Preparing sound files for a theatre's technician

[Watson]

Hi.

 

I'm the co-writer and director of a one-man play which is just beginning to get bookings for single shows or short runs at various festivals. The piece uses quite a number of sound cues, which at the moment I have saved as individual wav files.

Each venue will have its own sound technician who willl work the performance, and I expect that technical facilities and gear will vary widely from place to place. Given that the only rehearsal/prep time will be on the day (or first day) of the show, what's the best way of supplying the necessary files? Will a resident operator expect to be handed a thumbnail drive or similar containing the separate files, for her or him to load up into whatever software they use?

 

And in performance is it usual to ask the technician to balance the show live, adjustng levels as necessary for each cue? Or is the correct thing for me to record each cue at the correct relative level for its context? In one instance, a sound effect runs continuously for several minutes and has to be ridden up and down according to what the performer is doing or saying. Will a technician expect to be asked to do this?

 

Apologies for all the questions but any thoughts and advice will be very welcome. Many thanks.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Watson

[themadhippy]

what's the best way of supplying the necessary files?

have the sounds on every possible media type available,as both audio media and digital, even then theirs bound to be one venue that only uses wax cylinders recorded at 4 bits per year.

Or is the correct thing for me to record each cue at the correct relative level for its context?

personally id want everything at the same level

[IRW]

Absolute best way and most fool-proof way would be to hand them a Macbook (for basic SFX it could be a cheap and cheerful £200 to £300ish one from Ebay- doesn't have to be top of the range) running the free version of QLab with all your cues pre-programmed such that they just need to hit spacebar to run each one. This way you could set all the individual respective levels in your first venue, then at subsequent venues you just set the master level on the house console. For your continuous effect that gets balanced live (or indeed, any cue), it would be perfectly reasonable to set this at a base level in your QLab file, and ask the technician to ride the faders as they see fit during that cue. As someone who has toured, and worked in receiving houses, I can guarantee this method will be met with smiles and relief from your house techs as it will make their job ten times easier and more straightforward!

 

QLab is extremely easy to use at a basic level- when I worked in a secondary school, some of the teachers even put together their own Qlab files and just handed them to me on a USB stick when their student's shows came into the venue.

Edited April 26, 2021 by IRW

[Watson]

Dear themadhippy, thanks for your speedy answer and good advice.

 

I can certainly put the cues on a thumbnail drive, a data CD, and as separate tracks on audio CD. And in view of your wax cylinder mention, perhaps an audiocassette as well. And I can supply wav and mp3 files but unfortunately I have no way of converting to a Mac format (I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with the Mac and its ways).

Personally I'd want everything at the same level.

That's useful. So presumably you'd also be OK with balancing the long continuous background track against the performer on the fly. as long as the script made the necessary changes very clear?

[pete10uk]

100% you will be more popular if you hand some hardware with a 3.5mm jack or xlr’s on it, and with all your files in order set with the right in and outs.Ideally with any known ducking / volume adjustments pre done.

 

If it is exactly the same each show I would consider recording the whole thing with the editing done and load it on to a media player (a bright sign is my favourite) I’d have a local push button with go on it and a remote clicker, and I would cue the music myself on stage. Obviously with a laptop or files for backup.

 

That way you can be confident in hitting all the cues bang on. Any sound engineer should be able to help you on the day but if you have done a good bit of work they will be happy.

[Watson]

Absolute best way and most fool-proof way would be to hand them a Macbook (for basic SFX it could be a cheap and cheerful £200 to £300ish one from Ebay- doesn't have to be top of the range) running the free version of QLab with all your cues pre-programmed such that they just need to hit spacebar to run each one.

I had wondered about something like that. It would mean familiarising myself with the Mac and its ways, but that might be no bad thing. Questions arising:

 

Would I be able to convert my wav files to whatever the appropriate Mac format is without loss of quality?

Does the free version of QLab permit mixing from cue to cue and/or playing a specific spot cue over a continuous background?

 

In rehearsal and our few tryout shows I've been handling the sound from a Windows laptop running a package called Cue Player Pro which does allow these and I've been expecting to have to simplify the sound design to remove the necessity (imagining that the software isn't widely used professionally).

Edited April 26, 2021 by Watson

[kitlane]

Absolute best way and most fool-proof way would be to hand them a Macbook (for basic SFX it could be a cheap and cheerful £200 to £300ish one from Ebay- doesn't have to be top of the range) running the free version of QLab with all your cues pre-programmed such that they just need to hit spacebar to run each one.

I had wondered about something like that. It would mean familiarising myself with the Mac and its ways, but that might be no bad thing. Questions arising:

 

Would I be able to convert my wav files to whatever the appropriate Mac format is without loss of quality?

Does the free version of QLab permit mixing from cue to cue and/or playing a specific spot cue over a continuous background?

 

In rehearsal and our few tryout shows I've been handling the sound from a Windows laptop running a package called Cue Player Pro which does allow these and I've been expecting to have to simplify the sound design to remove the necessity (imagining that the software isn't widely used professionally).

 

QLab will almost certainly play back the wav files without any changes.

 

The free version will allow you to do what you need.

 

https://qlab.app/docs/v4/general/features/

Edited April 26, 2021 by kitlane

[Watson]

100% you will be more popular if you hand some hardware with a 3.5mm jack or xlr's on it, and with all your files in order set with the right in and outs.

A 3.5mm jack socket wouldn't be a problem. Files in order wouldn't be a problem. Correct ins, the same. But some outs have to be done live, either as snap cuts or fades, the timing depending on the actor's performance.

 

Ideally with any known ducking / volume adjustments pre done.

 

That isn't possible, unfortunately: the actor wouldn't be able to guarantee consistent timing and I won't ask him to regulate his pacing to match pre-recorded adjustments.

 

I'd have a local push button with go on it and a remote clicker, and I would cue the music myself on stage.

 

Ah, but I'm not the performer, or even likely to be there.

 

Many thanks for your thoughts.

 

QLab will almost certainly play back the wav files without any changes.

 

The free version will allow you to do what you need.

That's excellent; I imagined that Mac software required a different format for audio files. I'll look at the software.

 

Many thanks.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Watson

[Robin D]

If you prefer Windows, SCS from www.showcuesystems.com/cms/pricing is as effective as QLab, but there is no free version. They do do temporary licences though for 30 or 60 days. Thier support is first rate if you need it.

[Lamplighter]

Also for Windows, Multiplay from Blue Room's own David Duffy. It is simple to use and free.

Download at Da-share.com here.

Beta Release Info

The latest beta release is stable, Ver3.158.

Brian

 

 

[Watson]

If you prefer Windows, SCS from www.showcuesystems.com/cms/pricing is as effective as QLab, but there is no free version. They do do temporary licences though for 30 or 60 days. Their support is first rate if you need it.

Thanks for the thought, but I'm reliably informed that QLab is pretty much the industry standard and that most theatre technicians use it and are familiar with it, so I'd prefer to go down that route.

 

Brian, thanks, but the same applies.

.

 

Edited April 26, 2021 by Watson

[Peter F]

A properly programmed, easy to follow show in Qlab on a Macbook that you hand to the operator will significantly improve the quality of your run of shows.

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[Bryson]

Also, please put in the work to label each cue well if you're building it for someone else to run. There's nothing like pressing go on a track having no indication of what the cue actually is or does.

[GR1]

Before deciding what format to use I would talk to your Stage Manager - if you pick a format they are familiar with that will help with any problems on the road.

[Watson]

Thanks for the latest replies and excellent advice. I worked for some years as an audio technician at the BBC, so I'm well aware of the importance of clarity and labelling and making things as simple as possible.

 

GR1, we are a very small company: a stage manager would be a luxury. The on-the-road team usually consists of just one actor, who handles pretty much everything himself.