SoundMan-Server

1. A quick overview SoundMan-Server

2. SoundMan-Server • SoundMan-Server (or “SM-S”) is a high performance sound playback and routing audio engine application • Primarily intended for theatrical and themed entertainment • Up to 512 individual live input channels • Up to 999 individual playback channels • Up to 512 output channels • A typical application might have 192 playback channels, 96 inputs, and 96 outputs.

3. Architecture • SM-S is essentially two crosspoint matrixes • One matrix between live inputs and outputs • One matrix between playback and outputs • Every input, crosspoint, and output is an identical control node: • Gain, Mute, Solo, Inversion, Delay, Delay Enable • 7 Band parametric EQ • 31 Band Graphic EQ • Two octave pitch shifter

4. Audio Interfaces • SM-S uses any sound card with an ASIO driver • Most professional cards have ASIO drivers • Typical recommended interfaces: • MOTU 424 or 424e card and interface units: • HD192, 2408 MK III, 24I/0 • AudioScience ASI6416 Cobranet cards • RME MADI cards • AudioScience or RME AES cards • Digigram Ethersound cards (currently in qualification)

5. Non-Recommended Audio Interfaces • Anything from SoundBlaster • Crystal 6-channel cards with minijacks • They work, but can be noisy and the jacks are unreliable; some drivers are 16-bit only • “Plug-n-Play” including Firewire/USB • The Windows OS can “forget” units • Connectors are not available in a locking style • Can be OK for special events or temporary shows • Work with the manufacturer for maximum reliability

6. Playback File Formats • File Formats: WAVE, AIFF, Raw PCM • Sample Formats: PCM: 16, 20, 24, 24/32, 32 bit, FLOAT: 32 bit Floating Point • Sample Rates: Any (different files can have different rates) • Automatic sample rate conversion to the interface sample rate

7. Playback Features • Start/Stop/Pause/Resume • Free running or locked to Timecode • Adjustable Start and Stop positions • Loop from any point to any point • (Or skip if loop-to is after loop-from) • Adjustable playback rate (speed/pitch) • Sample accurate playback on many channels if started together

8. Playback • Each playback channel plays one track of one file • Use multiple playback channels to play multi-channel files • Play only the tracks you want • Play same track on multiple channels with different routing/gain/EQ • Play tracks with different offsets in the file at the same time

9. Timecode • 24 / 25 / 29.97 / 30 FPS capability • Two timecode readers • Readers are output channels, can route any source to them • Can follow a live input or a recorded TC track • Two timecode generators • Generators are input channels, can route to any destination • Generators can be slaved to TC readers • Useful to generate 30FPS from 24FPS input

10. Signal Generator • A low-distortion signal generator is available on input channel 1000 • Can generate Sine, Square, Triangle, White Noise, or Pink Noise • Pink noise slope ripple < 0.1 dB • Sine, Square and Triangle frequencies can be set from 1 Hz to Sample Rate / 2 • Sine/Square/Triangle frequency can be swept over arbitrary frequency range with linear or log sweep • Sweep can be paused and resumed

11. Control Methods • SM-S is controlled by simple human-readable text commands • Current command set is always available at: www.RichmondSoundDesign.com • Commands are given on Telnet port 20000 • Up to 20 telnet ports may be open at once for control and monitoring • A typical command sequence: • SET CHANNEL P12-P14 GAINDB 0 FADETIME 4.2; • PLAY P12-P14;

12. Control Abilities • Every parameter of every control node is individually controllable • Every Input, Crosspoint, or Output is a control node • Groups of control nodes may be adjusted simultaneously • SET CHAN P0-15 GAINDB -12; • Every “analog” parameter (eg: gain, delay, EQ frequency) can be faded over time

13. Monitoring • Every parameter of every control node can be interrogated • Channels can be interrogated in groups • GET CHAN P0-3 TRACK POSITION; • Every response begins with a unique identifier and is in a simple text format on a single line: Position P0=213022 P1=165902 P2=433662 P3=1024;

14. Control Ranges • Gain: +20 to -144 dB • gain can be given in dB or absolute 0 to 10 range, where 1.0 is 0 dB • SET CHANNEL I0 GAIN 0; mute first input • Delay: 0 to 5 seconds • in microseconds or samples • EQ Gain: +12 to -144 dB • EQ Frequency: 1 Hz to Sample Rate/2

15. Command Syntax Overview • Most commands start with SET or GET • Followed by the item to act on • Usually CHAN or CHANNEL followed by a list of channel types and numbers (channel identifiers) or channel names • Followed by one or more parameter keywords and (for SET) the values for the items, for example: • GAIN 0.3 • DELAY 1.2 • TRACK FILE “C:\Audio Tracks\File1.wav” Commands are shown in uppercase, but except for strings in quotes, are case insensitive

16. Channel Types • Channel types are: INPUT IN I OUTPUT OUT O PLAYBACK PB P CROSSPOINT XPOINT X PLAYBACKCROSSPOINT PBXPOINT PX GROUP G

17. Channel Identifiers and Names • A channel identifier is a channel type followed by a channel number (or number.number for crosspoints) PLAYBACK 1 IN4 PX4.4 • Channels may be named and the names used: SET CHAN I0 NAME MC_MIC SET CHAN MC_MIC GAINDB -4.3 FADETIME 2;

18. Channel Identifier Groupings • Channel identifiers may be individual, in ranges, or lists: PLAYBACK 1 PLAYBACK 0 TO 4 OUT 1-3 IN 0 1 2 3 5 PB 6 OUT7-12 I16 X0.0 1.1 2.2 X0-3.0-3 • Channel ranges are two channel numbers that are in equal or ascending order separated by “TO” or a dash

19. Channel Parameters • All channels have the standard settings: • GAIN or GAINDB • MUTE, SOLO, PHASEREVERSE • DELAY TIME, DELAY ENABLE • Graphic EQ ENABLE, BAND GAINS • Parametric EQ BANDS, EQ ENABLE, BAND ENABLE • Each Parametric EQ Band has: • SHAPE, FREQUENCY, GAIN or GAINDB, BANDWIDTH

20. Additional Playback Channel Parameters • TRACK parameters: • PATH “path to files” • FILE “name” TRACK number • START, STOP, REPEAT and LOOP points • PITCH or SPEED • Example: SET CHAN P0 TRACK FILE “C:\INTRO.WAV” START 20.1 STOP 40 PITCH .5 FADETIME 30;

21. “Fadable” Channel Parameters • All “analog” channel parameters can fade over time: • GAIN, GAINDB, DELAY TIME, EQ FREQUENCY, EQ GAIN, EQ BANDWIDTH, PLAYBACK SPEED/PITCH • Fade can be specified in seconds or as a timecode • FADETIME <seconds and fractions> • FADETC <timecode value> • Examples • SET CHAN OUT1 GAINDB -144 FADETIME 5.2; • SET CHANI1 DELAY .025 FADETIME 1.22;

22. Example 1 CONFIG SET INTERFACE "MOTU FireWire Audio" MODE NORMAL INPUTS 0 OUTPUTS 18 PLAYBACKS 50; 2 SET MATRIX OFF; 3 SET CHAN P0 TRACK FILE "T:\AudioBox011.WAV" START TIME 13 STOP TC 0:30:27:0 REPEAT TIME 13; 4 SET CHAN P1 TRACK FILE "T:\AudioBox012.WAV" START TIME 13 STOP TC 0:30:27:0 REPEAT TIME 13; 5 SET CHAN P0-1 gaindb -3 chan O0-1 GAIN 1; 6 SET CHAN PX 0.0 1.1 GAIN 1; 7 PLAY P 0-1;

23. Example Notes 1 Initialize SM-S to use the ASIO device "MOTU FireWire Audio”. Disable the inputs and set 50 playback channels. 2 Set all input, playback, crosspoint, and output channels to 0 gain. 3 Set playback channel 0 to play the file “T:\AudioBox011.WAV” starting 13 seconds in and looping from 30 minutes 27 seconds back to 13 seconds. The full path to the file, including the filename suffix, must be specified. 4 Set playback channel 1 to play the file “T:\AudioBox012.WAV” using the same start/stop/repeat parameters as above. P0 and P1 are a stereo pair from two mono files. 5 Set both playback channel gains to -3dB and set output channels 0 and 1 to a gain of 1, which is 0dB. 6 Set playback crosspoints 0.0 and 1.1 to have gains of 0dB. This routes P0 to O0 and P1 to O1, giving stereo output. 7 Make playback channels P0 and P1 play. Since we played both channels in one channel list, they will be sample locked.