Getting Multiple Outputs from SFX Software on a PC

[Chrisgen3721]

I'm currently running Multiplay Cue Software on my PC, which has one headphone jack. I would like to use the grouping settings in Multiplay, which allow different cues to be routed through different outputs, but I'm not sure what the limitations on this are. I have been considering a 5.1 or 7.1 USB external sound card, and I was wondering if multiplay would recognize each output on this card as a possible separate output? Would the software see each of these individual jacks as a different output, or would it recognize the entire card as one output? If so, is there another software option that may be able to differentiate between the card's outputs?

Thank You! This would make my system much easier to manage!

 

[joeyfergie]

I too use Multiplay in my Theatre. Our computer, actually has 2 5.1 channel sound cards. So far, I have only been able to get multiplay to see the Main (LR) output, and the digital output. Unfortunately, we are going into an analog console, so the digital outputs are useless (I actually have them disabled because of this). We need 8 channels of audio (Main LR, Rear LR, Lobby LR, and 2 Onstage), so to do that we use the internal card, an internal add on, and 2 USB sound cards. I would love to be able to split the outputs to use a 5.1 as 5 or 6 channels, but I don't know of anything that does that (haven't actually looked into it however). I too would like to know if this is possible. If not, USB sound cards go for about $50, around the same for low level internal cards.

An option, may be a multi channel audio interface. These are usually for recording, but most also have multiple outputs (I have seen many with 8 outputs). I have never used this with Multiplay, but I have thought about it. You can probably get one of these for about $300-500. May be a bit more expensive than sound cards, but also give you the option to do multichannel recordings if you ever need to.

 

[NickVon]

I THINK.

multiplay will wrk fine with an internal sound card for such things. I just recently aquired a Saffire Pro40 by Focusrite and multiplay only see's it as a Stereo ouput. I think this is becuase the saffire only talks using the ASIO driver and i'm not sure Mulitplay supports that Driver Format. I have a email out to Dave @ multiplay to see if thats my trouble. If so, time to upgrade to a non-free software solution.

A M-audio Interface i played with worked with Multiplay just fine.

 

[Chrisgen3721]

For anyone who stumbles upon this looking for info on a similar endeavor:

I ended up borrowing two external USB sound cards, which gave me three outputs when combined with my internal card. Multiplay recognized each individual card as 'one output' even though one was a 7.1 card with 4 output jacks and a head phone jack. Doing this, i was able to run three different outputs off my laptop, and a fourth from an iPod (shotty, I know)

Chris

 

[coldnorth57]

I am using SCS software and a USB M-Audio 8 output system and I can sent a differnt cue to any out put.

 

[65535]

I'm not too familiar with windows these days, but make sure your computer sees the soundcard as an 8 channel (7.1) or 6 channel (5.1) output device and configure the outputs as stream 1,2,3,4,5,6...etc.
Some soundcards are run as generic devices and may not be adjustable. You need to make sure that the computer sends multiple channels out in addition to LR you should be able to pick it up as free channels of digital to analog output.

I know using QLab once I set the output of a analog channel from a digital stream in my MixControl (Focusrite Saffire Pro 24) all I have to do is adjust my sends through the 6 channels I use in QLab.

 

[NickVon]

I emailed Dave who develops Multiplay.

And yes multiplay because of the it's architecture and driver usage only recognizes hardware as a stereo devices. so far all of the "pay" programs, and fancier hardware use something called an ASIO driver that the cue software (or recording program, Audition, Pro Tools, etc) use to communicate to your multi-channel in/out device.

It's a limitation of the design of multiplay at this point.

 

[DarthFader]

I'm currently running Multiplay Cue Software on my PC, which has one headphone jack. I would like to use the grouping settings in Multiplay, which allow different cues to be routed through different outputs, but I'm not sure what the limitations on this are. I have been considering a 5.1 or 7.1 USB external sound card, and I was wondering if multiplay would recognize each output on this card as a possible separate output? Would the software see each of these individual jacks as a different output, or would it recognize the entire card as one output? If so, is there another software option that may be able to differentiate between the card's outputs?

Thank You! This would make my system much easier to manage!

Nothing like responding to a really old thread..... But I have been so delighted with resent results in this area that I thought it was till worth sharing.

First off, I'll preface the remarks with the fact that I am using Cue Player Premium Plus and have been absolutely delighted with the program for many many years. That said I can play files back in Windows Media and get the same results re multitracks.

The task at hand was live musical productions with orchestra on track, 20-30 live mikes, plus allowing some additional vocal reinforcement. We use a combination of purchased tracks, and locally created tracks. The production we just closed had about thirty actors with body mikes. (Some significant transmitter swapping during the run since we have only 22 transmittters. We do have enough mike elements that we didn't have to swap them) In all, there were about 110 music track cues and eightteen or so sound FX managed by Cue Player without any issues whatever.

I'm sure everyone is familiar with the hazzards of turning on wireless packs that are out of view offstage, or even wired offstage mikes you can't see so the challenge was to maintain a full vocal sound while actors were either offstage, or for some other reason able to sing in less than full voice. ...for example skipping rope for five minutes. We decided to record the cast in ideal conditions singing with the tracks. Problem is of course, just mixing a fixed amount of extra voice track with the music isn't effective. If there is more than needed, the sound is artificial, if less than needed, the vocals get lost. Sometimes the best amount is none. Every show is different.

I toyed with the concept of creating AC3 surround files and using the surround channels routed separately to the board to allow vocal reinforcement to be controlled separately as needed, but the slight sacrifice in quality along with the hassle of endoding and decoding the surround seemed pretty clunky. I also considered having Cue Player start multiple files and route the output to the different surround channels or even different sound cards, but that seemed risky in terms of encounting sync problems if something grabbed a few too many clock cycles, or the hard drive had a momentary glitch reading multiple files.

In the end, I found by accident that my sound editor was capable of creating something called a six channel uncompressed interleaved .wav file. Hmmm, compression and associated distortion drop out of the equation. Since its interleved, the hard drive reads straight down the file, not hopping all over getting pieces of six different files. Full fidelity on all channels, no cross talk...whats not to love. Big files, but with TB hard drives I could live with that. Popped that file into Cue Player, plugged in my USB external (C-media) sound card, and presto!!! Six perfectly and permanently synced files playing back with one tap of the space bar. In my case they were vocal, but could have been surround FX or localized sounds on stage. I'll admit it was a little more complex task the first time, but there was the dying PC and the switch to Win7 thrown in to complicate things. Reproducing the setup takes ten minutes.

I'd love to hear how anyone else has dealt with the issue, but this is worth a try if you haven't been happy. Beats the heck out of the cost of the 8 channel IO boxes, and at least for now, it seems much more efficient. We used to do this with a second sound operator running Digital Performer on an additional computer with 8 channel IO. Add in redundant backup and you have to find room in the booth for four computers! Cost, complexity and potential for error are all much less this way.

Let me know what you think!