A few questions on Audio File Player

General discussion about Gig Performer
1

Hello all,

The Gig Performer transition is moving along well here. But I do encounter some hiccups. Today I have some questions on Audio File Player…

  1. How does everyone handle file players (audio and midi) in rackspaces where I intend to switch rackspaces during songs? Is it best to put the player in global rack (which would limit my files to 8 right), OR just make one bigger rackspace with all my scenes (this is normally where I would change the entire rackspace to change from synth to synth or EP to organ etc)? Clearly if I change rackspaces, the audio file contained in that rackspace would stop correct? This issue will become more of acute when I start to run my lights via midi files (currently not attempting to integrate that yet).

  2. In another project I am playing in, we do originals and I have recordings of the songs set up in each rackspace so that I can rehearse to the songs with ease (the recordings are sans-keys, which is great). I’ve been doing this for at home rehearsals for a couple weeks and it’s been great. However, last night at rehearsal, every time I advanced through the rackspaces in setlist mode, the files started playing and I could NOT stop it from happening. I tried the main play/stop button, I tried toggling various things in the file player itself but nothing would stop them from firing up upon advancing through the setlist. I had to disconnect each player from the output in the wiring view to stop it. The only difference between the home rehearsal and the band rehearsal space rigs is for the home, I use an HDMI cable to a monitor and for the band rehearsal, I run an iPad with Luna Display. I cannot imagine that the display type was causing the issue. This morning I am trying to diagnose and I cannot replicate the issue. Is it possible I have some widgets conflicting somewhere that is locking the play/stop feature in the ON position somehow? To clarify: I run audio players in 9 of the 13 songs in the particular rackspace just routed to my outputs (it bypasses all the mixers/gains/efx). For 4 of the songs, since I change rack spaces mid song (see question above), I have put a player in the global with 4 audio files. I then use widgets to “arm” each file as needed and I have a start/stop widget as well. Maybe I am creating a conflict somehow?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

2

Point 1
When you want to use more rackspaces for a song then the global rackspace is the correct place.
But you could also use a 2nd instance in Gig Performer just to host the Audio File Player
In the 2nd instance just build a rackspace for each song with the Audio File Player and needed audio files.
This way when using predictive load you need less RAM.
AudioFile Player does not stream and loads all Audio Files into memory.

Point 2
Does is happen again, or was that just once?

3

Ooh, I like that. I have to admit, the second instance thing scared me, but now that you bring up that sweet workaround, it’s time for me to “grow a pair” and try it.

On point 2: Just that once, during rehearsal last night. Come this morning it’s acting like nothing was ever wrong (well, after I reconnected each player in the wiring view).

The second instance would solve any issues for this as during band rehearsals/gigs I could just not load the second instance right?

4

Correct.

5

Hmm. So I have to admit, this one has scrambled my brain. So I created the instance and have set up the player, just not sure how to control the second instance (rackspace change, play/stop) from the first instance. Am I creating a MIDI out block on the main instance along with a MIDI in block in the audio player instance? I tried to check documentation but not seeing much in the way of “controlling second instance” info. Sorry to be a dim bulb, but I’m not really experienced in these issues (always just used Kronos for the last 10 years).

6

With OSC messages and a little GP Script you can sync this 2 instances
Example you find here

Another way is to use virtual MIDI and send out PC message via Virtual MIDI from the 1st instance to the 2nd instance.

7

Here is a very useful resource for multiple instances.

Link: [blog] How to use multiple instances in Gig Performer 4

This is a “helper thread” for the blog article with many useful tips that are indexed in the first post.