LeslieLEDs

Wireless, clock-synchronized LED shows for organ-inspired rigs. Midi2DMXnow turns MIDI CC/notes into a DMX-like frame, broadcasts it over ESP-NOW, and mirrors the output on its own LED strip. DMXnow2Strip receivers listen, stay phase-locked via MeshClock, and render the exact same animation. A Python controller app provides a DAW-free UI plus a virtual MIDI bridge when you want studio automation.

Features

• Split architecture – One transmitter drives any number of receivers with no Wi-Fi pairing.
• Deterministic sync – ESPNowMeshClock keeps every LedEngine instance on the same timeline (<5 ms skew).
• 120-pixel RGBW baseline – Both sender (preview strip) and receivers boot with the same 120 SK6812 LEDs, GPIO2 on AtomS3 and GPIO26 on Atom Lite/M5Core.
• RGBW boot sweep – Every device plays a fast R→G→B→W test the moment LEDs power up.
• Multi-transport MIDI – USB MIDI (AtomS3), Serial MIDI (M5Core), or the controller app’s virtual port.
• Scene workflow – Ten presets (notes 36–45) plus a CC127 “scene save mode.”

Repository layout

Path	Description
Midi2DMXnow/	PlatformIO project for the transmitter + LED preview (AtomS3 / M5Core).
DMXnow2Strip/	PlatformIO project for Atom Lite receivers that convert ESP-NOW DMX to LEDs.
LEDengine/	Shared animation engine (standalone PlatformIO library).
controller/	DearPyGUI desktop app for manual control and DAW bridging.
../shared_libs/ESPNowDMX (optional)	Local checkout of the ESP-NOW DMX helper when testing forks.
../shared_libs/ESPNowMeshClock (optional)	Same idea for the MeshClock helper.
ARCHITECTURE_DIAGRAM.md	Current end-to-end flow and link map.
SETUP_CHECKLIST.md	Flash/build/test checklist.
MIDI_USER_GUIDE.md	Musician-facing MIDI+DAW guide.

Legacy references such as Midi2Strip/ remain untouched for context only.

Quick start

1. Install dependencies
   • VS Code + PlatformIO
   • Python 3.10+ plus uv (or pip) for the controller app
2. Build & flash Midi2DMXnow

   cd Midi2DMXnow
   pio run -e m5stack_atoms3 -t upload   # USB MIDI / AtomS3
   pio run -e m5core -t upload           # Serial MIDI / M5Core

3. Build & flash DMXnow2Strip

   cd DMXnow2Strip
   pio run -e atom_lite -t upload        # Atom Lite receiver

4. Wire LED strips (SK6812 RGBW)
   • AtomS3 preview: GPIO2
   • Atom Lite receiver: GPIO26
   • 5 V / GND shared with strip, 120 pixels default
5. Run the controller app (optional)

   cd controller
   ./run.sh                # sets up .venv via uv and launches DearPyGUI

   Use the “LeslieCTRLs” virtual MIDI port inside your DAW to drive Midi2DMXnow indirectly, or pick the hardware port directly from the GUI.
6. Verify boot sweep + sync
   • Receivers first, sender last. Every device flashes R→G→B→W before showing "Waiting for DMX".
   • Move a few sliders: preview strip and remote strips should mirror each other immediately.

MIDI + DAW control

• MIDI channel 1, CC mappings straight from config.h (CC1 brightness, CC2 speed, CC8 mode, CC20–23 Color A HSVW, CC30–33 Color B HSVW, CC127 scene save).
• Notes 36–45 recall/save 10 presets; note 48 triggers blackout.
• MIDI_USER_GUIDE.md explains how to map these in Ableton/Logic/Reaper, how to use the virtual MIDI bridge, and how the GUI mirrors inbound messages.

Additional documentation

• ARCHITECTURE_DIAGRAM.md – Deep dive on data flow and timing guarantees.
• SETUP_CHECKLIST.md – Soup-to-nuts deployment/testing list (including controller validation).
• MIDI_USER_GUIDE.md – Musician-focused walkthrough with CC tables, scene handling, and DAW routing tips.
• LEDengine/README.md – Animation API reference shared by both firmware targets.

Development tips

• Both PlatformIO projects add ../LEDengine and ../shared_libs via lib_extra_dirs, so keep those folders siblings of the repo root.
• When patching ESPNowDMX or MeshClock locally, delete .pio/libdeps/<env>/ESPNowDMX* so PlatformIO reuses the sibling checkout.
• Use pio run -t clean after switching hardware targets to avoid stale build flags.
• The Python controller pins dependencies in pyproject.toml and requirements.txt; run ./run.sh to create a .venv with uv and install everything.

Happy modulating! If something feels out-of-date, start with the checklist and MIDI guide—both now point to the latest boot/test behavior.