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Controlling Sound Effects In Shows


DSA

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Hi,

 

Is MiniDisc the best way to control sound effects for stage shows???

 

I find it annoying when doing effects 'ad-hoc' i.e. not knowing which you will need until just the moment you need it.

 

Is there a better system which is fairly cheap?

 

Perhaps I should be looking at PC sofware.....

 

Someone mentioned to me a 'sampler' - is this appropriate?

 

Anyone got any ideas?? Freeware hopefully!!

 

Thanks,

David

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Nice pro Minidisc decks have "hot starts" - like this one: Denon 1050 (Actually the hot starts are an option on that one..)

 

Basically the player loads the first part of several tracks into memory, so it can start instantly when you hit the appropriate button.

 

Failing that, you could use a sampler and a keyboard - the Akai stuff is quite nice (and pretty old now, so probably pick-upable for cheapish)

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I was about to put in another plug for the very good shareware utility "soundplant" what does exactly what you want.

 

Soundplant

 

but Peter has already posted a link to the thread when it was discussed before,

 

Oh well no need for this then...

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It contains the MP3 codecs so you don't need extra software, and it will play .wavs as well.

 

This is the way I prefer to use it - as I find it hard to find a mp3 editing application (for those times when production ask for that sound efect to be - you know, just a little more >wave hands vaugly< like more ?different?

 

(replace ?different? with ethnic, urban, rural, spontanious, vibrant, colourful, warm, cold, or whatever catch phrase the design philosophy of this production has today)

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DOH! didn't read your reply properly

 

Yes you have to pay to use MP3's but for the reasons I've mentioned I don't like to use MP3's and I use anything - eg. realplayer to upconvert MP3's to .wavs so I can edit them anyway...

 

And it's such a good toy - it's worth paying the $20 - or whatever that is in UKP to get a licenced copy...

 

(repeat - will read you post in future :) )

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Does CoolEdit not cut it? ISTR it reads MP3s natively and exports them as a save format again

 

 

OK,

 

But I use Wavelab, Cubasis, Sound Forge and Goldwave depending on mood and what I'm trying to do...

 

(And at the price of IDE/ Firewire storage it's rude not to use uncompressed sound effects (Though my music library is MP3 as it's a bit larger than my SFX library...))

 

Sorry to imply it is dificult

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  • 1 month later...

I thought you might be interested to hear that it was first night of 'Hayfever' last night.

 

I used Adobe Audition to control the sound in the show.

 

It went quite well, except for the fact that the first dance song stopped in the middle for no apparant reason. I think it was caused by my aide who idnt quite realise how sensitive the mouse pad on the laptop was!

 

I think he must have stopped it somehow!

 

Anyway the rest was fine - lighting went well.

 

Just hope nights 2 and 3 go as well!

 

David

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Adobe Audtion is a re-branded version of Cool Edit Pro now that Syntrillium has been bought by Adobe, it is cracking bit of software although I personally wouldn't want to run a show from it though, how about burning your show onto a CD before the show and then running the show off that.

I would never put my show in Bill Gates' hands if I can avoid it :blink: :) :** laughs out loud **:

HTH Peter

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