1. SoundMan-Server A quick overview

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: –GAIN0.3 –DELAY1.2 –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 PLAYBACKCROSSPOINTPBXPOINTPX 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 1IN4PX4.4 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 1PLAYBACK 0 TO 4 OUT 1-3IN 0 1 2 3 5 PB 6 OUT7-12 I16 X0.0 1.1 2.2X0-3.0-3 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 –FADETC Examples –SET CHAN OUT1 GAINDB -144 FADETIME 5.2; –SET CHAN I1 DELAY.025 FADETIME 1.22;

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

23. Example Notes 1Initialize SM-S to use the ASIO device "MOTU FireWire Audio”. Disable the inputs and set 50 playback channels. 2Set all input, playback, crosspoint, and output channels to 0 gain. 3Set 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. 4Set 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. 5Set both playback channel gains to -3dB and set output channels 0 and 1 to a gain of 1, which is 0dB. 6Set playback crosspoints 0.0 and 1.1 to have gains of 0dB. This routes P0 to O0 and P1 to O1, giving stereo output. 7Make playback channels P0 and P1 play. Since we played both channels in one channel list, they will be sample locked.