Tammye Nash
New Member
I volunteer for a bellydance studio that puts on several smaller "studio" haflas and at least three larger events. They have, over the last couple of years, been working to change from running the music for the shows as digital sound files played on a laptop, rather than CDs in an ancient CD player, a Dennon?, that is not reliable. Another volunteer who considers himself a sound expert (he's not) purchased some software and installed it on his personal laptop. He gets all the sound files in advance and loads them into the software, puts them in order, etc. The software he purchased and has been using is, I believe, intended to be used in a theatrical setting where certain sounds are cued up and played as needed, without the need to add, remove or change the order. That's not the way these shows work. And more than once, the software has failed at critical times during the larger shows featuring professional dancers from around the world. He is now saying he's found the software for Macs that can run on an ipad or even an iphone and it's the best, etc.
Here's the deal: The studio owner insists that the new system for running the music will be software the studio owns, installed on a device the studio owns. I believe, that since we have volunteers who are not sound experts running the sound, that they need a reliable program in which they can make the necessary changes on the fly — add, remove, change the order — that will give a relatively professional result but is simple to learn and operate. I personally prefer Mac computers, but it may be cost prohibitive in terms of the studio purchasing its own computer. So Mac-specific software may not work. I also don't think they should rely on a phone or an ipad to run the sound — they need to focus on reliability and simplicity as opposed to the neatest/newest gadgets for the guy who considers himself a sound expert.
So, I am asking for some advice on the best program for them to purchase — something that is reliable, simple and not exorbitantly expensive — and then the best computer to get to run that software. Any suggestions
Here's the deal: The studio owner insists that the new system for running the music will be software the studio owns, installed on a device the studio owns. I believe, that since we have volunteers who are not sound experts running the sound, that they need a reliable program in which they can make the necessary changes on the fly — add, remove, change the order — that will give a relatively professional result but is simple to learn and operate. I personally prefer Mac computers, but it may be cost prohibitive in terms of the studio purchasing its own computer. So Mac-specific software may not work. I also don't think they should rely on a phone or an ipad to run the sound — they need to focus on reliability and simplicity as opposed to the neatest/newest gadgets for the guy who considers himself a sound expert.
So, I am asking for some advice on the best program for them to purchase — something that is reliable, simple and not exorbitantly expensive — and then the best computer to get to run that software. Any suggestions