Easy playback of MP3 and others

[zerbec]

Hello,

 

I am helping at a theatre with the sound system, and we are searching for a way with which we can easily play and stop MP3's.

This topic is now coming up because the last shows had very little music and the musical which they performed at the theatre always had a

band.

Now we are doing another musical and we are working with many songs as MP3 files. I have been on the search for a programm which you import a list

of the songs which should be played and you have two buttons, one for start and one for stop, so that you can accuratly start the songs and sound effects.

I have come across Q-Lab but that sadly that wasn't what we were hoping for because it doesn't fully fit our needs.

 

If anyone knows such a programm which can run on a mac, it would be very helpfull for us.

 

Thankyou

[pete10uk]

I use soundbyte for such occasions.

 

Nice program which lets you edit the start and stop cues. The only annoyance, at least with the version I have is the time is decimal. I.e for 1:30 you need to enter 90.

 

http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/soundbyte_rack_cart_machine_radio_automation_software.html

[sandall]

If you can get hold of a Windows laptop (preferably XP) MultiPlay does exactly what you need. It also allows overlapping cues, fades, levels, pans & multiple outputs (if you have an appropriate soundcard). It's also free. There are several threads on BR. The bad news is that there isn't a mac version.

[dbuckley]

I have come across Q-Lab but that sadly that wasn't what we were hoping for because it doesn't fully fit our needs.

Could you be a bit more specific as to why QLab came up short? I know its a Mac program(!), and quite expensive, but it is widely regarded as the gold standard for theatre playback, so knowing what was wrong with it may help suggest something more appropriate for your use.

 

Alternatively, and perhaps more cheekily, and without wishing to be disrespectful, it may be that as you are new to playback in the theatre context you may have some ideas about how it should be done, and the reality is you are making life harder for yourself and/or risk screwing over the production, and perhaps we can offer some advice on that front too.

 

And piece of advice number one is don't use MP3s; use WAV files. MP3s are magic in that they enable files to be shrunken to a fraction of the size of a WAV file, but for theatre playback on a PC they don't need to be shrunk, and thus the difficulties of navigating an MP3 file can be avoided - they don't fast forward or rewind easily, as the stream has to be decompressed on-the-fly. They are impossible to edit natively, and each time they are edited they loose a little as they get decompressed and then compressed again on saving.

[mackerr]

I have come across Q-Lab but that sadly that wasn't what we were hoping for because it doesn't fully fit our needs.

Could you be a bit more specific as to why QLab came up short? I know its a Mac program(!), and quite expensive, but it is widely regarded as the gold standard for theatre playback, so knowing what was wrong with it may help suggest something more appropriate for your use.

 

Alternatively, and perhaps more cheekily, and without wishing to be disrespectful, it may be that as you are new to playback in the theatre context you may have some ideas about how it should be done, and the reality is you are making life harder for yourself and/or risk screwing over the production, and perhaps we can offer some advice on that front too.

 

And piece of advice number one is don't use MP3s; use WAV files. MP3s are magic in that they enable files to be shrunken to a fraction of the size of a WAV file, but for theatre playback on a PC they don't need to be shrunk, and thus the difficulties of navigating an MP3 file can be avoided - they don't fast forward or rewind easily, as the stream has to be decompressed on-the-fly. They are impossible to edit natively, and each time they are edited they loose a little as they get decompressed and then compressed again on saving.

 

Yes, this. It is hard to imagine what can't be done in QLab, and since you are asking about MP3s I assume you only need 2ch of playback which is available on the free version of QLab 2. How exactly did it fall sort in your opinion?

 

Mac

[TomHoward]

If it's simple enough worth checking out QCart from Figure53 as well, if you have less than 16 cues it can be an even simpler implementation.

[Bobbsy]

I have to say that, in the Mac world, Qlab is pretty much the "industry standard" with thousands of shows (ranging from schools and local amdram up to the West End and Broadway) done successfully. I'd strongly suggest that you have another look--as has been said, the basic 2 channel version is even free.

 

However, coming at it from a totally different direction, maybe have a look at Soundplant. Unlike Qlab and lots of others, instead of an ordered cue list you just make as many keys as you want on you computer keyboard into "hot keys" which will instantly start the track assigned to them. For stopping, you can just tell it to make the second push of the same key a stop. However, there are also options for looping, pressing another cue stopping a running cue or playing two at once, etc. etc.

 

Soundplant is free if you play uncompressed files (which you should be anyway...MP3 is for amateur distribution, not any serious use...or you can pay a small one off fee if it HAS to be MP3. Soundplant HERE.

 

But do look again at Qlab.

[gyro_gearloose]

If its lack of a Mac thats holding you back, take a look at my listing from a couple of months ago.

[MarkPAman]

If its lack of a Mac thats holding you back......

Given the request for:

If anyone knows such a programm which can run on a mac, it would be very helpfull for us.

I doubt that's the problem. ;)

[Shez]

It would perhaps be useful if you could clarify your requirement for a Stop button - other than a panic stop everything button, that's not a particularly common requirement. You would normally edit the tracks you're using to end at the right moment so they shouldn't need to be manually stopped. If you're using any sound effects of indeterminate length, it would be usual to fade them out rather than just stop them when required. That would be achieved either by a subsequent cue in a cue list, or a hot key programmed to fade and stop.

There's plenty of software out there dedicated to theatrical playback; I suspect you may just need to gain a deeper understanding of how it's normally used as the workflow is not quite the same as it would be for a CD player for example. You could look at DJ software if you really wanted that kind of interface though. I would suggest looking again at qlab - although not my own preference, it's very capable and much better suited to theatre work than much other Mac software.

[Jivemaster]

I certainly had PCDJ running on an old P2/200 that would handle up to three tracks at once with assorted controls (well I used a mouse) easily used.

 

What is so special about your job in hand that makes a simple DJ system unserviceable? Playback quality is largely dependent on the input and ripp quality, There are better soundcards than some PCs available as USB.

 

It really is on the market, it's more a matter of you finding it and learning and liking it.

[mackerr]

FWIW, if price was the issue with QLab it's on sale now through Aug 7. 53% off.

 

Mac

[Stepsound]

This does sound like a job for QLab to be honest. I'd investigate a bit further how to use it. You should be able to very easily do exactly what you described. But other options are QCart and another one that hasn't been mentioned is Soundboard. I like a few of the features Soundboard over QCart.

 

Perhaps if you could describe the issues you were finding with QLab and we might be able to help?