What do you all Run your Sound Effects From?
- Thread starterDavetp
- Start date
flowalex999
Member
flowalex999
Member
flowalex999
Member
themuzicman
Well-Known Member
I generally shy away from plugging my computer into a console, even if the console has integrated USB (a lot of "prosumer" consoles on the market have USB now) to inject audio in - I will use the USB to grab audio off of the desk.
You would use a USB interface to interface a PC with the console -- on the low end you can get 2 outputs out of a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. You can scale up from there, on larger shows you will see MOTU interfaces, though RME Fireface800's have become the standard on Broadway and touring shows for high quality and high performance reliability. Shows that use Yamaha desks nowadays are starting to use more Dante interfacing, and in those cases you will see redundant computers running Dante Virtual Sound Card injecting QLab (or other SFX Player of choice) into the network and being patched into the console via Dante Controller.
As for using Phono plugs, I try to shy away from that too -- instead if RCA is your only way to go, I would throw it into a PCDI or Radial JPC and then put it into the console.
As for your initial question of where Sound Effects are run from, generally the audio op will run SFX from wherever they are stationed. On large musicals, I will build FOH in the house and they will run the console and QLab simultaneously. On plays, I can't get the house seats because producing wants to sell them, so I'll put the audio op in the booth or whatever place I get told to throw them -- it's as simple as running the cabling and setting up a few racks in most cases.
AlexDonkle
Active Member
I really like the Dante I/O method for new theatres, as a lot of consoles have Dante card options now. The redundant Dante networks I've seen have been a mystery to me though. Has one of these ever actually prevented an issue? (To me, having 2 Dante networks with separate ethernet switches just makes troubling shooting more complicated and time consuming to track down issues)
flowalex999
Member
I don't plug anything into my computer via usb unless it is mine for audio devices and the drivers are supported by the latest Windows OS, or I gets a through virus scan. Once a week I scan every drive for malware and viruses take a few hours, but I don't want to take a risk. As for cables it depends on how I am connecting from PC to mixer.
themuzicman
Well-Known Member
I won't deploy a Dante system unless I have full redundancy to the best of my systems ability. I run 2 Mac Mini's for QLab, one connected to a Main Network and one connected to the Redundant network. I use a single MIDI Go Button linked to both computers via a MIDI Solutions Thru into a reliable MIDI I/O device. Out of both computers I run their MIDI Outs into a MIDI Merge and throw that into the MIDI Network.
Out of the desk I will run main and redundant loops to my DSP (If I have a Dante network I try to use nothing but DME64N's) and redundant loops to my Rio's. I run my Backup Mac Mini, Redundant Switch, and secondary PSU's to a UPS (or Main PSU if only one) so that if the power goes out I am not spending any time having a network try to resume communication or have anything reboot. The extra 10 minutes it takes to configure a Main/Backup system versus a Daisy Chained system or Single Switch system is well worth the time, especially on a. shows with high stakes b. touring shows c. Installs with inexperienced end-users.
How would it make troubleshooting more complicated? After setup is complete, it makes troubleshooting quicker, if you are getting something on the redundant loop but not on the main you know exactly what section of cable the error is in. In the dozen Dante systems I have put together in the last year, a redundant network has saved me a handful of times, and if I had a single network system in those times the show would have come to a halt or curtain would have been delayed a bit.
tldr:
Use redundant systems. A 24 port Dante switch is $150 for a cheap one, a 5 port is $35, and the copper is pennies per foot. That money is money well spent to ensure continuity of service to the clients and audience we service.
flowalex999
Member
I wold be willing to help test your Linux program of it runs in a Debian environment because I would love to have something for my laptop
techwiz24
Member
https://github.com/techwiz24/soundclip
You'll need gtk+ 3.14 or newer, gstreamer 1.0, and python 3.
I develop primarily on arch, so I'd love some debian / Ubuntu testing coverage!
Its still a really early design, and I'll probably rewrite most of it, but I was able to use it for a show this past March.
flowalex999
Member
Awesome thanks I will let you know what I think
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