Easy Show

One thing I like about EasyShow is that I recently moved my show from my main desktop with 2 monitors, to my 17" MacBook Pro running Bootcamp, and since some directory issues were different, it asked "hey, where's the movie file" and things like that. This was something I was worried about.

Saving a show, I find most often I have to simply do a "save as" and then just use the same name over and over again. This wasn't a big deal for me right now as I work on 2 sepparate shows. I'll often have a "starting the day" save, then a mid-day save, then a "final save of the day" save so I can fail backwards and track progress. I'm being a bit obsessive right now for the sake of redundancy and protection so I can't fail too hard.

Second, it appears that Easy Show will not auto-load the last used show, so you'll need to open it each and ever time. Just be organized and you'll be fine. You can save in My Documents or in the Compu Show directory, whatever works best for you.

As far as how you MAKE the show, it's really up to you. In my case, I'm learning as I go, and I can see where initial things I did to resolve problems were not necessary(such as learning how to use fades and the fade switches), so my programming skills and assembly styles matured quickly as I learned. Learning where, why and how to use scenes as opposed to switches has been quite interesting as well. I have no "right" answer, or even a "more right answer". I went with what seemed to make the most sense at the time. Sometimes it went with the _Master, sometimes with specific lighting. In the second show that I hope to start today or tomorrow, I have to make each scene also be an identical switch so it can be used in more than one manner. With 42 lighting cues, but only a dozen scenes needed to be made, it's manageable.

When I fire up Compu Show, I bring up the 3D Visualizer, then I run Easy Show. If you're not running a show via Easy Show, there's no reason to bring it up. If you're running a show live, Easy Show might not be something you want running, but then again maybe you do. It depends on how you do things. One thing I do like is that if you're say running audio from FOH and doing monitors at the same time via the same desk, and you're running lights from the same general position, you could run say, ProTools or some other multi-channel DAW or solution, have a reference track in Easy Show, then use MTC to sync it all up. Chances are the DAW is using a click track being sent to in-ears, or else a reference track to wedges for the band to play along to.

You can save the ses file and re load it up at any time. I would do that first. you can use it to generate a cycle, however if you have more than one fixture page and have used programming from all the fixtures or the master page I would generate the cycle on the master page. Make sense? Also you could just very well play the show back and not have to generate a cycle. simply press play and watch it go.
Sincerely,

Studio42 said:
"One thing I do like is that if you're say running audio from FOH and doing monitors at the same time via the same desk, and you're running lights from the same general position, you could run say, ProTools or some other multi-channel DAW or solution, have a reference track in Easy Show, then use MTC to sync it all up. Chances are the DAW is using a click track being sent to in-ears, or else a reference track to wedges for the band to play along to."

This is exactly what we do, but we don't know how to sync up the MTC to start EasyShow. In our case we are using Sonar. Sure would like to know haw to get Sonar to start easy show at the same time using MTC.

Let me get really granular. Not because I think you're dense. I think if I explain the entire process, it will make more sense. Since I am in a position to control damn near everything at all steps of the process, it sure helps ensure as smooth a process as possible.

1: I do the master video editing. This is used to establish timeline, which starts at ZERO. This master edit is in HD at 1080P(1920X1080 at 23.976fps
A secondary video is generated in standard defintion. It contains extra embedded information, such as timecode and other stuff, but it's for my sanity purposes and is just "stuff in the video" as far as anyone else is concerned. This file is around 25Gigs. The funny part is the HD file is only like around 17Gigs. but since Easy Show only likes .avi files, and the playback is an MPG, that might have something to do with it.

The video editing is done using Sony Vegas Pro 10.0(x)

SHOW playback is also done using Sony Vegas. This master computer is sending sending out timecode because I can have Sony Vegas send out MTC. The itnerface we are choosing to use is my M-Audio Firewire 410 interface so I can also get clean audio as well as MTC via the MIDI port. I have to tell Sony Vegas to send MTC and what flavor to send it and where to send it.

The MIDI out pushes a 50-foot MIDI cable, which then hits a MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru Box. This in turn splits this signal to the IN A and B on my MIDISPORT 2X2 on my MacBook Pro running Bootcamp and Win7 Ultimate 64-bit and Compu Show. Drivers are properly installed for the MIDI interface.

I make a new show in Compu Show to make my scenes, then open up Easy Show to stat designing my show. You know that part so I skip that. I go to Sync in Easy Show, tell it where to get Timecode from and that's pretty much it.

What you need to do is start on a specific timeline. Ideally ZERO.

The thing is if you're using pre-mixed/mastered tracks for your playback, put them in ONE larger timeline in Sonar. Feel free to skip around, as Easy Show does follow smoothly.

The splitter is used so I can pump MTC to the B input so I can use that to drive another software package to run a side projection of thte same machine running Compu Show. Worked fine. Believe it or not, the side projections live in the main video timeline but are muted out unless I'm generating the side projection video.


How I programmed one more live show was the director made each scene way the hell too long(like, a 45 minute show ended up with an over 3-hour timeline). She dropped markers in Vegas so she could jump to where she needed to be. The idea was "the scene could go long or short, but we'd be covered either way". 3 hours? Come on! But it worked, flawlessly.

In your case, you'd probably have to hard-set your playlist, then have to hard-set your timeline. This ensures you can do the programing properly. Make sure you have an 'in between" songs scene. Hit that scene and pause. Your playback tech can then cue the next song or skip around as long as you have labelled markers or reference points. As long as the timeline is the same for both, you're good.

Now, if all the band is getting is a click and/or reference track but it's NOT going to FOH or into wedges, why even bother with Sonar? Import the song into Easy Show as a .wav. Make a 60-second BLANK track and use that between songs. You can always pause here. Do your lighting design, then import the show tracks(with click or reference) and it should all work out the same. You can jump around with no problem.

Regardless, you're going to need to use a MIDI cable.

Timeline is the key.

All I can say is.....WOW! I didn't teach you any of that. You picked it up on your own. That's how easy compu show and easy show are. a testament to the product. thanks.
Sincerely,

Well, I've done some work on some TV shows and feature films for audio work. This was just a natural extension of that. Doing things computer based, we're sort of doing a streamlined post-production process. Instead of taking our zillion of elements in a non-linear environment, we work with the final versions. That means flattening the video down to the final cut, and flattening the audio from 200+ tracks(many being FX tracks) down to a stereo downmix.

But in all seriousness, Easy Show is that easy. I'm taking a ton of experience acquired over my lifetime and adapting it to work in this environment. Since I'm the Tech God for this show, I get to make a lot of decisions. In this case, it was coming up with a total end to end solution.

I'm not saying EasyShow is perfect. it's not depending on what you want to do. For example, the director started slapping new elements into the timeline at the beginning. I said "oh no, we can't do that or it will trash everything I have done, move it to the end". That's just ignorance on their part. But for the shows I'm working on for the most part like this, it's an ideal match. This product was ideally made for not only this type of show, but with carefull planning, functions perfectly with how the show works for the rehearsals AND productions.

We're complicating things be having the director be front and center, while "master control" is off to the side. It's a necessity. It also adds a layer of complication and high risk by betting it all on a 50-foot MIDI cable that has to run across an aisle!

But back to picking this up on my own, it really was easy. There's not a whole lot of necessary options. Make sure your imported video works, then make sure your received timecode is in the correct format. If you can do that, you're going to get good results.

Let's put it this way: a show is no time to take risks. I tested Easy Show as I went and it took me a long time to do the programming. I did incrementical tests of both the programming AND technology to break it or find problems. I felt VERY comfortable risking it all on this show. In fact, I didn't feel it was a risk at all. For 2 different shows, it worked FLAWLESS. Thanks to timecode, it also allowed the lights to work PERFECT and the side projections went exactly where they needed to be in the timeline. Granted, the side projections ran off a second program, but I could have just as easily had Compu Show run that bit. But MY EasyShow monitor was full of my notes for the spot ops and other stuff.

Now, if you're doing this all on one machine, this is actually OK to do with Sonar and Compu Show/Easy 3D/Easy Show all running at once. Sony vegas Pro 10 is a resource pig and is wasteful and ineffecient in multiple ways in regards to how it handles video on the fly, even when not running FX or plug ins for the video. Sonar is an audio package and as such, tends to not bog down unless you're pushing your hardware past what it was intended to handle. But, you will need to loop a short MIDI cable from a MIDI OUT to a MIDI IN. You can either make the cables or buy pre-made ones. Sweetwater makes some really nice 1-foot cables with a lifetime warranty. Helps reduce some cable clutter! Sonar will need to send MTC OUT on a specific MIDI OUT(user defined) and Easy Show will need to read input from a MIDI input(also user defined(, so its best to have a MIDI interface with multiple ins and outs. 2 at least, such as a MIDISPORT 2X2, but if you want more, hey, then make sure your needs are justified as the costs jump up. A MIDISPORT 4X4 runs around $150, while a 2X2 is around $60, and a UNO is around $40. MOTU makes some 8X8 nes, but those are gonna run quite a bit more. I'm not a MOTU fan, but I'm not here to slam them. Almost all the multiple bank MIDI interfaces let you pick and choose what ports you want to use. Just make sure whatever you want to use with Compu Show/Easy Show, you need to pay attention. Compu Show wants dedicated input ports for it's triggering and control. Easy Show also wants a dedicated input port for receiving timecode. This necessitates at least a 2X2 interface configuration. But you just burned all your inputs, so what if you wanted to run that extra video thing I do? The cost difference between a 3X3 and the 4X4 says "dude, just get the 4X4". And if you need the timecode in multiple areas, you need a MIDI thru box to send that incoming timecode into multiple outputs. I know it sounds crazy to add all this sort of stuff even if doing this on one machine, but it's a possible necessity. You have to evaluate your needs and requirements and them make wise decisions as to how you're going to make it happen. It doesn't need to break the bank, but it will require some smart spending, some patience and knowing where you can get certain items. The biggest issues to NOT wait until it's almost showtime. Get this crap done in adcance.

Having a background in high-end and highly complex studio and live situations is very useful. I've not only had to use them, but then design them as well.

Getting to use Compu Show in a LIVE environment took a solid 4 months of me working my tail off, learning as I went, getting help when I could. While I haven't recouped my investment yet, the product showed that it's worth the time, does what it says and despite the hard up front work, made showtime a lot less stressful so I could focus on other things.

I am new to Compushow and would like to know if jingles can add to his video tutorials a part2 and one for EASY SHOW where syncing lights to a music file and video file.

From the manual there really isn't any help on how to use the Easy Show. I learned a lot just from your Part1 video.

Thanks.

Thanks Bill. Welcome to the forums. I do p[lan to add several more videos to the you tube channel. I am going to try to keep it in somewhat of a order but may add requested video's from time to time. Also you must have a Compu Show SD or higher model interface in order for Easy show to work with triggering your lights and scenes in Compu Show. If you have a compu cue or cue basic it will not trigger from easy show.
Sincerely,

Got ya on the SD or better...the only concern that I have is that when I KJ I use a stand alone program for karaoke and when before and after karaoke I use the same program that uses "filler tunes" for everyone on the dance floor. Would there be any way to use my karaoke program filler tunes to trigger the Compu Show program to have the lights sync?

I am just trying to see if Compu Show can be a standalone unit or that the program runs in the background and plays songs that you have tagged with triggers when you play them for your lights.

Also I noticed that the Easy Show looks the same in Compu 2006 are there differences between the two? Does it use a different dongle? Just seeing maybe I can get a used program on the cheap if it will do the same.


Thanks.

I'm still learning stuff with Compu Show and Easy Show. I know you can import multiple songs into EasyShow, but you have to organize them into a SINGLE show, which might not be the best thing. You can have STOPS at markers, but without the markers just being up and labelled, it's not so graceful, but there is a marker list.

I know what you're talking about as I want to do some lights to music stuff for karaoke, but have filler tunes with lights as well. But with a library of over 2000 songs, that's a buttload of stuff to drag into Easy Show and then program.

You'd normally run Easy Show in the foreground, with Compu Show in the background. Compu Show is NOT dependent on Easy Show, but Easy Show IS dependent on Compu Show. You can always STOP your Easy Show and then run something in Compu Show if you want to or need to. You can also have Compu Show over-ride something in Easy Show.