MP3s and Unit Synchronization

[Mark]

I have the Show Director unit with a second 16-channel connected as Unit #2. I have 2 issues and am hoping someone can answer them given my show is supposed to go live tomorrow:

1) I have 3 sequences that will control the lights if connected to the PC, but when I load them up to the SD Card, they won't run. At first, I thought the MP3 files were the issue so I downgraded the bitrate to 96 (from 128), then to 64, but still no luck. The MP3s were converted the same way as my other 8 working sequences, so I'm at a loss as to why they won't play when the SD Card is running things. I've even tried them singularly on the SD Card without the other sequences, but still no luck. Any help?

2) I have 2 sequences where my Unit #2, channels 9-16 are not running as I have set them up, but they instead are mimicking Unit #1, channels 9-16. I use the same channel configuration in all my sequences, but there are just 2 sequences that are acting this way. Again, any help?

[Guest wbottomley]

Mark...

1) I see you changed your bitrate but is it an mp3? Use Audacity to convert them over.

2) Sounds like a channel config problem or the unit id is the same as number 1.

[Mark]

1) Yes - the file is still an mp3. I even sampled down to 64 br to see if that would help. Some of the mp3s I converted are having no issue, and one even worked after converting it again. Everything runs fine from my PC, but when it gets to the SD Card, seems to bomb out:-(

2) 7 sequences are running fine, and they use the same channel config file. Even re-imported the channel config file into these 2 sequences just to make sure. Still get the same thing where unit 2, 9-16 act like the same channels on unit 1.

From what I read on this LOR Support, I'm not the first to have an issue with sequences not playing or channels doing funny things. Is it possible the hardware LOR MP3 tab functionality is just a bit screwy sometimes? Perhaps it's associated with LOR II - I converted the 5 sequences that worked fine last year in LOR I and one of the sequences noted as an issue in #2 above has the problem. So perhaps LOR will have to address a software issue? Thanks for replying on Thanksgiving!

[Mark]

This is a follow-up to my original and previous post. Many thanks Mountainwxman regarding Audacity. I went ahead and converted all my MP3s thru that freeware program and they are all now playing using the SD Card in the Show Director. Thanks, Mountainwxman, for saving the official party last night (yes, we have a show-lighting party every year on Thanksgiving)!!

Regarding the second issue, where some channels are not acting properly (see original post), that issue still exists. I'm going to re-create those sequences and hope that the issue resolves. I will post a follow-up once I've had a chance to do that.

However, I didn't want to wait to post the news about Audacity. I'm not sure what it is about the Amazon.com and iTunes MP3s, or the conversion of bitrate functionality they provide, but they unfortunately don't work with the LOR software/hardware. I would suggest to LOR, if they haven't done so yet, that they post a technical note that Audacity really is the way to go when re-sampling MP3s for sequences.

Again, thanks M-wxman!!!

[Mark]

So this final post on the sequence question is one I make with shame. I failed to check one of the very basics -- the unit # on the hardware itself. I'm not even sure how my shows ran last year without me discovering this issue since both units were set to 01. But this year sure showed how "off" my sequences actually were. All is in order now, but just a reminder to re-check EVERYTHING even when you "think" you've covered the basics.

[Guest wbottomley]

Your welcomed Mark.

We're all in together on this.