PTZOptics, manufacturers of affordable broadcast-quality robotic cameras, and the MIDI Association, the international stewards of MIDI technology, recently announced a new frontier for MIDI control. In a joint project, executed over the past six weeks, they are bringing fully configurable MIDI control to the line of PTZOptics robotic cameras. Here’s a video demonstration of MIDI control from PTZOptics:
Starting with the PTZOptics 12X-NDI and SDI cameras, PTZOptics has rolled out direct MIDI control to their current generation camera line via a free firmware update. The beta MIDI control firmware update is now available for download for the PT12X-SDI/NDI as well as for the PT20X-SDI/NDI and PT30X-SDI/NDI models. Users will be able to map camera commands including setting presets, call, pan, tilt, zoom in, zoom out, speed up, and slow down to available keys on any MIDI device. Once configured, the MIDI controller can steer and control the PTZ camera from anywhere in the world via the Web MIDI API.
“Live streaming has become extremely important to creatives and musicians, from performers and worship leaders to bloggers and DJs,” says Geoff Robinson, Product Manager at PTZOptics. “With this new feature set, users can control a live video production without any additional dedicated hardware – just the devices or even instruments they already have. We can’t wait to see what this incredibly creative community does with PTZ camera control.”
This release is the result of a rapidly-formed relationship between PTZOptics and the MIDI Association. Athan Billias, President of the MIDI Association, reached out to Robinson to see if the camera maker had plans to further develop their existing – but limited – MIDI control software application. Billias and Robinson saw an opportunity to bring flexible, open-source camera control to the industry. Less than two months later, PTZOptics was a newly-minted MIDI Association member and the only camera manufacturer to implement direct MIDI control.
“The MIDI Association is very excited to have PTZOptics as a member because we have already been working on remote collaboration using Web MIDI for our MIDI In Music Education and MIDI In Music Therapy Initiatives,” says Billias. “The ability to remotely control PTZ cameras over Web MIDI shrinks the world in a very significant way.”
The PTZOptics MIDI control feature set debuted at the NAMM and InfoComm tradeshows. At NAMM, MIDI-controlled PTZ 12X cameras were featured at the MIDI Showcase, where they were used to highlight their fellow MIDI Innovation Award nominees; in Studio 108, the MIDI Association’s live broadcasting studio; and at the PTZOptics booth. InfoComm attendees experienced a live interactive demo of the technology at the HuddleCam HD booth.
Owners of current generation PTZ 12X, 20X, and 30X cameras can unlock MIDI control immediately by downloading and installing the latest camera firmware from the PTZOptics website. MIDI control will roll out to all current-generation PTZOptics PTZ cameras by the end of 2022.
With fully configurable MIDI control, no other PTZ camera offers as much flexibility and pure fun.
Further information from PTZOptics: ptzoptics.com/midi.
