Playback software wish list

H

harrybrilljr

Banned
Jan 12, 2011
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Central Florida
This is for the corporate AV A1s out there. You know who you are.
For years the Instant Replay was the standard. Many bought there own. More recently there are numerous computer based options.

I'm going to be beta testing a new product. I don't want to reveal the maker at this time (maybe never).
What I would like from you is your wishlist for such a product.

I have no financial affiliation other than I will be testing software that I am not paying for. It hasn't been written yet so it's kind of wide open as to what can be done.
 
Re: Playback software wish list

My wishlist:
- Transferrable license (USB dongle a la ProTools, Registration Code a la Quicktime Pro, etc.)
- Rentable licensing options (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) - Figure53 has this down pat, and it's great to be able to rent the varying levels of capability needed from show to show without having to fork out my own cash out front AND without having to charge the client a bundle to recoup the cost, rental or otherwise.
- Similar GUI across various OS types
- Allows waveform editing of clips
- iOS/Android integration/remote control? (sure, why not)

For computer-based stuff, I've been fairly happy with Figure53's QCart because it is straight-forward, and let's me trim clips more quickly because I can see the waveform. I also use Playback Pro+ a bunch and toyed around with InstaCue (both from DTVideo Labs) - they work well, too. I'd like to get more time on InstaCue.

Marantz has the DN-F400 with a controller that could work standalone. It was very responsive when I played around with it at a product demo.
 
Re: Playback software wish list

Jordan Wolf said:
My wishlist:
- Transferrable license (USB dongle a la ProTools, Registration Code a la Quicktime Pro, etc.)
- Rentable licensing options (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) - Figure53 has this down pat, and it's great to be able to rent the varying levels of capability needed from show to show without having to fork out my own cash out front AND without having to charge the client a bundle to recoup the cost, rental or otherwise.
- Similar GUI across various OS types
- Allows waveform editing of clips
- iOS/Android integration/remote control? (sure, why not)

For computer-based stuff, I've been fairly happy with Figure53's QCart because it is straight-forward, and let's me trim clips more quickly because I can see the waveform. I also use Playback Pro+ a bunch and toyed around with InstaCue (both from DTVideo Labs) - they work well, too. I'd like to get more time on InstaCue.

Marantz has the DN-F400 with a controller that could work standalone. It was very responsive when I played around with it at a product demo.
Click to expand...
QLab and QCart have been rock solid me!
 
Re: Playback software wish list

Another +1 for QCart here. It's never been anything other than rock solid. The only improvement I'd want for it is an iPad remote to give touchscreen operation, but I got round that by using Airdisplay (Avatron Software | Air Display)


So, errr, yeah, that's not really a wish list. Let's say "make it like QCart but with optional iPad remote control" :D
 
Re: Playback software wish list

Richard, there is an iPad remote, it's just not made by Figure 53. It's pretty easy to find with a google search. Works with Q Lab and Q Cart. I have a touch screen so I don't really care about the ipad thing.....in fact I hate ipads. It's just a large phone. I already have a phone. I would personally prefer hardware buttons like the X Keys.

I appreciate the replies but you guys really aren't very demanding. One thing you run into when developing software is dogma. People are so entrenched in how they work their minds are closed to new and better ways to work. If you could do it any way you want, how would you do it? There will be much disagreement and that's OK.

In addition to what you like about current offerings.....

What about choosing the soundcard output per button? I have an octa-capture. I'd like to be able to assign the system to 1/2 (iTunes), and individual buttons to 3/4, 5/6, 7/8.
What about full screen waveform editor with vertical and horizontal expansion? Non-volotile edits on the original file or create a new file? What is your preference?
What about built in recording software for recording and editing your VOs?
What about keeping the media files sep from the playback software to keep RAM usage low? I have nearly 500GB of files. About 50GB of that is just what Sports Sounds currently plays (iTUnes plays the rest). I can't load that into RAM or it will get flaky like iPhoto does. Sports sounds plays the file, rather than making the file part of the software. Same with iTunes. I talked to the guy that wrote SSP and he has no interest in MAC or adding the waveform editor and I have no interest in continuing to run my audio through windows OS. I have SSP working in WINE, but that doesn't allow for some of the nicer features like drag and drop.
While we are on that waveform editor, how about a sample by sample movement of the vertical edit line using a hot key and the left and right arrows? Not a jog wheel, but not bad.

Is there any interest in a hardware device complete with LCD backed real buttons about the size of a 13" MBP?
What about having a built in USB 3.0 hub?
What about having a built in plug and play sound card, or two with XLRs?
What about having a slot or two for a 2.5" SATA III drive? If the media files were in a folder like iTunes and you could simply open the software and choose the file, then if you had a back up drive with the same files loaded, you could move to that easily in the event of a drive failure.
Anyone want transport controls?
\What else?
 
Re: Playback software wish list

Harry, my google skills must be failing me then coz I can't find it, any more clues? There's a Figure53 iPad app for QLab though. (fwiw, my iPad is anything but a big phone. It's now an essential part of my audio toolbox)

As for the rest of your list - the multiple outputs thing might be useful. The rest, for me, has never been an issue. I run QCart on my Macbook Air, which is entirely solid state and has 8Gb of RAM, so I've never once had any issues with speed/buffering/RAM usage etc

Editing - I already have a bunch of recording/editing apps for getting clips onto my machine. Moving between them and Qcart is as simple as a four finger swipe one my trackpad, it's no big deal. I tend to use the built in editor for "quick and dirty" type stuff and simply move into a full featured editor if I need to do more precise cuts/fades etc

As for the hardware options, I dunno. Again, for me, it would be just more stuff to find room for at FOH. I'm already going to have my laptop/audio interface with me for Smaart and various other PA software, so I might as well use it for playback. Hardware buttons are always nice, but tbh I've got so used to using touch screens now that the cost of a hardware unit would likely be off-putting.

I guess what I'm saying is that overall the sheer simplicity of QCart is what makes it so good. It doesn't have a bulk of features that I can cover with other software I already own. It just does what it needs to do (play back clips with no delay and be utterly stable) without any other frills.

I know this may all come across as a bit "change resistant" because I guess that's how I am. I've got a way of working that works for me (and ultimately my clients) and it would take something pretty convincing to get me to change. I'd definitely be interested to see what you come up with though :)
 
Re: Playback software wish list

Since I haven't seen it mentioned, I'll point out another nice playback app: Soundboard | Ambrosia Software, Inc.

They not only have an ipad remote app, they also have a standalone ipad app. It's very similar to QCart, but predates it by a few years. (One could almost say that QCart is a copy.)

The app has been rock solid on both OSX and IOS platforms, and has the ability to save a button layout (names, colors, edits, files, etc.) as a single compressed file making backups and hardware mirrors much easier.
 
Re: Playback software wish list

Milt Hathaway said:
Since I haven't seen it mentioned, I'll point out another nice playback app: Soundboard | Ambrosia Software, Inc.

They not only have an ipad remote app, they also have a standalone ipad app. It's very similar to QCart, but predates it by a few years. (One could almost say that QCart is a copy.)

The app has been rock solid on both OSX and IOS platforms, and has the ability to save a button layout (names, colors, edits, files, etc.) as a single compressed file making backups and hardware mirrors much easier.
Click to expand...

Thanks Milt. Soundboard is pretty good. I have found them to be unresponsive to emails and support issues. They do lack some key features I want.

In doing research I have found a product that is VERY close to what I want in the current beta. I feel a bit torn now.

Richard PlaybackControl for QLab v2 is the app I was referring to. If you scroll down they have "Triggers". Other options for sending midi note messages are probably out there. I would not let my show fail or succeed based on a wifi connection between an ipad and my playback software.

One thing I do like about Soundboard is they have an iPad version and you can share the file with the iPad version I think.
 
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Re: Playback software wish list

I am not a corporate AV A1 but I can tell you that in university academic settings, PCs are as or more common than Macs. I think Jordan's suggestion for a cross platform product has merit.
 
Re: Playback software wish list

I've been waiting for QCart 2 but that seems to have been ground into the wheels of Qlab 3. A couple of things that I'd like to see is a cart player interface that will duck the output of another audio playback app running on the same machine. I'd love to be able to hit a VO and have the output of a dumb playlist from iTunes duck under the cue with of course adjustable fade down, duck floor and fade up. Better yet the ability to create a playlist cue of a folder of sound files, say a drag and drop into the OS of client provided walk in music files that could simply run with a single cart button push, persist on playback while other cues are played with that same duck function. An marriage of Audio Finder Iced Audio - AudioFinder with a more robust QCart would be a fabulous thing. Powerful looping and editing would be essential parts of a big boy cart player app.

harrybrilljr said:
I appreciate the replies but you guys really aren't very demanding. … What else?
Click to expand...
 
Re: Playback software wish list

I've been doing cue playback since my earliest days in sound and have always been looking for the ultimate since starting with mag carts progressing thru instant replay and now computer based.

Right now I would be perfectly happy with iTunes if it had a couple small features:
1) "Stop playing after this track and wait" option
2) Cue/PFL function using built-in headphone jack if an external audio device is present for main output.

That's it, nothing more needed.
I've been through the gamut of audio playback software and most of it works great but I keep coming back to iTunes to manage my huge track library. (I can browse easier than anything else to decide on something to play in a quick hurry if needed)

Make Rhythmbox in Linux do the same and I'll be even happier :)
 
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