Setting up the iPad and AC-7 Pro for Final Cut Pro

I've been playing some more with the AC-7 Pro. A very cool thing I didn't realize before: you can move more than one slider at once: that's something you can't do with a mouse - very cool!

Apple iTunes


Final Cut Setup Instructions
Here are the steps for installing the software and configuring Final Cut Pro to work with the AC-7 Pro Control Surface app for the iPad:

1) Download and install the “DSMI Server for OSX”
You can find it here: http://code.google.com/p/dsmi/downloads/list. The Support Page says to download 1.01 as 1.02 is buggy, so search in Depreciated Downloads for "DSMI Server for OSX" and download 1.01



2) Install DSMI Server for OSX
Just run the installer and copy the DSMidiWifi application icon to your Applications folder


3) Run DSMI Server for OSX
A small application window appears (and not much else)

4) Start AC-7 Pro on the iPad

5) Make sure the Mode is set to "LC" in AC-7 Pro
Tap the MODE button just above the Master Vol slider to switch between the different modes

6)Launch Final Cut Pro

7) Go To the Tools menu and choose Control Surfaces...


This opens the Control Surface Configuration dialog, with nothing selected


8) Click the Use: pop-up and choose Mackie


9) Click the "+" button (half-way down the screen on the right)
The new Control Surface will be set to Mackie, and the Input and Output Connection will be set to DSMIDIWIFI-in and -out [Or at least it should be: it's possible it will default to something else if you have other hardware/software already installed.] Click OK

10) A mixer icon appears in the Control Surface Configuration dialog. Click OK to save


11) Switch to the Audio Mixing layout
Choose Window>Arrange>Audio Mixing


12) In the Audio Mixer window, click Record Audio Keyframes
This will record the actions of the mixer as you play the movie

You should be all set to go!


If you run into problems:
Quitting Final Cut and restarting it, as well as restarting the AC-7 Pro app, sometimes seems to be necessary to get everything working right the first time. But once you have things working, it seems to work fairly consistently from then on. When you relaunch the applications it starts working again (i.e. you don't have to go through this configuration each time you launch Final Cut) - just remember to relaunch the DSMidiWifi app before restarting Final Cut.


The short video below shows the AC-7 Pro app and Final Cut Pro interacting:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sony GV-D200 review

Image
Sony GV-D200 I've been using a Sony GV-D200 deck to transfer old Video8 and Hi8 tapes. Some of these tapes are over twenty years old, and no longer having a Hi8 camcorder that worked I was concerned that if I didn't do something about transferring them to a more modern format soon, I might never be able to. While Sony no longer make camcorders that use these tapes - that I know of - Sony does still sell the GV-D200 deck (or Video Walkman, as it's sometimes labelled.) They also offer the GV-D800, which is almost identical but adds a small LCD screen for about $120 more. I didn't think I'd need a screen since I was using this to capture to the computer, but you will need an external monitor when you first set it up. Physically, the device is small. At 5 7/8" wide, 5 3/8" deep and 2" high, it's the smallest video deck I've encountered. I used to have a Video8 deck that I thought was small; and it was twice as deep and twice as high. The t
Read more

Response: Which iPhone to Get?

Image
In response to my iPhone musings, I got the following reader email which actually sums up a lot of my second and third thoughts too: You might have a point about the fancier camera, but otherwise I would buy the smaller model. Its screen is about the same size as that of my Nexus 4, and I don't feel at all like it limits me with a too-small screen. But I do sometimes stretch to get my thumb the reach to the other corner of the screen. It is plenty big for a phone. A phone is a pocket thing. (Well, in my case it lives an ancient REI soft sunglasses case that I have on my belt.) Ubiquitous, handy, convenient, almost always with me. Small is crucial for all of that. Certainly a large screen is cool, but you need a place to put it: don't break a fundamental feature of a pocket phone by getting too big. That is what your small tablet is for. I have my phone with me almost always. I have my Nexus 7 tablet with me nearly as much. The bigger screen is great, yet it fits in some
Read more

Should you buy the Sony NEX-FS100 Kit Lens?

Image
The Sony NEX-FS100 is available in two configurations: B & H : NEX-FS100U Camcorder only $4,999 B & H : NEX-FS100U (with 18-200mm lens) $5,599 But what does that extra $600 get you? It get's you this: Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Zoom Lens for NEX Camera This lens is also available separately for $799.99, so at $200 off you'd think everyone would be jumping on it. But not so fast... In his article about switching from the Canon 5D Mark II to the Sony NEX-FS100 , Paul Antico  at Need Creative says of the kit lens: 7) Its 18-200 F3.6-6.3 kit lens absolutely sucks and should be avoided (thankfully, you can order it without one) [ 1 ] But is it that bad? At B & H 's site, 43 reviews give it an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars. That's not a bad rating, though many of these people are using it for stills, and the most common complaint noted is how large and heavy it is. Of course this feeling of size would be exacerbated when you put it on a tiny camera
Read more