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Another very useful (and often very affordable) control option available to TriCaster users is MIDI.
Literally thousands of devices of this sort are available. (Typically, MIDI devices are used in the audio industry in particular, but often they are used for other applications as well).
TriCaster’s Macro system can ‘listen’ for button presses (only; at present, sliders, etc. are not supported) from most MIDI devices just as it recognizes input from other control surfaces or the keyboard.
For TriCaster purposes, many MIDI devices will provide ‘plug-and-play’ convenience. Some (including the example mentioned in the box at right above) do require the installation of third party device drivers.
Generally, adding device drivers to TriCaster is discouraged, since these may not have been prepared with the rigorous demands of live production in mind.
MIDI Configuration Add-On:
The Add-On group in TriCaster’s Session page (Startup) includes a link named Ableton Novation Launchpad. This link opens a simple configuration application that allows you to alter the colors used to illuminate buttons on this popular MIDI device.
Simply choose a specific device from the menu at upper left, choose a Fill Color, and click a button on the screen with the fill bucket mouse pointer. (Alternatively, each button has a right- click menu you can use to select the color for that button.)
As we cannot guarantee suitability of third-party MIDI drivers for TriCaster use, it’s good to know that a
TriCaster Restore operation will restore normal operation if a driver you install has unintended consequences.
MIDI can be useful in many, many ways Too, a wide variety of MIDI software and extensions are available for other devices. These can be used to create unique custom TriCaster control alternatives. For example, the mockups below depict custom iPad® interfaces (created using third-party iOS® apps) providing wireless control over TriCaster’s Publish features (Figure 391) and DDRs (Figure 392).
Countless other possibilities exist, too, of course.