Programming Light and Sound for Children's Theater

From the booth during tech rehearsal for "12 Dancing Princesses."

In the background, MacBook running QLab;
ETC SmartFade ML in foreground

The M-Audio Firewire 410 Rides Again!

The M-Audio Firewire 410 Rides Again! Well, sort of.

I've finally made the switch to a Mac as the sound playback computer at Montgomery Theater. No, we didn't suddenly get flush with cash. I'm using my old 2008 MacBook. This means I can finally use the M-Audio Firewire 410 as an external sound controller, and Q-Lab as my sound cue software.

Setup on the MacBook went fine. the Mac recognizes and communicates with the M-Audio. On top of that, I confirmed that all the audio sources are functional.

Unfortunately, after connecting the M-Audio to the Crown amps, I found several problems:

1. I need 1/4 " to 3-pin adapters to connect the output from the M-Audio to the amps. I have one adapter, but I need five more. 
2. One of my three Crown amps is not working. Powers up, but no audio out. 
3. There is significant buzzing in the monitors. Doesn't happen when I run from the MacBook's headphone jack to the amp (via the mixing board). But it is happening when running from M-Audio straight to the amp.   

I've done all I can tonight. Need to get up early tomorrow and try to get the adapters I need before Tech rehearsal. Hopefully, I can figure out how to eliminate that buzzing.

Wireless Room Lighting from Mr. Beams!

Over at LifeHacker, Whitson Gordon sheds some light on an inexpensive solution for adding motion-sensing LEDs to add a little more light in certain areas of your home. Because these units are supposed to go out when you leave, this solution might even be useful in our theater's work areas (i.e., non-stage areas!) that are sometimes left on long after folks have departed the space. Read more at LifeHacker:

Mr. Beams Motion Sensing LEDs Light Up Any Room Without Wires, Screws, or Hassle

Theater Techs: Memorize this Graphic!

If you are a theater tech, you should memorize this "Does It Move?" graphic. Now, I would replace the image of duct tape with some Gaff tape, but that is a minor quibble. 

Image from GraphJam

Script Rest?

Think I could get away with using this during tech?

Book Rest Lamp

T-Qualizer

The next time I am in tech, I will be wearing this t-shirt:

T-Qualizer Shirt

NoteSlate: I want to take my post-show notes on this!

If this device really arrives later this year, I will be so tempted to purchase it.

NoteSlate /// intuitively simple monochrome paper alike tablet device

NoteSlate is low cost tablet device with true one colour display, real paper look design, long life battery (180h !), together with very handy usage and very simple and helpful interface for pen and paper. This easy, compact and portable gadget is used anywhere you want to make any notes, drafts, sketches, any ideas for future reference. Paper for everyone! Write a note and check it later, save it, or delete it. Maybe send it after. Just one colour is enough to express the basics. Keep your life simple. You will love it. For $99.

It's Not Entirely Unlike This...

I'm not entirely certain why this image makes me think of the system problems I have to solve, but it does.

Image Credit: "I Think I Found The Problem. It Was Everything"

A "Cool" Dimmer Use

Some people get downright, um, creative with the dimmers at their command. For example, @lekogirl tweeted:

If you click that twitpic link, you will see that one controller is clearly labeled for a very important task:

A fridge? Seriously?? Wow. Whatever you do, don't leave that one down overnight ... especially if you have any dairy products in that there fridge.

My official "tech" shirt

Pick My New Phone -- The Choice!

Notice #1: Cross-posted from my personal blog]

Notice #2: This blog entry has nothing to do with theater (unless you count the fact that I use my phone to keep in touch with the tech crew).

I really wanted a cool title for this post. I considered "I Kissed A Phone" (too cutesy), "The Smartphone Has Landed" (too audacious?), "Smartphone Accomplished!" (too Iraq War), and "What (Phone) Have I Got In My Pocket?" (too Tolkien). In the end, I just went with something that should tie this post in with the previous ones in this thread.

Anyway...

Anyone out there remember I was looking to upgrade my smartphone? Well, I narrowed my choice down to two options, but I didn't really mention anything here since early June. If, however, you follow me on twitter, you might have caught a reference or two as to what phone I finally selected.

It's funny, but my choice ultimately came down to two things: Cost and availability. On the cost factor, the Droid Incredible was going to cost me about 4x as much as the Palm Pre Plus. Concerning availability, as of June 22 the Incredible was backordered into mid- to late July. Now, my favorite time to test drive a new phone is when I travel because I can really put a device through its paces and see if it will work for me. As things stood, I was going to be driving to Boston on July 2 and staying for a few days, so I definitely wanted to pickup a new phone before my departure.

Hello Palm Pre Plus.

I'm working on a full review of my experience with this device, both on my Boston trip and day-to-day since then. I'm nowhere near ready to post it, but at least now you know what I've got in my pocket.

Circuit Bending

If you follow me on Twitter, or you have seen some of my recent blog posts, you know that I'm a fan of the Theremin, as well as electronic music in general. A few days ago, I was flicking through the channels and landed on Current TV. I stopped because this guy, Pete Edwards, was talking about "circuit bending" and I thought it was pretty cool. I mean, the sounds he coaxed out of Speak & Spells, talking baby dolls, wristwatches, etc. was nothing short of amazing! (Disclaimer: My opinion only. YMMV.)

Apparently, it was an older TV episode because this clip of Edwards' TV appearance was uploaded to YouTube in early 2009. I figure fellow electronic music aficionados and sound designers would like to check it out!



Can you believe he does this for a living? Talk about following your passion!

Pick My New Phone (Is There an App for That?) -- Update!

Notice #1: Cross-posted from my personal blog]

Notice #2: This blog entry has nothing to do with theater (unless you count the fact that I use my phone to keep in touch with the tech crew).

As you know, I'm looking to upgrade my smartphone. Several folks have provided feedback here on the blog, by twitter, on my Facebook wall, and by email. Thanks to that input, and a little trip to the local Verizon store, I have narrowed my options to two devices.

• Palm Pre Plus: My last three or four phones have been Palm devices. They easily sync with Mac OS X (contacts, schedule, photos, memos, etc.). The Palm Pre Plus has been rated as having the best OS out there. It can be used as a mobile WiFi hotspot for up to five devices. It has a great touchscreen as well as a slide-out keyboard (with actual keys). Speaking of the keyboard, I am pretty much used to its layout because it is so similar to the Centro. And, with Verizon's current pricing, I can get this smartphone for free.

• HTC Droid Incredible: The name really says it all as this is an incredible device. All the pros of the Droid OS, but none of the reported problems of the Motorola Droid. It cannot be used as a WiFi hotspot, but it can be tethered to your laptop for internet connectivity. The camera is great and it has an LED flash! Now, this device is fairly pricey, and I have to wait if I want it (most locations had about a three week wait to get the device as of a week ago), but I do get a discount on it (thanks to my "new every two" feature with Verizon).
  

At this point, I still have to perform my own tests to see which device is better at all the tasks I need it to do. But if I am looking for something to keep me for the next two years while I wait for Verizon to get the iPhone, it seems I should lean toward the Palm Pre Plus. It's available now, has WiFi capability (included with the data package), and the price is right. As long as it handles webmail, music, Twitter, and Facebook like a champ, my decision should be pretty much made, right?

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

Compressing Our Music To Death?

I saved this article back in December and only got around to reading it today.

[NPR] The Loudness Wars: Why Music Sounds Worse

The NPR article includes this helpful poster for understanding "dynamic" in music:

Christopher Clark's visual analogy for dynamic (click for full PDF of poster)

I'm very much interested in the claim that after listening to a "whole album of this highly compressed music, your ear is fatigued." Based on some of my own experiences of late, I'm thinking it might not be too far off the mark.

So what do you think? Has compression given us a huge portable library of music that is draining more than entertaining?

Pick My New Phone! (Is There an App for That?)

Notice #1: Cross-posted from my personal blog]

Notice #2: This blog entry has nothing to do with theater (unless you count the fact that I use my phone to keep in touch with the tech crew).

Three months ago, I put it off. And I was prepared to put it off for another month. But the time has come to make a decision.

I'm due for an upgrade and I need a new smartphone.

Now, I am a Mac user, so one would think this is a decision easily made and acted upon. I should get an iPhone, right? Well, let me tell you, I would certainly like to have an iPhone. There are, however, a few issues. First, I am on Verizon. Why is that an issue? Uh, because I am unwilling to switch to AT&T. Sorry, folks, I'm actually happy with the service on Verizon. AT&T is by far the lesser network in my area and I kind of like a phone to, well, you know, make phone calls.

Second, it seems rather unlikely that Apple will strike a deal with Verizon. I was following the rumors, waiting and hoping for the iPhone to be available on my network. But I'm convinced it won't happen ... for quite a while.

Third, and possibly the biggest issue, I have been using Palm products for several years now. My current device is a Centro (I have been through the Palm V, Palm m500, Treo 650, Treo 700p). All my primary contacts -- and a host of other data in the form of memos, scheduling, etc. -- is in Palm's proprietary format. C'mon! Don't judge me! These Palm devices sync very well with the Mac platform, OK?

Here is my Centro!

Now, you may well ask, "Why do you need a new smartphone?" Great question! And the answer is ... I don't really need a new smartphone. But I am up for contract renewal, which means a discount on a new device, and I do want one. Or, rather, I want a phone that is better on the web than my Centro (that Blazer browser is so 2005).

So my question all of you (er, well, anyone reading my blog; so that's all two of you) is this:

What device should I get?

I'm serious. I need some help in choosing my new smartphone. And it will ideally have the following features:

• Sync well with Mac OS X
• Decent web browser
• Good audio quality
• Support for Twitter (preferably via Tweetdeck) and Facebook
• Full keyboard (virtual or practical, I'm not picky just yet)
• Video playback
• iTunes integration
• Ability to import my Palm data

I'm not really all that interested in BlackBerry devices, so I guess the choice is between Android and Palm. Or, maybe Palm is not really part of the discussion. The Palm Pre and Palm Pixi look good, but the new Web OS doesn't seem to support my old Palm data very well and syncing with Mac is an issue. Not that Android is much better in the Mac sync department. Bottom line: I'll have some serious adjustment no matter which direction I go. I just want to ensure I make the best choice given my criteria.

So, have at it! Make a pitch for which device I should get and why. I appreciate any and all help in this matter.

Which droid is the droid I'm looking for, Ben Kenobi?

Oh, look. Palm made phones for Weebles!

Project: Spiral LED Chandelier

The Spiral LED Chandelier could be a festive holiday piece. Instructables user Dipankar gives you step-by-step instructions for how he made the chandelier out of 240 LEDs. It is a great write-up, and the end result is a thing of wonder and beauty.

Check it out for yourself at http://www.instructables.com/id/SPIRAL-LED-CHANDELIER/.

Robots Take the Stage!

I'm a little behind on this news, but plasticpals.com clued me in regarding a few instances of robots on stage. No, this is not about robotic actors -- and we all know a few of those. This is about actual robots, taking the stage and interacting with humans.

Check out the full article: Robots Break A Leg On Stage.

Wakamaru, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ household robot, in a
20 minute play at Osaka University (November 2008)

Sustainable Design: Styro Light

This is one of the coolest bits of recycling in the theater I have ever seen. Check out Jim On Light for Styro Light - Apple’s Packaging Put to A Second Use.

Lighting Fixture Made from Styrofoam Packaging Corners (Photo: Jim On Light)

Five-Armed Turntable

This is a prepared turntable, designed by Yuri Suzuki (2008), that is used to actively compose and play music. The LP, though round, plays music in a linear fashion -- it starts at one point and plays through to another. With five individually controlled arms, you have the possibility for looping and accompaniment within the same set of music. Very interesting! Analog FTW!

Hat tip to Everyday Listening (via twitter).

Spinning Tunes

Here is the list of songs that made the final cut and are used in Montgomery Theater's production of "Spinning into Butter."

Start Act I
"Meard" - Brandon Musser

End Act I Scene 1
"Emeht Eivom" - Brandon Musser

End Act I Scene 2
"A Morning with the Roses" - Richard Dworsky

End Act I Scene 3
"Tween Kel" - Brandon Musser (cued after the opening chord)

End Act I Scene 4
"Reflection" - George Winston

End Act I Scene 5
"The Dark Room" - Eddie Jobson

End Act I
"Rain" - George Winston (cued up at 3:04 into the song)

Open Act II
"Emeht Eivom" - Brandon Musser

End Act II Scene 1
"Fresh Air" - David Lyndon Huff (cued after the brief intro)

End Act II Scene 2
"A Door into the Dark" - Victoire

End Act II Scene 3
"Capella" - JT Bruce

End Act II Scene 4
"La Mufa" - Astor Piazzola

End Act II Scene 5
"Oblivion" - Astor Piazzola

End Act II Scene 6
"Rain" - George Winston (cued from the beginning of the song)

End Show/Curtain Call
"Bing Bong" - Brandon Musser

In an upcoming post, I will outline what I did for the three clock tower FX that were required for this show.