Support for audio playback

[Tony Marone]

Many of the gigs I do include live bands along with track acts. They bring a CD and want it played while they vocalize into the mic. Ingesting their CD into my system would be quite easy. Does SAC have any ability to play back a .wav file on one of its input channels?

[Bob L]

Well... using SAWStudio Lite or Full is the most powerful way to go... you can play stereo files or multitrack files and simply assign any chan on SAC to look at the SS mix output chan thru the SAC-Link.

This method also allows you to use the SAWStudio Control Track for cueing multiple song tracks and with the Control Track Hide/Show feature, the view can reside ontop of SAC and in a nice empty spot on the screen and you can actually cue and start any song from inside SAC, even using a midi keyboard to trigger each song.

Or, try Loopazoid VST plugin... free on the web... you can place up to 48 wav files (any length) into the trigger slots and playback from there by just clicking any of the buttons... you can easily use more instances of Loopazoid for more files.

And... I am working on a media player native plugin for SAC that should allow you to play wav, mp3, mpg, etc files directly in SAC... as well as the ability to cue and lock multiple chans together for multitrack playback among multi instances on different chans. This player will hopefully also play video files as well.

Bob L

[mako]

>snip<
And... I am working on a media player native plugin for SAC that should allow you to play wav, mp3, mpg, etc files directly in SAC... as well as the ability to cue and lock multiple chans together for multitrack playback among multi instances on different chans. This player will hopefully also play video files as well.

Bob L

This will be fantastic - thanks Bob

cheers

mako

[gregangst]

I have used Sawstudio to do both single track as well as multi-track playback thru SAC. Works very well. The only problem that I am now having is folks who bring me their poorly converted mp3 files to play back.

greg

[Bob L]

No problem... there must be at least a few hundred mp3 converter utilities around from free to very cheap.

Convert the mp3 files to wavs and have a blast.

And please don't talk about hard disk space... giant hard dives are extremely cheap these days. :)

Bob L

[Trackzilla]

Also sign me up as excited about the concept of a native media player for SAC...

Just started playin with the SAW demo...ya, I'm gonna have to get that too...

[bcorkery]

Also sign me up as excited about the concept of a native media player for SAC...

Just started playin with the SAW demo...ya, I'm gonna have to get that too...Yeah. This would be an awesome feature.

Track, you're joking about SAW, right? I though you were all over the SS forum.

[Trackzilla]

Nope, serious...I found my new home with RML by way of SAC, I was on a quest to find a way to computerize my whole live system right as SAC was entering beta.
I just started playin with SS demo...don't own it yet...and it's obvious to me already that I want to lol.

I do no traditional studio work, I'm a sound contractor providing small concert systems & doing installation. I was a Sonic Foundry dealer for a while just before Sony bought them, and Sony kept sendin me 1 free copy of the new stuff for the next several versions in an effort to entice me I guess :) Needless to say I am quite fluent in those apps as a result.

Historically I use Vegas to MT live shows when requested and mixdown only for those clients that aren't after just the raw tracks (most commonly they are logging a few shows and finishing their project on their own). So it's only a few uses of the recording software per year for me.

What I'm doing atm is creating a duplicate of a recent Vegas mix in SS. An 8 woman a capella group sharing mics & initially sounding like they'd eaten reverb plates before hitting the stage. Since it was a classic case of complex processing & automation in an attempt to sound unprocessed it is doing a tidy job of ramping the learning curve. It is also having the side effect of giving me a different insight into SAC...it's almost like SAC & SAW were written by the same guy or something...

Oh BTW, to those playing along at home, so far in the basic mix bed before automation I have been able to accomplish with SAW's built-in processing what took $800 of additional plugs to make Vegas do ;)

[sebastiandybing]

Bob, do you knpw when the media player will be finish:),

One thing I am missing with SAC/SAW is a SAW trigger from within
SAC´s scene list, I think you have said it was on the to do list,

Sebastian

[Bob L]

The SAW trigger from a SAC scene is on the list... not sure when that will show... the media player is still early on in its development.

You can use the Control Track from SAW in Hide/Show mode to float inside SAC... from there you can cue and trigger playback of SAW from inside SAC manually or with a midi keyboard trigger.

Bob L

[IraSeigel]

...

Or, try Loopazoid VST plugin... free on the web... you can place up to 48 wav files (any length) into the trigger slots and playback from there by just clicking any of the buttons... you can easily use more instances of Loopazoid for more files.

Bob L

This is a nice (interim) solution. Thanks.

(I guess the related $200 "Battery" drum sampler would play MP3 files, too, but I could get an iPod for that price!!)

It was easy to patch this into an Input strip. Not so easy - for me - to figure out how to patch it into a Return strip. Is that possible? Using "Virtual" input and output didn't seem to work, and there's no "FX source" choice as there is on the Input strip..

Thanks,
Ira

[Warren]

Yeh its just as easy as using the inputs but SAC does not default RETURN ASSIGN outputs to MAIN outs like the inputs do. If that make since:confused:
About confused myself there.

Once you assign the return out it works.

Still its not a smooth tool for this, but it does work.
Chris

[IraSeigel]

Yeh its just as easy as using the inputs but SAC does not default RETURN ASSIGN outputs to MAIN outs like the inputs do. If that make since:confused:
About confused myself there.

Once you assign the return out it works.

Still its not a smooth tool for this, but it does work.
Chris

Hi Chris,
Thanks, but this doesn't seem to work.

Starting at the top of the Return strip (where it says Aux Master):
Out Asgn - ??
Return Input Source - ??
FX Patch - set to Pre Fdr
Out Asgn - button 1 pushed

I have my Meter Tap Point set to Pre-Fade, so I should see an input signal when Loopazoid is activated (as I do if it's patched to an Input strip).

So should the "question marks" above be set to "Virtual" or to something else.

Sorry, but thanks for answering.

Ira

OH! Never mind. The Return Input Source needs to be set to anything EXCEPT virtual. Got it now.

[mako]

Hello Bob - it would be fantastic if the SAC media player could be used in conjunction with Tranzport.
And have a switchable "one shot" play function.

Thanks

mako

[Bob L]

Yup... it will have things like that built into it... I'll include that one on the list.

Bob L

[mako]

Terrific - thank you

cheers

mako

[txshonk]

I also think all this is a wonderful idea.

Here's something to consider.

I have used backing tracks in groups I have played where we used tracks to fill in instrumentation. The best method we found to do this was to create a track with one channel (l) the instruments/parts and the other (r) the click and run them into the board as two mono channels. So at the board for monitors/FOH the l/r channels could be mixed different for mix. e.g. drummer wants a loud click - singer/FOH wants click muted. Not sure if you could get the same functionality in a plug or if the only option is external feed.

[Bob L]

You can get much more than that now by using SS to play back multiple tracks in stereo and still have a click track...

The player will have the ability to sync across multiple tracks, so you should be able to sync a click also.

Bob L

[txshonk]

Bob -

Thats cool with the plug. So when you take a sinlge track in the plug across multiple channels will we be able to take only the left channel from the plug and pan it center?

I am still playing with the SS demo, and I think I got the basics down. Hoping to sit down and mess with writing and arranging/mixing a tune in the demo over the next couple weeks to give it the "final" trial run.

But in using SS for backing tracks, how would you manage the files for a complete set that had backing tracks in SS to SAC. From my basic understanding so far I was thinking a single file with a control track to start and stop each song. I am thinking this would give midi capability to start each tune. Do you have any other suggestions/input?

[IraSeigel]

Don't forget (as I did) that the SAW-SAC link works with SAW Lite or Full - NOT Basic.

Ira

[Bob L]

Using the SAC-Link with Lite or Full, you can playback as many tracks as you want in a full blown multitrack session... and still use the Ctrl Track for cue points which can all be midi triggered.

You may want to read about the Ctrl Track features and operation in the helpfile Control Track chapter.

I have set up numerous shows this way, and SS controls the lighting board, fog machines on stage... projection screens... etc... all triggered by midi cues or an operator using the spacebar as a GO switch.

Bob L

[Tony Marone]

Hi Bob,

I appreciate the suggestions that you gave concerning audio playback in SAC. Unfortunately, Loopazoid is not useable. Although it is a cool plug-in that works well with SAC, it has some problems that would make it unusable for live playback of anything but samples. When you press the play button for a sample, it plays -- with no way to stop it -- and if you hit the same play button again it starts a new instance of the track on top of the playing one:eek::eek: Maybe this is good for sample playback, but not for live show use.

As far as using SAW-SAC together, this seems to work fine but . . . What a kludge to just play pack a simple stereo track! I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to be playing back my multi-track mixes at a show! Everything I play back will be a simple finished and mastered stereo wav file. This just seems safer to me. I gather that if I take this route, I will have to create an edl file for each seperate wav file in order to use them with show control. Is this correct? Wouldn't it be simple enough to make the show control accept wav files as well as edls?

You know, I have watched your recording of a live band videos about 8 times now and you are a true master at work! My question is, why don't you record some more of those videos where you explain every step of what you are doing and how you are doing it? I know you probably don't have time, but you are the MAN when it comes to making this software look easy!

Do you have any printed manuals available for SAC like I got with my SAW years ago? I read that thing from front to back many times and when I finished each time, I put it away in that cool plastic case for safe keeping. Software like yours that has so many little nuances is quite different from a standard win program and takes a long time to learn thoroughly.

I am really just nervous about this big show I have coming up on Feb 7. Someone else will be running the SAC remotely from FOH and she is not so friendly with computers. I swear I would put a CD machine up there with her but that is ridiculous when there is a perfectly good hard drive to play back from. Also, there is no audio path from FOH to backstage.

Sorry to ramble,:o but PLEASE help me think of something!

Tony

[Bob L]

Loopazoid can be made to stop by adding a small blank wav file to the last button for example and setting all buttons to group mute 1... then when you start playback on any button, it automatically stops any that are currently playing... meaning only one file plays at a time... that includes the use of the blank wav file button to stop anything midway and create silence.

In this manner it is exactly like using a CD player with instant cue ability... click any button to instantly jump to and play any file... click the last button to stop playback at any time.

In many of the large production shows I have done here, I just layout the final stereo files back to back on the timeline for the whole show... then I use the Ctrl Track cues to stop and cue and preload to the next song... I leave some space between songs for easy visual cueing. Works great... all in one edl... this also allows the video track to easily be involved for perfect sync video... this also makes it easy to handle lighting cues and so forth.

If you will be altering your show setlist all the time... then you can use the Show Control view to handle things... and yes... you would create a separate edl for each song... then you can easily build a show setlist on the fly... even re-arrange the song order within the list.

An advantage to using the SAWStudio MultiTrack is that you can easily have click tracks on separate outs and even have multiple tracks of vocals and other effects that can be used or muted on the fly if performers are sick or singers have a cold one night... much more flexible than a simple stereo file playback.

Bob L

[Tony Marone]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the info - how do I make the Control Track window persistent over SAC?

Tony

[Bob L]

Tony,

Right-Click the Blue Pyramid Options Icon at the top of the Ctrl-Track view.

I always recommend setting up one or two F-Key workspaces with the Ctrl-Track window in place... with no other windows overtop of it.

When using it with SAC... create a space for it in the corner of the SAC workspaces... that way it will not interfere with other views.

Bob L

[dbarrow]

Using the SCA-Link with Lite or Full, you can playback as many tracks as you want in a full blown multitrack session... and still use the Ctrl Track for cue points which can all be midi triggered.

You may want to read about the Ctrl Track features and operation in the helpfile Control Track chapter.

I have set up numerous shows this way, and SS controls the lighting board, fog machines on stage... projection screens... etc... all triggered by midi cues or an operator using the spacebar as a GO switch.

Bob L

What would be the best way for someone on stage to trigger the backing tracks and still have the FOH engineer out front controlling the overall mix?

Also, what would be the best way to load up multiple songs (backing tracks) and cue them at the beginning of each song? One of the bands I currently work with uses Cakewalk Sonar's playlist feature, which preloads each song file (multitrack) on the list and starts playing with the spacebar and then stops with the next song on the list cued up. Is there a playlist-typ feature in SS? I don't have it yet, so I don't know. Forgive my ignorance. They are getting ready to purchase SAC and I am just now beginning to see the possibilities for integration with SS, so I can then sell them on that.

[Bob L]

You can use the Control Track with its cues to start and stop songs or you can use the Show-Control feature which is setup to load separate edls for live multitrack playback... and with version 4.6 coming any day now, you can control the Show-Control view from a remote.

Bob L

[dbarrow]

You can use the Control Track with its cues to start and stop songs or you can use the Show-Control feature which is setup to load separate edls for live multitrack playback... and with version 4.6 coming any day now, you can control the Show-Control view from a remote.

Bob L

So, could a musician on stage control backing tracks using the Show-Control Feature remotely, while also controlling his personal monitor mix, meanwhile having the FOH engineer controlling the main mix from a separate FOH remote? I can barely get my head around this, especially because we haven't even started using SAC yet, but my head is starting to swim with all the possibilities. Also, the more interlinking and cross-application implementation we use, the more reliability and backup plan A, B, C, etc. issues start to become considerations.

As I said in another post, it might be better to have the backing tracks originate on another computer, but it would certainly be cool to have them available via SAC-link without patching the cables in the analog world - ANDp I could record multitrack, if I so choose.

[Bob L]

The possiblities are mind boggluing and growing more every update.

Yes... I have the Hilton show now being controlled completely on a netbook using wireless remote... the show control view is being used to play many track backing tracks which can be completely controlled from the remote as to muting and so forth... live during the show.

You can actually use one remote machine to remotely control both SAC and SAWStudio on the same host... it gets pretty crazy.

Bob L

[dbarrow]

Loopazoid can be made to stop by adding a small blank wav file to the last button for example and setting all buttons to group mute 1... then when you start playback on any button, it automatically stops any that are currently playing... meaning only one file plays at a time... that includes the use of the blank wav file button to stop anything midway and create silence.

In this manner it is exactly like using a CD player with instant cue ability... click any button to instantly jump to and play any file... click the last button to stop playback at any time.

In many of the large production shows I have done here, I just layout the final stereo files back to back on the timeline for the whole show... then I use the Ctrl Track cues to stop and cue and preload to the next song... I leave some space between songs for easy visual cueing. Works great... all in one edl... this also allows the video track to easily be involved for perfect sync video... this also makes it easy to handle lighting cues and so forth.

If you will be altering your show setlist all the time... then you can use the Show Control view to handle things... and yes... you would create a separate edl for each song... then you can easily build a show setlist on the fly... even re-arrange the song order within the list.

An advantage to using the SAWStudio MultiTrack is that you can easily have click tracks on separate outs and even have multiple tracks of vocals and other effects that can be used or muted on the fly if performers are sick or singers have a cold one night... much more flexible than a simple stereo file playback.

Bob L

Isn't there a plugin or some other way to virtueally route the output from Windows Media Player, WinAMP or some such to SAC? Would the Totalmix Matrix work for this?

[Bob L]

There are probably virtual audio cable apps that might do that... but I have generally found them to be kludgy and create problems at the driver level... so... Loopazoid... its a great free way to playback direct into SS or SAC.

I am also working on my own Media Player plugin... we'll see how that continues to develop.

Bob L

[tatkin]

Don't know if this helps, but the other day I got brave and connected a mini-plug cable from my sound card output to my sound card line in and then went into the sound card (Audio) setup in windows and told the recording section to use line in instead of mic in... Assigned the sound card input to SAC and it worked GREAT! I'm using Quintesential Media Player (thanks to this forum)... Anything I played in the MP came up in SAC.

You might try this and see if it will solve the problem(s).

Tom

[Trackzilla]

I regularly assign an unused out (there are sooooo many on this rig!) as an out for media-player-du-jour and then cable that to a pair of ins...works perfectly with every media player I've tried

[905shmick]

I am working on a media player native plugin for SAC that should allow you to play wav, mp3, mpg, etc files directly in SAC... as well as the ability to cue and lock multiple chans together for multitrack playback among multi instances on different chans. This player will hopefully also play video files as well.

Bob L

Digging up this 1.5 yr old thread :)

Just wondering if this media player is something that is still being worked on. Would be really nice to have something like this for SAC.

[Bob L]

It is still on the list... lots of other things have come up in the meantime.

Bob L

[Jeff Scott]

Bob: I'll purchase it the moment you release it..if that will help the process speed along any:D.

I'm sick of using Windows media player/ Winamp. etc. They glitch and screw up SAC every now and then at the most inopportune times.

I'm gonna revisit Loopazoid in the mean time....just a lot more work.

[dbarrow]

Bob: I'll purchase it the moment you release it..if that will help the process speed along any:D.

I'm sick of using Windows media player/ Winamp. etc. They glitch and screw up SAC every now and then at the most inopportune times.

I'm gonna revisit Loopazoid in the mean time....just a lot more work.
Look into Foobar2000. I use it with the foo_httpcontrol browser interface and it works flawlessly.

[hclague]

Bob: I'll purchase it the moment you release it..if that will help the process speed along any:D.

Me too.

Hal

[Jeff Scott]

I'll give it a try

[Naturally Digital]

It is still on the list... lots of other things have come up in the meantime.Until this shows up, people may want to try this:http://www.kvraudio.com/get/4716.html

[905shmick]

Until this shows up, people may want to try this:http://www.kvraudio.com/get/4716.html

Nice. Now we just need a multitrack version :)

[dbarrow]

Nice. Now we just need a multitrack version :)How do you control it from remote? Foobar2000 has a remote browser interface (foo_httpcontrol) that has multiple tabbed playlists, searching functions, etc. It's pretty slick. I have the output of Foobar on the host set as S/PDIF that is then plugged back in to the S/PDIF input, which shows up on a SAC stereo input channel. I can even control Foobar playback remotely from my iPhone over the WiFi network. Does the VST plugin do all that?

[Naturally Digital]

Does the VST plugin do all that?This was just announced today over on KVR... the best way to answer all of your questions would be to download and try it. ;)

I haven't tried it myself and currently have no need for such a beast. Just thought it was relevant to this thread. Also wasn't trying to take anything away from your Foobar post.

[dbarrow]

This was just announced today over on KVR... the best way to answer all of your questions would be to download and try it. ;)

I haven't tried it myself and currently have no need for such a beast. Just thought it was relevant to this thread. Also wasn't trying to take anything away from your Foobar post.Thanks. I checked it out. It doesn't do remote, multiple playlists, etc. Foobar works surprisingly well.

[AndyW69]

Hi I use this free programme if i need playback - via spdif loop thru

http://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au/software/multiplay/index.php

an extensive discussion occurrs on www.blue-room.org.uk search multiplay

Andy

[mako]

Wow - thanks Andy - I've never come across that one before.

cheers - mako

[dbarrow]

Hi I use this free programme if i need playback - via spdif loop thru

http://www.audiovisualdevices.com.au/software/multiplay/index.php

an extensive discussion occurrs on www.blue-room.org.uk (http://www.blue-room.org.uk) search multiplay

AndyThat is quite cool. Thanks! The main reason I use Foobar is that it can be completely controlled from remote via a configurable browser interface.

[Phil]

Until this shows up, people may want to try this:http://www.kvraudio.com/get/4716.html

I can't find the download link. Did anyone successfully download this file?

[Richard Rupert]

I can't find the download link. Did anyone successfully download this file?
I believe it's here: http://www.dafx.org/

[Phil]

Found it, it was the small download link below the ads. :rolleyes:

[Paul Henry]

Any updates on this eternal quest? :D

Loopzilla seems MIA, the website is gone and the links are broken.

[Bob L]

The media player plugin is at the top of the list... I am hoping to get to the new plugins in Jan.

Right now... I use a CD player or small netbook running SAWStudio and hook the physical outs to a pair of physical ins like you would do with any other physical console... amazing how well that works. :)

Bob L

[RBIngraham]

The media player plugin is at the top of the list... I am hoping to get to the new plugins in Jan.

Right now... I use a CD player or small netbook running SAWStudio and hook the physical outs to a pair of physical ins like you would do with any other physical console... amazing how well that works. :)

Bob L

That's what I think everytime this comes up. :p

[jlklein]

That's what I think everytime this comes up. :p

Yeah, many of us do external players or use software players like Multiplay, Foobar, Winamp, etc and loopback the host's onboard sound card back into a couple preamp inputs. Works great, yes.

However, if you are running FOH remotely and don't want to run audio cabling for a local CD player, i.e. just the network cable or wireless, then you have to run the audio playback program remotely via TightVNC or similar (can't remotely operate most CD players).

So, two draws for the onboard SAC player have been, and continue to be, remote-able operation within SAC, and eating up two less physical inputs. Understandably, a lot of folks are excited about that :)

Jeff

[RBIngraham]

Yeah, many of us do external players or use software players like Multiplay, Foobar, Winamp, etc and loopback the host's onboard sound card back into a couple preamp inputs. Works great, yes.

However, if you are running FOH remotely and don't want to run audio cabling for a local CD player, i.e. just the network cable or wireless, then you have to run the audio playback program remotely via TightVNC or similar (can't remotely operate most CD players).

So, two draws for the onboard SAC player have been, and continue to be, remote-able operation within SAC, and eating up two less physical inputs. Understandably, a lot of folks are excited about that :)

Jeff

I totally understand why. I can see where the remote thing can be the big selling point. Of course you can already do that with SAW... just need to spend a few bucks. :)

I do have to say I'll never get the not chewing up two inputs thing. But then I guess I would just never roll out a system that didn't have at least a couple of extra inputs than what you know is going to be needed. If I need 24, I'll roll out at least a 32 input system, etc... because at least in my neck of the woods, there will always be someone that wants a god mic or some other darn thing that you didn't think about. So maybe it's just me, but I always have at least a couple of spare inputs that I could chew up.

Oh and of course, SAW wouldn't chew up any hardware inputs now would it. :p

But for simple walk in music, I would just get an mp3 player of choice, set it on shuffle and plug it into a pair of inputs and never turn it off. Bring up the faders on your remote and poof, there is music. LOL

For the stuff that requires more control than that I would want a real tool ala SAW or SFX, etc... in which case those can already be controlled via remotes laptops or the like.

Having said that... once this player tool or plug in shows up, I'm sure I'll make use of it as well! ;)

[jlklein]

I totally understand why. I can see where the remote thing can be the big selling point. Of course you can already do that with SAW... just need to spend a few bucks. :)

True, but you can't record and playback SAW at the same time. My vocal group primarily sings to tracks, and I often need to play sound effects or voice-over bytes during a church play. But I also want to record with SAW and would rather not have to buy two copies and an additional machine.


I do have to say I'll never get the not chewing up two inputs thing. But then I guess I would just never roll out a system that didn't have at least a couple of extra inputs than what you know is going to be needed. If I need 24, I'll roll out at least a 32 input system, etc...Oh, for sure. But, what if you go out to do a small gig and it turns out to be much bigger than originally discussed? Every extra input helps. Plus, I'd bet the SAC player sound quality would be better than ingesting audio through the onboard sound card's analog line input :)


Having said that... once this player tool or plug in shows up, I'm sure I'll make use of it as well! ;)As will many of us ;)

[RBIngraham]

Plus, I'd bet the SAC player sound quality would be better than ingesting audio through the onboard sound card's analog line input :)



Not sure how the onboard sound card's line input comes into play? Do you mean output?

Either way, I wouldn't use the onboard card for anything serious. Break music, sure... that's about it.

[jlklein]

Not sure how the onboard sound card's line input comes into play? Do you mean output?

Either way, I wouldn't use the onboard card for anything serious. Break music, sure... that's about it.

Oops, yeah, onboard audio line out to SAC preamp input.
I use it all the time for 7th Voice, never had an issue with it.

Jeff

[NoFear13X]

Here's a thought that should add a few more pages of mixed comments to this thread ---

Has anyone used WormHole2 to send audio from a remote to the host? Doesn't eat inputs (physical ones) and allows control from wherever the host is. Obviously there is latency, so it's not for video tracks, but for background music, it's do-able. Currently, I use it for soloing via a laptop I walk around with. Again, there's delay (less than a second's worth, but still significant), but it helps me find that "off" vocal.

I'm very much looking forward to the audio player, but until then, we have a mix of solutions we use currently. Oddly enough, none of them involve an actual CD player...

[RBIngraham]

But I also want to record with SAW and would rather not have to buy two copies and an additional machine.



You don't have to buy two licenses, the SAW license allows for one to run SAW Slave machines so you can do multiple video players, so at least in my opinion that should fall into the same category. In the spirit of not breaking Bob's copyright and license agreement I would never use my SAW license in two "places" (and by places I mean venues, rooms, two shows in different theatres in the same building, etc...). Although I guess it is a bit cloudy because as far as I know there is no formal written end user license, other than the small blurb when you install the software.

I would also say that I am pretty sure that Bob has said he is working to make it possible to run multiple instances of SAW on the same computer. Which you can do right now even, however only one of those can use the SAW-SAC link and you would need a separate sound card for multiple instances.

In reality when I need some serious audio playback, I am going to want overlapping timelines, complex routing with a lot more fades and such available anyway, so I am going to use something other than SAW. So in your example in most cases I'm just going to deploy a 2nd computer running SFX or something similar and patch that digitally into the SAC system. Then I would use SAW for recording. To me the computers are actually the cheap part. The sound cards, converters and control surfaces are the expensive part.

[RBIngraham]

Here's a thought that should add a few more pages of mixed comments to this thread ---

Has anyone used WormHole2 to send audio from a remote to the host? Doesn't eat inputs (physical ones) and allows control from wherever the host is. Obviously there is latency, so it's not for video tracks, but for background music, it's do-able. Currently, I use it for soloing via a laptop I walk around with. Again, there's delay (less than a second's worth, but still significant), but it helps me find that "off" vocal.

I'm very much looking forward to the audio player, but until then, we have a mix of solutions we use currently. Oddly enough, none of them involve an actual CD player...

I thought that had a tendency to cause slipped buffers and if I'm not mistaken was a bit on the unstable side? Just what I remember reading, not personal experience because in the end I don't really care as most days my systems are operated by my mixer right on the host, located at FOH. :)

[jlklein]

I think for soloing I'd prefer wireless headphones like IEMs or the Sennheiser RS-150 at minimum.

I hadn't thought of running two instances of SAW, but in reality for simple playback it's almost overkill for simple stereo trax, but it's worth experimenting with for easier remote capabilities.

Jeff

[MikeDee]

True, but you can't record and playback SAW at the same time. My vocal group primarily sings to tracks, and I often need to play sound effects or voice-over bytes during a church play. But I also want to record with SAW and would rather not have to buy two copies and an additional machine.Actually, you can record and playback in SAW at the same time...as long as you are doing both within the MT (in the one .edl, of course). Instead of clicking Play, simultaneously press Shift and click SRP.

Of course, if you want one continuous recording, then that's another story....

[glass50]

WinAmp is working well in my two SAC systems. Pic shows play window plus small playlist on 2nd display. Next pic shows full library view with panes for Genre, Artist, and Album. bottom pane shows what is selected above. Am not using their fancy skins. Library view is for building playlists from all audio and is mostly closed. Has no problem with wav, mp3, mp4, or acc. Can play or rip CD from optical drive. Can also write to CD. And it is a free download. www.WinAmp.com/media-player/en (http://www.WinAmp.com/media-player/en).

The wide mixer shows WinAmp running on ch25/26 in stereo. It is assigned to both mains and subs, not monitors. my RME HDSP9652 card has a single wire jumper allowing synch with digital audio on pci bus. This setup does not take any of my 24 analog inputs.

We also DJ, so our entire iTunes library (16 days worth) is loaded on my second "data" hard drive with plenty of room to spare. WinAmp search is as good as iTunes search. I start WinAmp first, then SAC. Music is there as soon as you go live. While WinAmp is not remoteable, ch25/26 mute is. So if WinAmp is left running, FOH has mute and fader control in the remote. Have found no interference with live using win7 and i3.

[Richard Rupert]

<SNIP> While WinAmp is not remoteable, ch25/26 mute is. So if WinAmp is left running, FOH has mute and fader control in the remote. Have found no interference with live using win7 and i3.
How about this?: http://lifehacker.com/387029/control-winamp-remotely-from-any-browser

[RBIngraham]

I think for soloing I'd prefer wireless headphones like IEMs or the Sennheiser RS-150 at minimum.

I hadn't thought of running two instances of SAW, but in reality for simple playback it's almost overkill for simple stereo trax, but it's worth experimenting with for easier remote capabilities.

Jeff

Oh definitely overkill, but if you already have it, it obviously works well and it's not like it's any harder to pull up a director of audio files, drop one into the timeline and save it as an .edl file then make the playlist in the Show Control window and you're done. I would guess that it's maybe 1 more step than most media players and the only drawback (if you even want to call it that) would be that SAW doesn't play .mp3 files so all files would have to be saved in a .wav format.

Plus you then get all the obvious benefits of the SAC link and remote, etc... Plus if you're dealing with "cues" and not break music, you can easily route audio to different speakers at different levels, all within SAW. It's a great tool as I'm sure you already know. Only drawback is only one timeline can run simultaneously.