MixHitz wrote:
3) Redundant playback. I haven't found a rock solid solution to locking these together that I'm super comfortable with. And trust me I've tried everything and spend all my off time trying to perfect it.
I'm using 4 828's and 2 radial switchers and laptop A & B. (15" MacBook Pro Retina) I've tried using a MIDI controller to MIDI splitter and can't get both systems to be close. Very unpredictable. Used MIDI splitter and then put DP in wait mode, thought that would fix everything. No, still unpredictable results.
SMPTE time code (MOTU app NOT plugin) so far the best, but not the most hands free.
I'm sending code fro the out of one 828 (A) to the in of another (B)
B app is receiving and I have freewheel set to 10 secs
This works the best so far as if A were to crash, B would continue, I just quickly have to switch from 10 second freewheel to infinite.
The problem lies when going from chunk 1 (which is about 4:30) and chunk 2 (1:20) it skips over chunk 2 because it's shorter than one (Timecode wise)
I just want B to follow a seamlessly without jumping through hoops
Press play on A, B starts. Chunk one on A ends, B ends (that happens) but I'd love if I hit play on chunk 2 on A, chunk 2 on B would start.
Many, and possibly most, of the largest touring shows use DP for sequence control. It usually functions as the central time caller, cueing everything from lights to machines, not to mention audio and MIDI.
I used it that way for 20 years, and not once did it ever fail on tour or rehearsal, though of course there were occasional glitches when creating the music and writing cues. I could probably count on one hand the number of times DP actually crashed while I was on the clock over all those years, and never was it during regular playback, as in rehearsal or performance. However, I did have a redundant system running at all times when listeners were present. I tried SMPTE at first, but that became tedious, having to start and stop two systems, and I viewed that as a complication that was MORE likely to lead to a glitch or crash, so I stopped using it.
I saw a possible glitch as a "technical malfunction" during which time the artist(s) would simply need to ad-lib while I diagnosed the source. I mean, it could have been a MIDI Time Piece going offline due to a power fluctuation or something like that, so what good would SMPTE do then? You'd need to swap cables, anyway, so in a meeting with management and talent, we'd determine that the best solution for our needs was simply an alert director (me) who would quickly surmise the problem, then do whatever it took to get the show back underway, with the agreement that we'd be returning to the start of the affected song, unless it happened within seconds of the end, in which case we'd probably just go on to the next song. I personally rehearsed the possible problems and their fixes, so that I would not be letting seconds tick by as I figured out what to do.
• If DP was still running and outputting signal, but nothing was reaching the stage, then chances were that the MTP was dead. Solution? Switch to redundant system.
• If all screens were dark, power was out. Solution? Check the power supplies and the Furman, follow connections to the nearest known power source still in operation.
• DP frozen, redundant system still running. Solution? Swap MIDI cable from MTP to redundant computer. Continue show.
Swapping to a redundant system isn't as easy as it sounds. You've got to swap audio and MIDI, and there are many factors that determine where you make the swap. Do you just plug in the interfaces to the other computer? Do you have other interfaces running and switch their outputs to all the devices? At some point you look at the accruing expense of such a complete switch through automated or a simple rotary switch, and you realize that sometimes the audience just has to wait. They've all experienced computer crashes. They can manage if the artists are giving them a show while you're working on it.
However, there are fairly simple, yet automated ways of doing it, and one of the best I've seen is Mike McKnight's, who has done this for Madonna, Pink Floyd, and many other big name shows. In his case, a continuous signal is monitored for presence; if it is interrupted, a switch automatically kicks in the redundant system. You'd have to look him up to find where he has described this. He had a custom unit built specifically for this purpose. Really, his method is ingenious, and I wish I'd thought of it. Actually, I did, sort of, but never found management to be willing to invest in it.
BUT... and this is a big but... DP never crashed. All that planning never was needed. One possible reason that I never had trouble was because I simplified everything. At all times, I was running the bare minimum in terms of live output that I could possibly get away with. No plugins. If you're running audio, use rendered audio. No live plugins. Keep connections simple. The more stuff you put in there to handle possible outages and switching systems, the more likely you are to have to use it. The absolute best protection is a simplified system in which you never have to do more than hit "Play" at the appropriate time for the chunks as they are cued and waiting. Some of my sequences were lighting-only sequences during the scene changes between songs. But even those were just a matter of hitting "Play" again. I didn't stop sequences; just started them. I would open windows to follow along, especially if I had to cue performers by conducting them offstage, but even those I soon had committed to memory, so I rarely even opened a window. The chunks were chained to play, switch, and stop. I hit play, and the process repeated until the concert was over and the lights were up or down or however they wanted them. The most complicated thing I usually did on tour was change the set list, and then it was only a problem if the lighting didn't segue into the next scene, but I'd planned for that by making sure that all sequences ended with cues that segued to the interstitial scene cues, etc. (the lighting director and I would plan these together)
So... this should be as simple as a one-key operation. You might even consider making a keyboard cover that prevents any other keys from being touched during the show, except the ENTER or SPACEBAR. It's not unheard of for some stagehand or an idiot with a backstage pass to lean over and say "what does this key do" while pressing it and laughing. In DP, that can have significant consequences. With me as MD, it can also have serious consequences on the health of the person who did it. But a keyboard cover fixes most of that. An armed guard would also be nice.
Redundant systems are great on paper, but a little more complicated when you really go through what it would take to switch them out. Your best bet is always simply not to crash. As I said, I did 20 years or more of live touring in large and small venues, and never had a single problem. That's one of the reasons I love DP. It stayed with me and never complained.
Shoosh