ELATION PROFESSIONAL and all affiliated companies hereby disclaim any and all
liabilities for property, equipment, building, and electrical damages, injuries to any
persons, and direct or indirect economic loss associated with the use or reliance of
any information contained within this document, and/or as a result of the improper,
unsafe, insufficient and negligent assembly, installation, rigging, and operation of
this product.
Elation Professional USA | 6122 S. Eastern Ave. | Los Angeles, CA. 90040
Please check www.elationlighting.com for the latest revision/update of this manual.
Date
01/04/17 1 Initial release.
Document
Version
Notes
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CONTENTS
General Information
4
Warranty
6
Safety Instructions
7
Overview
8
Playbacks
10
Page Controls
12
Matrix Buttons
13
Shortcut Buttons
14
Jog Wheels
15
Master
16
Rear Panel
17
USB Light
17
Rack Mounting Hardware
18
MIDI Messages
20
MIDI Messages Received
24
Custom MIDI Maps
25
Firmware Updates
26
Technical Specifications
26
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GENERAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
This device has been designed to perform reliably for years when the guidelines
in this booklet are followed. Please read and understand the instructions in this
manual carefully and thoroughly before attempting to operate this device.
These instructions contain important information regarding safety during use and
maintenance.
UNPACKING
Every device has been thoroughly tested and has been shipped in perfect
operating condition. Carefully check the shipping carton for damage that may
have occurred during shipping. If the carton appears to be damaged, carefully
inspect your unit for damage and be sure all accessories necessary to operate
the unit have arrived intact. In the event damage has been found or parts are
missing, please contact our customer support team for further instructions. Please
do not return this unit to your dealer without first contacting customer support at
the number listed below. Please do not discard the shipping carton in the trash.
Please recycle whenever possible.
BOX CONTENTS
USB Cable
Rack Mount Kit
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CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Elation Professional®provides a customer support line, to provide set up help and
to answer any question should you encounter problems during your set up or
initial operation. You may also visit us on the web at www.elationlighting.com for
any comments or suggestions. For service related issue please contact Elation
Professional®.
ELATION SERVICE USA - Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm PST
Voice: 323-582-3322 Fax: 323-832-9142
E-mail: support@elationlighting.com
ELATION SERVICE EUROPE - Monday - Friday 08:30 to 17:00 CET
Voice: +31 45 546 85 30 Fax: +31 45 546 85 96
E-mail: support@elationlighting.eu
WARRANTY REGISTRATION
Please complete and mail in the enclosed warranty card or register online:
http://www.elationlighting.com/Login.aspx to validate your purchase. All
returned service items whether under warranty or not, must be freight pre-paid
and accompany a return authorization (R.A.) number. The R.A. number must be
clearly written on the outside of the return package. A brief description of the
problem as well as the R.A. number must also be written down on a piece of
paper and included in the shipping container. If the unit is under warranty, you
must provide a copy of your proof of purchase invoice. Items returned without a
R.A. number clearly marked on the outside of the package will be refused and
returned at customer’s expense. You may obtain a R.A. number by contacting
customer support.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
There are no user serviceable parts inside this unit. Do not attempt any repairs
yourself; doing so will void your manufactures warranty. Damages resulting from
modifications to this fixture and/or the disregard of safety and general user
instructions found in this user manual void the manufactures warranty and are
not subject to any warranty claims and/or repairs.
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LIMITED WARRANTY
A. Elation Professional® hereby warrants, to the original purchaser, Elation Professional® products to
be free of manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for a period of two years (730 days),
and Elation Professional® product rechargeable batteries to be free of manufacturing defects in
material and workmanship for a period of six months (180 days), from the original date of purchase.
This warranty excludes discharge lamps and all product accessories. This warranty shall be valid only
if the product is purchased within the United States of America, including possessions and territories. It
is the owner’s responsibility to establish the date and place of purchase by acceptable evidence, at
the time service is sought.
B. For warranty service, send the product only to the Elation Professional® factory. All shipping
charges must be pre-paid. If the requested repairs or service (including parts replacement) are within
the terms of this warranty, Elation Professional® will pay return shipping charges only to a designated
point within the United States. If any product is sent, it must be shipped in its original package and
packaging material. No accessories should be shipped with the product. If any accessories are
shipped with the product, Elation Professional® shall have no liability what so ever for loss and/or or
damage to any such accessories, nor for the safe return thereof.
C. This warranty is void if the product serial number and/or labels are altered or removed; if the
product is modified in any manner which Elation Professional® concludes, after inspection, affects
the reliability of the product; if the product has been repaired or serviced by anyone other than the
Elation Professional® factory unless prior written authorization was issued to purchaser by Elation
Professional®; if the product is damaged because not properly maintained as set forth in the product
instructions, guidelines and/or user manual.
D. This is not a service contract, and this warranty does not include any maintenance, cleaning or
periodic check-up. During the periods as specified above, Elation Professional® will replace
defective parts at its expense, and will absorb all expenses for warranty service and repair labor by
reason of defects in material or workmanship. The sole responsibility of Elation Professional® under
this warranty shall be limited to the repair of the product, or replacement thereof, including parts, at
the sole discretion of Elation Professional®. All products covered by this warranty were manufactured
after January 1, 1990, and bare identifying marks to that effect.
E. Elation Professional® reserves the right to make changes in design and/or performance
improvements upon its products without any obligation to include these changes in any products
theretofore manufactured.
F. No warranty, whether expressed or implied, is given or made with respect to any accessory
supplied with the products described above. Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law, all
implied warranties made by Elation Professional® in connection with this product, including
warranties of merchantability or fitness, are limited in duration to the warranty periods set forth above.
And no warranties, whether expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability or fitness,
shall apply to this product after said periods have expired. The consumer’s and/or dealer’s sole
remedy shall be such repair or replacement as is expressly provided above; and under no
circumstances shall Elation Professional® be liable for any loss and/or damage, direct and/or
consequential, arising out of the use of, and/or the inability to use, this product.
G. This warranty is the only written warranty applicable to Elation Professional® products and
supersedes all prior warranties and written descriptions of warranty terms and conditions heretofore published.
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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
is an extremely sophisticated piece of electronic equipment. To
guarantee a smooth operation, it is important to follow the guidelines in this
manual. The manufacturer of this device will not accept responsibility for
om the misuse of this fixture due to the disregard of the
This device
damages resulting fr
information printed in this manual.
INDOORS USE ONLY!
DO NOT EXPOSE DEVICE TO RAIN AND MOISTURE!
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OVERVIEW
The MIDICON-2™ is a general-purpose MIDI controller designed to work alongside
Elation Lighting software packages or any lighting software that accepts MIDI. The
controller is USB powered and uses the USB class drivers so that no special driver
needs to be installed on the host PC or MAC. When you connect the MIDICON-2™
controller for the first time, your PC will automatically assign the MIDI driver that is
included with your operating system. It will work with both Windows™ and Apple™
operating systems. The controller uses standard MIDI messages to communicate
with your software. Tables showing the default MIDI messages and continuous
control numbers assigned to the buttons and faders are listed at the end of this
manual. You can also create your own MIDI map for the MIDICON-2™ controls using
the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software. Some lighting software programs will
support MIDICON-2™ as plug and play device without any need for special setup
other than selecting it as the default MIDI controller. Consult your lighting software’s
manual for more information.
MIDI is an acronym for “musical instrument digital interface”. MIDI has been in use
since the 1980’s and was intended as a means to interconnect musical instruments
such as keyboards and electronic sound producing devices. MIDI communicates
digitally between devices by sending event messages, for example a button press.
Many lighting control software programs allow MIDI messages to be used as event
triggers. The MIDICON-2™ makes use of MIDI messages to communicate with your
lighting software using MIDI over USB.
This user manual does not try to explain the technical details of how MIDI works. If
your lighting control software allows you to select the MIDICON-2™ from its setup
menu as a plug and play device no special programming of the MIDICON-2™ will
be required. The MIDICON-2™ can be customized to fit any lighting software if
needed. Some knowledge of how MIDI works would be helpful in that case. There
are many articles online that explain how MIDI works.
The MIDICON-2™ has a default MIDI map that assigns specific MIDI messages to
each control (button, fader, wheel, etc.) For software programs that support the
MIDICON-2™ as plug and play, the default MIDI map will work with your software as
soon as you select the MIDICON-2™ as your controller. For other programs, the
default map should also work. For programs that require a custom MIDI map, you
can create your own map using the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software. Refer to
the Custom MIDI Maps section for more details.
With the factory default MIDI map, the MIDICON-2™ sends MIDI note messages to
your software whenever buttons are pressed or when the data wheels are turned.
When a button is pressed a MIDI “note on” message is sent and when a button is
released a MIDI “note off” message is sent. This will allow you to control momentary
events. The MIDIcon 2 sends MIDI continuous controller messages when you move
the faders.
The MIDICON-2™ can also receive MIDI messages to control the LEDs and page
displays. This will allow your software to take control of the MIDICON-2™ so that it will
be in sync with your lighting software. At the end of this manual is a list of all the
default MIDI messages that are used.
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PLAYBACKS: 8 playback faders each with 1 rotary push-in style dial, 2 playback buttons
with bi-color LEDs, up and down fader page select buttons, and an LED page number
display
MASTER FADER and BLACKOUT BUTTON:Located in the center of the controller.
SHORTCUTS: 6 general purpose shortcut buttons labeled S1 through S6 are located above
the playback buttons, and 8 general purpose shortcut buttons labeled A through H are
located above the 4 jog wheels.
MATRIX BUTTONS:32 matrix buttons and matrix page select buttons and a display.
JOG WHEELS: There are 4 wheels that can be used for data entry or direct control of
lighting parameters. The wheels are also push buttons that allow you to press in on the wheel
to send an additional button press message.
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PLAYBACKS
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The playback section was designed to take advantage of the playback features in
most lighting software programs where a playback fader and some associated
buttons are used. There are two buttons, a small rotary encoder and a red/blue
bi-color LED above each fader. The function of each of these will vary depending
on the software that you are using.
A fader will typically send MIDI continuous controller messages to your software,
giving each fader a resolution of 128 steps. The fader will send a MIDI message
indicating position when it is moved. The buttons will typically send MIDI note on/off
messages when pressed.
The rotary dials above each fader send MIDI messages for increment (turn right one
step) and decrement (turn left one step). You can also press down on a rotary for an
additional button press and release message. The software you are controlling will
determine the function of the rotary dials and will generally match the context of
the current programming screen. Refer to your lighting software’s instructions. The
rotary dials will send separate MIDI note messages for each rotational step left or
right with 96 steps per revolution.
Your lighting software can control the LEDs at the top of each playback section,
usually by sending MIDI note on or note off messages. The LEDs are red/blue bi-color.
Separate note messages can be used to control the red or blue LEDs.
All of these controls can also be re-programmed to send or respond to other MIDI
messages using the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software.
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PAGE CONTROLS
There are 2 separate sets of page control buttons, one for the Playback Faders and
another for the Matrix buttons. Paging essentially gives you additional virtual sets of
faders and matrix buttons to work with. Paging can be controlled by your lighting
software or by the MIDICON-2™ controller via MIDI channel paging. If your software
can control the paging you can have up to 99 pages to work with.
When the MIDICON-2™ is set to control the paging (using the Elation MIDICON-2™
mapper software), it provides you 16 pages to work with by transmitting and
receiving MIDI messages on 16 separate MIDI channels. By changing the MIDI
channel when the page is changed, your lighting software will essentially treat each
page as a separate set of controls on separate MIDI channels. The current page
number will be the MIDI channel that is currently in use for the playbacks or the
matrix buttons.
NOTE: MIDI channel paging is disabled on the default factory map. When creating
your own MIDI map, you can enable paging from Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper
software. Refer to the section on Custom MIDI Maps for more details.
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MATRIX BUTTONS
These 32 buttons can be used to call lighting effects, scenes, colors, etc. If your
lighting software does not support the MIDICON-2™ as plug and play, you will have
to link each button to a function using the setup menu in your software. Refer to your
software manual for instructions, as this will be different for each program.
These buttons will typically send MIDI note on and note off messages but can be
customized using the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software. Please refer to the MIDI
table at the end of this manual for each button’s default MIDI note message.
The 32 matrix buttons can be paged using the page controls to their upper left.
Paging can be handled by your lighting software or by the MIDICON-2™ using MIDI
channels. Please refer to the previous section on the page controls for more details.
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SHORTCUT BUTTONS
These 14 buttons are intended for frequently used functions in your software. If your
controller does not support the MIDICON-2™ as plug and play, you will have to link
each button to a function using the setup menu in your software. Refer to your
software instructions, as this will be different for each program. Please refer to the
MIDI table at the end of this manual for each button’s default MIDI note message.
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JOG WHEELS
The jog wheels send MIDI messages for increment (turn right one step) and
decrement (turn left one step). You can also press down on a wheel for an
additional button press and release message. For some software programs that
support the MIDICON-2™ as plug and play, the wheels are pre-programmed to
match the context of the current programming screen. They can be used to adjust
channel values, color mixing, fade times, etc. Shortcut buttons can be used as shift
buttons to shift the wheels to additional sets of functions. Refer to your lighting
software instructions. The factory default settings will send separate MIDI note
messages for each rotational step left or right. The wheels send 96 steps per
revolution.
With the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software, these can be programmed to send
other types of MIDI messages besides MIDI notes.
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MASTER FADER AND BLACKOUT BUTTON
The master fader is generally used to control the overall level of the stage lights but
can also be used to control other things like speed or be used as another playback
fader. This fader is not tied to the page controls.
Above the master fader is the blackout button. If your software supports the
MIDICON-2™ as plug and play, its function will be handled for you otherwise you will
need to link its MIDI message to your software’s blackout function.
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REAR PANEL
On the back of the MIDICON-2™ you will find the power ON/OFF switch, a
Kensington slot for attaching a security cable, and a USB type B connector.
USB LIGHT
USB Type A connector on the upper right area above the matrix buttons can be
used to plug in a USB LED gooseneck light (not included).
Only use a small low USB powered LED light (maximum current = 100ma)
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RACK MOUNTING HARDWARE
The MIDICON-2™ comes with replacement sides so that you can rack mount it in a
standard 19” rack enclosure or case. To install the rack mount hardware you must
remove the plastic end caps then reuse the mounting screws to attach the metal
rack-mountable sides. Each side requires that you remove a total of (7) screws, (3)
on the top, (3) on the bottom, and (1) on the back. Pull the plastic end caps away
from the unit and then insert the metal rack mount sides so that the screw holes are
aligned properly. The height is 7.5 rack spaces starting from the bottom. This leaves a
gap at the top to allow room for the USB cable to fit. (See diagrams below)
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MIDI MESSAGES
The following is a list of MIDI messages sent by controls using the default MIDI map.
These are sent to your software from the MIDICON-2™ for each button press, wheel
or fader movement. A “NOTE ON” message is sent for a button press and a “NOTE
OFF” message for a button release. All messages are sent on MIDI channel 1.
Matrix Page Buttons
Page up – Note 65
Page down – Note 66
Playback Page Display – continuous controller 10
This MIDI message is sent when the playback page is changed. The controller value
will be the page number (1-99).
Matrix Page Display – continuous controller 11
This MIDI message is sent when the matrix page is changed. The controller value will
be the page number (1-99).
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MIDI MESSAGES RECEIVED
LED Control – There are 9 bi-color LEDs, one above each playback and an
additional LED above the blackout button. Software programs can control the LEDs
by sending MIDI note messages when using the default MIDI map. “NOTE ON” will
turn the LED on and “NOTE OFF” will turn it off.
Default LED Messages
Red LED 1 – Note 106
Red LED 2 – Note 107
Red LED 3 – Note 108
Red LED 4 – Note 109
Red LED 5 – Note 110
Red LED 6 – Note 111
Red LED 7 – Note 112
Red LED 8 – Note 113
Red LED Blackout – Note 114
Blue LED 1 – Note 115
Blue LED 2 – Note 116
Blue LED 3 – Note 117
Blue LED 4 – Note 118
Blue LED 5 – Note 119
Blue LED 6 – Note 120
Blue LED 7 – Note 121
Blue LED 8 – Note 122
Blue LED Blackout – Note 123
Playback Page Display – Your lighting software can use MIDI continuous controller
10 to control this page display when using the default MIDI map. The value byte can
set the page number to 0-99. Values above 99 will turn the display off.
Matrix Page Display – Your lighting software can use MIDI continuous controller 11 to
control this page display when using the default MIDI map. The value byte can set
the page number to 0-99. Values above 99 will turn the display off.
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CUSTOM MIDI MAPS
The MIDICON-2™ comes ready to use with a default MIDI map as described in the
previous section. This will work for most applications. If you need to make your own
custom MIDI map, you can use the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software. After you
install the software consult the help file on how to create and upload your custom
MIDI map. There is enough memory in the MIDIcon 2 to store two maps, one custom
user MIDI map and the default map. After you load a custom map, it will become
the active map. You can also use the Elation MIDICON-2™ mapper software to
switch between the default map and the user map. The Elation MIDICON-2™
mapper software uses MIDI sysex messages to send and receive maps and to switch
between the two maps. The following is a summary of the MIDI sysex messages used.
Messages are shown as hexadecimal numbers.
The following message requests the current MIDI map from the MIDICON-2™:
f0 00 00 19 0b 00 f7
The following message contains the MIDI map data:
f0 00 00 19 0b 01 xx xx xx ….. f7 where xx is the map data (approx. 2k bytes). This is
the response to the previous message and also what is sent to the MIDIcon 2 to
install a new user MIDI map.
The following message switches the MIDICON-2™ to the default factory MIDI map:
f0 00 00 19 0b 02 f7
The following message switches the MIDICON-2™ to the user MIDI map:
f0 00 00 19 0b 03 f7
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FIRMWARE UPDATES
The firmware that runs the MIDICON-2™ may need to be updated from time to time
as more features are added. You can download the latest firmware updates as well
as the MIDICON-2™ boot loader software that’s used to perform the update from
www.elationlighting.com. The MIDICON-2™ firmware revision is displayed for 2
seconds in the fader page display on power up.
To perform a firmware update you will have to first install the boot loader program
on your Windows PC. Firmware updates are done over the USB connection. Power
the MIDICON-2™ while pressing in and holding down wheel 1, this will put it in
Update Mode. The Blackout LED will flash to indicate update mode. Run the boot
loader utility. If it finds the MIDICON-2™, the word “Connected” will appear at the
bottom of the boot loader dialog. Click on “Load” to select the new firmware file
(.cyacd file) then click “Program”. A progress bar will appear to show when the file is
finished loading. The MIDICON-2™ will automatically reboot with the new firmware.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
CONNECTIONS
USB Bus Powered (150ma 5V Max)
USB 2.0 A-Type Connector for LED Low Power Work Light (Work Light not included)
USB 2.0 B-Type Connector for Host Computer (MIDI over USB)