How do you play your sound effects?

[james3mc]

I'm looking for ideas for something more reliable and better quality than our current system.

We currently store sound effects as .mp3 or .wav and play them from a laptop out through the headphone jack.

 

I can't believe that that's how professional theatres work - so what do you use?

[GR1]

I play from my laptop USB into the USB input on my X32. I can run several effects simultaneously from the same laptop. I don't need a complex set up.

[Brian]

You might get better result going USB out of the laptop into a USB DI box. We use lots of these...

 

https://www.hiveindustries.com/shop-here/product/50-usb-balbox-2/category_pathway-44.html

 

Coupled with good software, it'll be all you need...

 

https://www.da-share.com/software/multiplay/

[willjam39]

use a headphone jack with Multiplay mostly but that is in a smaller venue

[sclg]

ShowCueSystems (SCS) into an X32 or through any decent USB audio interface.

https://www.showcuesystems.com

Steve

 

[Dave m]

There's also gobutton. An ap for iPad/phoneAssuming that you're not running CueLab

[james3mc]

use a headphone jack with Multiplay mostly but that is in a smaller venue

 

?Multiplay?? Google only tells me about games hosting. Am I missing something?

 

ShowCueSystems (SCS) into an X32 or through any decent USB audio interface.

https://www.showcuesystems.com

Steve

 

 

The software side is sorted - we simply wrote our own. I'm more interested in what sort of hardware shows run their sfx from (laptops etc) and how do they get the audio out (headphone, usb etc.).

[sclg]

The software side is sorted - we simply wrote our own. I'm more interested in what sort of hardware shows run their sfx from (laptops etc) and how do they get the audio out (headphone, usb etc.).

 

Laptop/desktop - Windows/Mac

plus any professional grade usb audio interface (depending on how many channels you want).

 

 

[alistermorton]

QLab into USB interface on the mixer (soundcraft).

[Rob_P]

I use SCS on a laptop via a USB interface (normally an ESI Gigaport HD+) or more often via a USB link to my X32. The ESI only has unbalanced outputs but I can run it through a DI box if necessary.

 

I tend to have a second laptop running a network synchronised hot backup into muted channels on the desk just in case of disaster.

 

My show laptops don’t go online to reduce the risk of viruses or reboots. I update the AV via memory stick.

[Rob_P]

I use SCS on a laptop via a USB interface (normally an ESI Gigaport HD+) or more often via a USB link to my X32. The ESI only has unbalanced outputs but I can run it through a DI box if necessary.

 

I tend to have a second laptop running a network synchronised hot backup into muted channels on the desk just in case of disaster.

 

My show laptops don’t go online to reduce the risk of viruses or reboots. I update the AV via memory stick or a local offline network.

Edited April 16, 2020 by Rob_P

[Shez]

USB direct to the desk if available; otherwise Focusrite Scarlett interface.

 

Circumstances do sometimes dictate that laptop headphone output is the only option; it works and nobody has ever noticed yet alone complained.

[sunray]

USB direct to the desk if available; otherwise Focusrite Scarlett interface.

 

Circumstances do sometimes dictate that laptop headphone output is the only option; it works and nobody has ever noticed yet alone complained.

Why do you think anyone should notice?

 

[David Duffy]

use a headphone jack with Multiplay mostly but that is in a smaller venue

 

?Multiplay?? Google only tells me about games hosting. Am I missing something?

 

I'm the author of MultiPlay the cue player software. The URL is https://www.da-share.com/software/multiplay/

[J Pearce]

I'm on macs at work. For simple shows with just stereo playback we'll use the headphone out. For bigger shows we have a couple of interfaces, one does 10 outs, the other can go up to 30 outs if we want to. However increasingly we're just using a USB into the venues desk (Digicos or X32s for example) or Dante Virtual Soundcard with just an ethernet connection needed.

 

We use QLab, but I am also a happy MultiPlay user when I don't have a mac to hand. On cheaper windows laptops I'm more likely to avoid the headphone output, but most are pretty good these days. Certainly not as bad as they used to be.