -> Bome MIDI Translator Pro -> X-touch

You can download the trial copy to make sure it is working as desired prior to purchase. It is fully functional but just times out after each 20 minutes of use where you have to re-start MT Pro if you want to continue testing.

Download link:

https://www.bomeloft.com/products/miditranslator

 

 

Steve Caldwell
Bome Q and A Moderator and
Independent Bome Consultant/Specialist
bome@sniz.biz