Generate tone

Features you would like in SCS
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Ian Beeby
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:53 am
Location: Bolton UK

Generate tone

Post by Ian Beeby » Wed Jul 09, 2014 12:51 am

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! :-)
Ian Beeby
Audio & Communications Engineer
Bolton Little Theatre
Bolton
Gt Manchester
UK

Ian Beeby
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:53 am
Location: Bolton UK

Re: Generate tone

Post by Ian Beeby » Wed Jul 09, 2014 12:53 am

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>
Ian Beeby
Audio & Communications Engineer
Bolton Little Theatre
Bolton
Gt Manchester
UK

Eric Snodgrass
Posts: 224
Joined: Wed May 21, 2008 4:01 am

Re: Generate tone

Post by Eric Snodgrass » Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:51 pm

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.

Ian Beeby
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:53 am
Location: Bolton UK

Re: Generate tone

Post by Ian Beeby » Wed Jul 09, 2014 4:50 pm

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#
Ian Beeby
Audio & Communications Engineer
Bolton Little Theatre
Bolton
Gt Manchester
UK

newlifedrama
Posts: 54
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:09 am
Location: Concord, MA
Contact:

Re: Generate tone

Post by newlifedrama » Thu Jul 10, 2014 3:08 am

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 :-)
Gary Tarolli
sound guy
New Life Fine Arts

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