Setting up the MIDI Module is a fairly straight-forward process. This article will discuss how to set this up in ProPresenter, however MIDI works and is set up the same across ProPresenter and PVP. To begin setting the Module up, you need to first make sure you are connected to a MIDI device or network on your Machine. There are a few ways that you can send or receive MIDI, but this article discusses two of those ways. The first way is by sending MIDI over the network. This works by connecting to a network and sending MIDI notes to another device on the network. The other way this article discusses is sending via the IAC Driver (Inter-application communication). This sends MIDI from one application on a single machine to another application on the same machine.
To start sending/receiving MIDI you need to determine what type of setup you will be using. Both setups in this article (IAC and Network) will be covered using the Audio MIDI Setup in the "Utilities" folder inside of the Mac Applications folder. Once this application is opened, you need to open the MIDI Studio by selecting Window>Show MIDI Studio from the Menubar.
To set up an IAC Driver, you need to select IAC Driver. This setup is used to send and receive MIDI on the same machine. You can create a custom name for this device in the next window (pictured below). You will need to check the box that reads Device is online. Verify that you have one port (by default this port is named "Bus 1").
To set up a Network MIDI Session, You would need to select Network. This setup is used for sending MIDI across your network. (Note: We recommend a hardwired network connection). In this window, you will need to start by creating a Session (by default this is called "Session 1" with a port number of "5004"). Once this Session is Enabled (with the checkbox under "My Sessions") you should be able to see devices in your "Directory". If you don't see any devices there, you will likely need to change who can connect to you with the dropdown menu under the "Directory" section. If you do see your device, you can select Connect. Once you are connected, you should see the device under "Participants". One thing to note here is if you are setting a machine up to receive MIDI, you can test that you are receiving MIDI Notes in this window by viewing the "Latency" bar when sending notes from another machine. These will show as little red lines perpendicular to the bar. If you aren't receiving any notes in this bar, you are not receiving MIDI on the machine, and you will need to troubleshoot the sending device. (Note: Our Support team cannot provide this type of troubleshooting).
If you are receiving MIDI notes (verified by the red lines in the latency bar), you can proceed to the next step, which is in ProPresenter. You will need the MIDI Module or Communications Module for this setup, but if the Module hasn't been purchased you can demo it for testing needs. You will need to activate the Module to show within the Preferences Header (like in the Picture Below), and once viewing the Communications/MIDI Module Preferences you can Add a Device.
Once you add a device, you can select MIDI, and the MIDI setup window will open. You can select to send (Destinations) or Receive (Sources) in this window. The names should match what you entered in the Audio MIDI Setup window for the IAC Driver or the Network Session (See image below). Once you select the source or destination, you can now save those changes.
If you are controlling ProPresenter with MIDI from an outside source, you can select the Source you set up and open MIDI Setup. In the top right-hand corner, you should see the Last Note received as well as the Intensity sent with this note. You can also set up MIDI notes to control different commands in this window.
If you are wanting to control an outside source with ProPresenter you can select your Destination, and close the Preferences Window. Open the Cue Palette, and you should see a Communications Cue available under the "Advanced Cues" section. Drag and drop that cue on a slide that you want to trigger a MIDI note. You can set the channel, note, and intensity of a note you want to send.
You should now be set up to send or receive MIDI with ProPresenter.
At this time, ProPresenter receives on all channels of MIDI and cannot be singled out into a single channel. Currently, our Communications and MIDI Module only supports General MIDI notes.
If you are having issues with your MIDI setup, we recommend looking into this article to try troubleshooting your MIDI setup.
If you want to know more about setting up ProPresenter with Ableton, we recommend checking out this blog post from MultiTracks website. In it, you can find an Ableton Template as well as a video explaining this setup in more detail.