Some hints, and bad news. Infos first:
- the Manual has a section about MIDI:
http://www.avolites.com/LinkClick.aspx? ... 94&mid=468, page 94. To check whether the desk receives MIDI at all, use the debug terminal:
A MIDI debug Terminal is available which shows you the MIDI
commands being received by the Azure. To activate this :
Press the AVO button and enter the PIN code, then Press Softkey G.
The MIDI terminal window is displayed on the VGA monitor. Press
Softkey G to finish.
- also, there is a separate document with Azure's MIDI codes:
http://www.avolites.com/LinkClick.aspx? ... 94&mid=468
- and for MIDI in general, Wikipedia is a good statrting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIDI
And now the bad news. I used MIDI for controlling an Azure resp. Pearl many years ago, and I know it works. However, we ran it from a control machine where we could literally code the required codes, and it ran like a charm. But I doubt you will accomplish what you have in mind. There are two really major things:
- when you release a key on the keyboard, this sends out a MIDI Note
Off message. However, the Azure always expects Note
On messages to control playbacks - and sending a Note On with velocity = 0 is, hm, hard to do.
- controlling chasers this way is close to impossible, since the Azure needs $An pp cc codes. But $An is, by MIDI definition, for 'polyphonic aftertouch', to be used in conjunction with a controller. I have no idea how you would get this out of the Keystation.
After all, since you already got everything, why not start trying along? I mean you should at least be able to fire some playbacks (I recommend setting MIDI Offset in Azure to something like 40). Then, you can decide how to go on, test another MIDI controller, or try some MIDI equipment which you can teach the codes you need.
