Here’s what I’m currently doing:

We perform to MIDI a keyboard sequence (Yamaha Motif ES) the entire show… MIDI signals are sent all over the stage to different MIDI devices, including our lighting mixer.

Currently, I can turn any par on/off using this MIDI control, as well as total blackout.

I can also "play the lights" using the keyboard… think of the ending of Close Encounters of the Third Kind… it’s trés cool.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

LED pars are looking to be the way to go (the next step, so to speak)… you can do complete color washes, etc… there’s no heat… longer life than standard par cans… the on / off for pars would appear to be completely in-sync since the standard par filaments require a brief "heating up" and "cooling down".

Here’s what I do not know:

1. Just what can I control via MIDI? I already understand MIDI and DMX do not directly translate (who thought that stupid idea up- ha). But I can’t be the only one with this issue.
2. Within the PDF Manual for the "Elation DMX Operator", it states you can control "banks" via MIDI. So what is exactly a bank in relation to LED pars? Is a bank a "scene" that can change any given pars RGB value from one color to another?
3. Related question to #2: Can you control the RGB values from MIDI using the "Elation DMX Operator"?

Any common sense help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and wrap your head around it!

Chad