Midi Controlled Mixers...

S

sr71rules

Member
Hello All,

Because I am a fool I have a new found curiosity for mixers controlled via midi. I stumbled across the Fostex DCM100 which is a very simple 1U mixer that, beyond a simple gain control on the front panel, is controlled via a small midi surface called the Fostex MixTab. The mix tab has AUX levels, EQs, Faders, ect., and can control up to three DCM100s.. pretty cool technology.

Finding the DCM100 is not hard, a half dozen or so sit on ebay all time and sell for around $50 it seems.. the problem is the Mixtab seems to be rarer than hens teeth...

Who else was making units like this? I've seen a few Tascam's with mute automation that could be run via midi but never as powerful as this Fostex System.

I'm not suggesting anyone should run out and buy a complete system or anything but frankly.. you could pair this up with a DAW and setup a mix system that could handle 24 stereo pairs with EQ, Pan, Aux send and level automation... complete insanity!

More to my point... with a few MixTabs and DCM100s you could setup a cheap and fairly simple way to let the artist control their own monitors. All you would need to do is send a pair of MIDI cables out and a headphone line from the mixers...

Anyway... Just thought it was interesting and wondering if anyone else was doing something similar...

Robert
 
I think even the earliest digital mixers allowed for MIDI Machine Control of parameters. You can pick up a Yamaha ProMix 01 for a couple hundred bucks and probably set up an old laptop as a controller.
 
I have the OTTO-1604 unit for my Mackie CR-1604, though it is not currently installed. It is MIDI controlled and controls the volume of every channel and return with a specific CC message and controls mutes for the same with note-on and note-off. Pretty nice VCA system that doesn't detract from the sound.

Cheers,

Otto
 
Hmm, that's interesting. I have heard about the Mackie Ultramix MIDI automation system but never the OTTO-1604 before.

These days we inset cards into Mackie mixers to gain Firewire ports.. back in the day Mackie made a card you would insert into the CR-1604 that added automation. Pretty cool. Sounds like it was a lot more powerful than the UltraMix system though, obviously, rather niche working only in that one mixer rather than working via the insert points.

Still no more leads on a board like the Fostex DCM100 and MixTab though... disappointing though not suppressing I suppose.

Robert
 
It's still in progress but life has gotten a bit busy. Things are settling down again though and I'll be moving forward. It should be done by the end of the summer. I need to get it transferred either down to AudioProz or to a new person I found much more local to me for more work... I've not decided yet. Either way, I have to arrange a time to get the board to a repair shop and then arrange to have some help in moving it. :)

My next hurdle is sorting out how I want to wire everything... I'll be starting a post on that in the coming days for sure. I need some input!

Robert
 
Speaking of Mackie, I have my Ultramix system for sale now out here in S Cal on Craigslist and over at GS. The Otto system was an earlier system that Mackie had a few years before the Ultramix.

Come to think of it, I also have an ATS-500 going. Maybe I should've advertised here somewhere.

I used the Ultramix system to automate the 32 little, upper faders on the 3700. Worked really cool for that, Since everything is in a separate vca pack etc, you can use a patch bay to re-route.....automate just about anything you have in your studio where vca fader automation would be useful.

You can do everything offline (via midi) or in real time with the long throw faders that are part of the fader pack included with the Ultramix system.

I also had the old MM1 Tascam keyboard mixer up until a few years back. It was nice as an extra line mixer but the midi-driven mutes really weren't all that useful when it got down to it.
 
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