Showtime Mini Director

[JayG1234]

I'm not sure how to get sequences on SD card for a showtime mini director? I have everything ready to go but not sure how to create the show. I have downloaded sequences and audio files but they dont marry up when creating a show. Help

[Don]

Look for the LORHub program. You create the shows there for the SD Card.

[JayG1234]

Thats what I am doing but keep getting error. It cant detect media file. Not sure why, its in the audio folder

[Don]

When you open the sequence in the Sequencer, does it play there? aka, is the media correctly associated with the sequence file?

[JayG1234]

Im not sure how to tell if its correctly associated with it?

[Don]

Does the file play in the Sequencer?

[JayG1234]

Yes. I missing something. Its not supposed to be this hard with showtime director. 

[Don]

If it plays in the Sequencer, but you can't add it to the show for your SD card then one of two things are happening.

1) You've got serious problems on that machine.
2) Most likely you are unintentionally picking the wrong file.

If it plays in the Sequencer, then nothing should prevent it from being loaded into that right hand window when building a show.

[PhilMassey]

 

27 minutes ago, JayG1234 said:

Thats what I am doing but keep getting error. It cant detect media file. Not sure why, its in the audio folder

Never had a director but does the audio format matter. I assume its called an mp3 director for a reason.

Is the mp3 constant bit rate and 128 kbps. Run it through Audacity if not.

[JayG1234]

Can either of you do a Zoom call?

[Orville]

Definitely sounds like you are picking the incorrect file.  I just went and tried to duplicate your error by creating an SD Card with both the Mini Director and my N4-G3 MP3 Director {BTW: I use 192K Constant Bit Rate and have never had issues with this on any MP3 Directors I've used}.  Anyway, both directors I chose wrote the SD Card with everything, no errors, but when I moved the audio file from where it was "married" to the sequence, then I got the same issue you're having.

So you have done 1 of 2 things, like Don stated you are choosing the wrong sequence file, or #2. You moved the audio file associated with that sequence to a different directory, so the sequence can no longer find it.

Used a Director for many years and have gone back to one this year, and the above is the only reason I can see this error occurring.   And I'm sure writing a show to the SD Card for a Director is still fairly the same in S4 as they are in S5 with the exception S5 uses a different format setup.  And I don't recall what files you need to load in S5, but from what I do recall, you don't use the .lms or .las files, they have to be converted to show play files of some type in S5.     Not sure if this could be an issue or not when creating your SD Card {but wouldn't think so, but then S5 does work quite differently from the pre-S5 software}.

Hopefully someone that uses S5 and a Mini Director will chime in on if tho S5 show files could create such an issue or not when writing an SD Card for any of the Director units.

Edited September 28, 2020 by Orville

[Don]

7 hours ago, Orville said:

I just went and tried to duplicate your error by creating an SD Card

You don't use S5. Any attempts to duplicate the error would be useless.

[tomsusie]

you must use the hub and not the hardware director when using S5.  As long as you have your files in the correct directories and haven't moved anything, than simply drag the loredit file with the latest date into the hub where you deposit the sequence.  the audio will automatically connect if it is in the correct location.  You only have to put the sequence file in to the hub.  Hope that helps some.

[Orville]

13 hours ago, Don said:

You don't use S5. Any attempts to duplicate the error would be useless.

I actually do have it on another system I got set up and working.  But I haven't played around enough with it yet to do much with it.

[dibblejr]

On 9/27/2020 at 2:31 PM, JayG1234 said:

Im not sure how to tell if its correctly associated with it?

Just a quick note, question or statement.

I see this a lot when I help someone who is using "save as" to place a sequence in a folder outside of the LOR directory. If that is the case you must open the sequence and play it (meaning you will have to re sync the audio file). Now if thats the case you can add the sequence to the card w the music from the folder outside of LOR directory.

As a matter of fact I had a text from someone I help last night that had a similar problem. Using "save as".

Its the same when I move an S4 sequence in to S5 for the first time or an S5 sequence for all that matters. I have to re sync the audio.

I know my re syncing may not be the correct term, I have been told that before however I get the point across.

JR

 

[Orville]

On 9/29/2020 at 3:07 AM, dibblejr said:

Just a quick note, question or statement.

I see this a lot when I help someone who is using "save as" to place a sequence in a folder outside of the LOR directory. If that is the case you must open the sequence and play it (meaning you will have to re sync the audio file). Now if thats the case you can add the sequence to the card w the music from the folder outside of LOR directory.

As a matter of fact I had a text from someone I help last night that had a similar problem. Using "save as".

Its the same when I move an S4 sequence in to S5 for the first time or an S5 sequence for all that matters. I have to re sync the audio.

I know my re syncing may not be the correct term, I have been told that before however I get the point across.

JR

 

I find that so strange that you and others have had issues with the "Save As", I use this feature all the time when I save a sequence that I am putting in a different directory for my N4-G3 {G4} Director.  I have a completed directory and an G4 Director directory and 2 different channel config files so that I can change up from my "testing channel config" to the "G4 Channel Config" by importing it into my completed sequence, then I use "Save As" to save the changed sequence for the Director.

I go into the Hub, and set everything up, have never gotten an error on any MP3 file missing or what have you.  I write the show to the SD Card, plug it in and everything works just fine.    I have never had to reload the sequence from the G4 Directory folder back in the SE and use "Save" to update the sequence and MP3 to re-link them.    Guess I must be fortunate that I don't have to go through and do that to over 500+ sequences, that would be a real pain in the backside!

[dibblejr]

6 hours ago, Orville said:

I find that so strange that you and others have had issues with the "Save As", I use this feature all the time when I save a sequence that I am putting in a different directory for my N4-G3 {G4} Director.  I have a completed directory and an G4 Director directory and 2 different channel config files so that I can change up from my "testing channel config" to the "G4 Channel Config" by importing it into my completed sequence, then I use "Save As" to save the changed sequence for the Director.

I go into the Hub, and set everything up, have never gotten an error on any MP3 file missing or what have you.  I write the show to the SD Card, plug it in and everything works just fine.    I have never had to reload the sequence from the G4 Directory folder back in the SE and use "Save" to update the sequence and MP3 to re-link them.    Guess I must be fortunate that I don't have to go through and do that to over 500+ sequences, that would be a real pain in the backside!

It may be dif in the HUB but for the old way and or if adding it to a show via computer the LMS and the media file need to be re syncd by opening and playing the sequence.

I NEVER use "save as". I do not see a reason to use it. I have helped many people that were lost as to why they were getting certain errors and it was always caused by the "save as".

I also get the error because I sequence on one computer and transfer them to my show computer. Before anything can be added I have to open the sequence and let it load the media file. I always play it for about 15 seconds as well.

The HUB is really nice and has simplified the SD card show process. I use it only for my tune to matrix that is ran through the mini director because I have it far away from the house. One less cable to run 2-300' depending on season.

JR

[k6ccc]

2 hours ago, dibblejr said:

I NEVER use "save as". I do not see a reason to use it. I have helped many people that were lost as to why they were getting certain errors and it was always caused by the "save as".

Just as a counterpoint to that, I ALWAYS use save as.  Every time I save a sequence I use a new filename that explicitly defines a new file version.  That way I can easily go back to an earlier version if  really mess some thing up (I have), or just don't like the changes that I made.  However it is ALWAYS in the same directory for that song.  For example, if I were working on Wizards in Winter today, the filenames would be:

Wizards in Winter 2020-10-01a.loredit

Wizards in Winter 2020-10-01b.loredit

Wizards in Winter 2020-10-01c.loredit

etc.

All of those would be in: L:\Sequences\Christmas 2020\Wizards

 

[Orville]

14 hours ago, dibblejr said:

It may be dif in the HUB but for the old way and or if adding it to a show via computer the LMS and the media file need to be re syncd by opening and playing the sequence.

I NEVER use "save as". I do not see a reason to use it. I have helped many people that were lost as to why they were getting certain errors and it was always caused by the "save as".

I also get the error because I sequence on one computer and transfer them to my show computer. Before anything can be added I have to open the sequence and let it load the media file. I always play it for about 15 seconds as well.

The HUB is really nice and has simplified the SD card show process. I use it only for my tune to matrix that is ran through the mini director because I have it far away from the house. One less cable to run 2-300' depending on season.

JR

Been using that same method since 2010 when I started with the original DC-MP3 Director and the HWU was the only way to write SD Cards at that time, then when it died and I moved to using a Computer for my shows, using both the Show Editor and Schedule Editor on files that I created using the "Save As" option never had issues there either.  And now using the Hub and N4-G3 {G4} Director} in 2020 and the "Save As" still works and I never had to remarry the MP3 file back to the sequence. 

When I make changes I just save the sequence to the directory I'm using at the time {like 2020 Christmas\WIP} and then run the sequence, if I don't like the changes I did, I just delete and rename the .bak file and start again.  Although sometimes I'll do a new sequence with the "Save As" if I want to keep some changes and revert back and copy some of the original work that ended up looking better than the change{s} I made.  Then the new sequence would get a revision added, like Jingle Bells.lms, would then become Jingle Bells_V2.lms and so on.

But I've been using "Save As" since LOR 2.9.1{if I remember right, that's the version I started with in 2010} up to where I am now on LOR 4.4.6, just haven't had any real issues using the "Save As" option.