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    jwhoolery
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Live control of cue/effect timing

I would like to be able to write cues with complex fades, but still have the flexibility to alter timing live to keep up with the performers throughout the show.

What I really want is the option to record cue (and part and effect) times in beats rather than seconds.  I would want this option to be selectable per cue (or part or effect), and it would be great to have the ability to change the default (seconds or beats) per show.

Now let's talk about a tempo tap button (as found on many audio effects processors) that would primarily serve two functions: set the initial rate for beats that would be recorded with the cue (or part or effect) and update the rate live to account for the tempo changes inherent in live performance.

And since we've got the tempo tap button now, I'd like to be able to set a universal tempo so that I can record cues (etc.) with a beat timing that automatically looks to the universal tempo to set its initial rate upon firing.  This would allow me to do things like write a number of effects with beat timing, tap the tempo at the beginning of the song, and all of those effects will take that tempo unless I choose to tap another rate to update the tempo.  When the next song starts, I can tap the tempo, and I could know that all of those same effects are going to match the rate of the new song.

The ultimate implementation of the setup comes when you write a macro that presses that tempo tap button and then you program the X-keys foot pedal controller to fire that macro.  Now all you have to do is tap your foot to the beat and your cues and effects will keep up.

 Thoughts?

  • Hi Jamie.   The behavior you describe above is certainly interesting and very useful, especially for more "live event" operation.  As a development team, we are trying to be disciplined about the features we add and the order in which we add them.   We still have a fairly detailed list of features very much needed by the majority of our current user base - which is heavily theatrically oriented.   Once those requirements have been addressed, we will be looking to add more features for busking.     We do currently have products in our control line up (Congo and Congo jr) that currently support the feature you described.

    Hope this helps.

    a 

     

  • in reply to Anne Valentino

    Anne,

    Thanks for your reply.  I took a look at the Congo manual, and it does begin to get into what I'm talking about.  But it seems that you can only tap a rate to alter effect timings, and even then, it seems we're restricted to one beat per step and all steps become 0ct.  If the Eos/Ion team decides to implement the feature, I'd love to see the ability to assign any number of beats to a given step so that I could maintain fades within the effect and scale the timings rather than override them.  And I'm really looking for the idea to carry over into cue timing.

    I won't argue that there might be more important features to add at this early stage of the Eos/Ion family, but I would like to argue that the concept I have described would be invaluable to the theatrical market.  Much time is spent during the rehearsal and tech process trying to lock down timings to ensure that the production runs the same way on opening night as it does on closing night, but it is live theatre and no two performances are exactly the same.  In my experience, it's not uncommon for a conductor to get carried away and push the tempo on any given number in a musical.  It would be reassuring as a designer to know that once I leave a production, the board op will have the ability to keep my cues accurately timed to the music every performance.

    And I would also use the feature in straight plays.  Everytime a director talks me into writing a fade that follows the actor across the stage, I end up watching the actor walk right out of the light because he got too excited on opening night.  If I could write the cue in beats, the board op could tap with the actor's steps, and it would make me look really good.

    Have I convinced you yet?

    -Jamie

  • in reply to jwhoolery

    I see a future for you in sales and marketing :-)  Yes, you have absolutely convinced me it is a grand feature.  You haven't quite convinced me it is more important than a number of other "hot" issues on our list.    But, good job!! 

     Oh, if you have ideas about how Congo should use this feature, you can post that on the Congo forum as well....!! 

     Thanks much!

    a 



    [edited by: Anne Valentino at 3:13 PM (GMT -6) on Fri, Oct 31 2008] [edited by: Anne Valentino at 3:13 PM (GMT -6) on Fri, Oct 31 2008]
  • in reply to Anne Valentino
    I could see myself recommending this feature to all my dance designers as it would help to cut cueing time for those rhythm “moments” which can be extensive to cue in the traditional sense. In terms of major companies running straight cues, this feature would be extremely helpful for the ever-changing (don't  tell the conductor) tempo of an Opera to help keep the cues running and hitting on time. I think we all realize how handy it would be for live music mixing which is something that our theatre does a lot of, as our EOS has to do everything from straight plays to Musical Theatre to Dance to Kiddy Dance Shows and Live Music with almost zero cue time.
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