Basic LED controlling with Ableton

[jonahmo]

I'd like to use Ableton to trigger 10 different single-color LED lights. I want to mount these lights on the bases of my MIDI congas and have each one of the lights briefly turn on when I hit their corresponding drum pad. What's the simplest and cheapest way I can do this? I'm guessing I'll want to get a MIDI to DMX converter, but beyond that I'm not sure what sort of DMX unit/units or what kind of lights to get.

[cotdagoo]

I played around with DMaX a little bit and was pretty easy to use. https://www.theimpersonalstereo.com/dmax/

I already had an ENTTEC dmx control box, so I didn't have to purchase anything extra.

[jonahmo]

I'm gathering that a microcontroller like Arduino or a MicroPython board would be better since I won't need all the extra boxes. But I am very daunted since I have no electronics or programming experience... Any advice on microcontrollers, like which one, and resources for a non-genius like me to learn how to use one for my purpose?

[jestermgee]

I'm gathering that a microcontroller like Arduino or a MicroPython board would be better since I won't need all the extra boxes. But I am very daunted since I have no electronics or programming experience... Any advice on microcontrollers, like which one, and resources for a non-genius like me to learn how to use one for my purpose?

Nah, don't reinvent the wheel.

Even if you create one yourself you then still need to drive it from MIDI where you need to program all that up... Easiest to just use existing DMX hardware and drive it direct from software or an external controller with MIDI input depending on what you want to do.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30-Channel- ... SwgspZqSwd

Something like that would allow you to drive tri-channel LEDs to set whatever colour you want.

You can then use a USB > DMX connection and throw MIDI at that or how I do it (or did it when I was ding MIDI to DMX) is to send MIDI out from live via my interface to an external DMX lighting board which can trigger scenes from a MIDI note. you just program what you want each scene to do and then operate from MIDI so you can easily switch on, off change colours etc.

[cotdagoo]

Even if you create one yourself you then still need to drive it from MIDI where you need to program all that up... Easiest to just use existing DMX hardware and drive it direct from software or an external controller with MIDI input depending on what you want to do.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30-Channel- ... SwgspZqSwd

Something like that would allow you to drive tri-channel LEDs to set whatever colour you want.

You can then use a USB > DMX connection and throw MIDI at that or how I do it (or did it when I was ding MIDI to DMX) is to send MIDI out from live via my interface to an external DMX lighting board which can trigger scenes from a MIDI note. you just program what you want each scene to do and then operate from MIDI so you can easily switch on, off change colours etc.

I use a similar board for running some WS2801 12v led strips. Works well, and is fairly straight forward.

Though I don't know how easy it would be to program within Live as the DMaX script takes into account an ENTTEC (or compatible cheap version ie: DMXKing Micro) hardware box and makes drawing automation control the lights - which I would find beneficial if I was working solely in Live and not having a lighting board to interface with and configure.

[jonahmo]

I'm gathering that a microcontroller like Arduino or a MicroPython board would be better since I won't need all the extra boxes. But I am very daunted since I have no electronics or programming experience... Any advice on microcontrollers, like which one, and resources for a non-genius like me to learn how to use one for my purpose?

Nah, don't reinvent the wheel.

Even if you create one yourself you then still need to drive it from MIDI where you need to program all that up... Easiest to just use existing DMX hardware and drive it direct from software or an external controller with MIDI input depending on what you want to do.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30-Channel- ... SwgspZqSwd

Something like that would allow you to drive tri-channel LEDs to set whatever colour you want.

You can then use a USB > DMX connection and throw MIDI at that or how I do it (or did it when I was ding MIDI to DMX) is to send MIDI out from live via my interface to an external DMX lighting board which can trigger scenes from a MIDI note. you just program what you want each scene to do and then operate from MIDI so you can easily switch on, off change colours etc.

Then I would also need an external power supply box for that 30 channel DMX, right?

[jestermgee]

I'm gathering that a microcontroller like Arduino or a MicroPython board would be better since I won't need all the extra boxes. But I am very daunted since I have no electronics or programming experience... Any advice on microcontrollers, like which one, and resources for a non-genius like me to learn how to use one for my purpose?

Nah, don't reinvent the wheel.

Even if you create one yourself you then still need to drive it from MIDI where you need to program all that up... Easiest to just use existing DMX hardware and drive it direct from software or an external controller with MIDI input depending on what you want to do.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30-Channel- ... SwgspZqSwd

Something like that would allow you to drive tri-channel LEDs to set whatever colour you want.

You can then use a USB > DMX connection and throw MIDI at that or how I do it (or did it when I was ding MIDI to DMX) is to send MIDI out from live via my interface to an external DMX lighting board which can trigger scenes from a MIDI note. you just program what you want each scene to do and then operate from MIDI so you can easily switch on, off change colours etc.

Then I would also need an external power supply box for that 30 channel DMX, right?

Yep but it takes any 12-24vDC from what I can see and you just need to make sure your amps can supply the amount your lights need. For the price it's one of those things worth buying to just test with and see if it will work.