EQ on sound files

[Gary Matheson]

I am using SCS 9 on a laptop connected to the 2TK input of a Spirit Folio Mixer, leaving the 2 stereo channels for a CD player and Minidisk player. This set up does not enable me to adjust the EQ of the 2TK input. It would be a nice feature if SCS allowed individual EQ adjustment of sound files/cues and even better if you could programme EQ cues in the same manner as level and pan cues. As an example, you may want to have a sound effect of a radio playing onstage through an onstage monitor/speaker sounding quite tinny, then, on cue, cross fading to FOH speakers with normal EQ. Is this feasible, or could it cause compatibility issues with different sound cards?

[Mike Daniell]

I have been thinking about including this feature, and not only for EQ but also for effects. For example, sometimes it would be nice to add a bit of reverb, and similarly to your example you might want to start the sound off in 'foreground' without any reverb and then let it drift off into the 'background' with gradually increasing reverb (whilst also reducing the level).

I'd welcome others thoughts on this topic to gauge the level of interest.

[jmgordon]

I assume that you are using all the channel inputs of the Folio (I see that it doesn't have many), otherwise the alternative is to use two line inputs, panned hard left and right, giving you the EQ capability.

In the specific radio example you give, since you are only using the stereo output of the laptop, rather than a multi-channel card, would you synchronise a mechanical change of routeing in the mixer with a change in the cue? The suggested method of cross fading a radio is to have two linked identical cues running at the same time, routed to different devices/speakers, one faded down and one faded up. The cross fade is achieved with two level change cues. It should be possible to process one of the files, in Audacity for example, to give you the EQ effect you want, as long as the file length (number of samples) is unchanged. In your case one finger on the laptop and one on the Folio working simultaneously should work. I am sure Mike will let us know if it wouldn't.

I have done the doctoring (but not cross fading) on a Barry White track being played apparently out of a radio but actually from a large concealed onstage full range speaker that was also used for a thunderstorm.

(Prepared before Mike's posting)

Malcolm

[kmkonline]

I think supporting the ASIO and VST/DX plug in can solve this problem. But the overhead for the software would significant increase.

[eduardo]

if the using VST or DX plugins only adds to the overhead when you actually use the plugins (ie when signal is going thru the plugin) that would be most welcome. If it uses resources at all times, then I'd stay awy from it.

[Nick]

I'd support going with plugins (VST is most common), as it lets the user add what they need without the processing overhead of providing EQ or other effects for each possible path. Many of these plugins are free, and many of your users would have a selection of them already for use with other software. The important this is to provide the capability for SCS to store and load the parameter sets (ie the knob positions for a specific eq)into the plugins at the appropriate time, as this is the job of the host software.
I've mentioned this before, and it would be a killer blow to the opposition (ie SFX).

Cheers,
nick

[gatj98]

This idea of EQ effects sounds good. What would also be quite useful is if you could define show-wide variables and then assign them to cue parameters. For example in the show I'm doing at the moment we have a load of door bell cues, a load of telephone rings etc - it would be good if I could create a variable - say called "Bell Volume" - assign it to the volume of all my bell cues - and then if the director decides they need to be louder I'd only have to change the variables setting once - not all the individual cues.

[Mike Daniell]

If the door bell cues are all the same and the telephone cues are all the same then you can achieve this common level control by setting up one cue for each as a Hot Key cue, instead of setting up scheduled cues for every instance. For example:

Cue Q90, Door Bell, Hot Key D, audio file doorbell.wav

Cue Q91, Telephone, Hot Key T, audio file phone.wav (possibly including a loop)
Cue Q92, Stop Telephone, Hot Key F12, SFR cue set to Stop Q91.

Using these cues, whenever you want the doorbell you press D on the keyboard. Whenever you want the phone to ring you press T on the keyboard, and when someone picks up the phone you press F12 to immediately stop the phone.

Now if the director wants to have the door bell cues louder then you only to change the level of Q90. Similarly for the phone with Q91.

[Nick]

Further to this, a nice addition would be a 'run' cue or 'trigger' cue, whereby you can have a cue type that exists in the cue list that can trigger a hotkey cue. What would happen is whan this 'run' cue is triggered, it simply triggers a specified hotkey cue (by letter, perhaps), and then the cue list continues. This would allow you to set up a hotkey cue (with many subcues if required) and get it working right, and then easily call it up (like a subroutine) several times in a cue list, just by a normal 'go' command rather than having to find a specific key.
Maybe this could be added to the current Stop/fade/Release cue type?

This would allow the earlier poster to easily change the level of his phone rings (funny - I just had exactly the same requirement with a bunch of phone rings last week...) and still retain the ease of sequential cuelist operation.

cheers,
nick

[TLG]

i would be very keen to see this - i have been involved with many productions where a music cue is needed to come in hard for dramatic effect or quick scene change but once dialog starts just lowering the level is not enough to make the misic 'non intrusive'. A band pass filter or other EQ that could be applied over time like a level change cue would be a great asset.

likewise with us all trying multi channel options to be able to shift sounds in and out through reverb and direction could add great dramatic weight to some plays.

TLG

[sound]

I'd welcome others thoughts on this topic to gauge the level of interest.

Please add my vote for VST support and Nick's 'trigger' cue suggestion.

Greetings,
Walter

[jameslo]

I'd also like to see VST support (and, greedily, DirectX and Rewire).

In the meantime, has anyone heard of an adapter that looks like an audio card driver on the input side and a Rewire “synth” on the output side? SCS could then just output to that, and Rewire could bring the signal into other software that already supports DirectX and VST. Maybe all the transport and sync stuff makes it impossible, but it seems to me that the adapter could just ignore it or use static configured values.

[runawaymartin]

I'd like to add my support to the idea of incorporating VST plug-ins to the program. This would negate the need to write extensive new codes if the already available plug-ins could be incorporated into the existing Cue/Sub-Cue set-up . . .
Cheers . . . Martin
Sound Achievements P/L, Gold Coast, Australia

[moncho]

I support VST plugins!!
By the way, check the opensebj project, i´ve used it for frequency modulation on a single file, ie. chewacca´s voice, with a single sample i can have varios tones.
It would be amazing you can get it in the program.
Thanks

[moncho]

here´s the link
www.evolvingsoftware.com
and how about viewing the wave graphic asthe cue is playing, I think it would be useful for some of us.
Thanks again