Found online: Java Client for interacting with d8b via RS232

[Y-my-R]

I am NOT the author of this, and just stumbled over this page by accident:

I hope I'm not stepping on anyone's toes by sharing this. Is the author maybe a member of this forum?

http://d8b.adamdbradley.com/

Especially the link to the Github page looks interesting for those who want to dive into developing/hacking for the d8b (which is not me).

https://github.com/docbradley/d8b-controller

It looks a bit to me, as if this is more or less just the groudwork that @munkustrap already did a long time ago, when doing the initial OS hack, sniffing out what actually goes on between the console and the computer. But still interesting to get a break down of how to go about this.

Just thought I'd share, in case this is useful for anyone.

[lnegro]

Interesting.....just ran across your post. I am trying to come up with a way to interpret what comes out of the d8b serial port and use the PC (in my case) to to do the math to be able to contoal Studio One.......that is without intermediate hardware (read Probox or D8bridge) .

The d8b already does this via the v5.1/HUI mode, albeit for only 8 channels. If it can do 8 channels, why not all 24? ....doesn't make sense

Seems to me this should be doable though I admit to not being a programmer. The normal PC or MAC for that matter should be able to do this.....they are far more powerful than what is in the intermediate hardware/software solutions, as ingenious as they might be.

Larry

[Y-my-R]

I'm not the programmer type, so I would't know. But it does seem likely to me, that software that is translating the serial port commands coming over RS232 to Mackie Control Protocol and back, could make possible what the ProBox does, but without the hardware. So, basically a mapping table, that reads one thing, and outputs the (matching) other thing. But that's basically the D8Bridge software that was discontinued some time back... why re-invent the wheel.
...and IMO, that's what you have to be a programmer for - to do exactly this kind of stuff.


I have two ProBox units set up with my dual-d8b configuration and love it! Worth every penny, and Munkustrap did a great service to this community by putting all this work in. He's also unbelievably helpful if you have trouble with the ProBox setup - to a point where I think he puts in more time than he's making money (I had trouble with the meters in Logic, which turned out to be a Logic bug... that you just don't see on a real Mackie Control unit (which I have a couple of), because the meters are sluggish in that slow LCD display on the Mackie Controls).

I did try the HUI mode on the d8b... and yes, it's annoying that it only works on 8 channels. I think that was just an "extra" that was thrown in at the time.

Oh, and I did try my two d8b's with Studio One 4 as controllers. They are all recognized and work fine with the two ProBoxes.
The only thing I couldn't figure out yet, that I was using with Logic and the two d8b's, is how to lock one unit to always control certain channels (I want my left unit, to be statically assigned to VCA's, Busses, Output Level Controls (for outboard gear), and one or two Virtual Instruments). Logic can do that ("Track Lock"), but I couldn't find an equivalent feature in Studio One.

The meters work perfectly in Studio One, though. They're sluggish and unusable in Logic... but again, that's a Logic bug, and if you look closely with a real MCU unit, it behaves the same way.

[lnegro]

Good intel....I think you are way ahead of me in terms of the d8b setup. I think I too am on my way to a probox but not quite there yet .....$$$$. Keep up the good work and thanks

Larry