AVD Multiplay

[David Duffy]

I had an interesting one when cutting a cue short the other day. I wanted to chop just short of a second off of the cue at the beginning. I found that when working in milliseconds it had no effect at all on the cue - it still began at the same place. Even up to 90 milliseconds. I then went to 1 second in the next box along, zeroed the milliseconds, and it cut second off. Appears the milliseconds box isn't working.

I just tried it with a track that had about 1500ms of silence at the beginning. Setting the start to 1 sec cut most of the gap out as I'd expect.

 

Setting the ms box to 100 cut a little more and setting the ms to 900 cut too much. I then set the ms to 500 and the track started 1500ms in as expected.

 

I notice you say 90 milliseconds. Were you trying to trim 90ms (0.09 Sec) or 900ms (0.9 Sec) from the start?

[cedd]

Ahhhh, just tried it. I hadn't noticed that the numbers went up past 90, up to the 900's!!! Thick or what? I was taking 0.09s off of the track,which might explain why I didn't notice it!

Sorry!

[David Duffy]

No problems. That made me ** laughs out loud **! :** laughs out loud **: (we've all done something like that)

[David Duffy]

Some people are still having problems with the Windows help file, so I've uploaded a PDF version of it.

[David Duffy]

I've started work on an archiving feature. What it does is copy the production file and all media (audio, video, midi seq) files to a specified folder.

 

The archive function pops up a new window and allows archive folder selection and shows the file copying progress.

 

I was thinking that maybe the file paths (for each cue) in the copied production file should be made relative at that point.

 

This way the archived production can be opened without regard for what computer it's on of exactly where it is in the file hierarchy.

 

All of this will tie in with the return of "fixed path mode" feature. Comments please?

[smalljoshua]

Would it be able to automatically package it up into a zip file? Perhaps with a different file extension that would automatically open in Multiplay. E.G. You click "archive" and you end up with a .mpy (or similar) file that is actually a .zip with the different extension that can be associated with Multiplay that way you just have to place this one file onto the show PC and have it work just by double clicking it.

 

Josh

[David Duffy]

I could zip the archive folder, but that would only be for real archiving or transport purposes.

 

Having MultiPlay access a compressed file in real time would not work I'd say.

 

Maybe I can offer the option to generate a zip file instead of a new folder.

[oakeedokee]

David, one useful addition to Multiplay would be the ability to insert new audio cues when the production is running. Is that a possibility for future versions?

[David Duffy]

I have deliberately locked out adding, deleting or moving cues while the list is running, as it could result in mayhem.

 

If a cue were added just as the current cue pointer was changing, the world may surely implode! <_<

 

If there were a pressing need I may look into it, but you're the first person to mention it to be honest.

[JohnJarvis]

David Just a line to say many thanks for all your hard work on our behalf. I am still using one of your earlier incarnations. Its so simple and it works! So much of the commercial software seems to me to be so unbelievably complicated its almost impractical for the average Amdram user. Wish someone could come up with a similar DMX program preferably commented in English.

[David Duffy]

I should have a new version of MultiPlay ready for release in a couple of weeks.

 

One thing I've been toying with for a while is a new cue type. With it, you'll be able to call external programs or batch files and pass simple command line arguments to them. This could be used to trigger events that MultiPlay can't natively communicate with.

 

Another program I'm working on is da_FTP. This one may not be of interest to theatre people, but I thought I'd show why I'm implementing the new cue type.

[Nid]

Hi David,

 

David Just a line to say many thanks for all your hard work on our behalf

MP is (also) my 'playback system' of choice and so far all the (drama/play) directors I am working with are using it and loving it too.

Keep up this great work !

 

Here's an idea maybe worth looking into...

 

I have this production in which some music tracks are looped, and others that are played in a continuous sequence (EP).

 

I was thinking that an optional cross-fade feature would be really nice. Consecutive or looping tracks

could then be smoothly merged by x-fading, eliminating those dead seconds in between tracks.

 

I think such a feature may be desirable in many situations. I know I would use it a lot.

 

Anyone else feels the need?

 

P.S. for general purpose background music I use Winamp with the SqrSoft plug-in

that automatically x-fades and end fades the tracks. I absolutely love it.

 

:D

[timtheenchanteruk]

you can do that now, for the playing cue set to end play, with a fade out at the end of that track, for the next cue set a fade in, done...

 

not tried it with a looping track, if it needs to be looped seemlessly, use the start/end point to cut of the silence if you didnt get chance to do it in a DAW, I only tend to use loop for background ambience etc.

[Nid]

you can do that now, for the playing cue set to end play, with a fade out at the end of that track, for the next cue set a fade in, done...

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

 

I know (and use) the fade-in and fade-out options. But the current fade in only begins when the new track is started,

and that only takes place after the previous track has ended (or finished fading out), and the que is advanced.

 

I am after true cross fade, in which the next track will start playing (or fade in) while the last/playing track is at the appropriate time before its end.

 

:D

[timtheenchanteruk]

ahh, I get you now...

 

never done it with a true cross fade being automatic, all the ones I have done have involved a manual trigger where play of Y fades previous X