Show Cue System

I've been using SCS since a long time back, and it just keeps getting better and better, at our theatre (two stages, two 16 channel SCS computers, nearly three thousand watts (RMS) of amplification and full redundancy on all the kit!) the majority of productions are now run without a mixing desk, or with the desks used simply as an overall volume control!
I find the 'generate tone' function in the editor very useful as a 'quick and dirty' way of checking multiple speaker set-ups, just to confirm that they are actually working! It would be nice to have the option to vary the frequency of the tone though as I use a pair of very large 'tuned port' sub-bass speakers, and as the signal goes through a frequency dependant X-over network they are totally inaudible above 20Hz, so there is nothing comes out at the programmed pitch! I guess this may also be a problem with high frequency tweeters, but we dont actually use any! Would it be possible to offer a sweep/variable tone gen or possibly a white noise generator? A sweep gen would also be useful to 'stress' microphones to see if they were prone to feedback. BTW, we used BOTH sub-basses and a 1000w amp for the 'volcano and earthquake' of the stage version of Up-Pompeii, we actually shook a barn-door off one of the stage lights (it WAS on a safety chain!) I consider that a result!

BTW, we used BOTH sub-basses and a 1000w amp for the 'volcano and earthquake' of the stage version of Up-Pompeii, we actually shook a barn-door off one of the stage lights (it WAS on a safety chain!) I consider that a result!

I confess that this was at a rehearsal, we backed off the power a bit when the audience where in <grin>

You should create a test cue with tone sweeps for your speakers. That way you can set it up to run tone through each speaker. It could be one cue triggering many sub cues that would play your choice of tones through your choice of speakers. The operator can then hit the cue and listen for each speaker. You could even set a delay on the cue, if necessary, so the operator can trigger the cue and leave the booth to go into the audience area or on stage and listen for the tone through each speaker.

To be honest, I hadn't thought of that Eric! I guess the tones could be programmed onto 'hot keys' and saved as a template to instal with each new show, it's a nice idea!
Only big advantage of having the tones on the 'front setup' page of the editor is that it makes it quick and easy to switch to individual speakers while in the speaker setup page, rather than having to keep saving and switching back and forth between the main and editor pages. However I can see the attraction of having individual or 'sweep' tones available.......
Thanks for the suggestion. http://www.showcuesystems.com/forum/pos ... f=2&t=2119#

Like a previous poster said, you can have a cue file with test tracks in it. I have pink and white noise that I use for speaker tests, amp adjustment, and finally room EQ. Most mixers can also generate test tones and sweeps, but some people don't use a mixer now that SCS is so functional. In which case I would just record those from a mixer into a DAW and .wav file and put them all in a folder, and create a cue list, and hot keys and away you go.

p.s. I wouldn't use hot keys in an actual production cue file for these test tones, because you might hit a key by mistake and that would be embarrassing as your 400 Hz sine wave plays