I played a show just north of Boston around Christmas time years ago with a few other bands, some pretty famous, some simply great and on their way.

I was standing at the merch booth meeting fans with a guitar player from one of the bands that I was completely blown away by. They were signed to Columbia Records. It was winter and the snow was coming down outside of the auditorium.

The current weather conversation led him to mention that his band was headed back to Cleveland, OH after the show. It would normally be over a 10-hour trip on clear roads.

When I asked why they weren’t just staying the night, he said that he had to work on Monday morning. I asked, “work?” He said, “Yeah, I work at a gas station.”

I’ve never forgotten that. Major label…gas station.

My eyes immediately opened and the term “record deal” took on a whole new meaning.

He was a fantastic guitar player, I don’t recall him singing at all during the show or even having a microphone in front of him. Maybe that was it. It’s hard to have a side hustle as a solo performer for a lot of artists who don’t also sing. Then again, I’d worked at a gas station/convenience store long ago. It actually was probably my favorite job of all back then. I met a ton of people, got to see repeat customers, and learned a lot about them. There was never a lack of good conversation with them and those that I also worked with. Plus, at the end of the day, I could leave the job right there until my next shift. The money wasn’t great, but the job sure was.

Making room to grow

On a Tuesday evening, I decided to quit the cover band that I was in. It was at that same convenience store when during my shift, a friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in a few years walked in two years prior and asked if I’d been playing music. I had been, but nothing serious. He asked if I wanted to get together with his band. I agreed, and the next Sunday we rehearsed for 10 hours.

The next morning, they fired their guitar player and for the next two years, we built the band up bigger than it had been, got some great endorsements and sponsorships, and recorded a single that I had written. The area radio stations were all about us and pushed us like crazy. Every venue had a line out the door for each show that we played, and we played a ton.

On that Tuesday, I couldn’t shake the few conversations we’d all had about what was next. It was clear that they were happy right where we’d managed to be at that moment- cover shows, maybe record another song, filling venues and dance floors. Unfortunately, that wasn’t me. When I hit a ceiling, I either break through or quietly exit and move to the next building to see what’s inside.

I called a couple of the guys to try to schedule something to get together to break the news, but they knew something was up and wanted to hear it right then. I was out.

We had a last weekend bash at one of our favorite venues and played two packed nights to so many people who had supported us during that time. I remember the four of us standing with our backs to the bar at the end of the second night and someone coming up and asking why we were breaking up. Without saying a word, the other three all pointed their fingers at me.

With a little help from my friends

I started playing some solo shows at local clubs. Within a month or so, I borrowed some recording gear and spent the next three days recording three songs that I’d written while writing three more and recording those as well. I barely slept, but I was full of determination. I loved every minute of it. I had a plan. I had no money, but I had a plan.

Everything was recorded and mixed down, but I was financially strapped.

I had a good friend whose family owned a pizza place in town and another in the next town. He was a fan of the band that I’d just left and I shared my vision of going solo. I told him about the recording and how I was stuck on the financial part of it. He graciously offered to fund the duplication costs in trade for his restaurants being added to the liner notes.

If you can find a physical copy anywhere, you’ll also find their names. Both are still in business and doing just fine. I have a feeling that my release helped in absolutely no way, but man, I’m still so appreciative to this day for his generosity and friendship.

The best way to describe the release? Raw and stripped down. Clearly. Not. Polished. However, it was mine- my songs, my voice, something tangible. It sold literally zero copies on the night it was released to a bar full of people. Wanna hear that story? My podcast has “The Flannel Bandanna EP Story.”

It’s not you, it’s me

I hooked up with a fantastic booking agent who kept me very busy for the next few years. I flipped the solo thing to a duo, we played close to 250 shows a year and released the single “Goodbye” which got some serious love in the Boston area both on mainstream and college radio. That story? Yep, on my podcast- “The Goodbye Discussion.”

We had also released a live record that you may be able to find a copy of tucked away in a box in the closets of college students who are now all responsible adults.

Within days of the last duo show, I got a call from a management company wanting to work with us. Strangely, that was also on a Tuesday.

I’d definitely heard of them as they also promoted some of the biggest shows north of Boston. I broke the news that the duo was no more and said that if they wanted to work with me as a solo artist, I was in. The question on the phone was, “Well, you write the songs, correct?”

Yes, I do.

That began a few years of great shows, another record (“July”), and some great opportunities.

Remember that ceiling? If only I could see what others see as the top before I embark on that journey with them. If only we all could.

I hit it again. This time, though, I didn’t know where to go. So, I just played.

I played a bunch of cover shows while tossing in my originals where I saw fit. I played some shows with fantastic musicians, some names everyone knew, some with names everyone should know, and I’d made a choice to start over from where I was, which meant taking some steps back.

I pushed along. I played shows including some that were all original to areas where I knew I’d had a fanbase and was pleasantly surprised by the support that I’d received.

During that time, I also dabbled in some concert production efforts promoting some pretty great events.

When opportunity knocks

Fast forwarding a little bit, I performed a couple of shows with someone that I’d grown up with. We’d played in a high school band together and he’d gone on to do some pretty great things that generated him a couple of top 20 & top 30 hit songs.

We had just wrapped up the last date. Walking to our vehicles and saying our goodbyes as we left the green room, he stopped and said, “Come to LA and let’s make a record.”

Fast forward again, and the “Everything Has Past” EP was made. Incredible musicians and music biz pros.

Produced by Steve Bertrand (The Tories, Avion), “Everything Has Past” features drummer Kenny Aronoff (best known as John Mellencamp’s drummer), bassist Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morrisette), guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme (The Calling, Lifehouse) and keyboardist Scott Simons (LA-based Solo Artist). Added to the mix were Grammy Nominee & Juno Award winner James “Jimbo” Barton assisting with engineering & world-class Mastering Engineer Tom Baker (Precision Mastering). The EP contains a power-packed punch of fresh, new material that will fit perfectly into the collection of any fan of today’s new rock music. Bertrand states of the new release, “Snow Patrol meets Kings Of Leon……the best recorded version of Sean McCarthy to date.”

That’s the write-up. It was another opportunity to get to another level, to break through another ceiling.

Since that record I’ve released a couple of singles and a live EP. I’ve put out some new and old demos of songs on other formats, written a bunch for film and television, and I’ve been focusing more on getting the music out to more people and performing.

If you’re reading this, thank you. Your time & support mean more to me than you know. I hope you like the music, I hope you’ll come to see a show or tune into a live stream.

https://linktr.ee/seanmccarthy

The post Conquer and Divide appeared first on Sean McCarthy.

The post And the Winner is… appeared first on Sean McCarthy.

I honestly have no idea how I was even allowed to become a musician.

The post The Musical Trauma of My Childhood appeared first on Sean McCarthy.

If I had a nickel for every email or ad that has been pitched to me to turn my fans into “super” fans, I’d easily have a few dollars.

Some algorithm has me pegged for someone who might be interested in a “Master Class” on how to lure anyone and everyone into buying something with my name on it after I first bribe them with a free music download on the way to our creative journey together.

An email here with free advice, an email there with more of the same, all followed by a “hurry up, it’s about to expire” warning.

In the end, those “opportunities” cost money, and I just wanted to sing songs, not be a roadie at a merch booth. Don’t get me wrong, adding some items for sale when you perform is a smart idea, but placing all of the focus on marketing and selling items vs. becoming the best performer you can be and seeking out new places to share your talent is a slow rise to continuing to look forward to hating Monday mornings and relinquishing yourself into Loverboy’s “Workin’ for the Weekend” attitude.

How would I know?

For those that have friends that are musicians, it’s a known fact that most, if not all, have day jobs that help to supplement rent, food, heat, sanity, etc. I was no different.

I’ve been a musician for over 35 years. For many of those years, that was it- touring, pouring my heart out in song, and making a pretty decent living doing nothing but performing somewhere around 250 shows per year both in an acoustic duo and as a solo artist. The performance rates for each of those shows were anywhere from $150-$1500.

Sound like a lot? If you’re reading this, you most likely have a day job where, with weekends subtracted, you work just about the same amount of days in a year. We all put our time in.

I’ve also written my fair share of songs that you can hear wherever you listen to music.

I figured it out. Even though time has changed along with the live music scene in many areas, I still have it figured out. Some things stay the same. However, a few key things are necessary to keep the wheels on the bus going ‘round and ‘round — practice, practice, practice.

Just kidding.

Obviously, honing one’s craft is key, but the actual key was, and still is, to be persistent and consistent. Notice I didn’t say good? Although, it can’t hurt.

The goods

It’s great if you pick up a fan or three that wants to take home a CD or something from you because they enjoyed your show. If you’re budget conscious, the proceeds can cover fuel costs and a lonely drink after the show if you’ve managed to completely clear the room out before the pending wrap-up of your set.

Not once did I ever put my merchandising before my musicianship, and neither should you. Well, unless you want to hate yourself while you end up looking back to figure out why you spent the past few years catering to the latest social media follower-gaining craze and strategically soliciting stickers, CDs, and t-shirts rather than focusing on getting out there to actually play gigs.

To answer your question, no, I’m not bitter about my ability to sell absolutely zero copies of my first record to a full house on the night of its release as I discuss here in my podcast. A lesson learned. People will tip you, but sometimes they don’t want your crap when they can spend the same amount on another drink.

(Side note, I hate the word “gig,” not sure why, but I prefer “show.”)

A little backstory

Years ago, my acoustic duo partner came to me pretty excited about a book he’d just purchased. It was called, “How to Make a Living in This Business Called Music,” or something like that. I skimmed through it and listened to his take as he’d already dug right in and was ready to change our ways of doing business.

Did it contain some valuable information? Absolutely. Regardless of where I’m at, I’m always up for learning something new, especially if it helps me to be even a little better at what I do. However, it didn’t take me long to see the angle, and quite frankly, the white flag that the author waved in what I believed to be his first love, which seemed to be actually being a musician. Far be it for me to judge him or understand why. I’m certainly guilty of re-balancing priorities as life keeps coming at me. Still, it seemed clear that his new goal was to sell the ability to sell over the ability to perform.

I kept quiet for a few weeks as we played gig after gig while my partner kept referring to what the book said to do. It had everything from how to get a manager (I already managed us, pretty successfully), how to get a booking agent (we had one, a very good one), to what material to make sure your band t-shirts were made from. Did I mention that I’d previously worked at a top-notch garment printing company for a while before starting my own and selling it?

It was certainly a good book for the novice to get a little insight. I remember it eluding to, but never actually saying that managers won’t touch you unless you’re somewhat polished and that agents aren’t interested unless you’re ready to tour…with at least a small fan base and mailing list.

The bottom line was, we were already doing it, all of it, and this guy- the author, wasn’t.

One day after another novel idea from the book regarding the next best musical career move, I jokingly said to him, “Do you want to know how to make a living in this business called music? Write a book called ‘How to Make a Living in This Business Called Music.’”

This was my first real taste of being solicited by someone to purchase something of theirs with them as the authority to show me how to be successful in the all-encompassing music merchandising world. The trouble was, from what I recall, the focus was on how to sell sh*t. In his defense, he did mention the t-shirt thing, so the focus was on quality sh*t. Maybe the writer wanted the reader to recoup the $39.95 cost of the book in some way.

The trick to gigs and more gigs

Let’s go with the assumption that you’ve learned 30 or so cover songs.

There’s no harm in tossing in a couple of your own originals in your set, but well-known popular songs will be what will get you in the door and help to keep you there until you become ridiculously famous and your songs become the covers for others. Patience is a virtue.

Let’s also assume that there is someplace within a 30-minute drive of your current residence where people gather together. The obvious place is the local pub. Sure, it’s an option. Just a heads-up that if you walk into the local pub and they know you, it’s almost a guarantee that they’ll give you a shot and let you put out a tip jar in lieu of paying you for the evening’s entertainment. If you have mad negotiating skills, you can probably get them to also agree to a couple of draft beers.

A little hint here, even if the drinks are free? ALWAYS tip the bartender at the end of the night and mention them by name during your set. Don’t just say the standard, “Tip your blah, blah, blah…” Introduce yourself to the bartender and waitstaff when you arrive (accordingly). If they don’t offer it, ask for their name and REMEMBER it. When the place is packed and jamming out to your jams, in between songs a couple of times throughout the night, take a minute to have everyone give it up for [insert bartender, server(s), and kitchen staff here], and then remind them to empty their pockets for them.

Oh, you noticed that I mentioned the kitchen staff? Perfect. Let me share another secret here, the kitchen staff are the last to get drinks. If everyone else in the crowd had to leave because they had to work early the next day, those in the kitchen are just about to wrap up their shift. In a small corner bar or restaurant, rest assured that they heard you, even over the radio in their workspace helping to keep them going through their nightly routine. 90% of the time, they’ll take off their apron, push through the double doors, and assume their well-earned seat at the bar while the bartender slides them their regular drink often without a word.

What happens next, is one of the keys to you not only possibly returning to the venue, but can potentially flip this tip-paying gig into a guaranteed base pay plus tips AND get you into another pub or two in town, or even the next town over.

If the staff has enjoyed what you’ve been playing all night, they’ll most likely hit you up with a request somewhere in the vicinity of what you’ve been playing, but possibly something completely out in left field. If that happens, PLAY THE SONG.

If you don’t know the song but are like the other 90% of the current singer/songwriters out there that depend on your iPad to back you up for your failure to actually memorize your setlist for whatever reason, do a quick Google search, find the song and play it. (90% is arbitrary, I have no idea what the real number is. No judgment here, well, actually, yes, I’m judging- put some time into this for fuck’s sake.) If you just don’t know the song and have no means to cheat, ask them for another, if they request something that you already played, play it again, Sam. If they don’t ask for a song, offer.

Give. Them. Something.

I cannot tell you the appreciation that I’ve seen from some of the hardest workers in the food service business when you recognize them and do something for them. On nights when you’re playing and the place is empty for whatever reason, they will become your fans, simply because you are there for them. Also, it’s a family. Those that work in the restaurant and bar sector all hang out and talk to each other, and they spread the word. If you aren’t reading between the lines, this means that they will spread the word about you. One local pub gig can easily turn into weekly shows at three or four different venues simply because of these actions.

All the world’s a stage

Let’s quickly talk about some other venue options. Don’t like the bar scene?

I remember watching a Melissa Etheridge interview years ago where she was talking about playing in bars early in her career. She said something like, “People watch TV, play pool, throw darts, and they occasionally pay attention to me,” and I felt that.

Here are some other ideas. Surprisingly, I’m not even going to recommend coffee shops. I mean, it can’t hurt (I shrug).

Think about this, a guy walks into a bar, and yes I know, a dozen jokes come to mind (forgive the gender bias here, just going along with the joke theme). However, that guy has between $20-$100 cash in his pocket and a credit card, oh, and a phone…with cash apps installed. Another guy walks into a coffee shop to grab a coffee to go. Who’s planning on sticking around and spending more money before they even knew you were all set up and ready to play? I’ll spell it out, follow the money.

Churches can also be surprisingly good places for an intimate show. Maybe a big crowd, maybe not. However, There’s one guarantee, it’s a completely captive audience, and captive audiences can produce fans that will spread that word about you. Local town halls can offer the same thing. Find out who’s in charge, book an early evening show, charge by donation and play your heart out! I know what you’re thinking about who’s in charge at the church, however, it’s usually not the pastor or God himself in this case, most churches have a designated person or group that handles events.

Have a friend who likes to throw parties? Make them an offer to play the outdoor barbecue for a few hundred bucks. One of three things will happen; they’ll say no, they’ll say yes, or they’ll counter and you can settle on a price that you’re both comfortable with. If it goes over well, they’ll probably have you do it again. The family and friends that came for the musical feast might also be interested in having you play.

House concerts offer another great option. Although, it can be tricky if you’re just starting out, though pretty lucrative.

Time to close the curtain

Now, let’s wrap this up.

Notice that I barely mentioned getting side-tracked from the fact that you love singing, playing, or whatever your talent happens to be and didn’t tell you to up-sell to everyone who may have stumbled onto your website?

What I did talk about, was how you can make money performing. I even gave some pointers on how to enhance those gigs and potentially spin them off into more shows. I lightly touched on rehearsing being a thing that should be focused on, as well as people and places that you already know that will pay you for your talent.

Some things to remember- “Exposure gigs” suck. Have you seen the meme where the restaurant owner asks the musician to play but can’t pay them? Instead, they offer the chance to play in front of their clientele which can lead to “exposure.” The musician turns it around and asks the restaurant owner if they’ll cater a private party. They can’t pay them, but they’ll gain exposure to their family and friends.

Touche`.

Exposure doesn’t pay the rent and you can’t eat it, it doesn’t taste good. On the contrary, the whole deal leaves a bad taste in someone’s mouth, usually yours. Those that offer it to you as a form of payment are well aware that they are benefiting from your talent for free. They are not someone that you should agree to do business with.

The only reason that counters this, is if they’re okay with the tip-jar angle and you keeping whatever’s put in it. If this is the case, don’t just put the tip jar out. Share your Venmo, PayPal, and whatever other usernames allow people to take money from their bank account and kindly give it to you, allowing you to place it into yours.

I’m a bit of a hypocrite here, I don’t really take tips. Sure, I’ve had plenty of people find a place around the stage to place money showing their appreciation, and I very much appreciate it right back.

For those that seek out a digital option to show their love, the tip amounts can be ten-fold. Not sure if you’ve heard, but apparently there’s a coin shortage and cash is hard to come by these days …or something.

When initially booking shows, the key is to be open to negotiating. Never sell yourself short. Read that again.

Know your worth

Let’s do some quick math.

You play a few starter gigs for tip money and/or small money, say $50-$75 per night and do that for a month or so. As long as you’ve paid attention and have been diligent in seeking out a few more venues and opportunities, word has spread and people have possibly heard that you’re available for hire. Let’s call this the paying-your-dues phase.

If you grind it out just a little, you are easily averaging $100/night for a few hours of work and can potentially do this 4–5 nights per week. You should decide if you’re willing to commit to regular weekly shows at a local venue for a little less money in exchange for the option of recurring work.

Think of the pros and cons.

With a base pay plus possible tips, this can easily bring in $500/week. If you’re savvy and sink your teeth in, you get an agent, mix the shows they get for you with your self-bookings, and $1000+/week is extremely realistic- all for playing music.

Two things; First, it is work, even if you love it- and you should get paid for it, second, $100/night starting out can either sound like too little for your trouble or much more than you’ve ever made performing. It doesn’t matter how much you feel you should be paid in some cases. People and venues have a budget. In those cases, you are worth what they are able or willing to pay you. It’s up to you to know your worth and to decide if the pay is worth the performance.

Understand that you may have to start with a lesser amount to get in the door. We all do it. If you deliver, you’ll find your demand.

Just perform.

My other gig: https://www.seanmccarthy.com/

The post How Any Decent Musician Can Make $1000+/week Simply Performing appeared first on Sean McCarthy.

When I was 16, I walked into a popular nightclub in Vermont on a Friday night and witnessed a band that instantly became a huge influence on me for years to come as I began to claw my way into the music business. No, I shouldn’t have been there, yes, it was a different time. I was in awe of the entire show- the sound, the production, the level of performance. It was inspiring.

The next night, I was in Canada about an hour north when the venue owner had tracked me down and called me up telling me that the same band needed someone to fill in because their bass player’s wife was having a baby. He said, “I know you’re a guitar player, but you can play bass, right?” I left immediately.

When I arrived, the manager of the band that I was in was sitting at the bar because the owner had reached out to him while trying to track me down. He ordered me a shot of Jack Daniels, figuring I’d need it. Again, 16, but no one knew it except for him & me.

I was rushed into the dressing room to get ready for the set and quick introductions were made. This was in fact, the “80’s,” and stage clothing was key. I had none. Someone handed me a jacket to wear. The singer (Randy) was trying to figure out what to start the set with and mentioned something about the Dokken song, “In My Dreams” (remember…80’s). I immediately sang the falsetto part of the intro and he said, “That’s it! That’s Frank’s part!”

We quickly went over a 3-part harmony and Randy realized it had been a while since they’d performed it. I remember him grabbing a walkman for about 30 seconds to get a refresher of the 2nd verse. That was the entire “rehearsal” for the night.

I asked if anyone had any hair spray. The guitar player (Andre`) handed me a bottle and I spent the next 10-15 seconds pumping it into my hair while working on max volume. Less than a minute later, the drummer (Gary) holds up a bottle of actual hairspray, looked at me, and asked, “Is this what you were looking for?”

I had previously been handed a bottle of Martin guitar polish.

We all walked out and onto the stage. The place was for sure at capacity. I remember Andre’ giving a quick guitar note for the key, Gary giving a four count, and us starting the song off with nothing but the 3-part harmony. Then, we were off and running. I looked across the stage to my left at the keyboard player to see the biggest smile on Charlie’s face. I’m sure he was probably thinking, “What’s the worst that can happen here?”

As for my bass playing? I quickly realized that the guitar parts for some of the songs that I knew were nothing like the actual bass lines, and that it had in fact been a while since I played bass. It was mediocre at best and for a couple of songs, less than that. Andre’ turned around a few times to keep me on track when it seemed like I might be straying from it. Randy even asked if I wanted to sing a song. Sure, why not?

For a night, I was a teen-aged kid in a place I had no place being, on a stage with rock stars.

Over the years, I got to know the guys in the band as we crossed paths on the New England circuit. As I continue to push forward in my music career, I still vividly recall that night- a completely unexpected opportunity to see how it’s done, the right way.

8084’s dedication to “the show” is second to none. The band’s hard-earned and well-deserved 40th anniversary show is coming up. If you don’t have plans yet, get tickets.

8084rocks.com

The post 16-year-old Filled in for Rock Band on a Whim, and the Rest is History appeared first on Sean McCarthy.

DMXIS is a lighting control software application for both Mac OS and Windows-based operating systems. A foot controller can be used to send MIDI signals through a computer to select presets that have been saved in the DMXIS application.

If you choose to use the Rocktron MIDI Mate foot controller as your DMXIS foot controller, the following steps will allow you to have any of your nine presets (scenes) available at your feet. Note that each preset MUST be in the same DMXIS Bank. Also, when programming and when using the MIDI Mate to control your presets, you MUST have that particular bank selected.

Requirements

• Mac OS or Windows-based computer with the DMXIS application installed
• Rocktron MIDI Mate foot controller
• MIDI cable
• USB to MIDI converter
• At least two presets configured in a DMXIS bank for validation

You do NOT need to have your DMXIS USB box connected to your laptop/computer for programming, but you must have your Rocktron MIDI Mate connected to it (laptop/computer). Use a USB to MIDI converter for this, such as the “iConnectivity mio 1-in 1-out USB to MIDI Interface for Mac and PC”. A web search for “USB to midi converter” will show various options to purchase either the mio or another brand of your choice. If using the mio adapter, be sure to use the white (IN) connector for connecting to the MIDI cable coming from the Rocktron MIDI Mate. If using another brand, ensure that you are connecting to the cable marked “IN”.

Preparation

Make sure that your Rocktron MIDI Mate is connected to your laptop/computer via USB using the aforementioned converter and MIDI cable. Be sure to select the hardware device in the DMXIS > Preferences section in the “Audio/MIDI Settings”. The MIDI Mate will appear in “Active MIDI Inputs” and needs to be selected.

With the DMXIS software application open, launch the Preset Manager and select the bank that contains the presets that you want to program the MIDI Mate to control.

Steps

1. On the MIDI Mate, make sure Access (bottom left of pedal) is set to “Bank”.
2. Press “2nd” button to activate edit mode.
3. For this particular programming set the Midi Mate to Bank “0”, Press the Down (0) or Up (1) “Bank (Adjust)” button to show that you’re editing Bank “0”. (It will be flashing in the top left number display.)
4. Press “2nd” button to leave edit mode.
5. Press any of the numbered buttons to stop the flashing “0” on the top left screen.
6. Press “2nd” button to activate edit mode again.
7. Press Left “Edit Function Select” (5 button) so that “Programmable Patch Changes” appears – Wait for the text to stop scrolling.
8. Press either the Down (2) or Up (3) “Edit Preset Select” button to select the Midi Mate foot pedal/button number that you want to program. (Note that the “0” pedal/button is not an option. Use buttons 1-9.)
9. Press the Down (0) or Up (1) “Bank (Adjust)” button to select the number of the DMXIS preset for the DMXIS preset that corresponds with what you want the Midi Mate to change to. (ie: If the DMXIS preset is the 7th one down in the preset list, set this number to “7”. If it’s the 35th one down, set this number to “35”, etc.). You can continue to do this for each of the MIDI Mate 1-9 buttons.
   Note: If you organize your presets in banks of 9 and assign each button to correspond with the position of the preset (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc.), you’ll be able to more easily access additional banks of presets. See Switching Banks to access more presets below.
10. Press “2nd” button to leave edit mode.

Note that rearranging any of the DMXIS presets in the DMXIS Preset Manager after programming the MIDI Mate will cause the Midi Mate buttons to activate whichever DMXIS preset was put into the new “slot” in the software application.

Rocktron MIDI Mate Title Editing

If desired, this will allow the Rocktron MIDI Mate display to correspond with the name of the DMXIS preset when selected. The title could also be entered to indicate the type of scene vs. the specific preset name.  For example, Chase, Solo, Front Only, Back Only, Blinders, Strobe.

1. To edit the MIDI Mate preset name – Press “2nd” button to activate edit mode.
2. Press the EDIT FUNCTION SELECT “‡” button (“TITLE EDIT” will scroll across the display). Wait for the scrolling to finish.
3. Use the ADJUST buttons to select a character.
4. Press the EDIT FUNCTION SELECT “‡” button to advance to the next character position to edit
5. Use the ADJUST buttons to select a character. Repeat this process until all the characters are edited

More on Rocktron MIDI Mate Title Editing from the user manual.

Validating

1. Select a bank in the DMXIS application that has at least two presets
2. Assuming that you’ve programmed the MIDI Mate buttons 1 and 2 to correspond with presets 1 and 2 in the above steps, pressing each of these buttons should switch between the presets. If you’ve programmed all nine buttons on the foot controller and have the same amount of presets in the bank, press each button to change between each one.

Switching Banks to access more presets

If you choose to program the foot controller buttons 1-9 to correspond with sequential numbers 1-9, simply selecting a different bank in the application will allow each button to then control presets 1-9 in that particular bank. Below is an example of how this can expand the available scenes.

DMXIS bank/preset examples:

The post DMXIS: Rocktron MIDI Mate Programming Instructions for Controlling Presets appeared first on Sean McCarthy.